MKES NEWSLETTER
March 2019
From The Principal's Pen
Dear MKES,
We believe that if our students feel safe, they will become resilient. Resilience happens every time a child faces a challenge and grows from it. The next stretch of school will be filled with new learning, more tests, a new season and the excitement of summer on the horizon. With that comes a need for us to practice resilience.
Resilience helps children navigate changes and embrace uncertainty with a problem-solving approach. While some children have a natural ability to ask for help, others have to be taught. To build resilience, we encourage students to take risks. We invite them to try something new or different and help them celebrate failure. Let that sink in.
Most of the time, children are afraid of “trying” because they are not sure of the outcome. We have been practicing telling them that we are proud of them “for trying” and we see more and more student effort in the classroom, on the playground and in their specials. This data proves that a recipe of safety plus love and encouragement removes the stigma of fear and anxiety. It’s a beautiful thing!
Additionally, for all MKES learners and families, change is on the horizon. The School of Choice Policy outlines the changes that our MKES learners will experience in the 2019-2020 school year. Let us pause for a moment. Transitions for children each year are inevitable as they prepare for the new grade, new teacher and new peers. In addition, many of our students will be in a new school next year. Children with long-standing friendships may experience many emotions during this transitional time. The way all children best transition, with the least amount of angst, is through thoughtful guidance from the adults around them.
To that end, we would like to take a team approach with how we prepare our children for the changes ahead. We know that students will respond to the same situation with diverse capacities of resilience based on their stressors. If you feel your child needs additional support from the school to prepare for this transition, we understand that sometimes we need to include our clinicians for support. Our school psychologists can work with families to support students in a number of ways, from being resources to parents, to speaking to a group of students about strategies to reduce stress, to meeting individually with students to give them a safe space to process their feelings. Please communicate to your child’s teacher if you believe that this partnership is imperative to prepare for the transitions ahead.
As always, we are in this together.
Go MKES!
Inas
IMPORTANT DATES IN MARCH
Mount Kisco Elementary School Receives Educational Alliance Grant
MKES recently received a $500 grant from Global Partners through the Educational Alliance Program, a nationwide initiative created by ExxonMobil to enhance math and science learning at K-12 institutions.
About receiving the grant, Principal Morsi-Hogans said, “The grant will be used to buy a STEM kit (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to offer hands-on learning for students in these fields. We are grateful to Global Partners for the donation, as we are always looking for new educational opportunities for our students.”
Dr. J’s Jots: Another Beautiful Chance
I love sunrises and sunsets. Each one radiates its own beauty every single day. Each one represents a moment in time. A moment to begin again and a moment to end again.
Another beautiful chance to project and to reflect.
This notion of an opportunity to try something again, plan a new way to do something and review why something didn’t work the first time is a valuable lesson for children to learn at an
early age. For children, these opportunities occur numerous times throughout their day at school and at home. As I thought about the focus of this article, I came across the following excerpt from EduGAINS, a website that houses resources to improve learning and teaching in Ontario, Canada schools: “ Wrong Answers, Great Learning”
Thomas Edison said that he did not fail at making the light bulb one thousand times,
but rather that "the light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed." (Michael Jordan)
Making mistakes is a natural part of all learning. Those who we consider to be "great"
are clear that mistakes lead to learning.
The latest research on mathematics shows that mistakes are a very important part of learning math! When a person makes an error in math and they have the opportunity to learn from it, they actually develop a much stronger understanding. In fact, the research states that students learn more from making mistakes than from getting all the right answers. When your child makes an error, it offers insight into what understanding your child has about a mathematical idea. It allows parents and teachers to talk to the child about what they know, and ask questions to stretch their thinking around where they are currently developing their understanding. Parents can ask "How do you know that? What was your thinking here? Is there another way you could solve that? How did you think about X (an element they may be missing or have misunderstood)?"
This conversation helps to develop the crucial skills of reasoning and communication and is
therefore more helpful than simply showing a child how the math is done. When you support an attitude that values learning from mistakes, you are telling your child that mistakes are a valuable and natural ingredient in learning and lead to deeper understanding. Research shows that this attitude supports stronger achievement!
Let’s work together to continue to ask our children to share their thinking and show their work so that they can see their mistakes and approach every new experience with
an eagerness to grow and learn from those mistakes. They should each have another
beautiful chance to shine.
