July 11
I loaded the final photos of our last days as Patriotic Penguins tonight. We've had a spectacular year and I've enjoyed this group of students very much. I loved their kindness, their creativity, their enthusiasm, and their wonderful sense of humor. Thank you for all the teacher gifts. We love them but this year, with these kids, every coffee card is just the icing on a cake! Best of luck to everyone, wherever you land next year, and be sure to stop by to visit. I'll always be there for you.
June 22
Some final remarks: I would say the trip to Look Park yesterday was very successful. Perfect weather and we were the only school in the Park!
I talked to the Park Director and he told me that the kids from Belchertown was the best behaved group of kids he has seen!
Thank you to our wonderful parent chaperones: Mr. AND Mrs Menard, Mrs Leung, Mr. O'Brien, Mrs. Mankowsky, Mr. Priestly, Mrs. Pacunas, and Mr. Ryczek!
Thank you for wanting to be part of our day!
June 19
The Patriotic Penguins are ready for middle school!
We hope our weekly (and daily as well) information has been helpful in keeping touch with class and school activities.
We've enjoyed teaching your children. We know that this year is such a huge transition year in becoming responsible students and we hope the
emphasis on organization, writing, prioritizing assignments and working on projects in a timely manner have made some impact on your children as learners.
We thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children's lives.
We'll be heading out to Look Park on Wednesday around 9:15. You can meet at the school, form carpools and driving chaperones can follow us over to Northampton.
A parent chaperone info packet is going home today with your child.
Remember that students should bring their own lunches to Look Park, but the food shops open at 11:00, if that is the preference.
We do have a half day on Friday. Some fun activities are planned but mostly it will be a day to organize, sort and be Penguins one last time.
Report cards will be issued at 12:00 when we have our official dismissal.
We will be reminding students to visit Lost and Found for any missing materials. Remainders are donated.
I loaded the final photos of our last days as Patriotic Penguins tonight. We've had a spectacular year and I've enjoyed this group of students very much. I loved their kindness, their creativity, their enthusiasm, and their wonderful sense of humor. Thank you for all the teacher gifts. We love them but this year, with these kids, every coffee card is just the icing on a cake! Best of luck to everyone, wherever you land next year, and be sure to stop by to visit. I'll always be there for you.
June 22
Some final remarks: I would say the trip to Look Park yesterday was very successful. Perfect weather and we were the only school in the Park!
I talked to the Park Director and he told me that the kids from Belchertown was the best behaved group of kids he has seen!
Thank you to our wonderful parent chaperones: Mr. AND Mrs Menard, Mrs Leung, Mr. O'Brien, Mrs. Mankowsky, Mr. Priestly, Mrs. Pacunas, and Mr. Ryczek!
Thank you for wanting to be part of our day!
June 19
The Patriotic Penguins are ready for middle school!
We hope our weekly (and daily as well) information has been helpful in keeping touch with class and school activities.
We've enjoyed teaching your children. We know that this year is such a huge transition year in becoming responsible students and we hope the
emphasis on organization, writing, prioritizing assignments and working on projects in a timely manner have made some impact on your children as learners.
We thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children's lives.
We'll be heading out to Look Park on Wednesday around 9:15. You can meet at the school, form carpools and driving chaperones can follow us over to Northampton.
A parent chaperone info packet is going home today with your child.
Remember that students should bring their own lunches to Look Park, but the food shops open at 11:00, if that is the preference.
We do have a half day on Friday. Some fun activities are planned but mostly it will be a day to organize, sort and be Penguins one last time.
Report cards will be issued at 12:00 when we have our official dismissal.
We will be reminding students to visit Lost and Found for any missing materials. Remainders are donated.
June 13
Tomorrow is the Massachusetts Book Award pizza party until 4:30
Tomorrow is the Massachusetts Book Award pizza party until 4:30
June 12
We are entering the final two weeks of a great school year. Let's all finish strong!
We held our Treasure or Trash Giveaway last Friday and it was a lot of fun. If your child came home bearing some bizarre items please understand that as I clear out my classroom and home of many years and downsize my life, a lot of "stuff" was "put up for grabs". Some of that stuff may, of course, be destined for the trash at your house. Please forgive me. It was a lot of fun, though, and the kids were great and great sports.
Amazing talent in the Showcase Festival this year with a lot of Penguins as the featured talent, in addition to chorus and concert band. It was a lot of fun and thank you to all who supported the event!
We have the Clapp Memorial Library Kick Off assembly on Tuesday. Please support Operation: Smile by donating your gently used books to the Used Library Book Sale with all proceeds going to support cleft palate surgery in Operation Smile.
We are entering the final two weeks of a great school year. Let's all finish strong!
We held our Treasure or Trash Giveaway last Friday and it was a lot of fun. If your child came home bearing some bizarre items please understand that as I clear out my classroom and home of many years and downsize my life, a lot of "stuff" was "put up for grabs". Some of that stuff may, of course, be destined for the trash at your house. Please forgive me. It was a lot of fun, though, and the kids were great and great sports.
Amazing talent in the Showcase Festival this year with a lot of Penguins as the featured talent, in addition to chorus and concert band. It was a lot of fun and thank you to all who supported the event!
