Invention Convention

Thursday, April 8th!

Students, here is your chance to create a cool invention or work on a science topic that interests you! You might build a catapult, test your sense of smell, design a toothpick bridge, invent something that helps with a chore…

Students will be introduced to science night this month in enrichment and science classes. Interested students should fill out the form given and return it to school.

A science project may be anything that shows a science idea: demonstration, research, or experiment that tries to answer a question. Science projects will not be judged.

An invention should be something simple that solves a problem or makes life easier in a new way. Inventions will be judged and some students will be chosen to represent Ashford School at the State Invention Convention in May.

Visit the school’s website ashfordct.org for more information, or see Mrs. Moran.

Geography Bee

Submitted by Kathy Bryce

The Puget Sound Lowlands are a densely populated region in which U.S. state?

Devin Plourde’s knowledge of the Pacific Northwest helped him clinch the 2010 Geographic Bee championship at Ashford School when he responded, “Washington.” Devin faced tough competition from runner-up Brian Balkus, a fifth grader. Eighth grader Josie Borysevicz placed third.

Both veterans of previous Bees, Devin and Brian knew that Nepal is home to eight of the ten highest mountain peaks in the world, resulting in a tie at the end of the championship round. In an exciting contest, it took seven tiebreaker questions for Devin to be declared the winner.

Other young geographers participating in the Bee included fourth grader Lynn Robinshaw, sixth graders Kolby Courtois and Emma Powers, seventh graders Austin Graveline, Ron LaMonica and Kyle Strogoff, and eighth grader Kelly Phillips.

The Bee is a program of the National Geographic Society for students in grades four through eight. Google is the sponsor of this year’s events. Bee questions address the physical and cultural aspects of both United States and world geography. Eighth grader Devin Plourde has completed a challenging written exam, aiming to qualify for the state Bee in April. Good luck, Devin!

All state winners are eligible to compete for the national championship in Washington, D.C., where the first-place prize is a $25,000 college scholarship and a trip to the Galápagos Islands. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will moderate the finals in May. Check local listings for televised dates. You can also test your geography knowledge with the GeoBee Challenge, an online geography quiz at www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee. The game poses ten new questions a day.

Mashantucket Pequot Field Trip

Submitted by the Fifth Grade Team

Children were involved in their daily lessons. One youngster studied how each part of the deer is useful to his people. Another youth practiced using a bow and arrow. Yet another learned how to make a corn soup called succotash. If you think that these lessons are not found in a typical classroom in the 21^st century, you are probably right. These “children”, statues actually, were a part a Mashantucket Pequot village exhibit and a guided tour called “Through the Eyes of a Pequot Child.” This exhibit gave students from the 21^st century an idea of what life was like for the Mashantucket Pequot child in the 16^th century.

In October 2009, the Ashford School fifth grade, who had been studying Native Americans as a part of their social studies curriculum, journeyed to the Mashantucket Pequot and Research Center in Connecticut to explore the Mashantucket Pequot culture. In addition to the guided tour of the village mentioned above, they took part in an interactive workshop entitled “Life Without a Supermarket.” What if you were living in the 16^th century and there wasn’t a Stop and Shop or a West Farms Mall? How did the Pequots get the materials they needed? This workshop focused on answering these questions. Students broke into four groups. Each group was given a box of artifacts which centered on different aspects of Pequot life; constructing canoes, building houses, enhancing personal appearance, and preparing food. Students examined the materials in the box and using museum displays as guide, determined a possible use for each item. After completing the task, students reported their findings to the rest of the group with guidance from the museum leader.

This field trip enriched the fifth grade Ashford School social studies curriculum.

2nd Grade Science Fun

Submitted by the 2^nd grade team

The Ashford School Second Graders are scientists! They are all enjoying a variety of experiences that teach them how to explore, ask questions, observe, compare and contrast, and to conclusions. Ms. Bernardini and Mr. Busse have been working closely with Mrs. Moran to give students many hands on opportunities.

Ms. Bernardini’s class has been learning all about rocks and soil. Students classified rocks and sorted them into groups based on a variety of attributes. Vocabulary words like “luster” and “scratch test” were introduced. Students learned how rocks are formed and the difference between Metamorphic, Sedimentary, and Igneous rock. The second graders in this class also pretended to be soil inspectors and compared loam, sand, clay and silt. The students would tell you that they loved erupting a model volcano, and learning all about the special relationship worms have with soil!

Mr. Busses’ class has learning about Life Cycles. This unit is designed with an emphasis on the life cycle of plants.

The second grade classes will soon switch units, and enjoy sharing their findings with one another. It is so exciting to see our young scientists discover new things. Maybe someday they’ll discover something amazing and teacher other youngsters all about it.

