Hello Bryn Mawr Families, November is right around the corner and Bryn Mawr School is bustling with activity. Students are well adjusted to their classroom, the routines and the academic expectations. Many have made new friends and they have already grown academically as well as socially. The entire staff has been working to establish a growth mindset with our students. You may not know something now….but you will! Don’t stop until you’re proud! With hard work and effort, you can grow your brain! Currently, we have a classroom initiative where teachers report those moments to me when the entire class is working hard, applying a new strategy, sticking with it and learning from their mistakes. We are working to help our students be resilient and to develop the discipline to stick with things even when they are difficult. Ask your child about it….our goal is “Keep on going…..keep on growing!!!” Safety has been another topic of emphasis over the past few weeks. The Auburn Fire Department provided a fire safety assembly to all of our students. I was very impressed by the understanding our students already have related to fire safety. Officer Kennedy and some friends from the Auburn Police Department dispatch, spoke to students about Halloween safety as well as when, why and how to call 911 in the event of an emergency. We have also made several changes and requests at dismissal time to make the process safer for pedestrians and cars. Only handicap vehicles are allowed to park directly in front of the building during dismissal. This has alleviated some of the traffic when families exit the front doors of the building. I would like to thank all of the families who have cooperated with my request to park only on one side of Simond Street. I am so very appreciative. When traffic had to be rerouted due to a minor accident, cars were able to easily use Simond Street as an option. Thank you again for all of your support and suggestions. We continue to work with Officer Kennedy and the Auburn Police Department to find additional ways to monitor and improve the safety in and around Bryn Mawr School. You will soon receive a data letter from me regarding your child’s progress on the beginning of year assessments completed with each student. If you have any questions or concerns related to this information, please contact your child’s teacher. She will be happy to provide you with additional information. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled to take place in November. If you have not yet scheduled a meeting with your child’s teacher, please contact the teacher directly and she will schedule a time to meet with you. Finally, it is hard to believe, the holiday season is quickly approaching! We would first like to remind parents that it is not necessary or expected that parents provide teachers or staff members with gifts during the holiday season. During these challenging economic times, we know that everyone must examine how they manage their households. However, if you still wish to provide a token of thanks to your child’s teacher, please consider the donation of a simple board game or puzzle, new or gently used for indoor recess. Typically these materials receive high usage and tend to become worn out. We appreciate your consideration in this regard. Thank you for your continued support of the Auburn Public Schools. Beth Chamberland, Principal

BRYN MAWR BULLETIN November 2015 35 Swanson Rd, Auburn MA 01501, 508-832-7733

Ed it ion 2: 2015-16 Pr inc ipa l : Beth Chamber land

Please join us to watch the Bryn Mawr

Halloween Parade on Friday,

October 30th at 1:10p.m.

Please come to Family Literacy Night

on Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00-

7:30pm

Dress up like your favorite storybook

character and wear your costume to

school on Monday, November 9th.

No School in honor of Veteran’s Day-

Wednesday, November 11th.

Kate Hanscom Author Visit for Students

Tuesday, November 17th

Special Person Day at Bryn Mawr School

Friday, November 20, 2015 at 9:00am

Registration form to follow.

Curl Up with a Good Book Day

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wear your PJ’s to school and donate a book or a

pair of children’s pajamas for AYFS!

Oct 30 Student Halloween Parade 1:10 pm Nov 2 PTO meeting at Swanson Road 6:30pm Nov 3 Bryn Mawr Family Literacy Night 6:00-7:30pm Nov 11 Veteran’s Day-no school Nov 13 Lifetouch Studios Picture Retakes Nov 17 Kate Hanscom Nov 20 All Pro Dad Nov 20 Bring a Special Person to School Nov 25 Half Day of School for Students Nov 25 Pajama Day and curl up with a good book Nov 26-27 Thanksgiving Holiday Dec 7 PTO meeting at Swanson Road 6:30pm Dec 8 Half Day of School for Students Professional Development for teachers Dec 22 Bryn Mawr Holiday Concerts Kindergarten 9:30am Grade Two 10:30am Grade One 1:30pm Dec 24-Jan 1 Winter Break Jan 4 School Resumes Jan 4 PTO meeting at Swanson Road 6:30pm

During October we learned a lot about the changes in our environment

and enjoyed several autumn art projects. The Auburn Fire Department came

to visit and talked about fire safety. The Auburn Police Department came

and taught the children how to be safe on Halloween. We also had a special

visit from our Auburn community workers. The children really enjoyed

learning about their jobs and getting to see all of their special vehicles up

close. The book fair and classroom visits were a huge success! Thank you so

much for joining us.

