Updates
June 12, 2020
Hello Fourth-grade families,
I'm sorry that the below email is long. The information is important. Please consider printing it out, along with some of the attachments, as you'll need the info as we move through next week. There is NO work assigned for next week. The only exception is for children who have not finished their non-fiction Smore. Those are being presented in class on Tuesday and I really do want all children to feel successful.
Monday, June 15, 2020
There will be no live Zoom meetings today.
Starting at 9 am, the fourth-grade team will be delivering 4th-grade yards signs to your homes. I will also be delivering the materials necessary for your child to finish their artwork (self-portraits) for his/her Clough tiles. Here is the LINK to the directions from Mrs. Stone to guide the artwork. I have also attached our approximate schedule at this LINK Mrs. Parent and Mrs. Chapman will be parading along with me for at least some of the tour. Can you please let me know if you are not going to be home? Also, if you are not going to be home, please let me know where to safely leave your child’s tile artwork. We'll have time for a quick social distancing photo if you wish but then we have to hit the road to try to stay on schedule.
Another reason we are not having live Zoom meetings today is that the Clough PTO is "hosting" a Virtual Field Day! I love their ingenuity! I have attached the PDF with the list of activities. PTO asks that you take pictures/videos of the kids doing the activities and share the videos/photos with me or post them to your own social media using #cloughfd2020. I can’t wait to see pictures of the kids doing their thing! It isn’t the perfect solution but I’m so happy we’re all working hard and getting creative so that the children can enjoy some variation of their treasured traditions.
LINK to Clough's Virtual Field Day.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Today is our last official day of “class” on Zoom. In math, (8:30) we’ll spend our time enjoying some fun math activities that the kids love and often request like esti-mysteries, fraction splats, and area mazes. We’ll keep it light and fun.
In ELA (1:00) the students will be presenting their non-fiction writing projects. I apologize if this class runs a little bit longer than what is typical for us. The students have worked long and hard on these projects and I want to give them an opportunity to strut their stuff and shine!
Today will be the last day that any missing assignments can still be turned in for credit. While I plan to have all report card reflections written over the weekend. I will certainly amend them for students who pass in work right up to the bitter end!
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Our typical 8:30 Math Zoom meeting is postponed till 1:00 today when our class will meet for a celebratory Zoom meeting.
MOVE UP TO MISCOE DAY 11:30 (Zoom Link forthcoming)
Today you get to meet with Memorial fourth-graders and the administration from Miscoe to learn all about your new school. They will share a presentation and take you on a little tour. Because there will be so many students attending there won’t be much of an opportunity to ask questions. Feel free to ask me your questions and if I don’t know the answers I’ll find out the answers and get back to you! I’m very thankful to your new principal, Mrs. Manion, for putting this exciting “trip” together for you!
We will be meeting at 1:00 today for our CELEBRATION Zoom meeting. During the Zoom meeting, Mrs. Gallagher will stop in to wish the children well, we’ll watch the fourth-grade slideshow lovingly prepared by our PTO and we’ll share a special #ClassroomBookADay. We will share our memories and reflections of the craziest school year ever! Students are welcome to bring a snack. Our meeting will likely take at least an hour.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Today is the day for the Reverse Parade. We will be handing out fourth-grade certificates, a special gift just for fourth-graders from the PTO, and collecting tile artwork at this time as well as swapping “stuff”. 12:00 - 12:15 pm is the time slot for our class to return school materials and receive personal belongings. If you have a child(ren) in the lower grades, please come at the 4th-grade time (we don’t expect you to have to come twice!)
Please take note of the process below:
Any family who received a school-issued iPad will keep it over the summer months. Please see the district email on this subject and care for it accordingly.
Friday, June 19, 2020
While this is the last day of school, we do not have anything scheduled. It would be a super great idea for students to go through that bag of “stuff”, tossing anything they don’t want and putting away things they’d like to save. No parent wants a trash bag full of “stuff” cluttering up the house all summer!
Finally, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! You have endured and survived what no parents have been asked to endure and survive in my 26-year career as an educator. Not only that, but you also did it well! I am appreciative of how engaged you were and how supportive you were of your children and their learning. I know it was hard but I likely can’t begin to appreciate just how hard it was. Remote learning with teenagers (although not always totally awesome) looks a lot different than remote learning with elementary school children. To be asked to be your child’s project manager/supervisor/entertainment/quality-controller and even playmate while also juggling a career that looked different or while worrying about employment period is A LOT! It is my hope that you can slow down a little now. I so wish summer could offer you more of a break with days filled with family vacations and summer camps. I know that even the summer will be different. I hope you do get a well-deserved rest though and can pause and continue to enjoy the little things. You deserve this and so much more!
I feel honored to have been your child’s teacher this year. While I do feel that we all got gypped, I know that this school year was also one full of memories that will never be forgotten. Miscoe will be a wonderful place for your child to continue his or her education. The fifth-grade team there is fantastic. They’ve already reached out to us wanting to learn as much as they can about their incoming students. They truly do care about the students they teach and will work hard to ensure that every child makes a smooth transition. If your child has special learning needs or has had a particularly difficult time with remote learning, you might want to reach out to your child’s teacher in early fall to touch base. Communication is key to every child’s success. I have really appreciated your open communication and I know it has had a positive impact on our ability to work together in the best interests of your child. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help as your child continues on his or her educational journey. I’ll always be back at Clough, remembering your children fondly and cheering them on!
Be well and thank you so very much!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
Hello Fourth-grade families,
I'm sorry that the below email is long. The information is important. Please consider printing it out, along with some of the attachments, as you'll need the info as we move through next week. There is NO work assigned for next week. The only exception is for children who have not finished their non-fiction Smore. Those are being presented in class on Tuesday and I really do want all children to feel successful.
Monday, June 15, 2020
There will be no live Zoom meetings today.
Starting at 9 am, the fourth-grade team will be delivering 4th-grade yards signs to your homes. I will also be delivering the materials necessary for your child to finish their artwork (self-portraits) for his/her Clough tiles. Here is the LINK to the directions from Mrs. Stone to guide the artwork. I have also attached our approximate schedule at this LINK Mrs. Parent and Mrs. Chapman will be parading along with me for at least some of the tour. Can you please let me know if you are not going to be home? Also, if you are not going to be home, please let me know where to safely leave your child’s tile artwork. We'll have time for a quick social distancing photo if you wish but then we have to hit the road to try to stay on schedule.
Another reason we are not having live Zoom meetings today is that the Clough PTO is "hosting" a Virtual Field Day! I love their ingenuity! I have attached the PDF with the list of activities. PTO asks that you take pictures/videos of the kids doing the activities and share the videos/photos with me or post them to your own social media using #cloughfd2020. I can’t wait to see pictures of the kids doing their thing! It isn’t the perfect solution but I’m so happy we’re all working hard and getting creative so that the children can enjoy some variation of their treasured traditions.
LINK to Clough's Virtual Field Day.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Today is our last official day of “class” on Zoom. In math, (8:30) we’ll spend our time enjoying some fun math activities that the kids love and often request like esti-mysteries, fraction splats, and area mazes. We’ll keep it light and fun.
In ELA (1:00) the students will be presenting their non-fiction writing projects. I apologize if this class runs a little bit longer than what is typical for us. The students have worked long and hard on these projects and I want to give them an opportunity to strut their stuff and shine!
Today will be the last day that any missing assignments can still be turned in for credit. While I plan to have all report card reflections written over the weekend. I will certainly amend them for students who pass in work right up to the bitter end!
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Our typical 8:30 Math Zoom meeting is postponed till 1:00 today when our class will meet for a celebratory Zoom meeting.
MOVE UP TO MISCOE DAY 11:30 (Zoom Link forthcoming)
Today you get to meet with Memorial fourth-graders and the administration from Miscoe to learn all about your new school. They will share a presentation and take you on a little tour. Because there will be so many students attending there won’t be much of an opportunity to ask questions. Feel free to ask me your questions and if I don’t know the answers I’ll find out the answers and get back to you! I’m very thankful to your new principal, Mrs. Manion, for putting this exciting “trip” together for you!
