HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays!
On behalf of all the staff at HBB, we would like to wish you a very Happy Holidays! We hope you all have a great break and we will see you all next year!

BOXTOPS
The following classes are the winners of the BOXTOPS competition!  They collected more BOXTOPS than any other class at their grade and each of these classes will be receiving a special trophy and their name on a plaque that will be hanging in the main office.  We will be giving out the trophy during each community meeting...... Mrs. Kaufman's class received theirs last week!

In total we raised $1667.50!  Thank you to everyone who helped collect BOXTOPS and congratulations to our winners....great job!

Grade 1 - Bartlett (overall winner!)

Grade 2 - Enos

Grade 3 - Hickie

Grade 4 - McPherson

Grade 5 - Kaufman

PARCC
The School Committee has voted  to administer the paper and pencil version of PARCC at the Elementary Schools this year to all students in grades 3-5 for ELA and Math, a move we fully support.  There is much confusion out there in regards to the state of testing in Massachusetts but I would like to take a brief moment to catch everyone up to speed, provide a few helpful links and explain the decision.

You may have heard in the news that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has scrapped PARCC in favor of MCAS 2.0.  While this is accurate, what is not fully understood is the fact that MCAS 2.0 has yet to be developed, thus making this year a transition year.  The State has allowed school districts to choose between traditional MCAS and PARCC for this year but they are strongly encouraging districts to choose PARCC because it is much more comparable to what we will see on MCAS 2.0 and making the change now will better prepare students over the long term.

We agree that moving to PARCC now gives our students the best chance to succeed over time.    Moving to PARCC gives our students and staff the opportunity to experience the kind of test and questions that they will have moving forward.  PARCC, and eventually MCAS 2.0 are much different than traditional MCAS and we want to ensure that our students are prepared to succeed by the time they need to pass the test in order to graduate, and we believe this is an important first step.  We also believe that our students are ready and prepared for this test and we are confident that all all go well.

As I have said in years past with MCAS, this is just one assessment.  While we certainly take it very seriously, at this grade level it is more informational for us as a school than it is for each individual student.  We know prior to taking the test how each student is doing and we do not read too much into any one student's performance on the test.  Student grades are not connected to the test results and we also do not believe it paints the whole picture of a schools' performance.  We will also continue to administer MCAS Science to grade 5 (all districts in the state have to administer MCAS Science).

You will hear much more from me moving forward about this but if you are interested in learning more information about PARCC and the chance please check out some of the following links.

http://www.parcconline.org/resources/parent-resources

http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/decisionfaq.html

Character Word of the Week
Congratulations to our winners this week!

Report Cards are Coming!

MassPass Books
Please don’t forget to return all un-purchased MassPass Books!

Report Cards

Please be on the lookout for Report Cards.....they are coming home today!   If you are looking for more info on interpreting the report cards please read some of my earlier posts.  If you have ANY questions please do not hesitate to give us a call!

Why is writing important?...The Writing Challenge!
Our newest challenge to earn a Burkland’s BEST Bead is the Writing Challenge. Writing has been a major focus for us here at HBB because research has shown that high achieving schools successfully balance the focus on developing student’s Speaking and Writing Skills as well as Reading and Listening Skills.

In fact, research has shown that people who become, in one way or another, “producers” of content….people who write…..tend to be more successful in life than those who are considered primarily “consumers” of information. Writing is an essential skill for success in life.

Here are some other reasons writing is so important

• Writing is the primary basis upon which a student’s learning and intellect will be judged in school, college and in the workforce.
• Writing helps students become stronger readers. The process of learning to be an author, and developing the ability to get your point across to the reader, makes it easier to empathize and understand authors when reading…..the two skills are intimately connected! 
• Writing makes your thinking visible.
• Writing expresses who you are as a person.
• Writing helps develop a student’s ability to develop their thoughts, explain complex positions, develop strong arguments and express opinions.

Writing is an essential skill! Please encourage your child to take the Writing Challenge. All students who participate will receive their writing bead and a select few will be awarder the Super Reader bead as well and will be asked to read their piece during the morning announcements.

