Candace Gale’s and Cecilia Kosowicz’s IS third-graders, like all district third-graders, are working on further perfection of their spelling, grammar and morphology (how words are formed) skills. As part of their language arts work, they’ve been reading “Rattenborough’s Guide to Animals.”
“Rattenborough's Guide to Animals” is a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) third-grade reading and language arts unit that uses the fictional explorer named Rattenborough to teach students about animal classification, characteristics like being warm-blooded or cold-blooded, and concepts like vertebrates and invertebrates. Rattenborough, the unit’s nonfiction reader, provides factual information and reinforces vocabulary and content. Their students have been reading about the differences between herbivores, omnivores and carnivores and later completed the lesson with a craft project and word search puzzle.
“Rattenborough's Guide to Animals” is a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) third-grade reading and language arts unit that uses the fictional explorer named Rattenborough to teach students about animal classification, characteristics like being warm-blooded or cold-blooded, and concepts like vertebrates and invertebrates. Rattenborough, the unit’s nonfiction reader, provides factual information and reinforces vocabulary and content. Their students have been reading about the differences between herbivores, omnivores and carnivores and later completed the lesson with a craft project and word search puzzle.
IMPORTANT REMINDER TO ALL DRIVERS:
The district has equipped its entire bus fleet with cameras to catch vehicles that illegally pass a stopped school bus. If you see a bus’ red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, STOP! Otherwise, you and the vehicle you’re driving will be photographed and you WILL GET A $250 FINE.
Don't say we didn't tell you: Please pay attention and drive safe!
READ MORE: https://www.minisink.com/article/2365311
The district has equipped its entire bus fleet with cameras to catch vehicles that illegally pass a stopped school bus. If you see a bus’ red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, STOP! Otherwise, you and the vehicle you’re driving will be photographed and you WILL GET A $250 FINE.
Don't say we didn't tell you: Please pay attention and drive safe!
READ MORE: https://www.minisink.com/article/2365311
BE BOLD! BE COLD!
FREEZE FOR A GREAT CAUSE!
Minisink Valley is again creating a team for the 2025 Orange County Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics New York! The plunge will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Rez in Highland Mills!
JOIN OUR TEAM and help us retain our title as the “Cool School Challenge” winner! Last year, Minisink Valley won the 2024 Cool School Challenge (retaining this title earned in 2023) and raised $4,022! We are looking to exceed this amount this year!
The “Cool School Challenge” is a friendly competition between local schools as part of the 2025 Orange County Polar Plunge. Not only are our school clubs and teams as well as families and students invited to join us our team, we’re looking for community members to be a part of it, too! It was great to see the large number of people participating last year and we’re hopeful to see this number grow this year!
Director of PPS Jeff Finton is overseeing Minisink Valley’s efforts to create a team. JOIN US and BE COLD: Email Jeff Finton at: jfinton@minisink.com.
Thank you for whatever you’re able to do to support this initiative!
Intermediate School Nurse Arienne Patzelt, R.N. recently visited Jessica Gurrieri’s third-graders for an important handwashing lesson!
She demonstrated to students how germs travel with germ gel and a blue light. They were able to see how washing one’s hands the right way makes the germs go away, versus how just using water doesn’t work. This demonstration made and abstract concept like germ transmission concrete and memorable because it offered an immediate and undeniable visual consequence related to hygiene practices.
Make handwashing a habit by reminding yourself and others to wash hands at key times: Before preparing or eating food, after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, after touching animals or their waste, and after handling garbage. Use soap and water to thoroughly scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, focusing on the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails, to prevent the spread of germs
Using germ gel and a blue light is a hands-on, visual way to demonstrate how germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing. The "germs" are simulated using a gel or powder that contains tiny, fluorescent particles that are invisible under normal light.
She demonstrated to students how germs travel with germ gel and a blue light. They were able to see how washing one’s hands the right way makes the germs go away, versus how just using water doesn’t work. This demonstration made and abstract concept like germ transmission concrete and memorable because it offered an immediate and undeniable visual consequence related to hygiene practices.
Make handwashing a habit by reminding yourself and others to wash hands at key times: Before preparing or eating food, after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, after touching animals or their waste, and after handling garbage. Use soap and water to thoroughly scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, focusing on the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails, to prevent the spread of germs
Using germ gel and a blue light is a hands-on, visual way to demonstrate how germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing. The "germs" are simulated using a gel or powder that contains tiny, fluorescent particles that are invisible under normal light.
