Welcome Back

September 2, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Friends of the J. Turner Hood School,

I hope this note finds you well rested and excited about the upcoming school year.  We have been very busy over the past few months in preparation for the opening of school grades 1-5 on Wednesday, September 9, 2015.  The first day of school for Kindergarten students is Friday, September 11, 2015.  

New Staff: We are excited to welcome three new staff members to our school community. Please welcome Ms. Heather Blackmun, Special Education Teacher, Ms. Janna Comeau, Music Teacher, and Mrs. Kelly Daigle, Para-Professional, to our team! I know that you and your children will make these individuals feel welcome to North Reading and the Hood School. I appreciate your continued support of the entire Hood School staff.

Kindergarten Popsicle Social: Our annual Kindergarten Popsicle Social will be on Thursday, September 3rd. from 2:30-3:30 pm. All incoming Kindergarten students are invited to attend. Please join us if you can. We are sure it will be an hour of fun.

School Website & Email: In North Reading,  each school’s and the district’s website will be upgraded to make it more informative, engaging, user-friendly, and a better resource to showcase student work and photos of the good things happening in each of our schools and across the district. Secondly, the email domain for the faculty and staff of the North Reading Public Schools has recently undergone a transition to a new domain, @nrpsk12.org. This domain is active presently and families are urged to now begin updating their contacts and communicating with district faculty and staff using the @nrpsk12.org domain. It should be noted that emails sent using the old domain will still be received during a brief period of transition

Twitter: Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

Arrival/Morning Drop-Off: School begins at 8:30, and staff will be available to welcome students beginning at 8:20.  Children should not be brought to school before 8:20 AM as there is no adult supervision.  School staff will greet you and your children at the drop-off loop at 8:25 to let you know that students may now enter the building. We do have a morning program that is tuition-based. If your child arrives in the building earlier than 8:20, he/she will be sent to the morning care program and a note will be sent home with a friendly reminder to you to pay the fee.

Drop Off Procedures:

Drop off children at the side rotary.

Pull all the way up to the end of the sidewalk before letting your child out.

Let your child out opposite the driver’s side, only.

Do not get out of the car yourself.

There is NO PARKING within the rotary. 

Please remain in your car and move forward once your child exits the car, in order to keep the line moving. For safety reasons, it is important that you follow this procedure. 

Parking:

If you must come into the building, please park within the parking lot.

Going Green: We have an obligation to conserve our natural resources. Schools should set a good example by demonstrating to others the methods and benefits of energy conservation. Going Green is the smart choice for our environment, but it also may prove to be savings for our school’s budget during these times.  It will be our goal to utilize email as a primary source of communication for school notices and newsletters.  That being said, we want to be sure that all parents and families receive information to remain involved and informed.  If email communication isn’t available for your household hard copy notices will continue to be provided.

Student Absences: The office appreciates phone calls regarding absence or tardiness prior to school starting. This decreases the number of phone calls the office staff must make searching for students who are unaccounted for.  

Food Pantry: For those new to our school community, September is the month the Hood School adopts the North Reading Food Pantry by sponsoring a food drive. Please feel free to drop any of the items listed on our school website in our food pantry drop box located in our lobby.  

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Mr. Glen S. McKay, Principal 

March News

March 9, 2015

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

The year is passing by like the wink of an eye. March began with a wonderful celebration of Literacy. We marked Dr. Seuss’  birthday with a renewed focus on literacy. Our students immersed themselves in Suessville and welcomed many community guests to read with our children. Thank you to Mr. Quinn & Mr. Quinlan for being our special guest Cat’s in the Hat’s.  An additional thank you goes out to our Reading Specialist, Mrs. Hegarty and our Teachers who worked collaboratively to develop our Read Across America plan.

Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

Our annual Fine Arts Night will be held on this Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Come to the Hood School to see some wonderful student performances and art exhibits.

If you have not heard, our amazing physical education teacher will be running the 2015 Boston Marathon to raise money for the Tufts Medical Center. During fine arts evening a table will be staffed by three Hood School students. Jessica Simone, Isabella Conte & Lauren Feffer please stop by their table to purchase a glo stick in order to support this charity.

March and April are important months for teaching and learning. Here are a few ways that you can prepare your children to make the most of their learning opportunities:

• Make sure that your children get adequate sleep. There is research-based evidence that elementary age children require 10-12 hours of sleep each night. 

• Physical activity is a great stress release, helps children sleep better at night, and improves concentration and learning. Research indicates that children receive the most benefit from 20 minutes of sustained aerobic activity on a daily basis.

• A good breakfast that contains a source of protein improves concentration and learning. Healthy snacks and lunches provide the ‘fuel’ children need to sustain their efforts throughout the day.

• Make sure that your children arrive at school on time. It is stressful for them to arrive late and quite disruptive for the rest of the class.

Lastly, Please be reminded that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week will be half days for parent conferences. Student dismissal will be at 11:45. 

