Mastering Math Facts

Developing an understanding of numbers and the ability to add and subtract with ease is essential during the early school years.  Children who do not master the ability to add and subtract quickly and accurately will struggle with math in later years.  Most children need ongoing practice to memorize facts, therefore, making it part of a home routine is important. 



This box of triangle math cards just arrived thanks to a generous contribution from the PTO!  Every student in first and second grade will receive a set to take home.  In January, we plan to roll out a school-wide incentive program to encourage children to practice their math facts.  Teachers will introduce the cards and show how to use them.  Then the minutes students spend practicing at home will be tracked by class and displayed on a school wide graph.  More details will be sent home with the cards in mid-January.

Triangle shape cards are more effective than the traditional flash cards because students learn to memorize 'fact families.'  Fact families are a set of three numbers that link addition and subtraction, or multiplication and division, together.  For example, the numbers 4,6,10 can be added or subtracted:  6+4=10, 4+6=10, 10-4=6, 10-6=4.  Presenting the numbers together helps students understand the relationship between adding and subtracting.  Each number is in a corner, allowing a finger to cover one of them while viewing the other two.  The student looks at the other members of the fact family and then guesses the covered number.  These triangle cards are also available for multiplication/division.  Parents of 3rd and 4th graders may want to consider purchasing a set which can be found online or at specialty learning stores.

Merrimac is a Caring Community

The Holiday Helper program was a huge success!  Community members joined with staff from the Donaghue and Sweetsir School to help over 30 families.  Local organizations, such as the Merrimac Garden Club, Merrimac PTO and many others, gave monetary donations to purchase warm clothing and toys.  Throughout the past year, Lion Club Members raised funds to provide each family a turkey dinner.  They partnered with the West Newbury Food Mart to provide the food baskets below.  Students also brought in mittens, hats and food donations. 

 

A special thank you to Kathy Devaney, Judy Kroner, Kathy Sullivan 

and the many other Holiday Helper organizers.

Mr. Ouch

We are very fortunate to have safety prevention programs provided 

by the Merrimac Light and Water Department! 

Earlier this month, the Merrimac Light and Water Department provided a valuable safety presentation for students.  Ray Gouley met with kindergarten, first and second graders to discuss potential dangers associated with common household items such as space heaters, hot curling irons, hair dryers and toasters. Students watched a safety video featuring 'Mr. Ouch' who taught them to 'Stop, Think and Stay away' whenever they spot electrical dangers.  Children were told to tell an adult and encourage them to call the Department if they see downed wires or encounter unsafe electrical situation.

Mr. Gouley also gave us a set of LED colored lights which were used at the PTO Santa Breakfast.
(Tip: the new LED lights are the brightest and use the least amount of electricity).

A Fun Saturday Morning

Many families came to Sweetsir School for the annual PTO 'Santa Breakfast' on December 4th.  As you can see from these photos, everyone had a wonderful time!

Posing with Santa was the highlight of the breakfast

There were lots of  photo-ops

   

Mrs. Vienneau & her daughter

 visited with Mr. & Mrs. Claus

 Lots of beautiful smiles...
perfect for making Holiday greeting cards

Thank you, Mrs. Claus! 

Volunteers included Dads & FNS Grads 

 Hugs for the
Elf Party Planners

             

Thank you to all of the Moms, Dads & Kids who helped make this event possible!  Many volunteers donated their time to plan this breakfast, decorate the cafe, pick up the donuts, greet people at the door, set up the school store, oversee the bookstore, clean up and more...  Thank You!

Signing, Singing and Dancing at Recess

We recently purchased new supplies to 

add pizazz to indoor recess!  

Although we try to go outside for recess whenever possible, there are days when rain or freezing temperatures force us indoors.  Along with playing board games and coloring, k-2 students will now have an opportunity to sing and dance along with music/movement Cd's and videos. 

Since our school library books about American Sign Language are very popular, we decided to order a set of 'Signing Times' videos.  These videos feature singer Rachel Coleman who created the series after her daughter, Leah, was born deaf and she had a desire to build a community of children who could communicate with her child.  Each video features Rachel giving explicit instruction for signing several common words and incorporates them into a song.  Clips of children using the signs gives viewers a chance to follow along and practice.  Research indicates sign language is beneficial for children with all types of disabilities, including language delays and autism.  Our hope is that students will enjoy learning sign language and develop a greater appreciation for people with diverse needs.    

      

More snippets of 'Signing Times' videos can be found on You Tube.                                       

Why are webkins on the wall?

Reminders to use 'Lips the Fish', 'Eagle Eye', and 'Chunky Monkey' are often heard as our first and second graders read.  These phrases are associated with common strategies often used by good readers.  Children love the animal associations and find them helpful in remembering things to try whenever they are stuck on a word.

Strategies frequently used by First Graders:

Lips the Fish- Get your mouth ready.  Sound out the first letter of the word.
Eagle Eye- Look at the picture for clues.
Chunky Monkey- Look for chunks you know in the word.
Flippy Dolphin- Try changing the vowel sound; flip long and short sounds.
Stretchy the Snake- Slowly sound out the different letters then blend.
Tryin' Lion- Try a different word.  Try re-reading.
Skippy the Frog- Skip the word and read to the end of the sentence.  Hop back and reread to figure out the word.

Many of our classrooms feature bulletin boards with posters describing the reading strategies and associated animals as visual aides.  Animal strategies are so popular at Sweetsir, our Special Educators and Reading Teachers have found using this same terminology across settings is very beneficial.  Since a few more animals are needed to complete the bulletin board in the Title One Reading room, we would welcome new or used donations of the following animals in webkin sizes:

eagles   dolphin   snakes   spiders   owls   parrots   iguanas

The animal reading strategies can be found on so many school websites and blogs we were unable to determine who initially created them.  This is an example of how teachers across the globe share great ideas to benefit children everywhere.

'Holiday Helper' Tradition

Giving Tree 2010
Girl Scouts handmade stockings
filled with mittens.

For many years, the Sweetsir School & Donaghue School have joined forces with community members and local organizations to provide holiday gifts for families experiencing financial hardship.  This wonderful tradition will continue again this year!  If you would like to contribute, food drives will be held at both elementary schools and gift cards or monetary donations may be brought to the school office (checks can be made payable to 'Holiday Helper').  After Thanksgiving, there will also be a 'Giving Tree' in the Sweetsir lobby for children to hang donations of mittens and gloves.  The tree is named after the book, by Shel Silverstein, featuring a tree that showed unconditional love by giving gifts.

A letter recently went home to let parents know how they can apply for assistance from the 'Holiday Helper' program.  For more information, please contact one of the elementary school nurses or guidance staff members. 

Lion Club Members 
help every year!

Both retired & current staff members
are behind the scene organizers.