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Henry Barnard School Soar to New Heights with the Power of Learning
27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT 860-253-6541 Nancy Hayes - Principal
27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT 860-253-6541 Nancy Hayes Principal February 2011
Brighten Up Your Cold
Nights! Nancy Hayes Principal
Treasure the gift of literacy! Brighten up your night time
ritual and read with your child. This leisure activity should
be fun so let your children choose books that are
interesting to them. Talk together as you read about
feelings, fears, goals, problems, and experiences. This on-
going discussion enhances comprehension of the story.
Keep it fun and vary the approach. Enjoy the following
helpful suggestions from your children!
Start with an easier book so we can feel relaxed and enjoy the experience.
Find something that sparks my interest that we can share together.
Let me take time to reread a sentence if it doesn’t make sense. (That’s the way I learn to check my own reading!)
Encourage me to turn off the TV and share my library books with you
Please take turns with me if the book is too hard.
Help me savor the time and encourage me to turn off the TV/video games
Share with me your favorite book when you were in school
Sometimes I like to read with a flashlight under my covers before bedtime!
“A child has no stronger desire than to make sense of the
world, to move freely in it, to do the things that he sees
bigger people doing.” John Holt
_____________________ ___________________
The teachers appreciate all your time and effort to ensure your child has breakfast and is well rested during our testing window. It is so important to provide support and encouragement to your child to do their best! We are so proud of how they use their strategies and work so diligently.
CMT Fun Fair Night 66:00 – 7:30 PM
February 16, 2011!
Join us in the All Purpose Room
for Pizza and Salad.
We will then proceed to the gym for our CMT
Fun Fair where parents can participate in
learning about math and reading with their
child.
Students receive a free homework pass for
participating in this event and goodies to take
home!
If you have any questions, please call the school
at 860-253-6541
See you at the Fair!!!!
February
monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday
1 2 3
4
MOVIE
NIGHT
7 8 9 PTO
Meeting
7-8:00
10
11
14 15
Early Release
16
CMT Fun
Fair Free
HW pass
17 18
21
No School
22 No
School
23 24
CMT
Practice
25 BINGO
Night
28
1 2
CMT
Reading
3
CMT
Reading
4 CMT
Reading
KINDERGARTEN NEWS Ms. Bannon, Mrs. Donovan,
Mrs. Murphy
This winter, the Kindergartners learned
about holidays celebrated all around the world. We
also have been working hard to learn all the letters
and sounds in the alphabet. We have been learning
sight words and have been practicing how to sound
out words, so that we can become better readers.
They will soon begin to retell stories that they have
read and should practice this skill at home, telling
what happens at the beginning, middle, and end of
the story.
In math, we have been writing and counting
numbers from zero to 30. We also have been
counting backwards from 10 to zero. Please practice
at home, especially counting 11 to 20 because those
numbers are the trickiest! We will continue to
practice counting because the 100th day of school is
right around the corner and we can’t wait!
FIRST GRADE Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Anderstrom
Mrs. Charette, Miss James
We have recently finished our unit on making
connections; both text to self and text to text. This is
one of our many comprehension strategies in
reading. Students are encouraged to think as they
read and to pay attention if they come across
something that is familiar to themselves, their
experiences, or other books they have read. When a
reader can connect to the text, it improves their
understanding of the story by having a deeper
understanding of a character’s emotions or conflict in
the story.
Home Link: When you read at home ask your child
“does this story remind you of something that has
happened to you?” or “does this character remind
you of something you’d do or feel?” In math, we have
started our Facts in a Flash program. Students are
bringing home new facts each week to study and
learn. They take a quiz on Friday to see how well they
have learned their facts. These facts are comparable
to sight words in that students should memorize
them. They should know the answer right away
(without number line or picture clues). We will
continue with addition and subtraction picture
stories and then word problems. Home Link: Use
household objects to show addition or subtraction
problems. (I have four apples and I gave one away.
How many do I have left?) Use familiar
names/friends to make up story problems relating to
addition and subtraction. We are just beginning our
social studies unit on communities! We will learn the
people and places that make up a community.
SECOND GRADE Mrs. Warnock, Mrs. Smith,
Mr. Higgins
We have been very busy in second grade. Our
students have learned ‘snow’ much! In reading,
second graders have been using strategies to improve
their comprehension of text. Students are using their
schema to make connections to what they are
reading. We continue to practice our reading fluency
and what to do when we come to a word we don’t
know. Please remember to set aside time each day for
reading. These are all things that good readers do!
