Dr. Koop's Newsletter
October 27, 2023
Dear KRS Families,
Included in this newsletter is all the information you need to know about the KRS Halloween parade and celebrations. Please check your child's backpack today for the Star (Grades 1-5) and CBM (Kindergarten) reports. Conferences are just a few weeks away, so I included important conference tips and articles below. We are looking forward to a safe, fun, & spooky Halloween day at school!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathy Koop
PTO PAW Print
See this link for the latest edition of the PTO PAW Print.
Important Dates
October 31, 2023 - KRS Halloween Parade 1:15 PM
November 7, 2023 - Election Day Check your voter registration here.
November 6 - 8, 2023 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 12:45 PM Dismissal Days
November 9 and 10, 2023 - Schools Closed - NJEA Convention
November 16, 2023 - PTO Meeting - KRS Multi-Purpose Room 6:00 PM
November 22, 2023 - Thanksgiving Recess - Early Dismissal 12:45 PM
November 23 & 24, 2023 - Thanksgiving Recess - Schools Closed
December 14, 2023 - 1:30 PM Winter Concert - For Families of Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Students
December 19, 2023 - KRS Sing-A-Longs. (K-2 9:30) (3-5 10:15) KRS Multi-Purpose Room
December 22, 2023 - Winter Recess - Early Dismissal 12:45 PM
December 25 - 29, 2023 - Winter Recess - Schools Closed
January 1, 2024 - New Year's Day - Schools Closed
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be here soon!
Parent/Teacher conferences are on November 6, 7, and 8. The most productive conferences are when both the teacher and parent(s) focus their conversations about the child's academic, social, and emotional growth and ways that they may support achievement together. Over the years as a principal, teacher, and parent the following tips are what I learned are important for a successful parent/teacher conference.
- Prepare questions in advance.
- Ask about how you may support and extend your child's learning at home. (homework, activities, reading, math practice, writing)
- Discuss your child's strengths and challenges.
- Share information about your child. (interests, concerns, life events)
- Review your child's work.
- Review assessment data.
- Talk about your child's emotional and social needs.
The articles below are informative and contain common themes for successful parent/teacher conferences.
https://www.care.com/c/20-questions-to-ask-during-a-parent-teacher-c/
https://onevoice.pta.org/7-tips-for-your-most-effective-parent-teacher-conference-yet/
Halloween Parade Tips - Tuesday, October 31, 2023 1:15 PM
Halloween Parade Tips
Kings Road School
2023 Halloween
October 31, 2023
1:15 PM
Tips and Reminders for the KRS Halloween Celebration Day
We are excited for a fun and festive KRS Halloween parade!
Please see below for reminders and tips:
● If you have any questions while waiting for the parade, Mr. A. will be outside to help you. Spectators should wait on the sidewalk, parking lot entrance, or grass areas
near the parking lot for the parade.
● We will march around twice and then convene on the upper black-top.
● After the parade, please join us on the black-top behind the school, to take class
pictures.
● There are usually many spectators, so make sure to arrive early so that you secure a
good viewing spot.
● Class parties are for the students only and will occur immediately after the parade.
If you are a room parent helping with a party, please enter the building through the
front door only and check-in at the office.
● Children may bring their costumes or wear their costumes to school. Please label all
costume items with your child’s name. (Any items brought to school should be in a
labeled bag.) We do not want any lost Halloween costumes!
● No costume weapons are permitted of any kind.
● Adults are encouraged to dress-up, but please refrain from masks and scary
costumes that may upset young children.
More Halloween Information
Our Halloween parade will begin promptly at 1:15 PM on October 31, 2023.
Please see this link for Dr. Koop's Halloween letter.
- Class parties for students only will follow the parade.
- Class pictures will occur behind the school immediately after the conclusion of the parade.
- Children may bring their costumes to school and change after lunch or students may wear their costumes to school.
Halloween costumes should be school appropriate:
Masks are allowed as long as vision is clear.
Costumes should allow for easy walking.
Costumes should not represent violence. (no blood or weapons)
Please no scary clown costumes.
We love when adults wear costumes, but please no masks.
Our Favorite Dalmatians and Cruella!
Guess the Ghost!
Madison Public Schools 2024-2025 Calendar
Please see this link for the Madison Public Schools 2024-2025 calendar.
Save the Date! - November 16, 2023 6 PM - KRS Multi-Purpose Room - Learn more about the referendum!
Please attend the PTO meeting on November 16, 2023 at 6 PM in the KRS multi-purpose room. A featured guest speaker will present information about the referendum. PTO meetings are always full of a tremendous amount of information, dialogue, and fun!
Star Reports and CBM Reports - Going Home Today in Backpacks
Students in Grades 1-5 - The parent report and annual progress reports will be going home with your child.
Students in Kindergarten - Families will receive the CBM caretaker reports.
Referendum - School Tours
School Tours
The Board of Education invites all community members to our first walk-through opportunities at Central Avenue School and Madison High School on Sunday, November 5th to see some of the areas that would be updated if voters approve the bond referendum on December 12th.
