Roderick School Blog

Thanks for visiting the Roderick Elementary School Blog! Blogging is a great way to share some of the exciting things happening in our school with families and the greater school community. The Blog will be updated weekly with pictures and news from the school. Come back and visit often!

Friday, February 7, 2014

February 7, 2014

Greetings Roderick Community:



Please be on the lookout for Term II report cards as they were sent home today.


After reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen in the Reading Street series, students were able to experience a “Survival Simulation” similar to the story’s main character.  Students were given 10 items to “survive” and had to sequence them in order of importance.  Teams had to then justify their reasoning and present their ideas to the class.



 

 

This week Miss Marazzi and Mrs. Poirier’s class experimented with the electricity kits. Students were asked to use their problem solving skills and their knowledge of circuit building to make a light bulb light. Students experimented by using multiple light bulbs, batteries and even fans to make giant electrical circuits. These scientists really “lit up” the classroom. Some students even got to experiment in the new WEST Science Lab!   








Congratulations to Jack (4 Poirier) and Aleeza (4 L. Marazzi) as these students were closest to the actual Super Bowl score.  Thanks to all who participated and made a prediction, and thanks to Mrs. Fox for organizing a fun activity!




During this week and next, students in Grades 4-6 will be participating in the STAR ELA and Math computer-adaptive tests.  We are using the STAR tests to assist students to further develop their ELA and math skills.  We are excited about this program as we feel it is yet another tool that will allow us to further individualize instruction for each student.  For more information about the STAR testing please click here.


 
Miss Maloney's class and Mrs. Moon's class used student-created games to review Central America.  Each group of students were charged with the task of developing a game board and 30 questions about Central America.  What a fun way to study!




After several weeks of gaining decimal sense and studying how decimals behave when you begin to divide with them, students from Miss Phipps’ class took on a performance task challenge. Students were asked to plan and show their work on how they would solve the problem that had decimals in both the dividend and the divisor. They were then tasked with putting their predicted measurements on the line, when they were given an actual piece of ribbon that needed to trimmed and turned into the bows mentioned in the problem. Did their measurements make the cut? Yes, they did, but they also learned that showing the math is only the beginning. As a few students stated at the end, it was a little scary making that first cut.









Students in Ms. Downing’s class have been working on simple machines and recently read a story about 2 inventors their age. They were then asked to create their own machine using limited materials; paper clips, paper cups, cup lids, pencils, paper, and tape. Students did a wonderful job coming up with purposeful inventions containing two or more simple machines!







PTO News


Valentine Dance-A-Thon for All Students
with DJ Manny Barros
Help Support the PTO  & our "Dancing Star" Kristin Pitman
Thursday, February 13th from 6-8pm
Roderick Cafeteria
See the pink flyers in your backpacks and around school for all the details.
The student with the most pledges will receive a special prize.
Also, one student from each grade with the best Valentine-themed outfit will get a prize too.
Come out and have a great time dancing while raising money for the PTO and inspiring Mrs. Pitman to get her groove on!
Refreshments available. All students grades 3 and under require a parent present.
Extra forms can be found on the school website.
See you next week with your dancing shoes!

Valentine Candy-Gram 
Send a friend, teacher, or staff member
a special "sweet" message this Valentine
with a Candy-Gram.
Only $1
Choose  a Lollipop or Twizzler
and select from two sentiments.
Orders will be taken the week of Feb 10th 
and delivered to the special someone(s) on 
Friday, February 14th in their classroom.
Parents are welcome to send a message to their own children.
Order forms can be found on the school website and in the school offices all week. Roderick students will be able to buy Candy-Grams during lunch Monday through Thursday and at the Dance-a-thon.
All proceeds go to support Mrs. Pitman and the PTO through The Wrentham Community Events, Inc. Dancing With the Wrentham Stars.

Read Across Wrentham
The students at Delaney and Roderick in grades 1-6 have now completed their 2nd week of Read Across Wrentham, a 5-week incentive-based reading enhancement program. Please continue to encourage your student to fill in their reading logs and remember READ, READ, READ!



Thank you for reading this week's blog.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Warm regards,

Stephen S. Grenham, Principal


 

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