Dear Intermediate School Families,
For all those who celebrate, we wish you a bright and joyous Diwali!!
From the School Adjustment Counselors’ Suite:
Monday the 13th is World Kindness Day, and we are back to the time of year when gratitude comes into focus too. Thanksgiving is a natural time to think about people, events, and moments for which we are grateful and ways in which we can be kind. Research has shown again and again that being intentionally grateful leads to many positive changes for people. This includes improvement in emotions, relationships, self-esteem, and physical health. The “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude” article from Psychology Today, linked here, summarizes some of the benefits and some of the research. A simple way to focus on gratitude and kindness can be simply looking for things throughout the day that bring you joy and sharing joy with others. This may include something you enjoy looking at, something that makes you smile, something that’s your favorite color or something from your day that made you feel cared for. A small change in habit can lead to many positive results. Gratitude and kindness are such worthy attributes to model for children!
Artroom News:
We’ve got a lot going in art! Fourth graders have been focusing on shape and form. They finished up and have been taking home their patterned pumpkins and now they’re working on wax-resist mugs of hot cocoa. Fifth graders finished their upside-down ghost pinch pots and reproduction art ghost paintings and have been taking them home. They are so clever and cute! Now they’re starting a brown paper bag mask project inspired by the artists, Saul Steinberg and Inge Morath. In all classes, students will be introduced to artwork related to Diwali, India’s biggest holiday of the year, which lands on November 12th this year. Students will be looking at handmade diyas and rangoli and creating their own Diwali inspired artwork.
Lastly, Square 1 Art catalogs will be coming home soon! These catalogs have all the information about how to order keepsakes with your child’s art on it.
Lifetouch Pictures:
Don't forget to order this year’s school pictures and enjoy 10% OFF your order!
CODE: F202310OFF
EXPIRES: May 1, 2024
Nature’s Classroom Meeting Next Week:
The one-time informational session about the optional grade four overnight field trip in June to Nature’s Classroom is at 6 p.m. on November 14th in our cafeteria and is for adults only. Mrs. Snyder (snyder@freelake.org) is the program coordinator.
PTO:
Our next virtual PTO meeting is on November 21st at 6:30 p.m.
Spring MCAS Dates:
April 02 & 03–Grade Five ELA
April 04 & 05–Grade Four ELA
May 13 & 14–Grade Five Math
May 15 & 16–Grade Four Math
May 20 & 21–Grade Five Science
*These are subject to change.
Dates to Remember:
World Kindness Day - November 13th
Nature’s Classroom Session in the Cafeteria - November 14th at 6 p.m.
Letters for Teacher Conferences Go Home - November 14th
Picture Retakes - November 15th
Virtual PTO Meeting - November 21st at 6:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving Recess - November 22nd at 11:30 a.m - November 24th
First Trimester Grades Close - November 27th
Evening Teacher Conferences - December 5th
Afternoon Teacher Conferences - December 7th
The information from the GRAIS weekly message can be found
in the Sunday Message from the superintendent’s office and on our school website.