The Mighty Dragon
Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School
March 2017
Contact Us:
1 Spur Drive South, Islip Terrace, NY 11752
Telephone: (631) 581-1862 Absentee Line: (631) 581-0969
Principal's Message
Dear Parents,
As we spring into March, we also spring into budget time. In these times of economic hardship, the East Islip School District is faced with difficult choices as the 2017-18 budget is being developed. We want to prepare a budget that provides our students a promising education now and in our future. I encourage all parents to get educated and involved with the budget process by attending the budget presentations. Our first budget presentation took place on February 16th. The district office has planned another budget presentation which will be held on March 9th and a budget advisory committee presentation on March 23rd.
Our PARP weeks were a great success during the month of February. The PTA did a fantastic job planning various activities and events. Our school had the goal of reading a total of 40,000 minutes. I am happy to report we read a total of 43, 676 minutes. I look forward to reading around the "camp fire" with each grade as our earned reward. This month we will hone in our math skills with our annual March Mathness Competion!
Our next PTA meeting will be at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 7th. We will have nominations at this meeting. I hope you can join us. As always, I look forward to seeing you throughout the month.
Sincerely,
Hillary Bromberg Ed.D.
East Islip Board of Education
President…………...........Christopher Zachry
Vice President…….........William Carpluk
Trustee………...…............Steven Behan
Trustee……………….........Jessica Carney
Trustee..........................Philip Montuori, Sr
If you do not want to join Twitter, please use the Twitter Search link, https://twitter.com/search-home and type in our handle @EIprideRCK to see all of our school's happenings at RCK.
If you do join Twitter, you can follow the school’s account, RCKelem, @EIprideRCK, and always see the updates on your twitter feed.
March Mathness
Students at RCK will be participating in a math competition from March 6th to March 27th. They will be logging on to the IXL site and solving as many problems as they can for as many minutes as they can. Students are competing against the computer, fellow students, other classes in RCK and themselves. This will be a three week online competition of math strength, endurance, and most of all math hustle! There will be prizes awarded for individual students at each grade level. They will be based on time spent, problems attempted and concepts on which students achieve a Smart Score of 80% or higher. Last year the students at RCK completed over 250,000 math problems!!!
Chrome Books in the Classroom!
Students Collaborating
Google Classroom
Total Engagement
Excitement
Peer Assistance
Interactive Websites
Ms. Macher's and Mrs. Talbot's Publishing Celebration
Presenting the 8 stages of the Writing Process
Presenting the 8 stages of the Writing Process
Students shared their Stories with parents and friends
PTA Happenings
Dear Parents and Students,
I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing winter break! February was an exciting month at RCK! Our first Sweetheart dance was a tremendous success and we hope to host this event again next year! Pick-A-Reading-Partner (PARP) theme this year was “Happy Camper: Read S’More Books.” Students surpassed the school wide goal of 40,000 minutes and will receive a special “Camp Side Story Time” with Dr. Bromberg. Award winning children’s author, David A. Adler, came to visit RCK and spoke to students about the writing process. Family Reading night was engaging and fun for all in attendance. All kids received a S’Mores snack and bottle of water.
PTA nominations will take place at the March 7th PTA meeting. If you or someone you know is interested in serving on the PTA board for the 2017/2018 school year, there is still time. Please attend the meeting for more information.
Thank you for your continued support!
Kelly Schumacher, PTA President
Upcoming Events:
- March 7th, PTA Meeting, Nominations, 9:45am
- April 18th, PTA Meeting, Elections, 7:00pm
2016-2017 RCK PTA BOARD MEMBERS:
President Kelly Schumacher rckpta1516@gmail.com
1st Vice President Deni Cuoco dcuoco3@gmail.com
2nd Vice President Cheryl Rigogliosi abijazz@verizon.net
Treasurer Briana Martinez briana_otto@yahoo.com
Recording Secretary Melissa Kneisel melissakneisel@gmail.com
Corresponding Sec. Nina Penny ninapenny@aol.com
Join the PTA and Follow them on Facebook
The PTA Membership Application is now available online. The online address is:
RCK First Annual Sweetheart Dance
David E. Adler Visited RCK
Introducing Rebus Writing
Author of Cam Jansen Books
Students loved meeting him
February's Patriotic Song
For the month of March, our daily patriotic song will be “America.” Please refer to the lyrics of part of the song below and join us as we sing each morning in March.
