Another very busy school year is coming to a close. Especially with the lack of snow days, the school  year went by in the blink of an eye for us at HOD! With the emphasis on the Common Core and Curriculum Frameworks, MCAS testing, time and learning and accountability, elementary school has certainly changed over the past two decades. Most of these changes are good changes. We have learned that our young students can learn even more than we thought they could. We have witnessed our students...

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Here in the Norfolk Public schools, the Bullying Prevention Curriculum we have chosen is the MARC (Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center) program out of Bridgewater State University.  Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade have been using this curriculum paired with the Open Circle social competency program all year.  An exciting part of the MARC program is paired lessons about bullying.  On May 18th our Kindergarteners had a wonderful time with their 5th grade mentors and...

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This has been a great year in technology. Students have accomplished many projects, which have included integrated studies using word processing, graphics, web research, educational games on the web, use of spreadsheets and generally navigating around the computer. Classes have integrated into English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, and Physical Education. It is truly exciting working with our dedicated and gifted staff to accomplish this goal. As we enter the summer,...

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We would like to take this opportunity to communicate our summer reading expectations for our K-2 students. As many of you are aware, reading and being read to during the summer are important to a child’s continued educational success. Studies show that children who don’t participate in academically stimulating activities over summer vacation actually can have lower reading and math skills when they return to school in September. To avoid the experience of “summer slide,”...

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Like everyone, I'm always amazed at how rapidly the school year flies by, especially in art at the elementary level. Perhaps the lack of snow days and therefore the uninterrupted schedule added to this, but I think the growth the children show from September to June really is what makes the days disappear so quickly. Recently, I was returning some kindergarten art that I had kept since the early part of the school year. The assignment had the children cut out large crayon shapes using templates....

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The music for our Kindergarten classes has been songs of animals that are our familiar favorites.Songs like "Old John the Rabbit" sing about the antics of the rabbits that are found eating our garden vegetables. Barnyard animals are also the subject of the sounds we imitate in the song,"Morning on the Farm". We have been playing music patterns on the xylophone in all classes using 2 or 3 letters of the musical alphabet that match the melody of a song.  The song titled " The Little Green...

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Our children have grown in so many ways this year.  It has been a pleasure seeing their confidence and competence in mathematics develop.  Children of this age are often curious about numbers and all things math.  Their own natural interest in numbers can provide wonderful springboards as parents and educators for furthering their mathematical discoveries.  As the summer approaches, children enthusiastically count down to the last day!  Summer provides a great opportunity...

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Jump Rope for Heart This year, the H. Olive Day students donated $1,671.68 to the American Heart Association.  Thank-you to our H.O.D. families for generously donating to Jump Rope for Heart.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the TPA for supporting the PE program at H.O.D.  For the past 8 years we have had a special guest, “Mark Rothstein”, celebrate our JRFH event. Mark established “The World of Rope Jumping” and was elected into...

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HOD – it’s a great place to be!  That is because all of us at HOD KNOW that it takes a village to raise and educate a child! Here are just a few people who deserve a special HOD High 5!                        Mrs. Ann Hurley, HOD school nurse, who was honored by all of us at HOD on School Nurse Day, May 9th, for her outstanding service to the children, families and...

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