We have the Clapp Memorial Library Kick Off assembly on Tuesday. Please support Operation: Smile by donating your gently used books to the Used Library Book Sale with all proceeds going to support cleft palate surgery in Operation Smile.
June 5
I (SW) am in my final weeks of a 30 year long teaching career in Belchertown. I will be teaching in a private school next year and will not be taking many of the "things" I have collected in my classroom over these years. I will be having a "Treasure Hunt" this Friday in which I will be giving away many of those items. Since I am also downsizing my life from an 8 room house to a 3 room apartment, there will be a fair amount of stuff in this Treasure Hunt. No one is obligated to take any of these things but it should be fun. Once a student has claimed an item or two, I am hoping they will get them out of the classroom within a week. Any unclaimed or unwanted things will be thrown away.
Dates:
June 6 - Visit from Anthony Tuck, author of The Stone Circle
Showcase Festival Rehearsal on Wednesday from 3:30 - 5:30
Showcase Festival - Thursday beginning at 6:00
Look Park field trip - June 21 9:15 - 2:30, chaperones needed!
June 12 - June 16 Used Book Fair in library to support Project Smile
June 23 Last day of school is a half day!
Finally, I (VB) am not retiring and will be needing materials borrowed from CHCS back as soon as possible. Some parents requested extra copies of textbooks, students borrowed my library books for reading etc.
May 30
Bookmarks: The Musical was a wonderful show this past weekend. Thanks to all the Penguins (and Penguin parents) who made this an extra special event. Congratulations to all the Penguin thespians and musicials who worked so hard for this show. And congratulations to Mr. Walkowicz and Mr. Guarraz for another fine production !
Some dates to know:
June 2 Our "Step Up" to Jabish Brook Middle School is this Friday in the morning. Permission slips went home last week and must be signed to accompany us for this important visit.
June 8 is the Showcase Festival. Tickets are still available and several Penguins are doing music and
dance routines!
June 21 Is our Look Park Field trip. The cost is $10. Permission slips for this trip also went home last week. We need chaperones so please consider coming with us on this fun day.
Assorted testing will be completed in these next few weeks like DIBELS on June 7 and the Star Assessments in
Math and Reading by June 16
May 22
This will be an extremely busy week for any Penguins involved with the school play "Bookmarks" with rehearsals:
Monday Scenes 1-4 and Pit Band until 6:00
Tuesday Everyone until 6:00
Wednesday Scenes 1 - 4 and Pit Band until 6:00
Thursday Everyone until 6:00
The entire school will travel to BHS on Friday afternoon to watch the dress rehearsal performance.
Support the school and the many Patriotic Penguins in the play this Friday and Saturday night.
May 16
Whew! Almost done! We plan on showing the Tom Sawyer film,Tom and Huck, on Wednesday following the Math MCAS. We'll talk about a compare and contrast essay between book and movie.
May 9
Don't forget to get your Bookmarks: The Musical tickets for the night of Friday, May 26th or Saturday, May 27th.
Support CHCS, and many Penguin thespians and musicians on these nights. Yellow forms went home yesterday.
May 1
Report cards went home last Friday. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or issues. We are entering the second week of the fourth quarter. Yes, the year is moving quickly and it is time for our students to start thinking a little about what comes next for them. For many of them, it will be the 7th grade at Jabish Brook Middle School, an excellent school. With that in mind, Ms. Parker, a guidance counselor from Jabish, or Ms. Davies, a seventh grade teacher, will be visiting with our kids this Tuesday morning. She will be accompanied by a team of 8th grade students who will answer questions about life in middle school. By the way, Tuesday is an early release day for students. Dismissal begins at 1:00
National Grid light bulbs have to be picked up at school. Students cannot have them on the busses.
April 28
Watching the movie Zootopia was a great way to end the week. The message of having high expectations lead to people being able to be the best they can be was loud and clear. Being a really funny move certainly helped!
A few schedule things to be aware of:
Tuesday, May 2 is another early release professional day with students dismissed from CHCS at 1:00.
Tuesday, May 2, in the morning, Ms. Parker and Ms. Davies from Jabish Brook will be visiting 6th grade accompanied by eighth grade respresentatives
April 24
The third quarter of the school year is over, just like that. Grades closed just before April break and report cards will be going home at the end of this week. Powerschool has taken away some of the suspense about grades and that is a good thing. Grades should be transparent and kids should understand what they have earned and why they have earned it. Please contact us if you have questions about grades or concerns about your child's performance.
Here comes standardized testing. This week we will deal with ELA testing and later in May we will face Math. We think that the kids are ready to do their best work. Even still, test results should be viewed with realistic skepticism. These tests surely "test" students but they do not take the full measure of them. That our educational system has taken them very seriously, perhaps too much so at times, is our opinion. Still, we will encourage our students to put their best foot forward and not worry too much about the results, a balancing act of sorts. We think about the start of the school year and what our kids can now do, what they know and have accomplished, and we are proud of them.
April 10
It is the final week of the third marking term. It is also a short week as our Easter break begins on Friday. Report cards will be coming out when we get back from a great vacation. And then...ELA MCAS on the 25, 26 and 27th!
