Thanks for the Flowers

Thanks to Bru-Mar Gardens and the Bay Ridge Nursery for donating flowers to Hillsmere!

PBIS Update

Students are continuing to display respectful behaviors to self, others, learning and environment.  As a result, they are earning a variety of incentives within the classroom including lunch with the teacher, homework passes, reading to a lower grade level and many others.  Our latest school-wide incentive is a sock hop.  This past Friday, primary students in grades K-2 entered the gym, took off their shoes and danced to the Chicken Dance, The Cha Cha Slide and several others.  Everyone had a great time.  The intermediate students will have theirs this week.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Donna Usewick.

Hillsmere Early Birds Ready “The Nightingale”

Talk of adding an hour to the school day will raise a chorus of objection from most students.  However, twenty 4^th and 5^th graders at Hillsmere Elementary have volunteered to come to school one hour early twice a week since January.  These early birds are the cast of “The Nightingale,” a musical drama based on a Hans Christian Andersen tale. 

“The Nightingale” is set in China.  It tells of an emperor who falls in love with the music of a nightingale and then replaces her melodies with a wind-up bird.  When this artificial bird breaks, the emperor finds himself near death.  He is revived when the real nightingale returns to sing to him.  The story caught the attention of Hillsmere’s music teacher, Jennifer Denny, after she took a trip to China last summer.

“I spent over two weeks traveling through China with my mom,” Ms. Denny said.  “We saw Beijing, the Yangtze River and so many other amazing sites.  When I saw this play, I felt a real connection and chose it for Hillsmere’s spring production.”

But it wasn’t just her vacation destination that led Ms. Denny to “The Nightingale.”

“I wanted to do something cultural.  If I can teach the kids about a country’s music and heritage, they’ll have a better foundation for learning more about that country in the class room.”

Rebecca Clingenpeel, 11, of Annapolis, couldn’t agree more.  She wears a white feather mask to play the title role of the nightingale.

“I had to do a report for media on a country and I chose China because of what I was finding out in this play,” she said.

While Rebecca has no spoken words in the play, she has a wide range of gestures and a dance Ms. Denny choreographed using ballet positions.

On the other end of the dialog scale is Brandon Mackel, 11, of Annapolis.  He has several speeches to deliver in his role as emperor.

“I think the emperor is a basically a good guy,” Brandon said.  “He has to have a lot of authority.  Sometimes when he wants something he seems bad.”

The rich plot and story line are matched with elaborate costumes and props.  Hillsmere parent volunteer Valerie Devaris is assisting Ms. Denny. 

“We have silk costumes for the emperor and courtiers, but were stumped on what to do for the Chinese citizens,” Mrs. Devaris remembers.  “I thought about making tunics because I wanted something peasant-like and simple.  Then I remembered the costumes our church uses in plays.  They loaned us some shepherd robes which work perfectly.”

Rounding up props is like a treasure hunt, according to Mrs. Devaris.  A large gong, stringed zither, stethoscope and walking staff were borrowed, while many items are under construction, such as brightly colored lanterns, a large clock face, forest trees and pagodas. 

The 20 “Nightingale” cast members will be joined by Hillsmere Elementary’s 75-member chorus, also made up of 4^th and 5^th grade students.

“We do have a large chorus,” laughs Ms. Denny.  “They have been working on the music since January and they love it.  I don’t have to pull teeth to make this work for them.  They’re very enthusiastic.”

This enthusiasm led Ms. Denny to enter the chorus in a competition.   Two days after the performance at school, the Hillsmere chorus will travel to Pennsylvania to sing tunes from “The Nightingale” at Music in the Parks, a competition open to schools across the country.

“We are really excited about this,” Ms. Denny said.  “This is a first for us and I really believe these kids are ready.”

Music in the Parks is a competition for school instrumental and choral ensembles held near amusement parks throughout the country.  The Hillsmere Elementary chorus will travel to Hershey Park on May 10 to compete against seven schools from Maryland and Pennsylvania.  After the competition, students will spend the day at the park and attend an awards ceremony at the Hershey Park Arena that evening. 

Finishing touches and fine tuning are all that’s left before the May 8 performance.  So, have the early hours of rehearsal through the cold winter months been worth it?

“Yes,” says Emperor Brandon Mackel.  “It’s been fun.”

There will be two performances of “The Nightingale” at Hillsmere Elementary (3052 Arundel on the Bay Road, Annapolis) Thursday, May 8.  At 2 PM there will be a show for the Hillsmere Elementary student body and at 7 PM a performance for parents and community friends.  Admission is free.  To find out more, contact Ms. Denny at Hillsmere Elementary at 410-222-1622.  