NOODLE DANCE TAG! Who’s in? Leyla Johnson’s IS third-graders are!
In this fun physical education activity, students were recently tasked with performing the designated locomotor movement (walking, skipping, galloping, etc.). If they were tagged with a foam pool noodle, they were tasked with dancing in place until the music stops.
Many students also demonstrated the very cool dance moves they’d do if tagged ahead of time! What a fun physical education class which included dancing to some iconic music!
Locomotor movement is important because it is fundamental to daily life, builds the foundation for lifelong health and fitness by developing gross motor skills like balance, coordination, and endurance, and supports overall development by fostering confidence, independence, and engagement in social activities and sports.
Aimee Hardy’s IS Grade 3, 4 and 5 library students have been spending time in their initial library classes reading books with a “book care” theme. Following that, they worked in groups to brainstorm both all the book care rules they could think of as well as book disasters, based on the book they read.
Reading about book care, and especially book care disasters, reinforce important concepts like respect, responsibility, and empathy. Seeing the consequences of book negligence makes the abstract concept of "taking care of a book" tangible for readers of all ages.
The concept of respect for shared resources in a library reminds library students that book damage affects others because, for example, a damaged book may not may no longer be available to, and disappoint, others who want to read it.
PLUS! Proper book care can be considered a foundation life skill that can extend to other areas, such as reminding students that carelessness in other things they might do could have a negative impact. It also reinforces the importance of accountability for one’s actions as well as problem-solving and proactive thinking --- how to prevent incidences of possible damage. Equally important is proper book care reinforces the value of what books offer --- important learning opportunities and the joy of reading!
Reading about book care, and especially book care disasters, reinforce important concepts like respect, responsibility, and empathy. Seeing the consequences of book negligence makes the abstract concept of "taking care of a book" tangible for readers of all ages.
The concept of respect for shared resources in a library reminds library students that book damage affects others because, for example, a damaged book may not may no longer be available to, and disappoint, others who want to read it.
PLUS! Proper book care can be considered a foundation life skill that can extend to other areas, such as reminding students that carelessness in other things they might do could have a negative impact. It also reinforces the importance of accountability for one’s actions as well as problem-solving and proactive thinking --- how to prevent incidences of possible damage. Equally important is proper book care reinforces the value of what books offer --- important learning opportunities and the joy of reading!
Like all district fourth-graders, Emma Grunenberg’s IS fourth-graders are practicing identifying character traits with evidence during ELA lessons.
As part of this, she tasked her students to work with their partners to talk about a time someone had been kind and/or helpful to them. After sharing, students identified that "character’s" trait using evidence from their own experience to support the claim.
Why is Identifying character traits with evidence important? This skill improves reading comprehension by helping students understand character motivations, predict plot developments, and grasp a text's deeper meaning and themes. This skill also develops crucial analytical thinking, allows students to make strong inferences from the text, and provides a foundation for more complex literary analysis in higher grades by preparing them to understand and create their own complex characters.
As part of this, she tasked her students to work with their partners to talk about a time someone had been kind and/or helpful to them. After sharing, students identified that "character’s" trait using evidence from their own experience to support the claim.
Why is Identifying character traits with evidence important? This skill improves reading comprehension by helping students understand character motivations, predict plot developments, and grasp a text's deeper meaning and themes. This skill also develops crucial analytical thinking, allows students to make strong inferences from the text, and provides a foundation for more complex literary analysis in higher grades by preparing them to understand and create their own complex characters.
WE'RE GOING PINK! Join us !
Ross Potter’s IS third-grade physical education students had a blast recently playing "Hula-Hut Relay” during class! The game’s objective is to be the first team to build a hula-hut.
As the game continues, each round gets more challenging. The game’s focus includes teamwork, taking turns, communication, and leadership. In order to be successful teams must be able to work out a plan and stick with it. The groups who work well together are usually the teams that have the most success.
It’s a great game (which also involves running) to play in the opening weeks of school because it gets students to come out of their shell and feel good about accomplishing a common goal! And as an added bonus, because they have to build a hula-hut, there’s STEM components of physics and engineering!
As the game continues, each round gets more challenging. The game’s focus includes teamwork, taking turns, communication, and leadership. In order to be successful teams must be able to work out a plan and stick with it. The groups who work well together are usually the teams that have the most success.
It’s a great game (which also involves running) to play in the opening weeks of school because it gets students to come out of their shell and feel good about accomplishing a common goal! And as an added bonus, because they have to build a hula-hut, there’s STEM components of physics and engineering!
