Which group has more?
It’s fun to collect different shapes! Elisabeth Harrison’s Otisville kindergarteners had so many choices: Blocks, diamonds, trapezoids, hexagons, triangles and more!
As part of their class work, Mrs. Harrison tasked her students with collecting and counting two different sets of shapes. Then, they had to draw a picture with their two collections of shapes and circle the group that had “more.”
But there was an underlying lesson in their work: It’s important for kindergarteners to know which group has “more” because this helps lays the foundation for understanding basic number concepts, like comparing quantities. This is a crucial building block for future math skills like addition and subtraction and understanding numerical value.
WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE OF INTER-SCHOOL COOPERATION!
Kudos to the students in Christopher Tuthill’s High School “Architecture” class for their design and build of a terrific platform for the Otisville Elementary Drama Club! Thank you to all involved!
Short-term, these elementary students will be using it in their upcoming performances of Willy Wonka KIDS! Be sure you mark your calendars for their March 4 and 5 performances at 6:30 p.m. in the Otisville cafetorium. Admission is free!
The cast and crew of the Otisville Elementary Drama Club are busy putting final touches on their March 4 and 5 productions of WILLY WONKA KIDS! Take a peek!
Remember, admission is free for everyone! Don't miss out!
"Willy Wonka KIDS" follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy.
Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences!
Jessica Kahn’s Otisville kindergarteners recently learned about comparing the capacity of containers by counting and recording the numbers of scoops of blue liquid required to fill each one.
Since they couldn't “see” the scoops once they were poured into the containers, they needed to use the numbers to see which one held more. The students practiced using the terms, “greater than” and “less than” when comparing the numerals (so, 16 is greater than 2 and 2 is less than 10).
Learning "greater than" and "less than" in kindergarten is crucial because it lays the foundation for understanding number relationships, which is a fundamental math skill that allows children to compare quantities, build a strong base for future math concepts like addition and subtraction, and helps them grasp the concept of relative size and value, all while developing important critical thinking skills.
What’s your favorite book genre? There’s so many to choose from!
Erin Andersen’s Otisville fourth-grade library students have been talking about the many different types of book genres during class.
For this group, some of their favorites include humor, scary stories, animal fiction, adventure books and sports fiction! Book genre labels help students determine what type of book they’re reading.
Otisville physical education teacher Stephanie Giufre has been taking her fourth and fifth-grade students outdoors for snowshoeing fun during their physical education class. They’re getting a great workout!
Snowshoeing is a winter activity that involves walking on snow with the aid of snowshoes, which are a type of footwear that distribute body weight over a larger area, which helps prevent sinking into the snow.
There are great health benefits to snowshoeing:
•Exceptional cardiovascular workout – you can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour!
•Low-impact muscle building.
•Endurance building.
•Balance strengthening and agility.
•Improves your sense of well-being by connecting to nature
Kara Welsh’s Otisville fourth-grade art students a
re mastering the concepts of foreground, midground and background in their artwork!
In this recent assignment, students were tasked with creating a piece of art that represents their understanding of these elements. Take a peek at their creative work!
In elementary art class, students learn about foreground, midground, and background to understand and create the illusion of depth in their artwork, by visually representing how objects appear larger and more detailed when closer to the viewer (foreground), and smaller and less detailed as they get further away (background), allowing for a more realistic composition in their drawings and paintings.
In addition to learning more about creating depth, understanding object size and detail and compositional structure, students are also seeing a real life ponent to their work: Objects appear larger when they are close and smaller when they are far away.
Harlem Wizard John “Big J” Smith visited the Intermediate and Elementary schools and Otisville Elementary today, Feb. 11 to remind students about the upcoming March 12 Harlem Wizards vs. Minisink Valley Faculty/Staff Basketball game!
“Big J,” who stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall, delighted students with his antics and awesome basketball skills as he reminded students the game is a big fundraiser! He’s been a member of the Harlem Wizards since 2011 and in last six years, has played basketball in 25 countries!
Tickets will be on sale soon for the March 12 game! Basketball aficionados will be treated to great skills, teamwork, slick dribbling, alley-oops and crazy slams. The non-hoop fans attending will find out that this is much more than just a basketball game. The night is funny, theatrical, exciting and spectacular and the gym will reverberate with oohs & aahs, laughter, enthusiasm, and much more!
The Harlem Wizards have been dazzling audiences since 1962 and have played many games with members of our faculty and staff over recent years! Watch for tickets and be sure to come out and support the faculty/staff team!
See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
It’s always fun to read a big, oversized book, isn’t it? District kindergarteners, like AnneMarie Guido’s Otisville students, often gather together to do just that!
Mrs. Guido and her students have been reading stories in their CKLA Skills 6 reader called “Kit.” This particular story was called “Kit’s Mom.” (Kit’s mom is really, really, really busy in the morning, by the way!)
In CKLA Skills Unit 6 for kindergarten, a student is expected to be able to read simple decodable texts with CVC (words created using a consonant, vowel and a consonant) words, identify rhyming words, recognize consonant blends, and confidently blend letter sounds to read short words. This is all part of building a strong foundation in phonics skills and having the ability to decode basic text independently, often focusing on high-frequency words and simple sentence structures.
Big books are a crucial component of early childhood literacy curriculum because they allow for interactive shared reading experiences, enabling teachers to explicitly point out and discuss key literacy concepts like print awareness, word boundaries, and vocabulary development with the whole class, all while engaging children with large, easy-to-see text and visuals that support comprehension and participation in the story.