 Parent Coffee

Our next, and final, Parent Coffee will be held on Tuesday, May13^th at 9:00 a.m. in the staff lounge.  Please join us for this informal opportunity to meet with the principal, assistant principal, guidance counselor and reading teacher.  

Pre-k News

Mrs. Adams

Welcome spring!  During the month of May, we will be working on our final Open Court unit, “Changes.”  In math, we will be learning about 3-D objects, making sets and sorting objects by attribute.  Social studies lessons will focus on crafts from other countries and using money.  Be sure to ask your child about our caterpillars in our science center.  We will be watching them as they turn into Painted Lady butterflies!

Please look for our May Pre-k newsletter in your child’s folder.  There are several special events this month that require papers to be returned to school as well as schedule changes.  Your child will also be bringing home the date and time for your spring Pre-k conference.  We look forward to sharing your child’s accomplishments with you!

Thanks for all of your support!

Kindergarten News

Mrs. Ferrer, Mrs. Buck, Mrs. Reyna and Mrs. Holtzman

We are hoping that all of the April showers will bring May flowers and more sunny weather! The month of May will be very busy for the kindergarten classes with many scheduled events. Please see the grade level newsletter for a list of these activities.

Our new Open Court language arts unit is titled, “By the Sea”. During this unit we will continue to work on oral blending, segmentation, writing, spelling, and concepts of print. The students will also explore, through many informational texts, facts about the ocean, marine and animal life.

In social studies, we will continue our second step lessons and discuss how to stay safe during the summer. Math lessons will include comparing and measuring length, acting out story problems, combining sets, beginning addition and subtraction, counting by 2s’, and identifying halves and fourths.

In science, we will continue to talk about plants. All the classes will be planting flowers in various locations around the building. We will also be learning about the habitats and lifestyles of the many sea creatures introduced in our “By the Sea” unit.

As always thanks for your support.

First Grade News

Ms. Garczynski, Mrs. Plumer, Mrs. Spence and Mrs. Adkins 

WOW!  Can you believe that we have a little over a month left in school!  Even though our school year is winding down, it is important to stress good work habits throughout the remainder of the school year.  It is also imperative that your child has the necessary school supplies.  We will be working hard until the last day of school, and the students need to have the following supplies replenished:  crayons, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, tissues, and scissors.

Our last field trip of the school year will be on May 22, 2008 to the Science Center.  If you have not signed a permission slip for your child to attend the trip, please do so ASAP! 

This month in Open Court, we will be reading non-fiction selections about “Homes.”  A homework letter will be coming home soon asking for you to send in pictures of your child’s home, or the homes of animals for our question/concept board. We will also be reviewing all of the sounds and spellings learned throughout the school year. 

In math, we will continue to measure in inches and centimeters, tell time to the half hour, practice basic math facts, count various money amounts, and measure temperature on a thermometer.

In science we are learning about magnets.     

In social studies we are learning how we are citizens in the United States of America.  

As always, if you have any questions, please talk with your child’s teacher. 

Second Grade News

Mrs. Meiser, Mrs. Hinson and Mrs. Shermer

In language arts, we have begun our final unit called “Our Country and its People”. The students are learning about our history and the many cultures that make up the U.S.A.  Please continue to encourage your child to bring in books, pictures, magazine articles, newspaper articles, or any other artifacts that relate to our unit. Also, please remind your child to read for at least twenty minutes each evening, this is sure to increase their fluency!

In math, we will continue to practice our facts, geometry, telling time, regrouping in subtraction and addition and counting money.  Also, we are learning about fractions, measuring volume, area, perimeter and length.  We have started multiplication (by 0,1,2 and 5) and division.   Please make sure that your child practices his/her facts each evening and that his/her homework is completed. In social studies, we are discussing culture, and history (especially of our ancestors.) 

Be on the lookout for a field trip permission slip in the next couple of weeks. This will be the final trip for 2^nd grade. We will be taking a walk through our community to visit some local businesses.  Thank you for your continued support.

Third Grade News

 Ms. Armiger, Ms. Goudounis and Ms. Clempner

Should we dare say that spring has sprung? We surely are glad to have a break in the weather. Our students are looking forward to their upcoming activities outside (gardening, field day, etc.).  Please keep an eye out on the weather and ensure that your child dresses appropriately for school.