We will be meeting at 1:00 today for our CELEBRATION Zoom meeting. During the Zoom meeting, Mrs. Gallagher will stop in to wish the children well, we’ll watch the fourth-grade slideshow lovingly prepared by our PTO and we’ll share a special #ClassroomBookADay. We will share our memories and reflections of the craziest school year ever! Students are welcome to bring a snack. Our meeting will likely take at least an hour.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Today is the day for the Reverse Parade. We will be handing out fourth-grade certificates, a special gift just for fourth-graders from the PTO, and collecting tile artwork at this time as well as swapping “stuff”. 12:00 - 12:15 pm is the time slot for our class to return school materials and receive personal belongings. If you have a child(ren) in the lower grades, please come at the 4th-grade time (we don’t expect you to have to come twice!)
Please take note of the process below:
- Make a sign with your last name and the total number of students you are picking up materials for and post it where it can be visible on the right side of the front door of your car. Keep your passenger window down so as you approach the outdoor classroom out by the back gym we will be able to place their belongings in the car at a safe distance.
- Place your child’s school materials in a plastic bag, and clearly label the bag with their name, grade, and my name. We will collect these when we hand you your child's bag of supplies.
- Return your finished tile piece in an envelope or folder labeled with your child’s name and my name.
- Pull in as if you were going to the front of the school. Staff will be spread out around the building cheering and waving to the students. As you make your way to the back playground and field, you will stop in front of the outdoor classroom and be greeted by a staff member (likely me) who will have your child’s belongings.
- Tuck Everlasting book
- Wonders Anthology book
- Protractor
- Ruler
- Library books (I've included a LIST from Mrs. Trimble...email me if you think they're in the classroom)
- Classroom books borrowed from me
- Completed portrait tiles
Any family who received a school-issued iPad will keep it over the summer months. Please see the district email on this subject and care for it accordingly.
Friday, June 19, 2020
While this is the last day of school, we do not have anything scheduled. It would be a super great idea for students to go through that bag of “stuff”, tossing anything they don’t want and putting away things they’d like to save. No parent wants a trash bag full of “stuff” cluttering up the house all summer!
Finally, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! You have endured and survived what no parents have been asked to endure and survive in my 26-year career as an educator. Not only that, but you also did it well! I am appreciative of how engaged you were and how supportive you were of your children and their learning. I know it was hard but I likely can’t begin to appreciate just how hard it was. Remote learning with teenagers (although not always totally awesome) looks a lot different than remote learning with elementary school children. To be asked to be your child’s project manager/supervisor/entertainment/quality-controller and even playmate while also juggling a career that looked different or while worrying about employment period is A LOT! It is my hope that you can slow down a little now. I so wish summer could offer you more of a break with days filled with family vacations and summer camps. I know that even the summer will be different. I hope you do get a well-deserved rest though and can pause and continue to enjoy the little things. You deserve this and so much more!
I feel honored to have been your child’s teacher this year. While I do feel that we all got gypped, I know that this school year was also one full of memories that will never be forgotten. Miscoe will be a wonderful place for your child to continue his or her education. The fifth-grade team there is fantastic. They’ve already reached out to us wanting to learn as much as they can about their incoming students. They truly do care about the students they teach and will work hard to ensure that every child makes a smooth transition. If your child has special learning needs or has had a particularly difficult time with remote learning, you might want to reach out to your child’s teacher in early fall to touch base. Communication is key to every child’s success. I have really appreciated your open communication and I know it has had a positive impact on our ability to work together in the best interests of your child. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help as your child continues on his or her educational journey. I’ll always be back at Clough, remembering your children fondly and cheering them on!
Be well and thank you so very much!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
June 1, 2020
Happy first of June!
Thanks for attending the parent/teacher Zoom. Not able to make it? Here is a LINK you can click on to access a recording. At the 1/2 hour mark, the meeting shifts focus and there is an instructional session on Google Classroom. I hope this quick guide to accessing and submitting work was/is helpful.
Many of you have heard, because you attended Dr. Maruszczak's most recent town-hall style meeting (LINK here), or because you follow town politics closely, or because you have heard the buzz on social media, that the town of Mendon is putting an override vote on the ballot for June 9th for the purpose of funding the school district's budget. I encourage you to attend the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee's meeting (Zoom) this Monday, June 1 at 7:00. Here is a LINK to watch the meeting stream live on the district's YouTube Channel. Dr. Maruszczak will be talking about steps that he and the School Committee have already taken to reduce the budget as well as cuts in personnel that will be necessary should there be any shortfall. There are a number of factors, aside from a failed override, that could potentially impact our budget. Dr. Maruszczak will be discussing these factors and the timeline that he and the school committee are up against. Trust me when I tell you that the situation is dire and could potentially have a very negative impact on our ability to deliver the education your kiddos deserve. Please attend if you can so that you can make an informed decision before heading out to the polls on June 9th.
I did see a tremendous uptick in the quality and quantity of work turned it this past week. Thanks to the many parents who gave their students a little push back on track. I still have a few kids I'm really concerned about. Please reach out if I can help. I am happy to schedule extra help sessions or do anything I can to help all students finish strong.
As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Marie
Happy first of June!
Thanks for attending the parent/teacher Zoom. Not able to make it? Here is a LINK you can click on to access a recording. At the 1/2 hour mark, the meeting shifts focus and there is an instructional session on Google Classroom. I hope this quick guide to accessing and submitting work was/is helpful.
Many of you have heard, because you attended Dr. Maruszczak's most recent town-hall style meeting (LINK here), or because you follow town politics closely, or because you have heard the buzz on social media, that the town of Mendon is putting an override vote on the ballot for June 9th for the purpose of funding the school district's budget. I encourage you to attend the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee's meeting (Zoom) this Monday, June 1 at 7:00. Here is a LINK to watch the meeting stream live on the district's YouTube Channel. Dr. Maruszczak will be talking about steps that he and the School Committee have already taken to reduce the budget as well as cuts in personnel that will be necessary should there be any shortfall. There are a number of factors, aside from a failed override, that could potentially impact our budget. Dr. Maruszczak will be discussing these factors and the timeline that he and the school committee are up against. Trust me when I tell you that the situation is dire and could potentially have a very negative impact on our ability to deliver the education your kiddos deserve. Please attend if you can so that you can make an informed decision before heading out to the polls on June 9th.
I did see a tremendous uptick in the quality and quantity of work turned it this past week. Thanks to the many parents who gave their students a little push back on track. I still have a few kids I'm really concerned about. Please reach out if I can help. I am happy to schedule extra help sessions or do anything I can to help all students finish strong.
As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Marie
May 25, 2020
Hello!
Well, we're now entering the FINAL stretch. We've got this! (Although had you asked me five weeks ago, I wasn't so sure we'd make it this far!) Thanks to the resilience and flexibility of your kiddos, we're making pretty good progress in the remote classroom. A couple of things I want to highlight:
Your children really stepped up when it came to the production of our Memorial Day play. Each child had to attend a practice and recording session. They had to practice lines so that they were fluent. A few of our actresses had to attend multiple sessions and learn many lines. All students had to decide on appropriate clothing and find a quiet spot to record free from any distraction. If your home is anything like my home, this was no small feat. In the end, the play was a very nice tribute to those lost in times of war. We all missed Clough's Memorial Day concert but we are happy that we could still observe this important holiday together. You can view the Memorial Day play at this LINK.
I will be holding a parent/teacher Zoom meeting this Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. You can access the meeting by using the same link your children use to get into our Zoom meeting room. The password is encrypted in the link.
Some thoughts about the past week:
I have altered the schedule a little this week due to the holiday. I'd like to add an extra help session on Thursday at 10 AM. The focus will be on writing. The "Social Zoom" that normally happens at this time will be rescheduled to 10:00 AM on Friday. Chorus will be held at its regularly scheduled time on Friday at 11:00 AM.
Mrs. Walsh asks that any child who intends to participate in the chorus concert submit his or her video by JUNE 1st as there will be quite a bit of behind-the-scenes tech work required to make the final production a reality.
