Month of June

June 6, 2021

Dear Parents,

We have a few quick reminders for you as we head into the final week of school. With the heat in the forecast for the next couple of days, it is very important that all of the children come to school with a water bottle. We will be sure they get refilled as often as needed. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hands-on Learning with Coastal Carol

Kindergarten students took part in an Intertidal Buffet on Friday with Coastal Carol Steingart of Coast Encounters. Carol has been involved in this programming at Rowe for a number of years. We were so excited to have her here in person once again with all of her creatures in tow. The children were able to see and touch a variety of sea creatures they have been learning about. Some were contained in a touch tank, while others were in containers on tables, allowing for a closer look. Children were able to hold star fish, sea urchins, and a number of other sea life if they were willing. Please ask your child about this experience if they haven't already mentioned it.

On Friday, June 11th, Carol will be back to teach first graders about horseshoe crabs and will have live ones with her for them to see and touch. These hands-on presentations are culminating events for the ocean unit taught in our K/1 classrooms.

Carline around the perimeter of the school

Please be sure to drive slowly around the building when dropping off or picking up your child. We have noticed that some people are driving at a faster speed than what is considered safe in a school zone. The same goes for cars entering the road near the tennis courts. We have buses entering and exiting the circle in front of the school in addition to families arriving and departing on bicycles. Thanks for your help and patience as we work to get everyone to and from school safely.

Message from Merrill Memorial Library-Summer Reading Program

Hello everyone!

Our Summer Reading Program kicks off on Friday, June 18. Our theme this year is Get Lost in a Good Book in Yarmouth, Maine. On the 18th, we will be signing up participants from 11 AM-3 PM at the library, and our Get Lost on Main Street Scavenger Hunt will start - the hunt will be open for 2 weeks and there will be a grand prize raffle for those who participate. Participants will receive a free book upon signing up and a Bingo sheet of fun activities to complete. A 5-box Bingo will earn kids a t-shirt. 

We have a bunch of other fun activities and prizes planned, too. 

Here’s a video introducing the program: https://youtu.be/fFDGGRajJTg

It is also on our Merrill Library Page: https://yarmouthlibrary.org/summer-reading-program-2021-is-starting-soon/

Here is the direct link to our Summer Reading Page:    https://yarmouthlibrary.org/summer-reading-2021/

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MerrillMemorialLibrary

We also have a new email address for questions about youth programming from birth all the way up to grade 12, mmlyouth@yarmouthlibrary.org. 

Best to all and happy (almost) summer!

Jill O'Connor & Mary Randall, MML Librarians

www.yarmouthlibrary.org

(207) 846-4763

Football Announcement

We have a list of summer activities and camps for new and returning athletes at all levels from elementary to high school. Parents, if your child is interested in playing flag or tackle football this summer/fall (or you have questions about the program), please contact Lynne Gawtry at gawtry23@gmail.com or 207-233-8333 before the last day of school. We'll also be scheduling a couple fun gatherings this summer. Interested in joining us or learning more, reach out! Yarmouth Football..... where getting together is just the beginning.

Math Information from the lead teacher, Rachel Clark

Summer 2021                                                                          

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.

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

  • 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.

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. Some children at the K/1 level are still learning to read and it will be difficult to find books they can read on their own through the public library. If that is the case, please be sure to read aloud to them regularly and have them talk about the book with you.

Whether they are reading on their own or listening to stories, they can discuss characters and what they notice about their personalities, the setting of the story, and/or retell the important events that happened in the text. If it is a non-fiction book, they can discuss what they learned from the text, notice text features such as maps, graphs, and charts, and the ways the author used features to help the reader better understand the topic.

A good rule of thumb is not to have them read about characters who are more than two years older than themselves. The same goes for the subject matter. If a book contains mature content that is not appropriate for a 5, 6 or 7 year old, it is best to wait until they have the maturity and background knowledge to absorb more mature themes.

Happy Summer Reading!

Dates to note:

Monday, June 14th- Step-Up Day for rising first and second graders. Parent letters with the teacher assignments for next year will go home that afternoon.

Tuesday, June 15th- Last day of school of the 2020-21 school year. Students will be dismissed at 12:00.

Sincerely,