Guided walk-throughs of CAS will begin at 9 and 10am. Tours at MHS will be provided at 10 and 11am. Additional walk-through opportunities will be scheduled at all Madison schools at a future date. Scheduled times and more information can be found at madisonpublicschools.org/vote.
Thank you to our wonderful PTO parents for making arrival so much fun!
Greetings from the STEAM Lab! - By Mrs. Conner
This week in STEAM, Kindergarten students are using Geoboards to create different shapes and combing shaping to create things like sailboats and butterflies on their Geoboard.
First Graders read “The Perfect Square”. They were given three sheets of paper and by ripping, crumbling, cutting, and gluing they created something new. Creations included dinosaurs, sun and clouds, and houses. Second Graders are working in teams to create a board game. They are constructing everything from the board to the players to the activity cards to the dice/spinner. It is a great exercise in collaboration and creativity. Third Graders are learning about aerodynamics and applying the concepts to paper airplanes. They are experimenting with different ways to fold and throw their plane to see which can fly the farthest. Teams are then measuring distances and comparing and contrasting designs. Fourth Graders are working in teams to create bottle rockets. They reviewed aerodynamics from last year and combined that with physical and chemical changes. They are physically altering their bottle by adding fins to help the bottle rocket fly straight and next week they will create a chemical reaction with vinegar and baking soda to launch their rocket. They will then discuss the results. Fifth Graders are working in teams to take an object that is not magnetic, making it magnetic, and explaining how that object would make life better. Inventions include magnetic cups/coasters and magnetic gloves.
News from the Art Room - By Ms. Obermaier
Please follow on Instagram at msoartroom for the latest happenings!
Kindergarten has been learning about the Element of Art “Line”. We love “The Lines Song” on YouTube by Scratch Garden.
First grade has been working on mixing primary colors! Stay tuned for photos of the beautiful finished projects….
Second through Fifth grade have been learning about perspective in art and working very hard on their own perspective projects! ( Art by David Hockney)
Music Highlights - By Mrs. McEachern
Music students have been having a great time this month! We are currently enjoying Halloween music including the H-A-Double L O song, Pass the Pumpkin, and the Halloween "Looby Loo"! Additionally, Third Graders received their recorders and have been learning how to properly handle and blow into them. Parents please remember that their recorders should live in their backpacks so that they don't forget to bring them to school on music days. They can absolutely play them at home, they just need to put them right back in their backpacks when they are finished. Fourth and fifth graders have begun a new ukulele lesson program called Ukulele Karate! They have already learned how to properly hold and strum the classroom ukuleles and are learning their first chord, C Major! Kindergarten through second grade are working hard on keeping a steady beat and singing songs using Solfege, with the help of their favorite new tennis ball friend, Bobo! I can't wait to tell you about what fun November will bring in music class!
A Message from Instrumental Teachers - Mrs. Quinlan and Mr. Rossi
Mr. Rossi and Mrs. Quinlan are happy to announce that the second-year musicians are working hard to prepare for their Winter Concert on Thursday, December 14, while our beginner musicians are exceeding expectations! Please continue to encourage individual practice at home.
Read! Read! Read!
Please make sure that your child is reading or is exposed to reading every day! Children reading and being read to are critical pieces in the development of lifelong readers. While a bit dated, this article How to Raise a Reader! is an excellent article that was featured in the New York Times. Please contact your child's teacher if you need assistance in selecting appropriate books for your child. Our new media specialist Mr. Locke, will also be available to assist beginning the week of October 23, 2023.
Math Program and Math Fact Fluency
At the elementary level, we utilize the Math in Focus program for mathematics instruction. Information about the Math in Focus program can be found on the Madison Public Schools website at this link. The math curriculum as well as other elementary curricula can be accessed within individual grade level documents at this link.
Math fluency (math facts knowledge) is a critical piece of mathematics instruction for student learning. Within the Math in Focus program information on the Madison website, are resources to assist your children with math fact fluency. Improving math fact fluency at school and at home, will provide your child with a strong fluency baseline to build upon as their math learning becomes more complex throughout the years.
Pumpkins and Poems
Madison Elementary Academic Calendar
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
2023-2024
Trimester 1 (61)
September 5, 2023 First Trimester Begins
December 6, 2023 First Trimester Ends
December 12, 2023 Report Cards Posted for Review
December 15, 2023 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Trimester 2 (61)
December 7, 2023 Second Trimester Begins
March 14, 2024 Second Trimester Ends
March 19, 2024 Report Cards Posted for Review
March 22, 2024 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Trimester 3 (61)
March 15, 2024 Third Trimester Begins
June 20, 2024 Third Trimester Ends
June 13, 2024 Report Cards Posted for Review
June 20, 2024 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Conferences:
November 6 (Evening), 7, and 8 2023
April 15 (Evening) 16, and 17, 2024