Second grade math skills continue to develop
as students have completed solving story problems.
We are currently adding and subtracting two digit
numbers with and without regrouping. Do you know
what a fact family is? If not, ask a second grader.
Don’t forget to continue practicing math facts every
night.
Science has been very fun as we finish with
our unit on matter. Students have been learning of
the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Does air
take up space? Does air have weight? These are some
of the questions that we have answered with our
experiments in science. We will begin our unit on
dinosaurs at the end of the month. It will be Tyranno-
riffic!
Thanks for all of your support from home and
please contact us at any time if you have any
questions about your child’s learning in grade two.
Third grade Mrs. Amburn, Mrs. Gleeson,
Mr. Snyder
Happy New Year! We can’t believe we
are almost half way through third grade!
In Reading, we have been working on
comprehension strategies to enhance our reading
abilities. We’ve been practicing essential skills
weekly that will prepare us for the CMT’s. Please
make sure to attend the CMT night that will be held
on February 17. This night will help to reassure you
and your child that they are very well prepared.
In Math, we have reviewed place value, expanded
notation, rounding, estimation, and money. Please
continue to practice addition and subtraction facts at
home. We have now moved into multiplication and
division strategies. Knowing our basic addition and
subtraction facts will help build upon the newer
skills.
Your children have been introduced to our
Science curriculum on animals. We will further
expand on our animal habitats in the upcoming
months. The children will have the opportunity to
explore different habitats in the computer lab.
As the curriculum becomes more difficult, it is
important that your child demonstrates good work
habits throughout the day. Please discuss with your
child how they can have a meaningful and productive
day at school.
Just a reminder, with the cold weather here,
students will be required to wear their jackets
outside. Please make sure your child is dressed
appropriately every day.
FOURTH GRADE Mrs. Flanaghan, Mrs. Shuman
The
Fourth grade has been working very hard
sharpening our skills to help prepare for the
Connecticut Mastery Tests in March. In reading, we
are working on forming a general understanding to
determine the main idea or theme of a text. We are
also working on summarizing, predicting, and
drawing conclusions. We are using the Essential
Skills for Reading Success to help students practice
these important reading skills so they can apply them
while reading independently. In writing, we are
working on personal and fictional narratives. In
math, we are exploring fractions. Many of these
concepts are new for fourth graders so we will be
spending several weeks on this topic.
If your child is having difficulty with fraction
homework, please remember you can always turn to
the math website mhschool.com for additional
examples as well as a personal tutor feature that will
re-teach the lesson in a different way. We look
forward to seeing you at CMT night.
FIFTH GRADE Ms.Ratcliffe, Mrs. Reith
We enjoyed meeting with so
many parents during report card conferences. Thank
you for all you do sending your children to school
ready to learn.
The fifth grade students have studied the
Solar System as part of our science curriculum. As a
culminating activity, we took a wonder filled trip to
the Springfield Science Museum. We went to the
planetarium to find out about our system’s beginning
and the constellations. Our thanks go to the parents
who joined us. We are now studying explorers of the
New World in social studies and electricity and
magnetism in science.
In math, students should continue to study
their multiplication and division facts in order to
build speed and accuracy. This will help as we apply
the facts to more difficult problems. We have
completed our study of fractions and are learning
about metric and customary measurements.
In language arts, our students are working
with the expository format for composing essays.
Part of this includes learning to describe and
elaborate as well as revise and edit to improve our
writing. Grammar is the basis for writing, and we are
studying correct sentence structure including
compound and complex sentences, as well as parts of
speech. We are just finishing our third theme, A
Changing Planet, in reading. Students are required to
ready at home daily. We even read in the halls before
classes begin and as we wait for our buses to be
called in the afternoon. All children should have a
book with them at all times.
SIXTH GRADE Mrs. Sikorowicz, Mrs. Maloney
This has been a year of
whirlwind activity! The students are becoming
acclimated to the routines and are working hard on
their organization skills.
