The Cub Corner
November 22nd..... Happy Thanksgiving!
Mr. Brian Stolarick
Mrs. Stacy Murphy
Happy Thanksgiving
We sincerely wish for you and your family to have an excellent Thanksgiving Holiday! Hopefully we all can recognize the things we are absolutely thankful for.
Some fun Thanksgiving Facts to share at the dinner table.....
- The winter of 1620-21 was a very difficult one for the Pilgrims. Out of the 102 passengers that had arrived onboard the Mayflower, only 52 were still alive by Spring of 1621. The harsh climate and rocky soil made it difficult to grow crops. It would be the native Wampanoag people that would teach the Pilgrims how to fertilize their crops using fish and taught them other ways to grow enough food to survive. The Wampanoag sachem (chief) Massasoit signed a peace treaty with the Pilgrims on March 22, 1621 that Massasoit would never break.
- The foods served for the first Thanksgiving were not what you might think. While there were many types of food on the menu, it is most likely that turkey was not on the menu. The only firsthand account we have that discusses the menu mentions waterfowl (duck) as the bird of choice during that first celebration. These ducks were most likely filled with fish and herbs to form a type of stuffing. When the local Wampanoag Indians arrived for the feast, several of the men were sent out hunting and brought back five deer which were added to the menu. In addition, the Pilgrims had collected shellfish (oysters, lobsters) along with eels to add to the menu. Because a shipment of molasses had not yet arrived in Plymouth, their were no sweets served during the first Thanksgiving.
Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling
As we approach the mid-point of the school year, we would like to take the opportunity to discuss your child's progress and achievements in a collaborative and constructive manner. To facilitate this, we are excited to announce that the Parent/Teacher Conference scheduling will open on Monday, November 27 and close on Wednesday, December 7.
This year, we are using PickATime, a convenient and user-friendly scheduling website, to streamline the process and ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved. You can access the scheduling page by clicking on the following link: PickATime Scheduling Page.
To assist you in navigating through the scheduling process, we have a short video that walks you through the entire process from the parent's perspective. You can watch the video by following this link: Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Video.
Here are some important details and reminders:
- Conference Dates: Parent/Teacher Conferences will run from December 11th through the 15th.
- Time Slots: (Scheduler opens on 11/27/23)
- Afternoon Slots: 1:50 pm - 3:50 pm (Monday to Friday)
- Evening Slots: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Thursday, December 14th)
- Sign-up for PickATime: Simply visit the PickATime Scheduling Page and follow the instructions to schedule your Parent/Teacher Conference.
- Video Guide: For a step-by-step walkthrough, please watch our instructional video: Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Video.
- Adding Your Student
- When adding your student to your account, please ensure you search for them with their full legal name.
- Refer to the label on your student's Chromebook for the accurate name that needs to be searched.
Your involvement in the Parent/Teacher Conference is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to discussing your child's progress together.
Thank you for your continued support,
Millbridge Staff
Resources for Parents To Expect at Conferences
This year, we are excited to share that we will be you with some additional information about how your child is progressing during parent teacher conferences. At your conference, you will be receiving reports from iReady, which is an online program used to support reading, and ST Math, which is an online resource to support Mathematics. Since the time you have at conferences is limited, we wanted to share a bit a about the programs in advance.
iReady is an online program that is tailored to each child’s individual learning needs. Before your child began to utilize the program, he or she completed an adaptive diagnostic. This means that the questions may have gotten easier or more difficult based on how your child answered previous questions. The report you will receive will let you know how your child has performed in the areas of phonics, high-frequency words, vocabulary, and comprehension of fiction and non-fiction text. In addition to these performance levels, you will also receive information about your child’s Lexile score, which can help you find books that are on your child’s “just-right” reading level.
In grades 1-8, students will be completing a mid-year and an end-of-year diagnostic. Once those tests are complete, we will be sharing with your reports about how your child has grown. In kindergarten, students only take a beginning of the year and end of year diagnostic assessment; therefore, only one growth report will be shared for kindergarten students.
If a student’s performance on the test does not match what your child’s teacher is seeing in the classroom, your child’s teacher can adjust their lesson path in the program to ensure your child‘s needs are being met. Since your child’s reading grade reflects a variety of assignments and ways to assess, it may differ from the data that was obtained in observed in i-Ready, since the assessment is entirely computer-based and measures multiple standards from the grade rather than being aligned to specific lessons that were taught in the classroom.
To help our students see the most growth, we aim to have students use i-Ready 45 minutes a week.
