The Teddy Bear Times

The Teddy Bear Times
www.bhpsnj.org
November 2011
Principal’s Message
The Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood
Center Staff welcomed 370 students when we
opened our doors in September including 42
first graders new to our school. As our student
population grew so did our staff, and we
warmly welcomed the following staff
members to our school community: Dana
Mirabella, Laura Doeringer, Karen Pilkington,
Margaret Hodge, Sue LaMaita, Cathy
Pitingolo, Denise Busby, Fern Wolkin and
Tina Schendt.
Annie Corley-Hand
Principal
The district embarked on a new inquiry-based
science program and elementary students
across the district are engaged in observation,
inference, and experimentation. The lessons
are clustered to support the students’
development of science concepts and
principles through active engagement in
activities and investigations. To find out more
about the program visit
www.sciencecompanion.com
Our school is a community of students, staff,
and parents, and our program would not be as
successful without the support of our parent
volunteers. Whether riding the bus, stuffing
first day packets, or volunteering in our
library, art room, playground, or classrooms,
our school welcomes volunteers to assist us.
We value your time and efforts and appreciate
your dedication to the children as a supportive
aide, role model, and mentor. Early childhood
is truly a remarkable time. Our school is a
wonderful place to be, and your presence at
school is welcome. Last year we welcomed
more than 3,000 visitors to our school. We
invite you to come to our school to volunteer
your time and talents.
Superintendent’s Message
Dear Parents/Guardians:
It is difficult to comprehend that we have
already completed 1/8 of the school year.
I am excited about the 2011-2012 school
year and wanted to make you aware of some
topics which are focal points for us this year.
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
Judith A. Rattner
Superintendent
Berkeley Heights Schools
The state of New Jersey passed the AntiBullying Bill of Rights in 2011 to improve
harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB)
laws that were adopted in 2002 (and
subsequently amended in 2007 & 2008).
These new regulations establish clearer
standards for the definition of harassment,
intimidation, and bullying while clarifying
and strengthening standards on preventing,
reporting, investigating, and responding to
incidents of HIB.
Research clearly indicates that bullying is a
learned behavior and detrimental to the
academic, physical, social, and emotional
development of all involved—bullies,
targets, and the bystanders who witness it. A
wave of recent bullying incidents with tragic
outcomes has shed a renewed light on this
issue. The advent of technology allows for
impulsive, anonymous, and rapid
communication that has expanded the
opportunities for bullying to a degree that
necessitates more innovative and immediate
responses than ever before (DuPage County
Anti-Bullying Task Force Model Bullying
Policy, 2011).
The Berkeley Heights Public Schools renews
its efforts to prevent, report, investigate, and
respond to harassment, intimidation, and
bullying that is aligned to state laws and
district policies. The district’s Anti-Bullying
Coordinator will coordinate district-wide
efforts, work closely with school AntiBullying Specialists, provide staff training
and send data to the NJDOE in collaboration
with the district administration. Each school
has been assigned an Anti-Bullying
Specialist who will lead investigations into
reports of harassment, intimidation, and ...more >
SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
bullying, in coordination with the building principal. The AntiBullying Specialist will also chair the School Safety Team, whose
purpose is to develop, foster, and maintain a positive school climate.
All of the schools in the district recently celebrated New Jersey’s
initial Week of Respect, which will be conducted annually during the
first full week of October each year.
Throughout the year, as students may be involved in possible
incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying, our Anti-Bullying
Specialists will conduct investigations which may encompass talking
with students, observing classrooms, and working with school staff to
determine the nature of such incidents. If your child has been involved
in an investigation, you will likely receive an initial phone call and a
follow-up letter notifying you of the results of the investigation once it
has been completed. Specific timelines exist to guide staff and
administration in these endeavors.
We look forward to working together with students, parents and
community members to make our schools safe, productive learning
environments for all. Please visit our website for a listing of resources
for parents to support their children in becoming responsible,
respectful citizens.
We invite you to attend an HIB Informational Session for Parents
presented by Dr. Paula Rodriquez Rust on Monday, November 14
beginning at 7 pm in the GLHS auditorium.
