Grundy Ave Newsletter
~ March 2018 ~
Dear Grundy Learning Community;
Is it spring yet? The weather has put a damper on some things this winter including recent school closings for Snow Days. Please have a plan in place with your children in case of an early dismissal. Kindergarten registration is currently ongoing. If you have a child eligible for Kindergarten, please bring them to the Central Registration Office. Currently, the Board of Education is in the process of developing the 2018-2019 School Budget. Please come out to the Board of Education meetings to stay informed about this process.
The NYS testing for English Language Arts for students in grades 3-8 will be held in April this year. The Math assessments will be held in May. The shift in these tests will again align to the Common Core Learning Standards however; NYS has shortened these assessments and they will now be delivered over 2 days, not 3. The dates of the testing for ELA will be April 11-12th and May 1-2nd for Math. If you plan to 'opt-out' your child from these exams, please send a letter indicating so to your child's teacher. If your child is planning on taking these exams, please make every effort to have students in school and on time for these important days. More information will be sent home as the dates become closer.
Grundy is about to host a Readers Are Leaders Day event. Leaders of our community will come to share some information about themselves, their careers, read a book to each class and the students will have the opportunity to ask the guest reader some questions. This will take place on March 2nd, the birthday of the great Dr. Seuss! Please ask your child about this special day.
The second trimester ends on March 6th and the Elementary Report Cards will be shared in a new format this trimester! A district committee met several times and revised the Report Card to make it more parent friendly and concise. A hard copy of the Report Card will be coming home with a letter from our Assistant Superintendent Mrs. Erin Hynes to explain this process. It will also available on the Parent Portal on March 20th after 1:00 PM. If you have any questions or concerns about the content or grades on the RC, you can always request a conference with any staff member.
The PTA has many exciting activities happening! WINGO will be on March 9th and spring pictures will be on March 22nd. The next meeting will be held on March 15th. More information on the wonderful events planned can be found on the Grundy webpage. Come out and support Grundy at these fun family events!
Finally, March 22nd is now a full day of school. This and other calendar changes can be found on the webpage here. It’s a busy time at Grudy School! I look forward to seeing you at our next school event or the PTA events! If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at 631-471-1820.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Laura Amato
Kindergarten News...
Kindergarten has had a fun filled month this past February. They had program about dental health. They learned how to brush properly and what foods are good for your teeth. They celebrated Valentine’s Day with fun filled valentine centers and stem activities. They celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing up as if they were 100 years old , counting to 100, making projects of 100 things and stem activities involving 100. They also learned about the Chinese New year and celebrated in the classroom with many different activities. Last but not least, we cannot forget how we ended February by celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a fun filled week of spirit week. Dressing up as a character, fun socks, Green eggs and ham and decorating our doors.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose” - Dr. Seuss
First Grade News....
February was a fantastic month in first grade. We had so much to celebrate! The month began with making predictions about whether or not our Groundhog was going to see his shadow. Most first graders accurately predicted that our Groundhog was going to see his shadow. These students were happy because they love winter and want more snow to play in! Then, we celebrated World Read Aloud Day by sharing numerous read-aloud stories throughout the day. The students discussed the favorite books that they like to read and encouraged their friends to read them too! Next, we celebrated friendship and kindness on Valentine’s Day. Our first graders loved sharing the cards that they made with their friends. We spoke about how to be a good friend to others. The 100th Day of school was our next celebration! Students celebrated that they are 100 days smarter in first grade by completing 100th day centers and activities. We even enjoyed 100th day snacks! Last, we celebrated President’s Day. We learned about President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. We also learned about other symbols of the United States like the Bald Eagle, The Liberty Bell and the White House. February was a busy and exciting month! We look forward to more learning and fun in March!
Second Grade News....
Second grade had a very busy month in February! We hoped for an early spring, but were surprised at the mixed predictions from the famous groundhogs. We are hoping
Punxsutawney Phil was wrong and Holtsville Hal was right! We really enjoyed learning about homophones and writing sentences for each pair of words. We loved making Valentine’s for our friends and handing them out in class. It was so nice to see so many acts of Kindness! Valentine’s Day was filled with many exciting things. We loved our STEAM centers that helped improve our skills in science and in math. Building simple machines helped “reinFORCE” what we learned in Science; applying force to objects can make objects go faster or slower. In Math, we continue to recite our regrouping poem while practicing regrouping with subtraction. Reading The Chocolate Touch helped remind us all how important it is not to be selfish and to think of others. Papa’s Mechanical Fish also taught us to never give up, to try again until you succeed. Second Grade looks forward to making many more memories in March!
Third Grade News....
