Eastport Elementary School .

“Where Excellence is a Habit and Eastport Elementary

Where the Extraordinary Happens.” School-wide Rules
I will respect myself, others, and property.

The Skipjack
www.eastportelementary.com March 2010
I will be responsible.
I will achieve academic success.

Respect, Responsibility, and Academic Success for All! Special points of interest:
Dear Parents and Guardians, 3/24 Last day to turn in signed
It is great to finally welcome springtime! Our students and teachers have worked hard in the Bowie Baysocks Reading
last month to compact the curriculum and skills missed during the snow in order to be ready for state Log
testing. On behalf of the entire staff, I would like to thank you for instilling in your children the im- 3/24 Music Assembly, 1:00 pm
portance of determination, endurance, motivation, strength and perseverance in being successful. The-
se five character traits were each represented by our Olympic Ring Ceremony prior to MSA testing. 3/26 Bowling Incentive - An-
Every class was involved in supporting and celebrating one another. Pre-K students did cheers on the napolis Bowl
morning announcements, K students made good luck penny necklaces for our 5 th graders, 1st graders 3/29 Schools Closed - Spring
gave special pencils, eraser and lucky shamrocks to 4th graders, and 2nd grade students made book- -4/5 Break
marks, cards and did cheers for the 3rd graders. Each morning started with a smile, helping our stu- 4/6- PreK & K Registration
dents do their best during the testing time. We are very proud of all of them. 9 Begins
In the midst of preparing for testing, Eastport held its traditional Read Across America Day, 4/7 5th Grade field trip to Jun-
commonly known as Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Guest Readers included members of the Board of Educa- ior Achievement BizTown
tion, our Superintendent and Area Director, along with many of our business partners. It was a fun- 4/7- 4th Grade field trip to Bay
filled day. In addition, Grade 1 students attended a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast at the Marriott 4/9 Icons
Hotel. The Cat in the Hat and the Lieutenant Governor were there to greet them. 4/16 End of 3rd Marking Period
With springtime comes the opportunity to extend learning goals outside the classroom. We 2 hour early dismissal at
need a great deal of parental support to extend our classrooms beyond these walls. The whole school 12:40p.m.
is involved in several ongoing projects. Our school is Going Green, and students are working on recy- 4/19 National Volunteer Week
cling projects, the Unity Garden and much more. Each grade level, staff, volunteers and alumni are -23
working on a 30 foot mosaic mural designed by our students, art teacher Mrs. Wuest and Artists in 4/20 Lifetouch Pictures—
Residence, Ms. Sue and Mr. Bobby. Upon completion, the mosaic will be mounted on the front of the Individual & Class
building as part of our 100 year celebration. Third graders will be going on an overnight trip to Ar-
4/20 3rd Grade to Arlington
lington Echo, AACPS’ Outdoor Education Center, and 4th graders will be learning about maritime
Echo
history as part of our partnership with the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Our 3 rd Extended Day will
4/21 Administrative Profession-
begin April 21st. There is a lot more to come, so be sure to check those backpacks each evening!
als Day
As always, it is a pleasure to be a part of your children’s lives. Thank you for all you do to
make Eastport an outstanding school. 4/22 Earth Day
Sincerely,
4/23 4th Grade field trip to Lon-
Lynne Evans dontown
Principal 4/30 Report Card Distribution

5/5 Volunteer Tea, 9:15am

PreK & Kindergarten Registration is April 6th-9th !