Ahhh! Ant season has arrived here at CHCS rather early. We are asking students to only bring food in sealed containers and baggies and to not leave any food or sugary beverages in their lockers
April 3
The third marking term will end next Thursday when our long April break begins. Let's finish strong.
March 30
Wear Blue for Autism Awareness on Friday. Let's Light up CHCS Blue!
March 28
Students will participate in our first "tornado safety" drill Wednesday morning.
March 27
Please remember that tomorrow, Tuesday, March, 27, is a early release day for students.
Grades close on April 13, right before April vacation,with report cards going home April 28.
The MCAS schedule has 6th grade ELA MCAS on April 25,April 26, and April 27.
Math MCAS is on May 16 and May 17.
Scoliosis testing in PE on Wednesday!
March 20
Thank you, CHCS PTO, for runnning a well-attended and fun STEM night last week!
March 15
PTO is sponsoring an exciting STEM night on Thursday (tomorrow) from 6 - 7:30 in the CHCS cafeteria.
This super extravaganza will feature hands-on projects and demonstrations by real scientists, engineers, and STEM professionals from our community, including some our dedicated Jabish Brook and BHS teachers. Come observe and learn about animals, test a Mythbusters myth, make slime and a balloon-powered car, and more!
March 13
The National Grid fundraiser deadline has been pushed to March 14. There are some great deals on lightbulbs, lamps and powerstrips with 100% of the money returned to CHCS! I buy them as gifts for those that have everything...
Notice the link to the new lunch payment system is on the Links page of this website, to make things even easier!
March 9
Students have received a few notices in the last few days.
It is postural screenng season again! If you are planning on exempting your son or daughter, written notication from a physician is due by March 22.
On Friday, students will receive a paper for MySchoolBucks which reveals your individual password so set up an online lunch payment program. We'll put a link on this website for you too.
March 5
Great concert by our 6th grade Band and Chorus. Exhausted 6th graders by the time 3 performances were completed but we really appreciate their efforts!
As a heads up, it is MCAS season again. Grade levels get tested on different days but the sixth grade schedule is:
April 25, 26, 27 for English Language Arts
May 16 and 17 for Math
Thursday is spring picture day. Envelopes were sent home last week. No money is collected now. It is a fundraiser for the school.
National Grid Fundraiser forms went home last week. This is a PTO fundraiser. I was noticing the amazing prices for power strips and light bulbs. The school does get back a high percentage of the price you pay.
And, as a nod to how delicate technology is, I accidentally deleted last week's entry on this page while tidying up some stray ends. Whatever sage advice dispensed last week has been lost....
February 15
We're making some great strides in making up time lost from snow days, but sickness and absences keep us staggering along. We plan on using Friday afternoon as a
catch up time so as many students as possible can come back from vacation caught up!. We'll be showing the movie "Peabody and Sherman's Improbable History" to students who are all set with work. The movie is a cartoon time travel romp through some of the time periods we've been studying.
We're making some great strides in making up time lost from snow days, but sickness and absences keep us staggering along. We plan on using Friday afternoon as a
catch up time so as many students as possible can come back from vacation caught up!. We'll be showing the movie "Peabody and Sherman's Improbable History" to students who are all set with work. The movie is a cartoon time travel romp through some of the time periods we've been studying.
February 13
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days.
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days.
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days. Right now, the last day of school is Thursday, June 22!
On a serious note, students will be working on both math and reading assesment tests this week as well as a Life Skill lesson on conflict resolution.
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days.
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days.
We would like it to stop snowing now. We don't need anymore snow days. Right now, the last day of school is Thursday, June 22!
On a serious note, students will be working on both math and reading assesment tests this week as well as a Life Skill lesson on conflict resolution.
February 7
Epic Super Bowl Game, for you Patriots fans! Probably a late night for a lot of sports fans too!
Report cards went home on Friday. Let us know if you have any questions. Also, if you have lost access to PowerSchool, know that the office can retrieve your password. Consider getting the PowerSchool app for ease in access.
The Consumable contest is a bit low key for Mr. Walkowicz and I. You were so generous at the beginning of the year. But, as I've said earlier, if you feel like you must contribute to the school contest, we would prefer tissues, eraser caps, and wipes! Send in your Box Tops as well. We'll make a bid for the trophy by the end of the year...
Epic Super Bowl Game, for you Patriots fans! Probably a late night for a lot of sports fans too!
Report cards went home on Friday. Let us know if you have any questions. Also, if you have lost access to PowerSchool, know that the office can retrieve your password. Consider getting the PowerSchool app for ease in access.
The Consumable contest is a bit low key for Mr. Walkowicz and I. You were so generous at the beginning of the year. But, as I've said earlier, if you feel like you must contribute to the school contest, we would prefer tissues, eraser caps, and wipes! Send in your Box Tops as well. We'll make a bid for the trophy by the end of the year...
February 3
Students received report cards today. Tonight is the 5th grade fundraiser movie "MIddle School: The Worst Years of My Life". Doors open at 6:00 and the movie begins at 6:30.
Students received report cards today. Tonight is the 5th grade fundraiser movie "MIddle School: The Worst Years of My Life". Doors open at 6:00 and the movie begins at 6:30.
