Lower School Update - May 27, 2019

The Eagle’s Nest

Two classes were awarded the Golden G award today for demonstrating the Eagle Way. Congratulations to Ms. Wilker’s second grade class and Ms. Wilganowski’s fifth grade class!

June 7 Dismissal Time
Our last day of the school year is Friday, June 7. Dismissal will take place at 11:30 am. Buses will leave at 11:45 am.

Preparing for the Upcoming Grade Level Transition
The end of the school year means starting to prepare children for their upcoming transition to a new grade level (and in some cases also to a new division). Here is an article with links to resources that can assist you with conversations to have with your child about these changes.

News from the Library

The most effective ways for children to develop strong vocabularies and reading fluency is to read, read, and read some more! Vacation times provide for less structured reading and a wider range of choices, but reading is just as important! Consider making it part of your daily routine together, as the first thing in the morning or the last thing before bed.  The 2019 Reading World Cup vacation reading challenge provides extra motivation for students to practice (like their favorite Women’s World Cup players). You will find everything you need to get started here. Students will be receiving their booklets in their last library class.

Remember that our LS Library website is a place to access digital books and multiple online resources from anywhere you are. Bookmark it for easy access! One of the online resources, Tumblebooks, has thousands of books and at different reading levels, so it's a great option when traveling. If you are in S.P., we'll be open every Monday during break from 9-11 am and 1-3 pm.

Thanks for your help getting items back to the library! Do you know we’ve had 33,115 checkouts this school year?? WOW! This week, 1,369 books are checked out, and 277 are overdue. Returning families with everything checked in will be able to check out a total of 10 books for vacation.

Upcoming Important Dates

May 27	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Mr. Maykut class)
May 30	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms. Wilker class)
May 31	- 4th grade Maracuja Day (8:30-9:30 am) - 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms. Stoll class) - 3rd grade Biography Museum (1:20 - 3:00 pm)
June 4	- K5 to 1st Grade Parent Presentation (8:15 am in room I22) - 2nd Grade Poetry Café - Ms. Mendonça (8:30 am)
June 5	Pre-primary Candle Light ceremony
June 6	5th Grade Recognition Ceremony (9:00 am auditorium)
June 7	Last day for students (Dismissal at 11:30 am)

Around the Lower School

Winter Clothes Drive!

Mark Your Calendars! End of Year Celebrations!

For the grade 1 end of year celebration, first graders will share their series of realistic fiction books. We would like to invite parents to their child's class on Thursday, June 6th from 2:30-3. Students have been working hard writing their very own series books and are excited to get to share these series with parents! School will provide snacks for students and parents. We look forward to seeing parent June 6th!

Field Trip Postponed

Field Trip Postponed

Dear First Grade Parents,

Due to a road closure on route to Toca da Raposa, and the rain forecast for Friday, the first grade field trip, scheduled for Friday, May 24, will be postponed to Monday, May 27.

The travel agency has informed us that a road we must take to reach Toca da Reposa has been closed and is not guaranteed to open until Saturday. Furthermore, it will be raining on Friday morning and the walking trail will be muddy and slippery and may not be safe for students to use. In addition, we will not have access to the outdoor spaces, so the students would not be exposed to everything Toca da Raposa has to offer. As we want the students to have the best experience possible, we will reschedule this field trip to Monday, May 27.

Due to postponement please do not send original documents until Monday morning. Again, they must have an original document in order to go on the field trip on Monday.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Kindly,

First Grade Team

Lower School Update - May 21, 2019

The Eagle’s Nest

Two classes were awarded the Golden G award today for demonstrating the Eagle Way. Congratulations to Ms. Keane’s first grade class and Ms. Fitch’s third grade class!

Parent Input Survey
Just a reminder for parents to complete the Parent Input Survey. We will extend the deadline for submissions until the end of the day on Wednesday, May 22.

Beginning of the 2019-20 School Year

As mentioned in the email sent to all parents last week, our first day of the 2019-20 school year will be Wednesday, August 7, 2019. Please mark your calendar.

News from the Library

We are incredibly excited to announce that PETER REYNOLDS, author of favorites like The Dot, Ish, and Going Places, will be coming to Graded in October! Stay tuned for more information. If you'd like to get autographed copies of his titles, look for them where you buy books. We will also have some books for sale through Livro Facil before his visit.

It's hard to believe, but it's time for library books to be returned for this school year. We currently have 1,594 items checked out of the LS Library (294 are overdue). We will begin the process on May 31 of marking books lost and sending out billing notices, but we'd always prefer to have the books back. Books are carefully selected based on students' interests and needs, and getting replacement copies here to Brazil is a lengthy process. Thank you for your help in locating items to return. Vacation checkout will be an option for families again this year, and we will also be open for checkout only on Mondays during the break from 9-11 and 1-3.

