May 2008 - Gilbertsville - Mount Upton Central School

VOLUME 18, NUMBER 9
May 2008
MISSION STATEMENT: The Gilbertsville-Mount Upton School District is committed to an educational environment that assures equitable opportunity for individuals to become
responsible, productive members of society. We will encourage individual excellence in students of all ages that they may gain a lifetime enthusiasm for work and learning.
Look Who’s Ranked 3, 4 and 5
Superintendent’s Message
In last month’s newsletter, we profiled our Valedictorian Charley
Wolinsky and our Salutatorian Nora Frewert. This month, we’re pleased
to feature profiles of Ashlea Osborne, Kerrie Martin and Stefan Tomoiu,
three students whose academic accomplishments have placed them in the
top five of their graduating class.
It is a great feeling not to worry about snow
days anymore (hopefully) and finally feeling the
warmth of spring. It seems to take a long time
before the snow finally goes away and the better
weather starts to arrive. The warmer weather for
us means spring sports, planning for year-end
activities, and once again, the annual budget
review process.
We have completed our budget and sent
the information to the print shop for publication. You should receive a budget newsletter
at about the same time this newsletter arrives.
Please note there is a budget hearing on Tuesday
evening, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. in the secondary library and the budget vote takes place on
Tuesday, May 20 from noon -8:00 p.m. We are
pleased we were able to complete the proposed
budget for 2008-09 with only a 1.9% tax levy
increase. This follows last year’s 1.0% levy. As
a result of the low levy increase, most people
should again see very little increase in their
school property taxes.
Our capital project planning continues to
move ahead. Our architects are working on the
design phase and we hope to have our plans
ready for submittal to the State Education
Department by the beginning of June. We will
keep our residents posted on when this happens
and the results of the review with SED.
Finally, please review the calendar for May.
We have many activities taking place during
the month and you will want to make sure you
don’t miss any of them.
Best wishes for an enjoyable spring.
—Douglas Exley, Superintendent
Ashlea Osborne
Ashlea, the daughter of Thomas and Tammy
Osborne, is ranked third in her class. Ashlea has
pursued advanced sequences in mathematics and
the sciences while at GMU. Outside the classroom,
Ashlea is active in athletics (basketball, softball and
volleyball), National Honor Society, Student Council,
SADD, Yearbook and French Club. Ashlea plans to
attend Cazenovia College and major in Elementary
Education.
Kerrie Martin
Kerrie, the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth
Martin, is ranked fourth in her graduating class. She
has pursued advanced studies in science, mathematics, English, French and social studies. Kerrie has
participated in soccer, track and ski club while at
GMU in addition to serving in a number of clubs and
activities, including National Honor Society, Spanish Club, French Club,
Concert and Marching Band, Chorus and Drama Club. She plans to attend
University of Buffalo, majoring in Linguistics/French.
Stefan Tomoiu
Stefan has earned the fifth ranking in his class.
While at GMU, Stefan has juggled a multitude of
activities including Ping Pong Club, Foreign Language
Club, Booster Club, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Yearbook and Track and Field. Stefan balances his
extracurricular participation with a rigorous academic
schedule including advanced studies in social studies,
Spanish, mathematics, and science. Stefan, the son of Marian and Roxana
Tomoiu, will attend SUNY Cobleskill in the fall, majoring in Pre-med
Health Studies.
—Mrs. Dunbar
Board of Education Highlights
At their regular meeting March 18, the Board:
• Established the Deborah Barnes Memorial Award Fund.
• Reviewed the final draft 2008-2009 Budget and
approved it for presentation to the voters of the
District at the Annual District Meeting and Election
May 20.
• The Superintendent updated members on the capital
project, citing review of preliminary drawings by
staff, gathering the cost estimates from consultants by
the architects and process of selecting a construction
manager.
• Approved a transfer of $500,000 from the Undesignated
Fund Balance to the Capital Reserve Fund.
• Approved fuel bids for the 2008-2009 school year and
a bid on two 24-passenger buses.
• Approved a resignation.
• Approved a Resolution stating that, “The Board of
Education of the Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central
School District believes that the 16 component school
districts of the Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego
BOCES will be best served by the continuation of the
present structure of the BOCES.”