February 2
According to our CHCS News broadcast, we can expect 6 more weeks of winter. Yay!
I've posted the list for the Consumable Contest sponsored by the PTO here. You have been very generous parents this entire year, so there is no pressure for these materials. It is nice, however, to get the tissues, eraser caps, and wipes, and this would be the time to contribute so that we can compete with other homerooms. We thank you in advance!
January 29
A few notes as we enter this second half of the year: any student who has lost a password for PowerSchool can just go to the front office and receive
a password reminder, just in case this has been a vexing issue at home. Secondly, we thought we woud mention that using email is the best way to
communicate with us. We check our emails frequently so we read any information you have to share with us. If we do not reply to you
immediately it is more because classroom teaching does not lend itself to thoughtful email replies. We do make the effort to return your messages as soon as possible when we have a moment to think!
According to our CHCS News broadcast, we can expect 6 more weeks of winter. Yay!
I've posted the list for the Consumable Contest sponsored by the PTO here. You have been very generous parents this entire year, so there is no pressure for these materials. It is nice, however, to get the tissues, eraser caps, and wipes, and this would be the time to contribute so that we can compete with other homerooms. We thank you in advance!
January 29
A few notes as we enter this second half of the year: any student who has lost a password for PowerSchool can just go to the front office and receive
a password reminder, just in case this has been a vexing issue at home. Secondly, we thought we woud mention that using email is the best way to
communicate with us. We check our emails frequently so we read any information you have to share with us. If we do not reply to you
immediately it is more because classroom teaching does not lend itself to thoughtful email replies. We do make the effort to return your messages as soon as possible when we have a moment to think!
January 23
Grades close this Friday with report cards going out next Friday. This will mark the middle of the year!
January 16
This is not a CHCS event but such a cool thing for Belchertown, right?
Grades close this Friday with report cards going out next Friday. This will mark the middle of the year!
January 16
This is not a CHCS event but such a cool thing for Belchertown, right?
January 9
A few dates to remember: this Friday is a teacher professional day and is a student day off. Monday is Martin Luther King Day which is a day off for everyone! Congratulations for a 4 day weekend!
Grades close for this marking period on January 27 with report cards the following Friday.
January 3
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a fun and relaxing vacation. I spent a good portion of my time drinking coffee, sniffing candles, coloring and otherwise very much enjoying the generous gifts you provided. Thank you so much for thinking of me during the craziest time of year. Here's hoping for a great 2017 with new Patriotic Penguin adventures! (VB)
Happy New Year! And a warm thank you to all who wished my family a nice holiday, sent a card or gave a gift. I am deeply appreciative.(SW)
Grades close on January 27 with report cards going home on February 3.
December 19
Happy Holidays to you! We are hoping you all have a wonderful December vacation beginning on Friday! It is funny how school vacations always seem to come along just when we need them!
We would love it if students participated in the 3rd Annual Ugly/Festive Holiday Sweater Day on Thursday!
December 6
Pajama Day on Friday! No slippers, please!
As we have said to our students, if you're not sure if you should wear something,then DON'T!
December 5
This Friday is the last day for the SCRIPS fundraiser gift cards!
Join the PTO sponsored Bingo night on Tuesday beginning at 7. The CHCS Book Fair will be open at that time.
Encourage your child to practice keyboarding skills to build that fluency. Ms. Hanson, our Librarian, has been promiting that skill with the typing programs on the CHCS Library website.
The PeaceBuilder Food and Fun Stuff Drive will end next week. The Patriotic Penguins brought in cans of food and books. Thank you for the contributions!
November 29
RSVP to us if you are planning on attending the FREE bingo night sponsored by the CHCS PTO. It begins at 6:30 in the CHCS cafeteria on Tuesday, December 6. Donations of waters and snacks will be appreciated!
November 28
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! It couldn't come at a better time, right?
Students will be going to the Book Fair next week and it will be open in the evening on December 6 from 6 - 8 .
We need donations to the annual CHCS food, book and toy drive! Penguins can get a homework pass if they contribute!
SCRIPS Fundraisers are due this Friday for the next delivery date. There is only one more collection date after that one - December 9.
November 22
Happy Thanksgiving! Just as a FYI, the Patriotic Penguins raised over $65 for a new penguin friend!
November 20
We enjoyed meeting with you this past week and we hope you found the conference time beneficial. We fully realize that you know your child better than we do and we surely benefited from your sharing your observations and concerns with us. Please know that you can arrange conference time with us as the need develops during the year. This communication is vital for all concerned.
SCRIPS fundraiser gift cards are due the Friday we return from vacation.
November 15
Looking forward to meeting with many of you on Wednesday and Thursday. Just send an email or call the school if you are not able to make your appointment.
Book orders are due on Friday.
November 14
Report cards are going home. With Power School, most of these grades will come as no surprise to any of you. That is a good thing but if anything about those marks does surprise you or you have concerns about your child's progress, do not hesitate to contact us. We try to challenge our students to grow and learn and we try to do that in a supportive, safe and fun environment. When it is not working, we want to know about it.
