Pelham Press Vol. 19,  No. 4    September 18, 2008 http://www.arps.org./pe/

Friday,  September 19                                                    Bubble Extravaganza, 1:30 PM (weather permitting)

                                                                                    ICE CREAM SOCIAL, 6:30 PM

            Friday , September 19 to Friday, September 26                BOOK FAIR

Wednesday,  September  24                                           First Grade Field Trip  cancelled

                                                                                    John Porcino, Story Teller

                                                                                    Fall Curriculum Night, 7:00 PM

From the Principal:  IMPORTANT CALENDAR CHANGE:  Parents, please note that there has been a major calendar change at the elementary level.  Students will be dismissed at 1:20 PM on October 21, October 22, and October 23, so teachers can hold their fall parent teacher conferences.  Teachers will have more information about these conferences at the Curriculum Night next week.

Reminder:   The Pelham Parent Curriculum Night will be on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 for grades K-6. 

                                                Class Presentations--Grades K, 1, & 2                         7:00 - 7:20 PM

                                                Class Presentations--Grades 3 & 4                               7:20 - 7:40 PM

                                                Class Presentations--Grades 5 & 6                               7:40 - 8:00 PM

This is a parent/guardian only event, a time when teachers share with you important information about their classrooms and their curriculum.  Most teachers will have a sign up sheet for parent conferences.  Teachers will begin their classroom presentations promptly at the time on the above schedule. We hope to see all of you there!  Please call the school office by September 22 if you will need childcare.                                                  Rena Moore

 

 

From Jill Orro:  My first couple of weeks here have been as productive and exciting as I’d hope they would be and have set the foundation for the rest of the school year.  Pelham Elementary is truly unique in terms of both the students and the collective talent of the people working here, and I’m proud to be part of the team.  I look forward to working with the children, their parents, and the faculty, and to meeting all of you in the near future whom I haven’t already met.  Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome!   Jill Orro

 

 

Quinlan’s Quill:  Fifth grade is off and running.  We are working hard learning the routines, expectations, and schedules of the fifth grade room.   A focus of the first few weeks is learning how to listen and how to learn.  We all have different learning styles, and we often discuss why I am showing concepts both visually and verbally.  It is important for fifth graders to know how they learn best and how to be a successful student. 

            Our first unit, Real Me, is well underway.  We have discussed learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, and our goals for this year.  Also, we have undertaken a project which requires students to listen, watch and follow directions.  This is not easy for many fifth graders and we are working really hard on these skills.

            Our literature unit is based on a Realistic Fiction book called Soup by Robert Newton Peck.  I am reading the book to the kids as they follow along.  The students are learning the vocabulary from each chapter and how to answer comprehension questions completely by restating the question.  The purpose of the whole class reading unit is to be clear about the expectations of fifth grade work.  I write the answers on the overhead so everyone knows what is expected.

            We have started our math unit on place value; comparing and ordering; and addition and subtraction.  This is review for students, and we should finish this unit by the end of the month and then we will move onto multiplication review and division.  Every Friday will be Problem Solving Day where a problem solving strategy will be taught and practiced.  Students will be given problems to work on during the week, which will be due on Friday. 

            Our spelling program began last week and our vocabulary program this week.  Students will have weekly tests on Fridays in both subjects. 

            I look forward to meeting all parents at Curriculum Night/Open House on September 24, 2008.  If you need to see me beforehand, please stop by any morning.  I am at school by 7:30 every morning.  Thanks for your support and I look forward to the coming year.  Suzanne Quinlan

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SIXTH GRADE NEWS:  In 6^th grade, we’re winding up the Real Me unit, which has included looking at our eating and exercise habits, reading novels, and building ourselves three dimensionally in paper (you’ll see “us” at Open House). On Tuesday we visited the Norman Rockwell Museum and enjoyed seeing how well the artist portrayed the “Real Me” of his subjects in his paintings. We’ve started writing personal narratives, using “hooks” and vivid language to make our stories come alive. In math we’re half way through our first unit, and this week we are reviewing the order of operations and their properties (encourage your children to study their strategy notebook pages). There are several teachers who work in the sixth grade and I am especially pleased that Cathy Neale, who is providing tutoring services for 5^th and 6^th grades, is with us four mornings a week. She brings a wealth of expertise to our class, particularly in math. She is also my official mentor, and I am delighted that both teachers and students in the 6^th grade can benefit from her knowledge and creativity.                                  Margaret Light

 

 

 

Dear Pelham Families,

 

            Welcome to the new year !  It has started off wonderfully with lots of energy from the children throughout the school.  I am busy taking new pictures for this school year and placing them on the window outside of my room.  Each year the children love to wander past my window commenting on the familiar faces. (especially their own!)

