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Principal’sNewsletter
Important Contacts
Principal
Mr. Hassan S. Robinson
Administra ve Assistant
Mrs. Francine Harrell
Nurse
Mrs. Mary Cohen
School Psychologist
Mrs. Alicia Dignazio‐Drost
Alicia.dignazio‐
Social Worker
Betsy Jacques
Family Resource Center Coordinator
Mrs. Jill Morey
A endance Hotline
860‐647‐3337
LetterfromthePrincipal,HassanS.RobinsonDear Highland Park Families,
Although we are in the beginning of February, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and hope that you all enjoyed the holidays. I also would like to congratulate all of the Patriot fans out there (Ugh!). As we approach our 100th day of school, we are putting our pedal to the metal in the classroom. Math, reading, and writer’s workshop/instruction will intensify as we reach our mid- point. I am asking parents to continue to monitor and support fact fluency, writing, and reading at home. I’d like to thank parents, staff, and students for an outstanding Fact Fluency Night. We had over 200 people attend! Please feel free to contact us if there is anything you would like to share or if there are any concerns. Thank you for your support and let’s finish 2018 with a bang! GO HUSKIES!!!
Sincerely,
Mr. Robinson
TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore
January2019Highland Highlights Highland Park Elementary School
397 Porter St.
Manchester CT 06040
Important Dates!
February 1st– World Read Aloud Day
February 1st– Pep Rally– Being Safe
February 7th– Spirit Day– Dress as 100 Years Old
February 12th– PTA Mtg 6:30‐7:30pm
February 14th– Spirit Day– Wear Red, Pink, and White
February 18th/19th– President’s Day– No School
February 27th– Science Fair 6‐7pm 1
Kindergarten
FirstGradeIn reading, we just started our 3rd Unit of Study called, “Readers Have Big Jobs to Do.” Students are learn‐
ing to be the BOSS of their reading and to stop at the first sign of trouble to “try something.” It is evident
that many of them have become stronger readers and are u lizing various strategies to solve tricky words,
as well as to understand the story. In wri ng, we have finished our Informa onal Wri ng. In this
unit, many students wrote about an animal of their choice. They learned to use mul ple sources to gather
informa on. One of those sources was Pebble Go. Students are able to access this website on the K‐8
page. Students were able to “fancy up” their wri ng to include a table of contents, along with illustra ons,
that included lots of labels. We have finished Topic 4, which was teaching the students strategies to add
and subtract numbers up to 20. We just started Topic 5. In this unit, students will be exploring the equal
sign and how it relates to equa ons. Students will also be working on adding 3 numbers, and using various
strategies to solve problems that include 3 addends. We are also working hard during our fact fluency
block!
SecondGrade
Happy New Year from Second Grade! Students have started the new year by learning addi on and subtrac on strategies to help them regroup two digit numbers. They also finished their non‐fic on wri ng unit by sharing their published pieces with their classmates. Second graders are now learning and wri ng about their opinions. They will be wri ng le ers to their peers about their favorite book characters, favorite illustra ons, and favorite parts of a book. In reading, they are prac cing how to be fluent readers, exploring literary language and how it helps them be er under‐stand what they read.
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Kindergarten students are using their Super Reading Powers to become even stronger read‐
ers! Our focus right now is checking our reading.....we ask ourselves, “Does it make
sense? Does it sound right? Does it look right?” We learn to go back and fix our mistakes
when reading. In math, we con nue to focus on addi on and subtrac on. Students need to
be able to switch back and forth between the two opera ons. Please con nue to prac ce
at home with computer games or flash cards. In wri ng, we are wri ng How To
books.....students are teaching others in a 3 page book about how to do something they
know about. We learn that good writers think and plan out their wri ng first. As always,
thank you for your support at home!
ThirdGrade
FourthGrade
We are half way through the year! Fourth grade has been working hard on
comple ng their mul plica on and division unit. They will be embarking on
frac ons very soon. Remember to have your students con nue prac cing
their facts to help make this unit easier for them. In reading, we are con nu‐
ing to read nonfic on and will be working on various research projects. Final‐
ly, in wri ng, we will be working on informa onal wri ng where students will
get to learn and write about the American Revolu on. We are excited for all
of our new units and con nuing a great year with our Fourth graders.
This month in Room 001, we are welcoming two new staff members. Mr. Ro‐driguez and Ms.Ventura just joined our class and we are enjoying forming new rela onships with each of them. In wri ng, we are working on forming opin‐ions and giving suppor ng reasons and examples. In math, we are con nuing to prac ce different strategies to solve problems and we will be enjoying ex‐ci ng math games and centers to celebrate our 100th day of school. In read‐ing, we are learning to be the boss of our reading and working on our reading comprehension skills. We are looking forward to another fun month of learn‐ing.
