A message from Mr. Dryden

I’d like to wish the entire Maclary family a Happy New Year. It has been just over one year since I joined the Maclary staff as principal. Wow! How time flies. It has been an exceptional year for me, and I look forward to many more.

This edition of the Maclarion comes at a time when we typically set new goals or priorities for the coming year. This is certainly the case at Maclary. Our school priorities will focus on providing a rigorous curriculum, maintaining nurturing environments that support all students, and increasing stakeholder engagement.

One way to meet these priorities is to provide support for at-home learning and extensions to occur. Learning never stops when the school day ends, and there are numerous ways to support the work taking place at Maclary. On page 4 of this edition, you will see a sheet with several online resources to engage students in all levels and facets of learning, including math, science, social studies, reading, and language arts.

In addition, grade-level teams are continuing to create and implement instructional strategies and application activities that will increase the level of rigor and challenge in the classroom. Please remember that the math program Dreambox is always a great way to incorporate math using a sophisticated and fun math application on the computer. Sign in is simple, and students are well aware how to do this.

Over the next number of weeks, Maclary will provide information sessions to assist parents in understanding the Common Core and related assessments. Please make an effort to join us for these sessions. These will be held in addition to monthly PTA meetings.

February is “Love to Read Month.” Maclary will have special programs and incentives to assist students in building a love for reading. Parent and caregiver support at home is critical to make a good reader a great reader. Here’s to happy and wonderful 2015!
– Mr. Dryden


Dates to Remember…

family fun night

POSTPONED

Fri. Jan. 30^th

6:30-8:00 p.m.

international festival

Fri. Feb. 6^th

6:30-8:00 p.m.

valentine flower delivery

Thurs. Feb. 12^th

Fri. Feb. 13^th &

Mon. Feb. 16th

PTA Meeting

Thurs. Feb. 19^th

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Babysitting provided

six flags reading challenge submission deadline

Fri. Feb. 20^th

Fri. Feb. 20^th &

Fri. Feb. 27^th

1:30-3:00 p.m.

 When bad weather or other factors interrupt the normal school day, we use the Parent Link notification system, news media, e-mail notification, District website, State of Delaware School Closing Information website, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to inform parents and the public. We encourage you to tune in early when bad weather is predicted as we try to make the announcements as soon as the decision is made. Please remember that any decision affects only one school day; a new announcement will be made if the situation continues.

Christina School District has joined both Facebook and Twitter. Click the links below to join, follow and stay connected!

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  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristinaK12
  
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  Google+: Christina SD (ChristinaK12)
  
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  Twitter @ChristinaK12 - District news and updates - includes messages sent via @CSDalerts
  @CSDalerts - Urgent message notification only - school closing, delays, early dismissals and other urgent information from CSD
  

Receive urgent text messages from Christina School District! CSD has created a Twitter account for notifying the community via text messaging about School Closings, Delays, Early Dismissals and other urgent information. The @CSDalerts account is a way for parents, students, staff and the community to sign up for CSD Urgent Twitter alerts via text messaging without having a Twitter account! To sign up, simply text Follow @CSDalerts to the phone number 40404. (Please note: Standard text messaging rates apply)

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  Subscribe to information updates provided by the Delaware Notification Service website.
  

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  302-552-2726
  

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  WDEL 1150 AM - View the SnoWatch listings and listen online - www.wdel.com
  
• 
  WILM 1450 AM - Listen online to WILM - www.wilm.com
  
• 
  WJBR 99.5 AM - View the Operation Snowflake listings and listen online - www.wjbr.com
  
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  WSTW 93.7 FM - View the SnowWatch listings and listen online - www.wstw.com
  

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  Channel 3, 6 and 10 will carry school closing information when applicable.
  

School closing information is available online at www.delawareonline.com

Social Studies

Reminder

Friday, February 6^st from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Maclary Cafeteria
Get your passport ready. It’s time to journey across the world! Experience crafts, food, and meeting tour guides from many countries. You don’t want to miss this travel experience!



Six Flags reading challenge is open to all students at Maclary Elementary.  In order to get a free Six Flags ticket you have to complete 360 minutes of recreational reading. 

Homework and class work do not count towards your 360 minutes.  You have until February 20th to submit your reading logs to your home room teacher.  All students have received a parent letter with attached reading log. 

Six Flags tickets will be distributed towards the end of the school year.

 Ms. Everett

Six Flags Coordinator

2014 - 2015 Maclary PTA Calendar

1. Please mark these dates on your calendar

Postponed Family Night – Fitness Fun Night 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

30^th Reflections Ceremony 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

February - 12^th Valentine Flowers

19^th PTA meeting (babysitting provided) 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

TBA Family Event - Lego Block Party 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

6th International Festival 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

18^th. PTA meeting (babysitting provided) 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

20^th – 24^th Penny Race 8:15 - 8:30 a.m.

TBA Family Event

May - 4^th – 8^th Staff Appreciation Week

19^th PTA meeting (babysitting provided) 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

11^Th - 15^th Spring Buy 1 Get 1 Book Fair 8:30 a.m. - 3:30pm

12^th Muffins for Moms 7:15 – 8:15 a.m.

