CANCELLED: Parent Forum on Teaching & Learning - December 18th

Due to a serious family illness, Mrs. Vaughn has to cancel the forum on Thursday, December 18th.

Parent Forum on Teaching & Learning - December 18th

As we focus on our vision of all that we would like our school to be, Mrs. Vaughn would like to extend the invitation for parental involvement in exploring current practices and participating in meaningful, two way communication and problem solving.

Vision Statement
Frenchtown School will be known as a school where:

• Students develop independence and cooperation through active participation in inquiry-based, hands-on activities.  Students are confident, successful learners who engage in diverse learning experiences.      
• The faculty uses varied, research based instructional strategies.  Through collaboration and shared responsibility, faculty and staff ensure that instruction is focused on the needs of each child and that equitable opportunities exist for all academic and enrichment programs.   
• Administration facilitates a collaborative, supportive environment that prioritizes learning through trust, mutual respect and open communication.  Administration provides for professional development and resources necessary for teaching and learning.
• Families and the community are partners who support and expand learning within and beyond the classroom.

To that end, Mrs. Vaughn will be holding regular Parent Forum on Teaching and Learning events. 

Please join her for a brief presentation and discussion on Thursday, December 18th at 6:00 p.m.  The agenda will be an overview of student learning at Frenchtown, and will review baseline student learning data.

We hope to see you there!

COA Presents Oliver Twist

Frenchtown students were treated today when The Cultural Organization of the Arts presented "Oliver Twist." It was a huge hit, and several kids even got a chance to part of the show.

Thanks to COA for bringing "Oliver Twist" to Frenchtown!

Save the Date: Boys Night Out

Save the Date!  It's Boys Night Out at Frenchtown on Friday, March 20th from 5:00-7:00 pm.  Male students and an adult guest are invited for an evening of fun with their friends.  More details to come soon!

Please check out our Events Calendar for more activities you won't want to miss.

Academic Newsletter for the Week of 12/8

From Mrs. Vaughn:

Happening This Week
COA presents Oliver Twist for our students 

Happy Birthday to Colin F, Ella M and Sara S!


Kindergarten
Math: 

• Counting to 20
• Representing numbers to 10

E/LA:

• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

Theme:

• Elson- D dog (d) 
• Rakovic- H hat (h)

Instructional Focus:

• W.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

Grade 1
Math:

• We are continuing our studies of subtraction, using 10 frames and other methods.
• Please continue to use flashcards at home for basic addition/subtraction facts.
• Parent Newsletter

E/LA:

• We are working on instruction of narrative writing.  We will be focusing on writing about small moments in their lives.  
• We are also beginning a unit on the folk tale “The Gingerbread Man”. Please send in any variations on this folk tale that your child may have at home.  We love to share!

Other:

• We are meeting with the room mothers this week to plan out our gingerbread house making activity.  It will be held on Monday Dec. 22 from 8:45-10:00. We would love to have you join us.  Please note that to attend you need to have a current BCI on file in the office. 

• Gingerbread House supplies and volunteers needed!  Sign up here

Interesting articles for parents:

• Top 100 Sites/Apps of 2014
• 6 Year Old Asks for Holiday Cards
• Free Stories and Books For Children
• YIKES!  My Kid Wants a Mobile Phone
• 7 Intelligent Gifts for Tech Savvy Kids  

10 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 and What To Play Instead

Mrs. Vaughn's December Newsletter

A message from Mrs. Vaughn:

Did you know that by the age of four, children have already created their own understanding around ‘success’ and what it means to be ‘smart’?  For some, success comes from being smart.  This is determined largely by genetics and our environment.  Some kids are smart and some just aren’t. This is referred to as a ‘fixed mindset’.

For others, success comes from effort.  With hard work, most kids can do most things.  Schools and teachers help to build individual capacity. This is a ‘growth mindset’.  Children with a fixed mindset tend to get angry or frustrated with constructive feedback, resist challenge, give up faster, reject hard work and often cheat more.  Their self-concept of being smart based on little effort also means they typically grow less academically.