Investigations

I had the pleasure of visiting Mrs. Card's class this week and I was very impressed with the writing of her students.  They were wrapping up their investigation posters and their writing was impressive!

Hour of Code

Our students at HBB joined millions of students from around the wold this week by participating in an Hour of Code.  Students were taught the basics of computer coding and they absolutely loved it.  Thank you to Ellen Driscoll, Peg Corey, Louise Bertelli and High School Student Dan Duphily for helping organize this AWESOME event!  

5th Grade Student Leaders

Here is a great pic of our Student Leaders decorating the front of the school!  Thank you!

Golden Broom Award

Congratulations to our Golden Broom Award winners from the past few weeks!  Great job keeping your class, the halls and lunch room clean!  

Super Readers!

We are excited to have a few more students who are being added to the exclusive ranks of Super Readers!  Only a few students have earned this bead.....great job guys!

Character Word of the Week Winners

Congrats to all our Character Word of the Week winners.  We are impressed with your ability to exemplify our character words of Teamwork and Leadership and Respect!

Report Cards and Whole Bunch of Other Stuff!

Report Cards and Report Card Night

Do you have questions about the Report Card?  If so please join us this Monday December 7th from 4-5 as I will be hosting an open forum to discuss the Report Cards and answer any questions you might have.  

Report Cards are coming home December 12th. Discussing report cards with your child, especially in the age of standards based report cards, can be challenging. The reporting system we use is very different from the grades we all received when we were students and understanding what it all means, in the context of how your child is doing, can be tough.

When you receive the report card you will see numbers next to standards. The numbers on the report card are as follows;

4. Demonstrating mastery of the standard

3. Demonstrating significant progress toward the standard

2. Demonstrating some progress

1. Demonstrating minimal progress

The numbers indicate the progress your child is making towards meeting the grade level standard. The standards listed throughout the report card list what we want your child to know and be able to do by the end of the year.

Not all standards will be “graded” on this report card because we  not taught all the standards yet. While there may be instances where your child is Demonstrating Mastery of a particular standard, students are not expected to be receiving 4’s at this point because those standards are what we expect for students by the end of the year and there is still much work to be done with many of the standards.

Additionally, the score that students receive next to each standard do not reflect how hard your child is working. The scores reflect what your child is able to do in relation to that expectation. To find out how hard your child is working and if they are completing work you must refer to the section of the report card, which refers to Successful Social and Learner Behaviors. This is a little different from what many of us are accustomed to and is different from traditional grading. It is possible for a student to struggle with their Learner Behaviors yet still Demonstrate Mastery of a Standard. Lastly, you must refer to the description of each score because there is no correlation between a 1-4 on the current report card and the traditional grades of A,B,C,D,F of the past.

Should you have any questions at all about the report card or your child’s progress in school please do not hesitate to contact us or plan on joining us Monday!

MassPass Books

 
Writing Challenge
Please encourage your child to participate in the Writing Challenge.  Writing has been a big focus for us these last couple of years and we have made great gains as a result.  Below is the Writing Challenge announcement and there is additional information on the right hand side of this blog.

Lost and Found

Please encourage your child to look through the lost and found next week to make sure they don't have anything in there!  We will be boxing things up because we have a large amount of items. We display all items in the cafeteria for students during lunches everyday.  We have been making announcements asking kids to take a look through it but many kids may not know they are missing anything.  If you are aware of your child missing any clothing please encourage them to take a look....thank you!  

Report to Parents on Setting Goals!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

As we get ready for Thanksgiving I would just like to pause and say thank you to the entire HBB community!  I feel so blessed to be working in such a supportive environment.  I am thankful for our amazing teachers and support staff and for all the parents who give so much of themselves to help make HBB such special place.  We are truly lucky and I am truly thankful.  Thank you and have a  VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Letters to Santa

Once again this year we are partnering with the Berio Family to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  All you need to do is have your kids write letters to Santa and bring them into the school.  For every letter written Macy's will make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  We will have a box in the main office for all letters.  Thank you in advance for helping us out with this great cause!  