In math this month, we are really diving into division. If you child has a solid foundation with their multiplication facts, division should be a breeze (as division is multiplication’s sibling). Please ensure that your child is practicing their facts daily. We will also be moving into geometry and studying various geometric solids. Be on the look out for items in your house that are examples of these. For example, dice are cubes, cereal boxes are rectangular prisms, and an upside down ice cream cone is an example of a triangular prism).

In language arts, we are starting out last unit of the year, Country Life. This is one of the students’ favorites. We will be learning all about “life out on the farm ya’ll.” Take a moment and discuss with your child how important farming is and how it produces many of our daily necessities.

In science, we will be starting our Earth/Space Science unit where we will be learning about all of the different landforms on Earth. In social studies, we will be learning about the role that the government plays in our community.

A special thanks to everyone who has volunteered in our classrooms this month. We truly appreciate all that you contribute to our classrooms!!! 

Fourth Grade News

Mrs. Fortune, Mrs. Geredien and Mr. Law

On May 6^th, the fourth grade will venture to Historic St. Mary’s City to experience Maryland colonial life.  We will need as many chaperones as possible for this trip, so mark your calendars and get ready to embark with us on this exciting adventure.  It is an extended day field trip so please make sure you have arranged to pick up your child when we return to school around 5:00 p.m.

We have just begun our last unit in language arts: A Changing America.  The selections in this unit offer students unique perspectives of colonial life during the American Revolution.  We will continue to learn about ecology before moving on to our study of matter and energy in Science.  During Social Studies, we will continue our study of present day Maryland.  Equivalent fractions, division, multiplication and probability will be revisited during this month in Math.  Homework continues to be an important part of your child’s success and mastery of skills presented at school.  Please ensure that it is done each and every night. 

Fifth Grade News

Mrs. Kirchner and Mrs. Hanna

This month, our fifth graders will be taking two field trips.  On May 15^th, we will shadow at the middle school visiting classes and having lunch in the cafeteria.  They will meet Mrs. Page, the principal, and their guidance counselors.  This is always an exciting time for our “baby dragons” and we’ve found that it alleviates a great deal of worry about the unknown.

On May 19^th, we will return to the Eastport Yacht Club to take a boat trip and plant our baby oysters in their new homes.  This is traditionally a joyous journey for all—hopefully full of sunshine and warm weather.  We appreciate and applaud the efforts and generosity of the members of the Eastport Yacht Club for supporting this yearly endeavor.  We also appreciate the labors of Mr. and Mrs. Kirchner for their painstaking organization that teaches our students the importance of community work in caring for the Bay. 

We would also like to recognize the labors of all fifth graders (and their families) who participated in the science fair.  In our eyes, you’re all winners for the accomplishment of your projects and the learning you achieved.  The excitement we observed as you submitted your projects and shared your newly discovered knowledge with your classmates was energizing for all!  Congratulations to Tristan White who, with his bronze medal, will accompany his project to the Anne Arundel County Science Fair. 

Although we do not yet have a date, we are looking toward 5^th grade promotion.  As you can see, our excitement for the very near future is building.  However, we are not finished yet!  Please continue to encourage your 5^th grader to complete her or his homework nightly.  With the warm weather and increased hours of daylight, it is easy to forget we are still in school.  Let’s make this final month the best yet!

Topic: Summer Reading Loss

Thank you for the tremendous support given for the Bowie Baysox Reading incentive program. It was wonderful to see students, parents, and staff at the ball game on April 18^th. The evening began with an infield parade to congratulate those students present and was followed by an exciting game.  The evening was topped off with a spectacular fireworks display!

 This month, we decided to share excerpts from a wonderful article about summer reading loss. “June is fast approaching — you can feel the heat of summer in the hallways. Days are longer, attention spans are growing shorter, and everyone is ready for a break. Teachers are planning for their vacation time. Children are ready to shrug off the mantle of "student" for the three-month break, along with the backpacks, the math homework, and the quizzes and tests. But just because school is out, it doesn't mean that reading and learning should stop. Teachers know that many children can't afford to take such a long break. Young readers who don't continue to read over the summer — especially those who are reluctant or at-risk — are likely to lose crucial ground. One summer off can sometimes mean a whole school year of struggling academic performance.

 Regardless of other activities, the best predictor of summer loss or summer gain is whether or not a child reads during the summer. And the best predictor of whether a child reads is whether or not he or she owns books. Understandably, summer reading loss or "summer setback" is a bigger problem for children from low-income families. Their reading achievement typically declines an average of three months between June and September, while that of typical middle-class students improves or remains the same. This means that a summer reading loss of three months accumulates to a crucial two-year gap by the time kids are in middle school, even if their schools are equally effective. It suggests that focusing all of our efforts on improving the schools isn't going to work.