We Are Blooming in Kindergarten
By: The Kindergarten Team
March is windy, March is fun
In kindergarten there is so much to be done!
We’ll look and find signs of spring
We’ll touch and smell everything!
Making kites to blow in the air
Signs of spring are everywhere!
Even the leprechauns come out to play
As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The theme for March is all about spring
As we have fun and incorporate everything!
Writing Nonfiction in First Grade
By The First Grade Team
During literacy, the first graders have been studying nonfiction and learning strategies to understand information from these books. Now it’s time for them to write their own nonfiction books! In the English Zone and Traditional Class, students are writing “All About” and “How-to” books on topics of their choice. They have spent a lot of time thinking about topics they know a lot about, brainstorming all of the facts and details they know about the topic, and organizing their ideas into categories to create chapters. They are writing catchy introductions and choosing different features of nonfiction writing to add to their books.
In the Spanish zone, students are researching animals. They have collected materials to learn all about an animal of their choice. Each day they are reading about their animal, taking notes, and writing their ideas in chapters about the animal’s appearance, habitat, diet, life cycle, and other interesting information.
Ask your child about the topics they have chosen for their nonfiction writing!
Nonfiction Reading and Writing Connections in Second Grade
Second graders have been immersed in the world of nonfiction. During the past several weeks, the students read nonfiction during Reading Workshop and learned how to navigate through this challenging genre. The students also learned to identify and utilize many of features and structures put in place to support a reader’s understanding of the text.
Currently, the second graders are drafting “Expert Books” during Writing Workshop. The children selected topics in which they consider themselves an expert, and are using the nonfiction features they learned about as readers in their own writing. For example, they are creating a table of contents identifying subtopics for chapters, labeling pictures and diagrams, making sure to include specialized vocabulary words in bold, and including a glossary. Through these author techniques, their expert books are loaded with facts, but feature their own writing style which makes the book a unique reflection of each student!
3rd Grade
Can you believe it’s March already? We have been working so hard and having such fun that the school year is just flying by! Every day we continue to build our reading stamina and fluency. To help with this, students should be reading every night. To strengthen their comprehension skills, ask your child to identify the main idea of each chapter they read, as well as a few supporting details (we call this “box and bullets”).
In our Social Studies unit, the children have been engaging in discussions centered around the geography and economics of the United States. We most recently learned about producers and consumers as well as the difference between products and services.
Please encourage your child to continue practicing their multiplication facts. We are pleased to see an improvement in their fluency as they begin to recall these facts almost instantaneously. Keep practicing, friends! =)
Fourth Graders Learn About Fractions
The fourth grade students are learning about fractions in math. First we reviewed many of the concepts that students learned in third grade, such as putting fractions on a number line and recognizing equivalent fractions. After that, we built upon this foundation by teaching the students how to compare fractions with like and unlike denominators. In addition, students learned about mixed numbers, improper fractions and adding/subtracting fractions with the same denominator. They know how to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and they can find a common denominator for fractions they are working with. We were very impressed with all of their hard work in learning these new concepts.
5th Grade
As avid readers, we know that it is often difficult to find a great book. We would like to share with you some of the books our fifth grade classes have read aloud in class so far this year. You may find this list helpful if your child is looking for a new book to read or if you are looking for a book to read to your child. And of course, always feel free to contact any of us for book suggestions.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien – this is an older book, written in 1971, but explores the timeless themes of friendship, loyalty and determination. It tells the story of an adventure-filled journey, by some very special rats, and their unique friendship with a family of mice.
Cajas de Carton by Francisco Jiminez – Cajas de Carton (1998), a young-adult novel by Francisco Jimenez, that was originally written in Spanish. The translated English title is The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. The story follows the lives of young Panchito and his family as they move from Mexico to California in search of a more prosperous life. The novel is semi-autobiographical; Jimenez was also a migrant child who moved from Mexico to California with his family in 1947.
El lugar mas bonito del mundo by Ann Cameron – "Seven-year-old Juan lives in Guatemala, a place of stunning beauty and grim economic reality. Abandoned by his mother, Juan lives with his grandmother and shines shoes. He passionately wants to attend school, but fears Grandmother will say no. Finally gathering his courage, he is surprised when she not only agrees to send him to school but also chides him about the importance of standing up for himself. Juan tells this bittersweet story, which reads smoothly and powerfully on several levels, with warmth and dignity."--Booklist.
