IMPORTANT DATES AND REMINDERS

Friday, September 27, 9:45-10:15am Friday Share (open to all)

September 30 - October 11 Listening Conferences - Please check your classroom schedule for your family’s time.

Tuesday, October 8 Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Superintendent visits MHS ​ ​

September 27, 2019 Volume 23, Issue 4 Learning From You

Dear Mission Hill School Friends, Families, Students and Staff,

Starting Monday, October 30th our school will begin a two-week window for the fall “Listening Conferences.” This is our annual opportunity for classroom teachers to hear from families and learn about your children. We call these meetings Listening Conferences as they are a chance for us to learn from you - the experts on your ​ ​ child(ren). Students attend the Listening Conferences, and together the team will talk about expectations and set goals for the year. If you are not sure when your Listening Conference is, please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible.

Jenerra and I have been having Listening Conferences as well. Ours have been with Mission Hill School staff members. As new leaders, we are spending time listening and learning from the educators we work with. Each conference is unique, and we set the stage by making sure each person can use the time as they need. We offer prompts and questions such as: Tell us about what is going well... What challenges are you working through? How can we support you? What questions do you have for us?

For new leaders, these conferences are an investment in our partnership with our colleagues and are key to our democratic school - a place where everyone’s viewpoint is important and every voice matters. And with that, we’d like to offer Listening Conferences to caregivers as well. If you want to set up a time to meet with Geralyn and Jenerra (or “Jeneralyn” as we’ve been coined), please call the office at 617-635-6384. Please offer us a few times that work with your schedule and we will work hard to coordinate ours. Also let us know if you want to meet in person or by phone - your choice.

You may have also heard that Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius is also in the midst of a Community Engagement Tour. This includes school visits, community conversations, and more. She is looking to hear feedback from the community - especially historically marginalized populations. You can find her schedule on the Boston Public Schools website. She’ll be visiting Mission Hill School on the morning of Tuesday, October 8th.

Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin

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CLASSROOM NEWS

KINDERGARTEN sharp. They can cut hard chicken and gold. K0 Room 108 Jaelle: I like that my aunt put Quéla, Liana, Donna & Sarah beads in my hair. Our classroom was percolating Jayna: So I made a mistake on my with excitement last week! We first try. I turned the page over have been exploring the different and I made the head big so I areas of the classroom space and covered the whole part. I getting to know the routines, elevated my chin. I made the songs and rituals that will help nose a triangle shape because frame our class community this that is the shape and the nostrils. year. I made only the top bun and a K1/K2 Room 106 little spikes coming out of it. -Kathy & June The beautiful weather has Kathy & June ​ allowed us to really enjoy our Last week we spent time looking time outside. We’re cooking closely at our reflections. We K1/K2 Room 107 delicious food with dirt, leaves read The Colors of Us by Karen Jada & Manny ​ ​ and dishes, racing around the Katz. We then took our time While we have been busily driveway on tricycles and thinking about what to include in crafting our classroom creating beautiful masterpieces the self-portraits we made. agreements/expectations, with chalk. Inside, we’ve been Children sat at the tables in the following routines and caring for learning about the tools that art studio in our classroom. each other, we have discovered scientists use to do their work. They sat holding an oval mirror our students deep love for We’re using magnifying glasses in one hand and a pencil or black painting and sharing their to make little things appear pen in the other. Their eyes stories. Here are just a few. bigger and we’re sorting shells glanced to the mirror and then and using rich math vocabulary back to the paper and then back Beck: Once upon a time there with attribute words like “big.” to the mirror again. For many was a bird, a very black bird. “tiny,” “bumpy,” and “smooth.” children, making the first mark There was a very big book that Lastly, we took our first trip to on the paper was the hardest was ripped. The end. visit the JP Library! Everyone part. was very safe as we walked Maeve: Once there was a really along the sidewalk and peeked Children reflected on their black rainbow. It turned into dirt into the windows of nearby portraits. then lots of worms started to live shops as we passed them. We in it. snuck like little mice through the Xander: I drew me. library and selected one book Melina: I like that I put my August: I made a big giant each to bring back to the sneakers that I already have. I mummy. The big orange one is classroom. We will go back like that I remembered to do my the mummy. The green one is every other Friday. bangs. almost next to the mummy and -Liana, Donna, Quéla and Sarah Jayden: This is my nose, my he can sink down there. There is eyeballs, my teeth. They are a big sun.

