T.I.S. Digital Backpack

May 15, 2017

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE:

Placement Forms for T.I.S.

Please assist us in the placement of your child for the 2017-2018 school-year, by

completing our class placement questionnaire. In order to access the questionnaire, please

cut and paste the link below into your browser. Please complete the questionnaire

by Friday, May 12.

https://goo.gl/forms/53j4aaokoa3PZn8M2

Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony – June 16 at 10:00 AM We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the fifth grade promotion

ceremony. The ceremony will be on Friday, June 16, at 10:00 a.m. in the Tolland

Intermediate School gymnasium. The promotion ceremony will be an opportunity to

reflect upon the school year and wish our 5th grade students success in the future. Due to

space constraints, no more than two people per family may attend the ceremony.

Fifth grade Poetry Spotlight

The poems below were written by fifth grade students from Ms. Storozuk's class.

Life’s Crossroads

There are crossroads in life,

Mostly hard, rarely light. If you go the wrong way, Dark tries to start a fight, And dark will get its way.

If you pick a bad path, You can only turn back,

If you find another. But if you can’t then “smack”, For you’ll smoke and smother.

You make many choices, Which lead to more and more. Sometimes there are just two, Sometimes greater than four.

But usually a few.

Some paths are easy to

Figure out if they’re great. But some are like a bolt,

So be wary of fate. Don’t try to make fate molt.

There are crosses in life, Seldom tough, mostly light.

If you choose the wrong way, The dark will fight on sight, And dark will get to stay.

By Nicholas

Inspired by Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

Speech Bubbles

by Erika

Speech bubbles here and there,

Speech bubbles everywhere

Speech bubbles up and down,

Speech bubbles all around

Most are filled with words

Lots and lots of words

Simply restating the mind

Defined, designed

And maybe even unkind

But no one has ever told you

About the silent speech bubbles

The speech bubbles no one knew

Could be full of troubles

Double trouble

Triple trouble

Even ever-lasting trouble

All the troubles

In this bubble

Are secretly harmful

But in disguise

You don’t know what they say

Or what they think everyday

Why don’t they share what’s on their

mind?

Or what they want to express?

Are they stressed?

Depressed?

But the silent speech bubbles

Carry lots of rubble

Remainings of destroyed words

Even though they are unheard

They don’t like to share

But you can see by their stare

That clearly they can bear

Not sharing their state of mind.

Different, unique, and special

Good in their own way

No matter if they don’t do,

No matter if they don’t say.

T.I.S. EVENTS CALENDAR

May 16 Grade 5 Band Concert, 7:00 AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL 20 SPRING FLING! 24 Staff Appreciation 25 Grade 5 Chorus Step Up Concert, 7:00 AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL 26 Patriotic Day 29 NO SCHOOL

June 1 Grade 3 Assembly (instrument demos) 2 Field Day (rain date 6/5) 5 Field Day Rain date 5 PTO @ BG, 7:00 pm 9 BEACH DAY 14 BOE Meeting, 7:30 pm 16 LAST DAY!! HALF DAY (12:45); Grade 5 Promotion Ceremony, 10:00

News from the

Student Services Department

Guidance

Third Grade

In third grade guidance, students began talking about careers. We read a book

called “When I Grow Up,” a silly, fun introduction to the world of careers. In the

story, the main character, Billy, has an active imagination and a host of interests.

When it’s time for show-and-tell, Billy tells his class all about the careers he is

interested in, both real and imaginary. Students enjoyed hearing the fun variety of

careers, as well as sharing their own future aspirations!

Students then had the opportunity to learn about one particular type of career, a

community helper. We learned that people who have community helper jobs provide

a service to people, animals or the environment. Working in groups, students had

the opportunity to match career tools with career photos using flash cards. We

then discussed variations between careers and students answered questions such

as, which of the careers tend to work mostly indoors? Which types of careers

require you to wear a uniform? Students enjoyed taking a sneak peek into the

world of possibilities ahead of them for careers!

