Tracey Salinardi's ES second-graders are learning about the metric system. They’re using tools such as meter sticks, centimeter rulers and centimeter cubes to measure different objects. Students are learning to choose appropriate tools according to the sizes of the objects. For instance, students measured the door with a meter stick but measured their markers with a centimeter ruler!
The metric system is a system of measurement that uses the meter, liter, and gram as base units of length (distance), capacity (volume), and weight (mass) respectively.
Ian Walker's second-graders are learning about how the ancient Egyptians measured! Using the cubit (elbow to fingertips) and the palm (width of your four fingers) students measured many objects around the room. Ask them about this!
Today is Security Appreciation Day! Each grade level decorated a slice of pizza to complete a pie, which became a beautiful piece of artwork and presented their "pizzas" them to the security team!
The High School’s Career Achievement Program (CAP) students provide weekly assistance to teachers and educators in various buildings throughout the Slate Hill campus. It’s a great inter-school collaboration! Students recently helped ES reading teacher Valerie Zubikowski prepare for her lesson by gathering, organizing and cutting letter sounds cards. Using these letter sound cards, students will be practicing being able to fluently say the sounds of letters to help build their phonics skills!
Letter sound cards are a tool used to help students learn the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. They can be used to help children learn to automatically associate letters with sounds; to review letters and sounds to help students become more fluent; support phonological awareness by helping students sound out letters and combinations of letters; and support spelling through the review spelling sounds!
It’s school photo season, and it’s PHOTO DAY at the Elementary School today, Sept. 27! Take a peek how keepsake school photos are created, with these adorable first-graders are showing us how they’re done. We’re seeing a lot of adorable dresses, hair bows and collared shirts in the building today!
Reminder: We're GOING GOLD on Monday, Sept. 30! Please join our efforts to bring awareness of the need for new treatments and hopeful cures for pediatric cancer. Thank you to the High School's Youth Against Cancer Club for spearheading this initiative.
CALL FOR PHOTOS: Share photos of your student's gold/yellow attire! Email to communications@minisink.com to be included in a forthcoming photo gallery!
Looking for a place for your children to go during the school breaks this year?
Our long-time Middletown YMCA partner ---who runs our terrific onsite Club Kid before and after school program at our Slate Hill and Otisville campuses --- offers a great option when schools are closed.
During Vacation Camp days, campers spend time in active play, group games, arts and crafts, teambuilding activities, and even swim when possible! The first set of Vacation Camp days are on Oct. 3 and 4. Registration deadline is Sept. 30! Space is limited! Note: Minisink Valley schools are closed on Oct. 3 in observance of Rosh Hashanah; but other districts are closed Oct. 3 and 4.
Click here for more registration information: https://middletownymca.org/vacation-camps/
DON’T LET THIS TROPHY LEAVE THE DISTRICT!
We invite you to be part of the Orange County “Cool School Challenge! ” Join the team representing Minisink Valley and participating in the Nov. 9 Polar Bear Challenge at the Rez in Highland Mills! We want to retain our title as the “Cool School Challenge” winner!
The “Cool School Challenge” is a friendly competition between local schools as part of the 2024 Orange County Polar Plunge. Students, staff and community members are encouraged to create a team of “Plungers” to support the good work of Special Olympics New York. Because of your efforts, Minisink Valley won the 2023 Cool School Challenge, and we're proudly displaying this trophy in Central Office!
Director of PPS Jeff Finton is overseeing Minisink Valley’s efforts to create a team. Join Minisink Valley’s team by clicking on the QR code in this flyer or email Mr. Finton at jfinton@minisink.com If. If you know of community members, families or students or student clubs who’d like to represent Minisink Valley, please share this flyer.
We hope you can join our team!
Do you know who artist Reggie Laurent is? Second-graders do! Art teacher Ilana Kaufman is telling them about this abstract artist and his multicolor paintings using big and small, round and square, triangular and trapezoidal shapes. Soon, they’ll be working on a project inspired by his work!
Megan St. Clair and Sarah Kocot’s ES second-graders had a great time at their recent pancake party celebrating Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His tall tales revolve around his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox, his pet and working animal.
Students recently completed their fairytales and tall tales knowledge unit, where they learned all about exaggerations and ”larger than life” characters. They read about Paul Bunyan, who was so strong he could do the job of 100 men! According to folklore, Bunyan and Babe’s favorite food was pancakes! After working so hard on this knowledge unit, students were treated with delicious pancakes!
Cliff Loretto’s ES kindergarten music students have started their year in music by learning to keep a steady beat on their bodies and with simple classroom instruments. They recently learn how to sing "Frog in the Meadow" while keeping the beat on an instrument called a “frog rasp.” Students had a great time acting out the song and sharing the instruments so that everyone had a turn!
A frog rasp is a wooden instrument that makes sounds similar to a frog croaking, guiro, or wood block. It's played by gently scraping the frog's back with a wooden stick or lightly tapping its nose with the end of a striker.
Anthony Pascarelli's physical education first-graders are having a very fun time playing "Musical Lines." They're being tasked with walking, then skipping and running on different lines in the gym!
Jess Paglia’s Elementary School first-graders are marking the International Day of Peace (which is tomorrow, Sept. 21) with these lovely and colorful peace signs.!
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution. Peace Day, which is officially marked on Sept. 21, provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace.
Meghan Donohue’s first-graders are getting really good and practicing counting and cardinality! They’re expressing numbers in a very cool way by building “cube cities!” In first-grade math, "cardinality" means understanding that the last number you say when counting a group of objects tells you how many objects are in that group in total. Essentially, it's the concept of knowing that the final number represents the quantity of a set when counting.
REMINDER: The Executive PTO's annual apparel sale is taking place now through Sept. 30. There's something for everyone in every school building. Looking for gift ideas? You'll find great school swag! Please share!
To order: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/saLRszxGDf
or use the QR code below👇👇👇
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
Join us and wear gold/yellow attire on Monday, Sept. 30 to help bring awareness to the need for new treatments and hopeful cures for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14.
Please join the efforts of the high school's Youth Against Cancer Club
to create awareness! Call for photos: Share your student's gold/yellow attire for a planned
photo gallery by emailing to communications@minisink.com by 3 p.m. on Monday. Sept. 30
Can you help?
The Elementary School Nurse’s Office is looking for donations of select items for students who may need them when visiting the nurse: Girls leggings in sizes 5, 6 and 7; girls undergarments in sizes 5, 6 and 7; girls shorts in sizes 5, 6 and 7; and girls plain t-shirts in sizes 5, 6 and 7.
For boys: Undergarments in sizes 4/5, 6 and 7; boys socks; boys shorts in sizes 5, 6 and 7; and boys sweatpants in sizes 5, 6 and 7.
The office would also welcome donations of individually wrapped pretzel snack bags and cases of mini-water bottles. Please call the Elementary School Nurse’s Office at 845-355-5277 to learn more.
Use this handy QR code to download the district's new app!
Please be sure to stop by our "Did You Know" display at tonight's Open House and learn more about our talented faculty and staff!
Elementary School families....Reminder: Tonight is your student's Open House! We look forward to seeing you there!
6 to 6:30 p..m.: Kindergarten/Transitional Kindergarten
6:35 to 7:05 p.m.: First-grade
7:10 to 7:40 p.m.: Second-grade
