Shhh...we don't want to give anything away, but it's quite possible these are potential Mother's Day gifts being created by Jonathan Clemmons' eighth-grade technology students! Take a peek at their mason jar projects in progress!
Euge! Bene factum!
The High School’s Latin Club recently sat for the National Latin Examination administered by the American Classical League. The tests consist of 40 questions involving Roman culture and mythology, Latin grammar and Latin reading comprehension.
Seven Minisink students received awards for their performance on the “Introduction to Latin” exam: Luciano Palacios, Silver Maxima Cum Laude; Charlotte Curraba, Silver Maxima Cum Laude; James Arias, Magna Cum Laude; Conner Doane, Magna Cum Laude; Yuvia Portugal, Magna Cum Laude; Adrianna Arrendondo, Cum Laude; and Justin Roccabruna, Certificate of Merit.
The Latin Club offers students instruction in introductory Latin and no previous experience is necessary. Multi-year members will advance to study real Latin authors. The club also explores Greco-Roman history, art and mythology. At the end of the year, students have the chance to take the appropriate level of the National Latin Exam.
The High School’s Latin Club recently sat for the National Latin Examination administered by the American Classical League. The tests consist of 40 questions involving Roman culture and mythology, Latin grammar and Latin reading comprehension.
Seven Minisink students received awards for their performance on the “Introduction to Latin” exam: Luciano Palacios, Silver Maxima Cum Laude; Charlotte Curraba, Silver Maxima Cum Laude; James Arias, Magna Cum Laude; Conner Doane, Magna Cum Laude; Yuvia Portugal, Magna Cum Laude; Adrianna Arrendondo, Cum Laude; and Justin Roccabruna, Certificate of Merit.
The Latin Club offers students instruction in introductory Latin and no previous experience is necessary. Multi-year members will advance to study real Latin authors. The club also explores Greco-Roman history, art and mythology. At the end of the year, students have the chance to take the appropriate level of the National Latin Exam.
Do you know how to do to an alphabet chant? Elisabeth Harrison’s Otisville kindergarteners do! And they’re really, really good at it, too! (Plus, they’re just too cute!) Their chant has a terrific, rhythmic sound that’s a great learning tool for success!
An alphabet chant in kindergarten is a rhythmic, alliterative rhyme used to teach letter names, sounds, and letter-sound correspondence. It usually combines a letter name, a keyword, a sound (e.g., "A-apple-/a/"), and hand motions, making it an engaging multisensory tool for recall.
An alphabet chant in kindergarten is a rhythmic, alliterative rhyme used to teach letter names, sounds, and letter-sound correspondence. It usually combines a letter name, a keyword, a sound (e.g., "A-apple-/a/"), and hand motions, making it an engaging multisensory tool for recall.
It’s the end of April and that means only one thing for the High School’s yearbook class: Final deadline!
This past Friday, yearbook staff celebrated their last page submissions. Editor-in-chief Ella Michelitch, a four year member of the yearbook staff, read her letter to the readers aloud for the first time, which was inspired by this year’s theme, “So Much More,” and the opportunity the New York State cell phone policy gave her classmates to experience each day and connect with each other free of scrolling.
“Every year the staff starts with 256 blank pages and fills them with photos, quotes and stories created by students for students,” said Advisor Kat Hoolan. “The final deadline is always bittersweet. First, it’s the relief the massive project is complete which vibrates through the room. But this also means a goodbye to the seniors dedicated to creating Vale, Volume 63.”
Congratulations to the senior members of the yearbook staff for a job well-done! We can’t wait to see the yearbook!
Jack Blaikner
Ashlyn Burke
Kathryn Jones
Reilly Kain-Dickinson
Samatha Kassel
Siyassa Mathis
Ella Michelitch
Olivia Pollock
Brianna Soriano
This past Friday, yearbook staff celebrated their last page submissions. Editor-in-chief Ella Michelitch, a four year member of the yearbook staff, read her letter to the readers aloud for the first time, which was inspired by this year’s theme, “So Much More,” and the opportunity the New York State cell phone policy gave her classmates to experience each day and connect with each other free of scrolling.