15th Paws for Reading or Movie Night 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

June - 3^rd PTA meeting (babysitting provided) 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

TBA Field Day

TBA Fifth Grade Recognition

9^th Last Day of School

Kindergarten had a fabulous December! We enjoyed performing for our grownups at the holiday concert, and we had some fun-filled days before vacation that included movies, parties, and crafts. During the past month, we learned about different December celebrations, including Hanukkah and Christmas. We were visited by Fair Hill Nature Center and had a lot of fun putting on the play, A Winter’s Tale, during their visit. We learned about how different animals prepare for winter and the cold weather by migrating and hibernating. This was a great introduction to our winter unit, which we began in January.

In addition to learning about winter, we will also be introducing our new science kit, Push, Pull, Go, and learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. this month. We are also looking forward to an interesting and exciting February. Barring any snow days, our 100^th Day of School will fall on Friday, February 6th. We are planning a fun-filled day of 100-themed activities, including the sharing of our 100-Day collections that we have been working on at home.

We will also learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Chinese New Year during the month of February. During January and February, we will continue to work on story retelling, writing skills, word segmentation and blending, sight word recognition, graphing, shapes, and number recognition above 20. Please continue practicing sight words and reading with your students at home. We would like to wish everyone a very happy New Year! We are looking forward to a wonderful and exciting 2015!

First grade has begun the study of Solids and Liquids. This is an exciting science unit for the students to engage in hands-on activities with various solids and liquids to compare and contrast the states of matter. Our reading focuses continue with Main Idea and supporting details.

We are reading a variety of texts with poetry, non-fiction, fiction, readers’ theater, and more. Parents can help at home by taking your child to the public library to borrow books with many different themes. As you read, ask questions like, “Who is the main character? What is the problem in the story? How do the characters feel about _________? What is the story mostly about? What are some details that tell more about the main idea of the story?”

In Math we have started looking at data and reading graphs and charts to interpret data. We are having fun creating our own graphs and charts using fun things like Our Favorite Fruits. We will continue to practice our addition and subtraction facts up to 20 as well. Be sure to practice adding and subtracting at home when opportunity arises. Something as simple as, “Usually we have 6 people at the dinner table, but tonight Greg is at basketball practice, so we have one less. How many people will be at the dinner table?” can count as practicing word problems with addition and subtraction.

In February we will be having classroom presentations from Ashland Nature Center on Solids and Liquids to go along with our science unit. This is always a fun time where classrooms get to see how you can turn a liquid into a solid and other fun activities that also give us some fun materials to “play with” in our rooms!

2^nd grade

The second trimester has been full of valuable learning information in second grade. We continued spending a lot of time discussing “kindness”. For curriculum, we will continue with our intense pacing by learning the following Common Core State Standards: “Story Structure, Predict and Infer, Sequence of Events and Visualizing, Understanding Characters to Analyze and Evaluate, Main Idea and Details, Understanding Characters to Analyze/Evaluate, and Text and Graphic Features of Story Structure.”

Please continue to read daily with your child as this will help keep them on pace. In Math, we have recently concluded Unit 3 which is “Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction.” Extra basic math facts drilling/practice were beneficial. We also just concluded Unit 4, “Place Value to 1,000.” We will soon begin Unit 5 which is “More Addition and Subtraction.”

Please remember to send your children to school dressed properly and comfortably for the cold weather. As always if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact us at any time. Thank you….the second grade team.

Third graders are getting ready for med school. That’s right – it’s time to learn about the human body! We will learn all about how bones support your body, allow you to move, and protect your organs. Here’s a fun website to learn more at home: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/.

In math we are getting ready to start fractions. We will be able to identify fractions with pictures and on the number line, compare fractions, and continue to develop our problem solving skills.

At home there is a perfect way to develop your student’s inference skills while developing their skills as a historian. Parents you can use artifacts and photographs from your childhood to have your child infer about history. Here are some questions to ask when looking at an item:

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  What materials is it made of?
  
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  How does it look and feel?
  
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  Who do you think made it? How can you tell?
  
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  How do you think it was used?
  
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  What does it tell you about the culture of the people who used it?
  
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  What is something it doesn’t tell you?
  

One trimester down, two to go. This school year is flying by and 4^th grade is preparing to become future 5^th grade Maclary scholars. We are working hard on memorizing math facts, improving oral reading fluency and boosting our comprehension of grade level texts.

Next stop for 4^th grade, completing multistep tasks involving higher order thinking. The 4^th grade students are excited to start a new unit in science that focuses on magnetism and electricity and to learn all about fractions in mathematics.

On a final note, please encourage your child to practice their math facts at home, read each night, and come prepared to school by eating a healthy breakfast and getting a good rest each night!

Hello from Fifth Grade! My how the year is flying by, we are already approaching the end of the second trimester.

We would like to welcome Mr. Taylor to room 24 as the regular education teacher.

