Dr. Charles C. Polk Elementary School
November 2015
Positive Happenings
Polk School’s Annual Thanksgiving Baskets Giveaway
Polk School students enjoying fresh and healthy
smoothies provided by the YMCA Healthy U Program
Monthly Report
Dr. Charles C. Polk Nov. 2015
Mrs. Celebrano – Grade 1
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, and Happy Thanksgiving! This month the
students in Room 103 took time to support the local
community by bringing in canned foods for the local food
bank. Students and staff also participated in a “Dress
Down” Day to raise funds for the local food bank. In class
we have been taking time to discuss the importance of giving
thanks and showing kindness! Students wrote letters to their families to wish
them a Happy Thanksgiving and to thank them for all of the wonderful
things that families do for one another; give love, help with homework, etc.
We also read several non-fiction books to learn about the history of the
Thanksgiving holiday.
This month we honored class Star Students Jeriah Rozzelle, Breon Barrino,
and Leilani Newkirk. Each of these students had time to share stories about
their personal lives and bring in favorite items to share with the class. All of
us enjoyed getting to know each student better. This month finished out first
unit in our Wonders Reading Program. We enjoyed working on special end
of unit small group activities. The students performed their first readers
theatre play Look at Me Now! by Alice Boyton . The children enjoyed
working in small groups, picking their roles. Together they practiced
reading challenging words, and improved their fluency the more they
practiced together. The students also participated in their first research
projects. They had a great time working together! Each group chose a
different project, writing a song about school, making a poster about caring
for a pet, writing about an activity that shows one way the body moves, or
writing directions for rules from a game form long ago.
To celebrate Thanksgiving we had a Fall Harvest Celebration in which we
enjoyed eating food with friends and expressed thanks for all that we have!
We rearranged our desks to build a long rectangle table to sit at as a class
and enjoy our feast. We placed a cornucopia, “horn of plenty” in the middle
of the table to celebrate giving thanks for all that we have. As we were
eating all of the delicious foods we used our five senses to describe how all
of the foods, looked, smelled and tasted. We then made an adjective chart of
words that we used to describe the foods.
Ms. Nuzzo – Grade 1
November always goes by quickly as it marks the end the first marking
period and the beginning of a month full of fun filled activities that prepare
us for the holiday season. November always reminds us to give thanks for
our health and all that we have.
This month was a time to donate and give back to those in need. We had
dress down day for cans. Each one of us dressed down and brought in cans
of food to collect and give to those in need. November also started the Back
Pack program of food donations from the local food bank. We also had our
first raffle give away from the Book It reading program where one lucky
first grader was chosen to win a prize because they filled in their reading
logs every day.
As a special decoration for Thanksgiving, we decorated foam pumpkins to
adorn our tables for our Thanksgiving festivities with our families. Learning
about the Pilgrims and Native Americans during the first Thanksgiving helps
us to understand what this important holiday is all about. November came
and went in a blink of an eye but it has prepared us to make the best of what
we have and what is to come...especially for this joyful upcoming holiday!
Ms. Faison/Ms. Page-Grade 2
For social studies, the students completed family tree projects to learn more
about the people in their family known and unknown. The children
presented their knowledge with pride and were surprised at some things. The
trees are presented on posters with the names on the leaves. They currently
are decorating the bulletin board.
As another extension of the month of giving, the students used their letter
writing objective to create a letter of thanks. The purpose of the letter was to
thank someone they truly feel helps them in their lives or one instance when
the help was meaningful. This task made the students reflect on all the
people in their lives and how fortunate they have been. The final drafts are
currently posted on the bulletin board inside of the classroom.
The students have incorporated the healthy living initiative into their
learning activities. During the morning announcements, the students are
eager to get the brain juices flowing with the music. During math, as
students practice different skills, they work with a partner to pass objects of
a stepping activity. During word study, the students practice phonemic
awareness and spelling through physical activity with a partner. The children
have become active learners.
