preparing the best to be even better mrs. diane c. boff · 2017. 3. 8. · mrs. diane c. boff ....

Springton Manor Elementary School Preparing the Best to Be Even Better

Mrs. Diane C. Boff

Springton Manor Principal (Boff)

Kindergarten Family Get Together On Wednesday, August 17, 2016, students and families of those new kindergartners were treated to popsicles and time to get to know each other. Our Home and School organized the afternoon visit so that children and parents could get a head start on building school friendships. The children were excited to play on the kindergarten playground that was purchased by our Home and School during the spring of 2015. Welcome to all families! Prepping for the New Year! Our custodial staff and office personnel have been working all summer to prepare for a new year. The building looks beautiful thanks to their hard work! The time has now come for our teachers to return to add their personal touches when creating exciting learning environments for each of our students. The rooms are a work in progress, but will be ready for Back to School Nights on Tuesday, August 23 and Wednesday, August 24. We are very excited to share what we have planned for the coming school year!


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Back to School Nights On Tuesday, August 23 and Wednesday, August 24 our students and families were invited to tour the building and hear a short message from the principal. Parents then visited classrooms and listened to presentations by the teacher(s) for the look ahead to the upcoming year. Our students were entertained by professional jugglers. Some of the students got to be part of the acts. Each evening was a success! Teacher In-Service Days Our teachers have spent the week preparing rooms, collaborating, and participating in a variety of professional development opportunities. On Wednesday morning, the teachers participated in a technology conference. They had a list of tech topics that they could choose from. It will be exciting to see their learning being incorporated into the classroom. I am sure students will be going home and sharing some tech tools that will be knew to parents!


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


First Day of School On day one of school our students arrived with smiles, laughter and a few nerves. Our school mascot, Strider and all staff members were at the doors greeting every child as they arrived. We welcomed over 70 new students to Springton Manor. Our student population is now 500 strong!

SM Cool Tools The first two days of school were devoted to team building, getting to know the building layout, and establish clear expectations for all. Teachers worked in groups of three and created engaging lessons to introduce and teach the expectations to specific areas within the building along with bus procedures. Students moved through 5 stations on Monday afternoon and 5 stations on Tuesday morning. All 10 lessons were videotaped and can be used throughout the year as refresher lessons.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Giant Games for Recess The students at Springton Manor were surprised when they went outside for recess this week. There were “giant-sized” Connect 4 games, Checkers, and Corn Hole. These games were added to the number of other items that students have to choose from for their outdoor fun. The new games were a hit with every grade level. Who would have predicted that 14 second graders could be kept engaged in play by one checker board game? The smiles, laughter and conversations heard between the groups of students playing with the games was priceless!

Safeties Mrs. Coyle, our Safety Advisor, has accepted student applications, read the applications, picked students, assigned duties and prepared students for their first day of safety duty. This was a huge task! Those students selected are walking through the halls with great pride. They have accepted the job of demonstrating our SM expectations, The Habits of Mind, at all times. Some of our students are assigned to halls during transitions. Some are bus safeties. We also have a group who are responsible for set-up and tear down of the recess games. We appreciate the students for their service to our school.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Visiting Author- Matthew Holm Springton Manor welcomed Matthew Holm on Thursday, September 15. Matthew is the co-author/illustrator of the Babymouse and Squish series, both of which are huge hits with our students. Three assemblies were scheduled to accommodate all students. Students were able to purchase a book(s) prior to the visit. Matthew Holm signed about 120 books. Our staff and students appreciate the time and effort our librarian, Mrs. Callaway puts in to organize such a special visit.

Run Club The Springton Manor H&S has offered to support one parent’s request to start a run club. The club meets on Days A and E at 7:40 am. It is open to any student, parent, and staff member who wishes to enjoy the fresh air and to run with a group. This week was our first week. There were approximately 80 students who participated in each of the morning runs. Student runners finished around 8:20 and made their way to the cafeteria for water and a snack before beginning a day of learning.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Constitution Day On Friday, September 16th, Grade 5 students shared the spoken words explaining the meaning of the Preamble to the whole student body. This was followed by students and staff singing the Star Spangled Banner and This Land is Your Land. The lyrics were projected on a large screen, but were familiar to many since these were taught during music class for grades 2 and 3.

Home and School – Ice Cream Social SM students and families were invited to the first social event organized by our Home and School on Monday evening. This was a time for all to socialize, enjoy ice cream with a variety of toppings and play on the playground. It was estimated that about 100 people came for this event. The next event will be our Fall Fest in October. We hope to see even more families participating in the fun.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Viking Ship The Grade 5 students of Springton Manor were thrilled to welcome the company, LEIF ERICSON VIKING SHIP to our school on Monday, September 26, 2016 as an enrichment activity to support our Explorers/Viking unit. The Norsemen, built in 1992 with its bright red and white square-rigged sail and powerful eagle symbol, served as a backdrop for a 40-minute discussion on the Viking way of life. This same ship will be launched into marsh Creek on Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 11:00 am in honor of Leif Ericson’s birthday.