The parents’ meeting that was held in Nov. to
discuss this year’s activities was a great success. The
activities discussed were the end-of-the-year field
trip, the purchase of the 2011 T-shirts, the yearbook,
and the Awards Assembly/Graduation. The estimated
cost for all the activities is approximately $2,000-
$2200. The fund-raisers decided upon were a Math-a-
Thon which was held in December and The Can Drive
to be held Jan. - March. Parents volunteered to chair
the committees to help with all the activities but
more help is still needed. We want to thank the
parents who attended the meeting or expressed their
willingness to help with the activities this year! We
couldn’t do it without your help and support!
The students have completed the second
theme in Reading and we are digging into a new
theme of “Unlocking the Past” The students continue
to hone their writing skills using the five senses to
make their writing sparkle!
In Math, we have completed the units on
place value, double-digit multiplication, long
division, adding, subtracting, and multiplying
decimals. Now we are moving on to learning about
multiples, factors, and fractions!
In Science, we have wrapped up our studies
of the earth’s destructive forces of earthquakes and
volcanoes and are learning how the earth is affected
by erosion.
In Social Studies, the students have learned
about voting and the Constitution, Five Themes of
Geography, prehistoric life and will soon begin to dig
into the past civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia
and Ancient China.
One more thing, please remind your student
that the weather has turned cold and blustery! We
have a recess period in which the students may go
outside (weather permitting) and they need to be
dressed appropriately. Please remind them to wear a
coat, hats, and gloves.
Thank you for all you are doing to make this
a great year for your student and for us! If you have
any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact
your child’s teacher.
READING Mrs. Clair, Mrs. Marsh,
Mrs. Hathaway
Happy New Year! We hope that everyone
enjoyed the Holidays with friends and loved ones.
The Reading Department has had a successful
beginning to the school year. We want to keep you up
to date about exciting activities that have already
taken place, and those that will take place in the near
future.
In the month of October, TLC held an Open
House during which parents were given the
opportunity to sit with their child during the lesson.
This gave the parents a better understanding of the
program. We would like to thank the many parents
who attended the TLC Open House.
Save the Date! The Heritage Fair will be
celebrated on Saturday, February 26th from
11:30-4:00 at JFK. This event is open to all students
and community members. The day consists of on-
going displays, entertainment and hands on activities.
More information will be available from both the
town and the school.
CMT’s are in March; we are busy preparing
our students. We will be in touch soon about a CMT
Parent Information Night to be held on February
17, 2011. Please consider coming to this because
very important information regarding the test is
discussed. You will also be given a chance to ask any
questions that you might have.
Lastly, don’t forget to access our District
Language Arts website. You and your child can use
many helpful reading links. The website is http:
www.enfieldschools.org/district
departments/language arts k-6/. Thank you for all
your support!
ART Mrs. Martin, Ms. Rhoades
Teaching art to students in
elementary school has many amazing
facets, yet the process students go through to create
their artwork is the most interesting part. Hearing
students talk while working builds skills to solve
problems. The social ease and personal confidence
come together in the art room to further success
within the regular classroom, improving CMT skills,
and enriching experiences with literacy and
numeracy. It is important that you support your
child’s artistic activities, as well as encourage their
artistic interests. Allow your child to talk about their
work, rather than asking or guessing what they
created. Supporting our student’s voice and a vision
within their artwork creates ownership and pride in
areas beyond just the visual arts.
This year, we will honor Joshua Maysonet
who will be the sixth grader honoree at the Aqua
Turf, in Southington, for the Connecticut Association
of Schools. We are proud of Joshua’s skills, talents,
and desire to continue to learn and improve.
Please remember to dress your child
appropriately for art day, or provide a T-shirt to
cover school clothes. Try to avoid planned absences
on art day so that everyone can be a contributing
member of the class. In addition, we gratefully accept
items for art projects: boxes, Good Housekeeping
Magazine, wood pieces, and cloth scraps are just
some of the items we use often.
Music Mrs. Carnes, Ms. Weed
The band, orchestra, and chorus
have been busy increasing their musicianship skills
and preparing for their winter concert since
September. On February 10, 2011, students will
perform for family and friends in the All-Purpose
Room at 6:30 PM. Chorus students should wear black
pants and their chorus t-shirt for their performance
and be in the music room ready to warm-up at 6PM.
Orchestra and band students should wear dark
colored bottoms (no blue jeans) and shoes and a
plain white shirt for their performance. All students
and families are expected to stay for the entire
concert to show respect to all musicians performing.
