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Fall Newsletter 2014
Chaplin Elementary
School
Principal’s Message by Mrs. Patricia D. King
As we enter October, change is everywhere; the leaves are turning, the
air is getting cooler, and the students are settling into routines. While
some changes are also taking place at Chaplin Elementary School,
what will not change is the goal parents, teachers, and this principal
have for the children of our comm unity. We will continue to provide the
best education possible for every child. To do this, our daily schedule
has been adjusted to maximize the time available during school day to
focus on the development of the skills and knowledge vital for success
in the twenty-first century. Your child’s individual education goals are
the focus of our school community. Every new day brings with it the
opportunity for students to work closely with their teachers not only
during their regular classroom activities, but during an additional
learning time which we are calling the Intervention & Enrichment Block.
Each day, this dedicated time allows teachers to focus learning on
areas where your student may need extra instruction and support on a
skill presented in class. In addition, if a student has mastered a skill and is
ready to build deeper understanding, the teachers plan activities suited
to address moving students forward in their learning. Ask your child
about what learning goals they have set for themselves this week.
When I visit the classrooms every day, it is obvious that the children are
thrilled to share what they are learning and how much they are
growing.
This year our school community is focusing on nurturing the
development of a growth mindset in our students. In a growth
mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be
developed through effort, good teaching, and persistence. Basically,
hard work and sticking with a task will bring positive results in learning
and academic success.
In this newsletter, I am happy to share with you some of the exciting
hard work and learning that is taking place throughout Chaplin
Elementary School. I look forward to sharing the continued progress our
students are making each quarter in our newsletter. In addition to
communicating with you through the Connect Ed voice mailing system
and this newsletter we have updated our website at
http://chaplinschool.org/ . This site will have timely news stories and
teacher web pages as well as PTO and BOE information to keep you
informed between publications. Check it often to see what’s new.
240 Palmer Road
Chaplin, CT 06235
http://chaplinschool.org/
T: 860-455-9593
Important Dates
10/13 – No School –Columbus Day
10/14 – No School – PD Day
11/10 – No School – PD Day
11/11 – No School – Veterans’ Day
11/21 – Report Cards Issued
11/24 – Early Release – Conferences
11/25 – Early Release – Conferences
11/26 – Early Release – Thanksgiv ing
11/27-28 – Thanksgiv ing Break
12/12 – Early Release – PD Day
12/23 – Early Release
12/24-1/2 – Holiday Break
Mark your calendars!
News from Our Classrooms
Pre-Kindergarten – Mrs. Grzywacz, Mrs. Hand and Mrs. Moon
The PreK children have been busy this September exploring our theme of
“Growing & Changing”. We have spent the month learning and making
comparisons between the changes a butterfly goes through and the
growth they are experiencing in prek. The children have had the
opportunity to read both fiction and nonfiction books about their individual
growth as preschoolers and the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. After
reading “See How I Grow”, the preschoolers measured and recorded their
heights, then ordered themselves by height. They also enjoyed identifying
the similarities and differences among their classmates, sorted the class by
various attributes on a SMARTBoard graph and illustrated their own “All
About Me” books. They used puppets to retell Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry
Caterpillar” and recreated the life cycle of the monarch butterfly after
reading “A Butterfly Is Born.” We were fortunate enough to have obtained
some monarch caterpillars from Magic Wings in MA, so the children have
also had the opportunity to document their scientific observations of the
metamorphosis process in their science journals. We are hopeful that the
caterpillars will all be successful in completing their full transformation to
butterflies in the next two weeks.
In Our Community
10/8 – BOE meeting – 6:30, library
10/16 – Flu Clinic – 3:15
10/20-24 – School Safety Week
11/5 – PTO meeting – 6:30, library
11/12 – BOE meeting – 6:30, library
12/3 – PTO meeting – 6:30, library
12/6 – PTO Craft Fair – 9:00-2:00
Kindergarten – Mrs. Massad
The kindergarteners have been busy working on identifying capital and
lowercase letters, reading the names of classmates, writing kindergarten
stories by labeling their pictures and writing sentences with mostly
beginning sounds for their words. They study touch cues daily to learn the
letters and their sounds.
In math the class finished the first unit on classroom routines and materials.
They learned about the attributes of different math manipulatives including
buttons and blocks. The students are now working on counting and
measuring in the second math unit.
The kindergarteners met book characters in Big books like Mrs. Wishy-Washy
in the Mrs. Wishy-Washy series and monkeys in Caps For Sale.