Ms. McCoy-Grade 2
November is the time for giving thanks at Polk School. The Super Stars’
theme for this month was Helping Our Community; working together is the
best achievement anyone could offer. Together we’ve read several stories
like Helping Hands, The Leaf Man, and Franklin’s First Thanksgiving. All
the stories depicted how working together gets the job done quickly and
effortlessly. Not only were these stories fun to read, they also illustrated how
to achieve common goals, work collaboratively, make learning easier and a
more fun way to ensure success.
In math we are embarking on how to regroup with addition and subtraction
to 1,000. Recognizing the importance of using the Singapore math approach,
we utilized the manipulatives designed to follow the Concrete-Pictorial-
Abstract approach along with other differential learning strategies. The
students are working hard to achieve positive results.
For Science, the class learned about the season of autumn and the changing
of leaves. We read several books
on the subject and decided to
create our own Leaf Man project.
Adopted from the story, Leaf Man
by Lois Ehlert, our class along
with the other second graders
utilized a variety of leaves to make
the wonderland of creative figures
displayed this month. They used
their imaginations and writing
skills to complete the project. I say
that we have some great talent at
Polk School - Great job!
We are so very proud to add that
Polk’s Food Drive under the
leadership of Miss Harry and her
supportive staff, continued to
strive and feed our community
with wholesome foods this
Thanksgiving with success! Most
of the children brought in dry and can goods while teachers donated turkeys
for gift baskets. Working Together and giving thanks is what we do at Dr.
Charles Polk School! Last but not least, Congratulations to my wonderful
scholar, Xander Long and his mother, Mrs. T Long for being November’s
honor Student and Parent of the month! From Mrs. McCoy’s class to yours,
we wish you all wonderful and safe holiday!
Ms. Southerland-Grade 2
In Science, students have learned all about
leaves. They learned why leaves fall off of trees
and why the leaves change colors during the fall.
Next, the students read “Leaf Man” by Lois
Ehlert. This story showed the students several
ways of creating creatures out of leaves. Students
then completed a Science Project, where they
created their own creatures. Students used their
imagination to produce very
interesting creations.
Students were honored to have
a “special guest” visit the
classroom, Mr. Robinson. He
came to talk to the students
about his profession as a
photographer. After that, he created a student’s “working head shot” photo
album. The students were so excited to have Mr. Robinson in our class and
to learn about photography. The students were able to take professional
pictures with Mr. Robinson during his visit.
In Math, students have learned how to subtract without and with
regrouping. Students used base ten blocks to help with understanding
this concept. Next, students reviewed several kids’ videos on subtraction
with regrouping. Then, students practice subtraction using
Turtlediary.com. Students enjoyed learning how to subtract without or with
regrouping.
Ms. Jones-Grade 3
Polk School has been nominated as the most interesting and exciting place to
learn. Who says so? Ms. Jones third grade class! Our students had the
pleasure of writing about a subject they enjoyed the most. During writer’s
workshop, they expressed their opinion by describing a day which enhanced
their learning experience. Reading, math, and physical education were
favorites. Many students gave reflections on some of their favorite stories
after sharing from the weekend reading log. It was also noted in their
opinion writing how physical education lessons teach how to stay healthy.
Students are more conscientious about eating the right foods and exercising
which help them to live longer.
Our third grade class are always active participates every morning working
out with Mr. Griffin especially Fitness Wednesday’s! Whenever Mr. Griffin
comes in he shares his knowledge about fitness and provides the class with
information about their heart and how it functions. The students eagerly
respond with
questions,
sharing
thoughts about
healthy eating
and saying no
to non-
nutritional
snacks. They
love when Mr.
Griffin
challenges the
school to start
their day with
stretching, correct breathing, jumping jacks, and other cardio fitness
exercises. Everyone gets a good workout including Mrs. Jones!
