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Principal’s

CornerThank you for yourpatience with the busstart up this year.

Hopefully, things are running muchmore smoothly at this time. I knowfrom the arrival and dismissal point of view, conditions have improved. Wethank you for making concerns knownand urge you to keep Mrs. Giombetti,Mrs. Sherman-Hudson and me in-formed. Also, please watch for any busforms that need to be completed at theend of this year to make the start of next year more successful.

For a complete review of the arrivaland dismissal procedure for studentsnot taking the bus, check out the

archive of September’s Newsletter onthe website. The information ispresented on the first page. Remind-er: Please do NOT get out of, or park,your car while in the car loop, DO hangup your cell phones, and remember, nodogs allowed on school property duringarrival/dismissal. Thank you for help-ing us keep your children safe.

Thank you to the PTO for anotherwonderful Ice Cream Social lastweek. A great time was had by all. We

thank the many high school studentswho came to dish out ice cream andhelped the event to run smoothly.Thank you Mr. Blauch for organizingthis portion of the evening. Please besure to check both this Newsletter cal-endar and the school website forOctober’s exciting events. 

On October 3rd, people across thecountry and at the Columbus Elemen-tary School will read the children’s

book  Otis 

 by Loren Long in support of Jumpstart’s mission to work towardsthe day that every child in Americaenters kindergarten prepared to suc-ceed. In 2012, 2.3 million people par-ticipated in Jumpstart’s Read for 

the Record . We hope to break thisnumber. Ask your child to retell thestory when s/he arrives home.

The Columbus School Library and

Mrs. Falvey are excited to report thatthe district has purchased new web-based software for all of its libraries.This means that anyone can access ourlibrary catalog from any computerconnected to the internet. Once trainingis completed the district website willenable access to this catalog through a

link. However, until training and rolloverare completed we appreciate your pa-tience in waiting to have your childrenborrow books from the school libraries.We hope to start library classes theweek of October 7th.

October 9th is National Walk toSchool Day. Students who live withinone half mile of the Columbus Schoolwill be encouraged to walk to school.Students who take the bus will partici-pate as well just before entering the

school grounds. The students will enjoythe benefits of walking along withparents and teachers. Walk to SchoolDay events raise awareness of the needto create safer routes for walking andemphasize the importance of issuessuch as increasing physical activityamong children, pedestrian safety,traffic congestion, and concern for theenvironment. The events build connec-tions between families, schools, and thebroader community. The Medford Board

of Health, through the efforts of SyrahMcGivern, donated enough pedometersfor each Columbus student to use onthe day of the event. Mayor McGlynnwill also be in attendance to congratu-late the students for making healthychoices.

Why not participate along with us? 

~ Kathleen Kay

Don’t forget to call the absence line if 

your child will miss school. Number below. 

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

* TELEPHONE : 781.393.2177

* FAX : 781.393.2187

* NURSE : 781.393.2175

* ABSENCE LINE: 781.393.3503

   C   O   L   U

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OCTOBER 

2013 VOLUME 2

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October 1  Hockmeyer School Photos - See

schedule sent home for day/time 

October 2  Hockmeyer School Photos - See

schedule sent home for day/time 

Early Release-1:30pm Dismissal 

October 3 

JumpStart Read for the

Record. Columbus Elementary

School will try to help break a record for the most people reading the same book on the

same day. Ask your child about this year’s story, Otis by Loren Long. 

October 8  Title I Reading Workshop for Families, 8:45am, Columbus Library 

PTO Meeting. Please join us at 7:00pm to see how you and the PTO 

help the Columbus. 

October 9  National Walk to School Day. See article on 1st page for information. 

Early Release - 1:30pm Dismissal 

October 14  NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day 

October 15  School Council Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Conference Room 

October 16  Early Release - 1:30pm Dismissal 

October 20 Fall School Pride Garden Clean-Up, 1:30pm-4:00pm. Lend a hand

 beautifying the Columbus Garden

October 22 Title I Reading Workshop for Families, 6:00pm at Medford High

School Library 

October 23  Early Release - 1:30pm Dismissal 

October 26 Harvest Your Energy Festival, 11:00am-2:00pm,

Base of the Medford Wind Turbine, Riverbend

Park. 

