May 31, 2020
Dear Rowe families,
I hope you have enjoyed the lovely weather of the last few days. It has been such a welcome change from the damp, rainy, snowy spring we experienced. We have a variety of information in this message pertaining to the end of year schedules and ideas for summer learning.
Materials drop off - June 15 & 16
We have created a schedule for drop off of school materials. The teachers have signed up for a one hour slot so that they can share a quick wave and wish you well as you drop off books and/or iPads. Since we must adhere strictly to social distancing protocols and time constraints, the teachers will unfortunately not be able to engage in full conversations. They all felt strongly about at least having an opportunity to see the children since we have been unable to have person to person interactions for so long. If your child would like to draw a picture or write a note for his/her teacher, you are entirely welcome to bring that with you. If for any reason you are not able to come during the hour that your child’s class is scheduled, you are welcome to come during any of the time slots across the two days. The teachers, however, will only be there during their one hour slots. If neither of those days work, please email me directly to arrange a time later in the week.
When you arrive, there will be large tables with a separate box for each of the following:
1. iPads
2. Classroom library books with the teacher’s name on the box
3. Rowe School library books
We ask that you and your child remain in front of the tables. The teachers will be standing behind the tables and will briefly greet you. Masks are strongly encouraged to ensure the health and safety of everyone. There will be signs outlining the process and directions for where to enter and exit when you arrive.
Please review the schedule below:
Classroom Schedules for drop off of devices and books | Rowe School library books, iPads, & classroom books |
Monday, June 15th | Teacher name |
9:00-10:00 | Katie Caron |
10:00-11:00 | Kelly McFarland |
11:00-12:00 | Jess Uraneck |
12:00-1:00 | Amy Finnen |
1:00-2:00 | Betsy Melevsky |
2:00-3:00 | Laura Elder |
Tuesday, June 16th | Teacher name |
9:00-10:00 | Heather Boutin |
10:00-11:00 | Jenna Cross |
11:00-12:00 | Darcy Berry |
12:00-1:00 | Karen Bradford |
1:00-2:00 | Jean Lee |
2:00-3:00 | Lorissa Lemay |
For those of you who have more than one child at Rowe, it will mean you have to come twice. While we recognize this may not be ideal, it was the most workable solution we could come up with under the circumstances. We hope to see many of you on these two days!
Message from Yarmouth Education Foundation
There is a fun and tasty way to support the Yarmouth Education Foundation! Oysters grown by Yarmouth students are now available for sale.
YEF funded a hugely successful school and community partnership known as the Yarmouth Shellfish Nursery. It is led by 7th grade teacher and Rowe/YES parent Morgan Cuthbert. One piece of this project had students working with a local oyster farmer to research and test the best places to grow oysters in Casco Bay. Students raised oyster seeds in the YEF Shellfish Nursery on the banks of the Royal River. From there, students transplanted them into the ocean. The oysters are now full grown and ready for sale!
Thank you to Mr. Cuthbert, Madeleine Point Oyster Farms, and all of the students and volunteers who worked so hard on this project. The oysters can now be purchased through a partnership with the Maine Oyster Company.
Learn more and place your order here: https://themaineoystercompany.com/share/yarmouth
Summer Math Information form Mrs. Clark
Summer 2020
Dear Parents,
As the K-4 Math Lead Teacher, I want to make you aware of several excellent opportunities to keep your children engaged in math throughout the summer. Parents often ask me how to keep mathematics alive during the summer months to maintain skills. This year, I have decided to create a K-4 Math Grit Grid to emphasize perseverance and choice. I hope your children find fresh opportunities for practice and growth. As always, feel free to explore my Family Math Blog (http://rclarkmath.blogspot.com/) and check out my all-time favorite sites:
K-4 Math Family Blog: Offering a plethora of engaging math games and activities with every learner in mind. You'll find puzzles, math fact practice, estimation games, meaty problem-solving opportunities, as well as random (and challenging) test practice samples.
I encourage students to take advantage of these math activities to keep their skills
sharp.
Thank you for your support in our effort to keep the learning purposeful for students.
With warm regards,
Rachel Clark
K-4 Math Lead Teacher
Summer Reading Suggestions
We hope that you will continue to enjoy great books together over the summer months. Reading aloud to your child is critical regardless of whether she/he can read well on their own. It not only models fluent adult reading but is also a great way for your child to enjoy texts that are of high interest and that he/she may not be able to read independently yet. Sharing and enjoying books together is a wonderful summer pastime. Below is a list of suggestions to keep reading alive in your home after school ends.
- Participate in the Merrill Memorial Library summer reading program
· Borrow e-books and audiobooks for free from the Merrill Memorial Library using the Cloud Library app.
· Participate in events put on through Merrill Memorial Library (they are planning some outdoor events)
· Participate in the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza
· Find high-interest texts, which may include fiction books, nonfiction books, articles for kids, etc. Series books are a great way to get kids hooked on reading!
· Read aloud to your child and discuss the text
· Give books as gifts
· Do Mad Libs together
· Watch the movie adaptation of a book after finishing it
· Create your own summer virtual book club
· Find special places outside to read
· Have your child read to a pet or stuffed animal
· Have your child read to a friend or family member who doesn’t live with you virtually
· Make a tent with blankets and read inside it or in a real outdoor tent!
· Consider finding as many creative places to read in and around your home as possible. Make a game out of it for motivation.
· RAZ Kids accounts will be open all summer, allowing your child to access e-books that are just right for her/his reading level!
Just as when we are in school, children should read books that are just right for them. We apply what is known as the Goldilocks rule – not too hard, not too easy, but just right. A simple way to determine if a book is too difficult is to have your child read a page. If there are more than four or five words on a page that your child can’t read, the book is likely too difficult at this time. If your child is willing, it is great to re-read familiar books to practice fluent and expressive reading. The most important thing is to simply enjoy books and foster a love of reading!
Important dates to note:
Monday, June 8th -Virtual Step Up Day for rising first graders. Information will be posted to SeeSaw by 10:00 AM
Tuesday, June 9th- Virtual Step-Up Day for rising second graders
Thursday, June 11th - last day of distance learning for all students
Monday, June 15th and Tuesday, June 16th - Device & book drop off days
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel
Rowe School Principal