All children who turn five years old on or before September 1, 2010 are required to attend Kindergar-
ten and must register at their assigned school. The PreKindergarten program selects four year olds (by Sep-
tember 1, 2010) based on economic and educational need. If applying due to economic need, proof of family
income will be required.
If you are planning to enroll your child in Eastport’s Kindergarten or PreKindergarten program for next school year, you
will need to bring the following information:
- Birth Certificate Applications will not be
- Immunization Record complete without all of this
- Record of Physical Exam (within the past 9 months) documentation. Please call the
- 2 Verifications of Residence Office with any questions.
- Mortgage/Lease AND Utility Bill with Parent/Guardian’s Name and Ad-
dress OR Tenant Verification Form
- For PreK Registration: All of the above, PLUS Proof of Income:
- 2009 1040 Tax Form OR
- Food Stamp Number with Award Letter OR
- Temporary Cash Assistance with Award Letter

420 Fifth Street Annapolis, MD 21403 (410) 222-1605 (410) 222-1609 Fax www. eastportelementary.com
 Page 2

News from our Classrooms

During the month of March, we will begin a unit of study entitled “5 Senses”. We will be discovering our
senses by reading books, singing songs and participating in finger plays. The children will be introduced to the fol-
lowing letter sounds: Ww, Dd, Gg, Ff and Ii. Please continue to read and practice your child’s high frequency word
rings. This is one of the most important ways to help your child become a good reader.
In Math, we will begin our unit on “Comparing and Ordering” and then introduce “Patterning.” The chil-
dren will be learning about simple patterns such as ABAB. Patterns can be found everywhere! In order to reinforce
this skill, please encourage your child to find and make patterns at home using pencils and pens, utensils, coins,
anything you have in multiples.
In Science, we will be learning about plants and will be planting grass seeds and flower seeds. Through the
process of planting the seeds, the children will learn what plants need to live and thrive.
Please continue to read nightly and fill out your child’s reading log. Our Pre-K goal is to read 100 books
before the end of the year. As your child completes 100 books, he/she receives a toy of his/her choice from a dona-
tion, and the children who reach this goal will also earn an ice cream treat in June.
Mrs. O’Hara

As we welcome spring, we would like to thank you for your continuing support! We acknowledge all the
work you do with your children at home, and it is really showing in the classroom. Please continue to assist
your child with his or her homework, decodable books and high frequency flashcards.
During the month of March, we will be starting our sixth unit in language arts enti-
tled “Red, White and Blue.” The Kindergarteners will be exploring the symbols of the Unit-
ed States of America. We will also continue learning new letter sounds as well as word
blending. Please challenge your child to sound-out or “stretch-out” and spell new words at
home.
In math, we are going to be working on adding and subtracting sets of objects.
Please encourage your child to orally count and identify different numbers while you are
“out and about”. Please continue to read to your child everyday and add the books to their
reading logs. Thanks for your continued support. Mrs. Whaley & Mrs. Johnson

Our first grade students have been working on reading fluency and comprehension
skills. They are now reading from their first anthology! Students are learning how to summarize a
story, sequence important events from the story, and recognize cause and effect relation-
ships. Students sequenced The Itsy Bitsy Spider and learned about elements of a story by reading
The Kite. They cooperatively researched a country and wrote a report by going through the writ-
ing process. This included finding information and recording it on a tree map, writing a rough
draft, editing and revising, writing a final copy, coloring the country's flag and outlining the coun-
try, and putting it all together for presentation. Be sure to ask your child to tell you about the
country they've researched. In math, students are working on counting mixed coins and will be
learning about measurement and capacity (cups, pints, quarts). Keep working hard!

Mrs. Boris & Ms. Lord

Second Graders have finished presenting their book reports of animals to the class. They were
evaluated for facts, opinions and quality of writing. We began our “Fossil” Unit the first week of
March. Students are learning how fossils are formed and beginning to explore extinction theories of
dinosaurs. They will make a fossil imprint and assemble paper bone puzzles. In Science, students will
learn about erosion and how erosion exposes fossils. In Math, we will continue measurement and
explore capacity. Be sure to discuss the concepts of volume and mass. When at the store or home talk
about the volume of your carton of milk as well as the weight of the bag of potatoes. Compare and
classify things as heavy and light. Estimate how many steps it takes to walk up your side walk and
then count them. And as always, continue to have your child count spare change. Math is all around
us! Mrs. Peabody & Mrs. Courson
 Page 3