October 31 

Spirit Day-

Crazy Hat Day. Wear a crazy hat to

school today.  Vision & Hearing Screening has started in the nurse’s office. All children have their vision andhearing checked yearly. Please look for any referral which requires your prompt attention. 

If your child participated in the  Vitamin D study last year, the final portion of the study will begin on October 22nd & 23rd. Elizabeth Olson, the project manager, will start contacting last year's participants to set up their appointmentaround October 15th. If you have any questions, you may reach Ms. Olson at 1-617-636-0928.

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Room on the Broom , by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel SchefflerAges 4-8. The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on abroomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat,then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find

the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disas-ter strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?~ Review by Amazon.com 

The Giver by Lois Lowry Ages 10 and up. In a world with nopoverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and whereevery family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the com-munity's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders

and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbingtruth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of  Brave New World , in this1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that peo-ple might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to cre-ate a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costlythis ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.

Publisher’s Weekly said, "Lowry is once again in top form.... unwinding a tale fit for the mostadventurous readers." ~ Review adapted from amazon.com

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BOOK REVIEWS

Ticket, Please! If you want to limit your

youngster’s TV time, try this idea. Everyweek, give her seven slips of paper. Each

is good for one hour of television. Remindher to plan ahead. For example,

if she wants to watch a two-

hour movie on Saturday, she’llneed to save an extra ticketduring the week.

Be there! Regular attendancein elementary school sets up a

good pattern for your child’s en-tire school career. Show him that school

comes first by trying to keep days off for

illness and family emergencies. Also,

schedule routine doctor and dentist ap-pointments for after school or over school

breaks.

Better concentration. Looking for

a fun way to improve your young-ster’s concentration? Try this quick

game. The first player makes onemotion, like clapping or spinning

around. The second person copieshim and adds another movement.

Continue adding new motions untilsomeone forgets the sequence. The last

player to get it right starts a new game.

SHORT NOTES

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Study Smarts

From a history test at the end of each month to a spelling quiz every week, studyingis a skill youngsters will need throughout their years of schooling. You can help your child by encouraging these study tips:

Start a Habit. Encourage your youngster to treat studying as a daily assignment,not just something s/he does the evening before a test. For example, s/he mightstudy 15 minutes every night for a spelling test that takes place on Friday. After s/he finisheshis/her regular homework, s/he can spend a little time reviewing notes and handouts.

Tackle Textbooks.  When your child has a chapter to study, have your child “preview” it to in-crease understanding. S/he should glance over headings, graphics, and photos and go to the glossa-ry to look up bold faced words. Tip: If s/he finds a section hard to grasp, s/he could read a picture book on the topic. For a science unit on matter for instance, s/he could try What Is the World MadeOf? By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld.

Mix it Up. If your youngster reviews information in several ways, s/he’ll be morelikely to remember it. S/he might use colored pencils to copy each spelling word ormath fact onto a separate index card. Then, s/he can shuffle the cards and study them in a different order each time. For extra reinforcement, suggest that s/he spelleach word or recite each fact aloud.

Helping your child in this way will help him/her meet increased success in schooleach day.

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Ava listens quietly when her teacher talks. Ben claps for each performer at his pianorecital. These children show respect for others. Here’s how you can encourage yourchild to do the same.

Demonstrate

Your child will learn respectful behavior by watching the way you treat others. Whenshe makes a mistake, for instance, out of earshot of others, gently tell her what she’sdone wrong. Also let her see you respect ideas and beliefs that are different from yourown. For example, point out that you’re happy a friend is voting in an election eventhough you each favor a different candidate.

Notice

When you see your youngster acting respectfully, let him know that you’ve noticed. (“Ilike the way you asked your sister before borrowing her video game.”) Your words andattention will encourage him to show respect in the future.

Tip:  If you see disrespectful behavior on TV (a child rolling his eyes or talking back toan adult), tell your child that isn’t okay in real life. Then, ask him to be on the look-out for respectful actions by characters. How many can s/he spot before the programends?

A Recipe for Respect