Children need to read outside of school. Research clearly shows that the key to stemming summer reading loss is finding novel ways to get books into the hands of children during the summer break.

Limited access to books is only part of the reason for summer reading loss. While we know that the more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, it is less clear how to motivate children to read. Put simply, children whose reading skills are not strong — who have a history of less-than-successful reading experiences — simply aren't as interested in voluntary reading as are those children with a history of successful reading experiences.

While the statistics on summer reading loss seem discouraging, there are answers. Studies suggest that children who read as few as six books over the summer maintain the level of reading skills they achieved during the preceding school year. Reading more books leads to even greater success. When children are provided with 10 to 20 self-selected children's books at the end of the regular school year, as many as 50 percent not only maintain their skills, but actually make reading gains.”(Excerpts from Bridging the Summer Reading Gap. Anne McGill-Franzen and Richard Allington are education professors at the University of Florida. They can be reached via email at mcgillUFL@aol.com. )

 As you read, it is crucial to your child’s reading performance for next fall that reading is continued through the summer months. Celebrate literacy with your child by making connections with the public library, watch for special summer events at local bookstores, and pack away books or other reading material along with clothes as you head off on vacation. Most important of all, be a positive reading model to your child. Children imitate what their parents do. Make summer reading a priority this summer!

 Happy Reading!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION NEWS

               Mr. Gillette

Mark your calendars.  The end of the school year is fast approaching which means it is time for field day.  This year, our field day event will be held on Friday, May 23^rd (the rain date is Tuesday May 27^th).  Field day provides students with an opportunity to have fun, use some skills that they have learned throughout the year, and experience some new activities that promote physical activity.  A letter will be going home shortly asking for parent volunteers and giving more details about the event.  Field day is successful because of the parent involvement.  If you are able to volunteer, the students and staff greatly appreciate it.

During the month of April, students in 3^rd – 5^th grades completed their striking with implements unit.  In this unit we used tennis and badminton rackets to strike different objects using the forehand and the backhand.  These students then had their unit on foot skills to learn about dribbling, kicking for distance, and kicking for accuracy.  We finished up the month learning about different dances to prepare for the sock hop.

Students in K – 2^nd grades also started the month by completing their striking unit.  These students used paddles with short handles to strike light weight objects.  Then, the students learned a variety of line and novelty dances that they were able to use at the sock hop.  These students also learned about different tag games in our chasing, fleeing, and dodging unit.  I am looking forward to May and all of the units we have planned for the end of the year.

Ms. Denny, Mr. Kolmus and Ms. Koch

Congratulations to the cast and chorus of Lemonade. What a fabulous job, well done! Everyone involved had a marvelous time.

Please mark your calendars for these events. Our fourth and fifth grade chorus will be performing a full musical “The Nightingale” on May 8^th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. It is very helpful for our students to practice at home as well as in school. Please do the best you can to encourage your child to review the music and/or speaking parts.              

            May 8^th – “The Nightingale” 4^th and 5^th grade chorus

May 10^th – Music in the parks – Hershey Park Choral Competition (chorus students only)

Currently, the general music classes are studying Timbre. All classes are experimenting with this area on different levels.

Timbre is the tone color or special sound that something makes.

Kindergarten – Nature/city sounds, body percussion, and found sounds

First Grade – Identify and properly use classroom instruments

Second Grade – Instrument families

Third Grade – Instrument families and their distinctive timbres

Fourth Grade – American folk instruments and European period instruments

Fifth Grade – Instrument families, Percussion exploration

Media News

             Mrs. Augustine

Birthday Book Club

THANK YOU to all the families who have donated to the media center through the birthday book club.  The following students have donated books to the media center this month.  Look for future students in the June newsletter. 

Noah Z. (1/25)                              A Fine, Fine School

Erin B. (2/4)                                  How Do Dinosaurs Go To School

Demetri B. (2/13)                          Knuffle Bunny Too

Sam L. (2/13)                                 Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Sam B. (2/14)                                  Knut: how one little polar bear captivated the world

Katerina B. (2/14)                           Fix It Sam

Dylan B. (2/18)                                 Knuffle Bunny

Henry S. (3/21)                               Move!

Daphne E. (3/29)                              Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct

Dennis F. (4/4)                                 I Spy School Days

Morgan B. (4/7)                              Junie B. Jones Is A Party Animal

Meghan C. (4/7)                                Over in the Ocean: in a Coral Reef

Peyton Faith C. (4/9)                       Good Boy Fergus

Nicky W. (4/9)                                 Mountain of Mittens

Olivia L. (4/15)                               No Talking

Nicholas S. (4/19)                           I Spy Year Round Challenger

Book Clubs 

The fourth grade Black-Eyed Susan book club finished three books and celebrated with pizza and cookies while voting for their favorite book.  The fifth grade Black-Eyed Susan book club will finish their third book this month and vote for their favorite. 