Family Math Game Nights at Bridgewater State
Have you ever though that family game time and math homework could actually be the same thing?

For the first time, this year Dr. Sabinin is holding a series of Engage in Math Parents’ Game Nights. At these Games Nights, Dr. Sabinin will share some of the most impactful games, which can help kids build strong intuition about school mathematics. With this intuition, their engagement and grades in math class can improve
dramatically.

Dr. Polina Sabinin is a mathematics educator in the Department of Mathematics at BSU. Specifically, her scholarship is in using games and puzzles to teach mathematics. For over a decade, she has trained teachers in grades 1 - 12 at all points in their careers. As part of her work she has built a library of almost 100 mathematical games, which she uses in courses and workshops for teachers.

Join us for a night of playing and learning! Register early! Registration ($25) is limited and includes a game, which you can take home to play with your kid(s). Please note, this is an event for the parents so no children under 12, please.

Grades 1-5:

December 9th from 4:00-5:30 PM

Grades 6-8:

January 27th from 4:00-5:30 PM

Grades 9-12:

February 10th from 4:00-5:30 PM

Register at:

http://tinyurl.com/Parent-GTP-2015

1st and 3rd Grade Collaboration

Today Ms. Fecteau's and MRs. Trottier's classes paired up to share their Thanksgiving Day writing.  The kids did some great work and had a fun time!  

College Gear Day

Today was College Gear Day which is all part of our Where are You Headed initiative.  Celebrating College Gear Day is just a fun way to help develop a college bound school culture.  We want all students to understand that they can be anything they want to when they grow up if they work hard.  We want our students to have goals for themselves and to develop a belief that anything is possible!  The kids a great time with it and many teachers went even further by having their kids develop posters about where they want to go and why.  Below is one of those students from Mrs. Lazarovich's class.  He hopes to go to Notre Dame!  

Square One Fundraised and Some Additional Odds and Ends

Square One Art Fundraiser 
Please remember that all order forms are due back no later than this Wed. November 25th.

Please join us for a

K-2 Family Math Night

hosted by the Instructional Coaches

 

Why: To learn strategies and resources to help your student(s)

show deeper thinking in math

Who:  Families with kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade students

When:  Tuesday, December 1st 6:30-7:30

Where:  H.B.B. Cafeteria

Registration is required.
In an effort to be more green, please register online by going to the
MECC, HBB, or MKG homepage of your student(s)
and clicking on the link for the
“Family Math Night Registration.”
Let us know if you have any questions.
We hope we can count you in!

Your fellow math aficionados,
Mrs. Gates and Ms. Vigna

College Dress Up Day
November 25th is an Early Release Day and College Dress Up Day. Please encourage your child to wear their college themed gear….and remember, dismissal is at 1 pm!

Report Cards
In a few weeks report cards will be coming home! HBB has a Standards Based Report Card which is very different from the report cards and grades that most of us received when we were students. In an effort to answer the many questions you may have there will be an Open Forum on how to interpret your child’s report card and what it all means on Monday December 7th from 4-5 here at HBB.

For those unable to attend, moving forward we will be including information both here and in the newsletter about how to interpret the report cards.....so stay tuned!

As always, and with everything, should you have ANY questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

5th Grade Community Meeting

Friday we had our 5th Grade Community Meeting where we awarded our Reading Beads, Character Word of the Week awards and continued exploring the concepts of the Social Thinking Curriculum.  The concepts covered with students Friday were related to what is called the Zones Of Regulation.  There are 4 zones, Red, Yellow, Green and Blue.  Each Zone is connected to feelings and emotions and the overall goal is to get students to begin to recognize and connect with their own feelings and emotions and look to see if they match the environment they are in.  For example, a student who is feeling excited and energetic while trying to take a test may have a hard time sitting still.  The next step is in teaching students strategies, such as taking a deep breath or getting a drink of water, so they can make sure that they are in the right zone at the right time.  