I hope to see you on Wednesday evening! Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
Well, we're now entering the FINAL stretch. We've got this! (Although had you asked me five weeks ago, I wasn't so sure we'd make it this far!) Thanks to the resilience and flexibility of your kiddos, we're making pretty good progress in the remote classroom. A couple of things I want to highlight:
Your children really stepped up when it came to the production of our Memorial Day play. Each child had to attend a practice and recording session. They had to practice lines so that they were fluent. A few of our actresses had to attend multiple sessions and learn many lines. All students had to decide on appropriate clothing and find a quiet spot to record free from any distraction. If your home is anything like my home, this was no small feat. In the end, the play was a very nice tribute to those lost in times of war. We all missed Clough's Memorial Day concert but we are happy that we could still observe this important holiday together. You can view the Memorial Day play at this LINK.
I will be holding a parent/teacher Zoom meeting this Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. You can access the meeting by using the same link your children use to get into our Zoom meeting room. The password is encrypted in the link.
Some thoughts about the past week:
- Attendance has been phenomenal for live teaching sessions in the Zoom meeting room. We generally have nearly perfect attendance and when children are "absent" from a session either the child or parent reaches out to me via email which isn't necessary but I sure do appreciate it!
- The percentage of assignments being completed and the quality is still concerning to me. A handful of parents did reach out last week for progress reports. I was happy to provide them.
- I am going to email families this week if their student is behind on work completion or the quality of work submitted is poor. If you don't hear from me, you can assume that your child is making effective progress. You should feel free to reach out to me for a progress report at any time though.
- the Wonders reading quiz (Google form) - kiddos should be using their Wonders books while taking this assessment!
- the end of week Google form math quiz - students can use their Ch. 10 Go Math! workbook to help them on this assessment!
- the non-fiction writing that will be turned in by the end of the week...your child should not be "turning-in" a blank page.
I have altered the schedule a little this week due to the holiday. I'd like to add an extra help session on Thursday at 10 AM. The focus will be on writing. The "Social Zoom" that normally happens at this time will be rescheduled to 10:00 AM on Friday. Chorus will be held at its regularly scheduled time on Friday at 11:00 AM.
Mrs. Walsh asks that any child who intends to participate in the chorus concert submit his or her video by JUNE 1st as there will be quite a bit of behind-the-scenes tech work required to make the final production a reality.
I hope to see you on Wednesday evening! Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
May 17, 2020
Hello fourth-grade families,
I hope you're doing okay. I'm well and my family continues to thrive (for the most part...I am raising teenagers!) despite the craziness of these times. We are all healthy and my senior citizens are too, thank goodness.
I simply cannot believe we have been at this for over two months. Teaching remotely was so hard at first that I never would have predicted that I'd make it to mid May. It is still hard but there are some things that have gotten easier. Honest to goodness, the first two or three weeks I was working 12-14 hour days and all weekend. I really thought that the demands were going to break me. Like many students, I needed to figure out the tech pieces and establish a routine. My days are long but more manageable now. The workload is heavy but I've become more efficient and the tech piece is slightly easier. There are fewer frantic calls upstairs for teenagers to rush in to tutor me. My worries remain constant. Mostly I worry about my students and the impact that this is having on them. I'm not worried about the academics. All kids, worldwide, are impacted. We can make adjustments for that and get them back on track. I know we can! I worry much more about the social and emotional impacts. I frequently report that I have some students who are REALLY thriving in the remote classroom and I wouldn't have predicted that some of them would be thriving. I'm really pleasantly surprised. I have other students who were really cranking in the classroom back in February and now they are not thriving and I worry about momentum and their self-esteems and truly, I never would have predicted that some of them would struggle. Please let me know how your student is doing if ever you have an extra moment to spare. It is not always easy to tell over Zoom meetings and I worry.
Thanks to all of you who were able to carve out some time to attend Dr. Maruszczak's town-hall-style meeting on Saturday morning. If you weren't able to attend, don't worry, you can tune in by clicking this LINK. His presentation included revised budget info, override info, some speculation around fall reopenings and what may be in store for our district. He responded to questions from our community and answered them the best that he could. In my opinion, tt is worth taking some time to listen in if you missed it.
I'd love to host another parent/teacher Zoom meeting if you're all up for it. I asked, in my Monday morning email, that you fill out a one question survey so that I can gauge interest. The LINK is here if you missed it.
The children have been cast in roles for our big Memorial Day play! We've practiced the play a few times as a whole class. I've broken the play into scenes. I've scheduled rehearsals for each of the scenes as well as recording sessions. Please take a look at the schedule by clicking on this LINK. Let me know if your child cannot make his/her scheduled sessions. I will do my very best to alter the schedule to accommodate all students.
Mrs. Walsh also has some amazing plans to end the year in a special way. Her chorus students will be putting together a concert on Zoom. If you haven't seen Nipmuc's concert, you really should. It is available at this LINK. Can you believe how beautiful that was! While participation is optional for our chorus kids, the more who participate, the better! Please consider participation for your child. Click on this LINK for more information.
Miscoe is starting to put plans in place to transition your children to our middle school. They hosted a live Zoom this past week. A few parents have asked if it was recorded. I have yet to see a link to a recording of the meeting. I will ask for a link and send it your way if it is available.
Mrs. Walsh sent along some info about the band at Miscoe. They have an amazing music program. Please read the below info, click on the links, and reach out to Mrs. Walsh with any questions.
Fifth-Grade Band and Chorus Information:
The following links are for current fourth graders to learn about their opportunities to participate in band and chorus next year. If your child is interested in band or chorus please email Mrs. Walsh at mwalsh@mursd.org to let her know. (students can also tell her on seesaw) If you have any questions please feel free to email her!
Below is a link to a video of Miscoe students talking about band and introducing their instruments
https://safeYouTube.net/w/MbX5
Below is information about fifth-grade band
A Guide to 5th Grade Band 20-21.pdf
It seems like more information about the slow reopening of our state will be forthcoming this week. I know that our district is committed to following guidance from healthcare experts and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as we make critical decisions that will impact your child's education. I know that the district will communicate information as soon as decisions are made and I will do my best to share links etc. so that you can stay up to date. I'm also looking forward to sharing exciting news as it pertains to your child's transition. Like I've promised before, we are working hard to come up with ideas to mark this important milestone in a way that is memorable and special.
Please continue to reach out with questions and concerns! I'm always here and will do my best to help you get the answers you need and the help that your child may need.
Thinking of you and your children,
Marie Brigham
I hope you're doing okay. I'm well and my family continues to thrive (for the most part...I am raising teenagers!) despite the craziness of these times. We are all healthy and my senior citizens are too, thank goodness.
I simply cannot believe we have been at this for over two months. Teaching remotely was so hard at first that I never would have predicted that I'd make it to mid May. It is still hard but there are some things that have gotten easier. Honest to goodness, the first two or three weeks I was working 12-14 hour days and all weekend. I really thought that the demands were going to break me. Like many students, I needed to figure out the tech pieces and establish a routine. My days are long but more manageable now. The workload is heavy but I've become more efficient and the tech piece is slightly easier. There are fewer frantic calls upstairs for teenagers to rush in to tutor me. My worries remain constant. Mostly I worry about my students and the impact that this is having on them. I'm not worried about the academics. All kids, worldwide, are impacted. We can make adjustments for that and get them back on track. I know we can! I worry much more about the social and emotional impacts. I frequently report that I have some students who are REALLY thriving in the remote classroom and I wouldn't have predicted that some of them would be thriving. I'm really pleasantly surprised. I have other students who were really cranking in the classroom back in February and now they are not thriving and I worry about momentum and their self-esteems and truly, I never would have predicted that some of them would struggle. Please let me know how your student is doing if ever you have an extra moment to spare. It is not always easy to tell over Zoom meetings and I worry.
Thanks to all of you who were able to carve out some time to attend Dr. Maruszczak's town-hall-style meeting on Saturday morning. If you weren't able to attend, don't worry, you can tune in by clicking this LINK. His presentation included revised budget info, override info, some speculation around fall reopenings and what may be in store for our district. He responded to questions from our community and answered them the best that he could. In my opinion, tt is worth taking some time to listen in if you missed it.
I'd love to host another parent/teacher Zoom meeting if you're all up for it. I asked, in my Monday morning email, that you fill out a one question survey so that I can gauge interest. The LINK is here if you missed it.