All 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade Chessie forms are due in the media center by May 23^rd.  First grade forms are due May 30^th.  Please encourage your child to spend time reading this month.  There is still time to get those boats, stars, stripes and medals.

AND THE WINNER IS…

The students of Hillsmere Elementary School voted and the votes were tallied!

1^st Place:                      Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi

2^nd Place (tied)             The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens

                                    Tunjur, Tunjur Tunjur by Margaret Read McDonald

Look for the state winners in the June newsletter!

Classes

The students are busy creating research projects and reading great books.  Here’s a glimpse of what they are doing this month in media:

PreK will continue to read books that encourage them to be book lovers!

K will focus on books and activities that connect to their OC unit “By the Sea.”

1^st grade will spend some time learning about Chessie book club.  They will also review their library skills.

2^nd grade will practice using the Super 3 Research Model (Plan, Do & Review) to research about one of our 50 states.

3^rd grade will also review their library skills while using various resources in the media center for research.

4^th grade will continue to research safety inventions.  They will create posters about the safety inventions they researched.

5^th grade will create presentation folders on their favorite author and favorite book.  They will research biographical information on an author and then write a review on a book by that author.

May is a very busy month at Hillsmere, so please take extra time to make sure your child is returning his/her library books to the media center.  The end of May is inventory time in the media center and it will be very important to get those books back on the shelves.  Thank you your support and help regarding this matter. 

Happy May and Happy Reading!!!

ART NEWS

              Mrs. Dorsey

Where students explore, discover, create, and have fun! 

Congratulations to kindergartener Grace S. and third grader John G. for being selected as two of Hillsmere’s emerging artists! Their artwork will be on display at the All-County Art Exhibit at Westfield Shoppingtown (Annapolis Mall) from May 2^nd through May 31^st.  Go check it out! 

Kindergarten has been learning about animals through the story, A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. They have been applying their knowledge of line, shape, color, and texture to make their own sealife collage, which will correspond with their upcoming unit in reading, Under the Sea.

First grade students are creating emphasis in their artwork. They are cutting and tearing colored paper to create abstract collages based on their reading of the story, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.

Second grade students learned about Oaxacan wood carvings and made Oaxacan-inspired three-dimensional turtles and tortoises out of papier-mâché. Their sculptures are brightly painted and wildly patterned, and will be adorning the bookshelves of the Media Center shortly.

Third grade is learning about form and is making totem pole sculptures out of recycled materials and papier-mâché. They are decorating their totem poles with self-selected animals and paint colors.

Fourth grade just finished a pop art self-portrait in the style of Andy Warhol. Students had their photograph taken and were given black and white photocopies of their image to paint or color with oil pastels, and created variety in their artwork by using different color schemes.

Fifth grade is learning about rhythm and abstract art through the example of Alma Woodsey Thomas. Students are simulating Thomas’ abstract style of painting using a cut or torn paper collage technique, focusing on simplifying and distorting their images.

Counselor’s Corner – Mrs. Susan Carson            

Classroom Guidance

During the months of April the classroom guidance lessons focused on personal safety.  The students learned what to do if someone is bullying or harassing them; who a stranger is and what to do if a stranger approaches them; personal rights and abuse; and how to handle peer pressure.   

Help Your Child Get Organized for School Success

Children need organization skills to succeed in school.  Without them, they lose school materials and come to school unprepared.  They forget what they’re supposed to do.  And they don’t turn in homework on time. 

Parents play a key role in helping children learn the responsible behavior they need to be successful students Encourage your child to: 

• Create a “day at a glance.”  Help your child make a schedule of what he/she does in school and when.  Tape it to the inside cover of their agenda book.
• Use the agenda book.  Remind your students to use their agenda book to write down their homework assignment, due dates and days left until each assignment deadline. 
• Make “To Do” lists.  After school your child could write down everything he/she has to do before bedtime.  If your child is too young, help him/her make the list, perhaps with pictures.  Let your child check off each task as it is completed.
• Take care of difficult tasks first.  Especially with homework, it’s best to do the most difficult tasks when your child’s energy is high.
• Put completed homework and books back into the backpack.  When your child has completed his/her homework, remind him/her to put everything back into their backpack so that it will be ready to go in the morning.