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate – Kek comes from Africa, where he lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived. Now she’s missing, and Kek has been sent to a new home, in America.
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester – Piper McCloud lives with her normal Ma and Pa, on a normal farm in normal Lowland County. And Piper is not what you would call normal. She is loud. With an active imagination. She doesn’t really listen that well to her parents. And, oh yeah, she can also fly. And as a result, she has a tough time fitting in. Until, that is, the day a strange and seemingly wonderful doctor takes her to a new school filled with amazing kids with amazing abilities. The only catch – none of them are allowed to use their powers – ever again.
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis – Bud, never Buddy, is an orphan trying to make it on his own in the Great Depression. He is also ten years old, and black. He is convinced that a famous bass player and bandleader, Herman E. Calloway, is his daddy. So Bud hitchhikes across Michigan, finds Herman, and that is the beginning of this bold and beautiful story about friendship, perseverance, and how things don’t always turn out like you think they might.
The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow – After a bus accident leaves a group of kids with strange and completely useless (seemingly) super powers, the kids find themselves at the heart of a mystery that can only be solved if they band together and work together. The only problem – the kids all despise each other.
The Endling by Katherine Appplegate – The first in a new series by the great Katherine Applegate, this fantasy features a cast of misfits all on a quest to find out if their friend Byx, a dairne (think talking, walking dog-like humanoid-like creature), is actually the last (the endling) of his species.
Fox Lane High School Worm Warriors: JOIN US!
Who are we?
We are Fox Lane High School AVID students who are engaged in an environmental project to support the MKES garden.
Why join us?
You can help create nutrient-rich worm compost for the MKES garden. By putting this compost in the garden beds when we plant, we will make healthier food for our students and families.
We provide everything!
We will provide you with all the materials needed to worm compost! This includes a small worm bin with worms, fresh newspaper bedding, and a simple “How-To” so you know how to take care of the worms.
What’s next?
If you can’t host a bin now, consider adopting a classroom worm bin over the summer and return the bin in the fall.
Contact Information:
Email us your questions at
You can also contact our advisor Mrs. Rivera at ariverachiariell3498@student.bcsdny.org
Arbor Day Poster Contest for 5th Graders
All 5th grade students are invited to create a poster for Arbor Day, which will be celebrated in Mount Kisco with a ceremony on Saturday, April 27. The theme will be significant trees found in the village. Images should be on poster paper or poster board- size 22 x 28 works best. Please use crayons, markers, paint and colored pencils. Please no collages. Submissions are due by Thursday, April 16th. Posters will be displayed in the lobby of the Mount Kisco Village Hall. Please put your name and your teacher’s name on the back of the poster. Three contest finalists will be notified by Friday, April 19th.
Winners will be announced at the tea house by Wallace Pond in Leonard Park at 10:30 am on Saturday April 27th, where we hope to plant several young trees. Prizes will be awarded by the Mayor of Mount Kisco to the finalists, and all students and their families are encouraged to attend. The event will take place rain or shine.
Imaginary Creatures Take Over the Art Studio!
By: Ms. Sheri Brown
Clay! Paper! Wood! It does not take much to spark the imaginations of the students in the art studio who are given clay to mold, wood scraps to glue together or recycled cardboard and paper to glue together. The exploration of a new material requires learning a different skill so that different parts hold together. The challenge is convincing the young artists to leave their imaginary creatures in the care of the art teachers until the Annual Student Art Show!
ESOL/BILINGUAL TEAM
Is your child finding school challenging on Spanish zone days? How can you help your child navigate through this successfully? It’s terrifying when you hear your child express having difficulty in school or not wanting to go. As a parent, you want to SAVE THE DAY. It’s normal for your child to feel discomfort when learning a new language. We all feel uncomfortable when we’re doing something new and challenging. Learning a new language IS hard, but the benefits pay off at the end when we stick to it. As parents and educators, we need to communicate with our children as well as acknowledging their concerns. However, it’s important to let them know it WILL get easier.
You can support your child by providing encouragement
Encouraging words can go a long way. Let your child know it’s normal to feel discomfort, but
perseverance is important. Let your child know she/he will AND can succeed.
