Spofford Times Newsletter 

Dear Parents,

As we move through January, I would like to highlight the importance of allowing your children to take on more responsibility.  Allowing and encouraging children to be accountable for tasks each day will increase their sense of self and confidence.  Planting the seeds of responsibility starts at a very early age and will set children up for success if it is a consistent expectation in their lives. Children can only demonstrate this kind of behavior if they are given the opportunity to do so.

A consideration for you is  how expectations are communicated to your children.  As children grow and mature, they are naturally able to accept more responsibility. Sometimes it may feel easier for parents 'to do' for children when rushed or hurried to get somewhere.  This , however, in the long run it may not be the be best for children.  Take some time and think ahead to  carefully plan and set appropriate goals for your children.   Allow your children to do age appropriate tasks that will help create a sense of responsibility in them.  

You can also help your child by modeling appropriate responsible behavior. Encourage your  children to set their own goals, make choices and solve problems.  Children need experience in being responsible decision-makers.  Finally, allowing for natural and logical consequences is an important aspect of learning responsible behavior.

Olweus  Parent Notes

The following are ways the program is being implemented this school year:

In the Classroom

*The four anti-bullying rules will be taught in all classrooms.

*Class meetings will be held where students talk about what

bullying is. Students will learn why bullying should not

happen.They will also learn to ask an adult for help

if they see or experience bullying.

*Teachers will use positive and negative consequences

for following and not following the four anti-bullying

rules.

*Teachers will work to make the classroom a positive

place for students.

For Individuals Who Bully or Who Are Bullied

*Teachers and other staff will be trained to deal with

bullying situations and the students involved.

*Students who bully others will be given consequences

as soon as possible.

*Students who are bullied will be supported by staff.

They will be told what action will be taken to end

the bullying.

*Teachers and other staff will meet with the parents

of students who bully and students who are bullied.

In the Community

*Our school will be looking for ways to develop

partnerships with community members and carry

the anti-bullying message community-wide.

Dr. Paul Coleman, author of How to Say It to Your Child When Bad Things Happen, offers the best ways to talk to kids about scary images and events that are occurring in our world.

Wait until they're older. Until around age 7, Dr. Coleman suggests only addressing the tough stuff if kids bring it up first. "They might see it on TV or hear about it at school (or heaven forbid even witness it), and then you have to deal with it. But younger children might not be able to handle it well," says Dr. Coleman.

Keep it black and white. Yes, the world can be a cruel place, but little kids, well, can't handle the truth."Younger kids need to be reassured that this isn't happening to them and won't happen to them," says Dr. Coleman. Parents may feel like they're lying, since no one can ever be 100% sure of what the future holds, but probability estimates are not something small kids can grasp, and won't comfort them.

Ask questions. Don't assume you know how they feel. Instead, get at their understanding of what happened. "They might be afraid -- or just curious. You have to ascertain that by asking things like 'What did you hear? What do you think?'" says Dr. Coleman. "If they are scared, ask what they're afraid of - don't assume you know. They could be using twisted logic, like they see a building collapse on TV and think it's Mommy's office building. Correct any misconceptions, and then offer assurance."

Don't label feelings as wrong. Let them know that their feelings make sense, and that it's ok to feel whatever they're feeling. Never make them feel bad about being scared.

Use it as a teaching moment. Talking about bad things can lead to discussions about how to help others, and gives parents an opportunity to model compassion. Talk about donating to a relief organization, or make the message even more personal. "You can say, 'It makes me think of Mrs. Smith in a wheelchair down the road - maybe we should make her a pot roast,'" says Dr. Coleman. 

When Tragedy Affects Someone Your Kids Know. Sometimes tragedy strikes closer to home, and there's no way to shield your kids. If you're dealing with the death of a friend or family member, be truthful about it, but offer some separation between what happened and what they fear might happen. "Say 'Grandma was very old and very sick, but I'm not,'" says Dr. Coleman. "Distinguish yourself clearly from that person so your child can rest comfortably knowing Mommy's not going anywhere."

Children love to spend time with you and they love to play games.  Why not take a little time out and play a board game with your child?  Your child will feel important and be building self-esteem while you both enjoy being together.  All the while your child will also be increasing their math skills!  Board games teach number and shape recognition, grouping and counting.  Memory games teach matching and sorting skills.  Many board games teach brain strengthening strategy skills.  Children's spatial abilities are enhanced and they develop important number skills.  Studies show that pre-school children who play board games like Chutes and Ladders can better identify and count numbers and develop a sense of which numbers have a greater value.

Classic games such as chess, checkers and Chinese checkers teach children logic and strategy. Players make decisions that turn out to be good decisions or bad decisions. As they continue playing the game, it becomes evident which decision helped their play. Learning from previous moves helps logical thinking for the next play.

Probability is the likelihood that something will happen. "Guess Who," "Battleship" and "Mastermind" are all games that involve probability.  "Battleship"

Any game that involves moving a pawn a set number of spaces will help with counting skills. "Chutes and Ladders," in which children move along a path, is an example of a counting game. Games that involve children moving backward and forward, like "Sorry," build more advanced counting skills. Counting dice in games such as "Monopoly" or "Yahtzee" builds math skills.

Welcome back to General Music!

This semester we will have Mr. Andrew Skinner joining us on Mondays and Fridays as a student teacher. He is a Music Education major at Gordon College and will be learning how to teach General Music, Band and Chorus through his work with our students. Some of you might see Mr. Skinner at Masco as he completes part of his practicum with Randy O'Keefe and Bill Gray at the High School and Middle School.

