Kindergartners mustache you a question. We had some good laughs on M Day!
The K-Kids will be conducting one last project for the school year tomorrow morning (5/26). The students will be lining the drop-off line and asking if families would like to make a donation to the RACE for the CURE project. The entire RSU 34 district will be participating in this event and we are encouraging all the kids to wear Tropical Themed Clothes on Friday, give $1.00, and receive an ice pop!
The K-Kids Money Buckets will be available for parents dropping off their children and those who want to make an additional donation. Any amount will be appreciated---even the three pennies in your car!!!
Let's find a cure for cancer!
The Buy One Get One Free Book Fair starts Friday, May 26 and will run through Monday, June 5th. It will be significantly smaller in scale to the March fair, but family members are still welcome to come shop. This is a great opportunity to grab some affordable books for summer reading! Students will shop during their library class or any morning or afternoon before or after school May 26th-June 5th 7am-3pm on school days. Students can use their eWallet if their family adds to it. It will still have the funds that were left from the March fair. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oldtownelementaryschool3
Author and LMS librarian Mrs. Hinrichs came to OTES yesterday to speak to our 4th graders. Alex Hinrichs just released two picture books within the last week that both have to do with our 4th grade units of study—“The Lobster Lady” is about 102 year old Maine lobster woman and “I Am Made Of Mountains” is about landscapes and our National Parks! Mrs. Hinrichs read both books to 4th graders and answered questions. You can purchase her books at bit.ly/Hinrichs
Or anywhere books are sold! All 4th graders and families across the country receive free entrance to national parks through August 2023. Visit everykidoutdoors.gov to sign up to get a free pass!
The Buy One Get One Free Book Fair starts next Friday, May 26 and will run through Monday, June 5th. It will be significantly smaller in scale to the March fair, but family members are still welcome to come shop. This is a great opportunity to grab some affordable books for summer reading! Students will shop during their library class or any morning or afternoon before or after school May 26th-June 5th 7am-3pm on school days. Students can use their eWallet if their family adds to it. It will still have the funds that were left from the March fair. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oldtownelementaryschool3
RSU #34 hosts the Eastern Maine Reading Recovery Site, providing teacher-leader services to more than 30 teachers across Eastern Maine in a fee-based partnership, including our teachers in Alton, Bradley, and Old Town. The Continuing Professional Development that Dr. Sharon Greaney provides to her teachers keeps honing their knowledge and skill so they can do best by their students who need and will benefit from this intensive literacy intervention. Today Dr. Greaney and the other teacher leaders in Maine are continuing their own development, with guest Dr. Betsy Kaye (Director of Reading Recovery at Texas Woman's University). In this picture, Viola Rand School's Reading Recovery teacher Mrs. Jen Dalessandro teaches a lesson "behind the glass" while the teacher leaders and Dr. Kaye observe and discuss strategies. After the lesson, Behind the Glass involves a debrief session with the teaching colleague to reflect on the strategies and decisions in the teaching session. It's amazing what these teachers fit into a half-hour session with a student!
From the OTES art studio: Fifth grader, Keagan, made a portable ice cream shop in the art studio this week.
Our new OTES library pet made the Maine Department of Education good news section. Check out the happy story here: https://mainedoenews.net/2023/05/17/new-library-pet-brings-joy-and-solace-to-old-town-elementary-students/
The RSU #34 Resource Center will be open tomorrow, Thursday, May 18th from 2:30-4:00pm.
The RSU #34 Resource Center is open to all district families in need of food or basic household supplies. The Center is located at OTES and is open on the first and third Thursday of each month from 2:30-4:00pm. If you have questions or an emergency food insecurity outside these dates, please contact our School Community Coordinator Jenn Goodwin at 207-370-8564 or jennifer.goodwin@rsu34.org. RSVP to the Facebook event for automatic reminders.
The OTES lunch menu for Wednesday, May 17th has been changed to ham and cheese sandwich, broccoli and an orange.
RSU 34 is very pleased to offer a wonderful summer learning opportunity that is a proven help in the fight against summer learning loss. Virtual Summer School (VSS) offers a simple, fun, and engaging way for any student in RSU 34 currently in grades 3-5 to continue their learning throughout the summer. Students earn points by completing their weekly assignments by the due date. By consistently working on
assignments throughout VSS, students have the chance to win lots of great prizes! The program is virtual so students can complete all assignments from home, or anywhere with an Internet connection!
DATES: VSS runs for four weeks starting on Monday, July 10th and ending on Sunday, August 6th. Weekly assignments will be posted on Google Classroom every Monday morning and will be due by the following Sunday.
PRIZES: Students earn points for completing weekly assignments (up to 100 points each week). The more points they earn, the more prizes they are eligible for!
Please fill out this registration form and return it to OTES if you are interested:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19idmrwHXjJo71v4ghfbMsWk6a06yP4zQ/view?usp=sharing
If you have questions, please email Mr. Rand at Todd.Rand@rsu34.org.
We were the lucky recipients of some MeMe G's donuts on Thursday. In honor of Staff Appreciation Week, Gunner delivered donuts from his family's business to his past teachers and few extras to share! They were as big as dinner plates and delicious!
A group of fifth grade students participated in the Hardy Girls workshops at Camp Jordan in April . Since 2000, the mission of the Hardy Girls/Healthy Women project has been to: 1. Ignite curiosity 2. Foster critical thinking 3. Build coalitions 4. Challenge the status quo. We had a great day with many other students from all over Maine! -Mrs. Wilcox, School Counselor
The 5th grade team at Old Town Elementary received a $1000 grant from Maine Agriculture in the Classroom to support mushroom growing in the school’s garden. David Andrews from Tiny Acres Farm led a workshop on growing gourmet mushrooms in hardwood logs. The 5th grade students will place these logs in the garden and harvest the mushrooms for the community farm stand. A special thanks goes to Maine Agriculture in the Classroom, Christine Lannan, and Jen Goodwin for funding and organizing this amazing opportunity.
From the OTES Art Studio: Fifth grade student Netanel made this soccer field out of cardboard, cloth, tape, paint, and markers. It even includes a goalie that can be stored away under the field when not in use. Great job, Netanel!
Think you've got game? OTES 3rd graders recycled materials to create carnival/arcade games in Mrs. Palmer's Art class and they are ready to TAKE. YOU. ON.
We think this group deserves a few awards- best group name, "Trash Pickeruppers", best identification cards, and another for their helpfulness! It is amazing what a group of kids and a box of gloves can accomplish!
At recess, Amelia built this boat out of bark and was so excited that it floated in large puddle!
Second graders had fun creating May baskets and surprising staff members with them today during library class! Students have been exploring books in the 700s-arts and crafts, and connected that with crafting up their spring baskets to brighten someone’s day!
RSU34 elementary band students had a blast at the District V Elementary Honors Festival at the Piscataquis Community Secondary School in Guilford, Maine. There were over 100 5th and 6th grade students participating in the festival!