EAGLES OR CHIEFS?
Stephanie Guifre’s Otisville K-5 physical education students prepped for Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX this week by making predictions on who will win...and more! Students seem to be thinking the Eagles will win, though many Taylor Swift student fans are choosing the Chiefs!
This week’s classes had an innovative STEM component tied into them by incorporating math (discussing the math tied to prediction making) and video technology while integrating sports current events, Super Bowl gastronomy, important fitness work and more! Take a look!
First, students talked about making predictions and reasons why people choose as they do. Later, they talked about what football players do to stay physically fit. Students completed an Eagles or Chiefs-related fitness activity related to the Super Bowl: Running in place, sit-ups, push-ups and other exercises.
Finally, they chose between game day food items: Pizza or chicken wings; a Super Bowl party with friends or watching the game at home with family; and mascot preferences! This was a great physical education activity aligned with STEM and current events components!
Maria Fenfert’s Otisville fifth-grade trumpeters are practicing new music during in-school lessons! In-school musical instrument lessons like these are important because they provide a range of cognitive, social, and emotional benefits, including improving memory, coordination, self-esteem, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Lessons also foster a sense discipline through ensemble playing.
The trumpet is one of the oldest brass instruments, and has been around for over 1,500
The trumpet holds a central place in the world of jazz. Legendary artists like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Wynton Marsalis significantly influenced the development of jazz and are known for their trumpet mastery. years.
Due to their resonant tones, trumpets have been used for military signals, significant moments and ceremonial purposes for centuries. Military buglers, equipped with trumpets, played crucial roles on the battlefield, as they used specific calls to communicate orders, signal attacks, and announce ceasefires. In ceremonial contexts, the trumpet adds a regal touch to events such as state ceremonies, parades, and formal events
Congratulations to the winners and runners-up of Otisville Elementary’s 2024-25 Yearbook cover/back cover contest!
Fifth graders were invited to draw covers for the yearbook focusing on the school’s theme of "Reach for the Stars" and the results, based on a school vote were:
•Cover: The duo of Liam Card and Nicholas Raponi
•Back cover: Leah Galligan
•Runners-up: JJ Karpinski, Lucas Artola; and the duo of Dejana Rosa and Olivia Bianchi
Friday afternoon cuteness! Take a look at the adorable Otisville Elementary Kindergarten Asian Lunar New Year Parade! It's a wonderful school tradition!
See more photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
As part of continued Asian Lunar New Year studies districtwide this week, the Otisville Kindergarten team organized a dining option for any interested kindergartener have Chinese food for lunch today!
Looks like lunch was a huge hit today! Thank you to everyone involved; and don’t these little ones look adorable with their fancy Asian Lunar New Year hats?
It’s always great when former students come to visit! That was the case when High School Sophomore Elijah Zittel visited Otisville Elementary and read to Cynthia Muccari’s and Tasha Buchler’s second and third-graders, as part of the class’s recent National Compliment Day activities.
Elijah read Kevin Henkes’ “Chrysanthemum,” the story of a little mouse who is teased because of her long name. With the help of a music teacher who also has a long name, Chrysanthemum learns that her name is special and she should be proud of it. It's a wonderful book about self-esteem and acceptance. Afterward, students shared compliments about each other in a scoot writing activity. They also learned more about Elijah and the high school! WELL-DONE, Elijah!
What a great example of intraschool relationships!
Tara Frawley’s and Kelly Manganiello’s Otisville fifth-graders recently visited Kelly Bernice’s second-graders for a fun buddy reading session!
Buddy reading is a great way to discuss a book together with a friend. Pairing fifth-graders with second-graders is a great way for them to take turns reading to one another. It allows for authentic reading practice and serves a model of fluent reading and comprehension reinforcement. Other important benefits include improved literacy skills, confidence and social skills/connection building and mentorship opportunities in addition to creating more positive attitudes about the importance of reading!
Otisville students completed "No Name Calling Week this past Friday by commemorating International Compliment Day!
When they arrived to school this past Friday buckets full of compliments awaited them! They were invited to select some and share with others.
Classes also marked the day in different ways, including Bryan Imbarrato’s third-graders, who wrote kind messages and delivered them to the classrooms.
The Otisville PTO's Line Dancing Party, held this past Friday, was so much fun! Take a peek! Thank you to everyone who played a role in its success!
Some of Kara Walsh's Otisville art students gave a wonderful tutorial about how to create “found-object” mandelas to members of the Board of Education during its Jan. 23 meeting! They guided Board members in the creation of a mandela by showing them how to arrange the objects using the concept of radial symmetry. The students were great instructors! WELL-DONE done to all!
Bryon Imbarrato’s Otisville third-graders have been practicing how to partition whole objects into equal parts when given a fractional unit. It is an important skill they’re getting really good at doing!
Students were given the fractional unit for each station, and then had to partition the object equally to create the equal parts of the whole. They used fraction strips, baking pans, CDs and cups of water to practice this skill.
Learning fractions in third grade is crucial because it lays the foundation for more advanced math concepts like decimals and percentages, enabling students to understand parts of a whole, which is essential for real-life applications and future mathematical success, especially in algebra and beyond; a solid grasp of fractions in third grade can significantly impact their overall math performance later on.
