Hello JG Whittier Families,
There is a great deal of information to share with you all this week!
Retrieving Student Belongings: We have come up with a plan for all families to retrieve their student’s belongings from school. On Monday, May 18th families of Grades 5 & 6 students will be able to come and pick up their students belongings (further information on specific times will be sent later this week), and on Tuesday, May 19th families of Grades 7 & 8 students will be able to come and pick up their students belongings (further information on specific times will be sent later this week).
This process will work very similar to the chromebook distribution where families will pull up in their cars (and remain in their cars), and JGW staff will bring out your students materials to your car.
This week our staff will be working on identifying and placing all contents of your student’s lockers in labeled paper bags which will be distributed back to you. Please note that if your students have followed the JGW locker policy, this should be a relatively easy process because their homeroom teachers should have all locker assignments and combinations to their locks. If that is the case, staff will easily be able to identify belongings and place them in your student’s labeled bag to be returned.
We recognize that all belongings may not be labeled in each locker, but please note that we will do our very best to place all belongings in the appropriately labeled bags. If for some reason your students seems to be missing belongings, our first recommendation is that you have your student reach out to their “locker buddy” to make sure that they do not have it.
If we do not have your student’s locker combination, unfortunately we will have to cut off the lock. As previously mentioned, if your student has followed the JGW locker policy, we will be able to open the lock and return that to you with all other belongings.
We anticipate that there will be some belongings that are not identifiable, based on not being labeled, being left in classrooms or other areas of the building, or being in unassigned lockers. When this is the case, our staff once again will do the best that we can to properly identify these belongings to get them back to their rightful owners.
Unfortunately we are not allowed to have any students or families in our buildings at this time.
We will be setting up a lost and found system for any and all belongings that cannot be identified. We will lay out all material and take pictures of each individual item and then share with all families, so that you can contact the school to set up a time to retrieve your student’s items. Please stay tuned for more information in regard to our lost and found AFTER all other materials are returned to students and families on May 18th & 19th.
When picking up belongings on the 18th and 19th, we kindly ask that you take into consideration that this is like the chromebook distribution where your bag will be delivered to you, and then we will need you to not go through these belongings until you reach home. We will need to keep our lines moving in an efficient and effective manner. As previously mentioned, please check with locker buddies first if you are missing belongings, and if that does not resolve the situation, please check the lost and found notice that will be sent out shortly after our distribution days. If following this process, you still have not received a specific student belonging, please contact the school and we will do our best to assist you.
Please note that JGW is not responsible for any lost or damaged materials. As previously stated, we will take great care in making sure that all of your student’s belongings from their lockers and all other areas of the school are returned safely to you. Thank you and stay tuned…
HPS SUMMER ACADEMY: Haverhill Public Schools will still be offering 3 different summer school/program opportunities to our students.
-Summer Academy: This will target a specific group of students based on their academic performance and needs.
-Summer Academy for EL students
-Extended School Year: This service is for students who have this service written into their IEP.
If your student is being recommended for the summer academy, you should be hearing from one of your student’s teachers very soon if you have not already heard from them.
The application process is all online this year. Stay tuned for more information…
ATTENTION GRADE 8 STUDENTS – If your grade 8 student has failed more than 1 trimester of ELA or Math they will be required to attend summer school in order to move on to HHS. If your student has failed 1 trimester of ELA or Math, it is imperative that they complete all remote learning assignments this trimester to avoid the potential of being required to attend summer school. This is the second year that the district has implemented mandatory summer school for 8th graders who fail more than 1 trimester of ELA or Math. Make sure to get your work done to the best of your ability!
ATTENTION GRADE 6 FAMILIES: Please see the attached letter from our Supervisor of Mathematics in regard to criteria to be placed into the grade 7 accelerated math class.
Gr 6 Math Parent Letter w_ translation 05-2020
ATTENTION GRADE 7 FAMILIES: Please see the attached letter from our Supervisor of Mathematics if you would like your student to be considered for the accelerated class in grade 8, based upon the criteria.
Gr 7 to Gr. 8 Math Parent Letter w_Translation 05-2020
For those grade 7 students who are already placed in the accelerated math program, please see the letter below.
Gr 7 Accelerated Math Parent Letter w_translation 05-2020
ATTENTION GRADE 8 ACCELERATED MATH STUDENTS: Please see the letter below from our Supervisor of Mathematics.