Cat vs. Dog Debate Our Grade 3 teachers wanted to teach students about the election process. The teachers determined to relate it to something familiar to the students. The classic cat vs. dog discussion was born, which one is better and why. The teachers and students create “Pet Nation” and needed a Pet President to be the leader. They held a primary for both parties, Canine and Feline. Every grade 3 student was given the opportunity to vote for a candidate among four popular species of either dogs or cats. After the primary, each party’s candidate was “elected”. Orange Tabby was nominated to represent the Feline Party and Husky was nominated to represent the Canine Party. For two weeks each candidate has been preparing for their first debate. This was held on Friday, October 7, 2016. The students collaborated to research answers to very similar questions that have been asked of our actual human presidential candidates (i.e., What leadership qualities do you possess?; What plans do you have to lead Pet Nation into the future?; How will you help all of us work together to build a better nation?) All of the students composed an opinion writing for the candidate they supported. The students were required to cite specific reasons for their opinions/views. The students also created positive and respectful posters to support their candidate.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Community Worker Fair After learning about different types of communities: rural, suburban, and urban, grade 2 launched into a study of community workers and prepared a grade-wide performance to share with families. Students chose a particular type of worker to read and write about. At home, parents/ students put together a costume representing the worker each child researched. In preparation for the “Community Worker Fair,” students received a line or two to memorize, learned the lyrics of the song “I Can Do Anything” and practiced accompanying dance movements. After a series of rehearsals, families were invited to watch our performance. After the show, parents were invited back to the classrooms to view student work, mingle with other families, and most importantly, to strengthen the home school relationship.

Wax Museum

An explorer is a person who investigates unknown territories. Each Grade 5 student was assigned an explorer from the 15th or 16th century. The student requirement was to complete a brief biography of the explorer, create a map depicting the main routes of travel as well as report five fascinating facts from the explorer’s journey. The student needed to bring an item from home that reflects that explorer (i.e. spices, fake gold, etc.); information that they learned during their research.

Mrs. Callaway, our librarian, supplied books from the SM library.

During the Wax Museum, each student dressed as an explorer complete with wigs, hats, fake beards, moustaches, etc. The student became a wax statue…activated by pressing a sticker on their hand…and then reporting the five fascinating facts. The student then resumed their wax, stiff state.

Parents were invited to the one-hour long Wax Museum held in the SM Cafeteria on Friday, 10/14/2016 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Learning Lab to Classroom Each week our students spend time in our Learning Lab. During one session, a group of grade 5 students wanted to learn more about iMovies. Mrs. Callaway started the students and they took control. By the end of the session, a 30 second iMovie was made to show what students do in Learning Lab. This was shared with Mrs. Curtis. She then used the students’ excitement of iMovies to reinforce their learning of fractions. Each group was required to write a script with the step-by-step process to explain the assigned fraction skill. The movies will be used to reinforce skills and as a reference tool.

Habits of Mind Grade 3 has been focusing on two particular Habits of Mind: Listening with Understanding/Empathy and Thinking Flexibly. The grade 3 teachers have been using Class Dojo and the video series to introduce the habits in a child friendly way. The teachers are purposely planning the integration of these habits during class instruction. For example, while teaching the current multiplication unit, students were taught a variety of strategies to aide them when solving multiplication problems. Student and teacher talk reinforces the concept of there is more than one way to reach a solution and provides practice of listening to another person’s thoughts.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Pumpkins used for Learning Students in grade 2 and their parents had the opportunity to use pumpkins to demonstrate several math concepts that have been taught in 1st and 2nd grade. The students used estimation, measurement (length, width, and weight), counting, and operations such as addition and subtraction. The students and parents enjoyed their time together!

Brain Breaks Students at all ages need quick breaks during their very busy learning days. Our kindergarten students use Zumba videos to help them get their bodies recharged and their brains refocused. They just know they are having a great time. Teachers know how important it is for their learning.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Community Worker Fair After learning about different types of communities: rural, suburban, and urban, grade 2 launched into a study of community workers and prepared a grade-wide performance to share with families. Students chose a particular type of worker to read and write about. At home, parents/ students put together a costume representing the worker each child researched. In preparation for the “Community Worker Fair,” students received a line or two to memorize, learned the lyrics of the song “I Can Do Anything” and practiced accompanying dance movements. After a series of rehearsals, families were invited to watch our performance. After the show, parents were invited back to the classrooms to view student work, mingle with other families, and most importantly, to strengthen the home school relationship.

Wax Museum

An explorer is a person who investigates unknown territories. Each Grade 5 student was assigned an explorer from the 15th or 16th century. The student requirement was to complete a brief biography of the explorer, create a map depicting the main routes of travel as well as report five fascinating facts from the explorer’s journey. The student needed to bring an item from home that reflects that explorer (i.e. spices, fake gold, etc.); information that they learned during their research.