FUN! FUN! FUN!
Take a peek at our students who attend the Middletown YMCA's Club Kid before/after school program at our ES/IS campuses. Our YMCA partners offer our Minisink Valley families safe. affordable before or after school child care at our two campuses and are loaded with indoor/outdoor fun, socialization and even homework time! We bet you recognize many faces!
To learn more about Club Kid, visit: https://middletownymca.org/club-kid/
Take a peek at our students who attend the Middletown YMCA's Club Kid before/after school program at our ES/IS campuses. Our YMCA partners offer our Minisink Valley families safe. affordable before or after school child care at our two campuses and are loaded with indoor/outdoor fun, socialization and even homework time! We bet you recognize many faces!
To learn more about Club Kid, visit: https://middletownymca.org/club-kid/
It's SPORTS DAY today, Sept. 25, at the Intermediate School! Our students loved "repping" their favorites!
Third-graders, like Shari Cannone’s IS third-graders, are reviewing “skip counting” as part of their math work. It’s an important skill! In this instance, they were practicing skip counting by 3s, but two of her students even offered to demonstrate how skip counting by 2s and 6s results in the same answer! (That's innovative thinking on their part!)
In third grade, skip counting is the skill of counting by intervals larger than one, such as 2, 3, 5, or 10, to count items or recognize patterns. This skill builds number sense and helpings students understand groups of equal size and how multiplication is essentially repeated addition.
Skip counting is important because it builds a foundation for learning multiplication, division, and other complex math concepts by developing number sense, pattern recognition, and fluency with numbers. It serves as a tool for quick calculation, understanding mathematical patterns, and solving problems more efficiently, and is a crucial math skill in higher grade levels and real-world applications like counting money.
In third grade, skip counting is the skill of counting by intervals larger than one, such as 2, 3, 5, or 10, to count items or recognize patterns. This skill builds number sense and helpings students understand groups of equal size and how multiplication is essentially repeated addition.
Skip counting is important because it builds a foundation for learning multiplication, division, and other complex math concepts by developing number sense, pattern recognition, and fluency with numbers. It serves as a tool for quick calculation, understanding mathematical patterns, and solving problems more efficiently, and is a crucial math skill in higher grade levels and real-world applications like counting money.
It's "Work Like Your Teacher Day" at the Intermediate School and Cecilia Kosowicz's and Candace Gale's third graders are doing just that!
CAN YOU HELP?
As part of their efforts to increase awareness this month (which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month) about pediatric cancer treatments and research and to support families dealing with pediatric cancers, the High School’s Youth Against Cancer Club (which is leading the district’s Going Gold Day on Sept. 30) is undertaking a drive to collect coloring books, crayons, books and stuffed toys for pediatric patients at Garnet Medical Center now through Oct. 11.
Collection boxes have been placed in all five buildings and the district’s Transportation Center. If you’re interested in being a part of this effort and joining the students and faculty/staff who are taking part, please email Club Advisor Erin Natalizio at enatalizio@minisink.com.
As part of their efforts to increase awareness this month (which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month) about pediatric cancer treatments and research and to support families dealing with pediatric cancers, the High School’s Youth Against Cancer Club (which is leading the district’s Going Gold Day on Sept. 30) is undertaking a drive to collect coloring books, crayons, books and stuffed toys for pediatric patients at Garnet Medical Center now through Oct. 11.
Collection boxes have been placed in all five buildings and the district’s Transportation Center. If you’re interested in being a part of this effort and joining the students and faculty/staff who are taking part, please email Club Advisor Erin Natalizio at enatalizio@minisink.com.
The Intermediate School is embarking on its annual school-wide mural project! This year's theme is "the sun."
IS Art Teacher Joan Giardina has been introducing the mural's theme and what all third, fourth and fifth-graders will be working on in the coming weeks as their contribution to this project.
Her recent discussion with third-graders focused on the dots, lines and shapes they can use to create their sun. The idea is to allow each square of the mural to represent the individualism of each student! But first! Students are being tasked to giving thought to what they want to do and to begin to sketch that out on a paper which equates to the size of the square they'll contribute to the mural. Stay tuned, this result will be bright, vivid and gorgeous!
IS Art Teacher Joan Giardina has been introducing the mural's theme and what all third, fourth and fifth-graders will be working on in the coming weeks as their contribution to this project.