We have just started Theme 3 in our Houghton Mifflin curriculum,

focusing on Families. The children have learned about the letters Ss, Mm,

Rr, and Tt. We will be learning new letters Bb, Nn, Hh, Aa, Vv, and Cc.

Please continue to practice identifying the name and sounds of these letters.

We have learned how to read the sight words I, see, my, and like. Your child

must know how to spell, read, and use these words in a sentence.

In Math we will be learning to represent, count and write numbers six

to nine. Each child will have a set of red and yellow square math counters

coming home in their homework folder. Please keep these inside their

folders for future use.

During November we will be talking about the First Thanksgiving,

Pilgrims, and Native Americans. We look forward to meeting with parents

during our November conferences. Please contact us if you need a reminder

of your date and time.

As always please read to your child every night. Thank you for all your

support!

It's November and it's time to give thanks for all of our first

graders! We are starting Theme 3 in reading, "Let's Look Around"

and the vocabulary is building! The white paper books are being

sent home daily and it is important to have your child practice for

oral reading fluency. Hopefully your child is keeping all of these

books in a special box next to their bed so that they are readily

available. We are blending short vowel CVC words and

encouraging the children to "tap them out". Spelling starts in

Theme 3 so be on the lookout for those weekly spelling lists to

come home. Spelling tests will be be given each Friday.

First graders have started Chapter 3 in GO MATH. We will be

exploring various addition strategies within 20, such as; add in

any order, add doubles, doubles plus 1, doubles minus 1, make a

ten to add, and adding 3 numbers. Students are presented with

various strategies and will eventually chose the one they are

most comfortable with to solve problems. Please continue to help

your child with math assignments each night so that you are

aware of what is being taught in class.

Thanks for all of your support! Tissues, wipes, and hand sanitizer

are always needed and are a welcomed donation!

November is a busy month in second grade! We are excited about the upcoming literacy events that we will be participating in school wide.

In reading, our theme is Nature Walk. The children will be reading fiction and non-fiction selections. We will be discussing fact and opinion, commands, as well as answering questions.

During written language, we are focusing on capitalization and correct punctuation. We are also learning to incorporate different types of sentences to improve our writing.

We will be starting chapter 3 in math. This chapter will cover basic facts and relationships. The children have been doing a great job participating in this new math program.

In science, we will be learning about weather. Students will use their knowledge of properties of matter to understand different types of precipitation.

The cold weather has arrived! We would be grateful for donations of disinfectant wipes and tissues to use in our classrooms. Please make sure that children are dressed appropriately for recess.

Happy November,

The Second Grade Team

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSEFROM THE SCHOOL NURSEFROM THE SCHOOL NURSEFROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

News from the Nurse

Taken from the CDC website

When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?

The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly

peaks in the U.S. between December and February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as

October and continue to occur as late as May.

What should I do to prepare for this flu season?

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most

important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the

seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will cause

the most illness during the upcoming flu season. People should begin getting vaccinated soon after flu

vaccine becomes available, ideally by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected

before flu season begins.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions like staying away from sick

people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from

work or school to prevent spreading flu to others.

FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORFROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORFROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORFROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR As many of you are aware, Mrs. Bouzan has had her baby, and will now be on

maternity leave until mid-January. Since I will be her long-term substitute, I wanted to take a moment and introduce myself to you. My name is Terri O’Donnell. I am a Licensed School Counselor, as well as, an alumna of the Auburn School system. I have been working with children and their families for many years, both in and out of the school setting. I actually worked at Mary D. Stone School last year, when their Guidance Counselor was on maternity leave. If you would like to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about your child, I can be reached via email at todonnell@auburn.k12.ma.us or phone; (508) 832-7733. I’m really excited to be part of the Bryn Mawr community! I have been working with your students in their classrooms, as well as small groups, discussing a variety of topics including; the importance of listening and not interrupting, making and keeping friends, respecting each other’s differences and empathy. We have had some great discussions around what it means to be a good friend, caring, sharing and helping others.

The holidays (now quickly approaching) are a wonderful opportunity to show others we care. The Bryn Mawr family will be working with Auburn Youth and Family Services to help our neighbors in need. Through the generosity of the community, they were able to provide food baskets and gifts to 145 needy families last year. The gift of “giving” is the true meaning of the Holiday Season. Shopping for and organizing a food basket for a needy family is a tremendous teaching experience for any child.

There will be a drop box for food, or monetary donations, at the school until Thursday, November 19th.

