Go for the gold this summer!

Stapleton's 2nd annual Passport to Learning program will be kicking off soon! Student brochures and parent letters will be sent home by the last day of school.

Students-your goal this summer is to choose one literacy or steam (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) activity to complete for each of the 5 Olympic rings.

Your work will be showcased and celebrated at our Passport to Learning Expo on September 14th at 5:30pm.

We hope you have a blast learning "around the world" this summer!

-Mrs. Biasella & Mrs. Gelardi

Coming soon!

2016 PASSPORT TO LEARNING!

Mary E. Stapleton Elementary School

Be an Olympic learner this summer and 

GO FOR THE GOLD!

THANK YOU!

Dear Stapleton community,

Thank you so much for your support of our school's first Passport to Learning summer program and expo. We had over 100 people in attendance, over 300 projects, and tables and tables of delicious food! We will be posting projects & pictures of the evening by the main office soon.

In order to get a better sense of what families and teachers would like for community events, we invite you take the survey below:

http://goo.gl/forms/5GnLM5CypZ

We appreciate your time taking the survey and value your feedback.

Again, thank for your all of your support!

Sincerely,
Michelle Biasella & Julie Gelardi

The event has been rescheduled!

Hi all,

The event is now on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH at 6pm.

Hope to see you then!

Event is Postponed Tomorrow

Hi everyone,

Due to Framingham schools closing early tomorrow because of extreme heat, the Passport to Learning Expo is postponed. The cafeteria is a very hot area of the school, and will take awhile to cool down.
Once we confirm the new date, we will let everyone know ASAP. Thank you for your understanding and support of this program!

Over 1,000 Page Views!

In just three months, our blog has had over 1,000 page views! Be sure to share this page with your family members to show them all of your hard work!

More projects and event pictures will be posted after the expo as well.

RSVP

We have had many responses so far for the expo and are looking forward to a great even!

Please RSVP using the green invitation or the link below when you get the chance:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4aa5af2da2f85-passport

Invitations & Potluck

For students who participated in the Passport to Learning program, invitations will be sent home to you by next Monday.

Please RSVP by next Friday so we know how many family members can attend and what you can bring to the potluck.

You can RSVP on the form or using the link below:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4aa5af2da2f85-passport 

We hope you can make it!

Projects due Friday!

Just a reminder that your passports & projects are due to your classroom teachers this Friday, August 28th.

Some more fantastic projects!

Sydney Opera House (Australia), Made out of Recyclable Materials

Great Australian Pikelets (Australia)

Australians eat these pancakes as a snack or at tea time.  Usually they are served with honey or jam.  Topping the Pikelets with apple butter is also delicious!

A sneak peak at a fourth grader's presentation about her experience attending school in Japan.

Timeline of the Olympics in North America

What can you make out of recyclable materials?

Have you learned about a monument, important building, or interesting piece of architecture from another country this summer? Try and recreate it with recyclable materials. Check out the student project below!

Save the Date!

What: Passport to Learning Expo
When: Wednesday, September 9th at 6-7pm
Where: Stapleton Elementary School Cafeteria

        On Wednesday, September 9th at 6-7pm, Stapleton will host a “Passport to Learning Expo.” Students work will be displayed and families are invited to join us for a multicultural potluck dinner. Invitations to students who complete all activities will be sent home this fall, as well as a sign-up for the potluck. Following the expo will be the first PTO meeting of the school year at 7pm. We hope that you all can join us for this special evening!

For any questions or concerns, please contact:
Michelle Biasella, Literacy Coach mbiasella@framingham.k12.ma.us or Julie Gelardi, Math Coach jgelardi@framingham.k12.ma.us

Enjoy the last full week of summer vacation!

It's hard to believe that another schoolyear kicks off next week. We have been sent so many delicious recipes, pictures of your creations such as the ones below, and descriptions of the amazing work you have been doing this summer.

Keep the work coming, we love to see what you've been up to!

-Mrs. Biasella & Mrs. Gelardi

Another delicious recipe!

Samosas (India)

Recipe for 6

4 oz potatoes
1/2 oz carrots
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pinch ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
6 tbsp frozen peas, thawed
10 sheets filo pastry
Small bowl of oil





Recipe for 12

1/2 lb potatoes
1 oz carrots
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 pinches ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
20 sheets filo pastry
Small bowl of oil

Empanada Recipe from South America

Recipe for 8:
2 lbs ground beef
2 medium onions finely diced
2 jalapeño chiles minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
1 cup cold water
1 large egg lightly beaten with 2 tbsp water

Recipe for 12:
3 lbs ground beef
3 medium onions finely diced
3 jalapeño chiles minced
1.5 cups fresh cilantro chopped
3/4 tsp chili powder
43.5 oz diced tomatoes
Course salt and ground pepper
6 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
3/4 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
1.5 cup cold water
1.5 egg lightly beaten with 1.5 tbsp water

A Moment in History between the USA and Soviet Union

1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic games

USA Hockey team

The 1980 Winter Olympic games was held in Lake Placid, New York. This article is about the US hockey team and now I will tell you all about it.  It was the Gold medal game it was the United States vs Soviet Union.

