THE SCIENTISTS ARE READY!
Join us on Feb. 26 for the Otisville Science Fair at 6 p.m. and be dazzled by the knowledge of our student scientists!
Join us on Feb. 26 for the Otisville Science Fair at 6 p.m. and be dazzled by the knowledge of our student scientists!
LOVE IS IN THE AIR! Happy Valentine's Day from Otisville Elementary!
Who doesn’t love a great book? Otisville Elementary students certainly do! Our readers had an absolute blast exploring new stories, discovering favorite authors, and stocking up on exciting reads at the Scholastic Book Fair over the past few days, which also included last evening's Family Night!
THANK YOU to the amazing Otisville PTO for organizing and hosting this time-honored tradition that continues to spark a love of reading in our school community!
THANK YOU to the amazing Otisville PTO for organizing and hosting this time-honored tradition that continues to spark a love of reading in our school community!
AMAZING! Congratulations to the Otisville Elementary students who have been recognized as PBIS-STAR students for Quarter 2! We bet you'll recognize many faces!
Otisville's PBIS-STAR program focuses on creating and sustaining a positive school environment which embraces educationally sound methods that foster student character, safety, academic excellence and individual citizenship.
Otisville's PBIS-STAR program focuses on creating and sustaining a positive school environment which embraces educationally sound methods that foster student character, safety, academic excellence and individual citizenship.
PLAY BALL! Support the PTO and have a great time at a New York Yankees game at this fun PTO fundraiser!
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/
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/
ART FANS!
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
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
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! The Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is tonight, Feb. 6, at Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy. Will you be watching?
But....who needs the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics when Otisville Physical Education teachers Tom Uhrig and Stephanie Giufre are hosting the Otisville 2026 Winter Olympic games?
All K-5 “Olympians” are having the chance to do their own versions of figure skating, cross country skiing, luge, bobsledding, hockey, moguls skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and curling! (Sadly, no fancy, vibrant and patterned pants like what the Norwegian men’s curling team has been known to wear!)
But....who needs the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics when Otisville Physical Education teachers Tom Uhrig and Stephanie Giufre are hosting the Otisville 2026 Winter Olympic games?
All K-5 “Olympians” are having the chance to do their own versions of figure skating, cross country skiing, luge, bobsledding, hockey, moguls skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and curling! (Sadly, no fancy, vibrant and patterned pants like what the Norwegian men’s curling team has been known to wear!)
Otisville Elementary’s Odyssey of the Mind is hard at work getting ready for the Feb. 28 Region 5 tournament at Orange-Ulster BOCES!
Otisville Coach Jenna Coleman’s team will be presenting a response to Problem 5: “Taller Tales of John Jivery.” We’re not sharing “all” they’re doing to prepare, but it’s going to be a great performance!
The team will create and present a humorous performance about an original tall tale.
The tale will include a team-created hero or heroine that performs an incredible feat, a unique explanation of how something began or came to be and a surprise for the audience.
Each event will be accompanied by a visual weather effect that represents an emotion.
The original characters and unusual situations this team is creating will show their tremendous “out of the box” thinking!
Otisville Coach Jenna Coleman’s team will be presenting a response to Problem 5: “Taller Tales of John Jivery.” We’re not sharing “all” they’re doing to prepare, but it’s going to be a great performance!
The team will create and present a humorous performance about an original tall tale.
The tale will include a team-created hero or heroine that performs an incredible feat, a unique explanation of how something began or came to be and a surprise for the audience.
Each event will be accompanied by a visual weather effect that represents an emotion.
The original characters and unusual situations this team is creating will show their tremendous “out of the box” thinking!
The Otisville 3-5 Snowflake Dance was held this past Friday, Jan. 30, and was a wonderful evening out for all who attended! Take a look; who do you recognize? Thank you again to the Otisville Elementary PTO for hosting such a fun evening and to everyone who played a role in its success!
There are so many cool things to do when learning about kinetic and potential energy….and for Kelly Manganiello and Tara Frawley’s Otisville fifth-graders, that included using dominoes!
Students worked in groups to observe and explain how potential energy changes into kinetic energy using a domino chain reaction. During their lab, students set up their dominoes in a line or pattern. They were tasked with observing the dominoes standing upright and still (this is potential energy). Then, students were asked to tip the first domino into another and observe as the dominoes falling (this is kinetic energy) as the dominoes moved through the line. Later, everyone discussed their observations.
Dominoes are a great teaching tool for potential and kinetic energy because they make abstract physics ideas visible, simple and fun. That’s because when dominoes are standing upright in a line, they store potential energy --- energy waiting to happen.