This is our Parent / Teacher Conference week. We will be sending home confirmation notices on Monday. Our sessions are only 15 minutes long but that is, at least, a start and a good way to touch base and share observations. We want to know how 6th grade is going for your child and for your family and we will offer you insight into how your child is faring here at school. Remember that conferences can be set up during the year at any time you feel one is necessary. You will get an appointment confirmation in the report card envelopes.
Great job at the Veterans Day concert at the High School last Friday. The Sixth Grade Band and Chorus were wonderful and it was a touching tribute to the veterans in the community.
November 6
Students will receive a parent conference request form today. If you want a conference during the November 16 and 17 schedule, it would be important to return the form as soon as possible as the schedule fills up quickly.
I copied down the SCRIPS fundraiser dates as they appear on the form but I am sure the collection date and delivery date is really November 10. The form is on Facebook under the CHCS PTO page if there are any questions.
Report cards go home next Monday, November 14. We will be enclosing your parent conference confirmation form in the envelope.
Join us in honoring our Veterans in the annual 6th grade Veterans Day Concert at the BHS auditorium at 11:00. The 6th grade chorus and band put on an excellent and moving show.
November 1
We had a lot of fun at the graveyard yesterday. We hope you survived trick or treating! We thank Mrs. Leung, Mr. Wojcik and Mrs. Ryczek for coming along with us!
Grades close this Friday!
Students did receive the SCRIPS fundraiser forms last week.
The order dates are as follows:
Orders received by 11/4 have a delivery on 11/11
11/11 " " 11/18
11/18 " " 12/2
12/2 " " 12/9
12/9 " " 12/16
We are aware that we officially have not closed out the Walk-a-Thon fundraiser because you still have 2 more days to make good on your child's participation. Thank you so much for supporting these efforts.
Parent conferences are November 16 and November 17. We will be sending out forms by the end of the week for parent requests.
October 31
We are entering the final week of the first quarter of the school year. Yes, life always seems to move fast when you look back at it. A quick check of Power School will tell you how your child is faring so far and give you a good idea of the grade they are earning. Again, I believe that grades at this age are most instructive in that they teach students how to achieve grades, a valuable skill for their futures.
The SCRPS fundraiser form went out last week. This is where you by a gift card and the school gets a percentatge donated back to the school.
October 27
Just a few reminders: Grades close on November 4 with report cards going home on Monday, November 14.
Parent Conferences are coming. We'll be sending out Conference request forms soon
Teachers have a professional day on Tuesday, November 8. Students have the day off!
We observe Veterans Day on Friday, November 11. Join us in the Veterans' Auditorium at BHS at 11:00 as our 6th grade band and chorus honor our soldiers.
October 25
We did have a great time at the annual Mix-It-Up Day at lunch. The 6th grade teachers even performed an interpretive dance.
Students need to turn in orange permission slips for the field trip next Monday to the cemetery. Please come if you are CORI checked and have a spare 1 1/2 hours!
October 23
We all had a terrific time at the Walkathon last week. I'll be posting pictures soon. Don't forget to send in your pledges before next week. The CHCS PTO page has 99Pledges, which allows you to make donations online, if that is a preference.
Evidently, Weebly was affected by last week's internet paralysis so we are sorry if you were not successful in accessing the website.
We're going on a short field trip to a local cemetery next Monday, from 10:00 to 11:15. Please consider accompanying us on this walking trip. We need at least 3 parents to fulfill the chaperone requirement and we've always had more than enough. Students will receive permission slips today with more details.
October 19
The CHCS Walkathon is tomorrow! 104 Penguins wear dark green and 102 Penguins wear orange. We could always use
volunteers to help with lap counting and water distribution. A new discovery for me! The CHCS PTO Facebook page has a pledge site for contributions! Remember this is a fundraiser which supports your son or daughter as well as a fun way for us to start the day!
October 17
A busy week for CHCS! We have auditions for the play on Wednesday from 3:30 - 5:30.
Wednesday is also Picture Re-Take Day. Make sure your child has the original pictures to return!
Thursday is CHCS Walkathon Day: 102 Penguins (Blunt) wears orange and 104 Penguins (Walkowicz) wears dark green
The Sixth grade goes out just after 9 for the first hour. Please contact the CHCS PTO is you want to volunteer!
Students received pledge forms last week because, after all, this is a fundraiser! I'm not the math teacher, but if 50 kids walk/run 5 laps at even a dime ,a lap, then this would be the easiest $25.00 ever made!
Let's prove the Patriotic Penguins are fit and financially responsible!
A few dates to remember: this Friday is a teacher professional day and is a student day off. Monday is Martin Luther King Day which is a day off for everyone! Congratulations for a 4 day weekend!
Grades close for this marking period on January 27 with report cards the following Friday.
January 3
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a fun and relaxing vacation. I spent a good portion of my time drinking coffee, sniffing candles, coloring and otherwise very much enjoying the generous gifts you provided. Thank you so much for thinking of me during the craziest time of year. Here's hoping for a great 2017 with new Patriotic Penguin adventures! (VB)
Happy New Year! And a warm thank you to all who wished my family a nice holiday, sent a card or gave a gift. I am deeply appreciative.(SW)
Grades close on January 27 with report cards going home on February 3.
