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DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, February 9
All School Assembly with Yoga, 2:30-3:00pm
Monday, February 12
Author Visit with Jeff Mack, 4th-6th Grades, 1:00-3:00pm
Tuesday, February 13
School Council Meeting, 3:15-4:15pm
Thursday, February 15
Amherst Regional Middle School visits 6th Grade, 9:00am
Thursday, February 15
PTO Meeting, 5:00pm
Thursday, February 15
School Committee Meeting, 7:00pm
February 19 – February 23
Winter Recess, NO SCHOOL
Dear Moose,
February has arrived! The groundhog saw his shadow this morning! That means 6 more weeks of beautiful snow and invigoratingly, chilly temperatures (to put the positive spin on it!).
We have run out of gloves for loaning in the nurse's office. Please consider donating a pair! Also, please make sure your child has gloves with them when they come to school in the morning!
We have been combatting the colds and flu in school with extra cleaning and hand washing. If your child has a fever, please keep them home for 24 hours before returning to school. Restricting the spread of germs with little ones is tricky. We appreciate your help in this matter.
Report cards will go home on Friday February 16th and February vacation will take place from February 19-23rd.
If you are a football fan, enjoy the Superbowl this weekend! Otherwise, I wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend.
Jackie
***SCHOOL NEWS***
PICK UP AND AFTER SCHOOL REMINDERS: We have had a changing of the guards and Ms. Darby is our new adult present in the Pick Up room (school library). If you are picking up your child/ren or if someone else is picking up your child/ren, please make sure they sign out with Ms. Darby. This ensures the safety of all students and the sanity of all staff.
We cannot allow any more drop-ins for the After School Program on Wednesdays due to a full house and just enough staffing. If your child is already on the standing list for Wednesdays, they are welcome to still come. If you do not have a standing spot in the After School Program on Wednesdays, please do not send your child to school with a drop-in yellow note. Please make alternate arrangements for your child. Thank you!
*In physical education the younger grades have been excelling with games that encourage throwing strength and accuracy. A new favorite game, zombie snowman, had our students throwing from their side of the fence toward a snowman, as to get him to roll across into their neighbors yard. Ask your child(ren) how they balanced power and aim with a T-rex, or pterodactyl throw!
In our older grades we have finished our basketball unit and proceed to floor hockey. This invasion game incorporates the vision and ball movement of basketball, but requires an implement to control the ball(puck). During games students have greatly improved their ability to keep their eyes up, continuously searching the rink for open space and open teammates to pass to.
Our value at this time is Coach John Wooden's Condition "talent may get you to the top but character keeps you there, mental, moral, and physical character." I am so very proud of how our students have been able to recognize classmates for specific achievements in these domains. I will look forward to how we grow in character in the future as individuals, a class, and a community.
Thank you as always for being invested guardians. The children glow with enthusiasm when sharing about someone at home who has helped them to exercise and play.
Be happy, and strong!
I am yet to be graced by seeing a Shutesbury Moose. However, sometimes in class our indigenous town Wookiee will make an appearance. While our gymnasium was being shared with the artist in residence we had a flexible day of rock, paper, scissor, stretch with our incredible 5th graders. Can you believe how many different and unique talents our students have?!
Very Gratefully,
Mr. Steven A. Carra
Jeff Mack, a local author/illustrator, is visiting the SES library on Monday afternoon, Feb. 12th!
Jeff will share excerpts from his MCBA Mashup title, Clueless McGee, and from his picture books. He will tell us how he gets ideas, how he collaborates with other authors, why he uses different art styles, and more. He’ll also demonstrate how he draws.
He will present to grades 1-3 and to grades 4-6. The public is welcome. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Shutesbury Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
There will be an All-School Yoga Practice on Friday, February 9th from 2:30-3:00.
All are welcome to join us as we breathe, move and relax together.
***MOOSE INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK***
Jackson from 2nd Grade!
JCB: What is your favorite thing to do at school?
JF: Play at recess with Micah. Micah and I have a club. We call it the Bunny Club or the Bunny Association and we have a secret handshake.
JCB: Why is it called Bunny Club?