“Every year the staff starts with 256 blank pages and fills them with photos, quotes and stories created by students for students,” said Advisor Kat Hoolan. “The final deadline is always bittersweet. First, it’s the relief the massive project is complete which vibrates through the room. But this also means a goodbye to the seniors dedicated to creating Vale, Volume 63.”
Congratulations to the senior members of the yearbook staff for a job well-done! We can’t wait to see the yearbook!
Jack Blaikner
Ashlyn Burke
Kathryn Jones
Reilly Kain-Dickinson
Samatha Kassel
Siyassa Mathis
Ella Michelitch
Olivia Pollock
Brianna Soriano
Congratulations to the 23 students representing the Middle School, the Intermediate School and Otisville Elementary this past weekend’s Orange County Music Educators Association (OCEMA) Elementary All-County Music Festival held at Monroe-Woodbury High School this past Friday and Saturday! These talented musicians and singers represented the district with honor and distinction!
Band:
Elizabeth Claus, Flute
Leah Galligan, Saxophone
James Karpinski, Trumpet
Adrien Kusztykiewicz, Horn
Dejana Rosa, Clarinet
Chorus:
Julianna Andrade, Alto
Isabelle Decker, Alto
Nicolas Ellert, Alto
Hanna Elman, Soprano
Kenzie Ferdula, Alto
Mariyah Fonrose, Soprano
Penelope Greenberg, Soprano
Helen Huchital, Alto
Everly Johnson, Alto
Carla Lajara, Alto
Jemma Marsala, Alto
Gracelynn Morse, Soprano
Jillian O'Sullivan, Soprano
Alaina Paredes, Soprano
Devin Paredes, Soprano
Jandi Romualdo, Soprano
Finley Rossi, Soprano
Emilee Vernatter, Alto
The Elementary All-County Music Festival brought together talented young musicians from across the county to perform in bands, choruses, and orchestras. It featured rigorous selection processes to showcase elite elementary school performers, overseen by the OCMEA.
Band:
Elizabeth Claus, Flute
Leah Galligan, Saxophone
James Karpinski, Trumpet
Adrien Kusztykiewicz, Horn
Dejana Rosa, Clarinet
Chorus:
Julianna Andrade, Alto
Isabelle Decker, Alto
Nicolas Ellert, Alto
Hanna Elman, Soprano
Kenzie Ferdula, Alto
Mariyah Fonrose, Soprano
Penelope Greenberg, Soprano
Helen Huchital, Alto
Everly Johnson, Alto
Carla Lajara, Alto
Jemma Marsala, Alto
Gracelynn Morse, Soprano
Jillian O'Sullivan, Soprano
Alaina Paredes, Soprano
Devin Paredes, Soprano
Jandi Romualdo, Soprano
Finley Rossi, Soprano
Emilee Vernatter, Alto
The Elementary All-County Music Festival brought together talented young musicians from across the county to perform in bands, choruses, and orchestras. It featured rigorous selection processes to showcase elite elementary school performers, overseen by the OCMEA.
Brian Maione’s eighth-grade art students are diving into the world of Pop Art by designing bold, oversized sculptures inspired by the legendary Claes Oldenburg.
Each student selects a favorite snack — whether it’s candy, cookies, chips, or any treat that comes crinkling out of a bag. They begin by sketching their chosen snack, paying attention to dynamic composition, eye-catching layout, and strong overall design. Their final pieces are brought to life on 12x18 paper using vibrant acrylic paint and crisp Sharpie linework, giving every sculpture a striking Pop Art punch.
Claes Oldenburg, a Swedish-American icon of the Pop Art movement, became famous for reimagining everyday objects as monumental, playful sculptures. From giant hamburgers to towering tubes of lipstick—and his “Spoonbridge and Cherry”—Oldenburg’s work transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. His imaginative style sets the perfect stage for students to explore scale, color, and creativity in their own snack-inspired masterpieces.
Each student selects a favorite snack — whether it’s candy, cookies, chips, or any treat that comes crinkling out of a bag. They begin by sketching their chosen snack, paying attention to dynamic composition, eye-catching layout, and strong overall design. Their final pieces are brought to life on 12x18 paper using vibrant acrylic paint and crisp Sharpie linework, giving every sculpture a striking Pop Art punch.
