Mount Sinai Elementary Update
September 2023
A message from Principal Catlin
We're off to a great start at MSES!
Welcome to our newsletter!
I want to start by thanking Mrs. Tepfenhardt who is much more technologically savvy than myself and put this together. I think it looks amazing and is a fun way to keep everyone in the loop on what is happening around Mount Sinai Elementary.
We are hoping to update this at least monthly with general updates about events and information about our school. If something more urgent comes up, or there are just a lot of things that we would love to share, we will update it more frequently.
It’s been a great start to the year so far. Superstitious people frown when I say things like this out loud but I think it’s been the best start I’ve had in my seven years here. The kids are really settling in and we’ve been able to start the real work of seeing how they’re doing academically and making plans to ensure everyone gets the support they need to succeed this year.
On that note, you’ll be receiving letters home (if you haven’t already) if your child has qualified for Academic Intervention Services (AIS) in either literacy or Math. We aim for this to be a temporary support for most students to see if we can catch them up to grade level standards. For some students this is a matter of weeks, for some it takes months and many students may need it all year. We monitor all of our students throughout the year to make sure they are doing well and students move in and out of AIS throughout the year as a result.
Homecoming is this weekend (Saturday 9/30) and I look forward to seeing many of you marching with the elementary school or cheering us on from the street during the parade. It’s always a fun day where the community comes together to cheer on the football team and celebrate Mustang Pride. If I don’t see you on Saturday I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you at the Boo Bash or one of our other upcoming events!
MSES Welcomes New Team Members
Ms. Meghan Tepfenhardt, Assistant Principal
Ms. Kimberly Colongione, Speech Teacher
Ms. Lindsey Coffin, Teacher Assistant
Ms. Casey Schmitt, Physical Education Teacher
Mr. Mike Sheedy, Band Teacher
This is Ms. Sheedy's 27th year in MSSD, and has worked in all 3 buildings. This year, he is back in MSES!
Ms. Megan Stankiewicz, Art Teacher
Ms. Stankiewicz has worked in both the middle school and high school in the MSSD for over 10 years.
New Routines, Working Together and Getting to Know Each Other
In the first weeks of school, our teachers engaged the students in opportunities to learn new routines and build a strong classroom community in order to creating a safe learning environment, filled with rich academic learning experiences. In this video, Mrs. Kotarski and Mrs. Carney's Fourth grade classmates collaborate in groups to design and engineer solutions to this design challenge.
Click to enjoy a playful video on the importance of collaboration and teamwork! When working together, students practice good communication, learn to work within a team and enhance their abilities to compromise and lead. Creating opportunities to facilitate the development of these qualities, the elementary classroom prepares students for future collaborative opportunities in and beyond the school walls and promotes 21st century skills that are needed for future teamwork-based workplace environments.
Third Grade Visits Sunken Meadow's Outdoor Learning Labs
Exploring Plant and Animals of the LI Sound's Ecosystem
Two classmates take a closer view of this fiddler crab, one of the many treasures acquired from seining the water.
John sharing his aquatic find!
A SHOUT OUT to Young Philanthropists
Brielle, along with her younger sister Zoe, brainstormed, planned and organized their annual fundraiser to honor the memory of their dad, Michael Colson. During their annual camping trip, these thoughtful citizens tapped into their creative spirit to raise funds by selling shells they designed for months. The proceeds of their efforts went to the ALS organization. Bravo Brielle and Zoe!
New Pick-Up Procedures
As a gentle reminder, when picking up your child:
- Be prepared to show picture ID each time you are picking up. This will be cross-checked with student information cards.
- Sign your child out each time.
- For children that attend NSYC, when your child's schedule changes for any reason, please send a note to both your child's teacher and NSYC.
Share your reaction to the new pick-up procedures...
Recess Update
🏈🏈🏈Many of the older children in Grades 3 and 4 made use of the field and enjoyed pick-up games of football in the first few weeks of school. While the cool air seems to encourage the love of the game and many students can be seen spinning and juking to escape defenders (pretty impressive), some of the students are engaging in tackle-style football. This week, each lunch period was given direction to use the flag belts that were generously provided by the PE department. This will ensure the students still have the opportunity to enjoy the game, run hard, and play safely. Tackling is not permitted during recess. Flag belts will be made available to students daily.🏈🏈🏈
Please consider labeling your child's coat/ jacket. The temperatures can be drastically different from the morning to the afternoon hours, resulting in the children shedding layers as they run and play outside. If children inadvertently leave coats or jackets outside, we would like to get those personal items back to them. Labeling also keeps the amount of items down in the Lost and Found.
As the weather gets cooler, please keep in mind to send students with appropriate attire for outdoor weather. We try to go outdoors for recess as much as possible! Below is a helpful diagram from NOAA to use for reference.
Important Upcoming MSES Dates
- September 26: Spirit Week- Sports Day
- September 27: Picture Day ; Spirit Week: Dress is Your Best Attire
- September 29: Spirt Week: Dress in school colors ❤️🖤
- September 30th: Homecoming Mount Sinai Vs. Wyandanch 1:30 pm. Join MSES for the pre-game parade. Dress in school colors to show your spirit! Meet in Café Spiga at 12:00 PM. Parents should remain with their children for the duration of the parade.
- October 6th: PTO Movie Night- Hocus Pocus
- October 9: Columbus Day- no school
- October 11: PTO General Meeting in District Office
- October 13: PTO Boo Bash
- October 18 & 19: Scholastic Book Fair
- October 18: Evening Scholastic Family Book Fair
- October 18: BOE meeting, HS library
- October 30-31: MSES Food Drive