November 22nd E-blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Students, Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update Date: November 22nd, 2013

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Every year at this time, I like to take a moment to reflect on the things I am most grateful for in my life. High on my list, along with health and family, is the privilege of living and working in the town of Milton. My career in the Milton Public Schools has been filled with moments of gratitude. I am thankful for the incredibly talented teachers and staff who work tirelessly on behalf of each child. I am thankful for our families who volunteer countless hours to ensure that our staff and students feel supported and appreciated. I am thankful for our students who put a smile on my face each and every day as they sing, dance, draw, play, learn and grow right before my eyes.

Thank you to all the people who work to make the Milton Public Schools great. Without your commitment, creativity and high standards, we would not be where we are today. Our students thrive because of what this school system and what this town offers. I wish you all a Thanksgiving filled with abundance, warm memories and bright moments.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast was published, and it was held Wednesday night (11/20.) Below is a summary of that meeting:

November 20th: The meeting began with a presentation from Jerry Vitti and Michelle Connolly of the Milton PAC. They came to update the committee on the history, goals and activities of the PAC so far this year. They requested volunteers to help with their website and possibly to provide babysitting during their meetings.

Next, Pierce Middle School math teacher James Moonan and Pierce Principal Dr. Karen Spaulding were brought before the committee to discuss the Milken Family Foundation Award.  Mr. Moonan was named the recipient of the National Educator’s Award and given a $25,000 prize. The committee congratulated Mr. Moonan and Dr. Spaulding.

The Diversity Report for the district was presented and approved. This report will be posted to www.miltonps.org early next week.

School Committee member Mike Zullas and Assistant Superintendent for Business Glenn Pavlicek were appointed to serve on the Town/School Consolidation Committee. School Committee member Becky Padera updated the committee on the recent votes taken at the MASC conference. Members voted to approve the first quarter report from the Finance Subcommittee and to allow for electronic transfers of funds among town departments. The Facilities Subcommittee reported they have negotiated a favorable rate for energy this year. The committee then voted to move into executive session. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, December 4th at 7 pm in the Milton High School library.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Please note there is NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, November 27th, Thursday, November 28th or Friday, November 29th. School will resume on Monday, December 2nd.

The following item was sent it to us by Milton Public School parent and Director of Marketing and Sales for the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, Lee Statham:

JFK Library Plans Tributes Marking50th Anniversary of November 22, 1963

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, the official memorial to President John F. Kennedy, will observe the 50th anniversary of November 22, 1963 with a number of events that celebrate the legacy of the nation’s 35th President. Observances will include a ceremony webcasted by satellite from the Kennedy Library’s IM Pei-designed glass pavilion; the presentation of a selection of artifacts from the President’s State Funeral that have never before been displayed; an interactive documentary and website celebrating the vibrant presence of JFK in the world today; and an award ceremony on November 25 during which Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, will celebrate two young Americans who answered President Kennedy’s call for pioneers of the New Frontier.

“The Kennedy Library seeks to honor the memory of John F. Kennedy every day by serving as a dynamic center for discourse, storytelling, and debate that inspires younger generations to engage fully as citizens of this world,” said Tom Putnam, Director of the Kennedy Library. “Fifty years after his death, we pause to look back at symbolic artifacts from this defining moment in our nation’s history and, looking forward, we hope to draw inspiration from the arts that he championed and from JFK’s timeless words. By offering our observance and programming to a worldwide audience online, we pay tribute to our fallen president and to the millions who came together to mourn him.”

The Kennedy Library invites the public to join a special live webcast of a musical tribute in honor of the memory of President Kennedy. Award-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor; award-winning saxophonist Paul Winter and the Paul Winter Sextext, which was invited by Jacqueline Kennedy to be the first jazz ensemble ever to play at the White House; and the United States Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club will each perform musical selections including two from the President’s State Funeral. They will be joined by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Elaine Jones, director-counsel emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and former Peace Corps volunteer to Turkey; US Naval Commander, Navy SEAL, and NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy, who just returned from six months on the International Space Station; Richard Blanco, poet for the 2013 U.S. presidential inauguration;; and Sarah Groustra, an 8th grade student from the Edward Devotion School in Brookline, Massachusetts that John F. Kennedy attended as a child, who will all read excerpts from a selection of President Kennedy’s most historic speeches.