Strategic Planning
The Berkeley Heights Public Schools are hosting a Kick Off meeting
for our Strategic Planning and Visioning process on Thursday
evening, October 27th beginning at 8:00 PM in the Columbia Middle
School multi-purpose room.
Have you ever had great ideas that you feel could make an important
difference in our school district? Have you ever wished you could
have an impact on the vision of what future education in Berkeley
Heights should look like? Your great ideas are important to us! The
Berkeley Heights School District is about to embark upon a process
called “Strategic Planning/Visioning.” Working together as a
community, we will begin the process of creating a plan for
strengthening the educational program in the Berkeley Heights Public
Schools over the next several years. This planning process will allow
us to plot a course of how we will get there. Strategic planning
creates a vision that guides, directs, motivates, and inspires all
members of the educational community to work together and plan for
the future of the children in our school community. In order for
strategic planning to be successful, we need input from all
representative areas of the Berkeley Heights and Mountainside
communities including: parents, senior citizens, local business people,
teachers, students, “empty nesters,” administrators, and members of
various local organizations.
Volunteering for the strategic planning process requires a commitment
to attend several meetings over a period of approximately four
months. Your ideas are important to the future of education in the
Berkeley Heights Public Schools! Please contact my office if you
have any questions regarding the Strategic Planning/Visioning
process.
Sincerely,
Judith A. Rattner
2 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
TABLE OF CONTENT
Classroom Happenings
– Preschool........................................4
– Kindergarten ..................................4
– First Grade ....................................5
– Music ..............................................7
– Art ..................................................7
– Health Office News........................8
– Reading Room News......................8
Parents and Teachers
– PTO President Letter ..................10
– Membership..................................12
– Class Parent Committee ..............12
– Welcome Back Social ..................12
– Book Fair ......................................13
– TerraCycle ....................................13
– Cultural Arts ................................14
– The Fundraising Committee ........14
– Box Tops ......................................14
The Teddy Bear Times November 2011 3
CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
**Photo retake is Thursday, November 17, 2011**
Preschool
The preschoolers in Mrs. Conroy’s class spent the month of
September getting to know each other and their new classroom.
We played a variety of name games and learned fun songs and
rhymes to practice each other’s names. Willoughby Wallaby
Woo was a class favorite! We also explored the different
learning centers in our classroom. The preschoolers were very
excited to create constructions in the block area, cook in the
house area, look through color wands at the science table and
paint at the easel. The students worked together to come up with
a name for our class pet, a red beta fish. Many creative ideas
were shared. The preschoolers voted, and the name with the most
votes was Pepperoni. The students greet Pepperoni every day and
help to feed him. They have noticed how Pepperoni always swims
to the top of his tank when we open the top to feed him. We are
off to a great start in room 206!
The children in Mrs. Scales’s preschool classes have been busy
settling into school routines and forming new friendships. Our
classroom community grows stronger each day as the children
learn to respect and care for the classroom and each other. The
preschoolers are having fun learning about their amazing
bodies! They loved the big books, I Like Me! and From Head
To Toe. They drew self-portraits, used body part stickers to
create faces, and were measured for height. Won’t they be
surprised in the spring when we measure again and they see
how much they’ve grown!
In Mrs. Howard’s class, we are
working on charting sunny, rainy,
and cloudy days. We are learning
how to dress for the weather. We
have just started to learn about
money and have been successful at
matching the values for common
items. We are off to a great start!
Kindergarten
Ms. Bodner’s class has been getting to know each other over the
past several weeks. We have discussed ways to stay safe in the
classroom and have taken a pledge to take care of ourselves,
others and things around us. We have also gone on a few class
walks collecting items from nature on the way. Over the next
few weeks, the children will learn more about our natural
environment. They will observe and discuss different types of
apples and pumpkins, the weather, types of animals and the
seasonal harvest time!
To begin the school year, the children in Mrs. Maceroli’s classes
discussed their hopes and dreams for kindergarten. They soon
recognized the need for classroom rules so that their hopes and
4 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
painted a watercolor still life. They learned facts about sound
using a non-fiction book and took a listening walk to listen for
man-made sounds and sounds from nature. Many children, in
the quiet of a fall day, heard sounds often gone unnoticed, such
as the wind causing leaves to rustle in the trees and crunching
leaves under their feet.