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Third graders have been reading all about the world around them! They have been learning about non‐fic on text features and how it helps them to learn new informa on about the real world topics. Wri ng connects to reading as they are wri ng informa onal pieces on topics they are an expert on. We had our informa onal wri ng celebra on last week to share all our wonderful essays. During math, third graders are working on using addi on and subtrac on strategies to solve word problems. Some of the problems even have mul ‐ple steps to find the answers! Word work is going well and cursive is becoming easier. Third graders are working on their new year resolu ons and look forward to seeing themselves grow.
LaQuerre’s
Start saving your old shoes! Between February 11th and 15th, the FRC will be holding a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls. A flyer will be sent home shortly. In Lunch Bunch, we read Elephant and Piggie, I Love My New Toy. We con nued our conversa ons about feelings and strong emo ons. Some students created their own Elephant and Piggie comics and our older groups completed Elephant and Piggie Mad Libs. Third and fourth grade Lunch Groups read sentences and finished them with Pride Lines, explaining the different things that make us feel proud. We discussed a me when we felt especially successful. The purpose of this exercise was to remind students they are capable of success and can draw on those feel‐ings and abili es as they navigate their way through school. The Manchester Public Schools FRCs hold a playgroup at Northwest Park Recrea on Center, 448 Tolland Turnpike, on Friday mornings from 11:00am‐12:00pm. This group is filled with fun, educa onal ac vi es for your li le one. Playgroup is free for children birth to five years old and their caregivers. Please call to register or for more informa on.
Jill Morey, Family Resource Center Coordinator [email protected] (860)647-3337 ext. 70258
The Family Resource Centers support and uplift the school-family-community partnership by providing a broad base of educational and supportive programs. Our success in fulfilling our mission hinges on positive and healthy community and family relationships. In delivering our services, we work closely with schools, social service agencies, and our community partners.
CheckItOut!
HighlandParkFamilyResourceCenter
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HPS students have been busy using technology in addition to checking out books from the library. The 3rd and 4th graders enjoyed joining students from all around the world by doing Hour of Code. Grades 2 and 3 have been working on their keyboarding skills and Grades 1 and 2 have been using a pro-gram called Pebble Go to find information on animals and famous people. Mean-while, our kindergartners have been reading books with a hat theme.
Check out some Animal Books at the library!
STEM
January has been a busy month in STEM! All science fair par cipants have had their pro‐
jects approved and our scien sts should be busy working on these projects at home.
Please reach out to a STEM teacher with any ques ons/concerns along the way. We are
here to help! Miss Krista Petersen has been in this month, as Mrs. Delissio was out. She
has done a wonderful job keeping our kindergarten, first, and second graders moving
along in their units as she has planned many engaging ac vi es for all of her classes. As
we congratulate Miss P who will be moving along to a new assignment, we look forward
to Mrs. Delissio's return in early February! Third graders are doing a fantas c job sup‐
por ng their scien fic claims with evidence and reasoning. They are finishing up their
ma er unit with a fair test about absorbent paper towels. Earlier this month, we enjoyed
a visit from Meteorologist Dan Amarante from Fox 61 News. Fourth graders are learning
about Energy Flow. They are currently ligh ng light bulbs and tes ng out conductors and
insula ng materials. We will soon be ending this unit with our scien sts building artbots!
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Music
ArtAll kids who have brought in smocks are bringing them home to be washed. Please re‐turn art smocks in one gallon zip bags with the student’s name and their classroom teacher’s name on the bag. Smocks can be large t‐shirts, aprons or large bu on shirts. These are helpful when using messier art media to protect clothes. Thank you to everyone who a ended the Lutz art show. It was a great success and I en‐joyed mee ng everyone with their talented young ar sts. I have arranged for the Lutz to come to our school in February to teach/ create shadow puppets with the first grade classes in the art room. Any ques ons email Mrs. Beyer at [email protected]
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Its been a cold me at Highland Park School! But, students s ll warm up their voices in 4th grade chorus
and in general music classes. In fact, we are beginning to MASTER some of the fundamentals of singing.
Kindergarten: Students are building a repertoire of songs that they will use in 2nd‐4th grades. So far, we
have 24 songs that we can sing and move to. One of the songs, is a round that they will perform when
they are in 4th grade.
First grade: Students are prac cing readiness skills that they will use in 2nd‐4th grades. We have been
prac cing in tune singing, singing in our heads, and increasing our repertoire of songs that we can sing
and move to.
