Grundy Ave Newsletter
~ May 2018 ~
Dear learning community;
Happy Spring! The school year is quickly coming to a close and our school calendar is quickly filling up! Grundy has many exciting events and programs planned for the remainder of the year so stay informed. Check out the Sachem website for all of our district's news and information.
As a reminder, the Sachem School Budget Vote will be held on May 15th this year. All voting will be held in the Grundy MPR from 6:00 AM through 9:00 PM. Dr. Graham and Mr. O'Keefe have been touring the district to speak to all constituents about the 18-19 school budget. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always call or email them. More information about the budget presentations can be found here .
IMPORTANT: You will vote in the elementary school you did for the 2017 School Budget. For more information you can call the Office of the District Clerk at 631-471-1331 or click on this link to find your polling place.
Grundy is planning a variety of events and activities for families who come out to vote and that information can be found below. Each and every grade level along with our special area staff have planned some type of fun family event. We hope to see you on May 15th.
There are many exciting activities planned for our students throughout the month of May. May 1st and 2nd are the NYS Math Assessments for grades 3-5. On May 8th we will be having our Kindergarten Orientation. Our talented music students will perform in the spring concert at North HS on May 17th starting at 7:00. The week of May 7th is Teacher Appreciation Week and May 14th is a High Five chalk walk in celebration of Police Week during our dismissal. The PTA will be having the Mother's Day plant sale on May 10th -11th. Great choices and beautiful plants available!
Sport's Night is on May 18th starting at 7:00 at Sachem North. Contact the PTA if you or your family would like to purchase tickets. This year it will outside on the football field! Come out and cheer on your favorite teachers and principal! :) Grundy will once again help end childhood poverty and team up with other schools as we celebrate Red Nose Day (more info below) on May 24th and the 4th grade Science performance test will be given on May 23rd. Don't forget schools will be OPEN on May 25th the Friday before Memorial Day.
As you can see, Grundy is a very busy place during the month of May. I hope to see you at our next PTA event or on May 15th for Budget Vote Day.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Amato
Kindergarten news...
Grundy Kindergarten is super busy! We have been working very hard with tapping out sounds to form words, learning long vowels, diagraphs, spelling rules of using c, k, or ck and sneaky, silent “e”. The students are studying all the types of Fiction such as fantasy, traditional and realistic. During Mini Lessons and Independent Reading, the children are learning to identify the story elements, problems and solutions.
We have also started our author study unit for Writing Workshop. An author study is a great way for students to see authors as real people. The author’s writing style and illustrative techniques help young writers relate to the importance of recalling information and generating story ideas.
In math, the students are learning about sorting objects by attributes, identifying shapes and solid figures. We have also been reviewing adding and subtracting up to the number five. The children really enjoy working in STEAM centers with hands on activities which reinforce the math objectives taught.
Kindergarten is super excited to study about Earth Day, Recycling and Re-using to keep our Earth healthy and happy. We have also learned about The 5 senses, plants and animal classifications.
Community Helpers and Map Skills are the next two units in our Social Studies Program. The Kindergarten Teachers will be asking for parent volunteers to come in and speak about their careers. More info will follow.
First Grade news...
April was an awesome month in first grade! In honor of Earth Day, each first grade class took some time to think about how first graders can help keep the Earth beautiful. The students had so many amazing ideas including that they would try to clean up after themselves, help animals, plant flowers, recycle, and use both sides of their paper when they are drawing. Keep up your great work first graders! We are so proud of you for trying to keep our Earth the wonderful place that it is! In April our first graders also had a fantastic opportunity to go back in time and see what it was like to go to school in a one room school house. The students had a great time doing arithmetic on slate boards and practicing their alphabet using inkpot pens on paper that was very thick and expensive a long time ago. We look forward to a marvelous May in first grade with more learning and fun!
Second Grade news...
Second grade was showered with Kindness this April! We read a wonderful book on having special relationships with our family members. The book of the month was called A Morning with Grandpa! It was about a grandfather and granddaughter teaching each other how to do Tai Chi and Yoga. It was so fun to learn some of the moves that were in the story! We have been enjoying reading for our PARP Kindness program. We loved making our own book marks. In math, we are reviewing adding and subtracting two digit and three digit numbers. In Social Studies, we have learned all about the three different types of communities. We read and watched short videos on how to keep our environment clean and to remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle. We all wrote on leaves making a promise to our earth and each created a giving tree outside our classrooms. We then wrote letters telling mother earth how we will protect our earth from pollution. April has been filled with many fun inspirational days! We look forward to a Magnificent May!
Third Grade news...