Fourth Grade

In our final fourth grade guidance class for the year, we spent some time wrapping

up our year. In January, fourth grade students had the opportunity to write a

personal or academic goal. Students took some time to reflect on their progress on

their goals. We discussed how to adjust your action plan based on what worked and

what didn’t, and students shared how they might change their action plans in order

to complete their goals.

Students then continued our discussion on Inclusion and Exclusion from our last

session, and completed their posters. Students shared great ideas on how to help

others feel included, such as asking someone new to play with you at recess,

including everyone in the conversation at the lunch table, and trying to work with

different partners in the classroom.

Fifth Grade

In fifth grade guidance, our topics were middle school and showing kindness to

others. We spent some time discussing upcoming transitional activities that will

take place prior to students starting middle school in the fall. Students will have a

visit from their sixth grade school counselor to review the class schedule and hear

about what their days might look like. Students will also be visiting the middle

school in the next few weeks to take a tour of the classrooms they will be in next

year, and to ask questions they may have about sixth grade. During this lesson, we

also took some time to discuss different ways to show kindness to one another at

the end of the year. We wrapped up our guidance sessions together by playing

Kindness Bingo. I will truly miss our fifth grade class when they move on to middle

school next year!

Student Council

We are excited to announce our staff member of the month for April!

Congratulations to… Mrs. Koss! Way to go, Mrs. Koss! Thanks for being an awesome

member of our Hawk community!

Here are just a few things that students had to say about Mrs. Koss. Mrs. Koss

should be staff member of the month because she is kind, helpful and fun. She is

also very funny! Mrs. Koss always helps you if you are stuck with something. She

will never yell or shout. Also, she can always make things fun if they’re boring. She

doesn’t care if you forget something, or if you fall she’ll give you a band-aid. Mrs.

Koss is kind, respectful, and a good member of our Hawk community. She’s caring,

and would never yell or be mean. She is a very fun teacher, she uses pies and pizza

for fractions! She always helps us if we are stuck with something. Mrs. Koss is

respectful because she doesn’t say that we are ever bad at something. She works

so hard, and makes everything fun.

Way to go, Mrs. Koss!

Is Your Child Too Busy?

(Adapted from www.kidshealth.org)

"She's not really good at soccer and she doesn't really like it, but all her friends

are doing it."

"If I miss a practice, even for a doctor's appointment, I get benched."

"If my son didn't have an after-school activity every day of the week, he'd sit

around eating junk and playing video games."

These are typical explanations and complaints from kids and parents. Clearly, some

kids have too much to do and not enough time to do it. And it's hard to tell if it's

due to parents pushing or kids trying to keep up with their peers. Whatever the

reason, one thing's for sure — something's got to give. Is your child too busy?

Why Are Kids So Busy?

For some families, kids may be driving the schedule because they don't want to

feel left out. Some parents feel it's more productive to keep their kids constantly

occupied rather leave free time for playing, exploring, and learning on their own.

They might also feel that their kids will miss out on key experiences if they aren't

doing what other kids are.

But most parents usually just want what seems best for their kids. Even when

intentions are good, though, kids can easily become overscheduled. The pressure to

participate in a handful of activities all the time and to "keep up" can be physically

and emotionally exhausting for parents and kids alike.

Of course, organized activities and sports are beneficial, too. They foster social

skills and are opportunities for play and exercise. They teach sportsmanship, self-

discipline, and conflict resolution. Most of all, they're fun! The key is to keep them

that way and ensure that kids — and parents — aren't overwhelmed.

Signs That Kids Are Too Busy

Sooner or later, kids who are too busy will begin to show signs. Every child is

different, but overscheduled kids may:

feel tired, anxious, or depressed.

complain of headaches and stomachaches, which may be due to stress,

missed meals, or lack of sleep.

fall behind on their schoolwork, causing their grades to drop

Overscheduling can also take a toll on kids' friendships and social lives. Family life

also can suffer — when one parent is driving to basketball practice and the other is

carpooling to dance class, meals are missed. As a result, some families rarely eat

dinner together, and may not take the extra time to stay connected.