There will be no physical audience during these performances – simply the backdrop of the sea that the President loved so dearly as the ceremony is broadcast live at http://www.jfklibrary.org and via satellite by media outlets that wish to cover the event. The ceremony will include a moment of silence at 2 p.m., the time that the President’s death was announced to the nation.

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The Glover Elementary School was recently notified that they have been chosen as a member of the WeatherBug Schools Program. The school has installed a new WeatherBug weather station, which is able to provide weather data for meteorological teams at news stations across the country, to broadcast online and on-air. The weather station will also be used to enhance the science, technology and math school curriculum using the WeatherBug Achieve program. Bringing the WeatherBug Schools Program to the school district was part of a collaborative effort between Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan  and Glover Principal Sheila Kukstis and was funded by a generous grant from Blue Hills Bank. The WeatherBug vendor, Earth Networks, gave the school a $1,500.00 grant and the Blue Hills Bank gave us the balance of $7,190.00 to install the station.

This program will enable students at Glover Elementary School to more effectively understand the science of meteorology. The WeatherBug Schools Program is committed to helping protect schools and provide an engaging teaching tool for students nationwide. The WeatherBug interactive software program, WeatherBug Achieve, enables teachers to apply real-world conditions to help teach skills and concepts in math, science and geography. Teachers and students in K-12 have access to weather local weather conditions from any of the 8,000 WeatherBug sites across the country. Using WeatherBug Achieve, teachers can also create customized learning activities based on current and historical weather conditions from the WeatherBug stations and cameras located at the schools. To learn more about WeatherBug, click here: http://www.weatherbugschools.com/webinar.asp

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Earlier this month, grade 4 and 5 students in the Milton Public Schools participated in the first Continental Mathematics Meet of the year. These mathematics experiences offer students an opportunity to utilize critical reasoning and excellent problem solving skills while approaching math problems. All meets have a maximum score of 6 points. It is with great pleasure that we publish the names of the students who scored 5, or higher, on the first meet of the year.

 Grade 5: Perfect Scores (6): Nathan O’Neill (Tucker) Score of 5: Ryan Fitzmaurice, Megan Farley, Sam Dunnington. Margaret Mitchell, all of Collicot, Eris McCubbin and Philip Phan, both of Cunningham, Maureen Lang, John Roche, Arlo Stoodt and Katie McDevit of Collicot, Chloe McCarthy and Ella Pelton of Glover; and Daniel Truog and Max Mangum of Tucker.

Grade 4: Perfect Scores (6): Ronan O’Flaherty of Collicot, Maxwell Mitchell, Luke Shields, Stella Yuan, Tait Peloquin, all of Tucker and Carolina de Oliveira Castro of Glover. Score of 5: Anabella de Oliveira Castro, Rohan Meier, Aoife Ruth, Nina Zimmerman, all of Glover, Ryan Dexter, Anna Hamblet, Michael Howard, John Clancy, Lucia Dwyer, Aidin Skillin, Joseph Warren, Joshua Olatunji, Chloe Zhong all of Cunningham. Sam Disandro, Andrew Tran, Will Riley, Rachel Steinberg and John Waldmann, all of Collicot. Reilly Foran, Ian Gravallese, Declan Kenney, Jake Lippert, Nathaniel McNulty, Ian Lundeen and Rori Middleton, all of Glover. Lucas Quijano, Declan O’Connor, Yasin Khan, Grace Kelly, Alex Paxhia, Robert Connolly, Marcus Ollivierre and Olivia Duggan, all of Tucker.