The children have been cast in roles for our big Memorial Day play! We've practiced the play a few times as a whole class. I've broken the play into scenes. I've scheduled rehearsals for each of the scenes as well as recording sessions. Please take a look at the schedule by clicking on this LINK. Let me know if your child cannot make his/her scheduled sessions. I will do my very best to alter the schedule to accommodate all students.
Mrs. Walsh also has some amazing plans to end the year in a special way. Her chorus students will be putting together a concert on Zoom. If you haven't seen Nipmuc's concert, you really should. It is available at this LINK. Can you believe how beautiful that was! While participation is optional for our chorus kids, the more who participate, the better! Please consider participation for your child. Click on this LINK for more information.
Miscoe is starting to put plans in place to transition your children to our middle school. They hosted a live Zoom this past week. A few parents have asked if it was recorded. I have yet to see a link to a recording of the meeting. I will ask for a link and send it your way if it is available.
Mrs. Walsh sent along some info about the band at Miscoe. They have an amazing music program. Please read the below info, click on the links, and reach out to Mrs. Walsh with any questions.
Fifth-Grade Band and Chorus Information:
The following links are for current fourth graders to learn about their opportunities to participate in band and chorus next year. If your child is interested in band or chorus please email Mrs. Walsh at mwalsh@mursd.org to let her know. (students can also tell her on seesaw) If you have any questions please feel free to email her!
Below is a link to a video of Miscoe students talking about band and introducing their instruments
https://safeYouTube.net/w/MbX5
Below is information about fifth-grade band
A Guide to 5th Grade Band 20-21.pdf
It seems like more information about the slow reopening of our state will be forthcoming this week. I know that our district is committed to following guidance from healthcare experts and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as we make critical decisions that will impact your child's education. I know that the district will communicate information as soon as decisions are made and I will do my best to share links etc. so that you can stay up to date. I'm also looking forward to sharing exciting news as it pertains to your child's transition. Like I've promised before, we are working hard to come up with ideas to mark this important milestone in a way that is memorable and special.
Please continue to reach out with questions and concerns! I'm always here and will do my best to help you get the answers you need and the help that your child may need.
Thinking of you and your children,
Marie Brigham
May 10, 2020
Hello fourth-grade families,
I have a few updates for you this week.
I hope all of the mothers enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day. I don't know what we'd all do without the mothers and all the extra things they do every day to make it all come together for their families. You are appreciated by me!
I hope your family has a super week.
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
I have a few updates for you this week.
- The "School Closure Assignments" tab of this website was updated with the assignments for this week on Friday afternoon. All assignments were posted in Google Classroom beginning on Friday too. I hope that this practice will help your family to better manage the workload. Also, I've provided a workflow checklist/schedule for families to use with their children IF it is helpful. The schedule is only a suggestion. Please continue to make this crazy business of educating your children from home work for your families. You will have my full support in any decisions you make. The checklist/schedule can be accessed by clicking this LINK.
- I promise you that I will do anything I can to make being a fourth-grader, ready to transition to Miscoe, a special experience for your child. Of course, we're having to re-think some of the much-loved traditions of the past. One tradition that I'm going to try to bring back, in a unique and maybe even crazy way, is having my students perform in a fourth-grade play. Yes, we're going to try to do this in the Zoom room and record it. Truly, I am pushing myself to the limits of my technological expertise. I'll be tapping into the iMovie and editing skills of my own teenagers. I have NO IDEA if the end product will be any good. As an extra added bonus, I've given myself a quick turn around by trying to pull of a Memorial Day play. Still, I know the kids will love performing. THEY are always up for a challenge. We'll have fun so for this reason it is worth the extra stress and effort. I may be asking some actors to attend Zoom sessions outside of the typical schedule. Thank you in advance for your flexibility. I'll keep you posted on our progress!
- Mrs. Gallagher has been working with the PTO to plan other ways to mark this important milestone. I'm sure that some announcements will be coming soon.
- Remember, the last day of school is now June 19th. We'll make the absolute best of our time together. We've got this!
I hope all of the mothers enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day. I don't know what we'd all do without the mothers and all the extra things they do every day to make it all come together for their families. You are appreciated by me!
I hope your family has a super week.
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
May 3, 2020
Hello families,
I don't have too many updates for you.
The State of Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued districts a little more guidance now that we know we'll be out for the remainder of the school year. It will not have a major impact on us as we are already doing much of what is recommended. There are a few small changes.
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
I don't have too many updates for you.
The State of Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued districts a little more guidance now that we know we'll be out for the remainder of the school year. It will not have a major impact on us as we are already doing much of what is recommended. There are a few small changes.
- DESE recommends that teachers post all assignments weekly and that those assignments be available to children and their families on Fridays. This is a little more doable for me now that we are not teaching live sessions on Fridays but it still presents a challenge. I will do my absolute best to have all assignments posted in Google Classroom and available to the children by 4:00 PM on Fridays. The School Closure Assignments page of this website will be updated to reflect the new assignments as soon as I can get it updated but no later than Sunday at 4:00 PM.
- DESE does not recommend grading students during this time. Truthfully, our district was beginning to move in this direction anyway. I'm not sure if it is official yet but we will likely be "promoting" students. Elementary teachers will also be providing families and next year's teachers with a brief narrative. Narratives will be fairly general but will capture how the student was able to participate. I will make statements like, "Your child was able to submit most work during the school closure" and "your child attended most live remote learning sessions and participated." Narratives will likely be available on the last day of school.
- DESE has paired down the standards that we need to cover by the end of the year. Truthfully, very little has been taken off our plates in math and ELA. Two of the items that were removed (narrative writing and the multiplication of fractions) have been taught before the closure or recently during the closure. Nonetheless, our team of fourth-grade educators will be using this guidance as we make instructional decisions moving forward.
- The DESE guidance, not unlike MURSD guidance to educators, places a strong emphasis on the importance of maintaining connections with our students. I am so happy that the kids have all stayed connected with me. Nothing is more important. Please continue to let me know if there is anything additional I can be doing to support your child's social and emotional health during this time.
- The last day of school is June 19th. I'm sure there will be some kind of plan for collecting school supplies, etc. as we get closer to the end. I'll share information as it is made available to me.
- The fourth-grade team met with Mrs. Gallagher remotely last Wednesday to discuss ideas for making the transition from Clough to Miscoe special. We had a good brainstorming session with some creative solutions. Please know that the idea of not seeing our students transition in a traditional way makes our hearts heavy too. We'll work hard to make the move as special as we can. Hopefully details will be available in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
April 26, 2020
Hello families,
I hope that your children were able to rest and have a little fun last week. In terms of fun and excitement, this vacation didn't score well on my end but it did provide some much needed rest. I didn't complete any special projects or do anything terribly productive but it was still a nice break.
Of course, the lowest point of vacation came with the announcement that we would not be returning to school this year. It is hard to describe my feelings about this decision. Of course I fully support it from a health and safety perspective but there is just so much guilt around it for me. I feel terrible about our last day together. I wish I had a do-over and could go back, knowing all that I now know. I wish we could have had some closure and that we could have had a real goodbye. I'm upset that my fourth-graders won't enjoy the milestones and transitions they deserve. I promise I will do everything in my power to make their transition as smooth and stress-free as possible! Please reach out to me with questions and concerns especially if you are feeling stress around decisions and the future. I will do the best that I can to get you the answers that you deserve.
The state has provided districts with some new guidance now that we know we are not returning to our physical classrooms. Although that guidance has yet to be shared with us, I have heard that the state will help us to narrow our instructional focus by outlining "must teach" standards versus "nice to teach" standards. I will alter my practice to match the district's and state's expectations once they are shared with me.
Our Teachers' Association has worked with the district's administration to fine tune the Remote Learning Plan. We have negotiated a few changes. The first, and most important one to me is that elementary students will NOT be graded. Instead, we will be providing each family with a narrative reflection at the end of the year. In my opinion, this is far more equitable and in line with the pass/fail assessment at our middle and high schools. It is very hard to know how hard I should be pushing the kids. I am so proud of the effort they are making but, if I'm being honest, I'm not getting work back from all students...even some of the kids who are generally high-achieving. It is hard to know why. Maybe it is because I'm assigning too much. Maybe it is because they don't have the tech skills to submit their work in Google Classroom. I don't want to send out emails about missing work because, frankly, I don't know what you are up against in your homes. I certainly don't want my email to add to the stress I know all families are already facing. I am happy to give you feedback on how I think your student is doing and I'd love to receive feedback from you. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to know what I'm seeing or if there is info you're willing to share with me.