• Met in executive session to discuss specific personnel
items.
• Adjourned at 8:39 p.m.
—Garrick Hoadley, District Clerk
• Heard the Superintendent and members provide the following Positive Highlight: The Superintendent announced
that Charley Wolinsky has been designated Valedictorian
and Nora Frewert Salutatorian of the Class of 2008.
• Approved participation in a SUNY Oneonta study
to determine the effect of hydration on student
performance.
• Reviewed progress of the capital project, now in the initial
design and fiscal planning stages.
• Heard a proposal by the Senior Class for a trip to
Hershey ParkSM.
• Received financial reports for February.
• Heard the Superintendent update on the draft
2008-2009 Budget.
• Approved Special Education recommendations.
• Appointed advisors, Driver Education Teacher and
accepted resignations.
• Approved bonding bus purchases approved by the
voters.
• Approved the advertisement for the Annual District Meeting and budget vote.
• Approved the Final Request for BOCES services for
2008-2009.
• Approved the 2008-2009 school calendar.
• Discussed a band trip to Disney World® in 2010 and a
dinner to raise funds for Board of Education end-of-year
awards before the Elementary Concert, May 1.
• Met in executive sessions to discuss Special Education
and specific personnel items.
• Adjourned at 9:26 p.m.
St. Jude’s Bike-A-Thon
The annual St. Jude’s Bike-A-Thon will be held
from 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. This
fund raiser is sponsored by the Mount Upton Lions
Club to benefit children who have cancer or other life
threatening diseases.
Participants can pick up pledge forms in the Elementary and High School Offices and at the front desk.
The Bike-A-Thon, which is not a race, will begin
at the School Bus Garage and will follow a designated
and protected path on State Highway 51. There will be
adult supervision and refreshments available throughout the event.
There are many prizes that will be awarded
including T-shirts and back packs, with small drawings
throughout the day. All participants who turn in money
by the due date will receive a certificate and their name
will be put in for a drawing of a bike.
For more information, please contact Dennis
Crawford at 764-8453 or Chris Guidelli at 764-8334.
—Chris Guidelli, Lions Club
At their regular meeting April 1, the Board:
• Heard the Superintendent and members provide the
following Positive Highlights: Congratulations to
Mrs. Monaco and Ms. Wentlent for a great Music In
Our Days presentation.
• Approved plans for a trip by the Foreign Language
Club to New York City, Honor Society plans for a trip
to Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and the Statue of
Liberty, the annual Sixth Grade Safety Patrol Trip to
Washington, DC and Philadelphia.
• Reviewed changes in Internal Revenue Service
guidelines assigning liability for administration of
403B tax sheltered annuities to employers. It is anticipated that the services of a 3rd party plan administrator
will be required.
• Appointed a Volunteer Assistant Track Coach and a
Cleaner.
• Appointed four teachers and one administrator
on tenure.
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Junior Prom
Music Department News
On Saturday, May 31, the Junior Class will hold its prom
at the Major’s Inn in Gilbertsville. The theme will be A Stroll
Through Central Park. Coronation will be at 11:00 p.m. Tickets
are available—Singles are $25 and Couples are $40.
—Miss Haskins, Advisor
As the end of the school year approaches, the Music
Department will be very busy with final performances
and festivals. The Middle School ensembles performed
in April, and we pick up this month with the High
School Concert on Thursday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Please note that this is a change from the concert
date listed on the District calendar! This concert will
feature performances by the High School Chorus and
High School Band, as well as several small student
ensembles. We hope to see you there!
During the following week, the High School Band
will compete at the NYSSMA Majors Festival in
Oneonta, and student vocal and instrumental soloists will perform at the NYSSMA Solo Festival in
Norwich. These student soloists have been working on
their solos, scales and music sight-reading techniques
for several months. They will receive grades and constructive feedback from judges, which will determine
their eligibility for participation in both Area-All State
and All-State ensembles next year.
The last event of the month will be a short performance by the High School small ensembles on
Tuesday, May 20, at 7:00 p.m. These are students who
have chosen to be more involved with the GMU Music
Department, committing to extra rehearsals each week
in order to learn more difficult music and prepare
for additional performances. Many of these students
also spent time learning both vocal and instrumental
NYSSMA solos. Please join us for what is sure to be
an excellent performance!
