Preschool and Kindergarten Registration at Memorial School

As we all prepare to welcome the New Year, at Memorial School we have begun planning for our next school year as well.  Registration for the District's Integrated Preschool will be held from January 22nd through 27th. To register, children must be 3 or 4 years old, on or before August 31, 2012 and be toilet trained.  Parents must be able to provide transportation and the children must be residents of Mendon or Upton. All classes are staffed with Master Level Teachers who are certified to teach early childhood students, with and without disabilities.  The research based curriculum that is utilized in all preschool classes is titled "Tools of the Mind".  Memorial School will hold an Open House for perspective parents and students on January 20, 2012 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.  Parents may choose from morning or afternoon classes.  The schedule for morning classes is Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 11:30 at a cost of $303.00 per month and the schedule for afternoon classes  is Monday through Friday 12:30 to 3:00 at a cost of $375.00 per month.  In addition, we expect to offer an extended day option for 1 to 5 days per week at an additional cost.  Every effort will be made to accommodate all those who are interested in attending the Integrated Preschool.  In the event that there are more students registered than available slots, a lottery will be drawn on February 10, 2012.  For more information, please contact Carol Suffredini, Pre-K Coordinator at 508-529-1020 Ext. 109.

Students who will be entering kindergarten during the 2012-2013 school year must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2012. The Mendon Upton Regional School District offers half day, full day, extended day, and Spanish immersion kindergarten classes.  Parents of all perspective kindergarten students are invited to attend an informational evening on Thursday February 9th in the Memorial School Cafeteria at 6:00.  If you are unable to attend the informational meeting, please stop into the school office to pick up a registration packet and make an appointment to register your child.  Packets will be available beginning January 3, 2012.  Proof of residence, birth certificate, and immunization records are required at registration.   Kindergarten registration will be held on Wednesday February 15th and Thursday February 16th.  If you have any questions, please  contact the school office at 69 Main Street or call 508-529-1020.

Standards Based Reporting

Many school districts have adopted standards based report cards at the elementary school level to more closely reflect the standards based instruction that has been implemented in response to No Child Left Behind.  The greatest benefit of standards based reporting is to provide parents with additional information about their student’s achievement. 

Every state has adopted a list of skills/standards that students are expected to learn at each grade level from kindergarten (pre-school in Massachusetts) through high school.  The list of skills/standards in our state is known as the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework. Teachers are responsible for teaching the skills/standards listed for their students’ specific grade level. How the skills are taught is left to the discretion of each school district.  Standards based report cards list the most important skills in all subject areas for each grade level.  The mastery of the skills/standards listed on the report card is anticipated by the end of the school year.  The example below is taken from Mendon Upton Regional School District’s Second Grade Report Card in the area of Mathematics:

·         Counts, identifies, compares, and writes numbers up to 1,000

·         Skip counts by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, up to at least 100, starting at any number

·         Adds and subtracts up to three-digit numbers accurately and efficiently using conventional and non-conventional methods

With standards based reporting, rather than receiving a “traditional” letter grade, students receive a mark that indicates the level of mastery for each specific skill/standard.  Instead of quantifying a grade through the averaging of various scores collected across a predetermined period, the teacher asks the basic question, “Has the student mastered this specific skill as of the end of this marking period?” If the answer is yes, the child receives a “3”.  In many cases, mastery of grade level skills/standards will not occur until the second or third marking period.  Students who are working toward mastery will receive a “2” until the skill is mastered.  Students also receive separate marks for effort and work habits.

In the past, students often received one grade for each subject area (i.e. reading, math, science, etc.).  On a standards based report cart, each subject is divided into a list of specific skills/standards and knowledge that students are expected to master.  Students receive a separate grade for each skill/standard listed. In addition, standards based report cards provide more consistency between teachers and schools than traditional report cards because all students are evaluated on the same grade-level skill/standard.  Parents are better able to identify which skills/standards that their children have mastered and where additional practice may be needed.

Partners Advancing Literacy

 I’m pleased to inform you that the Partners Advancing Learning (PAL) Program will be offered again this year at Memorial School.   This is a program in which volunteers work with teachers to provide specific curriculum based activities for students in the classroom.  The program has been developed in collaboration with the Memorial School Staff and under the guidance of the Memorial School Council.

The intent of the program is to provide additional support for teachers within the curriculum, such as reading, writing and math.  This is in addition to the other volunteer programs the school is currently offering. 

This year we plan to expand Book Worm Buddy into other grade levels.  This program will provide volunteers the opportunity to lead a read aloud and discussion group with 3 to 5 students in a second or third grade classroom.  The time commitment is approximately 45 minutes to one hour bi-weekly.    This program provides children time to practice reading skills and improve their confidence.  Orientation and materials are provided. If you would like to share your love of reading with children, then this is a great way to do it.  We are also hoping to add support in the areas of written language and mathematics. 