The wonderful PARP activities kept our third graders very busy this month! We are so proud of the readers that helped our grade level move along the Reading Rainbow so quickly! We have been studying Earth Day. These students certainly had great ideas about how to take care of our earth. In recognition of Earth Day, the students had a hands-on experience with trees during our Tree Program! The children had the opportunity to sort pine cones, classify types of trees by touching their leaves, and look through nonfiction books to learn about the different trees in our state. The third-grade students have also begun a 7-week “Too Good For Violence” program. This program will teach the students different strategies to use when they feel frustrated or disappointed. Each week, they will engage in activities that address some of the issues that third graders may face as they grow. It is so important to give students the opportunity to practice making great choices and working through situations in a healthy manner!
Fourth Grade news...
This month, on Friday May 11th, we will be going to Old Bethpage Village Restoration for a class trip to study colonial life. On this trip the students will visit a general store, saloon/house, schoolhouse, hat-maker, farmhouse and many more buildings from this time period. It is a great trip and the students love seeing the colonial time period that they’ve been studying all year, come to life!
On Tuesday, May 15th, the fourth grade students will be hosting a Colonial Life Fashion Show. The students will be dressing as if they lived during that time period and modeling their choice of clothing while another student describes their outfit of choice. We would like to thank all of the parents for their support in making this fashion show possible. Parents of 4th graders, please join us at 9:45 in the cafeteria to watch our show and cast your vote for your favorite costume/outfit.
Fifth Grade news...
It has been another busy month in fifth grade! In math, we have had fun investigating the volume of solids. We have enjoyed the change from our very challenging units surrounding multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. Our social studies curriculum has led us to a comparison of the different governments of North America. In writing, we have published our biographies and are beginning our preparations for the Grundy Avenue Wax Museum. The museum will take place on Tuesday, May 15th and we welcome all family members to view our hard work!
Our in school program, “The Brain Challenge” was another success - what a fun time! We were able to challenge our minds and bodies as we lightheartedly competed against each other. There were great trivia challenges - do you know the “name of the headmaster in the Harry Potter series?” as well as physical challenges. Congratulations to Ryan Rosario who is the best hula hooper in the 5th grade!
A big thank you to all who participated in our first STEAM fair - it was a huge success! Our fifth graders had a great time creating their own binary code birthday bracelets. There were so many great activities to choose from - creating your own instrument to coding with Mrs. Lawler. Our STEAM room looks great and we are stocking it full of wonderful resources. Class 5-2 was able to watch our new 3D printer in action - amazing! We are looking forward to a fun-filled end of the year.
Sachem Budget Vote
As a reminder, the Sachem School Budget Vote will be held on May 15th this year. All voting will be held in the Grundy MPR from 6:00 AM through 9:00 PM. More information about the 2018-2019 school budget can be found here .
IMPORTANT: You will vote in the elementary school you did for the 2017 School Budget. For more information you can call the Office of the District Clerk at 631-471-1331 or click on this link to find your polling place.
Special Events At Grundy
Art Show - will include a piece of art from every student in our school. Starts at 4:00 and open to all!
Colonial Fashion Show - For parents of 4th grade students starting at 9:45. More info from the 4th grade team to go home with families.
Writing Display - 1st and 2nd graders written works will be hanging in the hallways outside their classrooms starting at 4:00.
Animal Showcase - Check out the 3rd grader's research reports and exhibits in the hallway outside the cafeteria starting at 4:00.
Wax Museum - The 5th grade parents are invited to attend the famous Wax Museum to highlight the research reports and biographies of famous people. This is invite only during the school day.
Kids Zumba - Come on in the gym and get your heart pumping and dance with our very own teacher, Mrs. Siffert! Starts at 4:00-4:30.
Kids Yoga - To practice mindfulness and become centered Kids can do Kids Yoga with our staff member Mrs. Ferraro. From 4:30-5:00.
News from the Nurse...
PENNIES FOR PATIENTS PAJAMA DAY
I’m excited to say that Grundy Avenue Elementary School is again taking part in a One Day Event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients Program. On Monday May 14th we will be sponsoring a student and staff Pajama Day. Donations of $5 can be put in an envelope marked Pennies for Patients and sent in to your child’s teacher. All donations go to support the LLS’s mission to find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. We can truly make a difference in patients’ lives as well as teaching the children how rewarding it is to help those in need.
Thank you in advance for helping LLS to create a world without blood cancers!
Mrs. Bruno
News from Resource Room...
This month in Resource Room, Students are practicing reading fluently with their eraser end of their pencil to scoop words.
Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words automatically. They group words quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read. Fluent readers read aloud effortlessly and with expression.
We love Reading in Resource Room!
Police Week...
7 steps to good digital parenting...
Parenting today's tech savvy kids can seem overwhelming. But you can do it! Take these seven simple, though still challenging steps, to becoming a good digital parent.
