DEADLINE: Yearbook Orders Are Due April 2nd!

Yearbook order forms are due THIS THURSDAY, 4/2! 

PLEASE NOTE: late orders will not be guaranteed a yearbook! If you've lost your form, you can download one HERE.

We have a few booster spaces left to fill. The spaces will be filled on a "first come" basis so once they're gone, they're gone, and you can find examples of the sizes HERE. You can use these ads to congratulate a student, thank a teacher or advertise your business! The following spaces are still available:

• 1 Small Card ($12 each)
• 2 Business Cards ($28 each)
• 1 Quarter Page ($55 each)
• 1 Half Page ($100)

If you'd place a booster ad and haven't already, please contact Cindy Speranza ASAP at cindy.speranza@yahoo.com or 401.465.2500.

Academic Newsletter For the Week of March 30th

From Mrs. Vaughn:

January 19:  Liam W

Happy Birthday to our Frenchtown Friends:
March 30: Patrick B. & Scarlett R.
April 1: Owen M.
April 2: Colin A. & Raymond S.
April 3: Sam F. & Brody T.
April 5: Gabrielle S. & Vivian S.


FRENCHTOWN NOTES

• The next Parent Forum on Teaching and Learning is March 31st at 5:30 pm. The agenda is a review of Frenchtown's mid-year learner outcomes.
• Thank you to our wonderful After School Activity Coordinators, Kerry Rowe and Jen Righi, for all of your hard work! The programs were once again  huge success.
• The April 1st PTG Meeting scheduled for 9:30 am is CANCELLED. Instead, there will be a meeting that afternoon at 3:00 at school to plan Spirit Week, which runs April 13th-17th. Please join us!
• REMINDER: There is no school Friday, April 3rd.

IN THE CLASSROOMS
Kindergarten
Math:

• Identify, describe, analyze, create and compare 2-D and 3-D shapes.
• Parent Newsletter

E/LA:

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

Theme:

• Elson: V, violets, volcanos
• Rakovic: Y, yellow, /y/

Other:

• Make sure you are using Reading A-Z with your student. If you have lost your log-in information, please let us know.

Grade 1
Math:

• We continue to focus on interpreting data in graphs.
• We are working on counting by 5s to 120. 
• Please reinforce this at home as this is important in counting tally marks in graphs.
• We continue to drill basic math facts to 20.

E/LA:

• We are finishing up our writing unit on re-telling a story in sequence and identifying main idea and character traits.
• We will being learning to compare and contrast two texts.
• Spelling tests continue weekly.

Other:

• Families are encouraged to join in the Reading Fair project. The children are excited about the idea and have been learning about it in class and in library.

Grade 2

Math:

• Second graders will continue to practice working on bar graphs, line plots and pictographs.
• Don't forget to keep counting change at home!

E/LA:

• Students are beginning to make comparisons between two versions o the same basic story. This is especially fun with "The Three Little Pigs" or "Cinderella."

Science:

• It's hard to believe that we will soon begin out final Science Kit for the year. We will be studying Insects. This is typically a favorite among the children.

April PTG Meeting Cancelled; Spirit Week Meeting on April 1st

The PTG meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 1st at 9:30 am is CANCELLED.

Instead, there will be a meeting at 3:00 that afternoon at Frenchtown to plan Spirit Week, which is scheduled for April 13th-17th. Anyone interested in getting involved in Spirit Week is welcome to attend.

Spirit Week will involve some simple but fun daily activities for the students. The goal is for them to have fun while exploring various outlets for spirit or pride (teams, schools, country, etc.) while exploring how our actions contribute to making that organization s route of spirit and pride (being  good citizen, working hard in school, working as a team, etc.)

There are many fun opportunities to get involved that will not require a huge time commitment. A sign up will be sent out after the meeting on April 1st so if you are not able to attend but would like to help out, be sure to check it out!

Thanks For Your Donations

Mrs. Serby and students from her class dropped off donations from the Frenchtown community to the East Greenwich Animal Protection League yesterday and got to visit a few furry friends. Huge thanks to everyone who participated!

It's BOKS Time!

BOKS is back at Frenchtown!!