Not included in our formal agreement but still reflective of change is the agreement that elementary students will no longer have LIVE instruction with their CORE teachers on Fridays. There will be chorus at 11:00 AM for students who have opted into the chorus program. I have revised the class schedule to reflect this change. I have added an extra help session on Tuesdays and I've changed the extra help session on Thursday to an SEL Zoom where the focus will be on students SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL well being. Pets and stuffed animals are welcome to attend! Please know that I will ABSOLUTELY be working on Fridays. My plan is to spend Fridays preparing the work for the following week. Right now, that work is done on Saturdays and Sundays. I spend approximately three to four hours every evening designing the next day's lessons. Having Fridays as a planning day will hopefully make teaching remotely more sustainable for me. In addition, I will now be able to take advantage of some of the remote learning professional development activities made available to our district's educators. Please know that I am 100% available to work with your students on Fridays on request. It is not a day off for me. I share my workload not to elicit sympathy but so that you can understand why we have advocated for this change in schedule. I hope the change doesn't cause any additional stress for your family.
I will close this week's update by saying THANK YOU. You have been unbelievably patient with me and the many changes I've made to your child's program. I'm so grateful to be teaching such lovely students from amazing families as I navigate my way through this tricky business of remote teaching and learning. I know I'm not doing this perfectly so I truly appreciate your acceptance of my many imperfections. Your kindness and generosity will always be remembered by me.
Please know that you can contact me at any time with questions or concerns. Be well, families!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
I hope that your children were able to rest and have a little fun last week. In terms of fun and excitement, this vacation didn't score well on my end but it did provide some much needed rest. I didn't complete any special projects or do anything terribly productive but it was still a nice break.
Of course, the lowest point of vacation came with the announcement that we would not be returning to school this year. It is hard to describe my feelings about this decision. Of course I fully support it from a health and safety perspective but there is just so much guilt around it for me. I feel terrible about our last day together. I wish I had a do-over and could go back, knowing all that I now know. I wish we could have had some closure and that we could have had a real goodbye. I'm upset that my fourth-graders won't enjoy the milestones and transitions they deserve. I promise I will do everything in my power to make their transition as smooth and stress-free as possible! Please reach out to me with questions and concerns especially if you are feeling stress around decisions and the future. I will do the best that I can to get you the answers that you deserve.
The state has provided districts with some new guidance now that we know we are not returning to our physical classrooms. Although that guidance has yet to be shared with us, I have heard that the state will help us to narrow our instructional focus by outlining "must teach" standards versus "nice to teach" standards. I will alter my practice to match the district's and state's expectations once they are shared with me.
Our Teachers' Association has worked with the district's administration to fine tune the Remote Learning Plan. We have negotiated a few changes. The first, and most important one to me is that elementary students will NOT be graded. Instead, we will be providing each family with a narrative reflection at the end of the year. In my opinion, this is far more equitable and in line with the pass/fail assessment at our middle and high schools. It is very hard to know how hard I should be pushing the kids. I am so proud of the effort they are making but, if I'm being honest, I'm not getting work back from all students...even some of the kids who are generally high-achieving. It is hard to know why. Maybe it is because I'm assigning too much. Maybe it is because they don't have the tech skills to submit their work in Google Classroom. I don't want to send out emails about missing work because, frankly, I don't know what you are up against in your homes. I certainly don't want my email to add to the stress I know all families are already facing. I am happy to give you feedback on how I think your student is doing and I'd love to receive feedback from you. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to know what I'm seeing or if there is info you're willing to share with me.
Not included in our formal agreement but still reflective of change is the agreement that elementary students will no longer have LIVE instruction with their CORE teachers on Fridays. There will be chorus at 11:00 AM for students who have opted into the chorus program. I have revised the class schedule to reflect this change. I have added an extra help session on Tuesdays and I've changed the extra help session on Thursday to an SEL Zoom where the focus will be on students SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL well being. Pets and stuffed animals are welcome to attend! Please know that I will ABSOLUTELY be working on Fridays. My plan is to spend Fridays preparing the work for the following week. Right now, that work is done on Saturdays and Sundays. I spend approximately three to four hours every evening designing the next day's lessons. Having Fridays as a planning day will hopefully make teaching remotely more sustainable for me. In addition, I will now be able to take advantage of some of the remote learning professional development activities made available to our district's educators. Please know that I am 100% available to work with your students on Fridays on request. It is not a day off for me. I share my workload not to elicit sympathy but so that you can understand why we have advocated for this change in schedule. I hope the change doesn't cause any additional stress for your family.
I will close this week's update by saying THANK YOU. You have been unbelievably patient with me and the many changes I've made to your child's program. I'm so grateful to be teaching such lovely students from amazing families as I navigate my way through this tricky business of remote teaching and learning. I know I'm not doing this perfectly so I truly appreciate your acceptance of my many imperfections. Your kindness and generosity will always be remembered by me.
Please know that you can contact me at any time with questions or concerns. Be well, families!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
April 12, 2020
Happy Easter and Passover!
I hope you are well and have enjoyed some well-deserved rest this weekend. It has been a month apart tomorrow. It just doesn't seem possible. I hope your family and especially your fourth-grader is enduring this time and is feeling okay. Here in my household, we're thriving one moment and then seemingly falling apart the next. With two teenagers there are a lot of emotional highs and lows. Big picture: we are blessed and we will get through this and come out a stronger family. At least that is what I keep telling myself.
Please accept my sincere thanks for the beautiful notes and gift certificate to 118 Main Street. It is quickly becoming one of my very favorite restaurants. I love that it is right around the corner from my home and that the food there is DELICIOUS. The little notes from parents and students were touching. Because I cry easily and I'm currently in a zombie-like state of exhaustion, there were full on ugly tears as I read the beautiful little card. You will never quite know how much this act of kindness meant to me. Trust me when I tell you it warmed my heart and lifted my spirits.
I have very little in terms of updates at this time. As far as I've been told, we will be having April vacation next week (April 20-April 24). There will be no assigned work from me. Please do encourage your fourth-grader to READ, work on fact fluency, take time to be creative, help around the house, take on some daily tasks (like making his or her own breakfast or lunch) with independence, and most importantly get outside and get moving!
We have learned, as you've probably heard, that the MCAS test will not be administered this academic year.
"Cancelling MCAS testing for the remainder of this school year will enable our teachers and students to focus on learning and personal well-being as we continue to navigate the current public health emergency," Sen. Jason Lewis, co-chair of the Legislature's Education Committee, said in a statement after the branches agreed to the bill Thursday. "Legislators heard loud and clear from teachers, parents and superintendents that this was the right thing to do."
While we certainly anticipated this news, it is a relief to hear that the decision is official. Once we return to school, I'll want to make the most of every second with your children. Spending even a moment on high stakes testing, given the loss of instructional time, would be one moment too many. I'm thankful that state leaders agree!
At the end of the week I will send out another short survey to parents. Again, I'm having a hard time truly assessing how the children are doing. I'll want some feedback on the quality of instruction, the schedule, the quality and quantity of work, the reasonableness of my expectations, and a general feel for how the children are coping. Any info you are willing to share will be appreciated.
In the meantime, please contact me immediately if I can do anything additional to support your children or your family. Trust your instincts when it comes to helping your child manage the work. You know what is best for your children and I will continue to support any decisions you make.
I continue to miss your children. My fingers are crossed for a May 4th return should state officials deem that it is safe for us to return.
Be well!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
I hope you are well and have enjoyed some well-deserved rest this weekend. It has been a month apart tomorrow. It just doesn't seem possible. I hope your family and especially your fourth-grader is enduring this time and is feeling okay. Here in my household, we're thriving one moment and then seemingly falling apart the next. With two teenagers there are a lot of emotional highs and lows. Big picture: we are blessed and we will get through this and come out a stronger family. At least that is what I keep telling myself.
