- Chelsea LeBlanc will be filling in as our Occupational Therapist for Melanie Chan while she is out on maternity leave. Chelsea started on Monday of last week and has settled right in. Please help me welcome Chelsea to our team.
- As I mentioned in the last edition of Newsnotes, with Patti’s imminent retirement, we are charged with finding someone to fill Patti's very large shoes as the HM librarian. Since that time, we have screened resumes and met with a strong candidate who is currently teaching English at Brown Middle School. Last week, Helen Guzzi toured classrooms, met with Patti, chatted with students and a parent, met with several staff, and talked about carrying on Patti’s vision for the library (Patti thoughtfully asked the students to offer their thoughts about what they want to see in their next librarian). Below is an announcement about the library position:
- With Patti Karam retiring at the end of December, we posted her position as a full-time opening about 3 weeks ago. We had few applicants, most of which were not certified and/or were lacking in library teacher license, and we had one great candidate, Helen Guzzi. Helen was one of three finalists for the two open positions we had last spring as we were planning for this year. Given Helen already went through a full interview process including delivering a sample lesson, Eileen and I decided to do an abbreviated process with Mark Nardelli, principal of Horace Mann.
- Mark, Eileen and I believe Helen will be a good match for Horace Mann and for our library team. Helen has been an ELA teacher at Brown Middle School since 2004, and earned her library teacher certification through Simmons College in 2018. Throughout her time at Newton, Helen has demonstrated a commitment to culturally proficient practices, increasing diversity in texts students are exposed to, and incorporating technology into her teaching practices. She looks forward to working at the elementary level and working with all of you to enhance student learning through the library.
- One additional piece that factored into the timing of this decision was the impact on Brown Middle School. Because Helen is currently teaching 7th grade English there, I wanted to be able to provide them with time to enter into their own hiring process and get a new teacher in place after the December break.
- Helen and I have scheduled two additional dates to have her come to visit HM to see the library and other classes in action. I will do my best to introduce her to staff and parents on each of those visits. Finally, Helen will also spend some time before the break shadowing a librarian in another Newton school to help get her acclimated.
Facilities Update:
Modular Working Group - The modular working group met last Tuesday to talk primarily about logistics related to the addition of these two classrooms. The following people were in attendance: Ms. Moore, Ms. Bard, Ms. Berardi, Ms. Chatfield, Ms. Oldmixon, Mr. Feldstein, Ms. Hylander, Ms. Rose, Ms. Martin, Ms. Dias, and Ms. Mariano.
Without going into all the details about the conversation, I wanted to share a few key outcomes/agreements:
1) We have lots of questions about the modulars that will need to be answered, including, but not limited to:
Will there be more than one entrance to the modulars?
How will we plan for technology needs?
How will the modulars be furnished?
How will the placement of the modulars impact how we get into and out of the building?
How will placement impact deliveries or access to the playground?
2) We are still in conversations about who will move to the modulars. Right now, we are only considering older students…likely 4th or 5th graders. We will use the empty classrooms upstairs to explore options for getting more space for other 2nd floor classrooms.
3) We would like to subdivide each modular into a large classroom space (850-900 sq. ft) and two smaller spaces: one for storage and one for office/small group space.
4) We plan to move several storage spaces on the first floor out to the modulars. By doing so, we hope to create more flexibility for our first floor classrooms while also expanding breakout space options.
None of the above is set in stone. The arrival and installation of the modulars could happen within the next few weeks, and then we will need several weeks to get them ready on the inside. I will keep you all posted as the plans for this become clearer.
Other Updates:
Playground - I have a small group of parents and teachers who have agreed to be part of our playground working group. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3rd at 7:45 am.
Horace Mann FORJ Book Group - A small group of parents have organized an adult book group as one of the activities for this year. The first book being explored is called “Ghost Boys” You can find a link to the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34647324-ghost-boys
If you are interested in attending, the book discussion is scheduled for Sunday, December 1st in at 3:30 pm at the Newton Free Library.
Understanding Our Differences - On November 13th, the Chronic Medical Conditions unit of the Understanding Our Differences program was presented to the 4th grade. Students learned about how to help someone having a seizure and various triggers for asthma episodes. They were enthusiastic to meet Molly Reza who shared her own personal story about living with epilepsy and answered all of the students' thoughtful questions. We would like to thank our volunteer team of Julia Aledort, Anne Cedrone, Sara Pollock DeMedeiros, Somchay Edwards, Jacqueline Freeman, and Tara Furlong. We would also like to thank the 4th grade teachers, Principal Nardelli, Ms. Mariano, and Mari Young from UOD for making the program possible. Ms. Bard and Mr. Feldstein also offered tech support.