The before school fitness program called BOKS, which stands for Build Our Kids' Success, will be starting the Spring session at Frenchtown on Tuesday, March 31.  This 6 week program through the Reebok Foundation is a fun, fitness program that gets students moving with games, and team-oriented activities and it promotes the powerful link between physical activity and increased academic performance.  After 45 minutes of fun, the students head off to their classroom ready to learn.

The attached flyer was sent home in backpacks. Registration is going on now and space may be limited so please return the sign up form with a check by Wednesday, March 25.

Boys Night Out Thanks

Thank you to all our volunteers for making Boys Night Out such a success!

We hope all of the boys and their special guests enjoyed building with Home Depot, watching science demonstrations with POW Science and delicious Orangeleaf treats.

Hammering away with Home Depot

POW! Science blasts off!

Thank you to our volunteers including Maura McCarthy, Susan Morandi, Danielle Medina, Sarah Quigg, Lanie Heller, Amber Koppen and Donna Evans.

Mrs. Vaughn with Boys Night Out attendees

And a special thank you to Mrs. Vaughn for making sure we had everything we needed to make the event a great one!

Thank you!
Jill Spitzer and Renee Ludwig

Art to Remember Orders Due March 25th

Your child should have received an Art to Remember packet in his or her backpack yesterday. Orders are due back Wednesday, March 25th and will be shipped the first week in May. A gift with your child's artwork on it is perfect for Mother's or Father's Day and proceeds from this fundraiser go to help the Frenchtown PTG!

Please note: the Art to Remember forms have the wrong contact listed. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Erickson - kerickson.play@gmail.com.

Yearbook Update

Our Frenchtown yearbook will have 64 pages this year - 16 more than last year! Thank you so much for your overwhelming booster support!

We have a few booster spaces left to fill so if you'd place a booster ad and haven't already, please contact Cindy Speranza ASAP at cindy.speranza@yahoo.com. The following spaces are still available:

• 2 Small Cards ($12 each)
• 2 Business Cards ($28 each)
• 2 Quarter Pages ($55 each)
• 1 Half Page ($100)

The spaces will be filled on a "first come" basis so once they're gone, they're gone, and you can find examples of the sizes HERE. You can use these ads to congratulate a student, thank a teacher or advertise your business! 

And don't forget to order your child's yearbook! Orders are due April 2nd but the sooner you get them in, the better. If you've lost your form, you can download one HERE.

Lucky Day for Frenchtown Teachers

St. Patrick's Day was especially lucky for teachers at Frenchtown today - they each received 13 raffle tickets to enter a raffle for fabulous gifts donated by Frenchtown parents and local businesses including Brewed Awakenings in Wawick, Sweet Twist, 1149 Restaurant and PC Basketball Coach Ed Cooley.

Thank you so much to Donnah Plante and the PTG Hospitality team for putting together this wonderful teacher appreciation event.

Boys Night Out is This Friday!

Get ready for a fun-filled Boys Night Out this Friday, March 20th from 6:00-8:00 pm!

Thanks to everyone who's already volunteered. We still have two slots open - one to donate bottled water and a second to help our photographer, Karen Bernard, with pictures during the event. If you can do either, please sign up here.

If you have any questions, please email Jill Spitzer (jill.spitzer@emc.com) or Renee Ludwig (reneeludwig@hotmail.com).

Academic Newsletter For the Week of 3/16

From Mrs. Vaughn:

January 19:  Liam W

March 17: James M.
March 19: Addison F. & Mrs. Sullivan
March 20: Emily G.
March 22: Clara M. & Maggie M.


FRENCHTOWN NOTES

• Sign Up for the Reading Fair!
• March Fun Friday Volunteers Needed on March 27th. This month's theme is "Friendship".
• The next Parent Forum on Teaching and Learning is March 31st at 5:30 pm. The agenda is a review of Frenchtown's mid-year learner outcomes.
• If you are dropping your child off in the morning, please remember that supervision is available until 8:20 am. If you're dropping off after 8:20, bring him or her to the office.
• Special thanks to our district Technology Integration Specialist, Donna Wayles, for providing presenters for National Digital Learning Days! Kindergarten students were visit by Aisha, a Japanese student to learn all about school life in another culture. Grade 1 & 2 students enjoyed a visit from Dr. Bonk, a pharmaceutical chemist.