November News

November 19, 2014

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

As the weather is now getting colder and there is less sunlight, I am pleased to look around and see all of our programs in full swing.  Students are enjoying their academic programs and our enrichment programs. It is great to be part of such an active school community.   

During this season of giving and thankfulness, I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers at the J. Turner Hood. From our wonderful Parent’s Association members to Library Volunteers, Guest Readers, and so many other parents who have contributed – We are truly grateful for all you have given. Also a special thank you to all our teachers, administrative

and support staff at the J. Turner Hood for your continued caring and nurturing of our children.

Last month, speed painter Rob Surette wowed our students with his "Amazing Hero Art" show. Thanks to our Parent’s Association for organizing and funding the event. Mr. Surette created all the paintings you see here - each six feet tall - during his 60-minute show. We had previously had one of his works on display in our library and thanks to the Parent’s Association we will now have another that will be hung soon.

Pictures available on our school website-

Recess- The winter season is upon us.  I would like to remind you to send your children to school dressed appropriately for outside recess. Coats, hats and gloves are very important. We will always go outside for recess unless it is dangerously cold. If recess is canceled, please understand that it was canceled due to rain, snow or health recommendations only. It is our belief that students need physical activity and fresh air and therefore we send the children outside for recess in the winter. Previously, J. Turner Hood School students were allowed to bring in snow pants and boots to play in the snow. This is a practice that we are discontinuing at this time. All children will play on the hot top during recess if snow is covering our playground and fields.        

Live Line-Dismissal/Pick-Up-The dismissal time from J. Turner Hood Elementary school is a very busy time of day.  Busses are arriving to bring children home or bringing them to after school child care programs.   Parents or child care providers are driving up to the neighborhoods near the school or walking up to pick up their children and older children are walking home alone.  If you participate in the Placard Pick-up System to pick up your children in front of J. Turner Hood by car please be reminded that you are required to “queue up” in a single line down the driveway, through our parking lot and up to the Handicapped parking spot at the end of our “loop.” At all times, there must be space for two-way traffic on Haverhill Street and in the school driveway to allow for vehicles leaving and to provide emergency vehicle access. You (the parent/guardian) or someone you give permission to pick up your child must have the placard with the student’s last name in view on the right-hand side of the windshield as you pull up. A suggested practice is to have the placard affixed to your passenger side visor and flip it down while you “que up.”  Children who are being picked up via the placard pick-up system will remain in the Cafeteria while family names are called.  As you pull up with the placard in view, your child(ren) will be called out using a walkie talkie system from staff out on the sidewalk to staff in the cafeteria, and placed in your vehicle. 

Twitter- Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

https://twitter.com/jthoodelemen

The Annual North Reading Turkey Trot is scheduled to go off at 8:00 A.M. sharp on Thanksgiving Day.  The elementary school challenge is on again this year and the Little School is looking to retain the title! We have recruited many staff members to join our families! I am encouraging all of our families to be part of this community event. It is our goal to unseat the defending elementary school challenge champions and bring the coveted trophy to our lobby! The elementary school in North Reading that has the highest percentage of student participation will earn the trophy to display in their school for the year and the $200.00 prize to be used toward the purchase of fitness equipment in their school. This event is sponsored by the NRHS Hornets Hall of Fame; proceeds benefit the student athletes of North Reading. Come out to work up an appetite. Please contact Joe Davis at jdavis@north-reading.k12.ma.us if you have any questions. See you Thanksgiving morning!

Successful Hood School Students- There are a few things you can do at home to help your child be a successful student here at school. It is beneficial to set up routines for your morning prior to leaving the house. Setting up routines can help you and your child be more relaxed. Eating a good breakfast helps your child to be energized and ready for the day ahead. After school ask your child about his/her school day. It lets your child know you care. Talking about school with your child helps keep you connected. If your child isn’t sharing what he/she does at school try asking a specific question or two. Be sure to read all papers that come home or sent via e-mail. Help your child be prepared by studying a little each day. It is the best way to learn and own new material. Having a set homework time and place makes homework a little less stressful. Read everyday. Try reading both to and with your child each day. Lastly, having a set bedtime and nightly routine helps your child get the rest he/she needs. Providing your child with relaxation, energy, communication, preparation and rest create the potion for success! Communication between home and school is so important for our children. Please share anything important that is going on at home with your child’s classroom teacher. We can’t be successful without one another.

Please be reminded that students may not be dropped off prior to 8:20 AM, as there is no morning supervision.

