Learning with Ms. Manganello

Thank you so much everyone for the beautiful lilac bush presented to me on Tuesday by Mrs. Kokoruda and Mrs. Pavlovic.  They know me well since lilacs are my favorite flower.  They are a particularly fragrant variety.  You could smell their fragrance as you entered the building.  I appreciate your generousity to me throughout the school year.  I shall plant this bush in my yard and it will always remind me of the special children who brightened my life this school year.  Thank you again and have a relaxing, READING summer!

Mrs. Manganello

I was so pleased to see all of you at our poetry recital on Tuesday, May 19th.  The children’s outstanding recitations and your enjoyment made the morning very special.  Thank you so much to those of you who helped make our celebration yummy by providing goodies.  Thanks to Mrs. Vizziello, Mrs. Woods, Mrs. Kokoruda, and Mrs. Doraz.  If I forgot anyone, please forgive me, it was a hectic time.

As you could probably tell, poetry is one of my favorite units.  It gives everyone a chance to shine and is fun to read.  Please encourage the children to continue reading poems over the summer – and writing them too.  I hope I instilled in them that it is a great way to express your feelings and thoughts without the confines of formal writing.  It was a joy working with the children as they wrote their “Color Poems” and “If I Were In Charge of the World”.  They had so many beautiful thoughts.  Mrs. Belliveau is diligently working on our hardcover books which are the children’s Poetry Anthologies.  I hope they will be a treasured keepsake.

Although I thought I would say a few words to you at the recital about what a wonderful year we have had and how much I have enjoyed working with this class, I am afraid that my emotions were getting the better of me so I let it go.  Please know that each of the children have many special qualities.  They are living in a fast paced, demanding time and so sometimes life gets in the way of their successes.  But they are all talented and charming.  Please call on me if you need council or an ear to share with.  My love to all!

Mrs. Manganello

On Friday, May 22nd, the third grade classes visited the Pequot Museum at Foxwoods.  Although we had a long bus ride, the trip was well worth it.  The children found the information interesting and were attentive to the speakers.  We had a visit to a Pequot village of the 1500′s.  Our guide, a young college student,  was from the Mashantucket tribe herself.  The children learned why squash, corn, and beans are called “the three sisters”.   They learned that the Pequot had a summer site in Niantic and their winter site in the Ledyard area.  They saw a Sachem giving council to an elderly woman and boys learning how to hunt squirrel with a blunt arrow – and why their arrow was blunt.  We had lunch and then proceeded to our class event, making a wampum bracelet.  Hopefully, the bracelets got home in one piece.  The children heard our docent, Art, tell about the importance of wampum to the native peoples.  I know the children would love to visit the museum with families.  One thing they would especially like to do is ride up in the tower.  It was a great trip!

The children stringing wampum.Mrs. Pavlovic helps Liam tie his bracelet.

This time of year is very busy!!  We have lots of things to do to finish up.  To help us stay on track, here are some reminders:

Monday, May 11th – Poetry Posters and Bibliographies are due.

Tuesday, May 12th  Concert at IAS from 2:40-3:20 – The children should try to dress in yellow and green the colors of the Brazilian flag.

Wednesday, May 13th – We have a cultural arts program at 1:00.

Thursday, May 14th Poetry Recital in room 16, 9:30 for about 30-40 minutes.  The children should dress for a performance.

Friday, May 15th Mrs. M. will be in Hartford  for Professional Development.

Thursday, May 21st – Island Memorial Day Celebration some time in the afternoon.

Friday, May 22nd Pequot Museum- leaving right at 9:00.  Please don’t send in any money with the chidren.

Monday, May 25th No School

Friday, May 29th- Mrs. Manganello’s last day.

Friday, June 5th – Scranton Library -We will be walking over at 9:00.  Children may bring their library cards.

Wednesday, June 10th – West Wharf Beach – We will be walking over at 9:00 to learn about the animals that live along our shore as part of our science unit on animal adaptations.

There will also be a date for you to visit our multi-cultural displays some time later in June.

We had a wonderful visit from Mrs. Pat Durante and Roxy during the Chamber of Commerce Read Aloud program, Friday, May 8th.  Mrs. Durante read a book entitled Big Al by Andrew Clements.  She donated the book to our class library.  Mrs. Durante is a familiar face at IAS.  She brings Roxy in weekly as part of our Paws to Read program.  Roxy is a two year old mixed breed who acts as both a reading partner and a therapy dog at Yale and Hospice.  Mrs. Durante rescued Roxy and has spent a great deal of time training with her.  Mrs. Durante tells us it is very gratifying seeing the faces on the children and adult alike.

Our class had a fun filled afternoon on Wednesday, May 6th during ACES.  ACES stands for All Students Excercise Simultanteosly.  On this day, students exercise all around the world at the same time.  Each fourth grade class helped out by making up dance steps to a current song.  All of the IAS students have been practicing these dances.  Claire and Bridget helped to lead the last song, Celebration, which has been a long standing tradition.  We were very lucky that the sun came out for us.  A fun time was had by all.

The children are excited to meet a TV personality.

We had a visit from Channel 8 weather forecaster Gil Simmons last Thursday.  He brought the Mobile Weather Van to discuss weather instruments and his job as a meteorologist with Island Avenue third graders.  The children were very excited and had a lot of questions.  Mr. Simmons was delightful and responsive.  He even wore an Island Avenue Shining Star sticker on the air the next morning and gave kudos to our students for their excellent questions.

IAS third graders with Gil Simmons and the Channel 8 Weather Van.

A message for our students.

We have parents in as guest readers during the two week period that each child is spotlighted as our Star Student.  I am always surprised and delighted by all the new titles that the children get to hear.  We also like to find out a little something about parent and child while they are visiting.  Friday afternoon seems to be a good time for our guest reader to visit.

Mr. Woods with Nick reading Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Michael Clark-Polner is a senior at DHHS that has been working with a group of students in our class.  Michael is involved in the ski club and a starring member of the debate team.  He comes on Thursday afternoons.  His group focuses on math enrichment/thinking skills and practicing concepts that prove a challenge to our students.  Today he brought his laptop to show the group how to multiply with more than one digit.  The students look forward to Michael’s arrival.

How do I multiply with more than one digit?

What a great laptop!

Report cards will be sent home this Friday, March 20th.  The children are all progessing nicely and demonstrating success in the academic areas.  The CMT’s are over and I am proud of the diligent job our class did in adressing these 9 tests.  You will be receiving a printed score report sometime at the end of the year or beginning of the summer.  Please remember that this is just a snapshot of your child’s overall ability.  What they do on a daily basis should be stressed.  Each child in our class has many strengths as well as areas that need improvement.  Our goal is to be sure everyone is working to his or her potential and coming home happy.