From the Principal's Desk
The final stretch is upon us! Here are a few important whole school updates:
i-Ready Growth Results: Your child's i-Ready scores from this school year will be sent home via email later this week.
Project ACES Field Day - Friday, June 13th:
Students and staff will participate in PROJECT ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously). We are so grateful for the generous donation from our PTO so we can continue our tie dye t-shirt tradition! Special thanks to Ms. Dodge, our PE teacher, for organizing and preparing this event! And a final shout out to all the wonderful parent volunteers who help to make this day a success! Be sure your child comes with sunscreen, water bottle and sneakers!
Last Day of School - Tuesday, June 17th:
Please help your child ensure that all borrowed materials are brought to school before the last day, including classroom and library books, etc. We are looking forward to our 5th grade Variety Show at 10:15am. Dismissal is at 12:35pm.
Progress Reports:
You will receive an email that your child’s digital progress report is available for viewing in the Parent Portal of Powerschool (K-5). Paper copies will only be sent home upon request. If you need to update your contact information, follow this link for instructions on how to do so. Our teachers spend a considerable amount of time gathering and analyzing information to ensure accurate reporting about your child’s progress to date. If you have questions about your child’s progress after reviewing this report, please contact your child’s teacher directly.
Sincerely, Carol MacArthur
Principal, Grade 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 or make general inquiries by calling 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.
Lost & Found
Encourage your child to take a look at the racks & bins just outside the cafeteria. All items will be donated after school gets out next week.
Community Corner
Summer Mental Health
Summer is just about here! With it comes a change in routine and expectations especially around screens. GoZen has some short and sweet ideas for limiting screen time during the summer. "This guide is for you: the parent who doesn’t want to ban screens entirely, but also doesn’t want their kid’s summer to be one long YouTube binge. It’s possible to create structure without a fight, foster independence without chaos, and preserve connection without guilt."
Follow this link for the guide. Let blame and guilt go. Implement a few of these suggestions and have a terrific summer!
Katie Campbell, School Social Worker
Ali Waterhouse, School Counselor
Amy Vincent-Cross, School Social Worker
A Look Into Literacy
As we approach the conclusion of this academic year, we reflect on the remarkable progress made by our 4th and 5th-grade students in their literacy classrooms. Throughout our pilot of the ARC program, students demonstrated exceptional effort and achievement in both reading and writing. This knowledge-building curriculum effectively integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills. Students engaged in extensive reading, writing, research, and analysis across various units, fostering their agency and expertise in a diverse range of disciplines, while simultaneously enhancing their abilities as readers and writers.
As the year winds down, our 4th-grade students have been diligently crafting their historical narrative writing pieces. They have gained valuable insights into writing from different perspectives, as well as in-depth knowledge of the historical periods that serve as their settings. Meanwhile, the 5th graders have focused on developing a textual analysis argument writing piece, along with an adventure/survival narrative. They too are exploring different perspectives and utilizing their settings as catalysts for their narratives.
With summer approaching, both students and staff are getting excited! We encourage you to integrate reading and writing into your child’s daily activities this summer. Below, you will find information, engaging activities, and resources to track literacy endeavors for 4th and 5th-grade students. We invite you to explore these options to help sustain and enhance your child’s reading and writing skills over the break. Engaging in these activities will ensure they start the next academic year on a strong note, avoiding the challenges of the “summer slide.”
- Fight Summer Reading Loss
- Succeed in Summer Reading-Questions to Ask
- 5Ws and 1H - Questions to Ask
- Story Map
- Reading Coupons
- Reading Success Chart
- Writing Prompts
Check out these cool events at PML:
For more going on this summer, check out PML’s calendar of events: https://princememorial.libcal.com/
Janet Giguere, Literacy Specialist
Math Matters!
Summer is just around the corner! However, with the warm weather comes the not-so-fun reality of the summer slide, especially regarding math skills and concepts. To help your child avoid losing these important skills, consider playing quick math games regularly. Doing a little bit each day is much more effective than cramming once in a while. Another great way to prevent learning loss is to find real-life applications for math.
Here are some resources to help keep math skills sharp:
Grade 4 Summer Math Choice Board
Grade 5 Summer Math Choice Board
Shannon Peterson, Math Specialist
Library News
Last week, a group of library volunteers from all grades (4-8) took a walking field trip to the Food Pantry at the town hall. They delivered 49 books which had been purchased with donations from the recent book fair (worth over $375)! In December, families who visit the Food Pantry will be able to choose from the selection of titles for holiday presents.
⏰ IT'S TIME to return all library materials! Please be on the lookout for items that need to be brought back.
The Summer Reading Program is starting at Prince Memorial Library.
Need book suggestions? Our Official Official Summer Reading List is packed with ideas- award-winners, nominees, favorites from this year- something for everyone!
Dorothy Hall-Riddle, 4-8 Librarian
Tips from the Teacher Technology Team
Keeping our students safe online while they are at school is a job we take very seriously. We wanted to send a friendly reminder that active monitoring of your child's digital activity at home is even more critical at this age! As we head off into summer, we recommend a regular routine of checking your child's devices, especially text group chats and gaming/social media platforms.
The Late Bus - Last Day Monday, June 9th
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.
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