Children with a growth mindset accept feedback more readily, embrace challenge, and persist longer with difficult tasks, thus growing more academically.

How does understanding mindset impact parenting?  Consider the recent New York Magazine article, The Power and Peril of Praising Your Kids. As adults, while we want to build up a child’s self esteem, we need to be careful to send the right message.  Take time to model your own learning.  Communicate learning challenges and the reward in substantial effort, “Wow!  Learning that new computer program at work was hard.  I’m so glad I kept trying.  Now I’ve got it!  It feels so good to learn something new!”

We need to be aware of how children interpret praise. Young children know when praise is over the top or disingenuous.  As children get older, they often see praise as a signal that adults feel they are inadequate and need encouragement.  Do we stop praising children?  Heavens no!  We need to be sure that praise is genuine and specific and part of an ongoing conversation with our children about their learning. 

In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, Frenchtown will once again be accepting donations of gift cards to support our families in need.  With recent economic conditions, there are several families at Frenchtown that could use our support to provide some very basic needs this holiday season.  If you are able to contribute, please send a gift card in an envelope to our office, marked “Holiday Donation”.  Thank you for your support!

Morning Announcements for the month of December will include an emphasis on taking responsibility for one’s actions and choosing the right thing to do.

Taking responsibility for one's choices and actions - Taking responsibility builds trust, which can create more freedom in our lives.

Here are some books you might enjoy at home to emphasize these concepts:

• Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon!, P. Cummings 
• Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr. Seuss 
• Horton Hears a Who, Dr. Seuss 
• Miss Rumphius, B. Cooney 
• Right Choices, K. Taylor 
• Self-Discipline, L. Raatma 
• Words Are Not for Hurting, E. Verdick 
• One Smile, C. McKinley Stone Soup, J. Muth 
• The Giving Tree, S. Silverstein 
• The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Life of Giving, E. Sabin 
• Make Someone Smile: And 40 More

Town Meetings with Mrs. Vaughn and Mr. Dwyer are taking place weekly.  Grade level groups of students meet weekly to discuss school wide issues and expectations for our learning community.

Mr. Dwyer is meeting with Grade 1 students and discussing topics on social and academic success included in the Second Step program.

Mrs. Vaughn is presenting lessons in character development using Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs for Kindergarten and Popcorn Park for Grade 2.

Interesting articles for parents:

• YIKES!  My Kid Wants a Mobile Phone  
• 7 Intelligent Gifts for Tech Savvy Kids  
• 10 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 and What To Play Instead

Join the Frenchtown PTG Facebook Page

Are you on Facebook?  Then request to be added to the Frenchtown PTG Facebook group where you'll get more information on PTG activities, ask questions and interact with the board and other parents.  The group is closed so the posts are only seen by members and everyone who asks to join must be verified as a current Frenchtown parent.

Hope to see you there!

Reminder: December Fundraiser Orders Are Due Tomorrow

Don't forget that orders for the Frnechtown School Handprint Calendars and SaveAround Coupon Books are due tomorrow, Friday, December 5th!  They make great holiday gifts and help raise money toward activities and events put on by the PTG.  Click here to download order forms and get pricing information.

Join Us at the Book Fair

It's that time again…BOOK FAIR is here!!!

We will be having our SCHOLASTIC Book Fair Preview tomorrow, December 2nd during school hours.  All students will be making their wish lists which they will be bringing home at the end of the school day. You can then send in cash, check (payable to Frenchtown PTG), or allow your child to bring in a credit card for their purchases on both Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Wednesday, December 3rd from 7:35am until 8:20 we will be having our “Bagels n Books” whereby you can accompany your child to the Book Fair and participate in our school fundraiser before school. All Day Wednesday, December 3rd and Thursday, December 4th we will be selling books to classes and BCI registered volunteers/visitors from 8:45am until 2:30 both days. We will also have last minute purchases on Friday morning from 8:30-9:30am.