December 19
Happy Holidays to you! We are hoping you all have a wonderful December vacation beginning on Friday! It is funny how school vacations always seem to come along just when we need them!
We would love it if students participated in the 3rd Annual Ugly/Festive Holiday Sweater Day on Thursday!
December 6
Pajama Day on Friday! No slippers, please!
As we have said to our students, if you're not sure if you should wear something,then DON'T!
December 5
This Friday is the last day for the SCRIPS fundraiser gift cards!
Join the PTO sponsored Bingo night on Tuesday beginning at 7. The CHCS Book Fair will be open at that time.
Encourage your child to practice keyboarding skills to build that fluency. Ms. Hanson, our Librarian, has been promiting that skill with the typing programs on the CHCS Library website.
The PeaceBuilder Food and Fun Stuff Drive will end next week. The Patriotic Penguins brought in cans of food and books. Thank you for the contributions!
November 29
RSVP to us if you are planning on attending the FREE bingo night sponsored by the CHCS PTO. It begins at 6:30 in the CHCS cafeteria on Tuesday, December 6. Donations of waters and snacks will be appreciated!
November 28
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! It couldn't come at a better time, right?
Students will be going to the Book Fair next week and it will be open in the evening on December 6 from 6 - 8 .
We need donations to the annual CHCS food, book and toy drive! Penguins can get a homework pass if they contribute!
SCRIPS Fundraisers are due this Friday for the next delivery date. There is only one more collection date after that one - December 9.
November 22
Happy Thanksgiving! Just as a FYI, the Patriotic Penguins raised over $65 for a new penguin friend!
November 20
We enjoyed meeting with you this past week and we hope you found the conference time beneficial. We fully realize that you know your child better than we do and we surely benefited from your sharing your observations and concerns with us. Please know that you can arrange conference time with us as the need develops during the year. This communication is vital for all concerned.
SCRIPS fundraiser gift cards are due the Friday we return from vacation.
November 15
Looking forward to meeting with many of you on Wednesday and Thursday. Just send an email or call the school if you are not able to make your appointment.
Book orders are due on Friday.
November 14
Report cards are going home. With Power School, most of these grades will come as no surprise to any of you. That is a good thing but if anything about those marks does surprise you or you have concerns about your child's progress, do not hesitate to contact us. We try to challenge our students to grow and learn and we try to do that in a supportive, safe and fun environment. When it is not working, we want to know about it.
This is our Parent / Teacher Conference week. We will be sending home confirmation notices on Monday. Our sessions are only 15 minutes long but that is, at least, a start and a good way to touch base and share observations. We want to know how 6th grade is going for your child and for your family and we will offer you insight into how your child is faring here at school. Remember that conferences can be set up during the year at any time you feel one is necessary. You will get an appointment confirmation in the report card envelopes.
Great job at the Veterans Day concert at the High School last Friday. The Sixth Grade Band and Chorus were wonderful and it was a touching tribute to the veterans in the community.
November 6
Students will receive a parent conference request form today. If you want a conference during the November 16 and 17 schedule, it would be important to return the form as soon as possible as the schedule fills up quickly.
I copied down the SCRIPS fundraiser dates as they appear on the form but I am sure the collection date and delivery date is really November 10. The form is on Facebook under the CHCS PTO page if there are any questions.
Report cards go home next Monday, November 14. We will be enclosing your parent conference confirmation form in the envelope.
Join us in honoring our Veterans in the annual 6th grade Veterans Day Concert at the BHS auditorium at 11:00. The 6th grade chorus and band put on an excellent and moving show.
November 1
We had a lot of fun at the graveyard yesterday. We hope you survived trick or treating! We thank Mrs. Leung, Mr. Wojcik and Mrs. Ryczek for coming along with us!
Grades close this Friday!
Students did receive the SCRIPS fundraiser forms last week.
The order dates are as follows:
Orders received by 11/4 have a delivery on 11/11
11/11 " " 11/18
11/18 " " 12/2
12/2 " " 12/9
12/9 " " 12/16
We are aware that we officially have not closed out the Walk-a-Thon fundraiser because you still have 2 more days to make good on your child's participation. Thank you so much for supporting these efforts.
Parent conferences are November 16 and November 17. We will be sending out forms by the end of the week for parent requests.
October 31
We are entering the final week of the first quarter of the school year. Yes, life always seems to move fast when you look back at it. A quick check of Power School will tell you how your child is faring so far and give you a good idea of the grade they are earning. Again, I believe that grades at this age are most instructive in that they teach students how to achieve grades, a valuable skill for their futures.
The SCRPS fundraiser form went out last week. This is where you by a gift card and the school gets a percentatge donated back to the school.
October 27
Just a few reminders: Grades close on November 4 with report cards going home on Monday, November 14.
Parent Conferences are coming. We'll be sending out Conference request forms soon
Teachers have a professional day on Tuesday, November 8. Students have the day off!
We observe Veterans Day on Friday, November 11. Join us in the Veterans' Auditorium at BHS at 11:00 as our 6th grade band and chorus honor our soldiers.
October 25
We did have a great time at the annual Mix-It-Up Day at lunch. The 6th grade teachers even performed an interpretive dance.
