Baker Business

Thanks to the South Dennis Free Public Library for hosting us last night!  Students filled the room to listen to Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola!  Each family got their own copy of the book to take home.

The fun continues next Wednesday evening, February 1, 2012, at the Dennis Memorial Library! (1020 Old Bass River Road
Dennis, MA 02638
http://www.dennismemoriallibrary.org/)

We will read another story by Tomie dePaola, and each family will again receive a book to take home!  Isn’t reading fun?

Here is a picture from last night.  If you were able to attend, please comment and let me know what you thought!  Thanks!

Mr. D

The first issue of our school newspaper is out! Take a look! We hope to publish another issue next Tuesday! Happy Reading!  (Click on the image to make it larger!)

The picture says it all…it feels great to work hard and get something accomplished!  This is a picture of a second grade girl who just couldn’t wait to share her report on penguins.  Research projects are common in all of our grade levels, and provide students with an authentic purpose for reading and writing.

January has been a busy time at our school.  Last week, we kicked off 2012 with a Family Reading Night.  Families that were able to come heard a Junior Great Books story.  Each classroom has a similar experience every week.  We chose this program because it exposes all of our students to great classic literature and really challenging vocabulary.  Check out the Jr. Great Books News on the right side of this page.  Our next Family Reading Night will be held this Wednesday. January 25th, at the South Dennis Library.    (Click here for a link to the library!) We will begin an author study of Tomie DePaola, and each family that attends will leave with a book by this author to read at home. Reading Night

Our Penny Harvest is well underway!  See our Penny Harvest student leaders on the Channel 5 Eye Opener.  The students have recorded a “shout out” that will be aired on Tuesday, January 31st at 5:10 AM and then again at 6:10 AM.  Wow!

Our third graders have choices!  As fourth grade looms, our students will have the opportunity to visit both choices for grade 4, the  M. E. Small Innovation School and the Wixon Middle School.  Our third graders will travel to MES on Friday, February 3rd, and to NHW on Friday, February 10th.  Parents and families can visit DY Schools on February 14, 15, or 16.  Click here to see dates and times for visits!  DY Advantage Community Week

After school activities are a hit!  Over 150 students are participating in this first round of activities, thanks to our generous parent volunteers and the Dennis recreation Department.  This year, Dennis Rec has stepped in to provide physical activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Gym Games” is a hit, but Yoga might have been the biggest surprise!  There was so much student interest in Yoga, we added a third day!  Students were clambering to get into both Kids Kitchen and Science Food and Fun.  Want to know more about after school activities?  Check out the latest issue of the EHB Times, due out by the Newspaper group, tomorrow!  Because of the generosity of our parent volunteers, we can offer these classes for only $10.00 for the entire 6 week session.  We are beginning to plan round 2, which will begin after February vacation.  Stay tuned!

Have a great week!

Mr. D

Happy New Year to all! What a treat it was to return to school with the ability to use our lower parking lot and gym entrance!  Thank you for all of your patience these many months while our construction project was ongoing.  The first phase is largely complete now, with the window replacement set to begin later in early spring.    Despite the inconvenience of a construction project, we begin 2012 with an accessible school with:

• expanded access to all student areas,
• completely renovated student rest rooms,
• new drinking fountains, safer stair treads,
• a new roof,
• state of the art classroom technology equipment,
• a new ramp and staircase from the lower lot,
• and a new septic system.

The best way to begin anything new, especially new years,  is to get a head start.  We did that at EHB.  Our final week before vacation was spectacular!  We began with a special treat provided by our PTAC.  Students were treated to a holiday story,a snack, and a gift.  PTAC set the scene by creating a cozy fireplace corner in our cafeteria!  Check out the picture below!

Later in the week, our first graders had an art opening!  throughout the course of November and December, first grade students completed a mini unit on Native Americans taught by our related arts teachers.  Students created art in the style of Native Americans, learned about Native music and instruments, and participated in games and physical activities in which Native American children may have participated.  Ms. O’Connor converted our conference room into a multi purpose gallery to display the students’ incredible work.  Take a look!