The class had kindergarten developmental skills classes with Mrs. Porter, the
school's Occupational Therapist, where they focused on pencil grips and
scissor cutting. Many students
were given pencil grip aids to
help develop the proper
pencil grip.
And finally the
kindergarteners have been
busy learning and follow ing
the classroom and school
rules as they get acquainted
with old and new friends.
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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Peaches from the Primary Pod - Grades 1, 2, 3
Mrs. Ottilige, Mrs. Pociask, Mrs. Rossi and Mrs. Dunnack
Four weeks ago, on a hot and sweaty afternoon at CES, a new kind of group was
formed – The Primary Pod. Its purpose is to support children and teachers in grades 1,
2 and 3. We were looking for a creative, fun was to promote positive student
behavior in a variety of settings – classroom, playground, lunchroom to name a few.
Our group has an informed, organic structure to it, acting on ideas as they flow in.
Take a stroll down our end of the hallway and you’ll find an affirming mural of
children’s handprints and their statements of all the things they‘re good at. Yo u will
also see two posters listing the Peaches and Pits for the week. Every Friday afternoon
around 3:00pm, all the children and teachers in grades 1, 2, 3 gather together in the hall to reflect on their
peaches and pits of the week. We celebrate the peaches and generate strategies to turn around the pits.
Honestly, we all end our week with a smile. Keep your eyes open for
more Peaches from the Pod in future additions of the CES Newsletter.
4th Grade Adventures – Miss Walters
The fourth graders are off to a good start. We have started to write
our narrative essays. We are writing stories using small moments from
our lives to create our stories. We enjoy sharing our stories with our
classmates and look forward to our celebration next week.
Science was learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion. We had a lot
of fun experimenting with
different materials. First, we
explored how the angle of the inclined plane affected the distance
and speed of a matchbox car. Our next experiment tested how much
work was needed to lift objects with different amounts of mass. Then it
was off to see how magnets work and what materials magnets are
attracted to as we discovered the magnetic field and how it impacts
force and motion.
The 4t h graders are excited by September’s reading incentive. In honor
of summer, students will fill out a paper marshmallow about the book
they read. After they place 8 marshmallows on their so -more stick, they will receive a new
paperback book from their teacher!
GRADE 5 - Mrs. Blair & Mrs. Dufresne
The fifth grade is off to a great start this year. Students have been working hard and we
have noticed that many of them retained the skills they learned last year. We are
emphasizing the importance of attendance and hard work. Student effort and attendance
have a huge impact on learning and achievement.
In reading we have been Following Characters into Meaning, using the mentor text, Tiger
Rising, by Kate DiCamillo. In writing, we are starting our second unit of stu dy on memoir. In
math we have been working on multiplication strategies.
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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In science we have been emphasizing the scientific process. We started
the year with several labs and investigations using scientific thinking
(making an observation; forming a question; a hypothesis and testing the
hypothesis; collecting data; analyzing data; drawing a conclusion). The
thinking process in science is repeated in reading, math and social
studies.
In social studies, we started off with the essential question “Why did
people come to America”, which will drive our investigations of
explorers, colonization and immigration. We are currently investigating
Marco Polo and the Spice Trade.
During our differentiated block each afternoon, students are working in small groups to pr actice and develop
skills using different modalities. We hope to include more technology and a variety of learning games, as well as
enrichment opportunities.
Every Friday afternoon, the fifth grade ends the week in a community meeting. We sing a class son g (currently
Stand Up Walk Tall), and we talk about what went well during the academic week, and what we can do better
next week (Peaches & Pits). We are so proud of the majority of students who share honest reflections about
their academic goals for the next week. The kids are happy and excited to be in school, and ready to learn
and do even better the following week.
Sixth Grade– Mr. Burelle
We are off to a great start in Sixth Grade! In math, we are learning Algebra and finding out that it’s not nearly
as scary as we thought. We just finished our first read aloud, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, and we’re still
talking about it. In reader’s workshop everyone is choosing their “just right books,” and reading like crazy. In
writing class we just shared our first published personal narratives and we’re working on a second publishing.
Everyone is very excited about our upcoming unit: Fiction!
We’ve started our very first fundraiser of this year, “Staff Sweets.” Parents are baking goodies for our staff to
purchase and enjoy. In October we will start the Uncle Jerry’s fundraiser. The sixth grade executive board is up
and running. Congratulations to Lucy Haesche our board “chairperson. The school store will be opening very
soon.