One of our math focus skills this year was place value. The students
participated in a fun activity by challenging each other to identify the ones,
tens, and hundreds place using their numbers from line order. Each student
was assigned a set of specific numbers and places to line up daily. Class
was divided into two teams and given a card with their number. During the
activity, students had to line up when their number was called. They had to
be in the proper place value order before the set time. Score was kept and
points were given to the team who received the most correct answers. The
other team had an opportunity to correct the numbers if the first team did not
get the places correct. They were thrilled to learn place value in such a fun
way
Ms. Nevins-Grade 3
Noteworthy November! During this quick month, the Polk School
community was dedicated to the giving back to the community of Roselle.
From November 1-25, the school hosted its annual Thanksgiving Food
Drive. During that time, Polk School accepted canned goods from our staff,
students, and visitors to be donated to families in need. On November 13 and
24, the students and staff also dressed down for hunger for the price of a
canned good. There was such a warm feel throughout the building! It was
amazing to see how many huge garbage cans were filed with non-perishable
items. There was such a warm feel throughout the building, perfect for the
upcoming holidays!
This month was also the end of the first marking period. This school year is
certainly flying by! Parent-Teacher conferences were held from November
18-20, 2015. Conferences were a huge success!! The halls of the school
were flooded with parents eager to be involved in, and were committed to
their children’s academic successes. All parents were provided with their
child’s report card upon meeting with the classroom teacher. Additionally,
parents received their child’s iReady diagnostic assessment scores, which
were thoroughly explained. Please remember that I am always available to
meet with you, as your children's success is my number one goal. Please do
not hesitate to ask for our assistance. I truly love sharing strategies with
you!
Because November is a time to give thanks and appreciation for all that we
have and the blessings that we share, students in room 204 had very
enlightening, deep conversations about what they are thankful for and why.
The children deepened their learning through multiple reading and writing
exercises on colonial life, and life during the time of the Pilgrims. Children
were able to compare their life now and all the simple luxuries they
sometimes take for granted, to the lives of colonial children. What better
way to see life’s simple blessings than to imagine life without it!
Ms. Caccholi/Ms. Allen-Grade 4
November has been a month of growth and togetherness here in Ms.
Caccholi and Mrs. Allen’s fourth grade room. As fourth graders, we know
how important it is to be role models and set
positive examples for the rest of the school
community. This month, we focused on being
leaders in and out of the classroom. For the
food drive, we researched how important it is
to help the poor and contributed to “Cans for
Dress Down”.
This month, we are focusing on becoming
astronomers in our Science Unit. We are
observing the moon nightly to see the phases
of the moon and understand the process of
getting to a full moon. We are creating our
own constellations and researching what these mean in historical times. We
are also actively engaged in our first core novel, “Because of Winn Dixie”,
and are so excited to start our journey into Opal’s world. There are many
exciting projects that we have started that are linked to this story, including
finding out what we truly know about ourselves.
Overall, it was a successful, productive, and progressive month for Caccholi-
Allen’s Fourth Grade Class. With learning, we infused great fun and songs
to sharpen our skills and our minds!
Ms. Nicol– Grade 4
Students enjoyed
creating a step-by-
step foldable book
of remodeling
division with
regrouping. They
followed a step-by-
step process of
dividing a 3-digit
number by a 1-digit
number. The students labeled each instruction to
match the instruction with the correct step for
division. This activity was a great tool to assist
each student in comprehending each step of
dividing and breaking it down in a way that
makes learning this skill a gradual process. It
also allowed them to be show creativity while
decorating their foldable book.
We were lucky enough to learn about Tuskegee
University of Alabama. Tuskegee is a historically black university that was
founded in 1837. As we learned more about the college we became
interested in Tuskegee alumni and wanted to learn more about the people
who graduated from Tuskegee. We were also excited to learn about the
academic programs available at Tuskegee and we wrote application letters to
the Tuskegee admissions office.