Students need to turn in orange permission slips for the field trip next Monday to the cemetery. Please come if you are CORI checked and have a spare 1 1/2 hours!
October 23
We all had a terrific time at the Walkathon last week. I'll be posting pictures soon. Don't forget to send in your pledges before next week. The CHCS PTO page has 99Pledges, which allows you to make donations online, if that is a preference.
Evidently, Weebly was affected by last week's internet paralysis so we are sorry if you were not successful in accessing the website.
We're going on a short field trip to a local cemetery next Monday, from 10:00 to 11:15. Please consider accompanying us on this walking trip. We need at least 3 parents to fulfill the chaperone requirement and we've always had more than enough. Students will receive permission slips today with more details.
October 19
The CHCS Walkathon is tomorrow! 104 Penguins wear dark green and 102 Penguins wear orange. We could always use
volunteers to help with lap counting and water distribution. A new discovery for me! The CHCS PTO Facebook page has a pledge site for contributions! Remember this is a fundraiser which supports your son or daughter as well as a fun way for us to start the day!
October 17
A busy week for CHCS! We have auditions for the play on Wednesday from 3:30 - 5:30.
Wednesday is also Picture Re-Take Day. Make sure your child has the original pictures to return!
Thursday is CHCS Walkathon Day: 102 Penguins (Blunt) wears orange and 104 Penguins (Walkowicz) wears dark green
The Sixth grade goes out just after 9 for the first hour. Please contact the CHCS PTO is you want to volunteer!
Students received pledge forms last week because, after all, this is a fundraiser! I'm not the math teacher, but if 50 kids walk/run 5 laps at even a dime ,a lap, then this would be the easiest $25.00 ever made!
Let's prove the Patriotic Penguins are fit and financially responsible!
October 11
We hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!
Here are some reminders:
Please access your child's progress in PowerSchool when you get a chance. Remember, this access has replaced the traditional mid-term reports.
Contact us if you have any questions.
You should be receiving your child's PARCC/MCAS results for last spring by this week.
October 19 is picture retake day.
The CHCS Walkathon is on Thursday, October 20 at 9:00 a.m. for 6th graders.
We hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!
Here are some reminders:
Please access your child's progress in PowerSchool when you get a chance. Remember, this access has replaced the traditional mid-term reports.
Contact us if you have any questions.
You should be receiving your child's PARCC/MCAS results for last spring by this week.
October 19 is picture retake day.
The CHCS Walkathon is on Thursday, October 20 at 9:00 a.m. for 6th graders.
October 3
Standardized tests in Math will occur during Library time this week. Then, we'll be done with standardized testing and get down to a routine.
The CHCS PTO Walkathon Fundraiser is coming. Get ready to sponsor your child for the number of laps around the track.
Make Up picture day is also coming soon. More on both when we receive news!
Thank you for your cooperation with nut free snacks! We really appreciate the labels that accompany the snack. I love how some students just have one box of snacks for the whole week. That being said, thanks to Mrs. Loudon who donated a gigantic box of Nilla wafers for students who have unlabelled snacks!
Standardized tests in Math will occur during Library time this week. Then, we'll be done with standardized testing and get down to a routine.
The CHCS PTO Walkathon Fundraiser is coming. Get ready to sponsor your child for the number of laps around the track.
Make Up picture day is also coming soon. More on both when we receive news!
Thank you for your cooperation with nut free snacks! We really appreciate the labels that accompany the snack. I love how some students just have one box of snacks for the whole week. That being said, thanks to Mrs. Loudon who donated a gigantic box of Nilla wafers for students who have unlabelled snacks!
September 26
The first month of being in "the books" is now in the books. We are hoping that your kids are comfortable as part of the Patriotic Penguin community and that they are eager to continue with us on a year of adventurous learning. These are great young people!
Box Tops contest begins!
Mr. Mosall is out for the week so there are no sectionals. Band on Thursday will go as scheduled.
A Note About Power School: You will now find several grades on the Power School program. I hope that you will find it a helpful way to monitor your child's progress; however, I also hope that it won't cause tension or confusion. Sometimes one grade can impact the overall grade. This happens more in the early stages of a marking period before other factors, assignments and projects are included in the grading program. Don't panic. Don't hesitate to contact us either, if you have questions or concerns. Grades in the 6th grade should be kept in some perspective. It is more important to learn how to get good grades and we seem to learn best when we make mistakes. So, let's work together in this area and help your child learn those valuable lessons. Also, you should know that the software is dramatically different for us this year. As the format has changed on our end, you may have to be patient with us as we tweak out some of the issues. Thank you!
The first month of being in "the books" is now in the books. We are hoping that your kids are comfortable as part of the Patriotic Penguin community and that they are eager to continue with us on a year of adventurous learning. These are great young people!
Box Tops contest begins!
Mr. Mosall is out for the week so there are no sectionals. Band on Thursday will go as scheduled.