Greater Boston Food Bank

Please help us raise food and funds for the Greater Boston Food Bank. The Hood School student council members thought that doing a food drive before the holidays would be the best way to involve the community in getting into the holiday spirit of giving. Help us reach our goal and donate today. Thank you for supporting The Greater Boston Food Bank's Holiday Meal Drive. Every $20 donation will provide 5 Thanksgiving meals to those in need.
Here is the link:
www.gbfb.org/jthoodelementaryschool

Please keep on sending in non-perishable food items

The Misconception of Mistakes

The Misconception of Mistakes

“It's how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.”
-Charlotte Whitton

In our society we are taught to be ashamed of mistakes. In my professional reading, I recently came across a study that sheds more light on what learning does to the brain and, more specifically, what learning from mistakes does to our brains. The study is reported in Scientific-American under the headline The Learning Brain Gets Bigger-Then Smaller: New studies map the changing landscape of neurons as the brain masters a task. It’s a fairly dense report. In experiments the researchers conducted, it appears that the brain gets bigger when learning new things. However, after time lapses it returns closer to its original size, with changes left in neurons and synapses. When the brain is getting bigger, it is apparently collecting information made from the experiences of numerous mistakes. After awhile, it identifies the key lessons learned from those errors, retains them, and discards the rest. This information is very important for anyone trying to understand how students to learn. Based on this research, children need to be encouraged to take more risks in their learning, and feel less frustrated by the mistakes they might make. Based on this information, we need to redefine the perception of mistakes and teach our children to embrace them as learning opportunities.

In another article on the same topic tiltled Teaching Students to Embrace Mistakes, the authors, Maats and O’Brien write about the science behind mistakes. They reference the notion of the 10,000 hour rule, a concept widely believed by many to be a benchmark of how much time it takes to become an expert in almost any field. They define deliberate practice as the process an individual goes through to isolate their weaknesses. The authors note, “Mistakes are the most important thing that happens in any classroom, because they tell you where to focus that deliberate practice.” In her article The Role of Mistakes in the Classroom, New York Times journalist Alina Tugend argued that fear is a big motivator for why students have such a negative perception towards making mistakes. “If students are afraid of mistakes, then they're afraid of trying something new, of being creative, of thinking in a different way.” It is up to each of us to change that perspective so that students can be free to practice and make mistakes and focus their deliberative practice on the things that are going to help them learn. Failure to do so may result in a generation of students who are afraid to raise their hands when they don't know the answer to a question and students who would rather ask an adult for help than try something on their own first.

When we tell kids that learning is all about the results, we teach them that mistakes are something to be feared and avoided. We stifle their interest in experimenting because experimenting means you may have a blunder or fail and that’s too big a risk. We need to change our practices in order to foster an environment where children are encouraged to take risks and are supported through the learning process so they can succeed. Michael Jordan epitomizes this philosophy.  In a commercial for Nike he stated, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Build Our Kids Success With BOKS

Build Our Kids Success With BOKS

Building Our Kids Success! BOKS helps kids get physically active. As the long cold winter left, students and staff at the J. Turner Hood School embarked on a journey together. The Hood School recently started to pilot the BOKS program two mornings per week. Our guiding premise is that great kids deserve a great start. We are helping set our kids up for success by giving them a body and brain boost with the BOKS before-school physical activity program. The BOKS program is sponsored by Reebok and is designed to prepare students for a day of learning while teaching the benefits of exercise and making healthy choices.  BOKS was inspired by Dr. John Ratey’s book “Spark” which speaks to exercise being “the most powerful tool that we have to optimize the function of our brains.” Over sixty Hood School students have been joining physical education teacher Matthew Quinlan, school Nurse Lois Bisson and other school volunteers two mornings per week this spring for this exciting before school physical activity program. BOKS will continue to run every Monday and Wednesday for the remainder of the school year.

The data reflects the idea that active kids lead have active minds and that morning exercise and activity improves student learning. BOKS is involved in a multiyear research study with the National Institute on Out Of School Time (NIOST) to determine the effectiveness of BOKS. The most recent results for 2013 are now in, and based on a study of 570 children, has determined that:

•   Some subsets of BOKS children improved significantly more than their peers on assessments of working memory (holding information to complete a task) and shift (transition and problem solve) based on teacher or parent assessment.

•   Children participating in BOKS showed significantly more knowledge post-test about various food types, serving size, and nutrition content.

•   BOKS parents with children attending one or more sessions were significantly more likely than the comparison group of parents to rate their child’s health as better than the year before in both Year 1 and Year 2 of the study.

The program includes a number of team-oriented games, movement activities and a nutrition component as part of the program. We are very fortunate in that Reebok donated a number of supplies for the program including materials and BOKS T-shirts for all our students and staff volunteers.

Check out their website at: http://www.bokskids.org/

Light It Up Blue April 2, 2014

March 31, 2014

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

Our students and staff are encouraged to wear BLUE on April 2nd for National Autism Awareness Day! The J. Turner Hood School is participating in the National Light It Up Blue Campaign to promote Autism Awareness on April 2nd. Please show your support by wearing blue to school on April 2nd. 

Thanks to a generous donation from one of our Hood School Families each student will receive “Light It Up Blue” sticker and each staff member will receive an autism awareness pin to wear on April 2nd.

Our Student Council will be making announcements throughout the week to educate our students on this topic.

Did you know. . .

Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

Autism is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups

For more information on Light it Up Blue Campaign visit the Autism Speaks Website at:

http://liub.autismspeaks.org

Respectfully,

Mr. McKay, Mrs. Kuras, Ms. Kinsman & the Student Council