Her recent discussion with third-graders focused on the dots, lines and shapes they can use to create their sun. The idea is to allow each square of the mural to represent the individualism of each student! But first! Students are being tasked to giving thought to what they want to do and to begin to sketch that out on a paper which equates to the size of the square they'll contribute to the mural. Stay tuned, this result will be bright, vivid and gorgeous!
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO OCT. 6:
PLEASE SHARE! Support the great work of the Minisink Valley PTO and update your wardrobe with some fabulous, new Minisink Valley apparel, which includes some terrific Otisville Elementary swag, too! There's SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: Shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, backpacks, hoodies, and winter hats!
Be sure to click on this link and see all that's available: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/STZMLw6Sfm
PLEASE SHARE! Support the great work of the Minisink Valley PTO and update your wardrobe with some fabulous, new Minisink Valley apparel, which includes some terrific Otisville Elementary swag, too! There's SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: Shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, backpacks, hoodies, and winter hats!
Be sure to click on this link and see all that's available: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/STZMLw6Sfm
‘TURN UP THE GAS’ for MAD MINUTE MATH!
Mike Conklin’s IS fifth-graders are back in math mode! They’ve been doing “Mad Minute Math” work…in this instance, it’s multiplication. In a minute time span, they were tasked with correctly answering as many multiplication facts as they could. Then, they checked their work and the process was repeated with additional multiplication facts.
Students need to essentially memorize/instinctively know these single-digit multiplication combinations because they form a foundation for more complex math. These facts are essential for developing number sense and achieving success in higher-level math.
Mike Conklin’s IS fifth-graders are back in math mode! They’ve been doing “Mad Minute Math” work…in this instance, it’s multiplication. In a minute time span, they were tasked with correctly answering as many multiplication facts as they could. Then, they checked their work and the process was repeated with additional multiplication facts.
Students need to essentially memorize/instinctively know these single-digit multiplication combinations because they form a foundation for more complex math. These facts are essential for developing number sense and achieving success in higher-level math.
Jonathan Sakadelis' IS fourth-grade physical education students have been playing a tagging game called "Outer Space Tag" while working on various different motor skills (skipping, running, galloping, etc).
Students made believe that they were in outer space surrounded by stars, space stations, asteroids, aliens (taggers) and planets (hula hoops). Two students were the taggers (aliens) and the rest were astronauts. The astronaut's job was to move around the gym performing whatever motor skill was announced by Mr. Sakadelis without getting tagged by an alien.
If an astronaut made it to a planet without getting tagged, he/she is safe for five seconds. After five seconds, the astronaut had to leave that planet and find another one! But, if a student was tagged by an alien, he/she then had to enter the black hole where they must stay until they receive a high five from another astronaut that was in the game.
DID YOU KNOW
Working on motor skills in physical education class is crucial for children because it builds physical capabilities like strength, coordination, and balance, which are essential for daily activities, social engagement, and academic success. Developing strong motor skills also promotes a child's cognitive and emotional growth, fostering confidence, resilience, and better lifelong health habits.
Students made believe that they were in outer space surrounded by stars, space stations, asteroids, aliens (taggers) and planets (hula hoops). Two students were the taggers (aliens) and the rest were astronauts. The astronaut's job was to move around the gym performing whatever motor skill was announced by Mr. Sakadelis without getting tagged by an alien.
If an astronaut made it to a planet without getting tagged, he/she is safe for five seconds. After five seconds, the astronaut had to leave that planet and find another one! But, if a student was tagged by an alien, he/she then had to enter the black hole where they must stay until they receive a high five from another astronaut that was in the game.
DID YOU KNOW
Working on motor skills in physical education class is crucial for children because it builds physical capabilities like strength, coordination, and balance, which are essential for daily activities, social engagement, and academic success. Developing strong motor skills also promotes a child's cognitive and emotional growth, fostering confidence, resilience, and better lifelong health habits.
TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY! Mark your calendars! We're going GOLD!
Call for photos: Share a photo of your student in yellow/gold attire!
REMINDER: The Intermediate School's Open House is Monday, Sept. 15!
--- 6 to 6:35 p.m.: Third-grade
--- 6:40 to 7:15 p.m.: Fifth-grade
--- 7:20 to 7:55 p.m.: Fourth-grade
--- 6 to 6:35 p.m.: Third-grade
--- 6:40 to 7:15 p.m.: Fifth-grade
--- 7:20 to 7:55 p.m.: Fourth-grade