Gr 8 Accelerated Math Parent Letter w_ translation 05-2020
PTO News:
Thank you to all of the families that participated in our virtual Staff Appreciation Week! The JGW PTO would also like to thank the Betty family for helping the PTO with daily staff raffles. Our next PTO meeting will be Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 6 pm through Zoom. Jen Rubera will send out an e-mail with the link. If you are not on the PTO mailing list and would like to attend, please e-mail jrubera@haverhill-ps.org .
Here is the album showing our love for the amazing staff at JGW!
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPC4BIO8GZ3452Z8GgV8zQA1EDcvwJ218pSBLSN8qpJkgortAA2DDJjyu3wbr-rWA?key=anBOQUttYVUzRDAyVGxpZl9lY1hjTXdDV0RtR2FB
YEARBOOK: Our yearbooks are ready! Please see the link below to view the online order form. You can place an order for your own yearbook by May 15th. The price for the yearbook is $15. When yearbook orders are received and the yearbooks are shipped, we will set up a day to distribute the yearbooks to students. Please stay tuned!
Yearbook Order Form
Grade Level Remote Learning Schedules: Please see the attached schedules for each grade to utilize as a guide as to when your students should be working on each particular subject. We recognize that each family is different and that your student may not always be able to follow this schedule exactly as it is written, and that is understandable. The important thing is that the school work get completed and turned in when it is most convenient for you and your family, taking into account your individual circumstances and prioritizing safety and well-being first. As always, if you have specific questions about any assignments, or how to access those assignments, please reach out to the specific teachers with your questions. I am also available via email at tbetty@haverhill-ps.org if you or your students have specific questions and would like to set up a phone call or virtual meeting with me.
Grade 5 Remote Learning Schedule
Grade 6 Remote Learning Schedule
Grade 7 Remote Learning Schedule
Grade 8 Remote Learning Schedule
Grade 5:
Ms. Sanguedolce: We are learning about volume and continuing to review other math concepts. Congratulations to the following students for completing all of their math work from last week: Orange Group – Jadiel, Joseph, Jadelyn, Madison, Avery, Maya, Cameron, Giovanni, Gavin, Christopher, Sophia, Ava, Kayleigh, Abigail, and Anderson; Red Group – Dillan, Cameron, Jonah, and Jonathan R.; and Yellow Group – Leighton, Joao, Lauryn, Schylar, Valentina, Ethan, Adriel, Brodie, Christopher, Baylee, Yilliannis, Zenia, Jeremy, and Enmanuel.
Ms. MacDonald:
Math: This will be our last week of review as we go over Topic 9 on dividing fractions. I want to commend our 5th graders on a great job these past few weeks as we’ve reviewed our previously learned topics. Students this week will work on Xtra math, discussion question, and their review sheet. Be sure to have them join a Google meet if they have any questions on their work. Keep the hard work going!
Science: This week we will be focusing on my favorite star, the Sun! Students will have a discussion, reading, and a hands-on investigation. Please make sure students are watching the videos that go with the assignments. Plant journals are also due this week. Students who planted sunflowers will no longer have to record their observations but I would encourage them to continue to care for their plants and join a Google meet if you are not sure what to do next, as your sunflower grows larger and larger!
Mr. Marinella: Hello everyone, please continue to check Google and your emails for updates. History is working on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule, and English is Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I am encouraging all students to be reading everyday and Orange English will be posting their notes on those days. Please remember to attach or share your work with me. Assignments are generally due on the Friday of that week, but if any more times is needed or any questions arise please just ask via email or comments.! Take a well deserved break next week, you have all been working hard and I am extremely proud of all of you!
Ms. Simes: I want to give a “BIG SHOUT OUT” to the following students who completed all of their Week 3 ELA assignments and are my “ELA Superstars of the Week”: Eve F., Autumn G., Dylan G.,Ryan H., Saniyah M., Kaelie M., Jadiel M., Aiden M., Dale P., Angelina R., Jack-Henry S., Halley S., Sophia B., William C., Kayleigh D., Cameron F., Shannon G., Cash M., Jude O., Mason P., Jayden Q., Jonathan R., Colby S., Lauryn C., Ethan G.,Adriel H., Brodie M., Christopher M., Baylee P., Analia R., Yilliannis R., Zenia R., Jeremy S., and Enmanuel V. We will continue with our Google Meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, the link is located on the front page of your student’s classroom page. Students will be working within their weekly folder of, “Week of 5/11-5/15.” They will continue to read within the myON app, as well continue reading chapters of their novel study. Also, we will end our Poetry Unit with a Figuarative Language and Poetic Device Activity. Additionally, office hours are everyday from 11:00 a.m – 12:00 p.m. for questions or assistance with assignments. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at
michele.simes@haverhill-ps.org.