Claes Oldenburg, a Swedish-American icon of the Pop Art movement, became famous for reimagining everyday objects as monumental, playful sculptures. From giant hamburgers to towering tubes of lipstick—and his “Spoonbridge and Cherry”—Oldenburg’s work transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. His imaginative style sets the perfect stage for students to explore scale, color, and creativity in their own snack-inspired masterpieces.
Big-time learning is happening in kindergarten!
Like all district kindergarteners, Carmella Sill’s class is building strong writing skills through engaging, cross-curricular work. As part of their new Geography unit, students are learning about the continents, with a focus on North America, while using the POW writing strategy to plan and organize their ideas.
Students are also learning to write a gist statement—a short sentence that captures the main idea of what they’ve learned in their own words. This helps them focus on the most important information and express it clearly.
POW (Pick my idea, Organize my notes, Write and say more) is a simple, three-step strategy that supports young writers by breaking the process into manageable steps, making writing more approachable and less overwhelming.
In Mrs. Sill’s classroom, students are using POW to plan their gist statements about North America—combining content knowledge with essential writing skills in a meaningful way.
Like all district kindergarteners, Carmella Sill’s class is building strong writing skills through engaging, cross-curricular work. As part of their new Geography unit, students are learning about the continents, with a focus on North America, while using the POW writing strategy to plan and organize their ideas.
Students are also learning to write a gist statement—a short sentence that captures the main idea of what they’ve learned in their own words. This helps them focus on the most important information and express it clearly.
POW (Pick my idea, Organize my notes, Write and say more) is a simple, three-step strategy that supports young writers by breaking the process into manageable steps, making writing more approachable and less overwhelming.
In Mrs. Sill’s classroom, students are using POW to plan their gist statements about North America—combining content knowledge with essential writing skills in a meaningful way.
Debra Schifano’s Otisville fourth and fifth-graders are doing great work reviewing geometric figures!
Students were asked to identify figures based on attributes such as number of sides, equal measured sides, or specific features like the existence of parallel lines within the figure. They also had the opportunity to pair together with a partner and use pattern blocks to find composed polygons, which is a figure made up of smaller shapes within. WELL-DONE, everyone!
It's important for fourth and fifth graders to know geometric figures because this knowledge builds essential visual and spatial reasoning skills, strengthens mathematical vocabulary, and prepares them for more advanced concepts like area, perimeter, volume, and coordinate graphing. Understanding shapes also helps students connect math to the real world by recognizing geometry in buildings, art, nature and everyday objects. In addition, classifying and comparing geometric figures develops logical thinking and reasoning skills, which are valuable across all subjects.
Students were asked to identify figures based on attributes such as number of sides, equal measured sides, or specific features like the existence of parallel lines within the figure. They also had the opportunity to pair together with a partner and use pattern blocks to find composed polygons, which is a figure made up of smaller shapes within. WELL-DONE, everyone!
It's important for fourth and fifth graders to know geometric figures because this knowledge builds essential visual and spatial reasoning skills, strengthens mathematical vocabulary, and prepares them for more advanced concepts like area, perimeter, volume, and coordinate graphing. Understanding shapes also helps students connect math to the real world by recognizing geometry in buildings, art, nature and everyday objects. In addition, classifying and comparing geometric figures develops logical thinking and reasoning skills, which are valuable across all subjects.
BRAVO and WELL DONE to the Elementary School students who knocked it out of the park by reading over 800 minutes as part of the New York Boulders Reading Challenge! To acknowledge their All-Star effort at the plate, each student will receive four tickets to an upcoming Boulders game — we know they’re going to have a grand slam of a time!
Students who stepped up to the plate and read between 400 and 800 minutes will receive two tickets, and they’re sure to have a winning day at the ballpark, too! In total, over 100 students joined the lineup for this reading challenge and collectively racked up an incredible 46,844 minutes — talk about an Elementary School team victory!