Congratulations to all these talented math students, along with their families and their teachers.

Test your skills with sample problems from the November Meet.

(*answers at bottom of page*)

Grade 4:  I am a two-digit number less than 30. If you put me in groups of 4, then there is 1 left over. The sum of my digits is 7. Who am I?

Grade 5:  Karen, Sue and Jen are sisters who share twelve cookies. Karen has twice as many cookies as her younger sister. Jen has the most cookies, but does not have more than ½ the cookies. How many cookies does each sister have?

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In my last E-blast, I welcomed the newly-inducted members into the National Honor Society. Now, I would like to recognize every Milton High School student who is a member of the National Honor Society:

Emily Brink, Jack Caljouw, Brianna Callahan, Devan Callahan, Camille Carpenter Jonathan Carrera, Sophie Chase, Noah Collier, Madeleine Collins, Cormac Conners, Chanel Connor, Juliann Cosetta, Tue Quan Dang,Tess Deaibes, Margaret Deane, Devin DiManno, Olivia Done, Chris Dsida, Maryam El-Sayed, Susan Fitzgerald, Kent Fong, Giuliana Giddings, Kenny Graham, Isabelle Gray, Emma Greenawalt, Victoria Grudem, Brendan Hunt, Phillipe Janvier, Paul Knight, Maddie Lachevre, Nikki Lam, Maja Machowski, Shana Mahmood, Claire Mahoney, Dan Matisof, Abraham Mccarthy, Julie Midy, Cailinn O’Carroll, Caitlin O’Connell, Jesse Okoro, Evy Oliverio, Cate Pappano, Martin Rebrovic, ChrisRicciuti, Michael Ricciuti, Siena Smith, Kate Smith, Dan Sweeney, Gloria Tan, Michael Tobin, Christian Urbina, Donna Yuan.

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I would also like to give an update on the recent Milton High School Debate Team. The team competed recently at Dighton-Rehoboth High School. There were 53 teams competing, and Seniors Chris Dsida and Cormac Conners came in second place. Senior Chris Ricciuti and Sophomore Lydia Horan placed 10th.   The Debate Team would like to thank Carol Bohmbach, mother of senior Katie Bohmbach, for helping with the judging on this event.

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Karen Cahill, Director of Guidance, shared the following information with parents and guardians recently. I thought this information was worth repeating:

We thought this story in the NY Times was worth sharing with you. Parents/guardians please encourage your child to read this article from the New York Times about some of the unintended consequences of social media: NY Times

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Please save the date for Milton High School Financial Aid Night. On Wednesday, December 4th at 7 pm Christina Coviello, a MEFA Representative will be at Milton High School to give a financial aid presentation. She will discuss the FAFSA as well as the CSS Profile. She will also share tips and dispel any myths regarding the financial aid process. The presentation will take place in the Charles Winchester Auditorium

MFE

Save the date! The MFE’s Celebration for Education with the theme: “Live Schools, Live Classrooms, Live Minds” will be held Saturday, April 12, 2014 at the Boston Marriott Quincy. The Jeep Raffle is back! Only 500 tickets will be sold. Tickets are available at your school’s office, or email pattielliott72@gmail.com. Interested in sponsoring the event or have an auction item to donate? Please email caffanato@comcast.net

GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

The following item was submitted by Ally Jones, president of the Best Buddies chapter at Milton High School:

As many of you know, I have been very involved with the Best Buddies Milton Chapter at Milton High School. Being a part of Best Buddies has enriched my life, and opened my eyes in so many ways. I am writing to ask for your support of the upcoming 5k walk for Best Buddies on Saturday, November 23. Every year, the Massachusetts organization holds this walk in Milton. Our team — Milton High Turkey Trotters — is working hard to have lots of people join our team. Milton High School’s chapter has had a strong growth spurt among the students, and it would be great to increase the support from other Milton residents — especially since the walk is in Milton.

