From the Principal's Desk
WINTER WEATHER: While we haven’t seen typical winter weather just yet, this is a good time to share some information to help everyone be prepared. We believe it is important for students to have a break from the classroom to enjoy fresh air and play time with friends. Unless the temperature drops to 10˚or colder, with the wind chill taken into consideration, students will be outside for recess. Please help your child plan accordingly for appropriate cold weather clothing.
When the playground is covered in snow, we strongly encourage students to have boots and snow pants. If your child is reluctant to wear their winter gear at school, then perhaps have them store an extra pair of pants, socks and sneakers in their backpack or locker.
One important safety note: Students may not play on the plowed snow mounds in the parking lot. While we understand the attraction, this creates a very unsafe situation for students and drivers. If your child is a walker or parent pick-up/drop-off, please help us explicitly address this concern.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Monday, December 23rd to Wednesday, January 1st - NO SCHOOL, Winter Vacation
Sincerely, Carol MacArthur
Principal, Grades 4-5
Office Reminders
- Student arrival begins at 8:20 AM.
- School begins at 8:50 AM. If your child arrives after that time, they are tardy and need to check-in at the office before going to the classroom.
- You can report absences, communicate transportation plans/ changes or make general inquiries by call the main office at 829-4815 or emailing [email protected]
We greatly appreciate your attention to these procedures, as they help to ensure that our routines run smoothly and efficiently.
News from our Student Services Team
Community Resources: for those who need support or wish to donate or volunteer!
Food:
- Cumberland Town Hall Food Pantry. Open every other Friday 3:00-6:00pm for shopping and pick up. Call 829-2205 with questions or visit their webpage which includes their calendar, requested items, and information about the holiday gift room.
- Drop off donations of non-perishable food and grocery supplies or new, unopened gifts at any time in the shopping carts outside the Cumberland Town Hall.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can be found at Full Plates Full Potential.
- School breakfast and lunch is free to all MSAD51 students.
Heating assistance:
- Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) - Call 553-5900 or visit their website.
- The Cumberland Woodbank, which is supported by the Cumberland Congregational Church, receives donations of wood, sells and delivers cordwood, and provides heating assistance (oil or wood) - Call 829-3419.
- Town of Cumberland Fuel Assistance - Call 829-2205.
General Assistance:
- The Towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth both offer confidential financial assistance to residents who are having difficulty meeting basic needs for housing, utilities and food. Call 632-2240 to make an appointment.
Holiday Gifts:
- Firefighters for Kids: Cumberland Fire Department. For more information about donating or receiving toys, email [email protected].
- Congregational Church in Cumberland. Contact the church office at 829-3419.
Clothing and Other Items:
- Falmouth Goodwill Store: U.S. Route One, Falmouth Shopping Center, 347-8252.
- Portland FreeCycle is a grassroots, nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free.
- The Community Center Thrift Shop: Freeport 865-3985
Free and Reduced Cost Dental Care:
- Mainely Teeth - Portland: (207) 808-9498
- Community Dental - Portland: (207) 874-1028
- University of New England Dental Health Services: (207) 221-4900
Discounted Eyewear:
http://www.39dollarglasses.com
Referrals and Resources:
Call 211 or visit 211 Maine for a list of state-wide resources, services and volunteer opportunities.
GMS 4/5 Resources – Please call or email us directly. All inquiries are confidential.
- Counseling/mental health referrals
- Support for school-related costs such as field trips.
Ali Waterhouse ([email protected]), School Counselor
Katie Campbell ([email protected]), Social Worker
Amy Vincent-Cross ([email protected]), Social Worker
Meaghan Riemer ([email protected]) & Lora Rolfe ([email protected]), School Nurses
Community Corner
Stress
Holidays, vacations, family gatherings, gift-giving, and changing weather can bring on extra stress this time of year. UNICEF has some wonderful suggestions such as playing with your children. "Whether it’s playing a game, dancing or singing together, when you’re enjoying fun moments and laughing together, your body releases endorphins that promote a feeling of well-being. Even short periods of play can help remind adults of their ability to support their child, as well as provide a happy distraction from whatever else is on your mind." Here is a link to the whole article, How to Reduce Stress: Simple, proven ways for parents to manage stress.
Wishing you good stress management!
