School Wide Pajama Day - Tuesday, November 1st

Students and staff alike are invited to come to school in comfortable, relaxed clothing or pj's on Tuesday, November 1st. Please make sure your child has appropriate shoes and warm layers for outdoor recess.   

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Halloween Spirit Day - Monday, October 31

Monday, October 31st, we will have an Orange and Black Spirit Day at McGovern School - All children are invited to wear Halloween colors rather than any costumes, please.

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

McGovern Food Drive

The Kindergarten class is partnering with Medway Village Food Pantry to run a Food Drive from October 31st - November 10th. Non-perishable food items will be collected and delivered to the Medway Village Food Pantry. We sincerely thank you for any donations!.

McGovern Book Fair Thursday, Nov. 4th

 

As we settle into the school year, it is important to make sure that you have a routine set up at home that involves reading every day.  One of the easiest ways to get your child reading is to make sure that you have books of interest to your child available.  

Room 18 will visit the McGovern School Book Fair on Thursday, November 4th during our Library special.  Please send a sealed envelope with money for your child to shop that day. Be sure to write your child's name, grade, and his/her teacher's name clearly on the front of the envelope.  

Here is a link to the Book Fair website and a link to where you can set up eWallets for your child. 

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Math Update: Unit 1 Lesson 7 - Add and Subtract in Word Problems/No Math Homework Tonight

This week your child will learn to solve word problems by adding and subtracting.  Use the Family Letter, which provides background information, math vocabulary, and an activity to see what your child is learning in math. 

A Family Letter will come home in your child's BEE Folder tomorrow, Thursday, October 27th.

 

Note:  Today the children had a quiz on Lesson 6, 

so there will be no math homework tonight.

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

 

Reminder: Walk to School Day this Friday

Room 18 is looking forward to participating in our Walk to School Day this Friday, October 28th. Busers, walkers, and riders will be dropped off at the VFW on Holliston Street to join teachers, specialists, paras, and parents in an invigorating 1/2-mile walk to McGovern. 

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Picture Day is This Wednesday!

 

Picture Day will be held on Wednesday, October 26th!

To order:  

1. Visit geskusprint.com

2. Use your unique code to log in and pre-order: LP53ZE8F

3. Select your packages, prints, or novelties and check out.

Retakes will be held on Tuesday, November 8th.

Please click here to view the Geskus Families FAQ's for our upcoming picture day.

Social Emotional Learning Update

We had our Zones lesson last Friday! The students met a new character “The Feelings Train” and learned about the terms “expected” and “unexpected.” Expected behaviors are when we are following the rules of the space. These make others feel good and make us feel good! Unexpected behaviors can make others feel “uncomfortable.” Some actions are expected in one place and not others - running out at recess is expected but running in the classroom where there are desks and kids is unexpected! When we are in the Red, Yellow, or Blue Zone it can be harder to remember what is expected. We learned a new breathing technique for our toolbox: Hot Cocoa Breath. Please have your child teach you! :)

Please reach out with any questions or concerns! 

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Math Update: Unit 1, Lesson 6 - Count on to Subtract

This week your child will learn to subtract by counting on. Use the Family Letter, which provides background information, math vocabulary, and an activity to see what your child is learning in math. 

A Family Letter will come home in your child's backpack tomorrow (Thursday 10/20). 

 

Note:  Today the children had a Mid-Unit Assessment, 

so there will be no math homework tonight.

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Reading Update: Unit 1 Week 5

The theme in this unit is My Neighborhood. In this unit, we will be answering the question: What is a neighborhood? The children will read realistic fiction that discusses neighbors and neighborhoods.  Each week we will address specific questions such as What is a neighborhood? What and who can I see in a neighborhood?  We will use elements and clues in the texts to make connections. We will also read infographics, informational texts, and procedural texts. 

Highlights from Unit 1 Week 5: What does a neighborhood look like?

Reading:

This week we learned about procedural texts. A procedural text uses directions, or steps, to explain how to do or make something. The steps are in order, use sequence words or numbers and an action verb for each step. We also made predictions about the texts we read. When we make a prediction about a procedural text, we think about the characteristics of the text to help us make a prediction.  For example, procedural texts tell how to do or make something, so the reader can make a prediction about what the text will tell how to do or make. As we read, we confirm our prediction or correct it.  We also learned to recognize the characteristics and structures of informational text, including features and simple graphics to locate or gain information.  Simple graphics, such as pictures, help readers find and gain information. Graphics can tell readers more information about the topic and important ideas.  

                                               

This Week's Story:  Making a Map by Gary Miller

• Genre:  Procedural Text

• Weekly Question: How can I get to know my neighbors?

• Weekly Vocabulary

     buildings, library, school, stores

    Foundational Skills

• children learned how to segment and blend the sounds in three-letter words with the middle sound short /u/.
• reading and writing words with a short /u/ in the middle.
• decode words with initial and final consonants Rr, Ww, Jj, and Kk.

• Heart Words - words we need to know by heart.

     as, he, three, to, with

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

 

Social Emotional Learning: Zones of Regulation

Social and Emotional Learning Update:

Starting this week, all Kindergarteners and First Graders will be starting the Zones of Regulation Social and Emotional Learning curriculum. The pandemic has affected us all in many ways, and we know that many of our children need extra social and emotional support. Each week, we will be sending home information about what kids are learning in their Zones lessons so that you can check in with them about it at home. 