Formal Assessments :

All students are formally assessed once per month and receive informal assessments weekly. Please look for the formal assessment ticket coming home with your child later this month after they complete their Formal Assessment in Singing/Matching Pitch.

Third Grade

Please support your child in their progress on the recorder. Students are expected to practice at least 15 minutes three times per week on their recorder. Learning the recorder is a fundamental part of their Music Education experience. Therefore, students who are not practicing and unable to keep up in class will be very confused when we move on to fourth grade general music.

Parents, please help your child keep their sheet music organized by providing them with a folder.

Fourth Grade

Students  are now singing tonal patterns including Do, Re, Mi, Sol  and learning how to recognize it in notated music.

Rhythms spoken in rhythm syllables "Du" and "Du-De" are now comfortable in both 2/4 and 4/4 time signatures and students are decoding these rhythms by counting.

Fifth Grade

Thar she blows!  Students are continuing their work with popular and important sea chanties. Mostly from Europe, sea chanties are a great way to teach treble clef singing and 6/8 rhythms. Students are using the rhythm syllables "Du" and "Du-da-di" to decode written and spoken rhythms.

Please remember that ukulele's are still being rented out and MUST be returned the following week. Only students who turned in permission slips are allowed to take home a uke.

Sixth Grade

Student are currently studying West African rhythms through drumming circles. All children will earn the right to perform on an instrument through rhythm studies and their formal assessments. Please note that poor behavior will result in the loss of their turn on the instruments.

Best,

Mrs. Galardi

Mr. Skinner

 CHORUS NEWS!  

Dear Chorus Parents,

Sixth Grade Chorus

Beginning in our first rehearsal back from vacation (January 3) students have been auditioning for the Wizard of Oz musical.

The role of Dorothy will be split between two students, due to the length of dialogue for this part.

Results will be posted by late next week and will be hung outside the music room door.

4/5 Grade Chorus

We're beginning our new music for the semester. Students should have received three new songs: Over the Rainbow, Bonse Aba and The Water is Wide. All the upcoming music will be performed in three concerts this Spring: March 6th (community outreach concert at Masconomet Health Care), April 14 (Exchange Trip to NH) and our Spring concert (date TBD).

Please see the Spofford Pond Music website for all information including schedules.

For your convenience:

Upcoming Event Schedule

Best,

Mrs. Galardi

PTO

TEACHER AND STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK is JAN. 24-27 to warm everyone up with delicious food in the middle of winter rather than waiting until May.  We need your culinary talents or participate by signing up to help online at www.HelperSignUp.com.  A link can also be found by visiting www.Boxfordpto.org.  Please direct any questions to Sherry Fuller, Fulcow@Verizon.net (Spofford) or Christina Eckert, eckertcovino@hotmail.com (Cole).

WALLS OF APPRECIATION.  The PTO is also inviting every child to participate by making a Card of Appreciation for their favorite teacher, aides and staff members that will line the walls of the school lobbies on Jan.24.  At the end of the week the cards will be handed back to the teachers.

BOX TOPS ARE BUILDING BLOCKS to supporting our schools through everyday purchases we make.  We are challenging families to send in their Box Tops and reach this year's goal of $2,500 for each school.  More details to come or visit www.boxfordpto.org to discover all the products and companies that support Box Tops and print out a Box Top form to start collecting today.

SAVE THE DATE-- spring will be around the corner in no time so mark April 28th on your calendar for a truly fun evening out at the Ferncroft for all parents to enjoy at the PTO's Annual Spring event that you won't want to miss!

PRESCHOOL SCREENING

Boxford Public Schools

Cole Preschool

1/25/12   9:00-11:30 am

If your child is between the ages of 3 and 5

and will not be attending kindergarten in

Sept. 2012, and you have concerns about

his/her development, please contact

Cole School (978)887-2856 to

set up an appointment.

Please send resume to:

Lana Spillman, Conservation Administrator

lspilman@topsfield-ma.gov or

8 West Common Street

Topsfield, MA  01983

(978) 887-1510

Boxford Girl Scout Family

Roller Skating Party

When:         Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Time:           1:15 - 3:15

Where:         Roller Palace

                   130 Sohier Road

         Beverly, MA

       Hosted by:   Junior Troop #60417

                          Brownie Troop #62005

Tickets are $7/person, $21/family.  This event is open to all Boxford Girl Scouts and their families.  This is not a drop off event.  For tickets, please contact the leaders below by March 1, 2012.

Liz Pool...poolfamily98@gmail.com...978-561-1065 or 

Diane Winship...jsw@latticenet.com...978-769-5271

AN UPCOMING GREAT YOUTH ACTIVITY SPONSORED BY MASCO BOYS BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

MASCO BASKETBALL YOUTH NIGHT AND FOOD PANTRY DRIVE

FRIDAY, January 27th, 2012 at 6:30 P.M.

Come cheer on the Masco Boys Varsity Basketball Team at their home game against North Reading on Friday, January 27th. starting 6:30 P.M. at the Masco gym. FREE ADMISSION to all youth basketball players wearing their basketball jerseys and other Tri-Town youths wearing red & white. Please arrive 15 minutes before the 6:30 PM tip-off time for reserved seating. All canned goods and non-perishable food items collected at the entrance will be donated to the St. Joseph's Food Pantry, Salem, MA.