Everyone thought that the Soviet Union will win the big game. It was tied 3 a piece and the US scored taking the  lead it is 4-3 US now and that is the last goal of the game.

The US won the game and got the Gold medal. That’s not all! The Soviet Union was the enemy in politics with the USA. We Americans are happy about it and still are. It was the “miracle on ice”!

Buenos Apple Nachos from Mexico

Buenos Apple Nachos (Mexico)


Recipe for 1:
1 small apple cut into slices
2 strawberries chopped
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp flaked coconut
1 tbsp vanilla yogurt

Recipe for 12:
12 small apples cut into slices
24 strawberries chopped
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

Try a new tool this summer!

Have you used GoogleSheets before? Plug in data you have researched about a continent and you'll be able to create cool tables, charts, and graphs such as the ones below:

https://www.google.com/sheets/about/

Are you hungry?

Try out some new recipes from other countries with your family!

Look at the delicious taco meal a third grader made below:

Interested in bones and history?

For all of you incoming fifth graders...one major focus in fifth grade social studies is on early settlements such as Jamestown. Check out this recent article on remains found of four Jamestown settlers!

http://www.timeforkids.com/news/jamestown

Check out this word search!

Kudos to an incoming 4th grader on his word search he created in the Hebrew language!
Check it out below.

Did Ancient Mars Have Continents?

Check out this article on recent research about Mars! I wonder how similar it is to our planet.

http://www.space.com/29967-ancient-mars-continents-curiosity-rover.html

Where have you traveled so far?

We hope everyone is having a fun and relaxing summer break so far! Hopefully you have tried new things, learned about new places, and are having fun learning with friends and family.

We would love to see what you have worked on so far! E-mail us your work or pictures at the addresses below:

jgelardi@framingham.k12.ma.us
mbiasella@framingham.k12.ma.us

-Mrs. Biasella & Mrs. Gelardi

Want to know more about the 7 continents?

The program has begun!

Happy summer everyone!

Passports and information was passed out during the last week of school. Many of you students received the program materials in your "move along day" folders/packets.

We look forward to seeing and hearing about the amazing projects you and your families will be working on this summer.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us.

Have a great first week of summer vacation :)

-Mrs. Biasella & Mrs. Gelardi

Ways to Organize Your Work

Here are some ways you can keep all of your work organized this summer:

• Keep a journal/notebook of all of your work.
• Create a folder of your work.
• Complete your work on the computer and save it as a file or digital folder.
• Create a "Google Drive Folder" and upload all of your work and pictures.
• Keep a box of your projects.
• Store your work in a big manilla envelope.

Program Materials

Materials for the program will be sent home the beginning of June to all students and posted to the school website.

Examples of Activities

STEM K-2

 Compare the weather in 2 countries from 1 continent using a Venn diagram.

Here is a link to a printable Venn diagram you can use. 

Venn Diagram

Try to pick two countries that are very different from eachother such as France and Japan.

Literacy K-2

 Interview someone who visited another continent.

For this activity, here are some questions you might want to ask the person you're interviewing:

      Why did you travel to this country?

What did you learn during your visit?

What was your favorite part of your visit?

Which countries, towns, and cities did you explore?

How was this continent/country different from ours?

SAVE THE DATE

On Wednesday, September 9th at 6-7pm, Stapleton will host our “Passport to Learning Expo.” Students work will be displayed and families are invited to join us for a multicultural potluck dinner. Invitations to students who complete all activities will be sent home this fall, as well as a sign-up for the potluck. Following the expo will be the first PTO meeting of the school year at 7pm. We hope that you all can join us for this special evening!

Multicultural Book Lists

Below are links to multicultural book lists:

• http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/booklists/multicultural-books.htm
• http://www.rif.org/documents/us/MulticulturalBookCollectionList.pdf
• http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/multicultural/2012-multicultural-booklist.htm
• https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=42
• http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3721.Best_Multicultural_Books_for_Children
• http://www.nea.org/grants/50-multicultural-books.html
• http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/07/27-multicultural-books-for-kids.html
• http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/02/multicultural-early-chapter-books-for-kids.html

Welcome to Stapleton's Passport to Learning Blog!

We can't wait to see the work you have been doing this summer. Please send us pictures or videos of your work so we can post them. Be sure it is a picture of your work and does NOT have you or other people in it.

E-mail your work to both of the e-mail addresses below:
mbiasella@framingham.k12.ma.us, jgelardi@framingham.k12.ma.us

Directions

Choose one literacy and one STEM activity to complete for each continent.

1.Record your activities on the log.