JF: [Shows me the handshake that is shaped like a bunny.] And we play bunnies and we play dragons for pets. And Micah’s big brother, Luc, drew a picture of all of the eggs.
JCB: What is your favorite food?
JF: For what meal?
JCB: Let’s say dinner.
JF: When my grandma’s over, dumplings. But when my grandma’s not over, my mom’s homemade pizza. She puts tomatoes on top and not in the middle. My mom forgot to put tomatoes in and then she put them on top and it turned out to be delicious!
JCB: What is your favorite thing to do outside of school?
JF: In what month?
JCB: How about winter?
JF: Sledding. I have this really awesome sled and it’s really hard to break because it has plastic on the bottom and really hard foamy stuff on top of the plastic. It’s the hardest sled me and Sadie have. It has a scratch on the bottom but I’ve had it for 4 years and I just turned 7.
JCB: What’s your favorite thing to do outside of school in the summer?
JF: Play with water balloons with somebody else over for a playdate.
JCB: If you could be any animal what animal would you be and why?
JF: Extinct or not extinct or almost extinct?
JCB: Extinct.
JF: Tyrannosaurus Rex.
JCB: How about not extinct?
JF: Cheetah.
JCB: And what about almost extinct?
JF: Polar bear.
JCB: Is there anything else you’d like the Shutesbury community to know about you or is there anything special about you?
JF: Well, one thing. I do sleep with a stuffy. It’s a polar bear that I named Cotton. There’s one rule that I made with it – he’s not allowed to touch the ground. My worst food I ever had, I don’t even like saying it. I ask my mom and Sadie to call it “A word” and “G word.” It’s avocado and guacamole.
Photo credit to Katie Harrington.
***PTO NEWS***
The PTO approved teacher requests for use of funding to enrich our children’s education, discussed lots of new ideas for building community and funds, and planned for the upcoming Trivia Night at the SAC at our recent meeting. We are excited to be hosting a Trivia Night fundraiser at the SAC on Saturday, March 3 from 7-10ish. Get your teams of up to 4 together to compete and have fun! Cost will be $5 a head plus snacks will be available for sale and there will be a 50/50 raffle. Please consider donating snacks for this event-look out for an email from your PTO class reps about this. We are exploring many ideas for raising needed funds for our children's teachers and school including fundraising dinners at local restaurants, A possible STEM activity involving a trebuchet and pumpkins...and others. We are always open for new ideas! Please join us for our next meetings on February 15 from 5-6:30 at SES and for a change, our March meeting will be at the SAC starting at 7pm.
Big Y: Education Express- Sign up on website or app. Purchase items at store and points are given to the school-starts 2/1. Earn points for your school so the school can purchase school supplies. For every 500 points you earn you get a gold coin. Sign up on the Big Y website or download the myBigY app for your phone.
BOXTOPS BOXTOPS BOXTOPS
What are they and why should we cut them out? You can find Boxtops for Education on many grocery items like: Cheerios, Betty Crocker cake mixes, Food Should Taste Good chips, Cascadian Farms products and many others! Every Boxtop we send in earns us 10 cents for our school. That doesn't seem like much, but every year our school earns around $200 through this program! Just remember to cut those Boxtops out before you put your boxes and cans in the recycling. You can send Boxtops in to the school anytime. We will be mailing a bundle at the end of February so this month and next would be a great time to drop them off at the school. You can also send them in with your kids.
Thanks,
Amber O'Brien, your Boxtop coordinator :)
***COMMUNITY NEWS***
The newly formed Shutesbury Recreation Committee is pleased to announce a series of gentle yoga classes in January, February and March. Yoga will meet Wednesdays, 9 am, at Town Hall. The suggested donation/fee is $3 - $5 per class. Fees will be collected at the beginning of each month. Please bring a yoga mat.
GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB – Smith College
My name is Mariama Jaiteh and I'm a sophomore at Smith College studying computer science and data science. Smith College is hosting the Girls Who Code Club again starting in February for girls in grades 6 - 8 & I'd like to invite students to sign up to participate in this program.
We'll be working on Netlogo which is program to create graphics. During this program, students will be working on creating small games while learning programming concepts.
Here is the link to sign up: http://bit.ly/2DgybvH
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks,
Mariama Jaiteh
[email protected]
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