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Here we go again! We were finally able to see the playground this past Friday due to the melted snow. Tomorrow will be a Flexible Instruction Day - all students were sent home with their chromebook or Ipad this past Friday. Students can access their teacher's virtual classroom via Zoom or Google Meet. The link will be on their Schoology page.
Stay safe everyone!
The Flexible Instruction schedule is below:
8:50 - 9:15 Class Meeting and Attendance
9:15 - 10:00 Small Group ELA
10:05 - 10:50 Small Group Math
10:50 - 12:45 Recess/Lunch
12:45 - 3:25 Asynchronous Lessons for Students/Virtual Planning for Teachers/PD
- IXL (optional asynchronous)
- Band/Chorus (assign independent practice)
- Related Services (ie. PT/OT/SLP/etc.) (progress monitoring as needed)
- Independent Projects & Teacher Directed Activities
- Special Area Teachers (i.e. reading specialists, special ed, counselors, EL, Gifted, Related Arts, SLP, etc.) will post activities to their Schoology page
- Teacher PD/PLC Planning
- IEP Meetings (where needed)
If you have any questions, please email your child's teacher or Ms. Phillips
sphillips@pdsd.org
Kindergarten Registration is open - please spread the word to neighbors and friends who may have a kindergarten student ready to start this September! Also, if you have younger children who are ready to join us for Kindergarten, please register them so we can begin planning! More information is below.
Technology Tip
Parent Tech Tip from our Technology Teacher, Ms. Cameron
Should Children use ChatGPT?
Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Raisa Masood for Commonsense Media.
OpenAI's Terms of Use state that users must be 13 or older. If you're under 18, you need your parent or guardian's permission to create an account. Keep in mind that kids could come across content that's not age-appropriate. In addition, ChatGPT collects personal information and user data. This info is used to improve the system and can be shared with third parties for things like advertising. Under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 is illegal without parental consent.
If kids are interested in using ChatGPT, the best option is to use it alongside an adult. Kids could use ChatGPT with a parent or caregiver to get ideas about things they're interested in, like writing code or music. Families can explore the tool together and try prompts that are fun, inspiring, or helpful. Ask it to write a play with parts for everyone, or put together a poem in Dr. Seuss’ style to read out loud.
Since ChatGPT is a new program, there's a lot we don't know about it. As artificial intelligence tools become more available, it will be important for families [and educators] to talk with kids about how to use them appropriately and responsibly.
Action Step: Parents can use ChatGPT to in a simple way without just giving answers. Example: "Explain fractions like I’m 10 years old." When used the right way, AI can be a great tool for learning, not a shortcut around it.
LIM/PBIS Update: We had our latest round of super star winners this past Friday and we are looking forward to next week's announcement of the grade level with the most super stars!
Nurse Corner
Smile Program: The mobile dentist will be at Northley Middle School on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Below is the link to register. Students who are registered will be bused to Northley and back to Aston. Time is TBD, so it is suggested that students pack a lunch that day if possible. If not, we will be sure they get to eat if they miss their assigned lunch time.
https://www.myschooldentist.com/NMPSPA_schsrm
6 Day Special/Related Arts Schedule
February 23 - A Day (Virtual Day)
Febryary 24 - B Day
February 25 - C Day
February 26 - D Day
February 27 - E Day
Upcoming Dates:
March 12 and 13 - 11:15 dismissal for parent teacher conferences.
This round of conferences are teacher or parent requested; not everyone will have a conference.
March 20 - Me and my VIP dance
March 26 - Northley Middle School Information Night for Parents of 5th grade students - 6:00 PM at Northley
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