News from our Classrooms

Our third graders are so proud of themselves! They really showed off their skills, strategies, and
knowledge on reading and math MSA. In reading, we're beginning a new unit on Money. We will explore
the way money is made, how money circulates, and ways in which we can earn or spend money. In
math, we're continuing to work on probability and the likelihood an event will occur. In social studies,
we're getting back to talking about economics. Ask your child to tell you what scarcity means! In science,
we're studying living and nonliving things. We've learned that all living things need nutrients, reproduce,
react to changes in their environment, and grow and change. We've studied some pretty cool organisms!
In third grade, we have a really fun opportunity to go to Arlington Echo where we will reinforce
skills taught in the classroom through hands-on outdoor education. We are going to need a lot of parent
volunteers as this will be an overnight trip. Please keep an eye out for a permission slip that will be com-
ing home very soon. We would love to have you come along! Keep on reading.

Mrs. Williams & Mrs. McEvoy

Hip Hip Hooray….We’re gonna rock the MSA!!!

The chant can be heard in the hallways!!! We are very proud of the work your children have done to this
point and are confident that MSA testing will go smoothly. Please make sure that your child gets a nutri-
tious breakfast and arrives at school on time each day!
Language Arts: The fourth grade students will soon begin the unit of study entitled, “Survival” This
unit looks to be quite an interesting one. Please be sure to ask your children about the weekly story/
lesson. Being able to explain a concept shows their level of understanding. Please remember to encour-
age your child to bring in articles from newspapers or magazines that deal with this topic.
Math: Our fourth graders continue to review for the MSA along with learning new material. This new material in-
cludes data, graphing and measurement. Please continue to encourage your child to study his/her math facts on a regu-
lar basis.
Social Studies: We continue to study the history of Maryland. For the remainder of the year our students will be
learning about the geography, history, and government of our state.
Science:The students are currently studying Human Traits; both inherited and acquired. Be sure to ask your child
what they’ve learned! Mr. Russell & Ms. Winters

The fifth graders have successfully completed the MSA Math test and the MSA Reading test! Please congratulate
your child on a job well done! Go Eastport! Now it is time to prepare for next year’s test. Remind your child about the im-
portance of trying their best each and every day. The brain can go as far as you want to take it.
As of now the students are back on track and learning at full speed. Our most recent unit in Open Court Reading is
guiding our students on a trek back to the time of America’s expansion West. It is titled “Going West” We will study
the Gold Rush, Sacajawea and her journey with Lewis and Clark, as well as folklore and tall tales of the time. In the
meantime, we are using the content of the stories to compare and contrast people and ways of life. Also the students
are using their knowledge of the past to identify and explain relationships among ideas. They are learning to use
their logic while thinking problems through.
Presently in enVision Math, the students are learning how to collect and display data in various ways. Ask your
child to explain when they would use a Stem-and-Leaf plot
Also, here is a reminder about JA Biztown. All fifth grade students participate. Letters have been sent home ex-
plaining what is expected of your child. Please guide them through the preparation process. They can do this, and it will be
fun seeing all the students working hard! If you have any questions concerning JA Biztown, send a note to school with your
child or call. We look forward to hearing from you!
Mr. Soly & Mrs. McGinley
 Page 4

Our 2nd Title 1 Extended Day, in con-

junction with Historical Annapolis
Foundation ends March 17th.
The students had a wonderful time going back to
the 18th century to learn from a Revolutionary
Soldier, William Paca and his chef named
“Cook”, and a Ratter (yes that is a rat catcher).
We even got to walk in the footprints of Catherine Green whom
operated a printing business that published the Maryland Gazette
and was Maryland's official printer.