AMERICA
by Samuel F. Smith - 1832
My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.
Box Tops for Education!
The Box Tops for Education program has been very successful. Through the Box Tops for Education program, an everyday trip to the grocery store can make a difference for the students at Ruth C. Kinney Elementary. This program allows families to clip the Box Tops coupons, found on hundreds of common grocery items, and send them into school where they will be combined with coupons from other families. Each coupon is worth 10 cents for your school. The dollars add up quickly! The average family purchases more than 100 Box Tops products each year, and 100 Box Tops totals $10 in earnings for our school. Ruth C. Kinney Elementary can earn up to $20,000 per year with your help.
This school year we have raised close to $1000 so far! Keep them coming!
Our Makerspace is located in our Imagineering Zone
What is Makerspace?
Makerspace is a unique area in our school that allows for creativity and innovation to occur. Students have the freedom to design, engineer, fabricate, create, build and collaborate. We are starting small, but thinking big! Makerspace is part of the Maker Movement and it incorporates STEAM initiatives – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.
What can we Use?
We are always accepting donations from the community for our Makerspace. These materials enhance the learning for the students during the time they spend in our Imagineering Zone. Please feel free to bring any of the supplies listed below. There is a bin set up in the main lobby labeled "Imagineering Zone". Thank you!
Nutrition Corner: Free Breakfast Alert
March is “National Nutrition Month.” To recognize the importance of beginning each day with a healthy breakfast, all RCK students will be eligible to receive a free breakfast on Wednesday, March 8th. Cafeteria doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Every morning, breakfast is available beginning at 8:30 a.m. and costs only 75¢. The menu choices are:
cereal, buttered roll, bagel, fruit, milk and juice.
DELAYED OPENINGS AND EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
In the event of inclement weather, which might cause hazardous road conditions, the closing of school will be announced as follows:
WALK (1370 AM, 97.5 FM)
WGBB (1240 AM)
WCTO (94.3 FM)
WHLI (1100 AM)
WBAB (102.3 FM)
WLIX (540 AM)
WBLI (106.1 FM)
TV Channel 12
If it is determined that a One-Hour Delayed Opening is needed, the starting time for RCK will be 10:12 AM. The starting time for RCK in the event of a two-hour delay will be 11:12 AM. Please plan accordingly for morning pupil pick-up time, (i.e., buses will be one or two hours later than usual). Dismissal time will remain 3:12 PM. as usual.
Please be reminded, in accordance with East Islip School District Policy, once school is open, it will remain open until all children are picked up or dismissed at 3:12 PM. This policy also pertains to snowstorms and blizzards.
Character Education Virtue of the Month - Courage
The school wide book of the month to illustrate our focus on Courage will be the story, Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan. This book is is about Michael Jordan and how Michael almost gave up on basketball because he feared he wasn't tall enough to play the game. His mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion, patience, determination, and hard work. His fear could have prevented him from becoming the famous basketball player he is today!
Student Showcase
During the month of March we read stories about leprechauns and searching for their pots of gold, but the students in Mrs. Miller’s Third Grade Class know that it is the special people in our lives that really make us rich. Each student wrote a paragraph about someone they value more than gold to display on our bulletin board. Here are some of their paragraphs.