Sounds Abound in Fifth Grade

Submitted the Fifth Grade Team

If you know a fifth grader who attends Ashford School you may have had the pleasure of listening to a serenade on the pan pipes or a lively tune played on a “sound sandwich.” These handmade instruments are just one piece of the exciting learning taking place on the fascinating topic of sound. Fifth grade teachers have been co-teaching with the enrichment teacher, Carol Moran, to present inquiry based, high interest, and hands-on lessons.

In September, the students explored vibration. They used tuning forks to strike a surface and designed and conducted experiments to see how different objects would sound when struck by the vibrating fork. The most entertaining part was watching the effect the fork had on striking a cup of water- splash! After learning that all sounds were created by vibrations, students analyzed the qualities of sound.

In early October, classes went outside and analyzed absorption and reflection at work. Sounds reflected (echoed) off of smooth, flat surfaces like our school and were absorbed by items with rough surfaces like the trees in the forest near our playground. It is encouraging as a teacher to see that the children are natural scientists; questioning everything around them, analyzing variables, and brainstorming future experiments.

Later in the month, students were involved in an in-depth study of pitch. They identified high and low pitched sounds and examined factors that alter pitch. This led easily into connections with musical instruments. Many children demonstrated their background knowledge of instruments and how length and tension can change pitch. We examined xylophones and the length and position of the keys in relation to the pitch that they made. There are a great many web-based resources to enhance student learning in this area that are fun for students and families alike.

Try out these fantastic sites to make “sounds abound” in your home! www.engagingscience.org/games/onlinegames/games.html

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes/changing_sounds/play.shtml

Music News!

By Amy Dotson

Nineteen Ashford School students will be participating in a regional musical festival in Putnam, CT. The Quinebaug Valley Middle School Musical Festival (QVMSMF) began 4 years ago when area music teachers were looking for an opportunity for the students to develop and show off their skills in concert band and choir.

Mrs Porri and Miss Dotson, Ashford School’s music teachers, selected student participants based ability as well as character. These nineteen students represented the top musicians and leaders in the school. Band students included: Chris Pavliscsak, Caitlin Ecsedy, Jennie Rozenberg, Tessa Weidig, Caleigh Campion, Adam Cherepon, Cassie Hayward and Joseph Cherepon. Choir students included: Matthew Sibley-Jett, Erica Mahue, Kayla Bendell, Brooke Noel, Laina Fesenmeyer, Ben Lagasse, Martha Sherman, Sarah Caldwell, Jessica Bassett, and Shelby Colonese.

Ashford students will combine with students from nine other communities for rehearsals on November 9^th and 12^th with high quality conductors and educators from around Connecticut. The rehearsals will culminate with a concert to be held on Thursday, November 12^th at 7:00pm in the Putnam Middle School Auditorium. This concert is open to the public. Guests are asked for a $2.00 donation ($5 max/family) and a canned good.

Congratulations to our Ashford students! We are very proud of your work and excited for your chance to participate in this festival!

Relay for Life

By Michelle Bibeault

Recently the staff at Ashford School decided it was time to get back into the fight against cancer. All of us, at one time or another, have seen family and friends affected by cancer and we wanted to show our support. We created the Ashford School Team and joined the Windham Relay for Life. On October 17th and 18th the Ashford School Team joined 81 other teams and walked at Eastern Connecticut State University's Sports Complex.

We are happy to say that our team raised $4,799. dollars.

E-Mail Migration

We are migrating Ashford School Staff E-mail from Gaggle to Google between July 3 and July 7.  It is possible (probable) that email will be off line during part of that time frame.  Delivery of email may be held up. Enjoy your vacation weekend.

Grade 2 News

by Chris Busse

Ashford School’s second grade had a field trip to the Roger William’s Zoo. Students chose an animal that is at the zoo to do their first report on. Students wrote about what they already know about the animal, what they want to learn and then researched the animal using texts and the internet. Students were also able to listen to pod casts that were made by 8th graders who previously went to the zoo and observed different animal’s behavior.

Students have been working on writing topic sentences, using sentence variety and to write using their own words. It was very exciting for the second graders to study their animal and then get the chance to see their animal live and in person.

6th Grade takes a Trip to the Middle Ages

by Mike Young

This spring the 6th grade social studies classes took a trip to the Higgins Armory in Worcester, Massachusetts. This trip was held as a wrap up to their study of Ancient Rome, and as an introduction to their unit on the middle ages. The visit began with a wonderful presentation on the types of armor used in battle beginning with Greek soldiers and ending with the knights of the renaissance. Volunteers were given a chance to try on armor and witness first hand the protection given by chain mail garments. Students were then treated to a guided tour of the museum and given a wealth of information about the manufacturing, cost, and usage of the various types of armor and weapons on display.

The day ended with a hands on project which gave the students a chance to create their very own metal etching similar to those done on armor by the soldiers of the day. As a whole the trip was a big success, and students recommended that it be done for the sixth grade each year.