—Anna Wentlent and Matt Oram
Summer Art Workshop
The 19th Annual Gilbertsville Baptist Church and Summer
Recreation Program Art Workshop dates are Monday-Friday,
August 11-15. The workshop is open to all from kindergarten
through adult age classes. The workshop includes an opportunity to learn and practice the basics
of painting using the mediums of
watercolors and acrylics. Information and registration forms will
be available in May, and can be
obtained upon request by contacting
Suzanne Beddoe at 783-2730 or Peg
Lilley at 783-2284. There will be
more information in next month’s
newsletter.
—Rev. Palada
2008 GMU Summer Olympic Games
It’s that time again, The 2008 Olympic Games are coming to
Beijing, China this summer and here at GMU we like to take part
in the Olympic Festivities. Opening day of the Olympic Games
at GMU will be May 9. Closing Ceremonies will be June 13.
Opening Ceremonies will start at 9:00 a.m. in the large gym
beginning with the parade of countries for all to see and enjoy.
During May and June, students in grades K-6 will be participating in variations of the Summer Olympic Games to include,
tumbling, canoeing, swimming, track and field, synchronized
swimming and tennis. In their classrooms students will also
be learning about the countries they will be representing, and
designing flags and signs to be displayed in the gym during the
Games.
All of the special areas will also be incorporating the
Olympics into their curriculum. In music class, they will
be learning about the musical traditions of their respective
countries, including famous composers, instruments, songs,
dances and musical games.
We encourage family and friends to join us at both the opening
and closing ceremonies for a lot of fun and entertainment from
the students as well as some demonstrations by staff.
—Cheryl Zehr and Tina Cole,
Elementary Physical Education
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Booster Club News
The next Booster Club Meeting will be Tuesday,
May 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the small cafeteria.
We need photographers for all of our spring sports!
Please take pictures of your athletes and forward them
to Lynne Talbot for the Sports Recognition Awards
Ceremony. We plan to have DVD’s of our PowerPoint ®
presentation available for purchase (minimal cost)
after the program again this year. It can be a great
memory for our students to keep.
The High School Band and Chorus Concert is
scheduled for May 8. At this concert we will be recognizing all senior participants. We will also acknowledge our seniors who were in the fall musical. Come
enjoy the talents of our students and help us celebrate
our seniors’ accomplishments!
—Miki Luettger
Memo from the Health Office
Now that the sports season has begun and warmer
weather has arrived, I want to share some information
with you, taken from The Downsville Times, concerning
energy drinks.
Energy drinks are canned or bottled beverages and readily available in most stores. Some of these are: Red Bull®
Energy Drink, Monster Energy ® Drink, Full Throttle ®
Energy Drink, Amp® Energy Drink, XS™ Energy Drink,
Redline Drink ®, and Rock St★r ® Energy Drink.
Energy drinks are marketed primarily to people between
the ages of 18-30 as a stimulant, which is why energy drinks
have names that convey strength, power and speed.
bohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes that may
be lost through perspiration.
The caffeine in energy drinks acts as a diuretic and
promotes dehydration. An athlete who needs the hydration
and electrolytes should reach for a drink with low levels
of caffeine, and with 15-18 grams of carbohydrates for
every eight ounces, according to the President’s Council
and Physical Fitness and Sports (Kant). The best thirst
quencher is water.
Warning Label
Most energy drink brands put a warning label on a can
stating the drink is not appropriate for children, pregnant, or
lactating women. Again, the culprit is caffeine. The American Academy of Pediatrics frowns on caffeine consumption
for children (Kane). Children are naturally exuberant, and
encouraging them to drink something to boost their performance in sports could send the wrong message.
Energy Drinks contain Caffeine
Red Bull®, one of the most popular energy drinks,
contains nearly 80mg of caffeine per can, about the same
amount of caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee and twice
the caffeine as a cup of tea (Wong). Other energy drinks
contain several times this amount. The amount of caffeine
in an energy drink isn’t always indicated on the label, so it
is difficult to gauge how much one is consuming.
Another problem with energy drinks is that unlike hot
coffee or tea, which is sipped slowly, it’s common for typical
energy drink consumers to drink large amounts quickly.