Ms. Lees: Miss Lees and her fifth grade reading groups read on to find out how Henry navigates life on his own in “Chocolate Fever.” Purple group will analyze a song by Katy Perry with Mrs. Simes, and read about wildlife on myON. Students should regularly be logging onto Lexia if it is assigned to them. Orange and Purple small group Google Meets and lessons continue on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for both Math and ELA. Students are encouraged to join all of these as well as to check in regularly with Ms. MacDonald, Mrs. Sanguedolce, and Mrs. Simes during Conference Hours. Parents are encouraged to set up weekly phone appointments for check-ins and appointments already set up will continue. Help is available by email (
alees@haverhill-ps.org) and directly in Google Classroom for questions about ELA, Math, and Social Studies to support all assignments. Students will have a weekly outline of work to be completed on the Google Classroom Classwork Page.
Grade 6:
Ms. Aylward: Students this week are doing a grammar review about Adverbs. They’re also continuing their study of Percy Jackson. Thank you so much for all of the kind Teacher Appreciation messages!
Mr. Taylor:
ELA- This week in The Giver we continue to find out what exactly is Jonas’s future in the community. We will continue word exploration in the chapters read and answering some comprehension questions to keep the students analyzing the story.
Social Studies- Students should be finishing up their second exploration of our ancient civilizations research project.
Ms. Rubera: Thank you all for the kind words and positive vibes this week! I felt incredibly appreciated and loved! I am very proud of you for working so hard and doing your best to attend Google Meets and submit your work. Next week’s lessons will be included in my weekly Sunday e-mail; it will also be posted on my website,
https://jrubera.wordpress.com/
Ms. Sargent: I miss you all more and more as the year goes on. I want to thank you for working so hard. You are doing a great job. Keep it up!!!
Ms. Delong: Ms. DeLong’s Science and Social Studies Classes (Red, Blue, Purple): SCIENCE (Tu,Th)- We are completing our study of cells this upcoming week. Similar to this past week, we will answer some multiple choice questions, open response questions, and do a CER. All assignments will be due on Friday so there is flexibility for getting the work done. SOCIAL STUDIES (M, W, F)- Our second Ancient Civilization project is due this Friday. Students should be completing their research and adding pictures to help explain the information presented.
Ms. Guisti: Mrs. Guisti, Ms. Blanchette, and Ms. Cronin continue to support students during subject area google meets as well as holding small group google meets and extra help google meets. Mrs. Guisti has posted read aloud videos of the novel Holes and discussion questions related to the novel for her small group in Mrs. Aylward’s class. Ms. Blanchette has created support activities to understand the vocabulary and comprehension questions in the novel The Giver for Mr. Taylor’s small group. Please email me with any questions or to request a one to one google meet to support your student
Nancy.guisti@haverhill-ps.org
Grade 7:
Ms. Marciano: During Week 5, students will complete a Flipgrid Check In video, read Chapters 6-10 of “Freak the Mighty”, and complete ten comprehension questions. Students will also complete a guided notes Problem/Solution graphic organizer – one part will be completed for them (either the problem or the solution) and they have to fill in the other part (either the problem or the solution).
Ms. DiGloria:
All 7th grade Social Studies work continues to be posted and graded via Google Classroom. Students have been learning about two important cultures: Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. This past week, lessons for Week 4 of Remote Learning were posted on Tuesday and Thursday. Next week, they will be posted for Week 5 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (fun Friday/enrichment activity). Grades are continually updated on SchoolBrains with credit (100%) or missing (M) designations. If you or your student have questions, please reach out via Google Classroom private comments OR email me. Please look out for weekly communications by email on Monday mornings, and any other communications about missing work or concerns as the week goes on.
Mr. LeGrand: I want to thank those students who have completed all of their assignments since we started remote learning. For those who have not done so, there is still time for you to work on those assignments. This week we concluded our review on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers. Starting next week, we will work on rational numbers: terminating decimals, repeating decimals and ordering rational numbers. Please encourage your student to log on to my Google Classroom for assignments and updates. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. My email:
wlegrand@haverhill-ps.org.
Ms. Berthiaume:
Thank you for submitting interesting sayings about the weather for our work on The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard/Native American folklore. There were some new ones I had not heard of! Good job! We will continue our Oral Tradition unit with a focus on mythology. Please submit any work you have completed, even if it is late. Ask for help any time you need it. Have a good week! (And thank you for the Teacher Appreciation Week emails, photos, poems, etc.! It my privilege to be your teacher!)