Our chapter receives 10% of the money we raise for this walk…and right now, we are neck-in-neck with another high school for the most funds raised. The team that raises the most gets to bring home the Golden Gobbler trophy. Here are some ways you can help us take home this year’s 5K Golden Gobbler Trophy…for the FIRST TIME EVER!!!

– Join the “Milton High Turkey Trotters” team and walk with us
– If you cannot attend the walk, donations are always appreciated
– Buy one of our Tshirts for $15 (but they are going fast!!!)

Most importantly, please spread the word about Best Buddies to friends and family to help us cultivate a stronger Best Buddies community in our town. Inclusion not Exclusion!!!

Pre-register or donate at: http://www.bestbuddies.org/5k

Details: Saturday, November 23rd, start time 9:00 am, Cunningham School, 44 Edge Hill Road.

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The following information was submitted to us by Kathy Fagan Bauer on behalf of Cradles to Crayons:

This weekend , many great residents of Milton are partnering with Cradles to Crayons to collect new and like-new essential children’s items, especially warm winter gear for their Gear Up for Winter neighborhood collection drive. YOU can help this effort by cleaning out our own closets and dropping off your items this weekend at Cunningham Hall AND by spreading the word. Winter will soon be here and there are thousands of local children – including kids right here in Milton- who are counting on Cradles to Crayons to provide the items they need to survive and thrive.

Drop off Information:
Where: Cunningham Hall, 75 Edgehill Road, Milton
When: Friday, November 22nd from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, November 23rd from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Milton Youth Soccer Uniform Program is collecting soccer uniforms and equipment and will pass them on to children in need all over the world. Drop off your used soccer uniforms (and equipment) in collection bins located in the lobby of Cunningham. Any donations of CLEAN T-Shirts, shorts, socks, shin guards, cleats, and deflated balls and pumps will be gratefully accepted. Note that uniforms from other sports will also be gratefully accepted. Collection dates are November 18th – December 13th. For more information, call Marie-Laure Brown @ 617-696-8125. This project is supported by the Milton Public Schools and Milton Youth Soccer League

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We just received news from Mr. Voight of the Milton Library Foundation that our schools have been awarded a grant totaling just over $2,700. This grant will provide a unique opportunity for the Milton Public Schools to further our collaborative work with the Milton Public Library and bring exciting resources, demonstrations and tutorials to all of our elementary students. The grant will fund a program called “The MPL and MPS: Community Partners for Success, Take Two.” This project will pair staff in the Children’s Room of the Milton Public Library with the Elementary Librarian at Milton Public Schools to work on exposing students to more of the vast and varied resources available in the MPL and through their website to be used for research, enjoyment and learning. We expect this program to serve more than 2,000 students.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The Milton Police Department is seeking to hire crossing guards. This position would be for any of the four elementary schools and the shifts are one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon (exact hours depending on the opening and dismissal times of each school). The salary range for this position is $15.53-17.53/hr. If you are interested, please contact Lieutenant Mark Alba at 617-898-4814 or via email, malba@mpdmilton.org

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Three Pierce sixth-graders and one Glover first-grader have been selected to dance with the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker this November & December. Audrey Mak, Nina Paolucci and Anna Rull of Pierce and Lilly Oslin of Glover will be onstage in Duxbury, Cambridge and Dorchester as members of the Julie Moffat’s Atlantic School of Dance. For more information, visit this link: http://www.ballettheatre.org/

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All are welcome to attend Anne McIntyre’s reception, Sunday, December 1st from 2-4pm to celebrate her amazing teaching career, to be held at the Milton Art Center, 334 Edge Hill Road. http://miltonartcenter.org/ For more information, email: celebrateteaching2013@gmail.com

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The Milton Park& Rec Department is currently holding signups for Snowball League, Youth Instructional Basketball and Learn to Ski programs. For more information, visit their site:  http://miltonartcenter.org/

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

There is a new teen librarian on board at the Milton Public Library. Please stop by and say hello to Amy Rosa or send an email to: aboivin@ocln.org