But when a domino is tipped, that potential energy turns in to kinetic energy --- or motion. Each falling domino transfers energy to the next one. This can help students see the cause and effect of tipping dominoes and that energy doesn’t disappear, it just moves and changes form.
Students worked in groups to observe and explain how potential energy changes into kinetic energy using a domino chain reaction. During their lab, students set up their dominoes in a line or pattern. They were tasked with observing the dominoes standing upright and still (this is potential energy). Then, students were asked to tip the first domino into another and observe as the dominoes falling (this is kinetic energy) as the dominoes moved through the line. Later, everyone discussed their observations.
Dominoes are a great teaching tool for potential and kinetic energy because they make abstract physics ideas visible, simple and fun. That’s because when dominoes are standing upright in a line, they store potential energy --- energy waiting to happen.
But when a domino is tipped, that potential energy turns in to kinetic energy --- or motion. Each falling domino transfers energy to the next one. This can help students see the cause and effect of tipping dominoes and that energy doesn’t disappear, it just moves and changes form.
Last Friday's Otisville K-2 Sweetheart Dance was an adorable social gathering for our youngest students. Take a peek at the fun! Thank you to the Otisville Elementary PTO for hosting such a fun evening and to everyone who played a role in its success!
Bryon Imbarrato’s Otisville third-graders have been working very hard crafting essays about what the future of space travel will look like, all part of their ELA and science studies about space.
Students used “POWER” and “TIDE” as part of their writing process and organization in addition to using their knowledge about the three parts of an essay in their work. (POWER and TIDE are simple acronyms used to help students remember how to organize and improve their writing)
Students created two drafts, did revisions and edits and then created a final hard copy. As an added learning experience, they were tasked with creating a slideshow to present to the class, which gave them experiences in creating presentations along with a chance to building on their growing public speaking skills. WELL-DONE to all!
•The POWER acronym stands for: P – Plan, O – Organize, W – Write, E – Edit and R – Revise.
•The TIDE acronym stands for T – Topic sentence, I – Important details and E – Ending sentence.
•The three parts of an essay are: the Introduction, the body and the conclusion.
Students used “POWER” and “TIDE” as part of their writing process and organization in addition to using their knowledge about the three parts of an essay in their work. (POWER and TIDE are simple acronyms used to help students remember how to organize and improve their writing)
Students created two drafts, did revisions and edits and then created a final hard copy. As an added learning experience, they were tasked with creating a slideshow to present to the class, which gave them experiences in creating presentations along with a chance to building on their growing public speaking skills. WELL-DONE to all!
•The POWER acronym stands for: P – Plan, O – Organize, W – Write, E – Edit and R – Revise.
•The TIDE acronym stands for T – Topic sentence, I – Important details and E – Ending sentence.
•The three parts of an essay are: the Introduction, the body and the conclusion.
The recent snowfall offers the perfect opportunity to catch a snowman, doesn’t it?
Erin Andersen’s Otisville kindergarten library students learned some tips about how to do just that when she read Adam Wallace’s “How to Catch a Snowman” to them. The book tells the story of the "Catch Club Kids," who build a snowman for a contest, but it magically comes to life and runs away, leading to a winter-themed chase with clever traps to catch it!
REMINDER: Reading to young students supports their learning, language development, and love of reading at a critical stage in their growth! Plus, they get a good story—which makes learning fun and memorable! A great story can spark laughter, imagination, and a lifelong love of books all at once!
Erin Andersen’s Otisville kindergarten library students learned some tips about how to do just that when she read Adam Wallace’s “How to Catch a Snowman” to them. The book tells the story of the "Catch Club Kids," who build a snowman for a contest, but it magically comes to life and runs away, leading to a winter-themed chase with clever traps to catch it!
REMINDER: Reading to young students supports their learning, language development, and love of reading at a critical stage in their growth! Plus, they get a good story—which makes learning fun and memorable! A great story can spark laughter, imagination, and a lifelong love of books all at once!
Adriana Eichwald’s Otisville fourth-graders regularly engage in partner reading, an essential practice that supports deeper comprehension, academic language development, and independent learning as students progress through grade levels.
As texts become more complex, students benefit from structured collaboration because comprehension, discussion, and critical-thinking are important academic tools in upper grades!
As texts become more complex, students benefit from structured collaboration because comprehension, discussion, and critical-thinking are important academic tools in upper grades!
DO NOT COOK ON FEB. 1!
Who doesn't love a good Burrito Bowl?