The field trip to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden New Jersey was a great success. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who chaperoned. We really enjoy your involvement in our school activities.

In math we will be spending the next two months on fractions. Please ask your child what they are learning in math class each day to help support the success of their fraction experience. Dreambox is an excellent source to help your child in understanding fractions.

In social studies we are exploring the Bill of Rights, evidence, and Due Process. We are examining the example of due process by using a mock trial of the Three Little Pigs versus the Big Bad Wolf.

In ELA we are working with Common Core State Standards in our flex and intervention groups.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we will not miss too many days of school.

I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break. We are back and in full swing. Currently 5^th graders are working on dodecahedrons. Ask a 5^th grader, if you do not know what that is! Fourth grade took a look at work by Kandinsky and are doing a project inspired by his work. Third grade is doing a Radial Symmetry Design project. Second graders are working on Lions in the Jungle. First grade took a look at the Mayan Calendar and are doing a project based on our observations. This week Kindergarten will begin drawing Castles.

On February 20 and 27^th from 1:30-3:00 p.m., we will be having the Be An Artist event. I will need several adult volunteers to help on those days. You do not need to be particularly artsy. I will give you all materials and directions you will need. If you are interested please e-mail me at nobbsm@christina.k12.de.us and let me know which day you can come (of course if you can come both days that would great!).
Enrichment

Third grade:

Grade 3 math students participated in the Junior First Lego League Expo at Sanford School on Saturday, December 13. Their challenge was to design and build a model with moving parts that showed people using a “learning tool.” One team built a gymnasium with a rotating high bar to teach about strength and aerodynamics, while the other designed a computer network being used to research how to add a “green roof” to a home under construction. Students had to construct a model, create a display board and present their work to a panel of judges. All participants received tee shirts and ribbons as well as two team trophies that are in the front display case.

In reading, students are studying fables. After reading The Tortoise and the Hare, they wrote their own dialogue and stage directions and performed the fable for several kindergarten classes. They are practicing many critical reading skills including putting events in order, identifying causes and effects, making generalizations about theme, and considering the consequences of characters’ actions.

Fourth and fifth grades:

Math students completed their participation in the statewide Stock Market Game competition. The two fifth grade teams finished 7th and 9th out of 68 teams statewide, earning profits of $3,625 and $2,321 respectively on an initial investment of $100,000. The two fourth grade teams also did well, finishing 17th and 19th overall. Another round of competition is scheduled for spring. Recently, fourth graders have launched a study of factors, multiples and number properties, while fifth graders are deepening their knowledge of fractions, decimals and percentages.

In reading, students learned basic forensics by debating whether cursive handwriting should be taught in school. In doing so, they read, took notes, argued both sides, and practiced public speaking by participating in a mock debate competition at school. In January, they began learning about and looking for common “signposts” that appear in fiction in order to become more critical readers. For example, when a character acts or speaks in a way that is unexpected based on his/her prior speech or actions, attentive readers know that is a “Contrast or Contradiction” that should make them STOP to think about why the character might act that way.

Maclary’s Math Olympiad team had its third competition in January, and students are learning a lot about various problem solving strategies! They especially enjoy working together once weekly to share ideas on how to tackle these complex and challenging problems. Email Ms. McNutt if you would like a copy of the latest contest!

Parents and guardians play an extremely important part in their child’s speech and language program. Practice at home helps children to carry-over strategies learned in speech and language therapy across other settings.

Speech and language is used all day, every day!

Other important reasons for home practice:

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  Most children seek to please their parents. If their parents are enthusiastic about working on their speech and language goals at home, the children will be motivated.
  
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  Helps the child to carry-over or generalize techniques and strategies used in speech therapy to the home and other community settings, which helps to increase the rate of progress.
  
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  It can be motivating for a child to be reinforced both at home and in therapy. This sends them the message that their goals are important across settings.
  

– Meredith Bailey-Orr, MA-CCC-SLP

Many people make New Year’s Resolutions to be healthy, and that’s great! Whether you are hoping to lose weight, build muscle, or start a new way of eating, here are some tips for making your resolutions a reality.

*Know your goal. Vague goals, like “I want to eat healthier,” are hard to achieve. Make specific goals, such as “I want to eat two more fruits and vegetables every day.”

*Think about reality. Ask yourself, is this realistic? Unfortunately, losing 10 lb in one week is just not realistic, but losing 1 lb per week might be!

*Tell others. Telling other people about your health resolution will make you more likely to stick with it.

*Congratulate yourself when you reach a goal! Making resolutions happen is difficult, so give yourself a healthy treat for doing a great job.

Winter is the best time of the year for hot soups, roasts, and casseroles. These warm dishes are often some of your family’s favorites. Keep it that way by always serving these dishes safely. Here are some important food safety tips for hot winter foods.

*Cook it right! Foods must be cooked to certain temperatures in order for them to be considered safe.
-Beef and pork: 145 degrees F.
-Ground meats: 160-165 degrees F.
-Poultry: 165 degrees F
-Egg dishes: 160 degrees F

*When reheating a leftover food, make sure it gets to 165 degrees F.