The highlight of our season is our annual sing along, which included songs, dance, and musical performance.  The third grade chorus performed a show stopper with “Blitzen Boogie”, and the piece de resistance might have been the final song, “Hear Those Bells,”  which combined the whole school singing, the chorus singing harmony, a bell choir, and a recorder performance. Check out the pic below!

Hard to follow up a week like that, but 2012 holds promise.  Stay tuned for the exciting events coming up!

Mr. D:)

Did you know…

• Every student has the opportunity to participate in an enrichment program called Jr. Great Books?  The program is designed to stretch the thinking and vocabulary skills of talented learners.  This year, we are using the materials with all of our students.  So far, students have heard a collection of poetry, and two stories, “The Elves and the Shoemaker,” and “The Frog Prince.”  We have introduced all of our students to words like jaunty, awl, and jerkin.  Check the blog regularly for an updated list of Jr. Great Books vocabulary.
• Four of our third graders made the news in The Register.  Check out the link below for  a picture and the story!
  • http://www.wickedlocal.com/dennis
• After school activities are starting in January?  We have some exciting offerings.  Please look for a student sign up sheet next week!
• Report Cards will be sent home on December 15th.  Around that same time, you will receive a school report card.  This No Child Left Behind report card shows how our school performed on state wide assessments.  The Department of Education has a District Analysis Review Tool (DART), which compares schools with other school with similar populations and demographics.  When compared with nine other similar schools across the state, EHB has the fourth highest English Language Arts scores and the second highest Math scores for last year’s MCAS test.  The tool can be accessed at:
  • http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/dart/

Have a great weekend!

These weeks between Thanksgiving and the December holiday break are incredibly busy. While there are so many reasons to celebrate our school, I will once again pick the top five reasons I’m celebrating the Ezra H. Baker School. Here goes…

• Our School Building!  After more than 5 months of construction, we have a new appreciation for the space in which we learn.  Despite the challenges of bringing an 80 year old building up to code, we are reminded that the quality of what happens int he classroom is far more important than what happens outside the classroom walls.  Take a visual tour of the halls of EHB!

A visual tour of the EHB!

• Our students! Did you know that five of our students, Rhea Brennan, Max Tomasek, Kory Fox, Rosie Phelan and Solee Simpson, recently had their art work showcased at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod?  Four other students, Reese Foakes, Johnny Depin, Tommy Julian, and Sammy Maes were recipients of a Dennis Yarmouth Education Foundation grant.  These boys are creating a Monopoly based game about the Town of Dennis.

• Our parents! Once again, PTAC comes through for our students. A few weeks ago, our second graders and kindergartners were able to participate in an Omni Theater-like presentation. It was so well received that PTAC recently voted money to bring this assembly back for first and third grade students.
  

  The Learning Dome comes to EHB!

• Our community!Two members of our community, with no current ties to our school, recently donated $800.00 to help Baker School families at holiday time!  This wonderful gift is just one example of the generosity that pours in from the community at this time of year.  Our students are much loved and well supported in our town!
• Our teachers!  Recently, we had a third grade parent meeting in which both of our District’s fourth grade principals visited.  They were amazed by the number of teachers still working at 6:00 PM.  Our teachers are known for their willingness to go above and beyond to provide a meaningful school experience for our students.  Just recently, Mrs. Leidner, in conjunction with Mrs. Roza, have organized a coat drive to help our families.  It wasn’t long before the ladies in the from office, Mrs. Beauchemin and Mrs. Barczak threw in their support.

Enjoy the post!  Mr. D

Last week had only 4 school days, but there were still 5 reasons to celebrate EHB!

It starts with enrichment!  This year, we are really focusing on providing all of our students with enriching, challenging academic experiences. Each week,our reading teachers visit classrooms and present a lesson which focuses on great literature, deep discussion, and vocabulary. Last week we read The Frog Prince. Ask your child about the “horrid, clammy” frog.