Ms. Mirabella and Mrs. Twill’s classes have been busy exploring
the season of fall. The children have learned about apples and
squirrels. During the apple unit, the children read about the life
cycle of an apple seed and created their own life cycle. While
enjoying the outdoor classroom, we examined interesting facts
about squirrels- especially their tails! In math, we have been
graphing, sorting, counting and using math terminology during
each unit of study. The children are adjusting well to our
kindergarten schedule. We are off to a great start!
First Grade
dreams could be realized. The students listed the rules that they
wanted for their class and noticed that it was quite a long list!
Too many to manage! So each rule was written down on an
index card and together the class sorted and placed each rule into
one of three rule boxes: “Take Care of Yourself rule box, Take
Care of Each Other rule box, and Take Care of the Things around
Us rule box”. These three important Take Care rules are much
easier to remember, and by following these three rules, everyone
respects all of the “smaller” rules that were placed inside the
boxes. For example, when children follow the Take Care of
Yourself rule, they are also following the smaller rules inside the
box such as listen to instructions and pay attention. The students
have also learned that by following these three important Take
Care rules they are agreeing to the most important rule of all:
To behave in ways that are helpful. By working together to
establish how they want their class to be, the students in room K1 have set the groundwork for becoming a caring community of
learners. They are on their way to having their hopes and dreams
for kindergarten come true!
The students in Mrs. Poage’s class are experiencing all the
wonders of fall across the curriculum. The fall-oriented pocket
charts helped the children learn important concepts of print. The
children worked outside in the outdoor classroom using fall
collections to make nature patterns. Graphing apples before
making applesauce helped them develop in their understanding
of most, least, equal, and how many more. After reading about
the life cycle of apples and pumpkins, the children compared and
contrasted the two fall fruits using a graphic organizer and then
The first graders in Ms. Bocian’s
class had an amazing “Apple Day”
during the beginning of October!
With the help of several volunteer
family members, the children had
the chance to measure and weigh
apples, count the number of seeds
inside, taste three different types of
apples, and paint with apples! Our
two art projects were based on the
books Ten Apples Up on Top by
Theo. LeSieg and Ten Red Apples by
Pat Hutchins. Stop by Room 101 to
look at our apple printing and apple
glyphs!
The first graders in Mrs. Conlon’s
class celebrated Apple Math day!
The children were busy participating
in a variety of Apple Math Centers.
While one group was creating Apple
Math books, another group was
happily tasting and graphing their
favorite apple. Our budding
mathematicians and scientists also
had lots of opportunity to satisfy their interests by using
observation, weight and measurement tools.
Ms. Doeringer’s students recently completed an Apple Math and
Science Day. Among other things, the students weighed and
measured their apples, observed and diagramed their apples, and
The Teddy Bear Times November 2011 5
CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
read a play about Johnny Appleseed. According to many of the
children, the highlight of the day was when they disposed of
their apples outside where animals could find and eat them!
September has been a very busy month is Mrs. Jones and Mrs.
Stevenson’s first grade. To help launch our writer’s workshop
this year, the children brought in a photo of a cherished memory
to share with the class. The children took turns sharing the story
behind their cherished photos. After each child shared his or her
photo, we discussed how this photo may have sparked a memory
for others in the class. We have hung up our photos in the
classroom to aide us when we are in need of a writing topic. We
have enjoyed recalling and sharing our special memories. We are
now looking forward to creating future cherished memories with
our new friends.
The children in Mr. Prupis’ class experienced their first math
explorations in October. Math explorations are independent or
small-group activities that allow children to investigate, develop
and extend math concepts. The first graders worked at four
centers that utilized various mathematical manipulatives; such
as, base ten blocks, geoboards and pattern blocks. At each
center, the children had the opportunity for self-discovery using
the manipulatives. Everyone loved participating in math
explorations!
Mrs. Rottenberg’s students have gotten off to great start in first
grade! In October they participated in “Apple Math” activities.
The children used apples to weigh, measure, count, taste, graph
and print. Very sour Granny Smith apples were the overall
favorite! We are studying weather and learning to be
meteorologists. We look forward to meeting a real
meteorologist, Mr. G, in November.
SPIDERS! SPIDERS! SPIDERS!