Ms. MacKinnon: I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a Happy Mothers Day!! This week is an A week so your children will have science Tuesday and Thursday 10-11 and we will continue to work on Kinetic energy. On Tuesday this week they will read and complete the questions on Stemscopedia and on Thursday they will watch a video and answer the questions that go along with it. The following week we will conclude Kinetic Energy and move onto Potential Energy.
Ms. Trombly: We continue to move forward in math. Please continue to submit your answers via email, REMIND (with pictures) or google doc (with work). I still recommend taking pictures of your notebooks and send it to me. As always please email me with any concerns. There are many of you that still owe me work. Please get that in.
Ms. Senior: Thank you for the messages sent for Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s truly an honor to be a part of the JGW “family”. Friendly faces appeared on the screen this week, as always, especially in Science where students explored energy sources and their origins. Math and ELA were exciting as students displayed their varied abilities and insights. A belated Happy Cinco de Mayo to all.
Ms. Bilmazes: I’m seeing more students logging onto the google meets, which is fantastic. Please continue to do so, as it’s a good way to get your questions answered. I am continuing to call and email parents to inquire about missing work. Please continue to reach out as to how I can further assist you.
Grade 8:
Mr. Harris:
Blue & Purple Math – we are continuing to provide a choice between review work and enrichment work. The review work, right now, has been centered around geometry topics, while the enrichment has been on functions. The topics being picked are one’s that have been highlighted by the Department of Education as being the most important during our remote learning. Please make sure that your student is logging onto the Google Classroom and completing the assignments there. It is of the utmost importance for your student to be doing the most current work provided. Mr. Harris is available via google meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12-1, unless otherwise noted.
Yellow & Orange Civics – we are continuing to take a look at the legislative branch of our government. Students have been completing vocabulary terms and answering guided reading questions. Students should be submitting their work through Google Classroom. Assignments for the week are posted on Mondays. Please make sure your student is doing the most current work and not falling behind. Mr. Harris is available via google meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 12-1, unless otherwise noted.
Ms. Deblasis: Lesson 12 Assessments are due today. Next weeks lesson 13, we will be learning how to solve linear equations with rational coefficients. Google Meets/Office Hours are Monday 12-1, Wednesday 12-2, and Friday 12-1. All students should be checking their Google Classroom for daily updates on interactive videos and assignments.
Mr. Blaustein:
Red & Purple Civics
- Google meets are held from 1-2 every Thursday, invitations [ i.e. the link] may be found in our Google classrooms. Students will get participation credit for attending.
- Main plan: Do 1 assignment for each section of Chapter 5 from McGraw Hill, then do the 3 iCivics web quests and 2 games.
- We decided at the last Google meet to move to Chapter 6 in 2 weeks.
- Please email me with any questions you may have and I will promptly call back.
Blue & Yellow ELA
- Google meets are held from 1-2 every Wednesday, invitations [ i.e. the link] may be found in our Google classrooms.Students will get participation credit for attending.
- I will continue to post one Chapters worth of work each week until we finish out novel. Next week is Chapter 6.
- Please email me with any questions you may have and I will promptly call back.
Mr. Yanoff: The eighth grade accelerated math class is rolling! We will be finishing our next to the last chapter of our Honors Algebra 1 book by next week. The students have adjusted well to virtual learning. They are learning how to depend on themselves which maybe the greatest outcome of a bad situation. We spend time on learning plus we get to talk about what the future of education could be and understand they need to be more proactive, using the teacher as a resource. Congrats guys, you and your parents rock!
Ms. Sullivan:
All 8th grade science assignments will be posted on google classroom. I have google meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-12 and office hours Tuesday from 1-2. I hold them to either answer questions or to do the assignment together. Students should be checking their google classrooms for daily updates.
For the blue group the civics assignments will be posted on google classroom. I have google meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1 and office hours Tuesday from 1-2. I hold them to either answer questions or to do the assignment together. Students should be checking their google classrooms for daily updates.
Mr. Lewis: Students continue to work on the Outsiders. If able to keep pace, they should be up to chapter 3 now. We are focusing on the themes of social class, violence, and how people interpret each other by how we look and what we possess. As always, I am available on M-W-F at 9am and at
mlewis@haverhill-ps.org. Be safe!