My cousin, Leila, is worth more than a pot of gold to me. She always makes me laugh when she tells me silly things. She makes me feel better when I am sad. Leila makes me feel special when we are together. That’s why she is worth more than gold to me. –Isabella Laban
My mom is worth more than a pot of gold to me. She is there when I feel sick. She’s there when I feel sad. She is also there when I need help with something, even help with my homework. My mom is worth more than a pot of gold! -Stephen Wrynn
My mom is worth more than a pot of gold to me. She makes me laugh. She helps me with what I need help with. Also, my mom lets me have my friends come over or lets me go there. That’s why she is worth more than a pot of gold to me. -Kaylee Glocksien
My brother, Eric, is worth more than a pot of gold to me. Eric is nice and funny to me. He cheers me up. When I’ve gone mad or sad, Eric makes me laugh. Eric encourages me to do things I don’t want to do or things I’m scared to do. Eric is my little brother, but he reads a lot of history on the Internet and knows about history. He tells me all about what he has learned and answers my questions. Eric is like my robot helper. I feel like I am the luckiest sister just by having my little brother, Eric.
–Viki Li
My dad is worth more than a pot of gold to me. He makes my favorite foods. He plays video games with me. He plays with me when I’m bored. I am lucky to have a fun dad! -Jayson Ortiz
My best friend, Alexandra, is worth more than a pot of gold to me. Alexandra makes me feel better when I am upset. She helps me with everything. She also lets me do what I want to do. I am a lucky person to have her as my best friend. –Sarah Cortes
My cousin, Erin, is worth more than a pot of gold to me. She lets me play my games too, so we can take turns. We would always build a huge blanket fort that took up the whole room and play in it together. We always include each other when another person is around. That is why Erin is my best friend. –Molly Ross
During the month of February Mrs. Throo's 4th grade class read many books to participate in our PSRP program. They wrote bio-poems about a famous person, real or fictitious using a format. The focus is on the traits of the main character demonstrated in their own viewpoint. The following are a few examples:
Christopher LaMacchia
Joe
Baseball’s Best , by Andrew Gutelle
Confident, focused, determined, persistent,
Lover of baseball
Who believed that fans everywhere would notice the “Bronx Bombers”
Who wanted to be the best that he could be
Who used a bat, ball, and glove
Who gave the most amazing batting streak in history
Who said “That bat was just right for me. I liked the feel of it.”
DiMaggio
Olivia Quintero
Lazlo
The Brand New Kid, by Katie Couric
Bullied, Kind, Courageous, Sensitive,
Lover of soccer, chess, and pastry’s
Who believed all people should be treated equal
Who wanted peace
Who used kindness to make friends
Who gave everyone peace of mind
Who said, “That’s okay,”
Gatsky
Lilyana Graney
George
George Washington , by James Giblin and Michael Dooling
Heroic, Brave, Strong, Calm
Lover of freedom, peace, civil rights
Who believed in independence
Who wanted loyalty
Who used words, tactics, and strategies
Who gave shoes, clothes, and food
Who said “I am the father of this country.”
Washington
Keith Evans
Clover
The Other Side, by Jaqueline Woodson
Determined, Happy, Playful, Friendly,
Lover of color, people, friends
Who believed that anybody can become friends
Who wanted to be friends, to be happy, for things to be fair
Who used kindness, peace and rationality
Who gave respect and grace
Who said, “We’ll be best friends.”
Clover
Dylan Paulus
Peppe
Peppe The Lamplighter , by Elisa Bartone
Young, Brother, Helping, Courageous
Lover of Dad, Sisters, Mother, Streetlamps
Who believed in prayers to his family
Who wanted health for his dad, a job, and piecework for Angelina
Who used a pole, hat, and determination
Who gave effort and his heart
Who said, “and this one for Papa, may heaven help his heart”
Peppe
Vanessa Rossa
Michael
Salt in His Shoes , by Deloris Jordan
Determined, Passionate, Brave, Confident,
Lover of basketball, dribbling, playing,
Who believed he would get better at basketball with practice,
Who wanted to grow taller, play better, win,
Who used salt, prayers, practice, to grow taller,
He gave his effort, heart and skills,
Who said, “We won the game, but I was the star.”
Jordon