The students in Mrs.
Sangiovanni’s class are
becoming spider experts!
They used the Apple
wireless laptops to
gather all kinds of
information. It’s
amazing to hear all
the information they
learned about those
creepy crawly
arachnids. Be sure to
enjoy their bigger than
life spider web, spiders and
facts displayed outside their
classroom.
6 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
Ms. Varley’s class is off to a great start! We have spent a good
deal of time getting to know one another, establishing our
routines, and creating a positive environment in which to spend
our days together this year. We enjoy learning new word wall
words each week, selecting our “just right” books during readers'
workshop, and being the authors of our own stories in writers'
workshop. We have also been practicing the principles of
conscious discipline by reading all of the books in the Shubert
series by Becky Bailey and discussing on a daily basis what it
means to respect and care about ourselves and our fellow
classroom family members. We have all decided that Room 105
is a terrific place to be!
CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Music
All the children at Mary Kay McMillin are
ringing in the school year with “Hello
Everybody”, “We Are Stars” and other songs
by Mr. Sack as well as traditional favorites
such as Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and “Put
Your Finger in the Air.” First graders are learning to play steady
beats and more challenging rhythms in drum circles. They also
enjoy singing in other languages like Swahili and Spanish.
Kindergartners and preschoolers are enjoying sing-a-longs with
Mr. Sack and his new ukulele. Mr. Monkey and Kermit the Frog
helped us all remember how important it is to be helpful and safe
on the bus with a show and rhythmic rap by Mrs. Reedy during
our October celebration!
Music can often be heard coming from the gymnasium as
children practice moving safely in open space while
demonstrating a variety of gross loco-motor movements
including skipping, galloping and jogging. All first graders are
enjoying the beautiful fall weather as they often have an
opportunity to explore one of our two playground areas.
Children in Mrs. Grysko’s PE classes have experienced many
fun cardio-vascular conditioning activities including “Musical
Hoops”, “Driver and Passengers” and “Four Corners”! Students
have also learned to tag safely as they play “What Time Is It Mr.
Fox?” or “Lion King Tag”. Our first grade children have also
practiced their soccer skills while working with partners in
games of “Roller, Trapper”, “Tunnels” and “Guard the Pin”.
Catching a tossed or bounced ball is a skill practiced in a favorite
game called “Hot Potato Tag”.
Art
First grader students in Mrs. Bjorge’s and Mrs. Pilkington’s art
classes used their hands to form whimsical pictures for the PTO
note card fundraiser to start off the year. Hands were turned into
colorful helicopters, snails, ice cream sundaes and fish with
wonderful settings for all these creative ideas. Now our terrific
young artists are learning about nature and how the wind moves
things. Our swaying trees with ripped paper produced fantastic
textures to look just like tree bark. Sponging on the colors of fall
for leaves completed these beautiful masterpieces and set the
stage for the season.
CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Health Office News
Welcome back to school! The preschool,
kindergarten, and first grade students will be
weighed, measured, and have their blood pressure
checked starting in October. Vision and hearing
evaluations will be done between November and
late spring. You will only be notified if your child
needs to be referred for further evaluation.
This fall and winter, the first grade children will
have health lessons on the importance of stranger
safety, germs, and proper hygiene with the hope
to minimize illnesses; especially, during the
upcoming flu season.
Please remember to notify the nurse of new
allergies, health conditions, medication use, and
changes in phone numbers for emergency
contacts. Many children do not have emergency
contact phone numbers, which are essential if
your child is ill or hurt while at school. Update
this important information on PowerSchool as
soon as possible. Remember to call the
attendance line if your child will be absent. It is
important that we know your child is safe at
home. Also, when calling the attendance line, be
specific with symptoms of illness or diagnosis.
8 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
Reading Room
News
As part of your child’s homework, he/she is asked to read a Just
Right book to you. It should be read relatively quickly and
fluently. Although it may appear to be too easy, please
remember that your child has practiced repeatedly with it at
school. He/she should be proud of the accomplishment and
praised for the great reading. If your child is struggling with the
book while reading it at home, please notify the teacher.