Ms. Brown: Hello grade 8! Please try to attend your teacher’s Google Meets, on Google Classroom. I am seeing many of your questions being answered there very quickly, and it helps to ease your stress. It is much more effective than emailing on the Google Classroom, and your questions can be answered in “real time”, and will be specific to your needs. I have shared my Google Classroom phone number with a number of your parents, and will now post it here. Info is: Google Voice: (978) 361-3024 and email:
kbrown1@haverhill-ps.org. I have been able to speak to some of you on the phone, and you may find it easier than email. Office hours are Wednesday: 1:00-2:00. Enjoy the weekend, and I will see you on Monday!
Ms. Kaiser: Greetings JGW students and families, Thank you so much for recognizing your teachers, nurses, and support staff during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week. Your messages were so clever and creative! I especially enjoyed the chalk drawings, the homemade signs, the clever poems, the good humor (with costumes and pets) and, most of all, the smiling faces! Many thanks to the PTO for all your support, your time and energy, and your generosity. With each posting on your Facebook page, a wonderful community spirit shines through! To the JGW Poets, keep up the good work beyond this week; keep drawing, keep writing, keep smiling. And, keep sharing your creative ideas!
SPECIALISTS:
Ms. Boulger (Art): All assignments for grades 5-8 art classes are posted in Google Classroom. There is no need to buy any art supplies, all art assignments will focus around only using recycled materials that can be found at home.
Ms. Reynolds (Health): For Health we’ll be learning about our circulatory system with a scholastic video followed by me making candy blood. Stay tuned…
Mr. Gariepy (Music): Hello JGW Students!!! All of us specialists hope that you’re doing extraordinarily well right now. We just wanted to remind you that specials are still a Credit/No Credit requirement for you, so if you haven’t checked into specials since we began online learning please do so! We just want to make sure that everyone is doing well. If you have any questions, please fill this form out and one of us will reach out to you: https://forms.gle/6YjrNCGviejsUt3u9
SUPPORT STAFF:
Mr. Newell (Student Support Coordinator): I am available Monday through Friday by email. Please contact me with questions, concerns or just to say hello.
Ms. Vlahos (Guidance Counselor):
I continue to be available to connect with and support all students and families throughout the week by email (
jvlahos@haverhill-ps.org), please do not hesitate to reach out. Aside from email, I facilitate check ins through Google Meet or by phone. If desired, please email me to request a check in and I will coordinate with you. My office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 930-11am.
Ms. Midolo (Adjustment Counselor):
Please continue to encourage your child to attend our weekly social groups. The link and times to “google meets” can be found on my google classrooms page.
Stay safe and be well!
Ms. Greenwood (Student Support Center): The SSC is waiting for those of you who havern’t submitted your favorite video clip or song that has raised your spirits and/ or made you laugh. I will post the winner on Tuesday so get them in. Also check in for Ms. Christine’s video made especially for you!
Mr. Diffin (MSSP):
We have a 100% student participation in class activities. We started social groups last week, but need more participation from all grades. Starting next week we have the “Social Group” challenge. The grade with the highest % rate of attendance will all get a small cheese pizza from Romano’s on Wednesday 5.20.20. Each week will bring a different prize. Get you students involved! Social group times are listed on the MSSP Google Classroom.
Thanks for supporting your student, it shows.
Ms. O (Speech):
This week in Speech, It was great to hear from more of my students via email and Google Classroom, and I’m glad to see more people trying the assignments. I missed many of you at our Google Meet, but was happy to see those that came. I hope more students make it next week! Come to say hi to your friends, ask questions about the homework, or share what’s going on in your life! In our Google Classroom, we have continuing to work on the Cloned Cats assignment as well as the Conjunctions assignment – these are due next week (but don’t worry if you need longer!). Two new assignments have also been posted: an activity where students practice their inference and social thinking skills, and another working on vocabulary. In addition, I encourage students to check Google Classroom frequently for updates and helpful resources – I’ve added extra directions and videos showing you exactly for how to log in and submit work on Readworks, Listenwise and Boom Cards, so check that out if you’re confused on any of those.
Students should continue to try the assignments, do what you can and do your best!
I hope to see many of you next week. Don’t hesitate to email me with any questions!
Have a great weekend and keep up the good work!
Ms. Forrest (Reading coach/interventionist):
Hello Families! I am your Reading Coach and Interventionist at JG Whittier. I would love to hear about what your children have been reading during quarantine and invite them to write a book review on some of their favorite books. Please have them fill out this Google doc, Book Review, and share it with me on Google Drive.
In addition, if you have an avid reader at home who might be interested in participating in a book club, please let me know!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions about reading and writing at stephanie.forrest@haverhill-ps.org.