BUT! A very special congratulations goes to Wyatt Kessler, who absolutely crushed it with 1,309 minutes read — that’s a home run and then some! He has earned the title of the school’s “Home Run Reader.” In addition to receiving four tickets, Wyatt will get the ultimate big-league experience: He’s been invited to the field for the game he attends to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. What a major league moment!
Students who stepped up to the plate and read between 400 and 800 minutes will receive two tickets, and they’re sure to have a winning day at the ballpark, too! In total, over 100 students joined the lineup for this reading challenge and collectively racked up an incredible 46,844 minutes — talk about an Elementary School team victory!
BUT! A very special congratulations goes to Wyatt Kessler, who absolutely crushed it with 1,309 minutes read — that’s a home run and then some! He has earned the title of the school’s “Home Run Reader.” In addition to receiving four tickets, Wyatt will get the ultimate big-league experience: He’s been invited to the field for the game he attends to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. What a major league moment!
THANK YOU to Crisis Counselor Clare Redden of 988 Lifeline for presenting tremendously important information to students as part of the High School’s Mental Health Awareness Club’s “Two Weeks of Wellness" events last week.
It was a very powerful discussion and participants learned a lot. The biggest takeaway is that 988 Lifeline wants people to CALL if they’re in crisis. Crisis counselors are compassionate individuals who care about you!
Important reminders:
1. Anyone can call/text/chat no matter the reason. If you need a friend, they are there for you! They want to hear about your day! It does not need to be a crisis.
2. You can call them to talk about someone else that you are concerned about.
3. Crisis counselors completed a three month training which included taking calls with a mentor before being able to answer calls on their own.
4. Crisis counselors are based at the Orange County 911 Center in Goshen along with the 911 and 311 dispatchers. They all work closely together to ensure that the calls that come in are directed appropriately based on the needs.
5. They have a dress code and must wear black to keep distractions at a minimum.
Ms. Redden discussed how important it is for students to have a Safety Plan. At the club’s upcoming meeting this week, members will be doing this. Be sure you have a Safety Plan, too!
It was a very powerful discussion and participants learned a lot. The biggest takeaway is that 988 Lifeline wants people to CALL if they’re in crisis. Crisis counselors are compassionate individuals who care about you!
Important reminders:
1. Anyone can call/text/chat no matter the reason. If you need a friend, they are there for you! They want to hear about your day! It does not need to be a crisis.
2. You can call them to talk about someone else that you are concerned about.
3. Crisis counselors completed a three month training which included taking calls with a mentor before being able to answer calls on their own.
4. Crisis counselors are based at the Orange County 911 Center in Goshen along with the 911 and 311 dispatchers. They all work closely together to ensure that the calls that come in are directed appropriately based on the needs.
5. They have a dress code and must wear black to keep distractions at a minimum.
Ms. Redden discussed how important it is for students to have a Safety Plan. At the club’s upcoming meeting this week, members will be doing this. Be sure you have a Safety Plan, too!
Did you know that learning how to be a great audience is a super important part of music class?
Deanna Feuerbach’s IS third-graders recently took turns performing for their peers, while their classmates practiced being respectful, attentive, and wonderfully supportive audience members. When it was their moment to perform, students could choose any instrument in the classroom to perform with! What a fun way to build confidence while also cheering one another on!
A big, thank you to the IS PTO for purchasing the new steel drums that now bring even more joy and rhythm to the classroom. We appreciate you!
Deanna Feuerbach’s IS third-graders recently took turns performing for their peers, while their classmates practiced being respectful, attentive, and wonderfully supportive audience members. When it was their moment to perform, students could choose any instrument in the classroom to perform with! What a fun way to build confidence while also cheering one another on!
A big, thank you to the IS PTO for purchasing the new steel drums that now bring even more joy and rhythm to the classroom. We appreciate you!
Leyla Johnson has been showing her ES kindergarten physical education students how to use implements in class! These include items like balls, beanbags, jump ropes, rackets or hoops.
There’s lots of important reasons why using implements are important for these little ones!
Implements help children develop manipulative skills such as throwing, catching, striking and kicking, which are among core motor skills.
Using items like balls or rackets requires children to track objects, time their movements, and adjust their body position—critical skills for both athletic and everyday tasks.