    

For those of you new to the school, as the school adjustment counselor, I visit most of the classes throughout the school weekly.  Sometimes, I may receive requests from teachers regarding specific issues within the classroom and then deliver a lesson appropriate to the situation.  I will also be revisiting our bullying and teasing curriculum which we have used for years in Pelham School.  We have major guidelines in Pelham about bullying and teasing.  We have school rules which include the ideas of respect and tolerance in our school.  We believe that students are being bullied or victimized when they are exposed repeatedly to negative actions by other students.  Some examples of negative actions include verbal threatening, taunting, name calling, physical contact and gestures such as making faces, and looks that threaten someone’s sense of safety.  Exclusion from a group is also seen as a bullying behavior.  In Pelham Elementary School “you cannot say, you cannot play”.  Please remind your children that in these situations there are bystanders.  This person is also emotionally impacted by viewing a teasing incident.  We will continue to discuss the idea of courage and how it takes  courage to ask for help or to change your behavior.  We support reporting these incidents to an adult in charge.  Please communicate with your children often about the ideas of teasing and exclusion.  We as a community need to work together to interrupt these behaviors.

 

I am also available to children throughout the day to talk about specific concerns.  Families may also call me and set up appointments. I have weekly lunch groups with most of the classes, and this year I plan to have some specific groups for children.  I have facilitated friendship groups, as well as a group on meditation.  I hope to have some groups this year around specific issues.

 

Getting back “into the swing” of fall and the return to school can sometimes offer a challenge for all of us. Adhering to a new schedule can invite some morning mayhem.  This week is National ADHD week throughout the country. As I read about this, I thought about the children who exhibit the core symptoms of A.D.D and how the beginning of the school year may challenge them.  A.D.D.’s symptoms of inattention, over-focusing, restlessness, executive functioning problems, and impulsivity are hard to contain at any time.  Creating an atmosphere of safety helps these children to succeed more.  As a community, we need to recognize these children in a positive way.  Children with ADD often feel that they are not good enough .  We try to promote their strengths and talk about their talents.  Some people say that we can tell our A.D.D. children” that they have a great gift…some people call it ADD but you also have a Ferrari brain and Chevy transmission and brakes.  We, as educators and parents, need to teach you how to help your Ferrari brain work more efficiently.”   Some basic ways to help these children is through enough sleep, protein in the morning, good physical habits, exercise, good structure and organizing help and in some cases medicine. Talking about this disorder openly with your children helps to lessen shame and fear about their behavior. It is good to explain to these children how everyone’s brain works differently.

 

I will be writing occasional pieces for the Pelham Press.  I would appreciate any feedback or thoughts you may have regarding my musings.  I look forward to working with all of the Pelham families. 

 

Thank you.

Deb King

 

    

 

 

UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center

www.fineartscenter.com

CONTACT: Jorge Luis González at 413-545-4482 or jlg@admin.umass.edu

Latin Fest this Saturday; Families Welcome!

UMass Fine Arts Center to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with Latin Fest

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. With that in mind, the UMass Fine Arts Center will offer several events that celebrate Hispanic culture, food, music and art. This is a great opportunity for families to share and to learn more about Latino culture.

THE LATINO YOUTH MEDIA INSTITUTE OPEN SCREENING AND RECEPTION

On September 19, from 5-8 PM in the Concert Hall Lobby, the Fine Arts Center will host a showcase of work by young local Latinos that have been selected to participate in the Latino Youth Media Institute. Using various media, each project conveys an important personal experience relating to their family, their community and to society as a whole. The Institute is a partnership of WGBY, WFCR Public Radio, The Republican Newspaper, José Garcia (Independent Filmmaker and Photographer,) and TOLD: "Telling Our Legacies Digitally". The goal of the institute is to increase public broadcasting’s service to and engagement of the Latino communities within our region. At the personal level, it teaches participants the essential skills needed in today's media environment and gives them hands-on experience in television and radio broadcasting, online content, print media and interactive gaming. Participants build their media experience and develop their skills with three major media assignments. Finally, these stories will be broadcast on public media; and published online and in print. This will both engage the Latino community with public media and share those communities’ experiences with regional audiences as a whole. This event is free and open to the public. Light Latin fare and music will also be on hand.

 

India: “The Princess of Salsa”& Jesus Pagan y su Orquesta, Sat, September 20, 8 PM, Concert Hall, Free Festival on the Plaza, 5-8 PM

