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In this math lesson, students played a game called “Shake and Spill.” Each student was given a cup, 10 counters (one side red and the other yellow), and a red and yellow crayon. Students placed the counters into a cup, shook and then spilled the counters on their desks. The red and yellow counters landed on different sides. The students then counted each red and each yellow and color a 10 frame accordingly. It was a great way for them to organize their data.
Later, students wrote equations that add to 10 and also learned the flip-flop fact that matches!
"Friends of 10" and "partners of 10" are used interchangeably in math because both terms describe pairs of numbers that add up to 10. The terms "friends" and "partners" emphasize the close relationship between the numbers, suggesting they always "go together" to make 10. This concept is used in math education to build number sense and fluency in addition and subtraction by teaching these pairs by heart.
Otisville’s K-Kids Club installed its 2025-26 officers and inducted its new members at a recent gathering, which was also attended by Minisink Valley Kiwanis President Jackie Lavandowski and other members. Congratulations to Peter Caputo, president; Jillian O'Sullivan, vice president; Reese Neiger, secretary; and Isabelle Decker, treasurer!
Last, K-Kids has been involved in many meaningful projects, including: the Trick or Treat UNICEF Collection: where funds raised supported Brick x Brick Project, an innovative project that transforms plastic waste into classrooms for some of the 1.6 million children currently out of school in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa; Treats for Troops for Operation Gratitude; Souper Seniors; Valentines for Veterans; get-well cards for patients at Garnett Medical Center, the Minisink Cares Cake Box Kit project teacher appreciation thank you notes, and companion projects with the K-Kids Club at the Intermediate School. The group expects to be equally busy this year!
Group advisors, Andrea Yager, Logan Reggio and Danielle Ulbrich are looking forward to another active and fun year of community service.
As her class’ recent culminating project, students were assigned a country within the Western Hemisphere to research. They created a travel brochure to not only teach their classmates about their country, but to persuade them to visit. As students were presenting, the rest of the class took notes in their "passports," showcasing all of the countries they "visited!"
What a great way to learn about other areas of the Western Hemisphere plus practice important public speaking skills!
Students were asked to make a prediction/hypothesis for how many pieces of candy corns they felt could be placed on a tinfoil boat before it sank. There were many guesses! The actual number was 30, and two students were close to that number, predicting it’d only take 28 pieces to sink the little boad.
Learning about predictions is important in science because it helps students use prior knowledge to think critically about experiments, forms the basis of the scientific method, and encourages engagement with the material being discussed. It teaches students to ask questions, make educated guesses based on observations, and use their findings to understand why something happened or how to improve their process for the future.
•FIRST PLACE: Jack Skeleton, created by Robin McKeon’s first-grade class
•SECOND PLACE: Blue Derby Tiger, created by Erica Alders’ and Alexa Roach’s fourth-grade class.
•THIRD PLACE: Pumpkin spice latte, created by Yvonne Brennan’s and Tasha Buchler’s second-grade class.
Congratulations to all!
The teachers used Dan Yaccarino’s “Five Little Pumpkins” (which is read in kindergarten classes) as a springboard to physical fitness fun and games!
Students read the book’s poem and reviewed the book's hand gestures. Then, students threw balls to knock over the little pumpkins on the cones of the opposing team. (Each side has five pumpkins.) The lesson also offered students a chance to work on throwing/rolling skills while learning the beginning elements of offense and defense in addition to working together as a team!
It was a full house at the Otisville cafetorium last Friday evening, Oct. 24, with well over 100 people attending the PTO's Art Fundraiser. With guidance from art teacher Kara Welsh, participants created their own fall landscape featuring a buck! Each piece of art was unique and creative!
Thank you, Mrs. Welsh, for serving as the evening's instructor and for Finding Homes Farms for donating coffee.
See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
The Halloween season means it's also time for Otisville Elementary's annual Pumpkin Decoration Contest, sponsored by the Otisville PTO! All K-5 classes created absolutely amazing pumpkins, take a look! Vote tallies will be compiled and we'll soon learn who the winners are! Winning classes will receive much-desired pumpkin trophies! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
•A musical chord is a combination of three or more notes played simultaneously to create harmony. Teaching musical chords to first-graders benefits cognitive development by improving mathematical understanding, pattern recognition, and memory. Introducing chords early provides a strong foundation for more advanced music concepts and creates an opportunity for lifelong learning.
•A Boomwhacker is a color-coded, pitched percussion tube that creates different musical notes when struck against a surface. Longer tubes produce lower notes, while shorter tubes produce higher notes. These versatile instruments are popular in music education for their simplicity and for teaching rhythm and pitch in a fun, engaging way.