The following information was sent to us by Sara Truog from the MPL:

Fall fun continues in the Children’s Room at Milton Public Library! In addition to our regular story times on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, we have these exciting programs for the young people in your life happening during the week of December 1 – 7:

Wednesday, December 4th from 4-5 pm
French Reading Support with Mr. Leite, Grades 1-2

In this program, beloved Tucker French teacher Mr. Leite will lead students in a French reading tutorial. This class is for first and second grade students in the French program in the Milton Public Schools who need help with reading, and is limited to ten students. While this is a series, registration for each individual class is required.

Saturday, December 7th from 10-10:30 am
Sensory Story time, Ages 3-5

This story time is created for children with Sensory Integration Issues, Autism Spectrum Disorders or other Developmental Delays along with their typically developing peers and siblings. Join us for fine/gross motor activities, songs and stories. A predictable, visual schedule will guide our sessions. We ask that an adult accompany each child to foster success for all participants. This story time is geared for children ages 3-5. If other story times have not been the right fit for your child, this may be just what you were looking for. Space is limited. Registration is required.

Saturday, December 7th from 11 am to noon
Reading Dogs, Grades 1-5

The Reading Dogs are back! Kids currently in grades 1-5 who need to practice reading aloud are invited to come meet and read to some lovable therapy dogs who are great listeners. Each child will have the opportunity to read at least one book to one of our canine volunteers. Bring a favorite book with you, or choose from our shelf. Registration is required.

Don’t forget to check the library web calendar for a listing of the many programs we offer year-round. Information about and registration for all of our programs can always be found on our online calendar at www.miltonlibrary.org, or by calling the Children’s Room at 617-898-4957 during business hours. Please contact the Children’s Room if you have questions about any of our programs or services.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here: http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

VISUAL ARTS

Don’t miss Milton’s Holiday Artisan Fair! On Saturday, December 7th from 10am to 4 pm, the Milton Art Center (MAC) at 334 Edge Hill Road will be hosting a great day for the family: shopping for unique and beautiful gifts, making presents and ornaments, and visiting Santa. Over a dozen local artists and artisans will be selling their paintings, handmade jewelry, bags, scarves, ceramics, loungewear, cards, homemade pies, gourmet goodies, and more! For a full list of vendors and links to websites, click here: http://miltonfava.tumblr.com/Artisan%20Fair

In addition, our annual Small Works Show will be offering a wonderful selection of artwork from local artists at great prices.

Santa is an artist, and so are his Elves! Kids love the Super-Secret Elf Gift Workshop, and parents and grandparents love to get the gifts they make. Four items will be available to make in our downstairs workshop during the Holiday Artisan Fair. Cost range is from $5-$20 per item, and kids leave with a finished gift-wrapped present ready to go under the tree. Hours: 11-2pm, one day only! While they wait, parents can enjoy the Fair and get some shopping done as well. And don’t miss Santa, who will be visiting and greeting children from 2-3pm! There will be a free ornament workshop, where kids can make ornaments for the town tree.

ATHLETICS

Girls Cross Country finished their post-season competition last weekend after travelling to the MIAA Massachusetts All State Tournament in Gardner, Mass. Colette O’Leary and Mairead Dambruch were the top two finishers from Milton. The team finished 11th out of 185 teams in the State of Massachusetts. This was a great season for the Girls XC Team – Congrats to the Girls XC Team and Coaches Tom Shaw and Kerry Devin.

Football: The Current Record: 4 wins and 6 losses. MHS Football played vs Medfield at home on Friday, November 15th and beat Medfield in the closing minutes 14-7, boosting their record to 4 wins and 6 losses. MHS Football will host Braintree HS on Thanksgiving Day at 10am. Also, JV & Freshman Football will be playing Braintree HS this Friday at home at 4pm and 6pm respectively.