We hope to see you and your family as we celebrate this holiday season and make our Frenchtown Scholastic Book Fair a successful one!

If you'd like to volunteer to help out at the book fair, here's the info.

Here's a schedule of times each class will be visiting the book fair:

Academic Newsletter for the Week of 12/1

From Mrs. Vaughn:

Happening This Week
December 1st: Chess and Book Fair begin
December 3: Breakfast with Books 7:30-8:10 a.m.

Celebrating birthdays this week:
Nathan D., Zachary D., Skylar F., Jordan R., and Mrs. Kasparian!

Grade 1:

	Instructional Focus
Math	We are working on collecting data, measuring and telling time to the hour.
E/LA	We will begin working on instruction of narrative writing.  We will be focusing on writing about small moments in their lives.  We will also begin a unit on the folk tale “The Gingerbread Man”.
Science/Social Studies	The children enjoyed their visit from Smith’s Castle to reinforce our colonial studies.
Other:	We are meeting with the room mothers this week to plan out our gingerbread house making activity.  It will be held on Monday Dec. 22 from 8:45-10:00.  We would love to have you join us.  Please note that to attend you need to have a current BCI on file in the office.  Look for an e-mail to sign up to donate goodies to help us to build the houses.

Grade 2:

	Instructional Focus
Math	Students will continue to add and subtract two and three digit numbers. Please remind your children to practice basic math facts nightly.
E/LA	Students will continue to explore writing narratives by incorporating writing techniques of various mentor authors.
Social Studies	We will be discussing various holiday traditions and celebrations amongst different cultures around the world.  We welcome your children to share their family traditions with their classes.

Other News:

1. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, Frenchtown will once again be accepting donations of gift cards to support our families in need.  With recent economic conditions, there are several families at Frenchtown that could use our support to provide some very basic needs this holiday season.  If you are able to contribute, please send a gift card in an envelope to our office, marked “Holiday Donation”.   In addition, we will once again be accepting gifts for families in need.  We will be collecting new toys and other gifts as well as wrapping paper and bows.  We will be inviting parents in to select items from the collection to wrap and present to their children.  Would you please consider "adopting" a family in need this season?  Please feel free to send your gift in with your child or drop it off at the office. Thank you for your support!


2. As we focus on our vision of all that we would like our school to be, I would like to extend the invitation for parental involvement in exploring current practices and participating in meaningful, two way communication and problem solving. 

          Vision Statement:
          Frenchtown School will be known as a school where:

• Students develop independence and cooperation through active participation in inquiry-based, hands-on activities.  Students are confident, successful learners who engage in diverse learning experiences. 
• The faculty uses varied, research based instructional strategies.  Through collaboration and shared responsibility, faculty and staff ensure that instruction is focused on the needs of each child and that equitable opportunities exist for all academic and enrichment programs.
• Administration facilitates a collaborative, supportive environment that prioritizes learning through trust, mutual respect and open communication.  Administration provides for professional development and resources necessary for teaching and learning. 
• Families and the community are partners who support and expand learning within and beyond the classroom. 

          To that end, I will be creating regular Parent Forum on Teaching and Learning events. Please join me for a brief presentation and discussion on Thursday, December 18th at 6:00 p.m. Our agenda will be an overview of student learning at Frenchtown.  We will review baseline student learning data.  I hope to see you there!

December Lunch Volunteers Needed

It’s a new month, so we're looking for December volunteers to help with 1st & 2nd grade lunch in the cafeteria. Lunches run from 11:30-12:30. This is great opportunity to be part of the Frenchtown experience and help to enhance the kids' lunchtime :) 

If you’d like to help out, please select a shift via Sign Up Genius.

December PTG Meeting Canceled

The PTG Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:30 am is canceled.  Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 13th at 7:00 pm in the Frenchtown cafeteria (please note the new date). Hope to see you there!

If you have any issues you'd like to address before then, feel free to reach out to us at frenchtownPTG@yahoo.com.