My name is Mrs. Niedenfuhr here at MKMECC library, which is
a wonderful place filled with great books, enthusiasm for
reading, and opportunities to talk and think about books, stories,
and authors. The first graders are enjoying their library lessons,
finding their way around the room, and making exciting choices
of books to borrow. We have talked about book care (ask your
children to tell you one thing they will “No, No, Never, Never”
do to a book), read some great books about friendships, and
played the koosh ball literacy game. But most importantly, the
children have borrowed many, many books. I appreciate all the
volunteers who have helped the library run so smoothly and
make a huge difference to me and the children every day. If you
have not met me, please stop by to say hi and be sure to borrow
some books to share with your children. I am at MKM all day
Mondays, Tuesday afternoons, and Wednesday mornings (other
days you’ll find me at Hughes) and I look forward to meeting
you. You are always welcome at the MKMECC Library!
PARENTS AND TEACHERS ORGANIZATION
From the PTO President
We are full swing ahead into another
exciting school year here at the Mary Kay
McMillin Early Childhood Center. I can
hardly believe it is November already, so
much has happened since the first day of
school!
The PTO worked closely with Mrs.
Corley-Hand to make sure that the first
week of school was a happy experience
for your children. We encouraged parents
to ride the buses again this year and
reiterate the importance of Bus Safety
Rules & Procedures on and off the buses.
Thank you to all the parents that
volunteered. The children really enjoyed
having them on the buses. Hopefully
parents will continue to support this
program and volunteer to ride the buses
for the first few days of school in the
future in order to model appropriate
behaviors and instill good habits from the
start.
The Preschoolers and Kindergarteners are
already into their daily routine and the
first graders have decorated their new
Writer’s Workshop bags provided by the
PTO. I am sure that they already have
some terrific stories in them.
Our first big social event of the year was
the PTO’s Welcome Back Social on
Thursday, October 6th. It was a huge
success and a lot of fun for everyone that
attended. Mother Nature was kind to us
this year, which I am sure contributed to
the big turnout. Thank you to all the
volunteers who made it such a success.
We could not have done it without your
support. I would like to mention a special
thank you to the Boy Scouts Troop 68 and
the Church of the Little Flower
Confirmation Class who also helped to
make this event fun for the children by
helping with all the games and face
painting.
10 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
This year the PTO will be sending our
information to our members via email or
posting it on the PTO website. You can
read the latest news from our Bear Facts
or Teddy Bear Times, view an events
calendar or download forms and flyers.
You can also find links to other local
websites. Please remember to check them
often and feel free to send me your
comments and suggestions too. If you
would still like to be a member of the
PTO please contact me at
[email protected] or download
our membership form from the PTO’s
website. I will add you to the distribution
list. You don’t have to participate or
volunteer to become a member.
All parents are invited to attend our
monthly PTO meetings at 7:30p.m. in the
Mary Kay McMillin library. Mrs. CorleyHand will occasionally choose a topic of
interest or concern to present to parents at
her Principal’s Chat at 7:00p.m. prior to
our PTO meeting. I will inform you of
those dates. Mrs. Rattner, the
Superintendent of Berkeley Heights
attended our first PTO meeting on
Tuesday, October 4th. It was very
informative. Our next meeting is Tuesday,
November 22nd at 7:30p.m. I hope to see
you there. It is a great way to keep up to
date with what is going on in the school
and the district.
We started off the year with
several Fundraisers:
n
This year the Spirit Wear Fundraising Committee
had samples on display for purchase at both Back
to School Nights. The students, teachers and staff
are encouraged to show their “school spirit” on
Mary Kay McMillin Community Celebration Days
by wearing their Spirit clothing to school on those
days. Last year the children really enjoyed doing
this!
n
Our Annual PTO Book Fair was held on October
24th, 25th and 26th. Parents had an opportunity to
peruse and purchase wonderful books for their
children and grant teachers a wish from their
“wish list”. Thank you to all the parents that
supported our book fair and granted wishes. Also,
to all the volunteers that contributed to its success,
we had an overwhelming response.
n
Our Original Works Fundraiser started on October
24th. Parents received their children’s artwork and
Original Works order information to be completed
and ordered by Friday, October 28th. Orders are to
be delivered in early December. This is such a
great fundraiser for the whole family! I do hope
that you participated. I still have all my
memorabilia from previous years on display.
n
We participated again this year in the Stop & Shop
A+ School Rewards Program. This fundraiser
earns Mary kay McMillin cash each time you shop
at Stop & Shop. Register your Stop and Shop card
online at www.stopandshop.com/aplus or dial 1877-275-2758 to register over the phone. Please
encourage your friends and family to do the same.