Upcoming Important Dates

May 24	1st grade field trip - Toca da Raposa 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Mendonça class) K-5 staying late
May 27	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Mr Maykut class)
May 28	Parents Transition meeting - K-5 going to First (12:45 pm)
May 30	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Wilker class)
May 31	4th grade Maracuja Day 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Stoll class) 3rd grade Biography Museum (1:20 - 3:00 pm)
June 4	2nd Grade Poetry Café - Ms. Mendonça (8:30 am)
June 5	Pre-primary Candle Light ceremony 2nd Grade Poetry Café - Mr. Maykut (8:30 am)
June 6	5th Grade Recognition Ceremony (9:00 am auditorium)
June 7	Last day for students (Dismissal at 11:30 am)

Around the Lower School

Late Night Extravaganza

Dear Parents,

Students and teachers are extremely excited for First Grade’s Late Night Extravaganza! We kindly ask you to say your goodbyes in the morning of May 17th when you drop off your child at school or at the bus stop. They can choose to bring a stuffed animal and flashlight for the movie. Please label all of their belongings.

This is a community-building evening and a celebration of learning. Please refrain from coming to the classrooms or coming into school until 8PM at the student center.

We will be sending photos and updates to the room mothers and they will share these in your class groups.

Time	Activity
15:00-16:00	Recess/Snack
16:00-17:00	Field Games
17:00-17:45	Dance Party
17:45-18:15	Dinner
18:15-18:45	Bonfire
18:45- 20:00	Movie
19:45-20:00	Pick-up in the Student Center

Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation! We look forward to a fun, memorable event with your children, a lembrança they’ll carry forever.

Sincerely,

The First Grade Team

Lower School Update - May 13, 2019

The Eagle’s Nest

Two classes were awarded the Golden G award on Monday for demonstrating the Eagle Way. Congratulations to Mr. Maykut’s second grade class and Ms. Murphy’s fourth grade class!

Parent Input Survey and Beginning of the 2019-20 School Year
This week an important email will be sent to all parents (to parent email addresses listed in Veracross). Within the email, there will be a link for parents to share strengths, areas for growth, and any other information that may be relevant for the child’s teacher next school year. Additionally, the email will share information about upcoming professional development for Lower School faculty in math and science in August, along with the Lower School start date for the 2019-20 school year.

‘Snowplow’ Parenting?

We have seen recently there have been cases where parents have gone to the extremes to ensure their children do not experience obstacles in their lives. Have these parents gone too far? The New York Times recently published an article about this topic. Click here to read: How Parents Are Robbing Their Children of Adulthood.

Upcoming Important Dates

May 6 to 17	MAP Testing
May 16	Pre-primary field trip - Pet Zoo (Julia M., Cibele T. & Alex H.)
May 17	LS Community D Assembly (8:15 am auditorium)
May 24	1st grade field trip - Toca da Raposa 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Mendonça class)
May 27	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Mr Maykut class)
May 30	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Wilker class)
May 31	4th grade Maracuja Day 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms Stoll class)
June 6	5th Grade Recognition Ceremony (9:00 auditorium)
June 7	Last day for students (Dismissal at 11:30)

Around the Lower School

Lower School Update - May 8, 2019

The Eagle’s Nest

Two classes were awarded the Golden G award on Monday for demonstrating the Eagle Way. Congratulations to Ms. Mendonca’s second grade class and Ms. Kitto’s fifth grade class!

MAP Testing
Twice a year, our students in second to fifth grade take MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) tests. We use the information in these tests to help us understand each child’s areas of strength and areas for improvement. Parents will also be sent the result of these tests at the end of the school year. While there is no need for any of our students to study prior to these tests, we do encourage a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast to assist with their focus.

Book Recommendation

With children using digital devices more and more, it is important to monitor what and how they use these devices.  As parents, we also need to monitor our technology use. Adam Atlar, a professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, examines addictive technology in his book: Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. To learn more, click here.

Upcoming Important Dates

May 6 to 17	MAP Testing
May 9	- 4th grade field trip - Museu do Anchieta (Trabelsi & Thibodeaux) - Pre-primary  field trip Pet Zoo (Bruna M, Fernanda R. , Fernanda O. & Joyce B.)
May 10	LS Community C  Assembly (8:15 am auditorium)
May 16	Pre-primary field trip Pet Zoo (Julia M., Cibele T. & Alex H. )
May 17	LS Community D Assembly (8:15 am auditorium)
May 24	1st grade field trip - Toca da Raposa 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms. Mendonça)
May 27	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Mr. Maykut)
May 30	2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms. Wilker)
May 31	4th grade Maracuja Day 2nd grade field trip - Museu Lasar Segall (Ms. Stoll)
June 3	LS End of Year Assembly
June 6	5th Grade Recognition Ceremony
June 7	Last day for students (Dismissal at 11:30)

Around the Lower School