Spofford Times Newsletter 

 Dear Parents,  

There is an important student related matter that I want to bring to your attention.   Lately as we move further into the winter months, the boys and girls at our school have become a bit more restless with one another out on the playground and in school. I ask that you continually reinforce with your child the use of  positive social strategies. This will help them navigate difficulties they may encounter. 

The best strategy a parent can use is to encourage open communication.  However, this can be difficult if your child is not interested in talking about the details of his or her day.   Try to encourage your children to share information about school, play dates,  and the bus ride to and from school. Listen to their conversations with other children as well.  This could by your first clue to whether your child is struggling because he/she is being teased or is teasing others.     Next, let your child's teacher or me know about any problematic situation as we want to support the emotional health of every child in our school. Children need to feel safe in every way and it is important to bring us into the conversation to support them.   

Special Thank you!

Many thanks to all families who have participated in our food drives this year.  Our students have done a fantastic job with supporting our local food banks.  Thank you!  

Drop Off Note:

I recognized that mornings can be hectic for families, however if you are dropping your child off in the morning, please do so between 8:25am and 8:35am.  The school day begins promptly at 8:40am and students need to be in classrooms at 8:40am.   Thank you for your cooperation with this.

Have a great week!
Sincerely, 

Kathryn Nikas, Principal 

Why Repeated Reads?

We have been thrilled with the family investment in the Fluency Bag initiative this year in grades 3 and 4.  Working with a child on their fluency is a very important piece of their development - no matter what their reading level. 

One of the questions that I am frequently asked by parents is "Why does my child need to read the same piece repeatedly?"  The research to support the necessity of repeated reads for a growing reader to develop fluency is abundant.  The following snippets of information may shed some light:

As a skills-based procedure, repeated reading represents the most widely studied method for developing reading fluency. Repeated reading's main steps derive from its name; the repetitious reading of a selected passage. Originally described by Samuels (1979), repeated reading (RR) requires the student to read a selected passage until meeting a fluency criterion.  Samuels observed that the continued practice of decoding new passages resulted in progressively higher decoding frequencies during subsequent readings of text.

-From the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) and Division for Research (DR) of the Council for Exceptional Children - Issue 15 - Fall 2007

As all students become increasingly fluent - their repeated reading choices can be carefully selected to keep them challenged and provide increased benefit to the repetition.

Repeated Readings can be adapted in a variety of ways to meet student needs,

differentiate instruction, and keep motivation up.

* Vary instructional settings: some repeated reading in a teacher-directed setting, some with peers, and some independently

* Vary purposes: identifying motivations of characters, find out information (e.g., first

time to find out about monkeys, second time to identify one important idea, for reading

to others, for planning an illustration.

* Vary materials: narrative texts, expository texts, poems and chants, songs, text written by the student or class.

* Vary modalities: read silently with a tape, read aloud with the model, read chorally,

read to a peer, read to oneself.

From Blum & Koskinen (1991)

If your experiences with your child's weekly Fluency Bag feel stale - then we may need to tweak the child's fluency choice - or discuss additional venues that might enrich your shared reading time.  Together we can see such wonderful growth for children of all reading abilities!

Betsy Gadbois - Literacy Specialist/Spofford Pond School

Las noticias de las clases del español!  

(News from the Spanish classes)

The Spanish classes are completing the topics they have been involved with and moving on to newer material. The third graders are beginning a unit on Weather expressions. In fourth grade we will be reviewing Weather words, add in seasons, and talk about what clothing would be appropriate for various types of weather. Eventually, they will put this information together to create posters and bulletin boards. The fifth graders are finishing a unit on foods and beginning a cultural unit on Spanish speaking countries. In the beginning of the year, many of the sixth students expressed an interest in reviewing and learning more animal words so they are going to be learning vocabulary for various animals and their habitats. Remember, parents, that fifth and sixth graders keep their materials organized in three-binders. Please ask your child about the condition of his or her binder. Check that it hasn't been damaged, or misplaced and replace it if necessary. It's important that they have a place to keep their materials.

From the Math Department

This is a reminder that the Online Math Leagues for grades 3-6 will meet during the week of February 6th.  Grade 4 will meet on Tuesday, Grade 5 will meet on Wednesday, Grade 3 will meet on Thursday and Grade 6 will meet on Friday.  All grades meet from 8-8:30am

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Please join Boxford Junior Girl Scout Troop 63056 

for "KID'S NIGHT" benefitting the "HAVEN FOR HUNGER" food pantry  

on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH from 4-10PM at TEXAS ROADHOUSE, Danvers

FUN CRAFTS< SUNDAE BAR<LINE DANCING<RAFFLES utill 7:30pm

***Mention this invitation to your server when paying your dine-in or takeout bill from 4-10pm and 

10% (of your food bill) will be donated to HAVEN FOR HUNGER!!!

Contact troop leader Melanie Cullinane at (978)561-1600 or mpcullinane@comcast.net with any questions.

