Danny The Dog
Do you know Danny The Dog? He is a classroom assistance dog, available to work with all students at Eddy Elementary. Danny is a hard working dog, and works five days a week at Eddy. Danny belongs to our Eddy School Psychologist Jennie Williams. Danny began his training at only eight weeks old and he has been a working classroom assistance dog since he was 17 months old. He was trained by NEADS, which is an organization in central Massachusetts that has been training service dogs for over 25 years. It takes a tremendous amount of time and resources to train one dog. Anyone who is matched with a dog is asked to fundraise to help defer the cost of their dog's training. Because of the enormous positive impact that Danny The Dog has on our Eddy community, we are letting our community know that Danny needs financial support as being an officially-trained NEADS dog. Any support for Danny would be greatly appreciated, and this is completely optional. NEADS is a recognized nonprofit organization so any donation is tax deductible.
Curriculum Updates
- The grade five team has been continuing their work with human rights in ELA. In class we are reading Esperanza Rising and making connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to analyze when various rights are threatened or violated. In mathematics, students are working on multiplication of multi digit whole numbers, volume of rectangular prisms, and applying a variety of division strategies. Students in science class are making observations of the water cycle while also learning about the significant role that fresh water plays on our planet. Then in social studies, students are learning about the thirteen colonies and the reasons for and impact of colonization in North America.
- Fourth grade has started the new EL reading curriculum by studying poetry. We have been reading the book Love That Dog by Sharon Creech along with analyzing poems written by well known poets. Students are identifying the characteristics of poetry, determining the theme, and finding supporting details in order to write a summary about what they are reading. In math, we have just started learning about multiplicative comparisons, factors, multiples, prime and composite numbers. We also had an exciting field trip with our Kindergarten buddies at the Hay Property where we will all become tree experts, thanks to our friends at Brewster Conservation Trust and Mass Audubon. Fourth grade will welcome an educator from the Chatham Marconi Maritime Museum who will lead us through hands-on sound and energy activities. In social studies, students are researching Native American life and culture, and will be creating a project to share their learning.
- The third grade had their first field trip to the Brewster Gristmill and Herring Run this week. Students learned about the historic factory village, observed how our town miller grinds corn into corn meal, looked at a variety of historical artifacts in the museum, and learned about the life cycle of alewives in our herring run. Thank you to volunteers at the Gristmill and members of the Brewster Department of Natural Resources for their support and assistance of helping our students to learn more about Brewster! In math, students are diligently practicing their multiplication facts and learning how to use the commutative and distributive properties of multiplication. In science, topics of weather and climate are being wrapped up and in ELA with our new Expeditionary Learning curriculum, students are learning about how students from around the world overcome learning challenges by reading about various countries, education obstacles they face, and how they work to overcome these obstacles, comparing and contrasting this to education in the United States. It continues to be a busy and exciting fall in third grade!
Reminder of Wellness Policy - from Nurse Miller and Principal Guditus
I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to take a moment to remind you that both the Nauset Schools District Wellness Policy and the Brewster Elementary Schools Parent/Caregiver/Student Handbook provide similar guidelines for classroom celebrations. While the policy specifically addresses birthday celebrations, these guidelines also apply to other events, such as Halloween and Valentines Day. I have included the District Wellness Policy regarding food in the classroom, and you can explore more details in the handbook here: Eddy Handbook.
In line with our commitment to promoting healthy habits, I have also included some healthy snack ideas. These suggestions can be useful for curriculum-based events involving food or as inspiration for everyday snacking. Thank you for your continued support in helping us foster a healthy and positive environment for all students.
Food in the Classroom- Nauset School District Wellness Policy
Students with severe food allergies are enrolled in our school, and we must take responsible steps to ensure their well-being by exercising control over the food products that are distributed to children in school.
1. Food Allergies and dietary restrictions: Schools should not allow students to share foods or beverages during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children's diets.2. Birthday celebrations will focus on recognizing each child as unique and important. Teachers and classmates will recognize students in the classroom in imaginative ways. The celebrations will be NON-FOOD. We ask for your cooperation in making our school a safe and healthy place for all.
3. Curriculum-based events that involve food will be limited throughout the year. Recognizing that these curriculum events are anticipated educational and social activities for school children, the following guidelines will be instituted:
- Teachers will provide 48-hour notice to the School Nurse and Principal for a planned classroom curriculum event.
- Classroom curriculum events will include healthy snack options. Foods will be checked before a planned curriculum event by the school nurse to evaluate for food allergens that are unsafe for students with food allergies in classrooms. To protect the safety of students with life-threatening food allergies, foods must have a nutritional label/ingredient list attached. Fresh Fruits and vegetables do not require a label.
4. Teachers/parents are encouraged to choose non-food-related activities as an alternative to traditional food-focused curriculum events.
5. Schools will provide a list of healthy snack ideas to parents/caregivers annually.
6. Schools will not use food as a reward for good behavior or academic performance within the classroom.
CREATIVE, HEALTHY, SNACK IDEAS
Fruits & Veggies
Berries, fruits, vegetables
Veggie Cups with Dip – Celery, carrot sticks, and bell peppers served with hummus or ranch.
Banana Bites – Banana slices dipped in yogurt, rolled in granola.
Cucumber Sandwiches – Cream cheese between two thin cucumber slices.
Whole Grains & Proteins
Granola Bars or Cereal Bars – Whole grains and seeds for lasting energy.
Cheese & Whole-Grain Crackers – Fun shapes to make them exciting.
Trail Mix Bags – Mix of dried fruit, whole-grain cereal, and seeds.
Hard-Boiled Eggs – Simple and nutrient-packed.
Popcorn – Air popped and lightly seasoned
Yogurt – chose one without a lot of added sugars
Fun Ideas for Celebrations
Yogurt Parfaits – Layer yogurt, granola, and berries in small cups.
Fruit Kabobs – Skewers of grapes, strawberries, melon, and pineapple.
Fruit Pizza – Watermelon “slices” topped with fruit and yogurt.
Apple Nachos – Apple slices drizzled with yogurt, topped with granola and raisins.
Popcorn Bags – Air-popped and lightly seasoned.
"Ants on a Log" – Celery sticks with sun butter and raisins.
Rainbow Veggie Tray – Arrange veggies in rainbow colors with dip in the middle.
Frozen Fruit Popsicles – Made with 100% juice and fruit chunks.
Meet The Eddy Staff: Ms. Brekke
Meet The Eddy Staff: Mr. Colgan
Ben Colgan is the new Music & Chorus teacher at Stony Brook Elementary and Eddy Elementary schools! A former student of the Brewster Elementary schools and Nauset Regional Middle and High schools, Ben is eager to give back to the district that nurtured him as a child. He loves helping to develop people's musical abilities and self-confidence, and has worked with musicians of all ages and talents. Outside of the classroom, Ben loves working in musical theatre, reading, and spending time with family and peers; he is also the Minister of Music at the South Yarmouth United Methodist Church. In the coming years, Ben is looking forward to continuing to teach and learn within the Nauset Schools and ensure that every child has access to a quality music education.