You can support your child by being patient
Be patient as your child is learning a second language. Bilingual children have a more challenging task than those learning in a monolingual setting. Bilingual children are learning two sets of vocabulary and speech sounds. Remind your child that the new language is practical, purposeful and beneficial. Talk up how AWESOME it is to know and learn another language.
You can support your child by celebrating language learning
Celebrating at home as a family can make your child feel special about learning a new language.
Choose one night during the week where YOU are learning from your child. This support will boost her/his confidence and help her/him appreciate her/his learning. Learning a second language is HARD work, but letting your child know she/he is not alone and that you are there to help her/him steer through it, can make the difference.
Mindful Spring
Spring is coming, and it is time to watch mother nature begin to bring our earth back from its winter siesta. Take the opportunity to take your children outside and observe. Use the Mindfulness practice of slow, deep breathing as you reflect on what you see. Research shows that Mindfulness practices can help calm us during this busy testing time. Try this Mindfulness activity:
1. Have you ever noticed that things change, like the weather? Perhaps a tree has a new bud or flower.
2. Some changes are big and some are small. You might feel happy about some changes and sad about others. That is okay.
3. Look around you today and find one thing that has stayed the same and one thing that has changed. Maybe the sunny sky is still sunny. Maybe a new bird has appeared or a flower has bloomed. Think about this.
4. Write, draw or tell someone how you feel about these changes.
As always, we are here to support your children.
The Learning Specialists-
L. Calandra, S. Cusato, M. Gilbert, B. Leslie, M. Vidaic
Music Minute
NYSSMA – If your child is participating in solo NYSSMA, please make sure they are practicing hard. The deadline to apply is very soon. If piano students would like to participate, please speak to your piano teacher first and then to Mrs. Rowan, and she will register you.
This month in General Music:
K – Continuing to work on opposites in music (like Heavy/Light) and more complicated patterns – ABA, and Rondo – ABACADAE…. In music. We are also continuing to study Peter and the Wolf.
1 – Folk songs and dance from around the world
2 - Working with Orf instruments, READING RHYTHMS!
3 – Beginning Recorder, reading notes on the staff.
4 –Working note reading, and a Native American shadow puppet show
5 – Exploring the orf instruments and using accelerando and crescendo/decreschendo.
Fifth grade parents, please check your child’s music placement and contact Mr. Peter Griffin at the Middle School any with questions.
As always, if you have any questions, please call or email us at school.
Mrs. Rowan, Mr. Hughes, Mrs. Ring and Ms. DiGrandi
Band with Ms. Di Grandi
5th grade band rehearsals are well underway! The band members are working hard on preparing four pieces for the Spring Concert on June 4th.
8AM (before school) Monday rehearsals are mandatory for all 5th grade band members!
All 5th grade band members who have chosen to do NYSSMA solos should continue to work consistently on preparing the required scales and solo.
4th grade band members are making way in their instrumental studies! The 4th grade concert for all parents will take place on Friday, May 17th. You will receive more information as we get closer to May.
For all band students:
When practicing your music, pick one or two measures to work on at a time and follow these practice strategies. If you follow these steps, you will be on your way to becoming a Master Musician!
1. Name the letter names.
2. Clap or speak the rhythm.
3. Finger and say- name the letter names as you move your fingers to the correct notes.
4. Play the passage slowly at least 3 times.
5. Play the passage at normal tempo at least 3 times.
Thank you!
Mrs. Ring’s Strings
Practice strategies
- Break it Down – work on a small piece of the song at a time, not the whole thing.
- What is Difficult – figure out what makes a section hard (slurs, low/high notes, rhythms), and focus on just that.
- Name the Notes – say the letter names (better yet, sing them). Try singing and putting your left hand on the correct sticker.
- Clap the Rhythm – say the rhythm using syllables (du dude or I like chocolate ice cream) or numbers and clap it.
- Play it Slowly – practice a difficult section very slowly
- Repetition – Repeat at least 5 times
3rd Grade students should be practicing a D scale, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and Lightly Row
4th Grade students should be practicing our spring concert music
5th Grade students should be practicing the string festival music and then focus on the spring concert music
Sports Section
By Pat Aris, John DelFavero, Matt Foley, and Melissa Ponzio
Jump roping and nutrition were the themes we focused on in physical education during February. We started the month with interactive nutrition lessons about “the food plate.” Students learned about the essential nutrients, what foods are part of each group on the food plate, the importance of daily exercise, hydration, and sleep.