Second grade: Students are at the end of the first unit in Conversa onal Solfeg. We are prac cing wri ng
out songs rhythmically and will soon be composing and performing original songs.
Third Grade: Students have been learning the third unit of study in Conversa onal Solfeg. We discovered
that the me we spent prac cing in second grade really paid off. We are now moving twice as fast as last
year through the units of study. Prac ce makes perfect and also makes learning easier!
Fourth Grade: Audi ons were held for the first 4th grade town wide chorus in Manchester. The following
students were selected to represent Highland Park School: Adriana Carter, Gianna Golding, Abraham
Somuah, Maya McCue, Zachary Oquendo, Alina Kaiser, Savana Coderre, Soren Vyse, Isabelle Wilbon, Ayla
Barnes, Rowan Seale, Carsyn Pa erson, Rachel Gohla, and Mikaela Thorington.
PhysicalEducation
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Students in all grades are wrapping up a unit on kicking skills. Students learned the difference be-tween an instep kick and dribbling. The purpose of an instep kick is to pass or shoot the ball using the top or your foot or shoe laces. You can use all parts of your feet to dribble, but the main area is the inside of the foot. You want to keep the ball close to you when dribbling to make it harder for opponents to steal the ball. Our next unit will be basketball skills, which is always a favorite among students. Reminders:
It is always easiest for students (and teachers) if they are wearing sneakers on PE days. If that is not possible due to weather conditions, please make sure students pack sneakers in their bag. Students who are in MELC should wear or pack sneakers everyday.
The 7th Annual Shoe Tying Olympics for students in grades 1 and 2 is April 10th. Please re-mind your child to practice. This is an excellent opportunity to teach perseverance.
Before School Open Gym occurs once a month for students in grades 1-4. This is an oppor-tunity to reward students who consistently demonstrated the expected behaviors in PE for the previous month. Here are a few pictures of students enjoying their extra time in the gym.
It’s me again for the Highland Park MELC’s Annual Post Super Bowl Party. This year’s party will be on Friday, February 8th. This is an event that students and staff wait for all year. Some of our 4th graders immediately started making posters once the playoffs were over. All grade levels will have the opportunity to make and create their own decora ons. We will be serving pizza, juice, and dessert for the party. We also have trivia contests based on grade level and we have prizes for our winners. We then have various ac vi es revolving around football, sportsmanship and fun. Please join us.
Wear your team gear!
MELC
Channel61NewsWeather
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MartinLutherKingJr.AwardsPresentation
FactFluencyNight
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HuskyCorner
January NEWS AND EVENTS Dine Out Nite: Enjoy a night out of the kitchen and have dinner at the Lucky Taco, located at 829 Main Street, Manchester, CT 06040. A por on of all proceeds will benefit the students and staff at HPS. Save the Date—February 6, 2019!! PTA Mee ng: It’s not too late to join the PTA! The next PTA mee ng is on Tuesday, February 12, 2018, with the me to be determined by vote. Please visit our Face‐book Page, Highland Park Families, and cast your vote for the best me you can a end mee ngs. We meet to plan upcoming events and share what opportuni es there are for families to get more involved. Please join the fun. HPS March Madness Student/Faculty Basketball Game: We are working on de‐tails to plan another fun night for our staff, students, and their families. Stay tuned for more details. HPS Variety Show: It’s not too soon to start planning your act for the HPS Variety Show. Please help your child plan how they can par cipate. Send a summary of your act to [email protected]. Gigi has agreed to chair this event, and we are so thankful!! She will s ll need parent volunteers to make this night a success. Dates and details to come. Please email her directly if you can help. Do it for the chil‐dren!! Movie Night Fun: We had a lot of fun enjoying fresh popcorn and watching Small Foot. Thanks so much to the families who helped make Movie Night a success.
COMMUNICATIONS Stay in the Loop! Join “Highland Park Families” Facebook page. Email the HPS PTA at [email protected]. EASY WAYS TO EARN MONEY FOR HPS Three easy ways we can earn money and free merchandise for High‐land Park School 1. Stop and Shop A+ Rewards‐ Visit www.stopandshop.com School
Code 09420 2. ShopRite Rewards‐ Visit www.shopriteforeduca on.com Use School Code: 18400. 3. Box Tops Educa on
COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Join “Highland Park Families” Face-book page
2. Check out the PTA section of the HPS website for event updates and forms. Email the HPS PTA at HighlandPark‐[email protected]
Upcoming Events:
-Feb. 06- Dine Out Nite- Lucky Taco
-Feb. 12- PTA Meet-ing from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
-Feb. 18-19- No School- President’s Day Weekend
Highland Park PTA NEWSLETTER January 2019
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