This is an easy way to earn money for our school.
n
This year Mary Kay McMillin decided to
participate in Target’s Take Charge of Education
program. Anyone who has a REDcard (Target
Credit Card, Target Debit Card or Target Visa
Credit Card) can participate. Visit Target.com/tcoe
or call 1-800-316-6142 to designate our school.
Our school’s ID is 136591. Once you have
registered you may use your REDcard whenever
you shop and Target will donate up to 1% of your
purchases to Mary Kay McMillin.
Thank you again for your continued
support to the PTO.
Sincerely,
Angela Penna
PARENTS AND TEACHERS ORGANIZATION
[
]
Staff appreciation
days are November
17th and 18th.
Some of our upcoming
programs and events from the
Cultural Arts and In-class
professional Committees are:
n
November 23 – We have an assembly for all
students called “The Peacemaker”.
n
December 7 – Author Peter Catalanotto will
visit the kindergarteners and first graders.
n
December 20 – We have 2 assemblies
presenting “The Frog & the Toad” for
preschool and first grade.
n
February 9 – The Dentist, Dr. Weddle will
again be visiting the Preschoolers and
Kindergarteners.
n
February 27 - Quiver Farms will be
delivering chicken eggs to the Kindergarten
classes until they hatch, introducing the life
cycle of a chick.
n
March 20 & 21 – An assembly for
Kindergarteners called “Let’s Pretend” will
be presented on both days.
n
March 28 – The assembly “Dancing with the
Honeybees” is a favorite for the first graders.
A few upcoming Fundraisers &
Family Events to look out for:
n
Our biggest Fundraiser of the year is the
Adult Social which will be held on Saturday,
February 25th at the Berkeley Plaza.
Remember to book your babysitter and come
enjoy a fun evening of Dinner and Dance
with your friends. The money we raise will
go towards providing additional programs
and services for Mary Kay McMillin which
will help to further promote our children’s
education.
n
January 27 – Family Movie Night.
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February 6 – Gertrude Hawk Fundraiser begins.
n
February 10 – Positive Image Fundraiser starts.
PARENTS AND TEACHERS ORGANIZATION
Welcome Back Social
The Welcome Back Social was held on Thursday, October 6, on
the school's lower playground with great success.
Perfect autumn weather provided a great afternoon for the
children to participate in a variety of activities. Adults heard
giggles and shouts of excitement as the children knocked over
bowling pins, tossed a hula hoop around a pumpkin, knocked
over one of those “Krazy Kats”, or won by tossing an apple into
a bushel basket. Children lined up to bounce around inside the
inflatables. Tattoo monsters and glitter butterflies decorated
cheeks along with painted baseballs, ladybugs, and Mario
mustaches. The DJ provided great music as guests played and
ate; but, his enthusiasm along with the wonderful donated cakes
made the cake walk a main attraction.
Guests took a break from the fun activities to enjoy many of the
donated snacks and drink. They also munched on Freshly
popped popcorn, soft pretzels, pizza, and penguin ice.
Many thanks to those who helped make this event a success: the
school’s custodians, Vito’s Produce Stand, Hall’s Garden Center,
Natale’s Pizza, the Philly Pretzel Factory, Fun Services, the Boy
Scouts, Little Flower’s confirmation group, and to all those
parents who donated food and drink items as
well as their time. We could not have
done it without you!
Membership
Thank you to all of the families and faculty members who have
joined the PTO! We have 233 families and 27 faculty members to
date. If you haven’t joined yet, it is not too late. Your membership
dues & generous donations allow the PTO to support our
children’s education and sponsor so many wonderful enrichment
programs and special events! Thank you again!
Joyce Gallagher & Michelle O'Rourke - Co-chairs
Class Parent
Committee
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time to be a
class parent this year. We appreciate all that you do and look
forward to the fun-filled parties that you have planned
throughout the school year.