Plus, the weekly grind of driving kids all over the place and getting to one class,

game, or practice after another can be downright tiresome and stressful for

parents.

Tips for Busy Families

Even those parents who try to help their kids cut back on some activities can run

up against coaches who won't tolerate absences and kids who want to keep up with

their friends. However, it's important for parents to step back and make sure that

their kids aren't burning out.

The key is to schedule things in moderation and choose activities with a child's age,

temperament, interests, and abilities in mind. Depending on a kid's age and

interests, it's possible to set reasonable limits on extracurricular activities and

make them more enjoyable for all.

Here are some simple suggestions:

Agree on ground rules ahead of time: For instance, plan on kids playing

one sport per season or limit activities to two afternoons or evenings

during the school week.

Know how much time is required: For example, will there be time to

practice between lessons? Does your child realize that soccer practice is

twice a week, right after school until dinnertime? Then there's the

weekly game, too. Will homework suffer?

Keep a calendar to stay organized: Display it on the refrigerator or

other prominent spot so that everybody can stay up-to-date. And if you

find an empty space on the calendar, leave it alone!

Even if kids sign up for the season, let them miss one or two

sessions: Sometimes taking the opportunity to hang out on a beautiful day

is more important than going to one more activity, even if you've already

paid for it.

Try to carpool with other parents to make life easier.

Try to balance activities for all of your kids — and yourself: It hardly

seems fair to spend time and energy carting one kid to activities, leaving

little time for another. And take time for yourself, to do the things you

enjoy, and to spend time together as a family.

Create family time: If you're eating pizza on the run every night, plan a

few dinners when everyone can be home at the same time — even if it

means eating a little later. Schedule family fun time, too, whether it's

playing a board game or going on bike ride or hike.

Set priorities: School should come first. If kids have a hard time keeping

up academically, they may need to drop an activity.

Know when to say no: If your child is already doing a lot but really wants

to take on another activity, discuss what other activity or activities need

to be dropped to make room for the new one.

Remember the importance of downtime: Everyone needs a chance to

relax, reflect on the day, or just do nothing.

Slow It Down

Take a moment and think about your child's life. If it's hectic, sit down together

and decide where you can cut back. If it's overly structured, set aside time for

blowing off some steam.

Riding a bike, taking a walk, playing a game, listening to music, or just doing nothing

for a while can give kids some much-needed downtime. And never forget how

important it is for kids to simply get together to play. Kids need time to just be

kids.

ATTENTION PARENTS OF 7 & 8 YEAR OLD

GIRLS:

The Tolland Recreation Soccer League is still

accepting players for the Spring 2017

season. On our U9 Rec team we focus on

Fun, Fundamentals and Team Play and we

want you to join our team. Contact Jeff

House (jhafha01@gmail.com) or Matt

Taylor (mdtaylor1@live.com) if your

daughter is interested. We practice

Monday nights and have games on either

Saturday or Sunday against teams in the

eastern Connecticut region.

Join us for an FRC Pizza and Games Night! TIS FRC

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 6:00-7:30 PM

RSVP lleibowitz@tolland.k12.ct.us by 5/10 (must

have 10 families registered to hold this event!)

Mark your calendars! TMS will host an Orientation Meeting for parents of this

year's 5th graders on Wednesday, May 31, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. This

meeting is for parents only; prior to this presentation students will have had an

introductory presentation by 6th grade guidance counselor, Janis Bouley, as well

as a tour of the school. They will have received the 6th grade Exploratory Arts

information. Exploratory Arts requests are due by May 31.

Exploratory Arts 2017 – 2018

The following courses will meet every other day for ½ of the year except for Band

and Chorus which will meet for the full year.

