Sherwood Spirit
December 2019
From Mr. Walerstein's Desk
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Greetings and happy holidays to everyone. The temperatures are getting colder, and the daylight is getting shorter, but the days at Sherwood are still filled with learning.
November was a busy month, and was filled with events for the students. The local Elks Club members visited Mrs. Davis' 3rd grade class to donate dictionaries to the students; they did a great job explaining the importance of the book as a reference. The Elks were also nice enough to donate dictionaries to all our 3rd graders. A highlight of our month was a visit from local veterans; this is the second year Sherwood hosted a Veteran's Parade and a question/answer period with our 5th graders. The event not only delighted our visiting veterans, but also provided the students with an experience they won't soon forget. This month we also had our annual 5th Grade Sports Night; this was the first year the teams were divided by house. This was much more inclusive for our students, and the students had a great time.
Charles Smith, Jr. came to visit on November 1st! He is the author of many books, including I am America, I am the World, and Brick by Brick among others. He discussed his life, and how his upbringing had a profound effect on his writing. He recited poetry, and even took the time to answer questions from the students in the audience. We thank the Sherwood PTA for bringing Mr. Smith to us!
In November, we also collected food during our annual food drive to help families in our community; we were not only able to help 8 families by building 8 baskets of food, but we also had enough left over that we will be able to continue our outreach efforts in the coming months by donating even more food to local families. We are so proud of the efforts of our community. This past month, we also had our next House activity; this activity was all about being thankful. The students viewed a short staff video that gave examples of what the staff are thankful for. The students then created lists of things they are thankful for as well. Students created paper chains that will decorate our holiday trees in December.
Coming this month, we will be having our annual Winter Concert. This will take place on December 11th at 7:00 pm in the Islip Middle School auditorium, and is the culmination of all of the hard work that our band, orchestra, and chorus students have put in over the last few months. Level 2 Band, Level 2 Orchestra and Chorus will be performing at MacArthur Airport on December 13th. We thank all of the families for their support as we know the challenges of before and after school rehearsals.
Finally, this month we will host our parent-teacher report card conferences. Conferences will be held on December 5th and 6th. Conference appointments were made with teachers. Please remember that photo identification is required to enter the building. Dismissal for these dates will be at 10:30 am.
We thank everyone for their continued support, and we wish everyone a happy holiday season and a very Happy New Year.
Warmest Regards,
Chad Walerstein
Principal
BUNDLE UP FOR RECESS
Colder weather is quickly approaching. We will continue to have outdoor recess whenever possible. Please be sure that your child comes to school with the appropriate clothing to spend time outside.
Research Projects with Mr. Senese and Mr. Segal
Fourth graders from Mr. Senese and Mr. Segal's class worked in groups to research different types of extreme weather during their non-fiction reading unit. They reviewed multiple sources, created posters, and presented their findings to the class. Please see some photos of the students' work below.
Remind
PTA NEWS
Our November joint PTA meeting with SEPTA was very informative. Executive Director of Student Support Services Kate O’Callaghan, along with Behavior Consultant Jennifer Martin, gave a presentation on support services in the district.
Our November Food Drive was very successful. We are very thankful for all of your donations. We were able to make many baskets during our Night of Giving to help local families. Paint Night was a great time!!
Thank you to the Committee that planned a great event and thank you to all the parents who joined us in the fun!
Remember to keep sending in your Box Tops! We want to reach our fundraising goal this year!
We are still collecting Kid Stuff Coupon books. Please return your unwanted book to the PTA mailbox at Sherwood, or return payment for the book.
Dates to Remember
12/5 Parent/Teacher Conferences; 10:30 am dismissal.
12/6 Parent/Teacher Conferences; 10:30 am dismissal.
12/7 Islip Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting
12/10 Board of Education Meeting, IHS
12/11 Sherwood Concert Rehearsal, 9:30 am to 11:30 am IMS
12/11 Sherwood Winter Concert, 7:00 pm; IMS
12/13 MacArthur Airport Trip
Winter Recess 12/23 - 1/3
From the Health Office
Along with the winter season comes the flu, upper respiratory infections and viruses. Deciding when to keep a sick child home from school is not always easy. It's important for children to attend school. For parents, keeping a child home means missing work. Please resist the temptation to give your child Tylenol or Motrin and send them off to school. You might decrease their fever, but you will not decrease their contagiousness.
The following are measures you and your family can follow to prevent the spread of illness.
* Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. A good technique is to cough into your sleeve.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
* Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.
Prior to returning to school after an illness, children must be without symptoms and fever free for at least 24 hours. Premature return to school may result in the spread of illness to others.
Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping maintain the healthiest environment for our children.
--Ann Marie Ferry, RN