A Note About Power School: You will now find several grades on the Power School program. I hope that you will find it a helpful way to monitor your child's progress; however, I also hope that it won't cause tension or confusion. Sometimes one grade can impact the overall grade. This happens more in the early stages of a marking period before other factors, assignments and projects are included in the grading program. Don't panic. Don't hesitate to contact us either, if you have questions or concerns. Grades in the 6th grade should be kept in some perspective. It is more important to learn how to get good grades and we seem to learn best when we make mistakes. So, let's work together in this area and help your child learn those valuable lessons. Also, you should know that the software is dramatically different for us this year. As the format has changed on our end, you may have to be patient with us as we tweak out some of the issues. Thank you!
September 18
Open House was fun. It was great to meet many of you for the first time and catch up with others of you. It will be important for us to be a team and to work together to provide your children with a terrific experience in the coming year.
Students will be taking the DIBELS test this week. The test takes 5 minutes and is an assessment of reading fluency.
September 12
Our Open House is slated for this Wednesday night from 6:30 - 7:30 and we look forward to seeing you if you can make it. We welcome our students to come too, to show you around and introduce you to us. We will offer a short presentation and be there to meet you but this is not a time for conferencing. We hope to see you there
Open House was fun. It was great to meet many of you for the first time and catch up with others of you. It will be important for us to be a team and to work together to provide your children with a terrific experience in the coming year.
Students will be taking the DIBELS test this week. The test takes 5 minutes and is an assessment of reading fluency.
September 12
Our Open House is slated for this Wednesday night from 6:30 - 7:30 and we look forward to seeing you if you can make it. We welcome our students to come too, to show you around and introduce you to us. We will offer a short presentation and be there to meet you but this is not a time for conferencing. We hope to see you there
September 7
Picture Day on Thursday!
Just as a heads up: you will notice many changes on the formerly PowerSchool and now PowerTeacher program. I (vmb) will be entering assignments into the gradebook but have spent hours figuring out some sections, so the actual averages may be fluctuating, temporarity. I will be at least noting if students do not turn in an assignment.
Thanks again for the awesome donations of tissues and wipes for the classroom. Bring on flu and cold season!
September 5
These weekly newsletters will serve as a window into our classroom and allow you to know what is happening here at school. They will also explain our goals and philosophy as educators. I can't promise that they will be as interesting as a best selling novel, but they will help you help your child enjoy a terrific year of learning in sixth grade. (SW)
Just as it may be overwhelming for your children to try and learn every procedure within the first few days, it would be lengthy to explain all of our policies in the first letter. We ask that you check your child’s agenda for information about homework assignments and tests. We do assign a fair amount of homework and classwork.
Our phone numbers are 323 0437 X104 for Walkowicz and X102 for Blunt.
It is our hope that this will be a terrific year of learning. We are off to a great start. You can expect letters home like this one at the start of each new week to help you stay connected to all of it.
Power School is our on line grading program that allows students and parents access to the student’s grades. Many of you have already been power schooling since last year and if not, you should be learning from our school soon how you can obtain a password to do that should you want that ability.
Full Band has already started and sectionals will follow as Mr. Mosell works on the schedule.
Picture Day is this Thursday. Envelopes went home on the first day of school.
Open House is Wednesday, September 14, from 6:30 - 7:30.
August 18
Our back to school letter...
Hi Sixth Grader!,
We (Mr. Walkowicz and Ms. Blunt) are your teachers this fall at CHCS. We hope you’ve been enjoying these last few weeks of a great summer. We know we’ve been having fun and we wish the summer would never end. But, we are starting to get ready for school and we thought we’d let you know what you may want to buy at all the back to school sales. It would be terrific if you could come in with as many of the following as possible. Most of these will be for your individual use but some items will be for the community:
1 (one) 3 ring 1 1/2 inch binder
1 (one) heavy duty double pocket folder without metal fasteners
and preferable with 3 holes for the notebook
3 (three) jumbo stretchy book covers
lots of #2 pencils and erasers (preferably cap erasers)
subject dividers for the binder
1 (one) box of colored pencils with at least 12 pencils
1 (one) composition notebook college ruled (not spiral bound)
1 (one) manual pencil sharpener
pencil case
disinfectant wipes
box of tissue
Be thinking of our team name. We like to combine an
adjective and a noun.
Last year we were:
The Titanic Tigers
A Note from Mr. Walkowicz
I am very excited to be working with a great teacher like Ms. Blunt and to be your teacher this year. There’s still a good amount of summertime fun left before we start the school time fun, but it is not too early to be thinking about the coming year and to get ready to be a member of our community of learners. As your math teacher, I am going to ask you to be prepared to have the best year of learning math in your life. To make that happen you have to come to school with a good attitude and a willingness to take on challenges. I know that you can do that and I can’t wait to learn with you.
A Note from Ms. Blunt
We love summer as much as you do but both Mr. Walkowicz and I also love our jobs as teachers. We love the fun things about learning. One thing you will be saying this coming year is how interesting and exciting school can be.
Our goal is to have you say this was one of the best school years ever! I will be your English Language Arts teacher and your Reading teacher.
We read some great books and stories with lots of surprises thrown in so it should be quite a ride!
Any questions? Contact us.
Communication by email is the best way to reach us:
Our email addresses are: [email protected].
[email protected]
Be ready to come in and be part of a great community of learners!
See you on August 31!