February was filled with Olympic themed activities in 3rd grade. We kicked off the month with an Olympic Reading Log. Students were encouraged to go for the gold by reading for 350 minutes or more. Reading logs are due on March 1st and we can’t wait to see how many gold medals the students will earn! We also read about the Winter Olympics and many of the U. S athletes that are competing in this week’s edition of Scholastic News. Did you know that Maame Biney, age 17, is the first African- American woman to make the U.S. Olympic speed skating team? Go Maame! Sachem Public Library came to Grundy to work with the third grade classes on an Olympic STEAM activity. The students collaborated in small groups to plan and create a bobsled. They then raced their bobsleds against each other down a snowy “mountain”. Lastly, we had a multiplication fact competition with the entire grade level. Congratulations to Ethan K. for taking 3rd place, Niko S. for taking 2nd place and Lila A. for coming in 1st! All of the students showed excellent sportsmanship and have made so much progress in learning their multiplication facts. Keep practicing at home. February was an exciting month filled with friendly competitions and Olympic fun!
Fourth Grade News...
The fourth graders have been working on fractions in math. They have explored fractions using fraction strips in class and should be able to compare fractions, find equivalent fractions and order fractions from least to greatest. Our next fraction topic will include adding and subtracting fractions and learning about mixed numbers and improper fractions.
We will be wrapping up our fiction reading unit the first week of March and starting our non-fiction unit. It is important that all students have a non-fiction independent reader to use in class during independent reading time. At this time, we are still working on our fiction writing unit. The students are learning how to develop a fiction story with necessary components such as a developed main character, a clear, detailed setting, rising action, climax, falling action and an exciting lead to get readers excited to read their story. We can’t wait to see how their stories turn out.
In Science we are learning about the Solar System. The students will be learning about the planets, sun and the moon. They will also be creating a planet brochure. Please be sure that your child has used correct capitalization, spelling and punctuation and that the information is accurate. Thank you for your cooperation!
Fifth Grade News....
The Fifth Grade had a fabulous February! We continued our study of nonfiction reading and writing in our Reader’s and Writer’s Workshops. We finished researching the famous people we chose for our Biographies and are drafting, editing and revising our writing. It was so inspirational to learn how our biography subjects became the leaders they are today through hard work, perseverance, courage and grit. These are all qualities that we look to embrace in our futures!
In Math, we are exploring fractions. We are doing many fun hands on activities to get to know fractions as part of a whole and internalize the concepts of equivalent fractions and adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. Our fraction strips and other hands on activities are making this work meaningful and FUN!
One of the best parts of fifth grade this month was the start of the Trial of Goldilocks program! Mr. Vogel (a.k.a. Mr. Lawyer Dude) and Ms. Lizette are teaching us all about the law and criminal justice system. It’s informative and incredibly interesting. Currently, we are writing persuasive essays on which role we’d like to play in our performance of the Trial of Goldilocks. We can’t wait for our teachers to announce the parts so we can start rehearsing! Trial days are always a highlight of fifth grade and we can’t wait to perform for our families!
Last, but certainly not least, CONGRATULATIONS to Gavin Flynn for winning the District Spelling Bee! His dedication and hard work studying his spelling list and learning how to visualize each word certainly paid off on February 7th when he correctly spelled the winning word IMPETUOUSNESS and was crowned this year’s champion! We are so proud of Gavin!
STEAM at Grundy
News from the Reading Room....
How Rhyming Predicts Future Reading Success
If you grew up reading the Dr. Seuss book The Cat in the Hat, you probably remember having fun with rhyming. You may have thought it was a funny little book, but actually Dr. Seuss was right on track with helping you improve your reading skills.
When your child rhymes words, his/her brain develops the ability to do the following:
1. Break words down into smaller words.
In reading, the ability for break words down into smaller words makes it possible for him/her to tackle new words. This is called phonemic awareness. Children who aren’t doing well in reading are often unable to do this.
2. Learn the rhythm of the written and spoken word.
Rhyming sounds cool to kids and makes them happy. They want to read rhyming books because they are fun and give them the opportunity to develop inflection in their voices. They can also hear the differences in the sounds, which furthers their reading development.
3. Learn word families such as den, ben, ten, men, and pen.
Word families are the basis of language. When children realize that similar sounds are found in words they have heard before, they build a library of sounds in their brain for language. If the letter e in the word ben sounds like eh, it may also sound like eh in the word tenfold.
4. Increases ability to spell new words.
Once a child learns word families, spelling comes easier too. When a new word is spoken, it becomes easier for a child to spell the word because the sounds within the word have already been learned.
Reading Room Challenge!
Create a poem short or long
Make it rhyme and sing like a song.
Make it silly, make it fun!
Hand it in when you are done.