Please accept my sincere thanks for the beautiful notes and gift certificate to 118 Main Street. It is quickly becoming one of my very favorite restaurants. I love that it is right around the corner from my home and that the food there is DELICIOUS. The little notes from parents and students were touching. Because I cry easily and I'm currently in a zombie-like state of exhaustion, there were full on ugly tears as I read the beautiful little card. You will never quite know how much this act of kindness meant to me. Trust me when I tell you it warmed my heart and lifted my spirits.
I have very little in terms of updates at this time. As far as I've been told, we will be having April vacation next week (April 20-April 24). There will be no assigned work from me. Please do encourage your fourth-grader to READ, work on fact fluency, take time to be creative, help around the house, take on some daily tasks (like making his or her own breakfast or lunch) with independence, and most importantly get outside and get moving!
We have learned, as you've probably heard, that the MCAS test will not be administered this academic year.
"Cancelling MCAS testing for the remainder of this school year will enable our teachers and students to focus on learning and personal well-being as we continue to navigate the current public health emergency," Sen. Jason Lewis, co-chair of the Legislature's Education Committee, said in a statement after the branches agreed to the bill Thursday. "Legislators heard loud and clear from teachers, parents and superintendents that this was the right thing to do."
While we certainly anticipated this news, it is a relief to hear that the decision is official. Once we return to school, I'll want to make the most of every second with your children. Spending even a moment on high stakes testing, given the loss of instructional time, would be one moment too many. I'm thankful that state leaders agree!
At the end of the week I will send out another short survey to parents. Again, I'm having a hard time truly assessing how the children are doing. I'll want some feedback on the quality of instruction, the schedule, the quality and quantity of work, the reasonableness of my expectations, and a general feel for how the children are coping. Any info you are willing to share will be appreciated.
In the meantime, please contact me immediately if I can do anything additional to support your children or your family. Trust your instincts when it comes to helping your child manage the work. You know what is best for your children and I will continue to support any decisions you make.
I continue to miss your children. My fingers are crossed for a May 4th return should state officials deem that it is safe for us to return.
Be well!
Sincerely,
Marie Brigham
April 5, 2020
Hello families,
I hope you are all well. My family continues to be doing as well as expected. The teenagers miss their friends of course and their activities. Caroline is a pretty good high jumper and is hoping to have a chance at the high school record (she tied it in middle school) but it might not be realistic to think they'll get their season in should we return to school. She is lucky though because she is only a freshman. Owen is still working at the Country Sooper in Upton (his after-school job) which makes me a little nervous. My neighbor made him a nice mask to wear there and that makes me feel a little better. He loves his job and feels like it is one way to serve our community during these challenging times. I miss your children. I feel blessed that technology is such that I can still "see" them and interact with them but it just isn't the same! Hopefully we'll be back together in early May.
As you know, I will begin to deliver instruction this week on a different schedule. I have created a tab for the schedule on this website and you can also access it by clicking this LINK.
Your child's assignments for the week are listed on the is website on the "School Closure Assignments" page accessible by clicking this LINK.
Superintendent, Dr. Maruszczak, sent out the MURSD's Remote Learning Plan to families at the end of last week. You can access the plan by clicking this LINK. He created a screencast explaining the plan. You can access the screencast by clicking this LINK.
He met with community members Saturday, April 4th in a Zoom Town Hall-Style meeting. He shared information and answered questions. I noticed that some of you were able to attend the meeting. If you were not, the meeting was recorded and you can access the recording by clicking on this LINK.
Finally, he reminded the community that the MURSD has set up a useful website with educational resources as well as answers to frequently asked questions. It really is a wonderful resource. I have been using it as both a district parent and educator. You can access the website by clicking this LINK.
In his messages to his staff and the community, Dr. Maruszczak has stressed that there is nothing more important to him than the wellness of the students. In his email to families last week he said,
"I want to reiterate this simple fact: your child’s learning is extremely important. However, we also understand the stress and at times, the sense of being overwhelmed that many of us are experiencing during this crisis. Connecting with and supporting our students will remain our primary focus. We are committed to give every student what he/she needs."
This is truly how we all feel. While I have said this more than once, it is worth repeating: no one knows your child better than you. No one can ensure that his or her needs are met better than you. I trust that you will make the very best decisions for your child as we move through these unprecedented times. You will have my full support in any decisions you make along the way. Please continue to let me know how I can best support you and your fourth-grader as we move forward.
I hope you are well,
Marie
Hello families,
I hope you are all well. My family continues to be doing as well as expected. The teenagers miss their friends of course and their activities. Caroline is a pretty good high jumper and is hoping to have a chance at the high school record (she tied it in middle school) but it might not be realistic to think they'll get their season in should we return to school. She is lucky though because she is only a freshman. Owen is still working at the Country Sooper in Upton (his after-school job) which makes me a little nervous. My neighbor made him a nice mask to wear there and that makes me feel a little better. He loves his job and feels like it is one way to serve our community during these challenging times. I miss your children. I feel blessed that technology is such that I can still "see" them and interact with them but it just isn't the same! Hopefully we'll be back together in early May.
As you know, I will begin to deliver instruction this week on a different schedule. I have created a tab for the schedule on this website and you can also access it by clicking this LINK.
Your child's assignments for the week are listed on the is website on the "School Closure Assignments" page accessible by clicking this LINK.
Superintendent, Dr. Maruszczak, sent out the MURSD's Remote Learning Plan to families at the end of last week. You can access the plan by clicking this LINK. He created a screencast explaining the plan. You can access the screencast by clicking this LINK.
He met with community members Saturday, April 4th in a Zoom Town Hall-Style meeting. He shared information and answered questions. I noticed that some of you were able to attend the meeting. If you were not, the meeting was recorded and you can access the recording by clicking on this LINK.
Finally, he reminded the community that the MURSD has set up a useful website with educational resources as well as answers to frequently asked questions. It really is a wonderful resource. I have been using it as both a district parent and educator. You can access the website by clicking this LINK.
In his messages to his staff and the community, Dr. Maruszczak has stressed that there is nothing more important to him than the wellness of the students. In his email to families last week he said,
"I want to reiterate this simple fact: your child’s learning is extremely important. However, we also understand the stress and at times, the sense of being overwhelmed that many of us are experiencing during this crisis. Connecting with and supporting our students will remain our primary focus. We are committed to give every student what he/she needs."
This is truly how we all feel. While I have said this more than once, it is worth repeating: no one knows your child better than you. No one can ensure that his or her needs are met better than you. I trust that you will make the very best decisions for your child as we move through these unprecedented times. You will have my full support in any decisions you make along the way. Please continue to let me know how I can best support you and your fourth-grader as we move forward.
I hope you are well,
Marie
March 28, 2020
Hello families,
So, it seems like we will be out until May 4th now. This makes me so sad. I completely agree with this decision and as a family, we are doing our part to socially distance but this is all so hard. I miss the students and my daily teaching routines at Clough. I'm finding all the time that I sit in front of the computer to be EXHAUSTING. It is exhausting in a different way. I'm exhausted from sitting still so much. I'm thankful for Zoom. We've been able to have a district-wide staff meeting, we've had our Clough faculty meeting, we've had numerous fourth-grade team meetings, and I've been able to hold Zoom meetings with my class three times now. BUT... I miss 3D contact with my students and colleagues.
Personally, my family is well. None of my immediate family members are ill although my sister-in-law (an ER nurse) and my 15-year-old-niece, are currently awaiting test results. My brother, who is retired Navy and works as a helicopter captain (not sure what he really does) cannot return to work until their test results are in. They live in the Pensacola, FL area. It is hard being so far away unable to really support them. Meanwhile, my teenagers and husband are doing okay. They 100% accept the need for social distancing and are slowly adapting to their new routines. My senior citizens are my real stress. I am working hard to support my mom who lives in a large 55+ building in Whitinsville and my aunt and uncle (who have no children of their own) who live in their own home in Shrewsbury. My mom is 79 and my Aunt and Uncle are in their early 80s. They just don't get it. While they are happy to have me run their errands and do their grocery shopping they are doing a terrible job with social distancing! My mom had dinner with some friends in one of her neighbor's apartments. "But, I trust them all!" is what she told me! My aunt, who is very charitable, has been to Abby's House to drop off candy for children and has been to the hospital for non-essential appointments, assures me that she would never go out and endanger others if she wasn't feeling well. UGH! They are requiring a lot of patience to say the least and sadly, I am having a hard time being patient.