ST Math is a new supplemental resource for math this school year. ST Math is a visual instructional program that uses puzzles to teach mathematical concepts and develop problem-solving skills while students are having fun. As a part of our math curriculum, your student has been given an ST Math account. We believe every student has the potential to deeply understand, and truly love math. ST Math is carefully designed to be both effective and challenging. Puzzles start out simple and get harder as your student progresses. To help your student solve problems, ask your student what is happening in the games and have them explain their thinking.
The character in ST Math is a penguin named JiJi. The goal is to solve the on-screen puzzle, allowing JiJi to successfully pass the obstacle and cross the screen. When students are successful in helping JiJi cross the screen, they will hear a ding. Every time students hear a ding, that counts as one puzzle completed toward their puzzle goal.
For maximum growth, students in Kindergarten and 1st grade should aim to solve 25-65 puzzles per week. Students in grades 2 through 5 should aim to solve 35-95 puzzles per week. Students are working toward individual, classroom, and whole-school incentives connected to ST Math.
Parents will receive a paper info sheet about ST math at conferences, describing the program and how to help their child log in at home. Parents can also click the following link for an intro to ST Math, and to try it out for yourself!
Holiday Food Drive
Nov 13th - Dec 1st
The holidays are a time when we strengthen our bond between family and the community we serve. Please join us here at Millbridge with the Knights of Columbus, to support those in need by donating non-perishable foods and canned goods. Each grade level will have collection bins located within the hallways and there will be a collection bin in the main lobby for drop-offs. Please consider donating as Millbridge has a strong tradition of helping others during the holiday season.
Lifetouch Retake Day - December 1
You can still order on mylifetouch.com with your Picture Day ID: EVTCP7N63
If you want your picture retaken, simply return your original package on Picture Retake Day.
Delran Winter Festival
Winter Coat Program
On Saturday, December 2nd from 10am to 12pm at the Burlington County Emergency Services Building in Westampton, Senator Singleton will be partnering with the non-profit Parents Engaging Parents and Burlington County to distribute 600 winter coats for children.
- Children MUST be present to receive a coat
- Families MUST pre-register at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSciGbJi4DmcGC9OCIBEN8CFJgKto8G349p6wC5msAU4KwiubA/viewform
- Supplies are limited and registration is first come, first served
I Ready Resources for Multi Language Learners Families
HERE is the link for the I Ready Resources for Multi Language Learners. This will go home in the Cub Corner. There is no Turkish translation as of yet but there will be copies of the "fridge tips," translated in Turkish and made available to our families before the December conferences.
Harlem Wizards Basketball Event
Millbridge will hold an assembly for the students on December 11th. Team members from the Harlem Wizards will visit and perform basketball tricks for the students. The assembly is designed to get the community excited about the upcoming January 27th event, which will be an opportunity to see the Wizards with your family in person here in Delran. Look for more information about tickets in the near future as they will benefit the Delran Schools and the Delran Education Foundation.
ST Math – a new supplemental resource for math!
Can a game change how you feel about math? We believe every student has the potential to deeply understand, and truly love math. ST Math is a visual instructional program that uses puzzles to teach math and develop problem-solving skills while having fun. As a part of our math curriculum, your student has been given an ST Math account. ST Math is carefully designed to be effective and challenging. Puzzles start out simple and get harder as your student progresses. To help your student solve problems, ask your student what is happening in the games and have them explain their thinking. Click here for an intro to ST Math, and to try it out for yourself!
Have your Child Read to you for Millbridge Elementary's Phanatic About Reading
Phanatic About Reading at Millbridge!
The Millbridge Elementary School is participating in the Phanatic About Reading Program!! This is a win win program which promotes literacy. The program challenges students to read for 15 minutes per day. Please encourage your child to read every day and log their time in their reading logs. Millbridge is competing for a chance for the Phillie Phanatic to come to the Mill! HERE is the program link
From the Millbridge Nurses
Health screenings will be starting this month. These screenings are mandated by New Jersey but you have the right to decline having your child screened. If you do not want your child screened, please write the nurse a letter with the date, your child’s name and DOB, and that you do not want your child to participate in the health screenings per N.J.S.A. 18A:40-4.4. Some children will not be screened if they have had the screenings done recently at a doctor’s appointment and we have documentation of the results. If you have any questions, please reach out to the nurse by calling or emailing vderlin@delranschools.org
Important Info from the Nurse's Office
Reminders from the Nurse’s Office
Medical reminders for this school year
- If your child has asthma, please have your child’s doctor complete an Asthma Action Plan
- If your child has any allergies, please have your child’s doctor complete an Allergy Action Plan and an Epi Pen Parent Authorization form
- If your child has a history of seizures please have your child’s doctor complete a Seizure Action Plan
- If you plan to have your child take any type of medication at school during the school year, the Medication Permission Form and a written Doctor’s Order is required. This includes prescription medication and over-the-counter medications (such as Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and cough drops). A new permission form and doctor’s order is required for each school year and must be signed by the parent/guardian and the doctor.