The Zones curriculum helps kids start to identify the intersection between emotions and how they feel in the body. We sort our feelings into 4 Zones of Regulation:

• Blue Zone: sad, tired, sick, bored, moving slowly

• Green Zone: happy, calm, focused, relaxed, ready to learn

• Yellow Zone: frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, loss of some control

• Red Zone: mad/angry, terrified, out of control

Once kids are able to better understand and identify how they are feeling, they can use this information to problem solve and choose “tools” (coping skills) to help them feel better. There are no BAD Zones, everyone is in the different Zones at different times, but Green is the most comfortable and the Zone that makes learning and playing with friends at school easiest! 

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher, or our School Counselor, Angela Gallivan (agallivan@medwayschools.org). 

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

No Math Homework Tonight

 

Today the children had a math quiz on Unit 1, Lesson 4. There will be no math homework tonight.

Parent/Guardian Conference Sign-Up

Please sign up for a conference on Tuesday, November 8th, Wednesday, November 9th, or Thursday, November 17th.  I look forward to discussing your child's progress with you.  Please note that Tuesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 17th are early release days; children will be released at 12:00 pm. Evening conferences will be held Wednesday, November 9th from 5:30-7:30 pm. 

This year I will use SignUpGenius to manage the scheduling of parent-teacher conferences. You will receive an email similar to the one below. Follow the link in the email to sign up for a conference time slot.

Please let me know if you do not receive an email from SignUpGenius.

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Important Dates

Important Dates

Date	Event
Fri. October 14th	Walk to School Day
Wed. October 26th	Picture Day
Mon. October 31st	Halloween Spirit Day
Tues. Nov. 1st	School-Wide Pajama Day
Tues. Nov. 8th	Picture Retake Day
Tues. Nov. 8th	Early Release Day (Noon) Teacher Conferences
Weds. Nov. 9th	Teacher Conferences 5:30-7:30 pm
Fri. Nov. 11th	No School - Veteran’s Day
Thurs. Nov. 17th	Early Release Day (Noon) Teacher Conferences
Weds. Nov. 23rd	Half Day (Noon)
Thurs. Nov. 24th- Fri. Nov. 25th	No School - Thanksgiving Break

Math Update: Unit 1 Lesson 4: Understand Missing Addends

 This week your child will explore how to write a missing addend equation to solve a subtraction problem. A family letter will come home in your child's backpack today.

Joyfully,

Hilary Jackson

Supporting Shriners Hospital

 

Shriners Children's Boston is near and dear to my heart. In 2010, while at a neighbor's home, my 8-year-old daughter Olivia collided with a pot scalding water that spilled on her shoulder and back causing second and third-degree burns. Shriners took wonderful care of her - through multiple surgeries and skin grafts she was in the hospital for almost a month. Over the years, Olivia continued treatment at Shriners until she was 21, undergoing multiple laser surgeries each year to manage her scar outcome. This was all at no cost to us thanks to the incredible Shriners Hospital.

You can join us in thanking Shriners Hospital on behalf of these four Medway families by pulling off the can tab after you drink your seltzers, and sodas and save it. You can still return the can for deposit after the tab

has been removed. (Medway Lions can still collect and redeem the cans without tabs for money as well). Once you have a bunch collected, send them in with your child to drop in a container in our main office at McGovern School.

Thank you for considering this simple but meaningful act of kindness for this amazing hospital and organization! 

With Gratitude,

Hilary Jackson

Olivia and her favorite nurse, Lyn.  Feb. 2010

Olivia and Dr. Matthias Donelan, before

one of her laser surgeries. Jan. 2020

Currently a senior at Fairfield University, 

Olivia is studying to be a nurse, in large

part due to her positive experience at

Shriners Children's Boston.

April 2022

Picture Day is This Wednesday!

Picture Day will be held on Wednesday, October 26th!

To order:  

1. Visit geskusprint.com

2. Use your unique code to log in and pre-order: LP53ZE8F

3. Select your packages, prints, or novelties and check out.

Retakes will be held on Tuesday, November 8th.

Please click here to view the Geskus Families FAQ's for our upcoming picture day.

International Walk to School Day is Back!

Friday, October 14, 2022

It’s been three years since the McGovern School last participated in the International Walk to School event and we can’t wait to restart the tradition and celebrate the day with our new “generation” of McGovern students. The walk-to-school event was created in 1997 by SafeRoutes to help promote healthier habits, a cleaner environment, pedestrian safety, and a number of community benefits such as less traffic and improved accessibility for all students.

Kindergarten and 1st grade McGovern students can be dropped off at the VFW at 8:35 by their family (who are welcome to walk with their student!) OR their bus, and with staff members, will walk the .5-mile walk to school! To help ensure the students’ safety, Medway Police Department will be on hand to assist with crossing Holliston Street in two different places.

Pre-school students and families….you will be participating in your own “Mini'' Walk to School Day! You or your child’s bus will drop them off at the top of the McGovern driveway and then the PreK students will walk to school as a class with their teacher.

This permission slip was sent home and must be signed and returned by October 7 whether or not your child plans to participate to help us track who is and is not walking. Students not walking will be brought to McGovern on their bus where staff members will be monitoring the children until the rest of the school arrives.