On Thursday, our kindergarten and second grade students visited the “Dino-Dome”right in our gym! This 360 degree visual experience was informative and interactive. Second graders learned more about dinosaurs, while kindergarten students learned about stars and the night sky. After receiving rave reviews, we hope to bring the dome back for first and third graders.

Library! Despite budget cuts, our students will still be able to check out books on a limited basis. Mr. Laughton will be at EHB every other week, on Thursdays, to circulate books for our student. We began last week with grade 3. All students will be able to check out books the week we return from Thanksgiving break.

Math! At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur myself, back when I was teaching, teaching math meant having students memorize facts and processes. Now, students are expected to think flexibly to solve all sorts of math problems. All of our kindergarten, first, second, and third grade teachers are learning to build “math talks” into daily math lessons. Challenging and fun!

The Philanthropy Round Table! Our student leaders were featured on channel 5! Be like the rest of New England and check out their clip!

http://ulocal.thebostonchannel.com/_Ezra-H-Baker-Penny-Harvest/video/1658086/61862.html

EHB Penny Harvest Assembly

Each week, I like to point the top reasons I celebrate the Ezra H. Baker School Community.  Since I started blogging in this format, I find that I spend the week collecting good news to share.  Here is the latest for this week:

• The Penny Harvest Assembly…On Friday, October 28th, our students, with the help of Mrs. Flanagan, led a school-wide assembly to kick off this year’s Penny Harvest.  During the Penny Harvest, students collect pennies and spare change.  They will use this money to help address classroom identified community needs.  The power of this program is two-fold; it not only helps address needs in our community, it also empowers students to be the agents of change.  More information can be found using the links on the right side of this page.  Look for a televised showing of our assembly on channel 22 in the near future.
• Freddy the Fire Engine…Teaching children about personal safety is a critical part of our school’s mission.  Last week, we enlisted the help of the fire department and one special guest, Freddy the Fire Engine.  Freddy has been bringing his fire safety message to our school for more than 20 years.  Students still get excited to see Freddy and hear what he has to say.  Three cheers to our community partners in the Dennis and Yarmouth Fire Departments who bring this important message to our students…Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray!
• PTAC…This week, our third graders visited Plimouth Plantation.  Though we asked families to pay for student admission to this historical site, PTAC funded the cost of bus transportation.   We’ve had great luck bringing the cranberry bog and the pumpkin patch to our students here at school, but sometimes visiting a different location makes all of the difference.  This trip is directly related to our third grade social studies curriculum.  Having our students visit at this time of year is an added bonus!
• Vegetables!  On Friday, November 4th, we introduced “Veggie-fest” at all of our lunches.  Each Friday, we will offer our students a chance to try some fresh vegetables.  Our lunch room assistants serve students the vegetables, and all students can try them out, whether or not they purchase lunch on that day.  I had the chance to check out lunch in both kindergarten and first grade.  Many students tried out broccoli and cauliflower, in addition to fan favorites carrots and celery.  Now there’s another reason to look forward to Friday!
• Technology…Students today are expected to know and do more.  Technology tools like interactive white boards and computers help engage students in purposeful interactive learning.  This week, teachers received a new tool, an “E Pad”, which allows them to access the Classroom Smartboard from anywhere in the room.  This makes the Smartboard even  more accessible and user friendly for our students.  In an age when we expect students to be able to demonstrate their learning and explain their thinking, the E Pad will be an important tool for both teacher and student use.  How did we get the E Pads????   We purchased them with the money we earned from the Stop and Shop A+ Rewards program.  We are currently collecting stop and shop card numbers for this year’s campaign.  Please consider choosing EHB as your school again this year.  You may follow this link to register your card:
  • http://www.stopandshop.com/aplus

Last week I blogged about 5 reasons I celebrated our school.  I liked the format, and received some positive feedback from our readers.  So I thought I’d try again…

• Our parents, teachers, and students!  This week, I think I’ve sent more Alertnow phone calls than an over-eager telemarketer!  Parents have been great about changing the way we drop off and pick up students.  I so appreciate the smiles both in the morning and the afternoon.  Our students are doing a great job finding their buses at the end of the day.  Teachers continue to adjust to changes that are necessitated by our ongoing construction.  Any construction project is stressful, but the way all members of our learning community have muddled through really helps!  Thanks!