Our 3rd and final extended day for this

school year will be a beloved program with a
new twist– Chesapeake Champions.
In conjuction with Annapolis Maritime
Museum students in grades 2,3,4,and 5 will be
investigating Maritime life in respect to Annap-
olis history. Through the use of stations, we will
study oyster ecology, water quality impact on
the Annapolis area, terrapins and other activities
through real life interactions and hands on activ-
ities.
Our third extended day will begin April 21–
May 26th.
Keep watching for sign up sheets to come home
soon.

This will be our theme for our summer school

program. More information will be
forthcoming in mid-April.
 Page 5

From the Desk of…

Mrs. McQuade
County Reading Teacher

Deadline for Bowie Baysox Reading Logs

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Have you read your 4 books yet? Are you remembering to have your reading logs signed by your par-
ent or guardian? You only have until March 23rd to do so, but that’s plenty of time to curl up with
some good books and get reading!
Every student who turns in a signed reading log will receive two free tickets to the Bowie
Baysox Game (one ticket for the student and one ticket for the student’s parent/guardian). The date
of the game is Friday, May 14th at 7 PM. We are encouraging parents to drive to the game on their
own or carpool with a friend. However, we will have one bus for those parents who do not have
transportation. More information will be sent home on this in a few weeks.
The classes who have the highest percentage of participants in the Read and Hit a Home Run Contest
will receive an ice cream treat.

READ DOOR
DECORATING
ACROSS CONTEST
RESULTS
AMERICA
A big thank you goes out to
Our Read Across America Celebration was Tues- all classroom teachers and
day, March 2nd, 2010. We celebrated Dr. Seuss’ 106th birthday as their students for doing an
well as the Cat in the Hat’s 53rd birthday. We had several communi- awesome job on their Dr.
ty /business members participating in our celebration. Seuss doors.
Dr. Kevin Maxwell…………….Superintendent of AACPS
Mr. Christopher Truffer………Director of School Performance 1st Place: Mrs. Johnson’s Kindergarten class has
Mr. Enrique Melendez………..School Board Member won an ice cream treat!
Mr. Kevin Jackson……………..School Board Member 2nd Place: Mrs. O’Hara’s PreK class
Mr. Eugene Peterson………...School Board Member 3rd Place: Mrs. Peabody’s 2nd grade class
Ms. Alena Sanders…………….School Board Student Member
Ms. Anne Marie Dammeyer...Arlington Echo Outdoor Education
All the doors were fabulous!
Ms. Mary Ostrye………………..Annapolis Maritime Museum
Ms. Ann Marie Kelly…………..Early Childhood Office, AACPS
Ms. Lenora Fox………………….Reading Resource Office, AACPS
Ms. Beth Burke………………….Reading Resource Office, AACPS
Ms. Bonnie Blanchard………..Retired Speech Therapist/Volunteer
Mr. Jared Littman……………..True Value Hardware
Ms. Caryn Walaski……………..Recreation and Parks
Ms. Jeanette Smith…………….Retired Computer Tech at Eastport
Ms. Eileen Souders…………….Food & Nutrition Services, AACPS
Ms. Charlotte Rich……………..Annapolis Maritime Museum
Ms. Kim Callison………………..Coordinator of Reading, AACPS
Ms. Michelle Washington…...Sandy Springs Bank
Ms. Karen Stevens…………….Sandy Springs Bank
Ms. Dee Hall……………………..Retired Teacher at Eastport
Ms. Ellie Krupinsky…………….Retired Teacher at Eastport

We would like to thank all of them for taking time out of their day to
spend some time with us to promote literacy.

Thank you to Ms. Lisa Johnson for providing food for our event.
Thank you to Mr. Bill Hyland, Ms. Sharon Durland, and Ms. Janet
Melander, parents of Eastport students, who conducted our RIF
Giveaway. Thank you for ordering the books for us and for taking the
time to spend your day with us. Every child in our school had the
opportunity to chose his/her own book as part of our Read Across
America Celebration.
 Page 6

GUIDANCE
From the Desks of…
Mrs. Lamb & Mrs. White

Good Consequences
Behaving well and working hard pay off! Help your child see the results of his/her efforts---you’ll find yourself
scolding them less often as they learn self-discipline.