Rich Hill Baseball Clinic: Milton High School graduate and current pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, Rich Hill, will be holding a baseball clinic on Saturday, November 23rd from 4:15 to 6:45 pm. The clinic will be held at the High School’s Copeland Field House at 25 Gile Road. Hill will be working with a Major League Scout and members of the Milton High School coaching staff. The cost is $10. It is open to all ages. Checks can be made to MHS baseball. All proceeds will go to the MHS baseball program. *Bring your gloves and bat!

Winter Sports Registration: MHS Athletics Registrations are now done online at https://www.familyid.com/milton-high-school/winter-2013-14-athletic-registration.

This will make the process of registering for sports teams more efficient and more practical for all student-athletes and families. Fees are as follows:

• $300 – Cheerleading, Basketball (boys & girls), Indoor Track, Ski Team, and Wrestling
• $600 – Ice Hockey (boys & girls)
• $450 = Milton Athletics Swim Club (Club Sport)*

*Milton Athletics Swim Club – We will be practicing at the Egan Center In Milton, 5 days a week, Monday through Friday from 4-5pm. We are hoping to have about 2-3 meets this season and those will most likely be on Saturday afternoons (dates to be determined). The cost will be $450 for the season.”

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to thank the following members of the MHS Marching Band, who traveled to Pierce Middle School on November 13th to help with our incredible ceremony to honor Pierce math teacher James Moonan. Despite the freezing temperatures, these students stood out in the bitter cold to greet the guests who arrived at Pierce that morning and they also helped to whip up some Pierce pride before the ceremony. Thank you to: Kevin Conway, Shane McLaughlin, Alanna Loria, Shannon MacLeod, Maya Watanabe, Mariah Conway, Hannah Fransechelli, Emily Possi, Lilly Tennyson, Nailah Dore-Tyrell, Catherine Stafford, Miranda Callahan, Aidan Duggan, Madison Peltier, Mitchell Hause, Lara Nasser, Chrissy Stafford, Greg Lynch, Kyle Dempsey, Emily Chow, Tony Hancock, Brigitte Dugas, Evan Kiley, Tim Eberhardt, Shane Savage, Dylan Banh, Michael Wyatt, Will Breslin, Kevin Mehdizadeh, Marc Dugas, Liam Hines, Tim Lynch, Dane Matejka, Emily Dsida, Daysia Fox, Shareen Alsebai, Simon Eder, Will Hess, Joseph Woods, Benjamin Val, Quentin Brown, Maddy Scott, Griffin Lloyd, Ben Clark, Ryan Kiley, Matt Nolan, Nico Gilmore, Nira Bullis, Kristen Ingraham, Jacob Savona, Jackson Callahan, Will Martin, Jacqueline Ruscito, Phil Janvier, Tansy Massy Green, Rebekah Mondelus, Shannon Conley and Ani Gaden

Staff: For those of you who may have missed all the media attention, one of our Pierce Middle School teachers was recently “surprised” with the news that he won the 2013 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award and an unrestricted financial award of $25,000. James Moonan, who teaches sixth-grade math, is the state’s 41st Milken Award winner. He is the only Massachusetts recipient in 2013-14 and one of up to 40 recipients across the country this school year. The Milken Award provides public recognition to exemplary elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and specialists who are furthering excellence in education. Congratulations to Mr. Moonan and the entire Pierce faculty and staff!

Volunteers: I would like to thank someone who has been a wonderful supporter of the Milton Public Schools. Don Lopez, owner of Lopez the Florist in Dorchester, has been a generous donor to the Milton Public Schools for many years. His floral shop is a fourth-generation, family-owned business who has made many occasions in the Milton Public Schools just a bit more beautiful. To view his website, click here: http://www.lopeztheflorist.com/

The Milton Public School system is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the provision of quality educational programs for all students. The Milton Public School system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, age or sexual orientation.

Answers:

Grade 4: The answer is 25.
Grade 5: Karen has 4 cookies, Sue has 2 cookies and Jen has 6 cookies.

 

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