- Talk with your kids: start early and often, stay calm, be open and direct
- Educate yourself: search online for anything you don't understand, try the apps, games and sites yourself, explore other online resources
- Use Parental controls: activate the safety settings on computers, phones, search engines, tablets and games, monitor their use and screen time
- Set ground rules and apply sanctions: agree and sign a family safety contract, set a time and place limits for their use, enforce sanctions when necessary
- Friend and follow but don't stalk: Friend your kids on social media, respect their online space and don't over do it, encourage them to create a good digital reputation
- Explore, share and celebrate: go online with your kids and explore together, take advantage of new ways of communicating, learn from them and have fun
- Be a good digital role model: curb your own bad habits, know when to unplug, show your kids how to collaborate and create online.
Red Nose Day....
On May 24th, Grundy Avenue will again be participating in a very important event called Red Nose Day. This event spreads awareness and raises money for children and youth that are affected by poverty. We will be selling red noses to the students and families starting the week of May 14th. We encourage not only our students to purchase red noses but parents, siblings and other relatives too. This will be a family fun activity! Each nose will cost $2.00. A flyer will be sent home via email on May 11th. Please fill out the bottom portion and return it to your child’s teacher no later than Friday, May 18th to purchase the red noses.
We will be wearing the red noses to school on May 24th! We encourage family members to take pictures together with their red noses. Please feel free to send the pictures to lamato@sachem.edu. Once we received your pictures we will be creating a bulletin board in our main lobby and posting them on our lobby TV. If you post anything on social media please use #rednoseday #grundyavenuerednoseday. Thank you for your support!
News from the Math room....
TEASE YOUR BRAIN…
Brainteasers are fun for children, and they’re a great way to build logical-thinking skills. Challenge your youngster with puzzles like these:
1. Ask your child to arrange 12 pennies in a square; with 4 coins per side (the corners are shared). Can she rearrange them so each side has 5 pennies? 6 pennies? (Hint: Some coins must be stacked and corners will still be shared.) Then, let her name a different number of pennies and have you make squares.
2. Put four playing cards face down on a table. Challenge your child to get all four cards facing up. The catch? On each turn, he must flip over exactly three cards at a time. With each flip, he should leave the cards as they land- face up or facedown. What is the fewest number of turns he needs to get all four cards face up? (Answer: four)
…and remember, math vocabulary is something that is often overlooked. Using flashcards will help your child remember the word and how it is used in math. Example: Addend is a number that is added in an addition problem. Addend can be put on one side of the card, and the definition on the other side. Keep the cards in a Ziploc bag where your child can pick them up and study them each day. As your child learns the vocabulary word the card can be put in an “I know these words” pile for future reference. This will help build confidence and math vocabulary.
Musical notes....
As we enter May and June, our music department has some great performances coming up! On May 17th, the 4th and 5th grade chorus, 5th grade band and 5th grade orchestra are having their evening concert at Sachem North on Thursday May 17th.
Also, in collaboration with our wonderful PTA, all Grundy students are invited to sing together at a Long Island Duck’s Game on Saturday, June 2nd. We will be singing “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch. Please join us for a fun evening of music and baseball! Flyers were sent electronically through the Grundy PTA Remind and hard copies can be given by Mrs. Gallagher. If you would like to download the form, it can be found here. We hope to see you there!
STEAM Fair
Grundy's first STEAM Fair was a great success. The BLT's Action Team and the many staff that volunteered their time to set up and help during the fair were very excited about the turnout! Most importantly, the kids and families had a blast! We had coding in the computer lab, grade level activities in the gym, instrument making in the art room and the Sachem library brought some of their gizmos and gadgets into the cafeteria.
STEAM is all about hands on activities that engage our children using problem-solving skills as well as collaboration and teamwork. Most of all, STEAM is FUN!!! Thank you to those families that came out to support this initiative.
News from the speech room...
10 Speech and Language Strategies for Parents to Implement at Home 1. Self Talk- Talk out loud about what you're doing.
2. Add 1 Word- Use 1 word more than your child is using.
3. 1 at a Time- Give only 1 so they have to ask for more.
4. Parallel Talk- Talk out loud about what your child is doing.
5. Model- Tell them what you want them to say.
6. Give 2 Choices- Do you want _ _ _ or _ _ _?
7. Be Forgetful- Let them ask for what they need.
8. Sing- Teach language using songs.
9. Open-Ended Questions-Use WH questions instead of yes/no questions.
10. Sabotage- Set it up so they need to ask for help.
Grundy Ave School
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Twitter: @GrundyAve
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Website: www.sachem.edu/grundy
Location: 950 Grundy Avenue, Holbrook, NY, USA
Phone: 631-471-1820
Facebook: Facebook.com/GrundyAvenueElementarySchool
Twitter: @GrundyAve