To insure the safety of our children, all volunteers must have a current CORI form on file with the school.  Please see Carol Gibson in the front office if you need to update your CORI.  All participants in this program will receive training which will address the specific activity they will be implementing. Several volunteers are still needed.

If you have any questions or would like to support this program, please contact Mrs. Swain at dswain@mu-regional.k12.ma.us.

Banking Comes to Memorial School

I'm pleased to announce that Memorial School has partnered with the Charles River Bank to bring their School Savings Program to our students.  Beginning Tuesday November 8th, students in first through fourth grade will have the opportunity to make deposits to their very own savings account each Tuesday morning.  It is our hope that our students will learn money management skills and develop strong math skills by filling out their own deposit receipt and maintaining their transaction registry.  In addition, the Charles River Bank will make an initial deposit of $5.00 to open each students' account.  Throughout the program, there will be gifts, games, and contests to make saving fun.  Additional information will be send home with students during the week of October 24th.

Learning With Cranberries

The second grade students at Memorial School have spent the last couple of weeks learning their reading, writing, and arithemetic through their study of cranberries.  Through the use of hands on learning centers, second graders have honed their skills in measuring, estimating, and describing.  They have also learned about dry harvest vs. wet harvest and will have the opportunity to see first hand what each looks like when they visit Bog Hollow on Tuesday October 18th.  Upon their return to school, the students will send post cards (created with cranberries) describing their adventure. 

Principal's Pride

Each week teachers are asked to choose a student to participate in the Principal's Pride program.  Once chosen, the students are asked to identify a piece of work that they are most proud of.  The work is then submitted to me to be displayed on the Principal's Pride Bulletin Board during the following week.  Students also receive a signed certificate acknowledging their "BEST EFFORT". 

When visiting Memorial School, pleast stop by the lobby to view the fine work of our Principal's Pride recipients.

Rachel's Challenge

It's a pleasure to inform you that Memorial and Clough Schools have been awarded a grant through the Mendon Upton Education Foundation (MUEF) for $6,857.20 to bring the Rachel's Challenge, Elementary Program to our schools.  Rachel Scott was the first victim in the Columbine High School tragedy.  Her father and over twenty certified presenters travel across the nation delivering Rachel's message of kindness and compassion.
Our program will take place on Thursday October 6th with an inspirational assembly for our students in kindergarten through fourth grade.  All students, in both schools, will receive an inspirational bracelet to wear throughout the school year as a reminder of the words they will hear during the presentation.  Students in third and fourth grade will also receive a journal to use in their classroom.  Students and staff will create a "chain reaction" of kindness and compassion by filling out paper chains which reflect acts of kindness and compassion witnessed by others.
All students and staff are also being asked to purchasse an official Rachel's Challenge T-Shirt which was designed especially for our schools by Mrs. Horn (P.E. teacher at Memorial School).  It is our plan to have special spirit days throughout the school year to continue to spread this important message.  Checks made out to MURSD for the amount of $6.00 can be sent to school with students in an envelope addressed "Rachel's Challenge T-Shirt Donation".
A special evening presentation will be held in the cafetorium at Memorial School on October 6th at 7:00 p.m. for parents/guardians of students attending Memorial and Clough, as well as community members.  This presentation will be the full content of Rachel's Challenge.  Students will NOT be allowed to attend this program.  Inspirational bracelets can be purchased that evening for $1.00 and all proceeds will go toward the schools' end of the year culminating celebrations.
We are very excited to bring this important program to our elementary schools.  Rachel's Challenge has been a huge success at both Nipmuc High School and Miscoe Hill Middle School and we are confident the success will continue with our students. 
If you have any questions regarding Rachel's Challenge Elementary Program, please feel free to contact Mrs. Christine Horn at chorn@mursd.org or Mr. Dan Hayes at dhayes@mursd.org.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Important Dates to Remember:

Oct. 18^th – Grade 2 – Bog Hollow Field Trip

Oct. 27^th – School Photos

Inspiring Words from a Student in Texas

Start of the New School Year

It's hard to believe that September is nearly over and October is right around the corner.  In spite of the delay to the official start of school, we have had a wonderful beginning to the new year.  Our staff and students were clearly excited to return to school and as I walk through the building, our classrooms are buzzing.

This year we will continue incorporating technology into the classroom and promoting creative problem solving as we prepare our students for the 21st Century.  We thank the Memorial School PTO for their continued support in the area of technology, as well as the many innovative programs they bring to our students through the Cultural Arts.

During the summer, the Parks and Recreation Department began working on the fields behind the school.  Although this will ultimately lead to a wonderful space for our students, we have faced some challenges related to our inability to utilize the field during recess.  As a result, the students are limited to the tennis court, basketball court, and playground area for recess.  To promote safety in these limited spaces, the staff has worked together to develop a number of activities for our children to participate in.  Our goal is to provide the students with a fun game/activity while keeping everyone safe.