- Only adults may bring medication to school, a student is not allowed to transport medication to or from school. All medications must be supplied by the parent/guardian and dropped off to the school nurse.
All forms can be dropped off to the school or emailed to us. We know this is a lot to take in! Feel free to email or call us and we can walk you through it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Victoria Derlin, RN, BSN
Email: vderlin@delranschools.org
Speech Therapy
The Millbridge speech therapists will be working closely with classroom teachers to identify students who may require speech intervention. If there are speech sound concerns, students will be screened by a therapist in the coming weeks/months. If further action is required, a speech therapist will reach out with information. If you have any questions about the screening process, please contact Megan Rodier via email (mrodier@delranschools.org).
Join the PTO and Help Support our School and Students
Breakfast Lunch Menu
The menu are located on the school's webpage under the Parent's Tab. HERE is the direct link
Free and Reduced Lunch Form
Arrival and Dismissal
- Only Millbridge staff members are permitted in the bus loop and on the sidewalk closest to the school during arrival and dismissal. Parents should not gather in or around the school building. Please help us ensure a safe and orderly arrival by dropping off your child quickly.
Our school hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. daily. Students cannot arrive before 8:50 a.m., as there is no supervision until that time.
Student drop-off begins at 8:50 AM after the first bell rings and our staff will begin to unload the carpool lane and buses.
Preschool and Kindergarten will enter through door #19 located directly after the bus loop. First Grade will enter through the main entrance and Second Grade will enter through the gym doors, #2.
The drop-off for carpool students is located by the cafeteria in the large loop. A Millbridge staff member will be there each morning to greet your child by opening the car door. Please have your child behind the passenger seat as this makes it easier for the staff member to let the children out in a timely fashion. Please do not exit your car for safety and efficiency reasons.
If you will be walking your child to school, please use the sidewalk closest to the street. Millbridge staff who are on duty will meet your child so they can enter school. Only staff and students are permitted on the sidewalks in front of the school during arrival and dismissal. We know the first day of school is a memory that parents like to hold near and dear with pictures. We encourage pictures are taken at home to allow a smooth transition for arrival.
Students must be dropped off by 9:00 a.m. After that time, you will have to bring your child to the front office to be signed in. No parent cars will be permitted in the front lot or bus lane before 9:00am. Parent drop-offs will enter and exit the school's driveway closest to Hartford Road. It is a complete loop and will bring you back out to the same entrance location.
If your child will be riding the bus, you can access information about their bus in Parent Portal. Login information was mailed out a few weeks ago. Please direct any busing questions to our transportation coordinator at sjankowski@delranschools.org.
The Burlington County YMCA operates a before and after-school childcare program. For information, rates, or to register your child for this program, please visit their website.
Dismissal will begin at 3:20 PM, at which time all students will be escorted to the area designated for parent pickup, placed on their bus, or sent to Prime Time. Walkers and carpool students are dismissed through the cafeteria doors. For parents picking their child up, you will need to present government-issued identification and sign your child out or use your Fast Pass. We kindly ask that you pick your child up by 3:30.
At Millbridge we put an emphasis on student safety. Therefore, all students will be placed on the bus or in Prime Time automatically, unless we receive prior written notification from a parent or legal guardian. If you would like to pick your child up from school, please send in a note with your child or email the office at MBoffice@delranschools.org before 10:00 AM. Please do not send emails or dojo messages to your child's teacher with a change for the same day as they may not have the opportunity to check their email or messages before dismissal. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Dates to Know
November 23rd - 24th - Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
December 1 - Lifetouch Retake Day
December 7 - Single Session Day, PM Preschool
December 11 - 15 - Single Session Days, Parent Teacher Conferences
Delran Education Foundation
Parent Resources
Contact Information
Email: mboffice@delranschools.org
Website: http://mes.delranschools.org/
Location: 282 Conrow Road, Delran, NJ, United States
Phone: (856) 461-2900