September 24, 2021-Week 4

 Happy Friday Dale Street!

Our first five-day school week with students was fantastic!  This week included the first broadcasting of our Daily Dale morning news, school picture day, our second week of pool testing, and a lot of fun learning.  Take a look...

This week students in Mrs. Flynn's fourth-grade class were introduced to story arcs and how they can organize story elements in preparation for their writing of realistic fiction books.  

In Mrs. Ross' and Mrs. Seaver's fifth-grade class this week, students participated in a simulation of the separation of powers by planning new lunch menus for #beproudbedale.  

In celebration of the upcoming Boston Marathon, the Dale St. School will be holding its own Dale St. Dream Big Marathon.  We're not asking your kids to run 26 miles, but through this programming, we will be promoting running (or healthy exercise), reading, and random acts of kindness!

The PTO is working with Dale Street Wellness teachers, Mairi Nawrocki and Mary Laughna to coordinate this celebratory "marathon run" within the current PE running unit.   During the week of October 4th, your child will participate in the "marathon" during one of their scheduled PE classes.  We encourage your child to wear Boston or Medfield spirit wear if they'd like.  We will decorate the running course with some fun signs and we will have some pump-up music to keep spirits and energy high as students complete their laps.  Classes will cross the finish line and will be rewarded with a class set of popsicles.

We will need some parent volunteers to help support Mrs. Nawrocki and Ms. Laughna during the "Marathon" sessions during the week of October 4th.  Please click this SignUp Genius link to see the times we could use your support. 

Special thanks to Jill Warner and the PTO for helping orchestrate this fun event! 

Congratulations to this week's Positive Referrals!  

Owen was recognized for demonstrating great compassion - one of Dale Street's Core Values!

Alexia was recognized for demonstrating a great work ethic - highlighting Continuous Growth!

Caleigh was recognized for always stepping up to help her peers/and or her teacher with classroom tasks - highlighting collaboration! 

Positive Sign Thursday! 

'YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!'

Ms. MacDonnell's fourth-grade class took science outside this week to study the effects of acid rain.  These awesome scientists loved observing the results!  

The Dale Street Math Challenge has returned. 

Any student who completes three math challenges in a row will be entered into a raffle.  One lucky winner will be chosen every six weeks.  Any student that completes all 15 math challenges this year will be entered into a special raffle at the end of the year.

Here's the link to the Dale Street page for the math challenge.

As mentioned above, the Daily Dale student-led morning announcements started this week.  You can view today's here.  Additionally, the Daily Dale will be posted daily on Ms. Sweeney's Library Media Center page.  We hope you enjoy! 

Each month, the Dale Street community will have the opportunity to participate in a Spirit Day.  Next Friday, October 1st, all students and staff are encouraged to dress in Medfield gear or Medfield colors. For planning purposes, here is the Spirit Day schedule for the upcoming school year. 

During the last few weeks, Officer Treggiari has been joining with Health teacher, Ms. Laughna to share important bicycle safety information.  We are lucky to have a great partnership with the Medfield PD.

 

We are looking for 1 or 2 fourth-grade parents to join our School Council. The Dale Street School Council meets every other month to review the school budget and develop the school improvement plan. If you are interested in applying, please submit a letter of interest to sgrenham@email.medfield.net

This week in Ms. McKenzie's grade 5 class students practiced with decimal place value by working to escape emoji town! These students used Dale Street's Core Value of Collaboration.  Way to go!   

BOOst someone's SPIRITS this Halloween by "ghosting" them with a lawn sign!

Memorial, Wheelock, and Dale PTO's are selling lawn ghosts to spread some Halloween happiness this October. Yard signs are 22" high by 15" wide, made of high-quality, weather-resistant Corex, and include lawn stakes.

Each lawn ghost also has a place on the back for your little goblin to write their name ("You've been Boo'd by______") so you can "ghost" all of your friends to share in the excitement of the season!

Lawn ghosts are $15 each and proceeds will be split between ALL 3 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (funding activities for students and teachers.) Please Venmo DaleStreetPTO and make sure to include your name and your email address in the comments. We will hold ghost pick-up sessions on 10/1, 10/8, and 10/15. (Further details on times and locations to come.)

Get your ghosts before they VANISH!