Using implements involves following directions, problem solving and understanding “cause and effect,” which support brain development.
Working with objects helps children understand where their body is in space and how to control their movements safely and effectively.
Mastering new equipment helps young children feel capable and proud, further develops social skills, helps prepare them for later physical education work….and is fun!
There’s lots of important reasons why using implements are important for these little ones!
Implements help children develop manipulative skills such as throwing, catching, striking and kicking, which are among core motor skills.
Using items like balls or rackets requires children to track objects, time their movements, and adjust their body position—critical skills for both athletic and everyday tasks.
Using implements involves following directions, problem solving and understanding “cause and effect,” which support brain development.
Working with objects helps children understand where their body is in space and how to control their movements safely and effectively.
Mastering new equipment helps young children feel capable and proud, further develops social skills, helps prepare them for later physical education work….and is fun!
KUDOS to Martin Greco's top High School physics students, who recently participated in the 8th annual High School Physics Olympiad sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)!
His students were among the many New York State high school students invited to participate. They worked in teams for three hours on several, extremely challenging physics problems. The scores are in the process of being tabulated by RIT and awards will be presented to the top performers. In years past, Minisink valley students have performed well!
Thank you to these students who represented Minisink Valley with tremendous academic distinction!
• Jandro Arias
• Richard Cai
• Caleb Decker
• Roman Gangi
• Madeline Huggins
• Cree Kain-Dickinson
• Rogan Lynch
• Luciano Palacios
• Audrey Stokes
• Elizabeth Yozzo
• Madilyn Greenberg
• Owen Skinner
• Austin Arrredondo
The RIT High School Physics Olympiad involves solving challenging physics problems that go beyond standard classroom material, covering topics such as mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves and more. The competition features questions designed to test analytical thinking and problem-solving skills rather than memorization. Its goal is to encourage interest in physics and STEM fields while giving students experience with competition-style questions similar to those seen in more advanced contests like the United States Physics Olympiad.
His students were among the many New York State high school students invited to participate. They worked in teams for three hours on several, extremely challenging physics problems. The scores are in the process of being tabulated by RIT and awards will be presented to the top performers. In years past, Minisink valley students have performed well!
Thank you to these students who represented Minisink Valley with tremendous academic distinction!
• Jandro Arias
• Richard Cai
• Caleb Decker
• Roman Gangi
• Madeline Huggins
• Cree Kain-Dickinson
• Rogan Lynch
• Luciano Palacios
• Audrey Stokes
• Elizabeth Yozzo
• Madilyn Greenberg
• Owen Skinner
• Austin Arrredondo
The RIT High School Physics Olympiad involves solving challenging physics problems that go beyond standard classroom material, covering topics such as mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves and more. The competition features questions designed to test analytical thinking and problem-solving skills rather than memorization. Its goal is to encourage interest in physics and STEM fields while giving students experience with competition-style questions similar to those seen in more advanced contests like the United States Physics Olympiad.
Smiley-faced potatoes are always a lunchtime favorite with our youngest learners! Just look at these Otisville kindergarteners — their big smiles might be even sweeter than the potatoes! How can you not smile back?
THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all!
Members of the High School’s Youth Against Cancer (YAC) club have proudly presented a $543.65 donation to Sparrow’s Nest, supporting its mission to assist families facing cancer.
Sparrow’s Nest of the Hudson Valley is a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers homemade, nutritious meals to families facing a cancer diagnosis. Founded in 2012 by Krista Jones in New York, the charity aims to reduce the daily stress of meal preparation, allowing patients undergoing treatment to focus on healing.
This check represents 100% of the proceeds gathered during the club’s recent Cuginos Coin Drop initiative, and the club wants to express its gratitude to everyone who contributed to this effort.
“It was incredible to raise this amount in just a short three hours,” said Club Advisor Erin Natalizio. “We are incredibly grateful to Maria Cabrera of Cuginos and her generous patrons.”
Members of the High School’s Youth Against Cancer (YAC) club have proudly presented a $543.65 donation to Sparrow’s Nest, supporting its mission to assist families facing cancer.