Kelly Lorne & Kelly Sheehan - Co-Chairs
12 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
PARENTS AND TEACHERS ORGANIZATION
Book Fair
The Annual MKM ECC PTO Book Fair was held on October 24,
25 and 26. There was a great selection of books and the children
enjoyed browsing and picking out some new books to keep them
busy reading with their families. Parents had a great opportunity
to enhance a teacher’s classroom library by purchasing a book
from a teacher’s “wish list”. Thank you to those that granted a
wish. Thank you to all the parent volunteers that helped make
the Book Fair such a great success. This event could not be done
without you!
TerraCycle
The MKM ECC PTO has started collecting Capri Sun and
Honest Kids juice pouches to raise additional funds for the
school through the TerraCycle Program. It's a simple way to help
the school and promote recycling to our children. Just clean the
empty juice pouch by discarding the straw, cutting a slit in the
bottom and top of the pouch and rinsing it through with water.
Collect a bag full of pouches and drop the bag off in the
receptacle marked TerraCycle in the Main Office or send them in
a plastic bag into school with your child. It's a nice way to help
the school and the environment! Should you have any questions,
please contact Laura Walker at [email protected]
The Teddy Bear Times November 2011 13
PARENTS AND TEACHERS ORGANIZATION
The Fundraising
Committee
Cultural Arts
The Cultural Arts committee plans assemblies for the entire
school population of Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood
Center. We're very excited for this new school year and can’t
wait for the students to see the performances we've organized
for the fall.
On Nov. 23, the George Street Playhouse, from New Brunswick,
NJ, will travel to our school to stage “The Peacemaker,” a story
about tolerance of diversity. It's about the Blue people and the
Red people who live on opposite sides of the wall. When they
finally meet, they need to think carefully about how they will--or
won’t-- get along. On Dec. 20, Surflight Theatre, a company
located on Long Beach Island, will perform the musical, “A Year
with Frog and Toad” at Mary Kay McMillin ECC. Students will
love watching Arnold Lobel’s famous duo sing and dance
through four fun-filled seasons. Don't be surprised if your child
comes home humming some of the catchy show tunes!
We also want to send out a big thank-you to the parent
volunteers who helped us last year, and to thank this year's
volunteers in advance! We appreciate your efforts to help make
our school a great place for our children!
Milla Trigos and Kelly Hawkins, Co-chairs
Our school is now participating in Target’s Take Charge of
Education® program. Anyone who has a REDcard® can
participate. Visit Target.com/tcoe or call 1-800-316-6142 to
designate our school. Mary Kay McMillin School’s ID is
136591. After you register, use your REDcard® whenever you
shop. When you use your REDcard® (Target Credit Card®,
Target Debit Card® or Target® Visa® Credit Card), Target® will
donate up to 1% of your purchases to our school.
With the Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards program you can earn
cash for Mary Kay McMillin each time you shop at Stop &
Shop. Register your Stop & Shop card online at
www.stopandshop.com/aplus or dial 1-877-275-2758 to register
over the phone.
Please encourage your friends and family to participate in these
programs as well!
Jenn Castrovinci, Dina Linde and Denise Micca – Co-Chairs
Box Tops
The most important way to help MKM ECC earn box tops is to
clip them and send them into school. There are over 200
products in the grocery store that have box tops on them! Have
your family and neighbors collect them for you.
Our first submission was this month with a total of $412! Our
goal this school year is $1,000. We are almost half way there.
Another way to help earn box tops cash is to go onto their
website and become a member (this is free). The website is
www.boxtops4education.com. When you become a member and
shop at their marketplace you will earn electronic box tops for
MKM ECC! There are 100’s of retailers enrolled in the program
(Walmart, Barns and Noble, Sephora, JC Penney and Staples to
name a few).
You will also receive weekly e-newsletter, coupons, recipes,
contents and much more! They have just added Snap Fish for
your Holiday Cards! The school will earn 6 box tops for every
$10 spent.
14 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
SERVICES AND SPONSORS
Mary Kay McMillin PTO
adult social
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Our Adult Social will be Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Berkeley Plaza.
There will be a fabulous buffet dinner, drinks and music.
We are currently seeking volunteers to work the night of the event with set up,
check in, selling at the basket tables and 50/50 raffle ticket sales.