Social-Emotional Learning Update:

This week in Grade 5, all classes learned about the importance of valuing differences. In this photo below, Ms. Johnson's fifth-grade students participated in an activity where they had to come up with something they could teach a classmate that he or she may not already know and would want to learn.

For each grade level, there is a family letter that provides an overview of topics covered in these units, and then a home activities letter with suggestions on what families can do at home to reinforce these activities. Right now the activities for grades 4&5 are the same, but as we move on to the other units, that will change. Grade 4 Unit 1 Family Letter Grade 4 Unit 1 Home Activities Grade 5 Unit 1 Family Letter Grade 5 Unit 1 Home Activities

Ms. Isaacson's fourth-grade class worked tremendously hard math workshop this week. Our whiteboard tables (funded by the MCPE) make rounding much more enjoyable! 

Check it out...Ms. Plympton used donated funds from our incredibly generous PTO to add these new lap desks! Thanks, PTO! 

Thank you all for your continued support.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Best,

Steve

Respect * Compassion * Collaboration * Continuous Growth

September 17, 2021 - Week 3

Dear Dale Street Families, 

We had a great week here at #beproudbedale.  The students are totally knocking it out of the park. I am so proud of their efforts all the way around.  Take a look at some of the awesomeness that happened at Dale Street this week...

Check out the great work from Mrs. Ross' and Mrs. Seaver's fifth-grade class - students have been working on sketchnoting as a purposeful and creative way to represent fiction story elements. Well done, young learners!

On Tuesday, Dale Street participated in its first pool testing of the school year.  I have to say that the students were awesome!  Special thanks to our amazing school nurse, Kathy Thompson (who has been at work until 10:00 p.m. some nights!) for facilitating our pool testing.

In Art class with Mrs. Delaney this week, Dale Street students started creating handmade sketchbooks.  Check out these samples from Abby, Lucy,  Owen, and Anika.  Great work!   

After receiving positive feedback from families last year, we will again be hosting a virtual meet the staff presentation.  On September 22nd, I will be sending out a virtual slide deck link of pre-recorded presentations from each staff member at #beproudbedale introducing themselves and sharing a little bit about them. Classroom teachers and Special Subject teachers will also outline the curriculum and expectations for the content students are working with here at Dale Street.  This will be done asynchronously so families can view it at a time that is convenient for them or view it in smaller chunks.  

Caution...Scientists at Work! This week, students in Mrs. Scott's grade 4 class participated in a mechanical weathering experiment.  

Many classes around the school took time in our first 10 days to partake in an activity (Build Your Own Medal) to explore and celebrate their individual strengths.  Students and staff were asked to reflect on at least three of these questions: Who do you want to be?  What are you proud of?  What are your strengths? What is a hobby or interest?  What are you currently learning?  What do you want to bring to the table? Great job, everyone! 

 

This week Ms. Johnson's fifth-grade class had a 'book tasting'.  Students had the opportunity to sample different genres they have within their classroom.  Who better to invite to a book tasting than Dale Street's Library Media Specialist, Ms. Sweeney! 

 

We are very excited to announce that again this year all 4th and 5th-grade students will have the opportunity to complete biweekly math challenges. This program will begin on September 24th.  Math challenges will be available to print at home from the website linked below.

Students will be free to solve as many problems as they can and will have about a week to turn in their work. We hope that all students and families find these problems to be a challenging and fun activity.

More information, including a calendar of important dates and a link to download and print the challenges and solutions, is available here. Any questions regarding the math challenge program can be directed to Dale Street math specialist, Ms. Perachi.

 First Challenge begins 9/27 and is due on 10/6

I have had the best time visiting classrooms and reading the book How to Solve a Problem by Ashima Shiraishi.  It has been great talking with students and highlighting the importance of Continuous Growth, reflecting on your decisions, and continuing to persevere.  

School picture day is Tuesday, September 21st.  

Congratulations to Dale Street 5th Graders Maddie, Elizabeth, Kacey, Lily, and Katie (The DI Donuts) for placing 3rd (out of 935 teams from 14 countries) at the DI (Destination Imagination) Global Finals! In addition, they were recognized for the highest Fast Flex Challenge score in the Elementary Service Learning division. Bravo, ladies!

