Guest Post from Grade 2

Each grade level is providing a guest entry to my blog this year. Here are pictures and words from grade 2.

The Second Grade students had Native American Day on January 13th. The children studied the 4 major native regions in North America. Each child did a wonderful job on their projects and presentations to their families. The children also had the opportunity to visit the Harvard Museum and participated in an excellent program called Igloos to Adobes. They were guided into the world of natives of long ago and problem solved how their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter were met. It was an excellent way to end our Native American unit.

WASH Committee

The W.A.S.H. committee addresses issues related to wellness, allergies, safety and health. Members include the school principal, school nurse and parent volunteers. We discuss ways to provide “safe foods” and create food friendly environments so students with dietary restrictions are able to fully participate in school events. We promote the safety of the Birch Meadow Community in and around the school area and we encourage the physical well being of students at the Birch Meadow School.
Some of our accomplishments include:
• worked with the P.T. O. to ensure that food alternatives were provided at school events
• advocated for the installation of a new crosswalk on Birch Meadow Drive so that families entering the back of the school have a safe spot to access the classrooms at the back of the school and the playground area
• partnered with Safe Routes to School and successfully implemented two Walk to School Days.

Currently, we are working to develop a program that will introduce children to games and activities that can be played during recess. We hope to support children who are having difficulty joining groups or motivating themselves to stay active during recess time. We are committed to enhancing the wellness, safety and health of the Birch Meadow Community. If you would like to support our team, we welcome your suggestions and assistance. We meet at the Birch Meadow School at 10:00 on the first Thursday of the month.

Staff Meeting Video - Shift Happens

I like to start my staff meetings with humor or information I believe teachers will find interesting. This is the video teachers watched Thursday, January 14th at the beginning of the staff meeting. Enjoy this video seen by millions of people including Birch Meadow teachers. The video has interesting implications for the future of education.

Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age http://youtu.be/ljbI-363A2Q

3rd Grade Reading Memorial Light Dept. t-shirt contest winner

One component of RMLD’s annual Public Power Week/Energy Awareness Month activities is a t-shirt contest for our 3rd grade students. Kyle Talbot was recently honored for his entry. His t-shirt is on display in the school lobby.

The students learned about wind power, solar power, hydropower and other renewable sources of non-polluting energy, as well as electrical safety during their fall curriculum. In addition, students began to understand about environmentally friendly sources of power and energy, known as green energy, as well as how each student can save energy at school and home. Students were then asked to turn this new knowledge into creative works of art.

The pictures below show winning entries from Kyle, Reading, and surrounding towns.

LEGO ROBOTICS 2010

Below is the full compliment of pictures from the LEGO ROBOTICS event which took place on January 9. 2010.

Congratulations to all of our participants in the lego robotics competition last weekend. Birch Meadow had three teams participate - Emerald Raptors (Cameron, Alex, Andrew, Roberto, Chris, and Tyler), Supersonic Chicks (Rohini, Kalli, Molly, Esther), and Time Travelers (Alec, Douglas, Craig, Nathaniel, Ryder, and Matthew). A special thank you to our coordinator, Lisa Hutchinson. Thank you to Birch Meadow coaches: Susan Smith, Kathy Kelly, Ka Shawna Bell, Mark Gillis, David Hutchinson, Mario Jarrin, Marieke Zhao, Ajay Chebbi, and Susan Jones.

HONESTY

The pictures below show the third grade students during our all school assembly where we introduced our character trait of the month - "Honesty". The 3rd grade led us in the pledge, school song, and then introduced us to the theme of Honesty.

As a follow-up to the assembly, classes will be reading and discussing the book The Empty Pot by Demi for the Culture and Climate Committee's "One School, One Book" idea.

Birch Meadow has a Climate & Culture Committee. The members of the committee decided to implement this "One School, One Book" idea for each of our monthly character themes. So, just as Third Grade has chosen 'The Empty Pot', each grade level will choose a children's book that relates to the theme they are responsible for presenting at the assembly and the whole school will share it. The follow-up activity then is based around the book.

Each of the classes will go online to the following website: http://www.storylineonline.net/ where students can hear the story read-aloud or teachers will read the book to their class.

Students will earn Birch Meadow Bears if they are observed showing honesty at Birch Meadow. Parents are encouraged to look for their children showing honesty at home and reward them with a bear. More bears will be sent home next week – be sure to write your child’s name and room number and the reason for the reward on the bear and return it to the office. We will display them in the lobby during Honesty month.

Student Art Work

Congratulations to Liam, Aimee, Isabella, and Caroline whose art work is displayed in the main office.