Tie good behavior to good consequences. If your youngster is quiet when you’re on the phone, you might
say, “You were so patient while I made that call. Would you like to play a game now?” Or when he goes to
bed without a struggle, point out how energetic he seems the next morning.

Recognize success. Maybe you’d like your child’s room to be neater. Tell him that if he keeps it clean for a
month, you’ll help him rearrange or redecorate it. By that time, picking up will probably be a habit, and he’ll
enjoy his room so much that he’ll be motivated to keep it that way.

Try not to use rewards like toys or food. You’ll train your youngster to expect something in exchange for
behaving well. Plus, offering food as a reward can lead to unhealthy eating habits.

OUT-OF-AREA STUDENTS
Important Message...
Anne Arundel County Public Schools require students to attend school in their geographic at-
tendance area. Each year exceptions are made to assist parents and students due to day care
needs, a recent move, or based upon a professional recommendation that a student attend
school outside of their home school area. In order to apply, families are required to submit an
application for Out-of-Area Transfer. A new application needs to be submitted each year.
The timeline to submit an application is March 1st to April 30th. Schools have been instructed
to time/date stamp applications. Forms are available in the school office or on the county web-
site.

Reminder: PreKindergarten and Kindergarten Registration

Beginning the week of April 6th, we will be accepting registration for PreK & Kindergarten. Please note that PreK registration is
based on economic and educational need as well as order of registration. We only have 20 slots to fill, so please register your
PreK child on April 6th. Please see the front page for additional information on what to bring with you.

EMERGENCY CARDS Daylight Savings Reminder

Springtime usually brings about many changes. If
you have changed address, phone number or emer-
gency contact information, please call the office and
Daylight savings time begins
ask for a new emergency form. It is vital that we are on March 14th, so don’t
able to reach you during the school day for an emer-
gency. Also our automated phone calls with im-
portant information will only reach those with valid
forget to “Spring Forward”
phone numbers. and set your clocks
forward 1 hour!
 Page 7

♫ MUSIC NOTES ♫
Ms. Cuzzo

♫ This month in Music, the students will be doing the following activities: ♫

Pre-K – Instrument recognition by sight and sound

-Performing rhythmic patterns on drums
K and 1st- Identifying and performing various instruments
-Comparing/ contrasting different versions of the same song
2nd – 5th -Listening to, analyzing and performing different musical styles
-Creating beats and movements with various instruments
-Analyzing the staff and identifying note names

TONE MONTH :In Music class, March is a Tone unit where the students learn about the instrument families. Their ability to
recognize instruments will aid in their understanding of what makes up a piece of music. Due to a snowy winter, we are also
extending our Melody unit, where the students learn how to play songs and scales on xylophones.

CHORUS: We are preparing for our spring concert on Wednesday, May 12th which will feature songs from the past 100 years
in honor of the 100 year anniversary of Eastport Elementary! The students have been doing a wonderful job singing “We Are
the World” by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, which will be featured in our spring concert. We have also been practicing
music for the MSA medals assembly.

From the Art Room: Mosaic in Motion

Eastport Elementary welcomes Artists-in-Residence Sue Stockman and Bobby Malzone who are facilitating
the production of a huge mosaic mural during art class throughout the month of March. These artists are working
with all students in grades PK-5 to create a mural that will celebrate Eastport's 100th birthday. The subject matter is
local indigenous plants and animals, and other landmarks and symbols of our community.
The artists are teaching students all about the process of creating a mosaic mural, including not only the ma-
terials and steps but also the importance of recycling, the idea that broken pieces can be resurrected into something
beautiful, and the value of teamwork and collaboration. The completed mural will be a staggering 30 feet long and
will be displayed permanently on the outside of our school building under the Eastport Elementary School sign. Please
stop by the art room anytime in March to see the work in progress--we encourage parents and community members
to participate in the creation of the mural.