And, of course, it’s always fun to have a drawing and coloring component to their studies. Take a peek at these students and their drawing of their selected shallow versus deep water ocean animals. Their artwork is terrific!
Ilana Kaufman’s ES first-grader art students have been busy bringing their imaginations to life! Each student created a bright, colorful drawing of their favorite Squishmallow—or designed a totally unique one they wish existed. Who knows… maybe their idea will be the next must-have Squishmallow!
We’re guessing most homes have at least one of these cuddly characters around. Squishmallows are beloved for their ultra-soft, marshmallow-like feel, simple adorable designs, and perfectly huggable shape. They can be pillows, toys, comfort buddies and even collectible treasures.
Since launching in 2017, Squishmallows have become wildly popular — especially during the 2020 pandemic, when people of all ages turned to them for a little extra comfort and stress relief. Each character even has its own fun “bio,” and with rare ones to find, collecting them has become a delightful “thrill of the hunt!”
Take a look at our students’ creative Squishmallow-inspired masterpieces—you might just spot the next fan favorite!
Marjori Bobish’s ES transitional kindergarteners had a wee bit of Irish magic in their day as they celebrated St. Patrick's Day yesterday! They explored festive traditions from far-off places like Chicago, where the river runs bright green on March 17, tried their luck with a “Count Your Gold” game and whipped up edible rainbows worthy of a mischievous leprechaun using Fruit Loops cereal and marshmallows! What a fun day of learning!
Green is the color of the day, as Jen DiSimone's ES first-graders are reminding us, as they wish us all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!
"POP” Choral reading! Which group is next?
Tracey Salinardi’s ES second-graders have been doing choral reading as part of their ongoing ELA work. It’s an instructional strategy where a teacher and students (or groups of students) read a text aloud in unison. Choral reading helps build fluency, self-confidence and motivation for young readers.
In this instance, groups of students needed to be spontaneously prepared for their choral reading assignment. Who would she pick? They all needed to be ready! First, it was students who were at Table 4, then Table 5, then all the girls in the class...and then all the boys.
Their choral reading came from Chapter 4 of a story called “The Hungry Troll.” It’s about a cowardly, but lucky knight, named Sir Gus, who faces a hungry troll to retrieve King Alfred's stolen ring. Despite his fear and ridiculous antics, Gus's "good luck" prevails, allowing him to recover the ring and impress the king, who praises him as brave and clever.
In schools both big and small, down the hall and up the stairs,
Something wonderful happens when a story is shared!
All year long, our schools unite—what a marvelous sight—
The High School and Elementary working together just right.
They partner and plan, they laugh and they read,
Planting the tiniest, book-loving seed.
And what was the reason for such a recent fine day?
Why, Read Across America, hip-hip-hooray!
A day for all readers—both grown-ups and youth—
To celebrate stories, imagination, and truth.
Though March 2 was the official date on the chart,
Schools celebrated all week with books at the heart.
For that special day, as many folks know,
Is the birthday of the great Dr. Seuss, long ago!
His whimsical tales, with rhymes that delight,
Helped spark this celebration of reading just right.
The afternoon sparkled—it ran like a dream—
Thanks to a truly terrific team!
A cheer for our librarians who helped lead the way:
Mia McLean and Stephanie Byrne —hooray, hooray, hooray!
And thanks to the Elementary teachers so kind,
Who nurture young readers and curious minds.
Plus a marvelous crew of High School students who came
To read and bring stories and joy just the same:
Lana Besson, Joshua Geller, Natalie Butts too,
Trystan Rosario and Elliot Mankoo.
Chloe Alexis and Jaelis Roa,
Evan Washalski helped stories grow-a!
Sunshine Vance and Samiyah McKenzie joined in with cheer,
Madison Zysk made the pages appear.
Jazlin Sessoms and Heather Day,
Gavin McGinnis read... hip-hip-hooray!
Kathleen Gutierrez and Hana Ebbert too,
Madisyn Nunez-Troy joined the crew.
Mariah Sierra and Hannah Ringus—three cheers, we say!
For helping make reading the star of the day.
For when schools come together and stories take flight,
Young readers discover a wonderful sight:
That books are adventures, both cozy and grand—
The best kinds of journeys are held in your hand!
Our students absolutely LOVE Book Fairs! From flipping pages to finding “the one,” book fairs motivate students to read by offering exciting choices they can explore on their own. They also reinforce classroom learning by strengthening vocabulary, comprehension, communication and speaking skills!