Sparrow’s Nest of the Hudson Valley is a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers homemade, nutritious meals to families facing a cancer diagnosis. Founded in 2012 by Krista Jones in New York, the charity aims to reduce the daily stress of meal preparation, allowing patients undergoing treatment to focus on healing.
This check represents 100% of the proceeds gathered during the club’s recent Cuginos Coin Drop initiative, and the club wants to express its gratitude to everyone who contributed to this effort.
“It was incredible to raise this amount in just a short three hours,” said Club Advisor Erin Natalizio. “We are incredibly grateful to Maria Cabrera of Cuginos and her generous patrons.”
Mary Louey’s and Alyssa Pagano’s Otisville fifth-graders did a great job with their recent science lab focusing on volume!
Each student was given centimeter cubes, a ruler, and four empty rectangular solid containers to fill (labeled A–D). They worked with a group to fill the containers to show the volume of each solid. By doing this, they were able to better understand how volume is measured and how cubic units fill space inside a three-dimensional figure. Then they measured with rulers to confirm their measurements.
The lab’s purpose was to help students develop a deeper understanding of volume by connecting hands-on exploration with mathematical measurement, reinforcing the formula for volume and the concept of cubic units.
Each student was given centimeter cubes, a ruler, and four empty rectangular solid containers to fill (labeled A–D). They worked with a group to fill the containers to show the volume of each solid. By doing this, they were able to better understand how volume is measured and how cubic units fill space inside a three-dimensional figure. Then they measured with rulers to confirm their measurements.
The lab’s purpose was to help students develop a deeper understanding of volume by connecting hands-on exploration with mathematical measurement, reinforcing the formula for volume and the concept of cubic units.
Members of Andrew Hulle’s IS Fifth-Grade Band are deep into preparations for their upcoming Spring Concert, refining their technique, ensemble cohesion and overall musicality! As part of this work, Mr. Hulle is recording select band concert repertoire. These early recordings will serve as a benchmark, giving students a clear reference point to measure their growth against the final Spring Concert performance.
Following the concert, students will complete a reflective assignment in which they will analyze the initial practice recordings alongside the culminating performance. They will identify specific areas of improvement—both individually and as a full ensemble—gaining insight into their development and the collective progress of the group.
Following the concert, students will complete a reflective assignment in which they will analyze the initial practice recordings alongside the culminating performance. They will identify specific areas of improvement—both individually and as a full ensemble—gaining insight into their development and the collective progress of the group.
Skyler Klein’s Otisville second-grade music classes are busy building one of the most important musical skills of all — music literacy. Like all music classes in the district, they follow the Conversational Solfege approach, a method that helps students become fluent in reading and understanding music.
Did you know this process mirrors how we learn language? Students begin by echoing musical patterns, then move on to decoding by ear, improvising, reading, dictating (writing down what they hear), and finally composing their own creations.
Recently, these second-graders tackled their very first musical dictation, and they nailed it! Mr. Klein gave them rhythm patterns using quarter notes and eighth notes. Students listened carefully, decoded the patterns to the best of the abilities and shared their answers with their classmates. Take a peek!
Conversational Solfege is a research-based, 12-step music literacy approach developed by Dr. John Feierabend that teaches music in the same way children learn a language: First hearing (listening), then speaking (chanting/singing), and finally reading and writing. It focuses on building “inner hearing” and confidence before introducing notation.
Did you know this process mirrors how we learn language? Students begin by echoing musical patterns, then move on to decoding by ear, improvising, reading, dictating (writing down what they hear), and finally composing their own creations.
Recently, these second-graders tackled their very first musical dictation, and they nailed it! Mr. Klein gave them rhythm patterns using quarter notes and eighth notes. Students listened carefully, decoded the patterns to the best of the abilities and shared their answers with their classmates. Take a peek!
Conversational Solfege is a research-based, 12-step music literacy approach developed by Dr. John Feierabend that teaches music in the same way children learn a language: First hearing (listening), then speaking (chanting/singing), and finally reading and writing. It focuses on building “inner hearing” and confidence before introducing notation.