Our class is studying the phases of the moon. The students were eager to
create this fun and scrumptious hands-on activity! This activity engaged the
students and assisted them in identifying each phase of the moon. All they
needed were 8 Oreos each, paper plates and a marker to label each phase of
the moon. Now the students can identify all the phases of the moon can you?
This is a model of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, that shows how the Earth
orbits the Sun, and the Moon goes around the Earth. Students were able to
figure out which represents the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon. They were
able to demonstrate how the phases of the moon are determined by the
relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and the Sun. To help do this, students
colored half the moon dark and keep the light side facing the sun.
We have been extremely productive in the month of November and we are
moving forward with a positive attitude toward December.
Ms. Puma/Ms. Goldberg-Grade 4
This month, PG4 has turned its attention to the night sky. We are studying
the Solar System. We began this unit by learning about the Sun, Moon and
Earth. Each night students study the night sky and document what they
observe. Students will turn their completed projects in at the end of the
month. At that time, students will discuss their observations with their
classmates.
The class is also working to become well rounded readers. Last month, each
student read a mystery and completed a Wanted Poster for the main
character. This month, students are reading a biography and will create a
Bottle Character. Students are enjoying their biographies and can often be
heard discussing what they learned with their group members.
The class has also wrapped up the multiplication and division unit. Students
created Division Apples as a unit project. Each apple shows a division
problem created by each student, their work to solve the problem, and
multiplication used to check their work. The apples can be displayed on the
bulletin board.
In writing, students are working on interesting beginning and strong
introductions. We are continuing our reading goal of becoming well rounded
readers through reading various genres by using fables as our mentor texts.
Students are working toward constructing their own fable. Completed
writings will be displayed on our bulletin board by the end of the month.
There are a lot of projects and fun activities taking place in PG4. Feel free to
stop by and see our student work and join in the activities!
Ms. Watts-4th
Grade
We started this month off with reminiscing about Hurricane Sandy. One of
the most earth scattering events that we all lived through. The students as
well as all of Tri- State’s residents were affected tremendously by this event
in history. Ms. Watts decided to write a letter to her students a couple of
years ago on how much she missed them and how concerned she was about
them. Everyone was so excited to hear the letter and see the pictures that Ms.
Watts took. In addition, she incorporated the different writing techniques
that she had been teaching us such as: using the 5w’s in their writing and the
5 senses in their writing. Later, that week we did the same exact assignment
by writing with using the 5w’s and the 5 senses. After, reading our
assignments about the hurricane we all shared our thoughts and feelings
verbally on how we felt overall after the hurricane. Ms. Watts explained to
us that this is something that we will never forget and we will be able to pass
on for generations that we all lived through a Hurricane named Sandy.
Following that, in mathematics we were delighted to play a game to review
subtraction and addition. Ms. Watts played a game with us involving the
inverse operation strategy in mathematics. The game consisted of us using 2
different kinds of beans that were in a brown paper bag and reaching into the
bag and pulling out as many beans as possible. The Red kidney beans were
worth 10 points and the white beans were only 5 points. We had to add up
the beans and then subtract the largest number from the smallest number.
After that we used the inverse operation of subtraction by checking their
answer. We were using all 4 of the operations in mathematics without
realizing it. For example, Ms. Watts quickly explained to us that we could
have multiplied by 5s to calculate how many white beans we had. Everyone
started laughing and said that probably would have been much easier!
During the month of November in Social Studies we were learning about our
community and the leaders in it. The students wrote a letter to the Mayor
explaining their position on implementing a new law that should only apply
to the citizens in Roselle. We did an excellent job on defending our laws. In
addition, we discussed what the responsibilities are as a student in the
classroom, as a citizen in Roselle New Jersey, and as a child in our family.
Everyone realized that we play many roles for only being 9 and 10years old.