What these little cutie-pies don’t realize is that they’re working on their manipulative and coordination skills and spatial and body awareness.
Tossing and catching a scarf using one and two hands allows them to further develop hand-eye coordination. That’s because they’re tracking the movement of a floating object (the scarf) through space using their eyes and body. They’re also further refining balance and body control while reaching, turning, and bending with a scarf!
Rachel Forde and Julia Ferguson asked their Otisville third-graders for suggestions, but there was an ELA and art component to their request as well. Students were tasked with offering a suggestion (the main idea) and providing three reasons why (supporting details) while drawing their suggested costumes.
There were many varied ideas: A pencil… a carrot… a McDonalds French fry… a zombie.
Our favorites: “A princess, because she is so beautiful”; and “Spiderman, because she always saves the day for me.”
JOIN IN on the seasonal art fun and support the High School's Art Club!
The High School's Art Club is hosting its next "Paint n' Snack" fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 217 at the High School.
A talented Minisink Valley Art Club student will guide participants in creating a beautiful fall-themed painting. There'll be apple cider to sip and yummy treats to snack on while painting.
Adults and children of all ages are welcome, but seating is limited to 25 people, so act fast if interested! All supplies and food are included with admission and all proceeds will go toward art scholarships, museums field trips for art students, future events, and additional supplies for the Art Club studio. THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT, so sign-up now and don't miss out!
Pricing (cash at the door): Adults - $12; children/students - $10; and siblings discount: $5 per additional sibling. To reserve your spot, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFcFIzph-R4RHdlh3S0YmBrlAi_BxFCxZ7woOyck9kGSe2rQ/viewform
All district fourth-graders, like Erica Alders’ and Alexa Roach’s Otisville fourth-graders, are practicing their rounding skills during math lessons.
It’s an important skill, too, and they’re getting really good at rounding big numbers!
Why is rounding important? Because rounding numbers simplifies complex or exact numbers into more manageable ones. This enhances understanding, facilitates quick estimations, and helps with practical tasks like budgeting and estimating costs in everyday life. It's a foundational skill for number sense, enabling effective problem-solving, communication, and decision-making by presenting information in a more accessible and contextually appropriate way.
The Otisville Elementary PTO treated students to two important anti-bullying assemblies on Oct. 16, and with a very cool seasonal twist!
The "Franken-Bully" assemblies were a monstrously funny bully-prevention tale with a powerful message about friendship, empathy and treating others with respect. It was an assembly filled with laughs and heart which reinforced to students how to be builders of kindness, not breakers of others’ spirits. Take a peek!
Thank you to the Otisville PTO for their ongoing support of the school! See more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
Two weeks from today! The annual Halloween parades at Otisville Elementary and the Elementary School, each led by divisions of the Mighty Minisink Valley Marching Band!
CALL FOR PHOTOS! See details:
Lisa Graziano’s Otisville third-graders sure do look comfy and cozy in their favorite PJs with their favorite stuffed friends! Their special attire and special desk buddies are the result of them recently earning their 100th ticket, part of the school’s PBIS behavioral system. They celebrated this ticket success by wearing PJs to school, bringing their favorite “stuffy” to class to keep on their desks and playing board games later today, Oct. 16!
Students earn tickets for good behavior... for being kind... for being helpful... for being “bucket fillers.” Once a class earns 100, they celebrate with a class party! Well-done, everyone!
The Otisville Elementary and Minisink Valley Intermediate K-Kids clubs launched the new school year with a joint service project: The K-Kids Lemonade and Warm Cider Stand!
Their stand, which was recently stationed next to the concession stand at Greenville Park, was staffed by six members who volunteered for one-hour shifts to sell their special beverages. They sold $31 in beverages PLUS received $100 in donations! AMAZING!
The $131 will be split between the two clubs and used for community service projects. Their lemonade and warm cider stand also gave them a great opportunity to further refine their socialization, communication, team work, math, service and gratitude expression skills. Watch for more great community work from these two clubs! Well-done to all!
Otisville students had a second gorgeous, sunny, brisk fall day to enjoy the school's annual Fall Festival, this past Friday! Take a peek at the fun from Day 2!
THANK YOU to the amazing Otisville PTO for sponsoring such a wonderful seasonal activity and to our special friends from the Otisville Lions Club for volunteering their time and their tractor and wagon to take everyone on a hayride!
It’s true, teachers like to “twin” with each other as much as students do!
Take a look at the awesome apparel of Otisville second-grade teacher fashionistas Tasha Buchler and Yvonne Brennan, aka “The 2B’s”
Twinning symbolizes connection and unity, and often acts as a visual cue for a shared team or relationship! And, that’s exactly what they are!