We then moved on to our “Kids Heart Challenge” (formally known as Jump Rope for Heart). Carissa Duro, who is a representative for the Kids Heart Challenge, did a presentation with our K-2 students on how to have a healthy heart. She discussed having a colorful plate when we eat, eating foods with low sodium, getting exercise every day, and making healthy choices in our lives. Thank you to all who have donated to the American Heart Association. So far we have raised $1,700. Way to go MKES!
For our Kids Heart Challenge Event students learned jump roping progressions and jump roping challenges. Students participated in a variety of jump rope challenges such as individual rope challenges, long rope challenges, double dutch, and jump bands. What a great way to stay active during these cold winter months!
How To Manage the Ever Changing Digital World
By: Christine Doherty & Rebecca Harding, School Psychologists
Treat media as you would any other interest in your child's life. Set limits. Kids need and expect them. Know your children's friends, both online and off. Know what sites, games or apps your children are using or visiting.
Encourage playtime. Unstructured and offline play inspires creativity. Make playtime a daily priority, especially for very young children.
Screen time shouldn't always be alone time. Play and engage with your children when they are using technology. Don't just observe them online- interact with them, so you can understand what they are doing and be a part of it.
Be a good role model. Teach and model kindness and good manners online.
Face-to-face communication is key. Engaging in back-and-forth conversation is critical for language development, especially in younger children.
Create technology free zones. Keep family mealtimes and other family and social gatherings technology free. Recharge devices overnight, outside your child's bedroom, to help him/her avoid using them when they should be sleeping. These changes encourage more family time, healthier eating habits, and better sleep.
Nurse's Notes
According to healthychildren.org:
Chronic absenteeism affects as many as 6.5 million students nationwide.
That's 13% of our total student population! You may think this is just high school students skipping school. But in fact, this problem starts early. At least 10% of kindergarten and first-grade students miss a month or more of the school year. Students are chronically absent for many reasons.
There are some reasons for absenteeism that cannot be avoided. Life happens. Common illness causing high fevers and fatigue happen. But, if your child is missing many days of school, or a few days every single month, it's important to consider the reason for the absenteeism.
- Children with common chronic illnesses, such as asthma and type 1 diabetes, miss more school when they are having more symptoms.
- Mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression, are common reasons for absences.
- Up to 5% of children have school-related anxiety and may create reasons why they should not go or outright refuse to attend school
Missing just two days a month of school―for any reason― can be a problem for kids in a number of ways. Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read on grade level by the third grade. Chronic absenteeism is also linked with teen substance use, as well as poor health as adults.
Here are 8 practical tips to getting your child to school on time, every day:
- Set attendance goals with your child and track your child's attendance on a calendar. Try offering small rewards for not missing any school, such as a later bedtime on weekends.
- Help your child get a good night's sleep. A lack of sleep is associated with lower school achievement starting in middle school, as well as higher numbers of missed school and tardiness. Most younger children need 10-12 hours per night.
- Prep the night before to streamline your morning. Lay out your child's clothes. Pack backpacks and lunches. Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up like a missed bus or an early meeting. Have a family member, a neighbor, or another trusted adult on standby to take your child to school should you ever need help.
- Try to schedule dental or medical appointments before or after school hours. If children have to miss school for medical appointments, have them return immediately afterward so they do not miss the entire day.
- Schedule extended trips during school breaks. This helps your child stay caught up in school learning and sets the expectation for your child to be in school during the school year. Even in elementary school, missing a week of classes can set your child behind on learning.
- Don't let your child stay home unless he or she is truly sick. Reasons to keep your child home from school include a temperature greater than 100 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, a hacking cough, or a toothache. Keep in mind, complaints of frequent stomachaches or headaches can be a sign of anxiety and may not be a reason to stay home.
- Talk with your child about the reasons why he or she does not want to go to school. School-related anxiety can lead to school avoidance. Talk to your child about their symptoms and try to get them to talk about any emotional struggles they may have with issues like bullying, fear of failure, or actual physical harm. If you are concerned about your child's mental health, talk with your pediatrician, your child's teacher, or school counselor.
- Follow the rules. Be sure you know what your school's requirements are for when your child will be absent or late. If you are supposed to call, email, or provide a doctor's note after a certain number of days out, then do it. If we want our children to follow rules, we must lead by example. Cross your t's and dot your i's when it comes to these procedures.