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Abubakar: It is dark outside about supernovas. Once today. Next we asked them what they everyone has shared their hopes wonder about weather. Their and dreams with the class we Will: I made a lot of purple and a questions helped us get excited use those goals to create class little red and some blue to show about our study this theme! agreements. We talk about how love to Jack and Rowan. ● How are raindrops we will help each other reach made? our goals. Stop by Room 210 to Gio: I made a storm. This is my ● When will there be more read our Hopes and Dreams house the red one. The black one lightning? class book! is the storm. ● How does the sky turn -Ashleigh, Alana & Stephanie -Jada Brown & Emmanuel St. Vil many colors at sunset? ● How does thunder get Room 216 made? Danny, Felicia & Destiny ● When is there more “While I’m reading this book, I’d thunder? like you all to practice ● How do clouds turn visualizing. Who can remind me black? what visualizing means?” Emily

said, “Making a picture in your

Stay tuned to learn about head of what’s happening.” As

weather with us! we read through the book On the K1/K2 Room 109 ​ -Katie & Courtney M. Same Day in March, our class Katie & Courtney M. ​ visualized different weather We are beginning our theme around the globe. “I saw polar study of weather and data! To GRADES 1 & 2 bears!” said Yaniel as we read start, we asked the children, about the Arctic. “The snow must what do you know about Room 210 be melting!” said Wyatt as we weather? Below are some of Ashleigh, Alana & Stephanie read about spring in Alberta, their thoughts: It’s a tradition at Mission Hill Canada. “I see a fair where ● I like to jump in muddy School for everyone to write people are buying stuff,” said Joy puddles hopes and dreams at the as we read about Paris, France. ● Snowy beginning of each school year. Practicing our comprehension ● When you have pollen We spend time reflecting on strategies in connection with our allergies what we enjoy about school, science theme helps students to ● The best weather is what we’re proud of and what develop a variety of skills in an snowy feels challenging. After reflecting, interdisciplinary way. As we ● Rain each child creates a goal for the moved on to writing about this ● Dark and sunny year. Many students said they reading, everyone practiced ● Storm want to learn how to read this drawing what they imagined the ● Sunny and rainy year. Hannah wants to work on page about New York City would ● Snowy not getting distracted when look like. Anish used his ● Snowy can make us go doing her work. Jayden and background knowledge to guide inside and watch a movie Danae want to help people. him in drawing a skyline of ● I ate popcorn and Others want to get better at buildings. Vania drew rain and watched a movie when it drawing and learn multiplication gray skies with many frowning was rainy and division. Some want to be faces. Mira drew basketball ● I love snow better listeners and other kids players in the schoolyard, just as ● Foggy want to learn to spell more it was described in the text. We ● You can skate on ice words. Manny wants to learn