IN THE CLASSROOMS
Kindergarten
Math:

• Understanding Subtraction and Addition Newsletter

E/LA:

• Goal: RF.K.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Theme:

• Elson: W, Weather, Wind /g/
• Rakovic: Qu, queen, /q/

Grade 1
Math:

• We are introducing fractions and will concentrate on 1/2 and 1/4 with the understanding of the term "equal parts"
• We continue to review addition and subtraction facts to 20. First graders are expected to be fluent in these facts by June.
• Parent Newsletter

E/LA:

• We continue to learn new spelling words.
• Children are also learning to answer text based questions by writing complete sentences that reference the text.
• They are also working on making connections to themselves and to other texts when reading texts.

Science:

• We are currently waiting to begin the Pebbles, Sand and Silt kit at the end of the month.

Other:

• Children are learning about creating projects for the upcoming Reading Fair in April. We encourage you to join this family friendly project.

Grade 2

Math:

• Second graders are practicing solving word problems involving adding and subtracting money.
• They should continue to practice counting change at home whenever possible.

E/LA:

• The children have completed the Liquids/Solids unit and should be able to clearly explain to you the three states of matter.

Special Day!

• Second graders are invited to wear as much green as they like on Tuesday, March 17.
• A healthy green snack is also welcome.

March Fun Friday Volunteers Needed

Our next Fun Friday is March 27th and we're looking for volunteers to help with the "friendship"-themed activities our liaisons have planned.

Morning K events will take places from 10:30-11:10 am and Afternoon K, First and Second grades will be from 1:00-2:00 pm.

You can sign up on SignUp Genius here.

Once volunteers are in place, the grade-level liaisons will be in touch to plan and prepare for the activities. All volunteers must have a current BCI check and statement of confidentiality on file with the office.

Thanks for your support!

Yearbook Orders Due April 2nd

Frenchtown yearbook sales have begun! 

Online orders will not be accepted this year so you must return your order form and a check made payable to Frenchtown PTG no later than April 2nd, but please try to send your orders in ASAP as this gives the yearbook team more time to process the orders.

We CANNOT accept orders past the April 2nd deadline and there is no guarantee that there will be any extra books ordered. 

Order forms went home in student backpacks yesterday but if you cannot find yours, you can download it below or find it online here.

If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Speranza at cindy.speranza@yahoo.com.

Parent Forum on Teaching and Learning March 31st

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.

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 Tuesday, March 31st at 5:30 p.m. to review pilot programs at Frenchtown. The agenda will be a review of Frenchtown's mid-year learner outcomes.

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.

We hope to see you there!

East Greenwich Food Bank Donation

 

At last night's PTG Meeting, donations collected by Frenchtown students as part of the "Super Bowl/ Super Students" week were presented to the East Greenwich Food Bank.

In addition to the 236 canned goods the students collected, The Feinstein Foundation donated $1 per can so Mrs. Vaughn gave a check for $236 to the food bank as well.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the canned food drive!

Boys Night Out Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to help with Boys Night Out on Friday, March 20th.

We need 2-3 volunteers to help sign guests in (5:45pm-6:15pm). We're also looking for 2 facilitators who can help manage the flow of activities & stations (5:45pm-8pm) as well as for donations for bottled water. You can sign up here.

If you have any questions, please email Jill Spitzer (jill.spitzer@emc.com) or Renee Ludwig (reneeludwig@hotmail.com).

Coming Soon: Frenchtown Reading Fair

It's Reading Fair time! 

The goal of the Reading Fair is to give students a chance to share one of their favorite books (either fiction or non-fiction) with the rest of the school in a creative way. It all culminates in Family Night on Thursday, April 16th from 6:00-7:00 pm.

Here are some examples of past projects:

The Reading Fair will take place the week of April 13th. Here is the timeline of events:

• Monday, April 13th - Projects are due
• Wednesday, April 16th - Judging will take place during the day 
• Thursday, April 16th - Reading Fair Family Night will be held from 6:00-7:00 pm and students are encouraged to take their projects home after ward
• Friday, April 17th - Winners will be announced at the end of the school day

Please click here for more information and a participation form.