The lesson following that was about voting and the positions each voter
possesses as a United States citizen. Since, we were unable to vote in the
presidency, as a class we voted every day on a particular story they we
wanted to read in the classroom. We voiced our opinions as to why we
wanted to read one story over the other. We looked forward to doing this
daily because we truly believe that our vote counts!
Mr. Skrine/Ms. McKoy/Mr. Smythe
November was an exciting month for class 102, change in student
population, technology and exploring different ways to express thanksgiving
to all classmates each day. Class 102 would like to express appreciation to
our soldiers and pay tribute to several African American historians born in
November. U.S. Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas (1), Shirley
Chisolm 1st Black women elected to Congress (5), mathematician urban
planner and inventor Benjamin Banneker (9), and Booker T. Washington,
educator and writer(14).
We discovered that each year on the fourth Thursday in November,
Americans gather for a day of feasting, football and family. While today’s
Thanksgiving celebrations would likely be unrecognizable to the original
1621 harvest meal, it continues to be a day for Americans to come together
around the table with some updated to the pilgrim’s menu. Students
discovered there were many myths about the first Thanksgiving. What is
known is that the pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving feast to celebrate the
successful fall harvest. Celebrating a fall harvest was an English tradition at
the time and the pilgrims had much to celebrate. The 53 pilgrims at the first
Thanksgiving were the only colonists to survive the long journey on the
Mayflower and the first winter in the New World. Disease and starvation
struck down half of the original 102 colonists.
Class 102 had a chance to express their Gratitude, and Thanksgiving to our
Soldiers of The United States of America. The students took the time to
write Thank You letters on the Internet expressing sincere Love and
Appreciation for the hard work and dedication that the Soldiers do every day
protecting the American soil. The students and staff took the time to
acknowledge Thanksgiving to their friends and families during this Holiday
weekend.
Mr. Griffin-Physical EducationHealth & Physical Education
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Students were given
projects on “How Can We Prevent Diabetes or Live a Healthier Lifestyle
with Diabetes?” Students had to discuss diets and exercise plans for
diabetics that would improve their lifestyles or prevent people from
developing the disease.
Students had to practice following a healthy lifestyle as a person with
diabetes by changing their diet, reducing their intake of Carbohydrates like
bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, sweets, candy, soda, and drinking plenty of
water. Students increased their level of physical activity (exercise 4 -5 times
a week), and maintained a journal.
During my Health Education discussion with the students, I infused
information from the Amistad workshop. We discussed historical African
American medical personnel contributions towards diabetes. Also, we
discussed how Diabetes is higher in African Americans than any other ethnic
group in the United States. Out of the world population for black people
African Americans have the highest occurrences of Diabetes, than West
Indians, Black Europeans and Africans. It is very important that the African
American community find more preventive measures to prevent and conquer
Diabetes.
As a member of the School Wellness Committee with Healthier
Generation.org, students and faculty listened to daily health tips of the day
about Nutrition and General Health principles. Physical Fitness breaks are
infused into the school’s daily morning and afternoon activities. Polk School
has received a nomination to apply for the National Silver Award for a
Health and Wellness School by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Ms. King-G & T
This month has provided interesting and varied learning experiences. We
have had many opportunities to enjoy and explore different areas of
learning. We began reading the Phantom Tollbooth and have been exploring
the world of fantasy books. We have explored how the characters have
changed with each new challenge and obstacle they have overcome.
This month, we have begun to explore financial literacy. We have used
attribute shapes to create figures. We then determined and assigned
monetary amounts to each shape through our understanding of the attribute
shapes relationships. For example if the hexagon is the whole- what amount
should we assign for it, then if the trapezoid is half of the hexagon what will
that make the monetary value of the trapezoid, and so on for the rhombus
and the triangle. In addition we looked at the letters of the alphabet and
determined the value of each letter based on its usage in the English
language. We began a discussion on supply and demand to determine the
value of each letter and then used this information to purchase our name and
find words for a given value.
This month has been filled with wonderful learning experiences and we
cannot wait to see what December has in store for us.