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look forward to continuing the our students, “Who is a recorded the date, time, and connections between science, scientist?” Here are some of their location. After observing and reading, and writing to deepen answers: drawing what they saw, they our understanding! Emeric: A scientist is a person listed their questions. Here are a -Danny Flannery, Felicia Haynes, who asks questions. few samples: and Destiny Montrond Neli: Someone who wants to ● Why is this rock here? create Who put it here? When GRADES 3 & 4 Misael: Someone who helps did it arrive here? nature ● Why does the tree have Room 207 Adelaide: Someone who tries to bumps? Why is a tree Amanda & Amina find answers. made out of wood? This week we introduced the Mohamed: Someone who stays ● Why do we have trees? title of our Earth and Space safe. How can we breathe Curriculum, “Hey Water, Where Freyja: Someone who uses the from trees? Have You Been?” We then asked Scientific Method. ● Why is the bark white? the students, “Based on the title Angel: Someone who Why are some parts not of our curriculum, what do you experiments and identifies, uses white? How is it growing predict we'll be learning about?” evidence, asks questions and in the sand? Students shared the following experiments. ● Can food grow from this answers: tree? How many leaves ● Water These responses led us into are there? ● Where water came from another discussion about what is ● What happens if it ● How water disappears the Scientific Method and what snows? Will the tree still from the earth into space are the steps of the Scientific grow? ● How water comes from Method. After laying the ● If the apples die, will they the clouds foundation as scientists, we regrow in the summer? ● Where water goes started to look at our topic, “Hey ● Why is it so pointy? ● The water cycle Water, Where Have You Been?” ● Who takes care of the ● If water is on other We are researching the water flower: nature or people? planets cycle, looking for answers to our Will it die or will it live? ● How water is used questions: ● How old is the tree? Many of the comments were Where does water come What type of tree is it? correct! All of the topics we will from? How big will it grow? be studying connect to the flow What are the three forms How long was it here? of water around our earth. Some of water? We are learning that scientists initial questions were about Where do we find water? often have more questions than how people use water and where What is water made of? answers! water can be found. A student How do we use water? -Leila & Kat shared, “I have never really -Cleata Brown and Ayan Osman thought about those questions GRADES 5 & 6 before.” Have you? Room 215 Leila & Kat -Amanda & Amina Room 203

Ms. Coleman & Frances In 215, we have been practicing Room 212 Earth is everyone's scientific observation. We began Cleata & Ayan responsibility. Room 203 is in by observing different areas of As we continue thinking about the process of learning about the our school’s play yard. Students science in Room 212, we asked eight common types of waste:

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food; water; energy; electronics; “I hope to get better on my new temperature, PH and dissolved deforestation; hazardous waste; scooter.” oxygen level. Students originally packaging; cars; and tires. The “I am REALLY looking forward to hypothesized that the water was challenge for the students is to spending the night at farm dirty, due to the appearance of create new ideas to reduce, school.” dirt and particles, and were reuse, and recycle. Students have “I am a little worried about surprised when their test results studied the earth cycle and how making friends” came out that the water was very we can reduce waste. The 5th “My hope and dream is to get clean. See photos below of our and 6th grade students are better at my writing...because I scholars in action. preparing to design their solar feel like I can do it and I have a -Jenna & Courtney D. system in a few days. They have lot of good ideas.” gathered all the information “If I could change one thing I Room 214 about each planet these past few would play less and work hard.” Kathy B. & Ayanna weeks, so they can start building -Nakia and David Monday we took a field trip to their planets by using their own the Waterworks Museum. While blueprints which they designed touring, Aahmonyea and Liam two weeks ago. commented that they were GRADES 7 & 8 -Saadia Coleman MS.Ed & impressed with how big and Frances Pearce complicated the first filtering Room 213 machine was. Denise thought Jenna & Courtney D. Room 205 that the second filtering machine Students in 7th and 8th grade Nakia & David was better because technology have started to dig deep into our In continuing with our first allowed it to be smaller. A new first theme, Earth Science. Our theme of Near and Dear, machine was needed because the essential questions that we are students have discussed and Boston population was working on addressing through written ideas related to their increasing. this theme are: “How is life on hopes and dreams for the school Afterwards, Zhuri said he Earth possible?” (in regard to year. These hopes and dreams enjoyed learning about how our place in the Solar System and were then turned into a people used to clean and the resources Earth provides us), discussion about creating transport water. Skye “What natural and human classroom expectations that will remembered that they used coal processes have changed the help to see these actualized. Here to create steam from the water. Earth?” and “Why should we are a few examples of the hopes Luis added that the steam protect the Earth?” While we and dreams. pressure determined the water have been primarily studying the pressure. Chani observed that Solar System so far, we have also “One of my dreams is being able technology has changed how we been discussing the importance to write a paragraph easy.” get water. Rui shared that the of water as a resource and went “I wish my school last year went turbidity experiment taught him on our first field trip this week to on more field trips and also they that even though the water test the Waterworks Museum. could add more books.” comes out clear, you can’t drink During the field trip, we learned “Last year my favorite thing to the water. It still must be filtered. about the history of water do in school was art because I Justin agreed with Rui and distribution in Boston and we got to draw a bird.” Typrese was happy that his got to perform water quality “My hope and dream is to get hypotheses about the water tests on water from a local better at anger.” turbidity was true. stream. Students tested the “I’m a little worried about -Kathy B. & Ayanna water for its turbidity (clarity), getting injured during recess.”