Drop it off in Room 63,
Your poems will make us so HAPPY!
Your sill story will be on display,
For all of Grundy to yell HOORAY!
A prize will be here waiting for you,
There is a chance you may get 2!
Grundy's Building Leadership Team....
Grundy’s Building Leadership Team
Grundy’s Building Leadership Team has been quite busy over the past few months.
Mind Action Team: This team has been extremely busy preparing for our Dr. Seuss celebration on March 2nd. Grundy will once again host Readers as Leaders day! We are very excited to announce that we have many readers coming to read and share their professions with the children and staff here at Grundy. Please take the time to ask your children who came to visit on Friday, March 2nd.
We will be celebrating Literacy Week with a Dr. Seuss spin the week of February 26th to March 2nd by dressing in our Seuss best. We will also be having a Smencil sale on Wednesday, February 28th during all lunch periods. These pencils will be $2.00 each.
Body Action Team: March is National Nutrition Month. This committee is asking that all students and teachers bring in vegetables and fruits for snacks every Friday in March. Let’s all join in, by making conscious healthy choices this month.
Spirit Action Team: The Spirit committee had an overwhelming response to the Hat and Mitten Drive. We were able to provide some much needed warmth to our little friends on some of those cold days that we had this winter.
News from the Library and Art Room.....
The first graders are celebrating “National Read Aloud Day” and Dr. Seuss’ birthday in Art and Library with an exciting joint lesson. The students will be listening to Dr. Seuss’ story of McElligot’s Pool. In library, with Mrs. Lawler, the students will be imagining what kind of fish they could catch, like in the story.
McElligot’s Pool contains some pretty funny, imaginary fish, that are a mix of fish and other animals. The story really helps to get the students to think creatively about what kinds of fish they can make. Then in the art room, with Mrs. Liuzzi, the students will then take their ideas and have an opportunity to make their creations come to life.
What kind of fish would you imagine being in “McElligot’s Pool”?
Family Connect Night
Pajama Program...
The Gorgeous Grundy Gals club is hosting a fundraiser from Monday, May 5th through Friday, May 9th. These young ladies have taken the time to learn about a program that helps bring brand new pajamas and books to children of all ages. The pajamas must be new and unused, and the pajamas should be a new, complete set (tops and bottoms). The collection is for children of all ages – infants to 18 years old (XXXL).
1. Every child has the right to a sense of stability and security. ~ Nightly bedtime rituals like fresh pajamas and a storybook offer a consistent, reassuring “comfort zone” at the end of each day.
2. Every child has the right to feel loved and cared for at bedtime. ~ Unconditional gifts of fresh pajamas and a storybook are tangible proof that someone is thinking of them, creating a feeling of being loved and cared for.
3. Every child has the right to wear fresh, clean pajamas to bed and to enjoy a bedtime story that fires their imagination. ~ Changing out of the clothes of the day and into fresh pajamas starts the ritual of bedtime and helps children shed the day’s stresses, too — trading them for feelings of comfort and potential. As they leave the day behind, an enchanting story calms and inspires them, helping them transition further to a place of rest.
4. Every child has the right to feel valued and validated as a human being. ~ For children who have no personal belongings of their own, our unconditional gifts of new pajamas and storybooks give them something very special of their own.
5. Every child has the right to a good night and a good day. ~ We understand that for children to reach their dreams, they must have a loving bedtime and peaceful good night leading to a positive good day.
New pajamas and books are magical gifts that we will collect and give, with love, to children. It is easier than you might think to comfort and delight the children who need it most, giving simple but magical gifts that lift spirits and can change the world one child at a time. The Grundy community has come together many times to support those in need. Let’s show our Grundy spirit and love by putting a smile on a child’s face. Remember that a good night = a good day. If you would like more information about this fundraiser, please go to www.pajamaprogram.org.
News from the Nurse....
What is the flu?
Influenza (flu) is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by the influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old, and children and adolescents with chronic health conditions are at greater risk for serious flu complications. These flu complications can result in hospital stays and even death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
How do I know if my child is at greater risk for flu-related complications?
Your child is at risk if he/she has any of the following conditions:
• Asthma
• Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions including disorders of the brain; spinal cord; peripheral nerve; and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury
• Chronic lung disease (such as cystic fibrosis)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease and congestive heart failure)
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Morbid Obesity
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as children or adolescents with HIV or AIDS, cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
• Receiving long-term aspirin therapy for chronic disorders
• Pregnancy
What are symptoms of the flu?
Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. It is important to note that some people sick with flu may not have a fever.
What is a flu complication?
Most people who get the flu will recover in a few days to less than 2 weeks, but some people will develop complications (health problems such as pneumonia) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.
Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections are 3 examples of complications from flu. The flu can also make chronic health conditions worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu.
How can I protect my child against the flu?
• Flu Vaccines: The most important thing is for your child to get a flu vaccine every year. Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.
• Distance: Your child should avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Hand washing: Wash hands often with soap and running water (for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Help your child in hand washing if needed.
• Germ control: Encourage your child to avoid touching his eyes, nose, mouth, and to use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze into.
• Cleaning: Keep surfaces in the house and toys clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to the directions on the product label.
• Health: If your child has a chronic health condition, make sure that it is under the best control.
• Plan: Have a plan in case your child becomes sick with the flu.
What can I do if my child gets sick?
• Doctor: Call or take your child to the doctor if your child develops flu-like symptoms. The doctor may want to begin antiviral drugs as quickly as possible. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines that fight against the flu in your body.
• Home care: Keep your child at home, except for doctor visits, until at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever.
• Covering coughs: Ensure that your child covers coughs and sneezes.
• Rest and fluids: Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks clear fluids (water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants such as Pedialyte to keep from becoming dehydrated.
• Medicines: Ask your doctor about fever-reducing medicines based on your child’s age. Children younger than 4 years of age should not be given
over-the-counter cold medicines without approval from a health care provider. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers who have the flu; this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s syndrome.
•Sick room: Keep your sick child in a separate room (sick room) in the house. Limit, as much as possible contact with other members of the house who are not sick. Make one person in the house the main caregiver for the sick child.
•Protect pregnant women: Pregnant women should get a flu shot. If possible pregnant women should not be the main caregiver of a child with the flu.
When can my child go back to school after being sick?
•Usually, your child should stay home for at least24 hours after the fever is gone.
•The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.
•A fever is defined as 100° F/37.8° C or greater.
Is the flu vaccine safe for my child with chronic health problems?
Yes. The flu vaccine is approved for use in children older than 6 months, including healthy children and children with chronic health problems. Because children with chronic health conditions are at a higher risk of getting flu related complications; it is especially important that they get a flu shot.
What types of vaccine should my child receive and how many doses?
There are two types of flu vaccines available – the shot and the nasal spray. Children with chronic health conditions should get the shot only. Children younger than 9 years old may need 2 doses of the vaccine. Talk with your doctor to discuss how many doses are recommended for your child.
CDC recommends that all children 6 months and older, especially those with chronic health conditions get a seasonal flu vaccine.
News from the Resource Room...
Students in Ms. Turner's Resource Room have been putting their heart into their writing. Students have been working hard using their writing strategies to write about things they love to do! Some of the topics students wrote about were their love of their pets, their families, and love of Art, You Tube, Hockey and many more. Students worked hard during the writing process and used “peer editing” in partnerships to complete their writing pieces! Ms. Turner’s students are Leaders in Writing!
Spirit Week for Literacy
Check out the fun for literacy spirit week!
Speech tips....
C.R.A.V.E. is a set of strategies and academic tools that can be used when students have difficulties with memory and processing.
C= CHUNKING
Breaking down larger pieces of information into smaller pieces; such as breaking a phone number down into sets of three and four numbers instead of seven to ten numbers.
R= REPETITION
Repeating the same piece of information over and over; such as a suite number of an office building when walking in.
A= ASSOCIATION
Associating a new piece of information with something you already know; such as remembering a new student’s name by associating their hairstyle with a family member of yours who has the same name and hairstyle.
V=VISUALIZATION
Creating a picture or movie in your mind when learning new information; this will help to recall the details of the information so the student can go back to it later on and “view” it.
E= ELLABORATION
Associating new information with prior knowledge, such as creating sentences of the to-be-remembered word or creating a story, or paraphrasing (e.g., Try to make a simple sentence using the words you hear. If you hear dog, hat, bed, make a silly sentence like, “The dog found a hat under the bed.”)
News from the gym...
During the week of February 5th, all physical education classes had the wonderful opportunity to experience the art of Yoga. Once again, the instructors from “Yoganimcs” presented to our students their program called “Yogardio.” This program for kids incorporates cardio and yoga, which emphasized on being active and learning important relaxation techniques.
Yoga and cardio has many benefits:
boosts self-esteem and confidence
promotes healthy living
Increases attention
Improves balance and coordination
Strengthens the Mind/Body Connection
IT’S FUN!
Musical notes...
Grundy Ave School
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Email: lamato@sachem.edu
Website: www.sachem.edu/grundy
Location: 950 Grundy Avenue, Holbrook, NY, USA
Phone: 631-471-1820
Facebook: facebook.com/GrundyAvenueElementarySchool
Twitter: @GrundyAve