Black Hawk Visits Ashford School

by Carol Moran

On Monday, May 18th all students in Ashford School assembled outside to see a Black Hawk helicopter make a visit. Bob Mullady, Staff Sergeant from the CT National Guard, arranged to have “his” helicopter make the trip. He is responsible for maintenance and inspection of this particular UH-60 Blackhawk.

The helicopter arrived at 13:00 as scheduled and all students watched from a nearby blacktop. It passed over the cheering group, circled the school, and landed in the adjacent soccer field. Once the helicopter check was complete, students could approach and pass through the cabin. Many students also had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit.

Students in grades 1-4 had learned about the Blackhawk in enrichment class the week prior. Students learned about parts and their functions, the Blackhawk’s many purposes, identified forces of lift, gravity, thrust and drag, and developed questions for the pilots. The visit was also a complement to eighth grade students’ science unit on flight. These students stayed later with science teacher Annie Perkins to get a special lesson and ask questions of the pilots.

Earth Day Assembly

By Carol Moran/ from art-farm.org

Imagine a circus in which actors juggle bottled water, polar bears dance on melting ice floes, the props and set are recycled, and the core of clowns are called the Fossil Fools. That's part of what you get in ARTFARM's Circus For a Fragile Planet, an exciting educational circus performance featuring juggling, clowning, physical comedy, acrobatics, unicycling, and other circus arts built around a strong environmental message.
6th-8th graders enjoyed this assembly on April 17, thanks to the PTO!

Author Visits School

By Carol Moran

Primary students were captivated by author/illustrator Jeff Mack, who shared his work on April 2nd. Mr. Mack has illustrated many books, including Hurry, Hurry by Eve Bunting, and Rub A Dub Sub and Starry Safari by Linda Ashman. Thank you to the PTO for the event!

3rd Grade News

By Mrs. Christopher, Mrs. Dickenman, Mr. Horn

Welcome spring! Our third grade teachers and students are looking forward to our upcoming special events and activities for fourth term.

Our social studies curriculum focuses on learning about communities and that includes our traditional emphasis on the 1850's community life and times experienced at Old Sturbridge Village. We are fortunate enough to have a docent visit our classes to showcase lessons about "Traveler's Trunk" and "Ye Old Schoolhouse". Mrs. Christopher, Mrs. Dickenman and Mr. Horn will also team teach to present learning activities to inform, interest and motivate the children to thoroughly enjoy our field trip to the village, scheduled for May 22, 2009.

We continue to be excited about our participation in the "Find Your Way" EASTCONN program, conducted by Cathy Smith-Carolan. She comes to our classes to assist with a variety of instructional endeavors with mapping skills and practice with compasses for orienteering. Then, we visit Mansfield Hollow, June 6, 2009, where the children work cooperatively in small teams with their chaperones, to use their skills and compasses searching for clues and map puzzle pieces to complete this unique orienteering experience.

Finally, we'll participate in Mrs. Hardisty's annual "SWINGS Day" on May 27, 2009. It's a lively, great day to be outdoors on the playgrounds, enjoying some physical activity and great games.
We are delighted to finish our third grade year together with these interesting, rewarding, and memorable events!

Eighth Graders Take in a Play

By Jen Lindsay

On March 19, the eighth grade traveled to Hartford to see a performance of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. After studying the novel in language arts class, and viewing Horton Foote's screenplay, students enjoyed seeing Hartford Stage's Artistic Director Michael Wilson's interpretation of the plot. Set in 1930s Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird follows the life of children Scout and Jem Finch as their father defends an African-American man who was falsely accused of attacking a white woman.

Harper Lee wrote the novel in 1960. It won numerous awards immediately, including the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Hartford Stage's performance of To Kill a Mockingbird was part of the National Endowment for the Arts initiative designed to encourage literacy in America. In conjunction with the Hartford Public Library, community members were encouraged to read (or reread!) the novel. We were delighted to see Matthew Modine (Memphis Belle, Gross Anatomy, Vision Quest ) in his stage debut as Atticus Finch as well as many local actors.

Following the performance, the mostly school group audience, enjoyed time to ask questions of the performers. This interesting opportunity allowed students and actors to discuss the themes of the novel, the differences between life in 1930s Alabama and today, and the challenge of discrimination, racism and prejudice.

Students were encouraged to expand their view of the world and to avoid passing judgment on others. In a phrase, they were encouraged to "…climb into his skin and walk around in it." (Lee)
While at the theater, and during a brief lunch stop, several teachers enjoyed comments from passersby about our eighth graders. It was observed that students were courteous, helpful, and appropriate. They truly represented our school and community well. We look forward to sharing more events with this class as we head toward graduation.

If you have not read To Kill a Mockingbird, or if it has been some time, do consider reading it again. You won't regret it!