Support the High School's Step Dance Team and dine at Chipotle in Middletown! Details are below!
Who doesn't love a good Burrito Bowl?
Support the High School's Step Dance Team and dine at Chipotle in Middletown! Details are below!
PLAY BALL! Support the PTO and have a great time at a New York Yankees game at this fun PTO fundraiser!
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/
BRAVO to the Otisville student musicians and Conductor Maria Fenfert who presented a fabulous band concert last evening, Jan. 22! Their talent is amazing!
Rachel Forde’s and Julia Ferguson’s Otisville third-graders spent some time earlier this week talking about the life and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which included reading Doreen Rappaport's “Martin’s Big Words” and creating their own graphic organizers!
A graphic organizer is a simple visual tool that helps students organize their thoughts and information so learning is easier to understand and remember. Teachers use graphic organizers to help kids plan writing, understand reading, and sort ideas.
A graphic organizer is a simple visual tool that helps students organize their thoughts and information so learning is easier to understand and remember. Teachers use graphic organizers to help kids plan writing, understand reading, and sort ideas.
PICKLEMINTON? YES!!!
Take a peek at Stephanie Giufre’s Otisville second through fifth-grade students and how good they are at playing this unique combination of pickleball and badminton!
"PickleMinton" gives players the strung racquet feel of badminton and tennis, the ease of play and low impact of pickleball, and the excitement of table tennis!
Students learn paddle and volleying skills with a net sport and had some intense one-on-one games in round robin style with the winner being crowned “King or Queen of the Mountain!”
Some classes even had guest players School Resource Officer Jamie Johnson and Security Guard Brendan Hoolan showing off their skills!
Take a peek at Stephanie Giufre’s Otisville second through fifth-grade students and how good they are at playing this unique combination of pickleball and badminton!
"PickleMinton" gives players the strung racquet feel of badminton and tennis, the ease of play and low impact of pickleball, and the excitement of table tennis!
Students learn paddle and volleying skills with a net sport and had some intense one-on-one games in round robin style with the winner being crowned “King or Queen of the Mountain!”
Some classes even had guest players School Resource Officer Jamie Johnson and Security Guard Brendan Hoolan showing off their skills!
Jessica Kahn’s Otisville kindergarteners, like all district kindergarteners, have been focusing on the question, "How can you tell which group has more?" during their math lessons. They’ve learning different ways to compare two groups of objects, such as letters, bugs or hearts, to figure out which group has more.
The idea “How can you tell which group has more?” is important in kindergarten because it builds the foundation for how children understand numbers, quantities, and math reasoning.
To begin, students used their names to explore the concepts of length and quantity. Each letter was written on the same-sized paper, and the letters were connected to create a “name train.” By comparing these name trains, students observed that longer trains contain more letters, while shorter trains have fewer letters.
For the worksheet, students compared two groups by counting and recording the numbers. They were asked, "Which group has more?" In a complete sentence, a student stated which group had more, and the class circled the corresponding group. As a whole group, students practiced speaking in complete sentences, sharing which group had more and which had fewer.
Comparing groups helps kindergarteners see that numbers represent real amounts, not just words or symbols. Knowing which group has more, fewer, or the same strengthens their sense of quantity. It also helps these little students to think logically, not just count, and practice newly acquired math vocabulary. The idea of know what group has “more” and “less” is essential before children can grasp addition, subtraction and inequalities. PLUS: There important connections to daily kindergarten life, such as: Who has more snacks? Are there enough crayons?
The idea “How can you tell which group has more?” is important in kindergarten because it builds the foundation for how children understand numbers, quantities, and math reasoning.
To begin, students used their names to explore the concepts of length and quantity. Each letter was written on the same-sized paper, and the letters were connected to create a “name train.” By comparing these name trains, students observed that longer trains contain more letters, while shorter trains have fewer letters.
For the worksheet, students compared two groups by counting and recording the numbers. They were asked, "Which group has more?" In a complete sentence, a student stated which group had more, and the class circled the corresponding group. As a whole group, students practiced speaking in complete sentences, sharing which group had more and which had fewer.
Comparing groups helps kindergarteners see that numbers represent real amounts, not just words or symbols. Knowing which group has more, fewer, or the same strengthens their sense of quantity. It also helps these little students to think logically, not just count, and practice newly acquired math vocabulary. The idea of know what group has “more” and “less” is essential before children can grasp addition, subtraction and inequalities. PLUS: There important connections to daily kindergarten life, such as: Who has more snacks? Are there enough crayons?
