A Note from Principal Tony Byers
November marked the beginning of the Kindergarten tour season. It’s the time of year when eager (and nervous) families descend on public schools across the city in preparation for making their lottery choices. Each of these tours at Graham and Parks end with a brief question and answer session with Lauren, Jodie, or me. Over the years, we’ve learned to anticipate certain questions. The first question is always, “Can you tell us what distinguishes Graham and Parks from other schools; what makes you special?” Read more >>
Friends of G&P Update
In the month of November, Friends of G&P has approved the following grants:
–Music - Boston Symphony Orchestra 4th grade field trip - $360.75 (funding 50% of trip)
–4th Grade Tsongas Industrial History Center field trip - $760 (funding 50% of trip)
–Library - Charles R. Smith, author visit for entire school - $550 (partial funding)
So far this school year, we've approved $2,171 in grants. And, we've given $2,992 in classroom allotments to teachers.
Learn about the Friends of G&P Annual Fund: friendsofgandp.org
All are welcome to attend our monthly meetings that happen the First Friday of every month. Our next meeting is scheduled for January 5th after drop-off in the front lobby. We'd love to hear from you!
G&P Math Values Assembly
By Jodie Darnell, School Operations Manager
November brought a fresh take on the way G&P runs assemblies. It was structured as a morning meeting, which many classrooms in the building do each day. We started off with a school-wide morning greeting in which the 5th grade collectively said hello to the 4th grade who said hello to the 3rd grade, going down through the grades to Kindergarten at which point the entire school greeted our youngest students with a robust "Good morning Kindergarten!" Next, buddy classrooms RM 224 (5th grade) and RM 111 (1st grade) presented G&P Math Values, focusing on themes of Growth Mindset and creativity. Then it was time for a movement break! Everyone stood up as Tony led a game of Human Protractor - ask your child(ren) to show you how to play! The assembly closed with a morning message, read by Tony, encouraging students and staff to be kind to and grateful for another.
G&P Market
By Lauren Morse, Family Liaison
Every month, we are lucky to host the G&P Market, thanks to Food for Free, the Mayor's Office and the wonderful volunteers that help it run. We hope you can stop by!
What kind of meals can you make from the food at the G&P Market? We asked a G&P parent and volunteer, Hsiao Tzu, to share how she used the ingredients to make a delicious Chinese soup with vegetables, ribs, and noodles. See recipe below.
Please let us know if you’ve made a great meal using the G&P Market food! We’d love to hear your story.
Staff Spotlight: Kate Baldwin
Get to know Kate, our Speech-Language Pathologist, with this Q&A! Read on >>
Mindfulness at G&P
By Natalia Cepeda, CPS Mindfulness Educator
To be mindful is to bring awareness to the present moment with curiosity and without judgment.
Research on mindfulness and adults over the last 30 years has been showing positive benefits. Research on mindfulness and youth is more recent. Studies have shown that mindfulness education with youth can increase attention and emotional regulation, improve social skills and decrease stress and anxiety.
At CPS, Mindfulness has been growing with teachers’ increasing interest and the district support through grassroots efforts. At Graham and Parks, Natalia Cepeda, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Schools teacher, has been teaching the Mindful Schools curriculum in several classrooms.
The 8 week Mindful Schools curriculum is also being taught throughout CPS including King Open, Morse, Cambridgeport, Fletcher Maynard, Haggerty, King, Baldwin, Amigos, and Tobin as well as more recently at CRLS and the Extension School. The program, which consists of frequent short lessons in the classroom, allows students to learn and practice mindfulness skills and to share how the skills help them at school and at home. After the program, teachers are offered support to continue practicing mindfulness with their students on an ongoing basis.
“I learned that with some patience and a few breaths you can identify what you are feeling and control that feeling.”
–CPS 5th Grader
Family Math Night
Family Math Night on November 17th was a blast! What a pleasure it was to see families engaging in math games together. Hear more >>
Anatomy of an Expedition, Part 2
Last month, you read about how teachers plan an expedition. Beginning with the topic and important skills that their students need to learn, they develop “essential questions,” complex, open-ended questions that students will explore over the course of the unit. Read more >>
What's Happening in Physical Education?
By Shira Catlin, Physical Education Teacher
–Kindergartners are exploring locomotor movements and literacy. We're practicing different ways to move our bodies and using sight words and letters in our games.
–First and second graders are practicing movements while learning about the science of our body and nutrition. We'll begin exploring math and movements next week!
–Third graders are working on manipulative skills. We will start science of the body and nutrition soon!
–Fourth and fifth graders are working on movement concepts and team sports. We'll be moving into science of the body, nutrition, and fitness soon!
–Turkey Trot! This year we had the new and special opportunity to trot through the Graham & Parks hallways! With the unpredictable New England weather the rain allowed us to try something new. We practiced running at safe speeds, respecting the hallways, and celebrating a new weather tradition for when it rains. Thank you so much to all of the families that were able to stop by and cheer everyone on!
What's Up in the Art Room?
By Liana Trail, Art Teacher
–Kindergarteners are working on 3D collages, and are about to start a primary colors painting lesson
–1st graders are finishing their castle collages by adding surface texture and are beginning critiques
–2nd graders have finished their hieroglyphic paintings and are beginning interview critiques with partners
–3rd graders are almost finished with their very detailed mosaics, and will have a class critique once they do
–4th graders are learning about background and foreground as they finish their role model word portraits
–5th graders are finished with their representational masks and are beginning to reflect upon their process through discussion and writing
Music Notes!
By Debbie Sullivan, Music Teacher
The Family Folk Dance/Potluck on Saturday, November 18 was a huge success! The gym was filled with dancers and there was an amazing assortment of food from around the world! Thank you to the Friends of Graham and Parks and to all the parents who helped with this a great event!
Upcoming:
Grade 3-4 Concert
Families invited!!
When: Friday, January 26, 2018
Where: Auditorium
Time: 8:45-9:30AM
Grade 4 Field trip to Symphony Hall
When: Friday, March 9, 2018 10AM
Students will take the T and then enjoy a wonderful performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra! Thank you to the Friends of Graham and Parks for making this trip possible!
Grade 1-2 Concert
When: Friday, March 23, 2018
Where: Auditorium
Time: 8:45-9:30AM
Please contact Debbie Sullivan ([email protected]) if you would like to volunteer to help with music events or if you have any questions!
In the Garden
By Michele Kaufman, Garden Coordinator for CitySprouts
It was a blast making apple cider with so many classrooms! The temps continue to get lower, and the garden is getting ready for some rest. Classes have been busy pulling out plants, planting winter rye and garlic, cooking warm soups, and sketching changes they are noticing. A few awesome activities have been....
–Inbal Alon's class picked a recipe, studied the origin of each ingredient used in the recipe, found the ingredients’ origin on a map, harvested the necessary ingredients from the garden, then cooked some delicious pasta with sauce and sushi
–Sheila Freed-Pastor's class learned about the Three Sisters Garden and cooked a tasty Three Sisters Soup
–Cynthia Woodward's class learned about the function of each plant part by dissecting plants and experimented playing with celery and food dye to watch the stem carry the colorful water
–Debra Gadsden-Holiday's class and Inbal's class practiced their cardinal directions in the garden by creating a set of directions about how to find various plants in the garden
–First grade classes harvested, prepared, and ate a plant part salad with edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds
As the winter comes and the plants start to decompose, the garden stays full of activity underground. Classrooms may continue to visit the garden through the winter!
In Our Community
See what's going on across our Cambridge community.
Learn more >>
See more opportunities online >>
|