The News From MGWS

Who would think adding two words to a famous phrase would make all the difference to kids in need.  Thanks to the World Ambassadors Club- millions of children in poverty will have a chance to survive. World Ambassadors Club, Mrs. Girouard’s and Mrs. Lindgren’s class raised $298.65 for Unicef this Halloween!

With all the donations from this campaign tens of millions of lives will be saved with clean water, good food and medicine.  Next year, we urge you to participate in trick or treat for Unicef.

Sincerely,

Cameron Morin &  the World Ambassadors Club

Marshwood Great Works School is collecting canned goods and other nonperishables over the next few weeks. All items will be donated to food pantries in South Berwick and Eliot.

Let’s make this our best food drive yet!

The weather was brisk

but our kids took a risk

they proceeded with vigor 

& wished the cocoas were bigger!

By David Ramsay

news@seacoastonline.com

October 23, 2009 2:00 AM

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Based on last year’s national math tests and recent state test results, Marshwood Great Works fourth-graders are arguably among the best and brightest in the nation, say school officials.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress Mathematics test taken last school year, Maine fourth-graders scored 244 (the national average was 239), with only four states scoring higher than Maine. Only eight states scored higher than Maine eighth-graders.

On the Maine Educational Assessment math test last year, Marshwood fourth-graders compared very favorably to the state average on that test, meeting or exceeding the state average by 14 points — 81 percent for Marshwood fourth-graders, while the state average was 67 percent.

At Wednesday evening’s School Administrative District 35 meeting, school board members were thrilled to learn these results.

“What’s really impressive is that SAD 35, we’re way above the state average, so the state is number four nationally and we outperform the state of Maine by a huge margin for the fourth grade,” said Superintendent Jeffrey Bearden. “That’s a real telling statistic because it demonstrates that our students can compete with any student in the nation in the area of mathematics.”

Bearden added, “We have very few students in the ‘do not meet the standards’ category.” For example, in the fourth-graders’ math tests, there were only 3 percent of students whose scores fell into the ‘do not meet’ category and only 2 percent in reading.”

Assistant Superintendant Gail Sullivan also reported that in reading, Marshwood fourth-graders exceeded the state average by 12 percent, with 83 percent meeting or exceeding the state average of 71 percent for the state average in those categories.

School officials were also pleased that math scores are rising and have attributed this trend in part to the use of the enriched Everyday Math program developed by the University of Chicago that was adopted several years ago.

Today the students and staff celebrated a big anniversary/birthday.  MGWS is 10 years old!

We headed to the gym where we saw a slideshow of memories from the last decade.  Then we all got to have a piece of the gigantic birthday cake that food services prepared for us.  It was delicious:-)

Fifth graders are also thrilled to touch base with friends during the lunch hour.  Yesterday they were challenged by Mr. Burnell to waste less food…

Lunchtime is a great opportunity to catch up with friends from other classes.  This particular 4th grade group is full of smiles:-)

I’m in chess club on Tuesdays and I love it! I got the chance to ask Ms. Kyle about chess club and here is what she had to say:

Q: Why would kids want to come to chess club?

A: Kids who aren’t into sports would have something to do.

Q Is chess mental?

A Absolutely!

Q When did chess club start?

A 2005 I think.

Q Is it okay to bring in our own chess boards?

A Yes

Q Why did chess club start?

A Mr. Burnell asked for ideas for after school activities

And that’s inside scoop on chess club!