The festivities begin on the Fine Arts Center Plaza at 5PM with Salsa lessons and demonstrations, live music by Amherst Regional High School's Bomba Ensemble and dancing to music by DJ Bongohead (Pablo Yglesias). Latin dance lessons and demonstrations will be provided by Salsa Con Clase, Camila Carpio, and Boricuas Unidos. There will be Latin food provided by Salsarengue (children 10 and under eat for free) and free craft activities for children. A cash bar will also be available. The festival on the plaza is free and open to the public. A post-show dance party will be held in the lobby with music by DJ Bongohead. Masters of Ceremonies will be Victor and Marta Guevarra.Internationally celebrated diva of Latin soul and dance music, India has earned the respect and admiration of music lovers worldwide earning her the title “The Princess of Salsa,” so named by the late legendary bandleader Tito Puente. Embracing her cultural heritage, this Puerto Rican chanteuse will take the audience on an energetic and powerful musical journey—from inspirational and rocking music to soulful jazz to deep and intimate ballads. India evokes with great respect and admiration her mentors, the “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz and Latin Jazz legend Tito Puente. In 1996 she collaborated with Puente in the historical recording titled, “Tito Puente/India Jazzin’ with The Count Basie Orchestra” for the label Tropi Jazz, a favorite among Latin Jazz lovers worldwide and it was again in 1999 that she had the honor to perform along side her mentors, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz under the musical directorship of Maestro Johnny Pacheco in a tribute to the “Queen of Salsa” titled “Celia and friends.” The highlight of this televised PBS special was the performance of India and Celia’s duet, “La Voz De La Experiencia” lyrics written by India as a tribute to her godmother. On the personal side, India is a strong supporter and advocate for health and social issues, such as, the fight against Breast Cancer, Domestic Violence, Abused and Neglected children, AIDS, LOLA, The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and The Humane Society. Among numerous civic and professional obligations she is involved in NARA’s New York Chapter board of governors for a second year, and is the national spokesperson for the Grammy’s Concert Series for Young People participating as a super panelist on several occasions for the Grammy’s in School Programs.  Opening for India will be Jesus Pagan and his Orchestra. With his own distinct brand of "Salsa Dura," Pagan moves his audiences to tears and in the next moment has them dancing in the streets. He is at once, both a masterful interpreter of the repertoire of Salsa, and an innovative songwriter in his own right. Carrying the torch passed on by the likes of Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, and Tito Rodriguez, Jesús Pagan y su Orquesta are carrying the light of Salsa Dura into the21st Century.

General Seating Tickets for India are $35, $25, $15; Five College/GCC Students and Youth 17 and under, $15. They are available through the Fine Arts center Box office at 545-2511, 1-800-999-UMAS and online at fineartscenter.com. They are also available at L& E Music and Creation, 169 White Street, Springfield 413-737-9953. Imperio Musical, 2460 Main Street, Springfield, 413-827-8452, Sonido Musical, 331 High Street, Holyoke, MA, 413-532-4116, and Salsarengue, 392 High Street, Holyoke, MA 413-533-1850.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT AT UMASS CENTRAL GALLERY

A photography exhibit that reveals how the legacy of the Latina matriarca influences her granddaughters today will be on view at the Fine Arts Center’s Central Gallery Sept. 25-Oct. 25. A reception, featuring guitarist Lorena Garay, will be held on Sept. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery, located in the Central Residential Area of the campus, off Clark Hill Road. Nuestras Abuelas: Their Hope, Our Strength marks the beginning of an ongoing mixed media (photographs, essays and online site at http://www.LaPrensaMa.com/LaPrensaNuestrasAbuelas.htm) exhibit that gathers the stories and photographs of Latinas of all nationalities to honor their abuelas (grandmothers).

Latin Fest is sponsored by Bank of America, WGBY TV 57, El Sol Latino, La Prensa, the UMass Office for Student Affairs and Campus Life and Salsarengue.

 

 

Craigieburn Farm Alpacas is having an open house on Saturday and Sunday,

9/27-28, 10 AM - 4 PM.  See alpacas and learn about the softness of their

fleece.  243 W. Pelham Rd, Shutesbury. 253-4485

 

 

Steve Rice

 

Craigieburn Farm Alpacas

 

243 West Pelham Road

 

Shutesbury, MA 01072

 

Home: 413-253-4485

 

Cell:  413-768-9347

 

email:  steve.rice@alpacas4u.com

 

website: www.alpacanation.com/craigieburn.asp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make Sure You Child Doesn't Get Left Inside

 

The Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club is starting up hikes and other events to get kids outdoors. Our first outing will be  a short hike at Buffam Falls in Pelham on Saturday, Sept. 27.

 

The goal is to have at least one kid-friendly event every month of the year. Possibilities include scavenger hunts, building fairy houses, and letter boxing. Anyone interested in attending family events or helping with the program can contact Nancy Weld, Family Programs chair at (413) 256-8728 or at

 

familyprograms@amcberkshire.org.

 

The Sept. 27 event will be a short   hike at a slow pace, with plenty of opportunity to throw rocks and sticks into the water and explore nature. We may get a snack, lunch or ice cream afterward. We’ll start at 10 a.m.

 

Our second event, on Oct. 12, will be a hike up Rattlesnake Knob which is a smaller peak just east of Mount Norwottuck, part of the Holyoke Range in Amherst. We will meet at 10 a.m. and may gather for lunch afterward.

 

 Contact Leader Nancy Weld for more information (413) 256-8728 or at 

 familyprograms@amcberkshire.org.

moorer@arps.org

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