Plus, every book fair visit helps students build a cozy little library at home — one book at a time!
Take a peek at this week's IS/ES Scholastic Book Fair and see our happy readers in action! Thank you to the IS/ES PTOs for all their organizational work and staffing to make the book fair days possible!
Our ES kindergarteners are growing up right before our eyes! They’re so much more confident in the cafeteria than they were at the beginning of the school year — and just as adorable as ever! From making big lunch choices to enjoying social time with their friends, these little ones are building important life skills every day! Take a peek at these little cutie pies and their happy faces!
This includes Angela Dombal’s ES kindergarteners, who made wonderful Valentine cards featuring hand-heart designs and personalized messages. This art activity doubled as a meaningful ELA and penmanship lesson, too, as students were encouraged to write whatever loving thoughts they wished to share.
Many of these little writers also proudly showed off their knowledge of a new punctuation symbol they learned this week: The exclamation mark! By using it at the end of their sentences, students learned how punctuation helps writing show excitement, joy, and strong feelings — perfect for Valentine’s Day. This lesson helped connect spoken expression to written words, builds reading comprehension and encourages expressive writing as they continue to grow as confident writers.
Winter fun is rolling right along! Leyla Johnson's and Anthony Pascarelli's ES second-grade physical education students had their turn yesterday laughing, sliding, and zooming down the hill during their outdoor classes — and having an absolute blast while doing so! With weather that felt downright balmy compared to recent days, students bundled up and made the most of every thrilling run!
Snow tubing isn’t just fun — it’s a fantastic physical education opportunity! This high-energy activity builds balance, coordination, and core strength, encourages active outdoor play and even helps students develop confidence if this activity is new to them. Best of all, it promotes teamwork, perseverance, and lots of joyful movement in the fresh winter air!
This past Friday, and in preparation for last night's big game, these students "tackled" a different kind of challenge: Reimagining the shape of a football as something totally unexpected. And wow—did they deliver! Touchdowns for everyones! Their “something elses” are bursting with imagination, originality and first-grade brilliance.
New York Yankees vs. Miami Marlins!
--- Saturday, April 4
--- 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium
--- Tickets: $45 each for Terrace Level seating
--- Online ticket sales close March 1
--- Tickets will be delivered digitally to the email address provided.
--- Transportation is NOT provided.
Purchase tickets here: https://minisink-pto-yankee-game.square.site/
Today, Feb. 6, ES second-graders proudly marched in their very own Minisink 2026 Winter Olympics Parade of Nations Opening Ceremony, bringing global spirit, big smiles and Olympic-level enthusiasm to their school!
The world was well represented, with “athletes” from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, R.O.C., South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the U.S! LOOK! Everyone is a GOLD MEDAL winner!
The Parade of Nations in an Olympic opening ceremony is far more than just a roll call of teams—it’s a symbolic ritual with several layers of significance: Athletes from almost every country march together in one place, under agreed rules, celebrating peaceful competition instead of conflict. Each country enters as a separate delegation, regardless of size, wealth, or political power, reinforcing the idea that all nations are equal on the Olympic stage.
See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
•Greece leads the parade to honor the ancient Olympic Games, which began in Olympia around 776 BCE. This tradition directly connects the modern Olympics to their historical roots. The host country traditionally enters last, symbolizing welcome, hospitality, and pride. It also builds anticipation and allows the host to showcase its athletes to a home audience.
•Countries usually march in the alphabetical order of the host nation’s language, not English. This subtly highlights cultural diversity and reminds viewers that the Games belong to the host city and country.
•The parade emphasizes athletes as people and representatives of their cultures, not just competitors. Many viewers first notice lesser-known nations here, giving them global visibility.
•While politics can never be fully absent, the parade is meant to be a temporary truce, echoing the ancient Olympic Truce, where warfare paused during the Games.
Back by request! Sign up today for the High School Art Club’s Feb. 10 “Paint & Snack” fundraiser! Have a wonderful afternoon painting a beautiful spring design under the guidance of a talented upperclassman art student! And, of course, there will be fabulous snacks! Open to all ages, but space is limited. Cost is $12 per adult, $10 per student and $5 for student siblings.
Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejmdJqNRluBrCttWfiMsXZ8Cu5-xqk0U9wP3GPo7oXlMKASw/viewform
