Wildcat News
McKenzie Elementary School
April 2024 Volume 3
A Note from Mr. Barrow
This year is going by quickly and I would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” for all of your help, support, and involvement in making it a very rewarding and satisfying experience for your children. I would like to share some of our engaging activities and events that took place recently or that will be taking place in the near future:
- Wildcats showed their big hearts with their donations for our SOUP-ER Bowl Food Drive (Donations for local food pantry)
- 1st Grade classes went to the ER Memorial Library for a class trip and to get their library card
- Black History Month Celebration and Activities
- 100th Day of School Celebration & Activities
- Spirit Weeks and Wildcat Fridays
- Pre-K Registration (Closed as of March 28th for lottery process)
- Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 School Year
- Celebration of Read Across America (Thank you to all guest readers)
- Wear Blue Day “Shine a Light for Autism Awareness” & In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, our McKenzie School Wildcats have created puzzle pieces to share their unique differences following grade level assemblies
- McKenzie School 2nd Grade students and staff won the PTA Coin Challenge fundraiser by collecting $982.98 and being rewarded with a grade level Pizza party by the PTA
- Kindergarten Students Performed an Amazing Concert in March
Please see the "Food Services" tab on our district website for additional information. In closing, please visit our website at www.erboe.net to view report cards in the Genesis Parent Portal Link located under the McKenzie "For Families" tab. If you need any further assistance with your Genesis username and password or are having any difficulties viewing the report card, please email Mrs. Carol Mosquera (cmosquera@erboe.net). To learn about more of our school’s activities, I would like to continue to invite you to see McKenzie School’s and the East Rutherford School District’s website. Our website has been designed to be a valuable source of school news, timely information, and easily found contact information for parents, students, and visitors to the site. If you have not already, please download the mobile app that accompanies our website to receive notifications and follow us on Twitter to see all of our Wildcats’ school spirit and great work being done.
Enjoy your spring break!
Brian Barrow
McKenzie School Principal
Read Across America
Becton National Honor Society Visit
Career Day
Spring is a vibrant and exciting time in Mrs. Speer’s art class! We have stored away our white tempera paint as we embrace the season of bright colors and creative projects.
Spring Time Art News
- Second Grade Creations: Our second graders have been busy creating adorable paper cylinder Spring Bunny Puppets.
- Field Day Shirt Designs: All students in 2nd and 3rd grades participated in sketching designs for our upcoming field day shirts. These shirts, generously provided by our amazing PTA, will be given to all students and staff. The designs had to be child-creating featuring only the words "McKenzie School" and in black and white. The winning design will be selected by the PTA.
- We were thrilled by the creativity and talent shown by our students in designing the shirts! Mrs. Speer was especially thankful not to have to choose the winning design, as all the entries were outstanding. Our students truly demonstrated that KIDS ART RULES!
Celebrations
We want to celebrate the wonderful Spring time art creations our students have been working on. Here is a photo of some students from Mr. Hayes' class showcasing their creativity. We are incredibly grateful for the partnership and support of our families. Thank you for encouraging and inspiring our young artists as they explore their creativity in the art room.
Students in Technology class have started a unit on animation. They will learn how to create original animations using Google Slides. After completing their animations, students will share their completed projects with their classmates.
¡Mucho progreso!
In Spanish class, students are progressing towards proficiency! They are building on their knowledge from previous years of Spanish and using the language in and out of the classroom. In Spanish class, students are learning Spanish through fun topics such as dinosaurs, fairy tales, clothing, wild animals, and more. As the end of the year gets near, we will continue learning the language through these familiar topics. I love watching our learners using the language in conversations with me in class and am excited to watch them grow into multilingual learners! Thank you for your support during this beautiful learning process!