BRAVO and WELL-DONE to the 12 first-grade readers who proudly completed the ES Junior Great Books (JGB) enrichment program under the guidance of teachers Shawne Demberg and Amye Laderman! Thes young readers launched into stories, explored new worlds and grew as confident readers!
Reading in first grade is especially powerful, because it builds the foundation for everything that follows. At this age, students are learning the building blocks of language—how stories work, how characters think, how words spark imagination. The more they read, the more their vocabulary grows, the stronger their comprehension and creativity becomes!
After exploring a variety of JGB stories, the students took on two full novels—a huge accomplishment for first graders.!
Their first adventure was Jeff Brown’s “Flat Stanley,” the story of a boy who gets flattened by a bulletin board. Inspired by the story, the students created their own “flat mes” and sent them off through the mail. When the “flat mes” returned, they brought stories of wonderful travels—visiting places such as Massachusetts, Florida, and Arizona, and even meeting family members, friends, and pets along the way!
Next, they dove into Judy Blume’s “Freckle Juice,” the story of Andrew, a boy determined to get freckles—even if it means mixing up a wild recipe or drawing them on with a marker! The first graders had a blast creating freckles on their own photos, bringing the book’s humor to life and building a deeper understanding of character motivation and creativity.
Reading strengthens imagination, builds critical thinking, boosts confidence, and helps children discover the joy of learning. Through stories, they learn to make connections, ask questions, and express themselves — all skills that will support them throughout their academic careers!
Reading in first grade is especially powerful, because it builds the foundation for everything that follows. At this age, students are learning the building blocks of language—how stories work, how characters think, how words spark imagination. The more they read, the more their vocabulary grows, the stronger their comprehension and creativity becomes!
After exploring a variety of JGB stories, the students took on two full novels—a huge accomplishment for first graders.!
Their first adventure was Jeff Brown’s “Flat Stanley,” the story of a boy who gets flattened by a bulletin board. Inspired by the story, the students created their own “flat mes” and sent them off through the mail. When the “flat mes” returned, they brought stories of wonderful travels—visiting places such as Massachusetts, Florida, and Arizona, and even meeting family members, friends, and pets along the way!
Next, they dove into Judy Blume’s “Freckle Juice,” the story of Andrew, a boy determined to get freckles—even if it means mixing up a wild recipe or drawing them on with a marker! The first graders had a blast creating freckles on their own photos, bringing the book’s humor to life and building a deeper understanding of character motivation and creativity.
Reading strengthens imagination, builds critical thinking, boosts confidence, and helps children discover the joy of learning. Through stories, they learn to make connections, ask questions, and express themselves — all skills that will support them throughout their academic careers!
Cliff Loretto’s ES second-grade music students are growing their skills through joyful, active music-making!
Students had a blast recently singing the echo song “Purple Light,” which helps build strong listening and echoing skills. As they sang, they also took turns playing the temple blocks to keep a steady beat — bringing this cowboy song to life with the clippy-clop sound of horse hooves echoing through the room. (The song even mentions a canyon, a pony and a knapsack!)
Fun, hands-on moments like these help students grow in singing, rhythm, coordination and—best of all—a lifelong love of music!
Temple blocks are a set of hollowed-out percussion instruments, traditionally made of wood (often called dragon mouths), typically played in sets of five tuned to a pentatonic scale. Originating from Chinese Buddhist rituals, they produce a rich, dark, and rounded sound compared to standard woodblocks and are used for musical effects, melodies, or rhythmic reinforcement.
Students had a blast recently singing the echo song “Purple Light,” which helps build strong listening and echoing skills. As they sang, they also took turns playing the temple blocks to keep a steady beat — bringing this cowboy song to life with the clippy-clop sound of horse hooves echoing through the room. (The song even mentions a canyon, a pony and a knapsack!)
Fun, hands-on moments like these help students grow in singing, rhythm, coordination and—best of all—a lifelong love of music!
Temple blocks are a set of hollowed-out percussion instruments, traditionally made of wood (often called dragon mouths), typically played in sets of five tuned to a pentatonic scale. Originating from Chinese Buddhist rituals, they produce a rich, dark, and rounded sound compared to standard woodblocks and are used for musical effects, melodies, or rhythmic reinforcement.