 Help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts at the Boxford Girl Scout Family Roller Skating Party on Tuesday, March 13th from 1:15 - 3:15 at the Roller Palace, 130 Sohier Rd, Beverly.  The event is hosted by Junior Troop #60417 and Brownie Troop #62005.  Tickets are $7/person, $21/family.  The event is open to all Boxford Girl Scouts and their families.  This is not a drop off event.  For tickets, please contact Liz Pool at poolfamily98@gmail.com (978-561-1065) or Diane Winship at jsw@latticenet.com (978-769-5271) by March 1, 2012.  We hope you can join us for this fun event.

5th and 6th grade Poetry Workshop

As we now have more than 12 students accepted into the 5 th and 6 th grade poetry workshop, registration is closed. Thanks to you and your children for showing so much interest in this after school writing group. Parents of those children registered will receive emails in the next week with more detailed information

Writing: Comics and Other Media Workshop  

Due to the large response to the 3rd and 4th grade writing with comics and other media workshop, a lottery was held to select 12 students. Registration is closed. Thanks to you and your children for showing so much interest in thisafter school workshop. Parents of those children registered will receive emails in the next week with more
detailed information. 

Tri-Town Council Upcoming Programs

Strengthening Social Skills - Join Stephanie Meegan for the final two workshops in this popular series on February 15 and February 29 at the Topsfield Library 10:30am-12:00pm. Drop ins welcome!

Boy-Sense - Save the date!  Thursday March 1, 7:30PM, Flint Library, Middleton for Tri-Town parents/educators of boys in Prek-6th grade.

Girl Talk - for 5th and 6th grade girls and their Mom/special adult female - 4 part workshop begins on March 5.  Watch for backpack flyers with registration information.

For more information about these and other programs, please visit the TTC website www.tritowncouncil.org and for more great resources and information check out our Facebook page!

Don't Miss B.E.S.T.'s of Women & Wine on February 9, 2012, sure to be an exciting evening for the ladies in town! Tickets, which are $50, include wine tasting, hor' doeuvres, a wine glass favor filled with chocolates and a ticket for the door prize (and rumor has it the door prize is a Louis Vuitton Handbag!).  The first 75 ladies to purchase tickets to the event will receive 2 door prize tickets! That is 2 chances to win this beautiful handbag. There will also be great raffle baskets to win, one including a Spa day for 2 at the Wentworth By the Sea Hotel! Tickets went on sale on January 11 and last year this fantastic event sold out, so purchase your tickets now so you don't miss your chance to attend!

The event will be held at the Wine ConnecXtion, 117 Main Street in North Andover from 7:00 - 10:00 pm.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.bestforboxford.org or can be purchased via mail with a check payable to B.E.S.T. at P.O. Box 176, Boxford. We hope to see you there!

Cole Integrated Preschool Extended Registration

The Cole Integrated Preschool is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year for an afternoon preschool session for 3 year olds .  Children must be 3 on or before September 1, 2012 to be eligible for the preschool program.  Please call Debbie Connery 978-887-2856 ext. 103 or email  HYPERLINK "mailto:dconnery@boxfordschools.org" dconnery@boxfordschools.org if interested.


  

Be A Birthday Buddy at Community Giving Tree

New in 2012, Community Giving Tree is offering an easy way for kids to help out other kids in need: by sharing one gift through the Birthday Buddy Program.   Children celebrating a birthday can donate one or two of their gifts, which will be matched with a boy or girl of the same age whose caregivers cannot afford a birthday present.  Children who bring a new gift to Community Giving Tree receive a special certificate and have their photo taken for the Giving Center's Care and Share wall.

The Birthday Buddy Program does not replace the Care and Share Program, in which children ask attendees at their birthday parties to bring new items for Community Giving Tree in lieu of gifts.  But for many children who aren't ready to give up all of their birthday gifts, Community Giving Tree hopes that the Birthday Program offers a more palatable alternative, allowing a child participate in local philanthropy, and help a kid just like them at the same time.  To find out how you can be a Birthday Buddy or host a Care and Share party, contact pattiann@communitygivingtree.org.

Masco H.S. Baseball Clinic                                     

The Masconomet H.S. baseball team would like to invite interested  9-14 yr old Tri Town players to attend their 2ND ANNUAL 3-day baseball clinic.  All proceeds to benefit the Masconomet H.S. baseball program.  The 3-day clinic will take place in the Masconomet H.S. field house, and run from Tuesday, Feb. 21 thru Thursday, Feb. 23, 8:00 am -12:00 pm. There will be a limit of 70 players at a cost of $60 per player.  Interested players are asked to contact John Tudor via email at jttute@live.com. with any questions.  Clinic staff will include:

Masco Head Coach and 2010 Cape Ann Coach of The Year, Mike Valentino.

John Delaney, Assistant Coach

John Tudor, Pitching Coach and former Major League pitcher.

Current Masconomet H.S. Players

Guest INSTRUCTORS will also be in attendance.

Don't forget to sign up early as only the 1st 70 players will be accepted.

We look forward to seeing you and thank you for your support of Masco Baseball.                                      

Thank you very much.

Debee Kelly