Shifts will be for forty-five minutes.
We need volunteers to help assemble and label the baskets the evening
before the event. Thank you to those of you who have already expressed
an interest in volunteering. We will be contacting you shortly. We are
currently seeking donations for gift baskets to be raffled off. If you have new
items to donate or gift certificates, please contact Candice at
[email protected]
or Gentiana at [email protected]
If you know anyone who owns a local business, please ask them to consider
donating an item or service for a great cause – Our Children!
It is going to be a fun night – hope to see you all there!
The Teddy Bear Times November 2011 15
SERVICES AND SPONSORS
Bilingual Support Available
The Bilingual Support Committee of the PTO is available to help with
parent-teacher communications, including translation of forms. Please
contact Lydia Wong or Kathy Matfes, co-chairs of the Bilingual Support
Committee, with any need. We have volunteers to assist families in the
following languages: Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean,
and Albanian. This is a free service provided by the PTO.
If you need help communicating with your teacher or translating forms in Chinese,
please contact Lydia Wong at 908-898-0168 or by email: [email protected]
If you need help communicating with your teacher or translating forms in Spanish, please contact
Kathy Matfes at 908-264-9111 or by email: [email protected]
Si necesita ayuda comunicándose con la maestra de su hijo(a), o si necesita ayuda traduciendo los
formularios de la escuela, puede contactar a Kathy Matfes al teléfono 908 264-9111 o por e-mail
al [email protected]
Este es un servicio gratuito del Comité de Ayuda Bilingüe del PTO.
16 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011
SERVICES AND SPONSORS
Save the date!
November 30th, 7PM
The BH PTO will be presenting another screening of the film, Race to
Nowhere, on Wednesday, November 30th, at 7:00 PM, in the GL auditorium.
After the film, there will be small group discussions with administrators and
teachers. The details are still being finalized so look for more information
coming soon.
The April showing at the Summit Medical Group sold out, so be sure to get
your ticket today!
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $11.54 on-line at
http://rtngovernorhs.eventbrite.com.
The Teddy Bear Times November 2011 17
SERVICES AND SPONSORS
BHEF Tributes
Has someone in your child's school had a special impact on him or her? Would you like to
acknowledge the great job that person has done? BHEF Tributes have been established as a way to
show appreciation to people in your child's educational community. Whether it's a teacher, principal,
secretary, guidance counselor, coach, cafeteria worker or custodian, BHEF Tributes are a way to show
your gratitude and thanks. By making a donation to the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation in honor
of these special people, you can truly make a difference by enhancing educational opportunities for faculty
and students in the Berkeley Heights schools. Donations will be used to fund grants that are requested by
teachers and administrators.
For each person you honor with a donation, you will receive a Tribute Card that
can be signed by you or your child and proudly presented to that person. There's
also room for a personalized message. All donations are tax-deductible and your
support will be acknowledged in the BHEF's annual brochure.
Acknowledging these special people with a BHEF Tribute is an honor they will
treasure. To receive your tributes by December 19, please send in your check
and form by December 12.
For more information and to print out additional forms, please visit our website at
www.BHEF.info and click on BHEF Tributes. Tributes may be ordered at any
time during the year. If you have any questions, please send email to
[email protected].
The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation, a volunteer, non-profit fundraising organization,
is not affiliated with the Berkeley Heights Board of Education or PTOs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YES! We would like to contribute to BHEF Tributes in honor of the following people:
(Minimum of $10 per tribute is suggested.) Please note that the amount donated will not be specified on the cards.
RECIPIENT NAME (please print clearly)
SCHOOL
(Include title and first name if known - e.g. Mrs. Sarah Smith)
1. ______________________________________
____________________________
2.
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________
____________________________
4.
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________
____________________________
(Use the back of the form if more are requested.)
TOTAL DONATION ENCLOSED: $ _____________
Please make checks payable to the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation and mail to
BHEF Tributes, P.O. Box 182, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922-0182
Please provide your mailing address so your cards can be sent to you.
PARENTS'/GUARDIANS' NAMES _____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS ____________________________________ PHONE NUMBER _________________
If you would prefer to be listed as anonymous in our annual brochure, please check here _________
18 The Teddy Bear Times November 2011