Robotics: (Tech Ed): During the Robotics course, students will explore the societal

and cultural impacts of robots and their functions. Students will be involved with

classroom discussions that will enhance their understanding of the importance of

robotics in their daily lives while also experimenting with hands on activities. We

will start with an introduction to the history of robotics and then move into projects

that deal with both circuitry and programming. The class will wrap up with the

students designing and creating their own robots out of Lego robotics.

Band: Students who join Tolland Middle School instrumental program will have a large

band rehearsal every other day. Small group lessons will meet once each week

before school 7:25-7:55 a.m. or after school. This class is available to students who

have been members of the 4th & 5th grade band program and have completed

“Standard of Excellence” by Bruce Pearson book 1 (red book) or permission of the

instructor.

Student expectations include:

Students practice at home 100 minutes each week (15-20 minutes per day).

Students demonstrate improvement in their playing ability. Students exhibit

excellent effort in rehearsal. Students demonstrate attention to detail, craftsmanship

and are respectful in rehearsal and lesson. Students compose and perform an 8

measure melody quarter 3. Students will be expected to organize class materials

and their book in a pocket folder; students should bring a pencil to each class.

Book: Standard of Excellence book 2 by Bruce Pearson (blue book.)

Student performance:

Winter Concert in December (Quarter 2)

December PBIS Student Assembly (during school Quarter 2)

Grade 5 & 6 “Step-up” concert (Quarter 3)

Spring Concert (Quarter 4)

Chorus: Sixth Grade Chorus will meet every other day for the entire year. All

Sixth Grade Chorus students will perform in two concerts; a winter concert in

December, and a spring concert in June and a step up concert for 5th grade at TIS.

Students will enjoy singing a variety of music, and will explore dramatic

presentations and solo opportunities.

Band/Chorus Combination: Students who join both Band and Chorus will alternate between the two classes.

This alternating pattern is superimposed upon the alternating A/B day school

schedule. Students who sign up to be in both ensembles should be devoted to

utilizing organizational strategies and skills plus have an exceptional work ethic to

do twice as much work in half the amount of class time.

Art: This class is an opportunity for students to further explore the visual arts.

Students will have a chance to choose this class in order to gain experience and

widen their knowledge base in the visual arts. Fundamental art concepts and

techniques are a large part of the content. The Elements and Principles of art are

not only reviewed but used in the creation of more advanced artwork. Students will

also create an assemblage sculpture representing their own personality. Some items

will need to be provided by students in order to create these more complex

projects. All students will be required to keep a notebook throughout the semester

as they progress through various units and new vocabulary. Homework will be part

of the grade as well as quizzes.

HTML Web Design: Ever wanted to make your own website and learn to use

code? Then this is the course for you! We will meet for half a year and learn about

how websites are made and the code that runs in the background. You will learn all

about the wonders of the internet in this HTML coding class. This isn’t your

average class. You will have full creative license and will be allowed to do your

own work as long as it functions the same as the example. You will be able to

recognize how a website works and edit an already existing one! By the end of the

class you will be able to make your own HTML document.

PE Two! If you love physical education, you will enjoy a second chance to engage in your

favorite PE activities. This course will be aimed at developing positive attitudes

toward lifetime activities, sportsmanship, and personal fitness. It will include

recreational games, team building, and fitness activities.

_ _ _ _ CUT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _CUT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CUT _ _ _ _ _ _

Student Name : _____________________________________

Current Homeroom : __________________

Date Received by Guidance: ________

6th GRADE EXPLORATORY COURSES

Please number these exploratory arts courses in the order of your preference (1=top

choice, 5=last choice) Return to your homeroom teacher ASAP. Courses will be

filled as a first come first serve basis.