Early morning drop off!

• Physical Education!  This week, our gym teachers have set up a fall themed obstacle course for all gym classes.  The activities are engaging and fun, but also help children develop large muscle movement.  Mr. Fantaroni and Mr. Raudonaitis are building muscles and memories for our students!

Getting the jump on fitness!

• Grade 3!  Just like our PTAC brought the pumpkin patch to our school, our grade 3 teachers brought the cranberry bog to our third graders!  Students in grade three participated in cranberry math, cranberry poetry, cranberry tasting, and finished by making their own cranberry bog!  What a great way to spend a Cape Cod afternoon in autumn!

Hooray for Cranberries!

• Veggie Fest!  Beginning next Friday, we will offer students a chance to taste test fresh vegetables at lunch!  Students don’t need to purchase lunch, rather all students will be encouraged to try some fresh veggies and maybe discover a new taste they like.  We piloted Veggie Fest last spring, and it was a great hit with our students.  Thanks to our food service program, and our school council who devised the program, our students can snack on nutritious vegetables!  Even the First Lady would be proud!
• Penny Harvest!  Today, we kicked off our 2011-2012 appeal!  Isn’t it great that our young students have the opportunity to help their community?  The Penny Harvest is a youth philanthropy program in which students identify community needs and raise funds to address them.  We are the only school on Cape Cod to participate in this program.  Thanks go to Mrs. Flanagan, Dean of Students, for bringing the Penny Harvest to our students and our school community!

Baker Cafe!

It’s been a busy few weeks at the Baker School!  So much is happening.  I decided to narrow my comments down to the top 5 reasons I am celebrating the parents, teachers, and students of our wonderful school community!

1. Open House….So many families took the time to attend our annual Open House.  Even parking challenges couldn’t keep away nearly every family from visiting our school and demonstrating their commitment to the education of our young students!
2. School-wide enrichment…Last week, we began a school-wide enrichment program.  Each week, every classroom participates in a literacy lesson that stresses vocabulary development and comprehension.  Our initial lessons are using the Junior Great Books format.  Lessons are co-taught by classroom teachers and reading teachers.  We’ll keep you posted on more developments!
3. School Council…This year, we have had great parent interest in serving on our school council!  I have invited all of the parents who showed interest to join the council.  The council meets for the first time this afternoon, and will review our school improvement plan and begin talking about next year’s school budget.
   

   EHB Pumpkin Patch

4. EHB Pumpkin Patch…Our PTAC provided a unique and heartwarming opportunity for all of our students.  Each student visited our transformed reading garden, chose a pumpkin, and had a snack!.  Though each class was only at the pumpkin patch for a few minutes, the memories of that event will endure far longer.  I expect to get pictures from the event to post soon.
5. EHB Pumpkin Patch…Some events are so good, they get double recognition!  Like many of you, I spend my Saturday mornings at the soccer field watching my son’s game.  I was so excited when I met a few parents who volunteered during the pumpkin event.  They couldn’t wait to tell me how polite our students were when receiving their pumpkins or snack.  We always expect our students to use great manners, but isn’t so gratifying when they do?  I am so proud of our students…aren’t you?
6. Ok…five just wasn’t enough!  Second grade lunch assistants, led by Mrs. Roberta Silva, have found a way to reward polite behavior in the lunchroom.  They set up the “Baker Cafe”, a fancier and  more genteel lunch experience for our second graders.  It started last Thursday, and will hopefully become a regular occurrence at second grade lunch!

Have a great day!

Mr. D