Laura Numeroff Author Study
Students recently completed their first author study of the year by exploring the works of child author, Laura Numeroff. Students read various texts such as “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “If you Give a Moose a Muffin”. During small group and center based instruction, students matched beginning letter sounds using cookie and mouse picture cards, helped Moose count his blueberries during a mathematics lesson and made cookie dough playdough by following a recipe card. Students even conducted science experiments based on the author’s silly characters and taste tested some of the character’s favorite foods. At the end of our author study, the students hosted “Pig’s Party” where students created decorations and invitations for the event, completed story related crafts and ate pancakes (pig’s favorite food). We look forward to continuing these experiences during the remainder of the school year.
We cannot believe our First Grade students will soon be Springing into Second Grade. As our
days start to (hopefully) warm up, we are excited to get back outside! In ELA, we have been
reading stories, finding clues, and making inferences! In math, we break our numbers into tens
and ones. In Social Studies, our students enjoyed learning about females who shaped our
history, including Ruby Bridges and Rosa Parks. In Science, students have loved learning how
sound and light help us navigate the world around us. We also loved learning about the Solar
Eclipse! We are ready for Spring weather, and we will be getting ready to work on compound
word rainbows to brighten our hallways. Our First Grade students have been working on
self-help skills. They will try to earn a spot in our First Grade Shoe Tying Club after spring break!
Keep up the good work. Have a fun and relaxing Spring Break!
THIRD GRADE
Mrs. Nastro, Mrs. Machado, Mrs. Alkhalidi, Miss Cornacchia, Mrs. Schlesinger
It is with great pleasure that we share with you the remarkable progress and achievements of our 3rd-grade students!
Throughout these past weeks, our students have been diligently immersing themselves in a diverse array of educational endeavors across our curriculum. They have embarked on an enriching journey delving into the lives of prominent historical figures, particularly focusing on the impactful narratives of Black History Month and Women's History Month. With dedicated research, they have crafted insightful essays and constructed captivating lapbooks, proudly displayed along the hallways for all to admire.
In mathematics, our students have dedicated themselves to mastering fractions, recognizing and applying these concepts in our daily lives. As we transition into Time, Measurement, and Mass, our focus remains steadfast on equipping our students with the skills necessary to excel in the upcoming NJSLA State Test.
In the realm of science, our budding scientists have been actively engaged in a series of exhilarating experiments centered around the awe-inspiring phenomenon of the Solar Eclipse. Simultaneously, in Social Studies, our students are embarking on a journey to explore Arab American Heritage Month throughout the month of April, broadening their cultural understanding and appreciation.
Keep working hard and giving your best everyday!
In honor of Autism Acceptance month, our McKenzie School wildcats have created puzzle pieces to share their unique differences!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
BIRTHDAYS IN SCHOOL
Students are welcome to share their birthdays with the class by providing a small individual snack that meets district guidelines as described below. Birthday celebrations should be arranged one week in advance with the classroom teacher and at least one week in advance to collaborate with the School Nurse for health and safety reasons.
Guidelines for Holiday, Birthday, and other Classroom/School Celebrations
In accordance with Board Regulation 8505, we believe that children, parents, staff and administration have a right to know the ingredients in the foods children are eating, and that we have an absolute responsibility to do everything we can do to ensure the health and safety of our students. When a classroom experience is planned, that will include food and/or beverages, the following general procedures will be followed:
Please read and review McKenzie School and Classroom Food Allergy Letter
Parent(s) or staff members who wish to supply food/beverages for any event or occasion must contact the classroom teacher to determine if any child in the classroom is allergic to any particular food item.
Parent(s) or staff members must bring to school only food/snack items or beverages that have been prepared or manufactured by a commercial establishment and packaged or boxed in a sealed container provided by the same commercial establishment where the items were purchased.
No home-baked or homemade items will be permitted.
No chocolate or any form of candy is allowed in the school
The teacher will ensure that the food items provided are accompanied by a listing of ingredients and that the items meet the federal and state nutritional guidelines regarding fat and sugar content.
PARTY INVITATIONS/CLASS LISTS
In order to promote our students’ self-esteem, children are not permitted to pass out party invitations to their classmates in or on school grounds unless their entire class is invited to the party. Staff is not allowed to send home a list of student’s names for any reason because of confidentiality reasons.