Dear parents,
I hope you had a wonderful and happy holiday break! On Thursday and Friday we eased back into the routine with “specials” (PE, music and computing) on Thursday and then some cultural (social studies and geography) work on Friday morning, looking at the first presidents and US geographical regions. This sets us up to start examining the Westward Expansion of the continent (which some of the students had heard of thanks to the movie Jumanji 2!), starting with Lewis and Clarke. In the afternoon we did some New-Year-themed art work.
Next week is a regular week, except that Friday January 11th is a professional development day for teachers, meaning that there is no school for students that day. Also, on Monday, the 6th graders will be having their first STARBASE field trip. Please be at North Shore parking lot no later than 8:30. The following STEM week from January 14th through 18th is a busier one.
On Monday 14th, the 5th graders are expected to have their Invention Convention/Engineering model ready to display. They are not giving presentations outside the classroom, but I am asking for presentations to their class.
On Tuesday 14th, the 6th graders are going to STARBASE.
Wednesday 16th is the science fair for 6th graders. They should be ready to have their posters in the small gym by 8:30 am. Please do not bring any live animals or plants into the gym. If you have chosen an engineering project then either bring photographs, or if it is small enough the actual apparatus. If you have taken videos, or still shots of the experiment and wish to show them at the fair, then the student is responsible to bring in their own device. There will not be room to charge the device, so make sure it is charged before the fair. Make sure your video is only a couple of minutes long, as judges have a maximum of 10 minutes to spend at each project.
Parents are welcome to come and view the fair after 3 o’clock and we will be ending the open session at 4.30. Please encourage your student to leave their science fair board until the next day, when they can collect it first thing in the morning. Please do not come in to view the fair during the day (from 8.45-3 pm).
Also, if your child has not done so already, I need the title of their project and exactly what they are going to do by Tuesday this coming week.
On Friday 18th, the 5th graders are going to JA Biztown. There are two 5th grade parents who have volunteered to go as chaperones, but if you are still interested, please let me know. If you haven’t done so already, please return the permission slips to me ASAP. The requested donation is $5, either by cash or check to the front office.
During STEM week the 4th graders will be doing a STEM project in class. There will be no need to take the project work home, unless the student has failed to complete the necessary work in class.
Next, the administration has asked teachers to communicate with you that:
this Friday, January 4th, the Intent to Return enrollment period began. This is a time when you will receive an email (you may have done so already) that asks you to officially indicate your intent for the 2019-20 school year. You will have to say whether your enrolled child/children is/are returning for the next school year or not.
If you have any questions about the process or how to secure your spot at MMA for the 2019-20 school year, please communicate directly to the front office and/or the principal René Baker.
Lastly, there is no school on Monday January 21st for Martin Luther King Day.
Thank you everybody and have an enjoyable rest of the weekend.
John