So great to have small group music lessons back at Dale Street this year.  In the photos below, Mrs. Tumbleson's fourth and fifth-grade trumpet students were excited to make music! 

Be sure to label all items: clothing, water bottles, etc.!  All unclaimed items in the Lost and Found will be donated to charity periodically throughout the year.

Enjoy your weekend with your family and friends!

Steve

Respect * Compassion * Collaboration * Continuous Growth

September 10, 2021 - Week 2

 Happy Friday Dale Street!

Week 2 was another fabulous one here at #beproudbedale.  A lot of project-based learning, the start of instruments, and our first fire drill.  It has really been a great start!

Yesterday, grade four students in Ms. Isaacson's class worked through place value by physically creating numbers. Bravo to this awesome group of mathematicians!

Ms. Plympton's fourth-grade class had the opportunity to 'taste' a lot of different books from different genres in their Room 1 library!

Positive Sign Thursday! 

'YOU ARE IMPORTANT!'

It was brought to my attention today that there were some rumors swirling about regarding comments Dr. Marsden made at last night’s School Committee meeting. To clarify, there was a leak discovered in the band/Mandarin room (located behind the stage in the gymnasium) at the beginning of the summer. The building and grounds department was notified immediately and individuals were brought in to see how to resolve the leaking issue.  It was determined that an area of that section of roof needed to be replaced.  Once the company can get to Dale that section of roof will be replaced. 

There have not been any students or staff in that area this year.  Band and Mandarin students have been using various spaces around the building when they have class.  Because of space limitations, Dale Street will be getting a temporary modular classroom next week that will host our Mandarin students and some of our small group instrument lessons moving forward. 

      

Dale Street is looking for volunteers (one representative and one alternate from each classroom) who would like to talk with their classmates about concerns/initiatives in their classroom or the school.  These concerns/initiatives are discussed and tackled at our meetings in an effort to make our school a better place.  If your child is interested, here is the information they need to know.   All completed letters of interest are due by Friday, September 17th, and should go to the student's classroom teacher.   

Dear Parents, If you have not already done so, please complete the 

Student Emergency Health Form for each of your children. Thank you!

After positive feedback from families last year, we will again be hosting a virtual meet the staff presentation.  On September 22nd, I will be sending out a virtual slide deck link of pre-recorded presentation from each staff member at #beproudbedale introducing themselves and sharing a little bit about them.  Classroom teachers and Special Subject teachers will also outline the curriculum and expectations for the content students are working with here at Dale Street.  This will be done asynchronously so families can view it at a time that is convenient for them or view it in smaller chunks. 

During the first 6 days of school, staff has seen a small uptick in students wearing electronic watches.  As a reminder, the handbook states use of any electronic devices including cell phones, iPods, handhelds, Nintendo DS, Kindles, etc…is prohibited without the express permission of the principal.   

It was so great to have small group and ensemble lessons begin this week at #beproudbedale.  Students received their instruments on Wednesday evening and there were a lot of happy students on Thursday and Friday. 

Students in Ms. MacDonnell's fourth-grade class used the website blooket.com during their math block to work on some multiplication fact practice.  Learning + Fun = Happy! 

Please see the attached flyer for an event sponsored by Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention and Medfield OUtreach.

Check out this new quote board in Mrs. Bassett's and Mrs. Callahan's literacy room!  

Over the first few weeks Dale Street Library Media Specialist, Ms. Swweney has been hosting classes for a library introduction/orientation.  In the photo below, Ms. McKenzie's fifth-grade class enjoyed their visit and can't wait for all of the reading they will do this year!

On Wednesday, our fabulous PTO provided some cool and refreshing treats! Thank you for your continued support and generosity.  

Parents dropping off children at Dale Street should drop students off in the parking lot between Dale Street and the Pfaff center after 8:10 a.m.  There is no supervision prior to 8:10 a.m.  Students should not be dropped off at the door located on Adams Street unless they are arriving late to school (after 8:25 a.m.).

Be sure to label all items: clothing, water bottles, etc.!  All unclaimed items in the Lost and Found will be donated to charity periodically throughout the year.

Thank you for reading this week's blog.  Please check back again next Friday.

Steve

Respect * Compassion * Collaboration * Continuous Growth