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SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS

News from Nurse Georgie

Clothing Donations As you clean out your closets and try on the winter clothes, I am asking for donations of used sweatpants and t-shirts. We sometimes have a student with a problem (maybe they ripped their pants) or an accident (maybe they fell in mud) and they can use a change of clothing. Sweatpants tend to work out very well.

Flu Shots Flu shots for adults (18 and over) are happening here at Mission Hill School on Thursday, October 10th from 10 am to noon. They are sponsored by Walgreens Pharmacy. Please bring your insurance card if you would like to drop by for a flu shot. This is usually fast and easy, let me (Nurse Georgie) know if you want a certain time. It is open to ​ all adults 18 and over, staff, friends, family, etc.

Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin and Mission Hill K-8 School 20 Child Street Jenerra Williams, Co-Teacher Leaders A Boston Public Pilot School Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 (Carolina Avenue entrance) Deborah Meier, Founder WWW.MISSIONHILLSCHOOL.ORG T 617-635-6384 Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Superintendent F 617-635-6419

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Mission Hill K – 8 Margarita Muniz Academy

Illness Policy 2019-2020

Children should stay home with a parent/guardian if the child: . 1. Has a Temperature over 100 degrees. Students should be without fever, and without the use of ​ ​ medication such as Tylenol or Motrin, for 24 hours. 2. Has Conjunctivitis, which is an eye infection commonly referred to as Pink Eye. The eye is generally ​ ​ ​ ​ red with some burning and there is thick yellow drainage. Students can return to school 24 hours after ​ ​ treatment has begun. 3. Has Bronchitis and/or Croup, which may occur together, but more often separately. These can begin ​ ​ with hoarseness, cough, and a slight elevation in temperature. The cough may be dry and painful, and it becomes more productive. In croup, there is a loud noise as the child breathes in and there may be increased difficulty in breathing. May return to school when cleared medically. 4. Has a Severe Cold with fever, sneezing, and nose drainage. Students should stay home until symptoms ​ ​ have resolved. 5. Has the Flu. A student should not return to school until 48 hours after his/her temperature has returned ​ ​ to normal without the use of Motrin or Tylenol and other flu symptoms have ceased. 6. Has Diarrhea. A student should not return to school until the diarrhea has ceased for 24 hours since the ​ ​ last episode. 7. Has Vomiting. A student should not return to school until the vomiting has ceased for 24 hours since ​ ​ the last episode. 8. Has an Earache. The student should see their health care provider. ​ ​ 9. Has strep throat. Students can return to school 24 hours after treatment begins, and 24 hours without a fever. 10. Has a Rash that has not been diagnosed by a health care provider. Students should have rashes ​ ​ diagnosed. If a rash is diagnosed as a result of any infection, students must be no longer contagious before they can return to school. 11. Has Impetigo/Staph/Strep infection. Students can return to school 24 hours after treatment is begun. ​ ​ 12. Has Pertussis/Whoping cough. Students can return to school 5 days after antibiotics were begun. ​ ​ 13. Has Ringworm. Students need to remain home until treatment has begun. ​ ​ 14. Has Rubella/German Measles. Students can return to school 7 days after the rash appears. ​ ​ 15. Has Scabies. Students can return to school after treatment has been completed. ​ ​ 16. Has Lice. Students can return to school after treatment has been completed. ​ ​ 17. Has a Toothache. Call the dentist and ask to have the student seen as soon as possible. ​ ​ 18. Has Varicella/Chicken Pox. Students must remain home until 5 days after the onset of the rash or ​ ​ when all lesions are dry.

The school nurse is required to dismiss any child who may expose others to infection.

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