Katie Campbell, school social worker
Ali Waterhouse, school counselor
Amy Vincent-Cross, school social worker
A Look Into Literacy
Even though December will be a short month of school for us this year, our 4th and 5th graders will be working hard on their new ARC informational unit. 4th graders are diving into animal adaptations, while 5th graders are getting right into ecosystems. This unit will integrate reading, writing, questioning, debating, discussion and research. Each grade level has a set of research questions that students will be answering based on what animal or ecosystem they choose. Teachers will be using the gradual release of responsibility model (I do, we do, you do) to help students learn skills and become independent with them. This unit will be an active, engaging unit for all students! Be sure to ask your child about what they are doing in class, and what they are learning about being a researcher. Also, as we head towards the winter break, think about ways to incorporate time for reading at home while students are away from school! Keeping up with reading routines will make the transition back to school in January easier. Try using this winter themed choice board to keep your child motivated!
Check out what is going on at Prince Memorial Library:
Janet Giguere, Literacy Specialist
Math Matters!
Of the different types of numbers elementary school students must understand, fractions can be the hardest. To succeed with fractions, students must build on their understanding of whole numbers and understand how fractions differ from whole numbers. Both fourth and fifth grades are learning about fractions in their current unit of study. In fourth grade, students explore fraction equivalence and compare and order fractions using different representations. Fifth Graders are building on fraction concepts from previous grades to understand fractions as division, using visual models to represent the problem. They are also learning to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers.
Try some of these activities to work with your child on fraction concepts.
- Help your child find fractions in the everyday world. For example, fractions are often found in advertisements, measuring tools, recipes, sports reports, etc.
- Encourage your child to incorporate terms such as whole, halves, thirds, and fourths into their everyday vocabulary.
- Make up simple problems for your child to solve about sharing things equally. For example, if four people share three oranges, how much does each person get?
Looking for holiday gift ideas that promote mathematical thinking? Check out this collection of Math Games curated by our Math Specialists.
Shannon Peterson, Math Specialist
Library News
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who supported the Fall Book Fair! We truly appreciate the support and couldn't have done it without the help of our amazing volunteers. THANK YOU!!!
If a pre-paid order was placed for an out-of-stock item, we will deliver them to classrooms as soon as they arrive.
The next Book Fair will be in March.
Check This Out! Balloons Over Greely
Balloons Over Greely Parade was an Allied Arts collaborative project inspired by the book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.
In Library, we read Balloons Over Broadway written and illustrated by Maine author/illustrator Melissa Sweet. The picture book biography shares the story of master puppeteer Tony Sarg. As an employee of Macy's anchor store in New York City, he was charged with decorating their windows for the holidays and that grew into creating the colorful and entertaining parade with the character balloons we still enjoy. We shared clips of some of the earliest parades and interviews with Macy's employees who work long hours to make sure the parade is ready Thanksgiving morning!
In Art, students learned about linear perspective, which is a drawing technique that gives the illusion of depth. In other words, it tricks the eye into believing that the picture is three-dimensional. Students applied the rules of perspective to their cityscapes. They used techniques such as overlapping to imply deep space, and diminishing scale to make objects in the foreground appear larger. The final product was created in small groups, each group making a building resembling those along the Macy’s Day Parade. The cityscapes became the background for the parade.
In Music, the students learned several popular songs on ukulele and recorded them as the soundtrack for the video. Each class voted and selected which song they wanted to contribute! It was fun all around!
In STEM, students learned how Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are made. Using the engineering design process, students brainstormed, planned and created a new balloon for the parade. Once the balloons were created, students attached their balloons to a "float" and pulled them down the parade route.
The final project, Balloons Over Greely Parade, can be viewed by clicking here.
The Late Bus
In addition to regular, daily dismissal, a late bus is also available on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for students who stay for co-curricular activities or after-school academic support. Buses pick up students from GMS at 4:15pm and transport them home. Please be aware that depending on the number of students riding the late bus on a given day, your child's arrival time at home may vary. If you have specific questions about the late bus, please feel free to call the Transportation Garage at 829-4820.
Co-Curricular Activities
Monday:
5th grade Band (starting in Jan) - Ms. Sarah Cummings [email protected]
Tuesday:
Chorus - Mrs. Jennifer Caton [email protected]
Thursday:
Newspaper Club - Ms. Melissa Fiess [email protected]
5th grade Ukulele Club - Mr. Barry Saunders [email protected]
5th grade Math Team - Mrs. Laurie Poissonnier [email protected]
During the School Day:
Green Team - Mrs. Monica Moore [email protected]
Civil Rights Team - Mrs. Katie Cassessee [email protected], Mrs. Jane Kilbride-Dupuis [email protected], Ms. Molly Russell [email protected]
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