Take a moment to ask your child about these concepts and see what they have learned!  

Parent Teacher Conferences and some other things

Parent Teacher Conferences
Please remember that we have Parent Teacher Conferences coming up this week.  Wed from 6-8:30 and Thursday from 4-6:30. If you do not have an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher please give us a call to set up an appointment.

Please do your best to be on time for your appointment and come prepared. We are on a tight schedule and we want to ensure that all parents have an equal opportunity for parents to meet with teachers so we would appreciate everyone doing their best to stick to the schedule and to be on time.

Thank you!

College Gear Day
The day before Thanksgiving Break we have an Early Release Day and we would like to encourage all students to wear gear from their favorite college to celebrate College Gear Day. The intent behind College Gear Day is to continue to encourage students to think about what they want to be when they grow up and to create a College Bound Culture. We want all students to dream, set goals for themselves and believe that anything is possible!

K-2 Family Math Night

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS OF K TO GRADE 2 STUDENTS!  On December 1st from 6:30-7:30 in the HBB Cafeteria The MPS Instructional Coaches are hosting a Family Math Night.  This is a great way to learn about the new approaches to teaching math and to learn more about how to support your child at home.  If you are interested in attending the event please use the link below to register and we hope to see you there.

https://docs.google.com/a/middleboro.k12.ma.us/forms/d/1k021VAbpEAx6CV3XwxUjC_pzMpt_gC6vx9ipNH5IWHs/viewform?usp=send_form

Character Word of the Week Winners
On Friday we gave out the Character Word of the Week awards to all students in grades 3 and 4. Congratulations and great work!

Veteran's Day Celebration
Last Monday the entire school gathered at the Flag Pole in the front of the school to honor our Veterans who have served this country and to learn more about Veteran's Day.  We would like to extend our appreciation to the Veterans who came out for this excellent ceremony and we would also like to thank them for their service to this country! 

Reading Challenge Winners

Congratulations to all of our students who have earned their Reading Bead!

Super Reader! 

Congratulations to our first winner of the Super Reader Bead.  To earn the Super Reader Bead students had to have participated in the Summer Reading/Battle of the Books program and have completed the most recent Reading Challenge.  Congratulations!

Giving Tree

Save the Date!

Parent Teacher Conferences

With Parent Teacher Conferences right around the corner (Nov 18^th 6-8:30 and Nov 19^th 4-6:30) we thought it would be a good time to talk about the importance of PT Conferences.

When it comes to your child, we all have something in common: we all want your child to do well!  When parents and teachers have an opportunity to talk we have a great opportunity to share essential information about your child’s strengths, needs and areas of concern.  In order to ensure an effective Parent Teacher Conference there are a few things you can do as a parent to be prepared.

-       Review your child’s work.

-       Talk with your child about their concerns and how they think they are doing in school

-       Make a list of questions prior to the meeting

-       Think about ways you would like to be involved in your child’s education and the things you do to support learning at home.

During the meeting remember, it should be a two-way conversation.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions!  The teachers here at HBB want your child to be successful and it can be tough to communicate everything in just a 10 min conference, so don’t be afraid to ask for a time to follow up through email or phone call. 

In closing please remember that our goal is to ensure a solid home-school partnership.  Research shows that when teachers and parents work together we increase the likelihood of success for your child.  We are all in this together! 

THE MIDDLEBORO  WRESTLING TEAM

NEEDS WARMUPS!!!

And YOU can help!

The Middleboro High School Wrestling team is trying to raise funds to buy warmups for the upcoming season. So, we have decided to run a T-shirt sale supporting our grapplers.

For only $20 you receive this really cool 100% cotton Sachem Wrestling Shirt.

Not only will you feel great about helping support an incredible bunch of Middleboro students, you also get one heck of a good looking shirt.

If you have any questions or would like to order a shirt or 10,

contact Coach Paul Donovan

pdonovan@middleboro.k12.ma.us

Thank you so much for your Support!

GO SACHEMS!

