Principal's Newsletter
April 2024
๐ฃ A Message from Mrs. Amendola
March was a very busy month at the ES! We started the month with a weeklong celebration for Read Across America. Our Reading Specialist, Ms. Henkin, along with our reading interventionists, Ms. Filippone and Ms. Parrett, planned many exciting activities to celebrate reading. It all concluded with our annual ES & PS Buddy visits. The students enjoyed visiting the schools and reading with their buddies! In March we also learned about supporting others and celebrating inclusivity through our World Down Syndrome Day celebrations. As part of our activities for World Down Syndrome Day two of our school's parents volunteered to come to the Elementary School to visit and read with classes - thank you! This month our 3rd grade students enjoyed their field trip visit to the Camden Aquarium. Thank you to the PTO for supporting this experience.
As a school community we celebrated together at our 2nd Be Your BEST Pep Rally. The event started by reviewing our school expecations through a Jeopardy type game. Then the students participated in some fun March Madness basketball games with their cross-grade level teams. The students were having a blast, being inclusive and encourgaing each other to do their best. All of the things we encourage at MTES. The Yellow Team was the winning group of the March Madness games. Congratulations!
As we move into April we are all gearing up for a well-deserved Spring Break! As a reminder March 28th is a shortened day, followed by break March 29-April 5. School will re-open April 8. April is Autism Appreciation and Acceptance month. Our teachers will be sharing resources and information with students. This month our 5th graders will be going on their Field Trip too.
As a reminder, we are excited to share a special author visit on April 17th. Millstone Elementary School will proudly welcome New York Times best selling author, Susan Verde. More information about her visit will be shared with students this month. Linked at the bottom of the newsletter is information regarding a book pre-order. You can pre-order signed copies of her books through April 5th.
This month students also have the opportunity to learn about exciting new careers and passions by joining their parents and/or guardians for Bring Your Child to Work Day on April 25th. If your child is planning to participate, please provide the main office with a note of the absence. As a child this was always one of my favorite days and I have some great memories of joining my parents at work. I hope your children will enjoy this day as much as I did.
We will begin NJSLA testing on May 1st. Testing dates are listed in the "Coming Up!" section of the newsletter. It is important to remind our students, your children, that they are ready for this assessment. Their teachers will continue to expose them to the platform they will be using for NJSLA so the students are familiar with the tools and format. As a parent you can access the New Jersey Assessments Resource Center to learn more information about NJSLA. The link is listed <HERE>.
Happy Spring! I hope you and your families have a restful and safe Spring Break!
๐ซ TEAM Ticket Winners
๐ Grade Level Winners
March Winners
Grade 3 - Olivia W.
Grade 4 - Mason B.
Grade 5 - Blake B.
๐ซ Happenings at the ES
Highlights from the school this month
Digital Citizenship Information
- Each month we will share with you a new resource from Common Sense Education
- This month's resource is about helping kids fight cyberbullying and other mean online behavior. The PDF is linked here: Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior.
School Counseling News
- This monthโs mindfulness practice with Mrs. Meyrick is focused on mindful movement. Moving slowly and mindfully can help us to be aware of our surroundings. Practice mindful movement as you move throughout your classroom and the hallways. Notice how you feel more connected to your environment.
- Students have an opportunity to practice this mindful activity every Monday during morning announcements as part of Mrs. Meyrick's Monday Morning Mindful Minute.
- With standardized testing approaching in May, many students may feel a heightened sense of stress. Deep breathing can be an effective way to manage that stress. Find some great examples of breathing techniques with visuals HERE.
Enrichment Opportunities
- Any students motivated to challenge their minds are encouraged to participate in Mrs. Levinson's weekly challenges. A new Brain Buster challenge and Word of the Week will be posted for each grade level every Friday. Paper copies are always available from the CHALLENGE YOURSELF bulletin board in the cafeteria, and can also be accessed online. To keep kids motivated, Mrs. Levinson keeps track of how many challenges each student completes and maintains a Leaderboard for each grade level. Students can also earn prizes!
- Art Club is the place for 4th & 5th grade students to come and creatively explore any art concepts, ideas, or skills at their leisure! Students stay after school on their assigned day to work on art projects of their own design! Mr. Locandro helps students further develop skills through mini-lessons based on individual student needs.
๐ NJSLA Reminders & Information
NJSLA testing will take place during the following days:
Grade 3, 4, 5: English Language Arts Assessments: May 1, 2
Grade 3, 4, 5: Mathematics Assessments: May 6, 7, 8
Grade 5: End of Year Science Assessment: May 13, 14
Your childโs teacher has been working with the children to familiarize them with the online testing platform. Additional information regarding NJSLA and parent resources can be found on the New Jersey Assessments Resource Center under the heading Parent Resources.
For the testing days the following information is important for you to be aware of.
- Headphones - Your child will need headphones for testing each day, please make sure that they are wired headphones. Airpods, and other wireless headphones, cannot be used.
- Electronic devices - electronic devices of any kind are prohibited in testing rooms. This includes cell phones, smart watches, eBooks, iPads/iPods, MP3 players, etc.