Mrs. Carne and Miss Weed have selected Gene
Bouthiette as the Connecticut Association of Schools
Music Award winner for 2011. Gene was chosen for
his dedication, hard working attitude, achievement in
musical performance, and participation in the Inter-
Elementary Band as well as private percussion
lessons. He will be honored at a banquet with many
other students at the Aqua Turf in Southington on
Monday, February 7, 2011.
On March 12, 2011, the String Festival will
take place for all string players. More information
will go home with the string players as we get closer
to the festival. There are several students from Henry
Barnard involved in the Inter-Elementary Chorus,
Orchestra, and Band. They will perform at JFK on
March 30th at 7PM. Everyone is invited to attend this
free concert.
Fifth and sixth graders involved in the
Instrumental or the Choral program will be getting a
progress report over the next few weeks. Please read
it over, sign, and return to Miss Weed (Chorus) or
Mrs. Carne (Band & Orchestra).
Fourth graders in Mrs. Shuman’s class have
started learning how to play the recorder and are
taking part in Recorder Karate. Students are expected
to practice at least five minutes a day on their own.
They have each been given songs and a fingering
chart. Students can earn up to four belts to put on
their recorder and students who earn the black belt
will earn a certificate at the end of the year.
Encourage your child to practice daily, play for you,
and bring their recorder to school on Monday.
Students who have forgotten their recorder twice
must leave their recorder at school because they
must have it here for class. Those students should
also be reviewing their music daily and practicing
their recorder fingerings with a pencil.
Students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade are
studying musical symbols, note names in the treble
staff, note and rest names, note and rest values, and
Italian music terms. All students are expected to
study this information and will be tested two more
times throughout the year to see if they understand
these concepts. Students are studying note and rest
values as math problems in the hope to have a better
understanding of music and math.
Students in kindergarten through third grade
participate in pitch exploration activities, music
singing games, dances, and music literacy activities.
They are also exposed to several books that use
music to tell the story. Students in grades
kindergarten, first and second grade occasionally
sing a song from our curriculum for the class and
earn a certificate. When you see an “I sang a song for
the class today” certificate come home encourage
your child to sing the song for you and let them show
off their award to the family.
As part of our new music curriculum, the
general music teachers in Enfield are assessing all
students on pitch accuracy, maintaining tempo,
rhythm accuracy, and correct use of singing
voice while they sing a song. Each grade level has a
different song that correlates with pitches students
are learning how to sing in each grade. It is important
students try their best on these assessments so the
music teachers can see if the current instruction is
working. Thank you for supporting your child’s music
education!
PE Mrs. Gowen, Mr. Bourgoin
The Physical Education
Department is completing a basketball
unit for grades K-2. Students were really
excited about the basketball unit in which they were
allowed to shoot at the big hoops! Grades 3-6 are
finishing a floor hockey unit where students were
engaged in many different forms of hockey. For the
first time, students were able to play scooter hockey,
which generated excitement and was received
positively.
Starting January 31st, all grades will begin a
bowling unit. This is a two-week unit after which we
will finish off the month of February with a new unit
called Recreation Sports. This unit will include
activities such as horseshoes, ring toss, indoor golf,
badminton, and table tennis.
Just a reminder, with all the snow we are
getting this year it is common for students to wear
snow boots to school. However, I do ask that they
have a change of sneakers for PE class or they will
not be allowed to participate due to safety issues.
Thank you for your understanding!
Library News Mrs. Nadeau
Our fourth, fifth and sixth graders
voted for their favorite Nutmeg Books last week and
the totals are in: Barnard’s favorite was:” The Thing
About Georgie”! It received fourteen of the sixty-one
votes! Now we wait to hear if OUR favorite turns out
to be the Ultimate Nutmeg Book Winner!
Thanks to our 20 fourth graders, 27 fifth
graders and 14 sixth graders who were eligible to
vote! If you were unable to vote, make sure you get
reading the new nutmeg nominees right away, so you
too can award your favorite author the Connecticut
Nutmeg Book Award in 2012!
Happy Reading!
Important Dates
February 15: Early Release (1:30 pm)
February 16: CMT Fun Fair Night ( 6:00-7:30 pm)
February 21: No School-President’s Day
February 22: No School- Winter Break
February 24: CMT Practice Testing
March 2: CMT Testing begins
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