Academic Newsletter for the Week of 3/9

From Mrs. Vaughn:

January 19:  Liam W

March 9: Mave K.
March 10: Aidan G.
March 11: Noelle M.
March 12: Mrs. Avedesian
March 14: Olivia S.


THIS WEEK AT FRENCHTOWN
March 9: COA Presentation - Burr Harrison
March 11: PTG Meeting @ 7pm 
March 12: Spring photos
March 13: Digital Learning Day Presentations


IN THE CLASSROOMS
Kindergarten
Math:

• Understanding Subtraction and Addition Newsletter

E/LA:

• Goal: RF.K.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Theme:

• Elson: G, guitar, /g/
• Rakovic: Qu, queen, /q/

Other:

• Don't forget picture day on March 12th!

Grade 2
Math:

• Second graders will continue working with money and data.
• Hopefully they are continuing to identify and practice adding coins at home.
• They will also be learning how to organize data into line plots and bar graphs.

E/LA:

• Students continue to cite text evidence in order to complete written responses to both fiction and non-fiction texts.
• They should also keep practicing identifying the main idea and key details in a story as they read at home nightly.

Social Studies:

• Since March is Women's History Month, students will be introduced to several famous women who have changed the course of our lives today.

Academic Newsletter for the Week of 3/2

From Mrs. Vaughn:

January 19:  Liam W

March 2: Rees M.
March 6: Lauren L. and Taylor P.

IN THE CLASSROOMS
Kindergarten
Math:

• Understanding Subtraction and Addition Newsletter

E/LA:

• Goal: RF.K.2 - Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes).
• Recognize and produce rhyming words

Theme:

• Elson: U, umbrella, /u/
• Rakovic: V, van, /v/

Other:

• This weeks is Dr. Seuss's birthday! Look out for Wacky Wednesday on March 4th.

Grade 1
Math:

• The children are expanding their understanding of geometry.
• They are learning to combine shapes to make new shapes or pictures.
• They are also learning about solid shapes.
• The children are learning to compare/contrast shapes based not he number of sides and vertices.
• Parent Newsletter for Math 

E/LA:

• First grade teachers are designing a spelling program based on sight words. Please help your child spell these words. It will be expected that those words will be spelled correctly in their daily writing.
• If the words are easy for your child, you can challenge them to write a short story using all of the words.

Science:

• We are wrapping up our plant studies.
• Our next kit on Pebbles, Sand and Silt will start toward the end of March.

Other:

• The first grade will be celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday on Monday, March 2nd as part of the Read Across America Day that happens nationwide.

Grade 2
Math:

• Second graders will begin working with money and data.
• Students will be expected to identify and add various coins. This is a perfect time to have your child count your change at home!
• It is also very important to keep practicing there digit addition and subtraction throughout the remainder of the school year.

E/LA:

• Some students are practicing "close reading" which involves reading for details. They will be acting like Reading Detectives when they practice citing evidence from the text to support their written responses.

Science:

• Students will continue identifying physical properties of various solids and liquids.
• They are gaining invaluable practice recording their observations on data sheets.

Other:

• The drive to collect blankets, towels, etc. to donate to the East Greenwich Animal Protection League was a great success due to all of your generosity.

March Lunch Volunteers Needed

It’s a new month and we’re looking for volunteers to help with lunch. This month is a big one as Frenchtown 2nd graders are starting the recess/lunch pilot program!

Volunteers help in the cafeteria from 11:15-12:30. If you would like to help, please do so on Sign Up Genius.

Please remember that all volunteers must have a current BCI on file with Mrs Kehoe in the office.

Thanks for your support!

Wacky Sdrawkcab Wednesday

In honor of Dr. Seuss and inspired by his book "Wacky Wednesday," Frenchtown students are invited to take part in "Wacky Backwards Wednesday" on Wednesday, March 4th.

On the 4th, the Frenchtown community will be dressy "WaCKy" and doing things backwards. Some examples include wearing clothes backwards or inside out, wearing mismatched socks or shoes or sporting strange hairdos and hats.

Let your imagination go WiLD! We can't wait to see what you come up with.