_____ Band (Full Year) ____ HTML Web Design (1/2 year)

_____ Chorus (Full Year) ____ Art (1/2 year)

_____ Band/Chorus (Full Year) _____ PE Two! (1/2 year)

_____ Robotics (1/2 year)

_____________________________________ _______________________

Parent’s signature Date

Tolland Public Schools 51 Tolland Green, Tolland, Connecticut 06084

Grade 5 Promotion Ceremony

February 27, 2017

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

In just a few short months, your fifth grade student will be getting ready to leave Tolland

Intermediate School and continue their educational adventures as a middle schooler. As the year

comes to a close, we will be hosting a Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony. More information as to

the date and time will be forthcoming as we get closer to June, but there are many preparations

that we begin now in order to provide a wonderful experience for our students and their families.

Each year, we create a slideshow with student photographs that will be presented during the

promotion ceremony. As part of the slideshow, we would like to show a baby picture of each

fifth grader. Please use one of the two following options: Send in a printed photograph of your

child OR e-mail a baby picture to jkirk@tolland.k12.ct.us. Please be sure to check which option

you are using on the form below. Each printed picture will be scanned and returned. Your

child’s name and teacher’s name should be on the back of the picture or included in the subject

line of the e-mail.

Please return the lower portion of this document, as we do need written permission for using

your child’s pictures (baby and candids) in the slideshow. Please be advised that granting

permission also pertains to allowing your child’s photograph to be distributed, as copies of the

presentation will be available to each fifth grader after the promotion ceremony. The release

form below needs to be returned to school even if you e-mail your child’s picture. Please return

the form and submit your picture by Friday, March 31, 2017.

Sincerely,

James Dineen

Principal

Please sign the slip below and send it in with your child’s baby picture:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grade 5 Promotion Ceremony Photograph Release Waiver

Student Name: ________________________________

Homeroom Teacher: ____________________

_____ I want photographs of my child to be included in the presentation.

_____ I do not want photographs of my child to be included in the presentation.

______I have e-mailed my child’s picture as instructed above

______My child’s picture is enclosed

Parent/Guardian Signature:

_________________________________________________________

COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL

2016-2017

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

5.20.17 SPRING FLING

SAVE THE DATE!

*cotton candy *sno cones *bounce houses *dunk tank *book nook *games & crafts *raffle baskets *food tent and MORE!

Mark your calendars for one of the most fun events of the

school year!

10am - 2pm

TIS

Hosted by TEPTO

RAIN OR SHINE More details to follow.

Please “like us” on Facebook for upcoming news and event details!

It’s that time of year again! Spring Fling is just around the

corner. As you start your spring cleaning, please consider

donating your used books to The Book Nook. Collection

boxes will be located at Birch Grove and TIS beginning

Monday, April 17th. Mom & Dad books are also

welcome!

If you have any questions please contact:

Nicole Cadman (nicolecadman@yahoo.com)

Thanks in advance for your donations!

SPRING FLING!

CALLING ALL BAKERS!

One of the most popular stations at Spring Fling is the Decorate-A-Cupcake Station and we need your delicious cupcakes to make this

a success!

DROP-OFF INFO: *UNFROSTED cupcakes may be dropped off at the TIS All Purpose room by 9am on the morning of the event - Saturday, May 20th. OR to the Front Office the day before the event - Friday, May 19th during school hours and at pick-up/drop-off. *Frosting and Sprinkles may be dropped off at any time during the week of May 15th and no later than 9am on the morning of the event - Saturday, May 20th.

CAN YOU DONATE? HAVE QUESTIONS?

Please contact Tracy Sapere @ Newlywed1027@comcast.net

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DELICIOUS GOODIES!

WE NEED:

*UNFROSTED Cupcakes (lots of them!)

*Frosting *Sprinkles

News from the Cafeteria

End of Year Student Account Balances - All positive student balances stay in their account for use the next school year.

All negative balances must be paid before the end of the school year.

The Point of Sale System is set up as an opportunity to pre-pay for your child’s meals. It is debit, not a credit system. On occasion, your student may have come through the lunch line

without money in hand or in their account and we have allowed them to charge a meal. As the end of the year approaches it is imperative that you pay your student’s negative balance.