Physical Education/Health– Mrs. Caron
It is the time of year for Physical Education classes to be focused on fitness testing. The students in grades 1 st -6t h
will be running the mile, performing sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and testing their flexibility and agility. Results of
these tests will be sent home individually to all students in those grades.
The top milers will participate in two cross-country meets. The first meet will be here at Chaplin Elementary
School on Wednesday October 8t h at 3:30pm. The second race will be on October 22 at Scotland Elementary
School also beginning at 3:30pm. Students chosen to participate will be bringing home a permission slip to be
signed and more information about the races.
Students in 5t h grade are meeting with Trooper Morales for the D.A.R.E. program (Drug, Abuse, Resistance,
Education). They are meeting with him every Thursday for the next 8 weeks during health class. This will
culminate with a D.A.R.E. graduation where parents/guardians will be invited to hear about what the students
learned. More information will be forthcoming.
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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Attention Chaplin Elementary School Artists! – Mrs. Avis
Mrs. Avis would like to create a display area to showcase some of the wonderful student artwork created by
the students. If you have a piece of artwork from home or school that you are particularly proud of, please
bring it to school to share. Mrs. Avis will be displaying the artwork in one of the showcases so that everyone at
C.E.S. can enjoy it. All of the work that is submitted must be original student work ad must have a name and
grade written on the back. The showcase will be changed as new work comes in and all work will be returned
after it has been on display. Mrs. Avis is looking forward to showcasing the wonderful artistic ability of all our
C.E.S. artists.
Congratulations to the 2014 Artist in the Country Participants!
Several CES artists were fortunate enough to have their artwork exhibited in the Artists in the Country show and
sale on the weekend of September 27t h and 28th. Their work was displayed along with students from many
other local schools and with local artists.
Congratulations:
(From Top Left) Desiree Mezzarone, Emma Anderson, Haven Renshaw, Alec Zevetchin, and Cody La ne. (From
Bottom Left) Brooke Provost-Spickler and Jackson Richard.
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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News from our Specialists
Whatever Occupies Your Time - June Porter, COTA/L
In an article by Peter Emmenegger “Nurturing the Playful Mind,” he writes:
The Importance Of Natural Play
“Remember sitting on the grass watching ants scurry about, rounding up friends for a pi ck -up game of ki ckball,
curling up with a book, collecting and trading marbles and stamps, testing out a new paper airplane design?
To adults, it may seem that these activities were not particularly important. But child development specialists
say they were crucial in cultivating your creativity and imagination, as well as in expanding your intellectual,
emotional and social skills. In other words, unstructured child’s pl ay – the kind with no rules, few gizmos and little
or no adult direction – packs a powerful developmental wallop. And yet, too many parents don’t understand
the importance of play in children’s development. Otherwise: Instead of pumping their legs to send a swing
soaring toward the sky, millions of children would not spend afternoons sitting passively in front of a screen
watching TV or playing a video or computer game created by someone else. Instead of using their
imaginations to build something from a set of wooden blocks, children would not be pushing buttons to
activate an electronic toy programmed by an adult. Instead of kicking around a ball just for fun, young
children – some only two years old – would not be signed up for weekly lessons in soccer, t ennis and other
sports.”
Peter suggests:
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


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
Limit or eliminate screen time: Give your children a chance to flex their own imaginative muscles. They may
be bored at first. Be prepared with simple playthings and suggestions for make-believe play to inspire their
inner creativity.
Curtail time spent in adult-organized activities: Children need time for self -initiated play. Over-schedul ed
lives leave little time for play.
Choose simple toys: A good toy is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child. The child’s imagination is the engine
of healthy play. Simple toys and natural materials, like wood, boxes, balls, dolls, sand and clay invite children
to create their own scenes – and then knock them down and start over. Avoid passive toys that require
limited imagination.
Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time for outdoor play where children can run, climb, find secret
hiding places and dream up dramas. Natural materials – sticks, mud, water, rocks – are the raw materials of
play. Playing outside helps your child sleep better at night and helps battle the obesity epidemic.
Bring back the art of real work: Believe it or not, adult activity – cooking, raking, cleaning, and washing the
car – actually inspires children to play. Children like to help
for short periods and then engage in their own play.
Spend time watching your child play: This can show children
that adults value their play. Fight the urge to control; allow
your child to make the decisions, control the flow of the play
and assign the roles. Only participate if invited.”
So the next time you have a bag of aluminum cans that you
are ready to take to the recycling center, old scraps of wood,
unmatched socks, etc., that could end up on the rubbish pile:
Stop and Google “games for kids to play with . . . .” Click on
Images and voilà, let the imagination and fun begin!