I hope your families are weathering this storm okay. It is hard not knowing how you are all doing. Teaching like this, not knowing if the lessons are too hard, too easy, being done, not being done, stressful, etc. is HARD. I rethink every choice I make and often design lessons only to delete them and start from scratch the next day. Please let me know how you are all holding up...even if the email is only a couple of sentences long.
I don't have any major updates at this time. We're assuming that there will be a one year moratorium on MCAS but the legislature hasn't taken appropriate action to make this a reality YET. We're continuing this week with work that is mostly review. We are fortunate to be reading Tuck Everlasting so at least we can move forward with that . In math, we're enriching students' understanding of equivalent fractions. This is a big piece of fourth grade learning so it is fortunate that we can spend a little more time here.
I am ASSUMING that we will start introducing new material NEXT WEEK. We are awaiting guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our school district's administrators. Our fourth-grade team has started to make some preliminary plans. We will share our plans as soon as we have the abovementioned guidance and have had a chance to fine tune and finalize the plans. We are working to develop a plan that is developmentally appropriate for our students, offers an appropriate amount of rigor, offers supports for students who struggle, and can be done MOSTLY independent of parent support. The last thing we want to do is to stress families out.
You'll notice that there is a link to an "Extended Learning 4th Grade" document listed below the assignments for our class this week. Please check out this document with your child. There are some nice ideas to help your fourth-grader to extend his or her learning.
I will update this page as soon as we know more. Thank you so much for your patience as we all shift gears. I'm learning a lot...rapidly, but I'm imperfect and I still have a tremendous amount to learn.
Please tell the children that I miss them and that they are never far from my thoughts.
Be well!
Sincerely,
Marie
Hello families,
So, it seems like we will be out until May 4th now. This makes me so sad. I completely agree with this decision and as a family, we are doing our part to socially distance but this is all so hard. I miss the students and my daily teaching routines at Clough. I'm finding all the time that I sit in front of the computer to be EXHAUSTING. It is exhausting in a different way. I'm exhausted from sitting still so much. I'm thankful for Zoom. We've been able to have a district-wide staff meeting, we've had our Clough faculty meeting, we've had numerous fourth-grade team meetings, and I've been able to hold Zoom meetings with my class three times now. BUT... I miss 3D contact with my students and colleagues.
Personally, my family is well. None of my immediate family members are ill although my sister-in-law (an ER nurse) and my 15-year-old-niece, are currently awaiting test results. My brother, who is retired Navy and works as a helicopter captain (not sure what he really does) cannot return to work until their test results are in. They live in the Pensacola, FL area. It is hard being so far away unable to really support them. Meanwhile, my teenagers and husband are doing okay. They 100% accept the need for social distancing and are slowly adapting to their new routines. My senior citizens are my real stress. I am working hard to support my mom who lives in a large 55+ building in Whitinsville and my aunt and uncle (who have no children of their own) who live in their own home in Shrewsbury. My mom is 79 and my Aunt and Uncle are in their early 80s. They just don't get it. While they are happy to have me run their errands and do their grocery shopping they are doing a terrible job with social distancing! My mom had dinner with some friends in one of her neighbor's apartments. "But, I trust them all!" is what she told me! My aunt, who is very charitable, has been to Abby's House to drop off candy for children and has been to the hospital for non-essential appointments, assures me that she would never go out and endanger others if she wasn't feeling well. UGH! They are requiring a lot of patience to say the least and sadly, I am having a hard time being patient.
I hope your families are weathering this storm okay. It is hard not knowing how you are all doing. Teaching like this, not knowing if the lessons are too hard, too easy, being done, not being done, stressful, etc. is HARD. I rethink every choice I make and often design lessons only to delete them and start from scratch the next day. Please let me know how you are all holding up...even if the email is only a couple of sentences long.
I don't have any major updates at this time. We're assuming that there will be a one year moratorium on MCAS but the legislature hasn't taken appropriate action to make this a reality YET. We're continuing this week with work that is mostly review. We are fortunate to be reading Tuck Everlasting so at least we can move forward with that . In math, we're enriching students' understanding of equivalent fractions. This is a big piece of fourth grade learning so it is fortunate that we can spend a little more time here.
I am ASSUMING that we will start introducing new material NEXT WEEK. We are awaiting guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our school district's administrators. Our fourth-grade team has started to make some preliminary plans. We will share our plans as soon as we have the abovementioned guidance and have had a chance to fine tune and finalize the plans. We are working to develop a plan that is developmentally appropriate for our students, offers an appropriate amount of rigor, offers supports for students who struggle, and can be done MOSTLY independent of parent support. The last thing we want to do is to stress families out.
You'll notice that there is a link to an "Extended Learning 4th Grade" document listed below the assignments for our class this week. Please check out this document with your child. There are some nice ideas to help your fourth-grader to extend his or her learning.
I will update this page as soon as we know more. Thank you so much for your patience as we all shift gears. I'm learning a lot...rapidly, but I'm imperfect and I still have a tremendous amount to learn.
Please tell the children that I miss them and that they are never far from my thoughts.
Be well!
Sincerely,
Marie
March 17, 2020
Happy St. Patrick's Day! So, it seems like we'll be out till April 7th. I am thankful that our district's administrators are working so hard to support our students and their teachers. They have given us some helpful guidance on how to support our students.
At the elementary level, they'd like us to post two assignments each week beginning next Monday. Assignments will focus on allowing students to keep their skills sharp. We won't really be introducing new material.
I feel like balancing the needs of every family may be a little tricky. While some want explicit assignments and direction others would love to "unsubscribe" from my emails altogether. Most of you are probably somewhere in the middle or bounce back and forth between the two. I suspect, given the nature of what we're all going through, any response to communication from school is normal.
Here is what I plan to do: I will post one ELA assignment and one MATH assignment weekly. The ELA will involve reading and writing. The math may involve fluency work or practice in computation or problem solving. I will post answers to all math problems. I will use Google Classroom to post the assignments and I will also add a tab on this website that captures the assignments. I will simply email parents once a week (or slightly more often as we get Zoom up and running) to let you know that the classroom website has been updated. You can access the website at your convenience and encourage as much or as little daily work as you feel is appropriate for your child. Children who complete and submit assignments will receive written feedback from me in Google Classroom.
Finally, I'd like to use Zoom to connect our class socially. I'm sure the kids miss one another. It would be great to use this video conferencing tool to connect our class. I know that not all kids will be available to chat when I schedule a meeting but perhaps they can each make one or two of the chats over the course of the weeks that we're out of school. At this time, I'm planning a meeting for Thursday at noon. Your student will need to sign up for an account using his or her SCHOOL email. Please click HERE to be directed to Zoom's site. I will send an email to you AND your child on Thursday morning with explicit details about the chat.
Thanks for sticking with me during these CRAZY days. I wish you and your family PEACE and sanity as well as good health!
March 14, 2020
Because these are unprecedented times, we’re collaborating to answer questions as they arise. For the time being, we are postponing conferences. I’m optimistic that the school calendar can be adjusted so that they can be rescheduled once we return. I know that our school will work hard to communicate important details out to families as soon as they become available.
At this time, the state of Massachusetts has made no determination about the annual administration of the MCAS test. We are scheduled to begin practice and testing the week of March 30th. I will keep you posted with any updates I receive.
I am very sensitive to the fact that while every parent wants safety and health for their children more than anything, this suspension of school may be stressful as you try to balance your work and other home responsibilities. In the limited time that we had between the announcement and dismissal on Friday, our team of grade-four teachers made decisions about materials we’d send home and potential activities we’d recommend. Ideally, our students will spend time maintaining their skills so that when we return, we can hit the ground running. We had great momentum before leaving and I am so hopeful that we’ll pick up right where we left off. Please find the below SUGGESTIONS. I hope that they’ll give you some options and will help you manage this time at home without frustration.