Mrs. Callaway, our librarian, supplied books from the SM library.

During the Wax Museum, each student dressed as an explorer complete with wigs, hats, fake beards, moustaches, etc. The student became a wax statue…activated by pressing a sticker on their hand…and then reporting the five fascinating facts. The student then resumed their wax, stiff state.

Parents were invited to the one-hour long Wax Museum held in the SM Cafeteria on Friday, 10/14/2016 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Grade 4 Lunar Landers Mr. Hunter’s grade 4 class spent several class sessions to apply a variety of skills learned across the curriculum to create a Lunar Lander. Students were placed into pairs, provided document sheets and provided a limited amount of materials. The first couple of lessons focused on the problem presented and beginning stages of reviewing information and planning stages. Mr. Hunter facilitated each stage of learning application. The students continued with building their own version of a Lunar Lander. The final step was for each group to drop their lander and determine strengths and weaknesses. The excitement at each step of the process was endless!!!

Winter Fest On Thursday night our Home and School held a family event that included holiday shopping, cookies, hot cocoa and crafts. Another activity, The Snowman Catapult, was provided for children and parents to work with each other to create a catapult (with minimal amount of supplies) and attempt the challenge of how many “snowballs” would land in a specific target. The purpose for the task was to have parents experience the “fun learning” that their children experience in the Learning Lab. The activity was a hit! There were children and parents constantly surrounding the area to participate and/or watch.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff

Springton Manor Principal (Boff) Learning and the Habits of Mind

During Dec. 19-23rd, our teachers revisited our expectations for learning by focusing on the Habits of Mind. Lessons were created to emphasize problem-solving, thinking flexibly, creativity, collaboration, communication and multiple attempts to improve upon original plans or ideas. A YouTube video, Audri’s Monster Trap was viewed in each classroom to have conversations about the video and identify where Audri demonstrated the habits. Then during the week students experienced opportunities to demonstrate and reflect on their use of the habits. Pictures and videos have captured this learning K-5. The conversations and learning that occurred was priceless!


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Caring Blankets Mrs. Patrizio’s fourth grade class wanted to think of others during their holiday celebration this year. One station featured an opportunity to create two warm blankets for those who are less fortunate. The students tied the fleece blankets together and wrapped each gift to be shared. All the students had a part in making the blankets and expressing warm and loving wishes to our seniors in a card. One blanket was delivered to a student’s grandfather in the Veteran’s Hospital. Another blanket was shared by a student with a resident of Hickory House Senior Care Center. All of the children were happy to share in the act of giving this holiday season.

Winter Concert Our students who participate in orchestra, band and 4th and 5th grade chorus were to perform for students, parents, family members and friends on Wednesday, December 21, 2016. Due to an unexpected circumstance, the concert had to be postponed. On Thursday, January 12, 2017 our students had their time in the spotlight. The students shared their talents with our school community in the morning and then for parents and family members in the evening. Our staff is very proud of the effort and time students gave to be able to perform for such large audiences. They did a wonderful job!


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Science!!! Science Explorers are an innovative, hands-on science company dedicated to making science really interesting. Science Explorer instructors create highly interactive and incredibly cool science experiments for students to explore, make and test hypotheses. What does H2O + MnO2 + KI = C18K3602Na equal? An absolute blast! Students in fourth grade at SM used scientific powers to unleash a genie in a bottle, create a foamy concoction of “elephant toothpaste”, and experiment with CO2 to make floating bubbles and a rainbow of color changes. They had a blast watching the kooky array of experiments. Grade 3 students learned about the three states of matter and forms of energy. When the students created their “matter monsters”, they witnessed first-hand how their energy produced a chemical change and released chemical energy! The teachers in grades 3-5 were so appreciative of our Home and School for providing the funds for the Science Explorers presenters!

Science Fair Every student in grade 5 planned and carried out a chosen science experiment. All projects were displayed in our cafeteria for all students to view. Parents were invited in the evening to view and have students present their findings.


Mrs. Diane C. Boff


Caring Blankets Continued Students in grade four worked together to create 22 wheelchair blankets. The blankets were taken to Colonial Woods to be given to those in need. This project was a continuation from the blankets made by students in Mrs. Patrizio’s class in December. Some of the students involved in the original creations requested to continue the project to be able to help even more individuals.

Black History Month Every student in grade one was given a famous African American individual to research. They were to find birthplace and date, why the person is/was famous and three interesting facts about the person. The students were encouraged to dress as that individual and/or display items to represent the individual and the time period. The students were able to pick from famous African American athletes, singers, song writers, judges, actors, actresses, inventors, scholars and educators. Parents were invited to participate in the Wax Museum Presentations on Friday, February 24, 2017.

Springton Manor Principal (Boff)Learning and the Habits of Mind

preparing the best to be even better mrs. diane c. boff · 2017. 3. 8. · mrs. diane c. boff ....

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