MARCH 2014 VOLUME 8

Principals
Corner
That was some winter! Will March come in like a lion and go out like a lamb? Time will tell, but I hope it means no more snow! As we head into spring, keep in mind that the best way to help support your child in school is to read , read, read. The National Education Association's Read Across America is celebrating its 17th annual reading motivation and awareness program. Once again it calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2nd, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

do better in school. This year the NEA and Read Across America will host a Cat-A-Van Tour. The 2014 Cat-a-Van tour started on February 24th and concludes on Friday, March 14th. The tour will be making stops in 18 cities and bringing a celebration of reading to more than 30 schools along the way. The tour is made possible through a unique partnership between NEA and Renaissance Dental, who have teamed up to deliver a very important message to students: 2 x 2 + 20 = good oral health and literacy habits. Along the reading route, almost 11,000 books, toothbrushes, tooth timers, and other goodies will be distributed to students to keep them reading and brushing at home. You can follow the tour at http:// www.nea.org/grants/ GetReadAcrossScoop.html. And maybe next year the tour will add Massachusetts to its visit list?

Columbus News

COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 37 HICKS AVENUE, MEDFORD, MA 02155

WWW.MEDFORD.K12.MA.US

NEA's Read Across America provides NEA members, parents, caregivers, and children the resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year. Check out their website at http:// www.nea.org for reading resources and ideas. Hopefully, your child attended the Read Across Americas history start- Columbus Book Fair for some great material to help celebrate Read ed in May 1997. A small reading task force came up with a big idea. Across America Day. Thank you to the PTO for organizing this fair and "Let's create a day to celebrate for your support in this fund raising reading," the group decided. "We effort. hold pep rallies to get kids excited about football. We assemble to remember that Character Counts. Why don't we do something to get kids excited about reading? We'll call it 'NEA's Read Across America' and we'll celebrate it on Dr. Seuss's birthday." And so it was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen.

Finally, you and your child are invited to attend Read by the River sponsored by Tufts University on March 9th in the Hatcher Gymnasium at noon. Its never too early or late to foster a love of reading!

Kathleen Kay
kkay@medford.k12.ma.us
* IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS * TELEPHONE : 781.393.2177 * FAX : 781.393.2187 * NURSE : 781.393.2175 * ABSENCE LINE: 781.393.3503

The Purpose of Read Across America is motivating children to read. Reading is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful learners. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading

March 2 March 4 March 5 March 9 March 12 March 17 March 18 March 20 March 21 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28

Read Across America Day Dr. suesss birthday Spirit Day Wear pajamas to school Early Release Day, 1:30pm Tufts Read by the River Event, 12:00pm-3:00pm Release Day, 1:30pm Happy St. Patricks Day MCAS - 4th Grade-Long Composition School Council Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Conference Room MCAS - 5th Grade ELA MCAS - 5th Grade ELA MCAS - 4th Grade ELA MCAS - 4th Grade ELA Early Release, 1:30pm MCAS - 3rd Grade ELA (4th Grade Long Composition Make-Up Date) MCAS - 3rd Grade ELA

Please make sure your child gets a good night's sleep, eats a good breakfast, & arrives to school on time on testing dates. Also, send him/her with a good book to read when testing is completed. THANK YOU!

State mandated MCAS Assessments have been scheduled. Please keep these future dates in mind when scheduling appointments: ENGLISH ARTS MCAS Assessments: in March - See calendar above SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY MCAS Assessment: 5th Grade - May 6th & 7th. MATH MCAS Assessments: 4th Grade MATH May 8th & 9th, 5th Grade MATH May 12th & 13, 3rd Grade MATH - May 15th & 16th. PARCC Field Test Assessments - Mrs. DiPersios & Mr. Platis Classes ONLY May 19th & 20th
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BOOK
The Minature World of Marvin and James by Elise Broach. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Ages 6-9. In this Masterpiece Adventure from bestselling author Elise Broach, James is going on vacation for a week. His best friend, Marvin the beetle, has to stay at home. Without James to keep him company, Marvin has to play with his annoying cousin, Elaine. Marvin and Elaine quickly find themselves getting into all sorts of trouble--even getting trapped inside a pencil sharpener! But more importantly, will James still be Marvin's friend when he gets home or will he have found a new best friend? ~ A Christy Ottaviano Book, review from Barnes & Noble, BN.com

REVIEWS

Secrets of the Book by Erin Fry. Ages 8-12. Spencer

Lemon is a reluctant volunteer at a local nursing home, a gig that takes a wild turn when Ed, the elderly man Spencer visits there, gives the 12-year-old Pandoras Book, which is filled with images of people who made some kind of impact on societyin a positive way. The books caretaker can bring any of its pictures to life, from Socrates to Theodore Roosevelt, both of whom make appearances in this story of friendship, bravery, and good vs. evil from author Erin Fry (Losing It). When Ed disappears and a threatening man with a copy of Pandoras Other Book shows up, Spencer relies on his best friend Gregor and Eds granddaughter Mel for help. Spencer is instantly relatable, thanks to his sharp and amusing narration; that Gregor has autism spectrum disorder and Spencer is slowly losing his eyesight makes them stand out as the kind of heroes too seldom seen. The historical cameos add an extra dash of flavor to this engaging, suspenseful adventure. ~Publishers Weekly, November 2013
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National Nutrition Month - March 2014

"Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right" is the theme for National Nutrition Month 2014. Consumer research confirms that taste tops nutrition as the main reason why one food is purchased over another. While social, emotional and health factors also play a role, the foods people enjoy are likely the ones they eat most. This year's key messages for NNM will focus on how to combine taste and nutrition to create healthy meals that follow the Dietary Guidelines recommendations. National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created Check out some games and puzzles at this website: http://www.eatright.org/n nm/games/ For those of you with interest in recipes for food allergies, search this site for recipes without the ingredients your child is allergic to: http://www.kidswithfooda llergies.org/recipes/allergyfriendly-recipes.php Reprinted from www.eatright.org and allergy website shared by Mrs. Nancy Quinn.

annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Learn more at www.eatright.org/nnm

Critical Thinking
There is an important skill that can help your youngster do well in every school subject: thinking! Consider these ideas for helping him/her to think critically. Games like checkers, Chess. Connect Four, and MasterFLIP A FAIRY TALE mind build thinking skills. Play some of these together, Critical thinkers can look at and share your thought prosituations through different SPOT SIMILARITIES lenses. Encourage your child to cess: If I move here, youll Choose two objects in the write a fairy tale from another probably move there, and room that dont appear to have characters point of view. For then I could capture your anything in common (say, a instance, how would the wolf piece. Suggest that your child talk himself through clock and a sneaker). Ask your tell The Three Little Pigs? The child to find at least one thing wolf might think of himself as his moves, too. Idea: Solo games and activities like Suthats similar about them. hungry rather than big and doku, Rubiks Cube, and He/she might say that numbad. If the mother pig were Rush Hour can also make bers are printed on both or the narrator, how might the him/her a better thinker! that each has body parts story be different?
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(The clock has hands and a face, the sneaker has a tongue and a heel).

BE STRATEGIC