Finally, I will try to email little assignments out to your child throughout the two weeks. Again, these assignments are optional. They will, however be closely aligned with what we are doing in class. I will send them directly to their email as well as yours so please encourage your child to check his or her email throughout the two weeks. This is good practice for middle school.
GMAIL and Google Classroom Login Info:
Students can find their email at gmail. It is an organizational email.
Their username is: lastnamefirstinitial28@student.mursd.org (example: brighamm28@student.mursd.org)
Their password is: !nspire#### The ####= the four digits of their lunch code. (example: !nspire1234).
Let me know if your child struggles and I'll do my best to help.
Be well my friends! I can't wait till we are back together in our classroom!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! So, it seems like we'll be out till April 7th. I am thankful that our district's administrators are working so hard to support our students and their teachers. They have given us some helpful guidance on how to support our students.
At the elementary level, they'd like us to post two assignments each week beginning next Monday. Assignments will focus on allowing students to keep their skills sharp. We won't really be introducing new material.
I feel like balancing the needs of every family may be a little tricky. While some want explicit assignments and direction others would love to "unsubscribe" from my emails altogether. Most of you are probably somewhere in the middle or bounce back and forth between the two. I suspect, given the nature of what we're all going through, any response to communication from school is normal.
Here is what I plan to do: I will post one ELA assignment and one MATH assignment weekly. The ELA will involve reading and writing. The math may involve fluency work or practice in computation or problem solving. I will post answers to all math problems. I will use Google Classroom to post the assignments and I will also add a tab on this website that captures the assignments. I will simply email parents once a week (or slightly more often as we get Zoom up and running) to let you know that the classroom website has been updated. You can access the website at your convenience and encourage as much or as little daily work as you feel is appropriate for your child. Children who complete and submit assignments will receive written feedback from me in Google Classroom.
Finally, I'd like to use Zoom to connect our class socially. I'm sure the kids miss one another. It would be great to use this video conferencing tool to connect our class. I know that not all kids will be available to chat when I schedule a meeting but perhaps they can each make one or two of the chats over the course of the weeks that we're out of school. At this time, I'm planning a meeting for Thursday at noon. Your student will need to sign up for an account using his or her SCHOOL email. Please click HERE to be directed to Zoom's site. I will send an email to you AND your child on Thursday morning with explicit details about the chat.
Thanks for sticking with me during these CRAZY days. I wish you and your family PEACE and sanity as well as good health!
March 14, 2020
Because these are unprecedented times, we’re collaborating to answer questions as they arise. For the time being, we are postponing conferences. I’m optimistic that the school calendar can be adjusted so that they can be rescheduled once we return. I know that our school will work hard to communicate important details out to families as soon as they become available.
At this time, the state of Massachusetts has made no determination about the annual administration of the MCAS test. We are scheduled to begin practice and testing the week of March 30th. I will keep you posted with any updates I receive.
I am very sensitive to the fact that while every parent wants safety and health for their children more than anything, this suspension of school may be stressful as you try to balance your work and other home responsibilities. In the limited time that we had between the announcement and dismissal on Friday, our team of grade-four teachers made decisions about materials we’d send home and potential activities we’d recommend. Ideally, our students will spend time maintaining their skills so that when we return, we can hit the ground running. We had great momentum before leaving and I am so hopeful that we’ll pick up right where we left off. Please find the below SUGGESTIONS. I hope that they’ll give you some options and will help you manage this time at home without frustration.
Finally, I will try to email little assignments out to your child throughout the two weeks. Again, these assignments are optional. They will, however be closely aligned with what we are doing in class. I will send them directly to their email as well as yours so please encourage your child to check his or her email throughout the two weeks. This is good practice for middle school.
GMAIL and Google Classroom Login Info:
Students can find their email at gmail. It is an organizational email.
Their username is: lastnamefirstinitial28@student.mursd.org (example: brighamm28@student.mursd.org)
Their password is: !nspire#### The ####= the four digits of their lunch code. (example: !nspire1234).
Let me know if your child struggles and I'll do my best to help.
Be well my friends! I can't wait till we are back together in our classroom!
Resources for your student...
Click on the "School Closure Assignments" tab for details on really nice to do and truly optional assignments.
In the end, do your best to keep your kiddo learning a little each day but know that these days may be trying. We all thrive on structure and routine and we are social beings. These next few days will push us out of our routines. Please reach out to me for support at any time you may need to over the next couple of weeks. I will be checking my email regularly and will get back to you within 24 hours.
I hope our time away from school passes quickly. In the meantime, I hope you are well.
- First, we’re really hoping that after a couple of weeks of social distancing, we’ll be able to resume normal activities like our Memorial Day concert. Your children have their music so please encourage them to practice singing their patriotic songs!
- We have sent home Go Math! Unit 12. There are no specific pages that we’re assigning but please feel free to encourage your child to use it as an independent study. It is a unit that we seldom get to pay enough attention to. This is not intended to stress ANYONE out. We just want to provide some resources for you as parents to tap into in case you’re looking for productive work for your kiddos. Additionally, anything you can do to encourage the maintenance and/or development of fact fluency will also be helpful and very much appreciated.
- We also sent Tuck Everlasting home. We have read through Chapter 10. Students should feel free to finish the book. We will likely revisit it once we return but with the loss of two weeks, we’d like to give kids the option to get it read. It would be hard for an adult to begin a book, put it down for two weeks and then resume it. This will be harder still for the students. The book is not an easy read for many of the children in our class though. It is rich with figurative language. Also, the theme causes the reader to contemplate the concept of living forever. Many students will need some support. It may help for them to hear the text read aloud. Tuck Everlasting is available on Audible (www.audible.com). If you don’t already subscribe, you can sign up for a free thirty-day trial. I invite you to read it with your child but I also realize that this may be unrealistic for some families. We will work around whatever you’re able to do at home once we return to school.
- Your student was sent home with an additional day of ASL work. One day had been sent home previously so your child should have access to two day's worth of work. This work is 100% optional. It should provide your child with some appropriate opportunities to extend their learning away from a screen. Don't get me wrong, our access to technology will make this time away from the classroom far more bearable and will allow for some good learning opportunities. However, I would hate to be stuck to a screen for prolonged periods of time and I'm sure, after a while, our kids will feel the same way. A couple of hours of screen time a day is probably still a good rule of thumb.
- Bring math into your home... Invite your fourth-grader into your thinking when you use math to measure, cook, figure out a family schedule, estimate a price, figure out the tip, etc.
- Play math games with your child when you can. Play any game with your child. Board games grow brains. Teach your child to play Chess. Don't know how to play? Model being a lifelong learner by trying to learn chess along with your child. www.chesskid.com is free and teaches the game. It is cute too!
- Read TO your child. Your days are numbered when it comes to reading TO your child. Do it whenever they will allow and whenever you can manage to keep your eyes open long enough to get through a chapter etc.
- Read with your child. Sit, side by side, and read your own materials. Modeling reading as a healthy life habit is critical.
- Encourage your child to read. Visit your library’s website. Did you know that you can order library books online? They also have digital books that can be downloaded for free!
- Your child can continue his or her work in LEXIA. Email me if you're having any difficulty with access. Our March Madness Lexia challenge goes till the end of the month. Our class has some ground to make up if we are going to have any chance of taking the lead. If all kids did a little Lexia (20ish minutes) each day we'd be in good shape.
- Mystery Science has provided open-and-go lessons without requiring a sign-up or student login.
- Vooks is a streaming library of animated children's storybooks. You can begin a free 30-day trial today! This can be a great way to continue our #classroombookaday routine, at home! Vooks can also be a welcome distraction for parents, allowing you to enjoy time with your kids, watching and discussing books together. https://watch.vooks.com/
- Encourage your child to write while away from school. Even if they just work to journal a little, capturing each day’s activity.
In the end, do your best to keep your kiddo learning a little each day but know that these days may be trying. We all thrive on structure and routine and we are social beings. These next few days will push us out of our routines. Please reach out to me for support at any time you may need to over the next couple of weeks. I will be checking my email regularly and will get back to you within 24 hours.
I hope our time away from school passes quickly. In the meantime, I hope you are well.