Windham Center School
Monthly Newsletter
June 2008
Dear
Center School
Families,
It's difficult to believe that another academic year has
nearly passed us by. It seems like only
yesterday we were welcoming students for their first day of school!
May was a productive month at Center School.
All students completed their spring writing prompts and children in grade 4
participated in the statewide science NECAP assessment. The drama club entertained us with an
outstanding performance of a new student generated version of Cinderella and
grade 3 children competed in the Battle
of the Books.
These final weeks will be busy and exciting, as we
wrap up the curriculum and prepare to say goodbye to our homeroom
families. During the month of June
students will enjoy grade level Field Days, evening band and choral
performances, Step-up-day, and the 5th grade promotional
exercises. The last day of school for
students will be June 19th, with an early dismissal at 12:00. Treasure these final days, and enjoy the well
deserved, warmer weather!
Sincerely,
Andrew Desrosiers,
Principal
Debra Armfield,
Assistant Principal
A Note from the Office Staff:
If there is a last minute change in plans for your child’s afternoon dismissal that includes someone other than yourself picking the child up, the policy of the building is that this request must be documented in writing via fax or e-mail. To ensure the safety of each and every student here at Center School, you will be asked to call the office to verify that we have received this communication. The student will not be notified until the parent has verified that we have received this fax or e-mail.
Unless asked, please do not use e-mail as a tool for corresponding with the office staff for afternoon changes. There is no guarantee that the e-mail was received, i.e. office staff member's absence.
Grade 3 Newsletter – June 2008 
Wow, it's hard to believe that our year in third grade is
almost over! We have the third grade
violin concert coming up and we're practicing our songs for Westward Ho! The big event – ROUND UP DAY – will be June
11th. We also have our
visiting cowboy, Skip Gorman, on the 16th. He will be teaching us about real cowboys and
songs and musical instruments all at the same time! As pioneers, we'll be traveling the trail and
learning all about the western expansion.
Our eggs are in the incubator and are due to hatch around
June 5th, which is also Step Up Day!
What a big day for all of us!
We're learning all about the life cycles of chicks as we check their
development with "candling".
The third grade teachers would like to wish everyone a
wonderful summer full of fun and adventures!
Grade 4 Newsletter –June 2008
The weather is getting warmer, daylight longer, and summer
vacation plans are coming together. We
are in our final push of the year and cannot believe the end is upon us! The fourth grade will spend the remaining
weeks of the school year wrapping up our curriculum in all subjects. Some remaining highlights include Move-up Day, June 4th, Field
Day, June 4th, and a field trip to Strawbery Banke, June 13th. It has been a busy, but productive year. Have a great summer vacation.
Grade 5 Newsletter –June 2008
During the last month of school we will be enjoying many
activities. The children have visited
the Middle School to get acquainted with their sixth grade teachers and the new
building. We are looking forward to visiting the Charlestown Naval Shipyard in
conjunction with our study of the War of 1812. The fifth graders will also be
involved in a day long field day on Wednesday, June 7th. We anticipate a fun day.
In addition to these
activities, the students continue to work hard each day. The fifth grade teachers continue to
encourage each child to work to their full potential. It has been a pleasure working with you and
your children this year.
Best of Luck Sixth Graders!!!
Physical Education News - June 2008
We would like to
congratulate Mr. Synder's class for winning the Jump Rope for Heart classroom
contest. Mr. Synder's class raised close
to $2000 for the American Heart Association.
For all their work, Mr. Synder's class has earned a playground package
filled with equipment to be used for fun playground activities. Center
School's Jump Rope event
and Hoops events raised over $23,000 for the fight against heart disease and
stroke. Our thank you to the entire Center School
families who helped in our efforts and to the PTA for their ever support for
our events.
The end of the year is approaching
fast and we are now in the planning for our annual Field Days. Please remember to send sunscreen, water and
sneakers with your child on their day. This
year's schedule is the following:
May 29th: 3rd grade Field Day
June 3rd: 4th grade Field Day
June 5th: 5th grade Field Day
Our
field days would not be possible without the help of the volunteers from the
PTA. These volunteers will be monitoring
the different activities in which all the students participate. If you would like to volunteer, please email
mleahy@windhamsd.org. Help us make this a memorable day for all or
our students!!