Please email Emily Cagwin (emilygcagwin@gmail.com) if you are interested in volunteering for other units. The upcoming 4th grade unit, Learning Disabilities, will be presented on March 4th.
For more information: www.understandingourdifferences.org
November is National Diabetes Month
Become familiar with the warning signs of diabetes.
Knowledge is an important weapon against this disease and its complications.
Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
These symptoms can occur suddenly and must receive immediate medical attention:
* Excessive thirst
* Frequent urination sometimes exhibited by bedwetting (in large quantities)
* Blurry vision
* Extreme hunger
* Unexplained weight loss even though eating and feeling hungry
* Sweet, fruity odor on breath
* Abdominal pain
* Nausea/vomiting
* Fatigue
* Drowsiness, lethargy
* Irritability/mood changes
* Rapid, heavy breathing
* Confusion, Stupor
* Unconsciousness
Many of these symptoms can be related to illnesses that are not associated with diabetes. This should be discussed with a health care provider.
Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to type 1 diabetes. Although type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults. Despite active research, type 1 diabetes has no cure. Treatment focuses on managing blood sugar levels with insulin, diet and lifestyle to prevent complications.
Jordan Weiss, a nine-year old from Newton, Massachusetts, passed away in 2003 from complications related to undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes. To honor Jordan's memory, the JBW Fund was established by his family to foster awareness and education of the warning signs of diabetes. Sometimes the signs are obvious and sometimes the signs are subtle, limited and attributed to another illness. The latter was the case for Jordan.
Familiarizing yourself with the warning signs could help save a life. For more information, talk to your school nurse or visit:
www.cdc.gov/diabetes www.jdrf.org www.joslin.org www.diabetes.org
www.beyondtype1.org
TYNES TIMES: Gymnastics is Back!
Dear Families,
As we now approach a busy season for all of us, I want to send home this reminder of what to expect during the next 2 months.
Clothing and Attire: Children should wear comfortable attire and sneakers on the days they have Physical Education. With winter coming a lot of children will be wearing boots. Please remember to pack sneakers on P.E. days.
What is going on in Physical Education? All grades are now into their 2nd week of gymnastics. During the first two weeks we work entirely on flexibility, upper body strength, and strengthening the abdominals. We also covered basic gymnastics positions: Tuck, Pike, Straddle, Layout, V – sit, etc.
Homework: The children are asked (not required) to do 20 sit-ups or planks, 10 -15 push-ups and 5-10 minutes of stretching 4 to 5 times a week. These can be done while watching T.V., before bed, or any time they have a free moment.
Modified push ups and sit ups – The children are being taught two types of push ups and sit ups that are appropriate and safe for kids ages 5-12. Please ask them to demonstrate. Here are a few things to remember when doing sit ups and push ups while working with children.
Sit ups – Please never instruct a child to put his/her hands behind the neck or the head area. Children tend to pull on their necks, risking injury to a developing body. Instead, with knees bent, have them cross their arms (like a mummy) or hold their arms over their heads. Both of these positions are safe, age appropriate, and work the core sufficiently.
Push Ups – Push-ups can be tricky. I have seen some children do 5 to 7 perfect pushups and then begin to lose the correct form. After a while, they raise their bottoms (the camel), raise the top part of their torsos (the seal), or just go 2/3 or 1/2 of the way down. My general rule of thumb here at the school is to have children do modified push ups to get the maximum benefit to the targeted muscle groups: back, arms, shoulders, and chest. So at school, we do “knee pushups” and “1 second push ups.”
Knee Push Up – Lie flat on your tummy, bend your knees, and cross your legs at the ankles. Put your arms and palms down, parallel with the chest into the mat. Begin pushing up until your arms are fully extended and repeat.
One Second Push Up – Lay flat on your tummy. Put your toes into the ground, palms down parallel with the chest, and push up, bringing everything off the ground together until arms are fully extended. Slowly lower to the ground with all body parts even and tight, wait one second, and repeat.
What we use: For the next 10 weeks your children will be using Balance Beams, Cargo Net, Rock Wall, The Vault, The Pommel Horse, Even Bars, Uneven Bars, The High Bar, Ropes, A Climbing Pole, The Pull Up Bar, A Rope Swing, Floor Mats and Wedges.
Sneakers – Please send sneakers on days your child has class. Boots and shoes are NOT safe.
Equipment: The equipment is only for the children at Horace Mann. It can only be used when I or another certified gymnastics employee of the City Of Newton is present. Sorry, this is for safety purposes. Please do not touch the equipment: children or adults!!!!!
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Peek Week: At the end of this 11-week unit all families are invited in to see their child’s class. Peek week will be the week of January 13th– 17th during your child’s class. Please mark your calendars now.
Thanks, Mr. Tynes