Support MHS Boys Basketball

Support MHS Boys Basketball!
Staff, students, and parents: Please visit Middleboro High School's "Sachem Team Store", a fundraiser for the Boys' Varsity Basketball Program.

The store is open NOW until Sunday, November 8, 2015.

Under Armour T-shirts, long sleeve Ts, sweat shirts, sweat pants, jackets, and backpacks! Winter gloves, scarves, and hats are available too! Sizes range from youth extra small to 4XL--something for everyone!

PLEASE NOTE: For an item to be produced by www.areswear.com, the store must sell a minimum of six (6) of that particular item (you don’t need to buy six, but six need to be ordered overall to be sent to production). Also, wherever you see a “bulldog” embroidered, it will be replaced with our MHS Sachem head logo. Please spread the word!

The entire shipment of Sachem gear will be delivered to the high school before the holidays! Order your Sachem gear today!

The two top-selling items so far...

http://aresteamstore.com/S…/MiddleboroBoysBasketball/377693…

Please Be Safe This Weekend!

Be Safe
While we hope that all our students have fun this weekend for Halloween, we would also like to ask everyone to please be safe!  Here are a couple of pics from Ms. Fecteau's and Ms. Skelly's class who were decorating mini-pumpkins in celebration of Halloween.

Family Resource Center
Don't forget to check out the new website for our Family Resource Center.  Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to Meghan Quirke if you have any questions.  You can reach Mrs. Quirke at......

(508) 946- 2040 ext. 4319  mquirke@middleboro.k12.ma.us

http://middleborofamilyresourcecenter.blogspot.com/

Send Your Candy

Don't forget to send us your unwanted Halloween Candy.  Read the flyer below, this is a great way to get rid of some of the sugar in your house while making a difference at the same time!

Golden Broom Award Winners

Congratulations to Mrs. Matin's Ms. Fecteau's and Ms. McLaughlin's classes for winning the Golden Broom Award!

Big Blast....Another Successful Event!

HBB Big Blast
Friday night we celebrated our annual HBB Big Blast and it was another great success.  Thank you to the PTA for all your hard work organizing this great event and thank you to everyone who came out to support HBB.  All the proceeds raised go right back to the kids at HBB funding things such as the After School Programs, Field Trips, Enrichment and the Family Resource Center.  Thanks again!

After School Programs

We are thrilled to have our after school enrichment program up and running for the year! It is great to see so many kids staying after school excited to participate in academically enriching activities. This session will run for approximately 8 weeks and we will be running a second session after the holiday break, so be on the lookout for a second round of sign-ups.

For those of you who have a child participating we ask that you please pay very close attention to the calendar to see which days clubs are meeting. Pickup from clubs happens promptly at 4:30 pm.

Healthy Athletes
Friday was a busy day!  Not only did we have the Big Blast but we also had some special guests during lunch! Athletes from MHS came during lunches to speak with the kids about the importance of eating healthy.  Thank you to Mrs. Bagnell, Mr. Branagan and Mr. Perry for organizing this great event.  Our kids really enjoyed eating lunch with our MHS Athletes!

Family Resource Center

When you get a chance please check out the website/blog of our new Family Resource Coordinator Meghan Quirke. The website is far from complete but Mrs. Quirke is working hard to develop a site that will be a great resource for parents and community members. Don’t be afraid to reach out to Mrs. Quirke here at the school. She definitely wants to hear from you!

http://middleborofamilyresourcecenter.blogspot.com/

Reading Challenge

Don’t forget about the HBB Reading Challenge. This is a great opportunity for students to earn their Reading Bead for their Burkland’s BEST Necklaces. Additionally……Students who participated in the Battle of the Books and finish this challenge will receive a Super Reader Bead!

Send us your candy!

We are once again collecting any unwanted Halloween candy! Morgan Derby, one of our previous students and a current NMS student, is leading the charge to collect Halloween candy which will be donated to the children at the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. We will be taking the collections in the main office and we will accept donations until November 9th.

Character Word of the Week Winners

Congratulations to our 5th grade winners!