World Language - June 2008
Congratulations to all the students who worked so hard and gave an all-star performance in our school's production of Cinderella! Allow me
to mention Nathan Houde, whose name was inexplicably left off our program
- he played our Geeky Brother and was the understudy for the Minister.
Thank you to all the parents and staff that helped make this year's
Theatre production a smashing success!
Thank you,
Ms. Coakley
Center School—Library News—June 2008
Battle of the Books
The 3rd grade Final Battle will take place in the
café on May 28th from 1:15-2:30pm. All of the teams have done a
great job!
Great Stone Face Voting
Congratulations
to author Cynthia Lord, the Maine
author who wrote Rules, the Great
Stone Face Award winner for 2008. Thanks for voting! Start reading now for next April's voting (incoming 4th-6th
graders). You must read 3+ books to be eligible to vote. The 2008-09 list is
posted online at http://destiny.windhamsd.org
under "Windham
Center School"—Summer
Reading.
Summer Reading
Challenge—students entering 3rd-5th grades
Students—(and parents!)—do you want to see Mr. Desrosiers
dressed in a silly costume, while directing traffic during morning drop-off and
afternoon bus dismissal? He has agreed to do so, in September, if students meet
the challenge of collectively reading at least 2,008 books over the summer. Watch
for summer reading packets to come home on Step-Up Day. They will include suggested
reading lists and a reading log for students to return in the fall. Reading lists also will be posted in early
June at http://destiny.windhamsd.org under "Windham Center
School"—Summer Reading. Please help students remember to use the
log to record their summer reading. Thanks!
Summer
Reading—students entering 6th grade
Fifth graders will be receiving information about summer reading early in June. While summer reading is not required at WMS, it is strongly suggested. Students who are interested in receiving a quiz grade that can be used to replace a lower grade during the first quarter have the opportunity to complete a project about one book they have read over the summer. This is an easy way to start sixth grade with some extra credit. In early June all suggested reading lists and criteria for the project will be found at http://destiny.windhamsd.org on the home page of the Windham Middle School section.
Book Groups:
The Breakfast Book Club is reading the challenging
fantasy novel Eragon, and the Wednesday afternoon group is finishing the year
with a movie and a book: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
We have had a great year of learning and enjoying books in the media center.
--Joel Burdette, Media Generalist
Enrichment News—June 2008
This month, all three grade levels will be enjoying an
activity called Unique Knowledge. Unique Knowledge is a team game which gleans
questions from our general curriculum, testing not only our students'
knowledge, but their ability to cooperate with fellow students to achieve a
common goal. It is an activity that is well enjoyed by the students, and a
great way to review some of what they have learned this year.
Many
classes will also attempt the challenging activity of spelling words backwards.
This is a skill many have not yet had an opportunity to discover, and many are
amazed at how talented they actually are at spelling even lengthy words
backwards!
NURSE’S NOTES:
Attention Grade 5
Parents:
If your child is interested in participating on a Windham Middle School sports team please
remember that an updated Physical Exam will need to be on file before try-outs.
Book your appointments early to avoid a problem for the fall sports
season.
Outdoor Living:
Spring season seems to be in full swing. Students and their families are busy with
many activities, including many outdoor functions. Providing protection from too much sun, insect/tick
bites and overheating are very important. Remind your children to dress in light weight
clothing, use hats/sunglasses and sunscreen and drink lots of water. Bike/skate helmets and protective gear are so
important in preventing injury due to accidents at this time of year.
If your child does have an injury that requires care or
special accommodations at school, please call the nurse's office. We want to work with you to ensure safety
while here at school. Please obtain an
MD note if PE/recess restrictions are required.
Medications At
School:
Student's that have medication here at school will be
receiving a notice about medication pick-up prior to the last day of
school. Forms will be given out to renew
orders for the 08-09 school year. Please
remember, if your child will require a prescription medication during the
school day, proper MD/parent documentation is required and medication must be
in an original, labeled pharmacy container.
Please call the office, if you have any health related
matters, at 432-7962 or 432-7312 x 2330.
Kathleen Baroni R.N. 432-7962
Volunteer Info