2.Have your parents sign off after you have completed 14 activities.

3. Gather all of your work together to turn it in to the coaches on Friday, August 28^th.

Below are the activities from the student brochure:

Literacy Activities (K-2)

1.    Interview someone who visited another continent.

2.    Talk with a family or friend who has served in the military or has been stationed in another country from one of the continents. Draw a picture or write a poem together about what you discussed. You can record your conversation & post it on the blog.

3.    Draw a flag from a country and then design your own flag and write about what it resembles.

4.    Look for and make a list of text features in a newspaper or article you read with a family member.

5.    Create a game using landmarks and historical sites from one of the continents.

6.    Create a word search in another language.

7.    Go to a museum or use a virtual museum and choose an art piece from another country. Write about your opinion on the artwork.

8.    Write a letter/draw a picture from the point of view of a person living in one of the continents.

9.    Read a book from one continent and pick 5 words to translate into a language used on that continent.

10. Go to the library & ask the librarian to help you find a book about another country. Write a summary about what you learned from the book and draw a picture.

11. Create your own activity based on your interests and learning style!

STEM Activities (K-2)

1.    Pick a country located on the continent and log and record the temperatures for a week.

2.    Create a movie using technology (ex. imovie) on facts you’ve learned about one of the continents.

3.    With a family member, read a recipe and make a food item from a country on a continent. Take a photo or draw picture of what you created.

4.    Draw a map of one of the continents and include land features (ex. mountains, rivers, ocean).

5.    Research and replicate a piece of sport equipment from one of the continents.

6.    Research how many Olympic games one of the continents has hosted and list the dates.

7.    Choose an animal and/or habitat from one continent, research, and write 5 facts about the animal.

8.    Compare the weather in 2 countries from 1 continent using a Venn diagram.

9.    Draw a diagram of a plant from another continent.

10. Create your own activity based on your interests and learning style!

Literacy Activities (Gr. 3-5)

1.    Interview someone who visited another continent.

2.    NewsELA.com: Use this website to find a current event, read it, and then write a summary.

3.    Interview family /friends who have served in the military/have been stationed in another country from one continent. Write a summary of their experience.

4.    Create a movie (ex. iMovie) about what you’ve learned about one of the continents or all 7.

5.    Research how many Olympic games one of the continents has hosted and create a timeline.

6.    Write and perform a song/rap about another continent’s famous people, landmarks, culture, etc.

7.    Create a game using landmarks and historical sites from one of the continents.

8.    Go to a museum or use a virtual museum and find an artist from another country. Write about the time period this artist’s work is from and create a timeline.

9.    Research the continents that have hosted World Cup or the Olympics. Write a news article about an event that took place during this event.

10. Write a letter from the point of view of a person living in one of the continents.

11. Read an informational text about one continent and create an alphabetical glossary of at least ten terms.

12. Research a continent’s famous natural disaster & write a reflection about how it could have been avoided.

13. Create a word search of at least 15 words in another language.

14. Write a biography about a leader from one of the continent’s countries using 4 different resources.

15. Go to the local library and ask the librarian to help you find a book about another country. Ask them to make a suggestion of a fiction or non-fiction book. Write a summary of what you read.

16. Write a story about a character living in another continent.

17. Create your own activity based on your interests and learning style!

  

STEM Activities (Gr. 3-5)

1.    Pick a country located on a continent and log and record the temperatures for a week & make a graph.

2.    Create a movie using technology (ex. iMovie) on facts you’ve learned about all 7 continents.

3.    With a family member, read a recipe and make a food item from a country on a continent. Take a photo or draw picture of what you created.

4.    Draw a map of one of the continents and include land features (ex. mountains, rivers, ocean).

5.    Research and replicate a piece of sport equipment from one of the continents. Write the procedures of how to make or use it.

6.    Choose an animal and/or habitat from one continent, research, and create a PowerPoint, poster, or book.

7.    Compare the weather in 2 countries from 1 continent using a Venn diagram. Write an essay comparing the weather to our country’s weather.

8.    Read a recipe and with a parent, make a food item from a continent. Take a photo of or draw what you created. Calculate the measurements for each ingredient you’ll need for a serving size of 12.

9.    Research a plant or animal and write a report about the effects on the continent if it were extinct.

10. Pangaea is back! Describe the problems that would occur if all 7 continents were back together again.

11. Log a country’s temperatures for a week. Take your data and come up with three questions you have and 1 prediction about the next week’s temperature.

12. Build a historical landmark from another continent using recyclable materials.

13. Create a budget for traveling to another country. Convert the U.S. dollars you’ll need into that country’s currency.

14. Find the percentage of land vs. water for all seven continents and record using a table.

15. Research an invention from a continent and improve it. Record the steps you took or record a video.

16. Create a test on the continents and give it to a family member. Correct and discuss the results together.

17. Create your own activity based on your interests and learning style!