January 27, 2012 Dear Parents/Guardians, I am writing to inform you that our school nurse, Mrs. Jackie McFeeley, will be taking a leave of absence beginning Monday, February 6, 2012 for approximately six to eight weeks. We anticipate her return in late March. I am pleased to announce that we have hired Mrs. Elaine Lannigan as the substitute nurse during Mrs. McFeeley’s absence. Mrs. Lannigan is a registered nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is a familiar face to the Norfolk...

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Homework is an important part of learning.  Practicing a skill leads to a deeper understanding of that skill and how it relates to other areas of learning.  It also lets a teacher know if your child understands what has been taught. In addition, sitting down to homework helps to structure and discipline a child.  Knowing that a certain time is for homework, and possibly a certain spot in the house, helps to set a good routine. Children who want to get better at playing a musical...

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This Friday, January 13th the Student Council will be conducting the first School Spirit Day.  They are asking everyone to show their school spirit by wearing their favorite pajamas.Please encourage your child to participate. Over the course of the school year the administration will make exceptions to the dress code requirements.

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I would like to encourage parents/guardians to nominate a great teacher for the 2012-2013 Massachusetts Teacher of the year.  We have talented teachers within the Norfolk Public Schools, and this is a nice way to recognize their dedication to the teaching profession.  Please see details on how to nominate.  Nominations are due February 3, 2012.  

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Dear Parents/Guardians, I would like to inform all Freeman-Centennial parents/guardians that we have made revisions to the dress code at our school.   The revisions have been approved by the school committee and will be amended in the school handbook.  Attached to this email you find the school dress code guidelines for grades 3-6.  As we work as a team to educate all students, we look to parents to help us reinforce the requirements that students dress in good taste and follow...

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Dear Parents/Guardians and Students, I hope everyone had a relaxing enjoyable December break with family and friends.   Happy New Year to all! 2012 will be exciting as we all watch in anticipation for the opening of the new Freeman-Kennedy School. It is hard to believe that we have been in school for a total of 78 days.   Time sure does fly when you are continuously learning. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their generous donations to the Santa...

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Over the December winter vacation I came across the “We Give Books” website. What a great way to read great children’s books online for free and be involved in book donations at the same time! Norfolk uses a number of curriculum and assessment products from Pearson so it is encouraging to see that this company’s charitable foundation contributes books to children in impoverished or disaster-stricken communities. Read below (information from both Pearson & www.wegivebooks.org)...

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During the month of January, the Freeman-Centennial students will be keeping busy with various art projects. Sixth grade students will build a 3-D ceramic castle, which will be placed within a European scene. The scene will include knights and fair maidens. Fifth grade students will be decorating a glass bottle to accompany their Explorers project. The bottle will include adding a portrait of the explorer, maps, and key phrases.   The outside of the bottle will be covered with tissue...

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Students in all grade levels will continue reading music notation through singing and playing musical instruments (recorders in Grade 3, rhythm instruments, percussion instruments and Orff instruments).  Activities related to African American Spirituals will be featured and will lead up to Martin Luther King Day.  Students will also learn about various famous American composers throughout history.

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This month in Physical Education we will start our basketball unit. Students will be working on their dribbling, passing and shooting skills, as well as defensive strategies. The 3rd and 4th graders will be playing quadrant basketball and the 5th and 6th graders will be playing mini games. 4th, 5th and 6th graders will also be preparing for the push up test.

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Grade 3 students are so happy to be using the SAILS network on the computers in the library.  All classes have learned to search for and find books in our school library using the e-catalog.  The anxiously awaited ability to place holds for books in other libraries in the SAILS network is next! Library classes will be venturing on to an interactive read aloud.  The library can provide exposure to a variety of authors, illustrators and genres, including exposure to newly-published...

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I hope you had a wonderful holiday that included precious time with family and friends. January is the start of a very exciting time in our technology world. We will apply the technological skills that were developed in the fall to enhance many classroom projects. Each project will integrate different areas of the curriculum and will involve multimedia tools. Students will now begin working with iPhoto and iMovie. Many projects within the grade levels will integrate social studies and science....

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The students in our Instrumental Music Program are hard at work preparing for our up coming winter performances. The Advanced band will be holding its winter concert on Thursday, January 12, 2012, at 1:45 pm, for students and teachers and 7:00 pm for friends and families.  Both performances will be held in the cafeteria.  The concert will include selections played by the band as well as small groups and soloists.  The band will also be performing at the Providence Bruins game...

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High Efficiency Boilers – These boilers will heat the school more efficiently. Solar Panel Arrays - This array also features an interactive kiosk to monitor energy output and provides opportunity for teaching. Advanced Energy Management System-This allows greater control and programming of the entire school, thus increasing the efficiency of the building. Occupancy Sensors - In all rooms, lights will automatically turn off when they are not in use. Daylight Sensors - In all classrooms...

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With the busy holiday season behind us there are lots of fun new toys, games, videos games, movies, electronics and books for your children to play with at home. It is never too late to take a closer look at, and learn about the new technology. . Common Sense Media (http://www.commonsensemedia.org) is a great online resource where parents can read ratings, suggestions and reviews about today's most popular items based upon your child’s age. There are also reviews on apps for iPods and...

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The mathematics instruction your children are receiving looks very different from the mathematics instruction many parents experienced. Today, math instruction is rich in problem-solving, communication, reasoning, and making real world mathematical connections. A question I often hear from parents is how to support and help their child improve mathematics learning. Here are a few math activities that you can do at home with your child: Ask your child to determine how much time he/she will...

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