ALL ABOARD, TICKETS PLEASE!
Sherri Jennings’ Otisville kindergarteners “took” a train ride to the North Pole today, Dec. 19, on THE POLAR EXPRESS! They needed their punched ticket in order to board the train and enjoyed hot cocoa on their ride! Wearing PJs made the ride even more comfy!
Thank you to the Otisville PTO, which sponsored a two-day “Earth Dome” enrichment program yesterday and today, Dec. 19!
The Earth Dome is a gigantic inflatable earth balloon standing 19-feet high and 22-feet in diameter. It's made of 24 huge panels silkscreened with photographs shot from satellites of the surface of the world on cloud free days. It has been used extensively across the U.S. to educate students about geography as well as environmental issues.
The topics presented were appropriate for each grade level ---- ask your student about this!
Among other topics, students saw and better understood the scale of concepts such as continents, time zones, latitude, longitude, and more! Major cities, in comparison to the total Earth, were also recognized! What a great Geography and Earth Science program!
Kara Welsh's Otisville fifth-grade art students have been creating gorgeous, vibrant watercolor mandalas inspired by the sand mandalas of the Tibetan Monks and the Aztec calendar.
A mandala, the Sanskrit word for “circle,” is a circular, geometrical design with repetitions of patterns, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life and the idea that everything is connected. All lines and shapes are organized around a singular, central focal point, which can be understood as a map of the pathway between the external and the internal.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Otisville Elementary and BOCES Otisville Satellite’s annual Scholastic Great Bedtime Book Pajama Drive! The numbers of pajama sets collected was simply amazing!
Plus: How fun is this? In even more seasonal spirit, each Otisville and BOCES Otisville class decorated its own “Gingerbread Pajama Person!” These colorful and creative pieces of art are on display in the school’s cafetorium. Take a peek at these creations, with assistance from these cutie-pies!
The Scholastic Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive is an annual event that collects new pajamas and books for children in need. Educators register their classrooms to collect pajamas from students between September and Dec. 6. Scholastic matches each pair of pajamas donated with a book! What a wonderful way to combine the warmth of pajamas with the gift of reading!
CAN YOU HELP? The High School's Youth Against Cancer Club is in the midst of a donation drive through Dec. 16 to collect items to brighten the days of Garnet Medical Center patients. See the flyer for what students are hopeful to collect! Your contributions would be most welcome!
How fun! BOCES Otisville Satellite Principal Pilar Rocha read a wonderful book to all Otisville and BOCES satellite students at Otisville’s recent “Milk and Cookies” gathering, an annual event where the Otisville and BOCES PTOs supply the refreshments. Otisville and the BOCES Otisville Satellite Program have a wonderful partnership, and events like this reinforce this special relationship. Thank you, Mrs. Rocha!
CAN YOU HELP?
The High School cheerleaders' SOCK, HAT and GLOVE DRIVE runs through Dec. 20. Please see the details and thanks for sharing!
Skyler Klein’s Otisville fourth-grade music students learning how to apply literacy skills to instruments using George Bizet’s "The Carillon Ostinato."
They used different instruments to discover how timbre changes can impact performance. Soon, students will be arranging "The Carillon Ostinato" to create their own version!
Applying literacy skills to instruments, also known as "musical literacy," is important because it allows musicians to understand and interpret musical notation, enabling them to play a piece of music independently, communicate effectively with other musicians and develop a deeper understanding of the music they are performing, essentially giving them the ability to "read" music just like reading written language!
Percussion lessons! Take a peek at the focused work of Otisville Music Teacher Maria Fenfert’s percussion students. Lessons in school support practice at home and combined, make for a great musician!
A percussion instrument that produces sound when struck, shaken, or blown. Examples include drums, tambourines, and maracas. The word "percussion" comes from the Latin verb “percussio,” which means "to beat" or "strike"
Do you know what the “arrow way” strategy is in math? Second-graders, like Lisa Anglemyer’s Otisville second-graders do! Ask them!
In second-grade math, the "arrow way" strategy refers to a method of simplifying addition problems.
The strategy helps the students improve their knowledge of basic math facts, place value and their mental math skills by using arrows to show how a number changes when adding or subtracting chunks, essentially breaking down a larger problem into smaller, more manageable steps.
When using the "Arrow Way" method, students are taught to break down one of the addends in the problem by units. The students are then able to solve the problem by adding the like units, one unit at a time. This method also allows students to visually represent their thought process as they solve problems.
The Otisville Chorus Concert was a wonderful night of music! Take a peek! BRAVO to our students and Chorus Director Skyler Klein!
What’s a great thing to do to get ready for lunch? DANCE! That’s what Jessica Kahn and Julia Ferguson’s Otisville kindergarteners often do before lining up for their lunch break. Don’t they look adorable?
JOIN US tonight, Dec. 4 for the Otisville Elementary Chorus Concert at 7 p.m.!
Bryon Imbarrato’s Otisville third-graders concluded their recent ELA unit on the human body with a guest speaker who talked to them more about the wonders of the human body!
Gina Torres, a Northwell Health administrator and class parent, gave a fantastic presentation to students, who were happy to know what they’re talking about in class has real-life applications. After students completed a review of their content knowledge, they went on an in-class scavenger hunt where they read fun facts about the human body systems and responded to questions. THANK YOU, Mrs. Torres, for visiting!
Otisville PTO Book Swap...leave a book and take a book!. All students went home today with a book! Swapping books is a great way to expand knowledge!
How fun! Otisville's K-2 Quarter 1 STAR students recently attended a special "Breakfast with the Principal" to celebrate their important recognition! Plus: Their breakfast gathering included "selfies" with Principal Julia Downey!
Otisville Elementary physical education teacher Stephanie Giufre’s Grades 2-5 students are seeing how feeling grateful can be part of physical education class!
First, she and students talked about what gratitude is and things they are grateful for. Then, she tasked them with creating a “Gratitude Wreath!” The object was for teams to work together to create a unique gratitude wreath.
On the start signal, one student from each team rolled the 🎲die.🎲 The entire team performed the activity determined by the number rolled/exercise identified on the activity card.
The team’s movement “earned” them one item to add to their gratitude wreath. One student from the team went to the center of the activity area and brought one item (bean bag, scarf, deck ring, yarn ball, etc.) back to add to the team’s wreath and says something he/she is grateful for. Every student had a chance roll the die and choose (and place) the item added to the wreath.
Students continued this process until wreaths are complete or until they heard the stop signal. What a creative class tied to this season of being grateful!
November is National Men’s Health Awareness Month! Join us and wear purple attire to help bring awareness to unique health issues of men!
Please join the efforts of the district's Buildings & Grounds team to bring awareness to important men's physical and mental health issues!
November is also "No-Shave November" and "Movember," movements created to encourage conversations about cancer awareness among men.
Call for photos: Share your student's purple attire for a forthcoming photo gallery by emailing to communications@minisink.com by 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22!
GET WINGS and support the Class of 2025!
Buffalo Wild Wings in Middletown will donate 10% of your purchase on Saturday, Nov. 23 to support Class of 2025 initiatives. Make sure you bring this ticket!
Join us!
