3/6 November News

What has 3-6 been up to?

During the first two weeks of October, the 3-6 students participated in activities based on an apple theme.  Students made Shrunken Apple Head Dolls, using apples.  They peeled them, soaked them in lemon juice, made eyes, ears, a nose and mouth, and inserted cloves into them.  The apple heads were hung in the room and dried for two weeks.  During this two week process, the apples shrank and shriveled up.  After “dressing up” these dolls and adding fake hair, the dolls looked like “old man” and “old woman” witches.  The kids really seemed to enjoy watching the drying out process, as they would come to HEDP and check on their apples, daily.  Also using apples, the students made Pomander Balls.  Pomander balls are natural air fresheners.  Students studded an apple with cloves and wrapped it up in a tulle sachet to hang in the home.  We hope these pomander balls filled your homes with the wonderful scent of fall!  The students also participated in cooking activities using apples.  They dipped apples in caramel to make caramel apples and with little help from teachers, made apple pie.  One student led the others in the making of the apple pie.  Together, they read the recipe and worked with each other to measure the ingredients.  They even made homemade crust!  There were great reviews from the class, “this is the best pie I have ever had.”  If you would like a copy of the recipe, please let us know!

During the third week of October, the 3-6 students participated in activities based on a pumpkin theme.  To start off the week (and we know how much they enjoy cooking) the students made pumpkin pie.  We are so proud of their independence at successfully completing a cooking task.  With so many helping hands and turn taking, they worked together to figure out a way for everyone who wanted to cook, have a job in the process, even it it meant stirring the mixture 10 times and then letting someone else do it.  The kids loved the pie, we were so impressed that all tried it (despite the dark orange color).  Nothing can compare to the pie they grow up on however, as on student reviewed, “it is good, but not as good as my grandmother’s!”  The students also participated in pumpkin carving.  Children split into two groups and each designed the “face” for their groups pumpkin.  The kids brainstormed ideas and drew their final idea on the pumpkin before Kevin and Ellie carved their designs.  We then turned to 1-2 for help with the voting.  One pumpkin was voted, Most Old Lady Like and Sweetest while the other was voted Most Evil.  Although the pumpkins rotted quickly after the carving, we hope you were able to see the finished pumpkins at the sign out station.  Finally, the kids crafted stuffed pumpkins made of fiberfill and nylons!

During the fourth week of October the theme was monsters, mummies and more!  Thank you all so much for bringing in glass jars!  The students used them to make mummy luminaries.  They wrapped the jars in gauze and added googly eyes and a LED light to create this wonderful Halloween project.

During this week, some kids also chose to do gourd painting.  During this project, students looked at different shaped gourds and used their imaginations to visualize an animal or object to change the gourd into.  After being painted and embellished, they created cats, lions and ornaments!  Frankenstein cups were also a big hit during this week (probably because pudding with crushed oreos is a delicious treat)!  Students made pudding, dyed it green, crushed oreos and then designed their own Frankenstein cups.  We ended the month making skeleton treats using pretzels, marshmallows and white chocolate and watched the traditional Halloween favorite It’s the Big Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Daily Happenings
Each day, the kids come to 3-6 with a challenge to look forward to.  After completion of homework, students have the opportunity to participate in a daily challenge.  The winner(s) is announced during the day’s meeting.  All winner(s) are posted at the individual challenges located throughout the front 3-6 room.  Take a look around to see what the daily challenge was.

*Mondays- Counting Jug:  Each Monday, the students practice their estimation skills while doing the counting jug challenge.  The counting jug, which is located on the wall in the HEDP room, is filled each week with a different amount of a particular item.  Students have the opportunity  to take a guess at how many items are in the jug. We have been so impressed with their estimation skills, as some students have guessed the exact number, while others have been within one or two of the actual number of items.

*Tuesdays- Trivia:  Posted on the whiteboard on Tuesdays is “Trivia Tuesday.”  Students test their knowledge by guessing the answer to a weekly trivia question.  Trivia questions are based on variety of subjects ranging from “media” to “the world around us” to “sports” to “nature” (and everything in between).  We have had winning answers from students in all grades!  Do you know the most commonly used word in the English language?  That is just sample trivia question that your child will know the answer to!


*Wednesday- Unscramble: On Wednesdays a word is jumbled up and posted on the unscramble board.  Students use their spelling and grammar skills to unscramble the given word.  The word chosen each week is based on events, holidays and happenings going on in the world around us.  Try this sample one that the students unscrambled during the month of October: WEN GLNENAD TRTOAPIS.  


*Thursday- Word of the Week: Each Thursday Word of the Week (W.O.W) is posted on the Word of the Week board.  A new vocabulary word is posted, along with it’s definition and a sample sentence.  Throughout the week, students have the opportunity to write their own sentence and submit it into the W.O.W jug. A week after the W.O.W is posted, a drawing is held.  For the one student whose sentence gets pulled, wins a prize!  This is a fun way for students to learn new words and apply them to form a sentence.  They also look forward to the sample sentence since we use the childrens’ name in the sentences.

*Friday- Friday books:  On Fridays, when students arrive, they have a 30-35 minute designated time for Friday book reading.  They can choose from magazines, comic books and books that really attract their attention- such as Ripley’s Believe Or Not and Guinness Book of World Records.  This Friday book time is a great way for students to stay in their Mon-Thurs homework time routine and read something “different.”  


Wishing Upon a Star
“I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.”  The 3-6 wish list will be located at the 3-6 parent sign-out station.  If you would like to donate an item on the 3-6 wish list, simply take the star of the item you wish to donate.  

Thank you so much to families who have kindly donated items this year.  Your help is greatly appreciated!

Project Bread Holiday Spoons Project Fundraiser

HEDP will continue its annual participation in Project Bread’s Holiday Spoons Project.  Project Bread is the state’s leading anti-hunger organization, dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger in Massachusetts. Project Bread funds over 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks all over Massachusetts. The Holiday Spoons Project is a fun meaningful way for children to learn about hunger and help feed hungry children in Massachusetts. Children will use their creativity and imagination to decorate wooden spoons using a wide variety of art materials. In years past, kids depicted cartoon characters, people, animals and more! We can’t wait to see what they come up with this year! We will sell the kid’s creations to friends, families and teachers for $2.00 each. All the money raised will be donated to Project Bread to help in it’s mission to end hunger in Massachusetts.  3-6 students will be given designated “work times” to sell spoons.  Please visit them in the 3-6 room to make your purchase.  They  will be set up with cash register and will be  in charge of collecting money, giving change, writing receipts and advertising!  When complete, we will take pictures of the spoons and enter them in the Jordan’s Furniture Holiday Spoons Contest!  We will send you the link to vote as soon as we get it!  Thanks in advance for all of your help and support!


No School
Tuesday, November 6th - Professional Day
Monday, November 12th - Veteran’s Day
Thursday, November 22nd - Thanksgiving Vacation
Friday, November 23rd - Thanksgiving Vacation

Early Dismissal Days
Thursday, November 8th (12:30 dismissal)
Wednesday, November 14th (12:30 dismissal)
Wednesday, November 21st (12:00 dismissal, no school lunch served. HEDP CLOSES AT 4:45)
Thursday, November 29th (12:30 dismissal)

Field Trips
Field trips slips have been handed out for the upcoming early release days. Please return slips with cash payment no later than Wednesday, November 7th.  Spots for trips are limited so please return slips as soon as possible.