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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News from the Reading Room Mrs. Linda Rogers, Reading
Language Arts Consultant
Welcome back everyone! I’m delighted to be here at Chaplin Elementary
School with all the new changes and excitement. I’m pleased to announce that
after a delayed start of the year for me, due to medical issues – I’m back with a
clean bill of health!
One of the first tasks I have been working on is completing the school -wide fall
reading progress monitoring. This involves reading individually with each child in
grades 1-6. There are many useful purposes to this reading task ranging from
classroom instruction to school-wide data. The overall information gleaned from
this task provides an analysis of the impact of our curriculum and instruction in
the area of reading.
First of all, your child’s reading performance indicates exactly what reading level your child is currently able to
read independently. This information supports the classroom teacher as they guide your children to making
good book choices that will support them as they continue to grow their reading skills, and strategies. Reading
books that are too easy or too challenging does not allow your child to make steady pr ogress in the higher
level skills and strategies that are taught at each grade level. The purpose for reading ranges from recreational
to instructional. While your child may be able to read words in more challenging texts, the comprehension tasks
that are required and will assessed develop through careful text analysis and guided instruction with text levels
that are carefully determined.
Secondly, reading progress monitoring identifies specific areas of instructional need that require reteaching in
the areas of comprehension, close text analysis, vocabulary, word identification and decoding skills.
Lastly, on the school level it provides information on exactly how many students have maintained their reading
levels, exceeded their reading levels or fell down the summer reading slide and lost reading skills as compared
to their June reading scores.
It’s exciting to announce that the majority of students that I have assessed so far in our school have maintained
and or have increased their reading skills over the summer! This is a testimony that we have a strong curriculum,
exceptional instruction as well as supportive families who encourage their children to practice reading.
Reading is a skill, and like any other skill such as learning to play an instrument , play a sport or become good at
something, it requires on going practice.
Thank you for encouraging your children to read and providing them with the opportunity to practice daily. This
will benefit your child’s opportunities for a successful and profit able life. Should you wish to know how your child
performed on the reading progress monitoring task please do not hesitate to ask me or your child’s teacher.
Health News – Mrs. Charlene Petrone, School Nurse
Students in grades K-2 have been reviewing hand-washing techniques with “Nurse Charlene” during health
class so we can keep our school healthy. The students love the special (pretend germ) lotion that they must
scrub off using proper hand washing and a special light to see if they washed off all the ( pretend germs).
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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More Important News
Safety Corner – Mrs. Partyka
We are introducing a new feature of our newsletter, the Safety Corner. We
will be using this column to bring you news about safety improvements to
our school and safety information for parents and families in the Chaplin
community.
For our first column, we interviewed our resident trooper, Trooper Paul
Black. Trooper Black is from State Police Barracks D. One contribution that
he makes to the Chaplin community is to sit on the Chaplin Elementary
School’s Safety Committee that was formed last spring.
The first question put to Trooper Black, was “What safety improvements
have been made to Chaplin Elementary School?” Trooper Black noted
that there were ongoing developments in school safety, including changes
in the physical environment, the equipment we use (for example, walkie
talkies and surveillance cameras) and our procedures. He noted that
safety recommendations are continually being updated based on new
information.
The second question was, “Why are parents all over the state facing limits
on access to their children’s schools? What is the purpose of restricting
parents to certain areas for pickup and drop off, or making parents wait to
be signed or buzzed into the school?”
Trooper Black responded that many of our safety precautions are aimed at
preventing an “active shooter” scenario, which requires limiting access to
the school in some ways. He noted that, in addition, it is actually more
common for problems to occur among family members, such as a parent
who is in a custody dispute taking a child. It is necessary to look at all the
adults who enter a school in order to do our best to ensure our students’
safety. Trooper Black noted that “in this day and age”, it just isn’t possible
to maintain the same access to schools that parents once had.
Finally, Trooper Black was asked, “What do you think parents in the Chaplin
community can do to improve the safety of their children?”
Trooper Black said that the most im portant thing that parents can do is to
be aware of their children’s surroundings, including the people they are
with.
Be aware or your children’s friends, and who is home at their houses. Even
knowing their friends’ last names can be important. Sometimes, when a
child is missing and the police are gathering information about where to
look, parents only know the first names of their children’s friends, making it
difficult to locate them.
“A lot of safety is commonsense, if you stop and think about it,” co ncluded
Trooper Black. “Every parent’s goal is to protect their children.”
Chaplin Elementary School – Fall 2014
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