- Water bottles and snacks - Food and water are not allowed in the testing rooms.
On the testing days please make every effort to ensure that your child is well rested and has breakfast. It is important that your child arrives on time by 9:05 AM. If a student arrives after testing has begun, they must remain in the main office until the testing session ends and take a make-up test the following week.
Please encourage your child to put forth their best effort throughout the administration of these tests. Thank you in advance for your continued support.
๐ A Note from the Nurse
ATTENTION 5TH GRADE PARENTS/GUARDIANS:
NJ State mandates that all children between the ages of 10 and 18 be screened for Scoliosis, which is a mild curvature of the spine. Scoliosis screening is for the the 5th graders only. This screening is normally done in the spring and simply involves an inspection of the child's spine by the School Nurse, while they are bent forward at the waist. If you do not wish your child screened by the nurse, please email me at Lblazier@millstone.k12.nj.us. Screening will begin in April!
The State Department of NJ Department of Health and Senior Services has mandated that children entering 6th grade must receive a booster dose of Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (Tdap) and a dose of the Meningococcal Vaccine prior the start of the 2024-25school year.
Please look for more information on this in the take home Thursday folder.
๐ School Flyers & Notices
๐ Coming Up!
3/29 - 4/5 - Spring Break ๐ท
School will be closed and reopen on April 8th.
4/15 - Board of Education Meeting ๐
6:00pm at MPAC
4/17 - School Author Assembly ๐
Visit from author Susan Verde
4/18 - 5th grade Field Trip ๐
5th grade field trip - see details from teachers
4/19 - School Store ๐๏ธ
PTO School Store
4/25 - Bring Your Child to Work Day ๐จ๐ปโ๐ณ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐๐ฎ๐ปโโ๏ธ๐ท๐ปโโ๏ธ
Please contact the main office if your child will be attending work with you
4/26 - Dress Up Day - PTO Spirit Day ๐๐
PTO Spirit Day - wear a fancy outfit
5/1-5/2 - NJSLA Language Arts Testing ๐ป๐
NJSLA Language Arts Testing
5/6-5/8 - NJSLA Math Testing ๐ป๐
NJSLA Math Testing
5/13-5/14 - NJSLA Science Testing (grade 5) ๐ป๐งช
NJSLA Science Testing - grade 5 only
5/15 - Spring Music Concert
7:00pm at the MPAC
๐๐ Author Visit
Book Author Visit
New York Times best selling author, Susan Verde, will be visiting the Elementary School for a special assembly. Signed copies of her books are available to purchase in advance through BookHampton. In your pre-order please indicate that you are part of Millstone Elementary School so that we can ensure that your order is delivered to our school. Book order deadline is April 5th.
Wednesday, Apr 17, 2024, 09:00 AM
Elementary School
๐ก Reminders
1. Dress Code ๐
2. Morning Drop-off ๐
Doors open for student drop-off at 8:55 am each morning. Parents are asked to pull to the middle doors where students will exit curbside and be assisted into the building by our duty staff. We ask all families to remain in their vehicles so that we may keep traffic flowing. Additionally, we ask that families pull all the way forward as directed by staff.
Students should not be dropped off unless duty personnel is present. Doors close at 9:05 am. If you are running late, kindly park and escort your child to the main entrance where he or she will be buzzed into the building.
3. Afternoon Dismissal ๐
Afternoon dismissal begins at 3:35 pm. Students will be dismissed from the middle doors of the building. Families will be asked to gather outside of the middle doors to pick up their children. Families will park in our lower lot and use the adjacent staircase to make their way to the middle doors. Once our parent pick-up list has been verified inside by a staff member, students will be escorted outside and matched with their adult(s).
If you plan on using parent pick-up each day, you may send an email to Mrs. Piccinnini in the main office stating such. Your child will be added to our permanent parent pick-up list. If you plan on using parent pick-up occasionally, we ask that you email the main office no later than 3pm on the day you wish to use parent pick-up. It is important that you notify your child's teacher and the main office anytime there is a change in your child's typical dismissal plan.
4. Lunch/Recess Enrichment Clubs ๐
- Students have the opportunity to join enrichment clubs during recess time. Each morning we will announce the clubs available to each grade level - art, computers, etc.
5. Birthday Treats and Celebrations ๐
- Please be note that the following must be adhered to:
- Items identifying sugar as the first ingredient, items that contain artificial sweeteners, and candy are not permitted to be served to students during the school day.
- Items may have no more than 8 grams of fat per serving.
- All beverages offered to primary school students must be water, milk containing 2% fat or less, or 100% fruit juice. 4. Food and beverages served during school-wide curriculum events are exempt from the above guidelines with the exception of soda, water ice, chewing gum, and candy, which may never be served at school.
- Maschio's offers the option of purchasing birthday snacks through their company. This option ensures that the snack meets all of the guidelines. The flyer is attached below.
Click on the title above to access this month's lunch menu
๐ Want to get involved?
PTO
Please consider joining the PTO