Thank you, in advance, for your support with this project. Below is a list of suggested food donations:

Tuna fish Cereal

Canned fruit Stuffing

Potatoes Crackers

Oatmeal Diapers

Granola bars Pudding

Peanut butter/jelly Pasta/pasta sauces

Macaroni & cheese Canned soups

Loaf of bread/English muffins Coffee/cocoa/tea

Juice Cranberry sauce/gravy

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” Aesop

Benefits of P.E. in School

Physical Education Benefits - Broad & Powerful!

Physical education prepares children to be physically and mentally active, fit and healthy...for

life. Here are some of the many benefits children receive from a quality PE program:

• Improved physical fitness • Skill and motor skills development • Provides regular, healthful physical activity • Teaches self discipline • Facilitates development of student responsibility for health and fitness • Influence moral development, leadership, cooperate with others • Stress reduction – an outlet for releasing tension and anxiety • Strengthened peer relationships • Physical education can improve self-confidence and self-esteem • Respect - PE helps you respect your body, classmates and teammates • Experience in setting goals • Improved academics - The big bonus benefit!

- See more at: http://www.phitamerica.org/benefits_of_p_e__in_school.htm#sthash.7XFjCeoc.Mi4Ljj8g.dpuf

November is Family Literacy Month and it’s the perfect time to begin or build on your family’s reading habits and love of literacy. Reading as a family helps your child be more successful in school.

If your child is already reading on their own, please do not stop reading to them! Reading aloud to your child has many benefits beyond just the special time that you are sharing together. By reading aloud books that your child may be unable to read, they are being exposed to higher level vocabulary and writing structures. You are also modeling what fluent reading sounds like. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to have discussions about the characters or topics in the book.

Try to be a good reading role model for your child. Even if you don’t read novels, you may read the newspaper, magazines, or articles online. Talk with your child about what you are reading and the type of reading you enjoy. Research has shown that the amount of books in the home is related to academic success. Always have a variety of reading material in your home.

The best way to motivate your child to read is to get them books they want to read. There are some wonderful non-fiction books out there, so find books on topics that they are interested in. If they are unable to read the book on their own, read it to them. If your child isn’t motivated to read, I suggest a visit to the bookstore. Let your child peruse the shelves and watch what they pick up. There is just something appealing about brand new books! When I do this myself or with my kids, I set a one book limit or else I’d be in trouble! However, any other interesting books we see are added to a wish list. (You are probably not surprised, but I have an app on my phone for that purpose!) I then utilize the public library to find those books and save some money. My favorite site is www.cwmars.org When you plug in your library card number, you will have the ability to request books from other libraries and the Auburn library will let you know when they are ready to pick up. From this site you can also link to Overdrive (or download the app) where you can read or listen to books on your computer or other electronic device. All for FREE!

No matter how you choose, it's just important to get books into your child's hands. Let them read on their own and also read together as a family. Make reading aloud to your child a daily habit before bed or even after school. Have family reading time where you all curl up together and read your own books.

Feel free to share the kinds of reading activities you do in your home; I’d love to hear. Happy Reading!

"Children are made readers in the laps of their parents." ~Emilie Buchwald

WE WERE CAUGHT BEING GOOD!!! Quentin Tatum helps classmates take down their chairs and get ready for the day.

Mia DeLuca ties shoes for classmates.

Aiden Kelly always gives kind compliments to his classmates and adults.

Kylie George is always ready and willing to help her classmates.

Patrick Haroian volunteers to help classmates hear beginning sounds in words and label their pictures. Isabella Zorena has a positive attitude and puts effort into her work. Sarah Bohling helped a friend who was sad at school. Daniel Maclean is always helping clean up the classroom and helps his peers with a smile. Lucy Reid is always complementing her friends when they have done a good job. Cayden Lambert is always helping his friends and he is awesome at cleaning up. Autumn Nagle is always on task, working hard and growing her brain. Ross Arnold- Found a penguin on the floor and turned it in and then determined that it was his neighbors penguin. Elyse Laramie, someone dropped their water on the floor in the cafeteria and she not only picked up the bottle she got paper towels and cleaned up the water.

Kristine Laflash saw someone drop their snack and she went and got the dust pan to help clean it up.

Owen Morrow during group time he worked with two other members and lead them to complete a project with patience and kindness. Samantha Hopper and Perron O'Brien each turned in something that did not belong to them. I am recognizing their honesty in our classroom! Candace Blanchard is thoughtful to her classmates and willing to share.

Mirabelle Silva is always willing to help others. She consistently uses her manners and kind words.

Connor Shrauger always tries his best in class. Piper Doane is a kind friend and works hard in class. Waleed Chaudry is a hard worker and a great classmate.