As of June 1 we will not allow charging for the rest of the year. If your child does not have

money in hand or in their account they will receive an alternate meal of either a peanut butter or cheese sandwich, a fruit or vegetable and a milk at BG and TIS.

At TMS they will receive a granola bar.

If your students has a negative balance they have been told repeatedly and/or you have already been contacted. If you would like to check the balance online and/or make a payment please sign up for “my school account” (where you can sign up for low balance notifications

even if you do not use it to make payments). For Instructions please go to the District website www.tolland.k12.ct.us Food Services, Point of Sale Information or click this link.

http://www.tolland.k12.ct.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_891568/File/Food_Services/Tolland%20MSA%20Letter%20to%20Parents10.11.pdf

You can always contact your school cafeteria or the central food service office

for an account balance as well.

Thank you for your cooperation. If you ever have a question regarding meals in Tolland Schools please contact, Abby Kassman-Harned, Food Service Director at 860-870-6853 or

aharned@tolland.k12.ct.us

5th Grade Band Spring Concert Information

Concert date: Tuesday evening, May 16, 2017

Place: Tolland Middle School Auditorium

Students arrive: 6:30 p.m. and report to TMS Band Room

Concert begins: 7 p.m.

Concert dress: Appropriate for a performance

Dress your best it will be warm on stage Reception: A reception will be held in the TMS cafeteria

immediately following the concert. Please

consider donating snacks or drinks.

“Back Stage”: 4 parent volunteers are needed to assist Mrs.

Marchesani from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Please contact me if you are able to help with “back stage”. Please contact me with

any questions, concerns or if your child needs special accommodations to

participate in this activity.

Thank you,

Mrs. Norma Marchesani nmarchesani@tolland.k12.ct.us 860-870-6885 ext.

40226

-------------------------------------------------------------Please only hand in the portion below!-----------------------------------------------------

Grade 5 Concert Commitment Form Due: May 5, 2017

Yes, ________________________________ (please print first and last name of student), I will

perform at the TMS Grade 5 Spring Concert on May 16th. I will report to the TMS Band room

at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2016. I understand that my concert begins at 7:00 p.m.

Proud band parent signature: __________________________________

Please, return on or before May 5,

2017 to Mrs. Marchesani

SBAC SCHEDULE:

Math PT Monday, May 8, 2017 4 Bockus Grinold Hurley

Math PT Tuesday, May 9, 2017 4 Make-up LeBlanc Koss

Math PT Wednesday, May 10, 2017 4 Slayton Wunsch Lemelin

Math PT Thursday, May 11, 2017 5 McCarthy Racco Storozuk

Math PT Monday May 15, 2017 5 Zangerl Biddle Grabowski

Math PT Tuesday, May 16, 2017 5 Campbell Leser Kneeland

Math PT Wednesday, May 17, 2017 3 Arner Kogut Sikoski

Math PT Thursday May 18, 2017 3 Cyr Babiec Fischer

Math PT Tuesday, May 23, 2017 3 Make-up Williams Silberberg

ELA CAT – English Language Arts Computer Adaptive Test

Math CAT – Math Computer Adaptive Test

A core feature of Smarter Balanced assessments is that they are customized for each

student for a more accurate measurement for every student. To accomplish this, the

computer-based test adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment

based on the student’s response. If a student answers a question correctly, the next

question will be harder; if a student answers incorrectly, the next question will be

easier. This system is called computer adaptive testing, and it is part of the summative

(end-of-year) assessments.

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/assessments/testing-technology/

Math PT – Math Performance Task

Performance tasks measure a student’s ability to demonstrate critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to complex real-world problems. They can be best described as collections of questions and activities that are coherently connected to a single theme or scenario. These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, writing and research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with traditional assessment questions. The performance tasks are taken on a computer (but are not computer adaptive) and will take one to two class periods to complete.

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/assessments/sample-questions/

For more information on the SBAC, please visit the following website:

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/parents/

The End