Some people are sensitive to caffeine and experience
anxiety, palpitations, irritability, difficulty sleeping and
indigestions with relatively small amounts. People with
heart conditions should avoid large amounts of caffeine
because it is a stimulant.
One of the biggest concerns is that we just don’t know
enough about the effect of the combination of ingredients
in energy drinks. Many ingredients are believed to work
synergistically with caffeine to boost its stimulant power.
For instance, one can of Red Bull contains 1000mg
of taurine (Wong). Taurine appears to play an important
role in muscle contraction (especially in the heart) and the
nervous system.
Red Bull contains 600mg of glucuronolactone, a substance that is naturally found 8 in the body. There is a
lack of published information on the health effects of
glucuronolactone supplementation in humans or on the
safety of this combination (Wong).
Energy drinks contain sugar, B vitamins (sometimes
added to make energy drinks appear healthy, although they
probably contribute little) and some energy drinks contain
guarana, a South American herb that is an additional source
of caffeine (Wong).
Energy Drink Side Effects
Energy drinks can leave someone with a jittery, nauseated feeling. The more common side effects of too much
caffeine are feeling jittery, nervous and irritable (Kane).
Caffeine can raise blood pressure and trigger heart palpitations. People who suffer panic attacks or have stomach
disorders are also advised against caffeine.
The best way for the average person to feel energetic
every day is by living a healthy lifestyle. Get enough sleep,
eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.
References
Kane, E. E. (2007). “Do Energy Drinks Deliver” What
You Should Know About Energy Drinks.” LifeScript Connect Network, 27 Nov. 2007. Available online at http://
www.lifescript.com/channels/healthy _ living/Life_Tips/
do_energy _drinks
Wong, C. (2006). “Energy Drinks.” About.com: Alternative Medicine. 17 Nov. 2007. Available online http://
altmedicine.about.com/od/completeazindex/a/energy_drink
Energy Drinks should not be Consumed during Exercise
Energy drinks should not be confused with sports drinks
such as Gatorade ®, which are consumed to help people stay
hydrated during exercise. Sports drinks also provide car4
Middle/High School News
With May’s arrival, two things are
certain: warmer temperatures (finally!)
and busy school calendars. Marching
Band has been rehearsing in preparation
for upcoming parades—definite signs that
spring is here!
Kudos to the cast and crew of this
year’s Drama Club production of Cinder
Stein, directed by Ms. Cheri Vincenti!
The students staged two terrific shows
last month along with a special senior
citizen preview.
As you read through this newsletter,
you’ll note that we have many activities
and recognition ceremonies scheduled.
I invite you to attend as many as possible
so that you can join us in celebrating the
accomplishments of our students.
News from the Guidance Office
RYLA
The Rotary Club of Morris selects juniors from area schools each year
to attend a District Rotary Youth Leadership Conference. The focus of the
conference is to enhance skills and promote learning in the areas of decisionmaking, critical thinking, ethics, public service, contemporary problems
and career development. Congratulations to Junior Jennifer Pedersen who
is the 2008 recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. The week long
program will be held this June at Hartwick College in Oneonta.
Advanced Placement Program
Juniors please note that advanced placement applications are due by
May 14. Please return the applications to the Guidance Office.
SAT & ACT Dates
SAT June 7 (registration deadline, May 6)
ACT June 14 (registration deadline, May 9)
—Kate Walker, Director of Guidance
May Events
Advanced Placement Exams
5 AP Government and Politics
8 AP Literature
9 AP Studio Art
12 AP Biology
Other Events
5-9 Teacher Appreciation Week
8 High School Spring Concert,
Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
16 Senior Trip to Hershey Park, PA.
19-23 Student Exhibition Week—Check
out the wonderful art work
decorating our halls!
24 Veterans’ Breakfast—Sponsored by
National Junior Honor Society
31 Junior Prom
One Final Note
On Friday, May 9, our school commemorates National Teacher Appreciation
Week with our own Teacher Appreciation
Day. It’s an opportunity to reflect on
the many ways in which teachers touch
the lives of our students. At GMU we’re
fortunate to have a team of dedicated
teachers who exemplify our mission and
vision through their daily work with children. To them, I extend my thanks and
appreciation.
—Mrs. Tonda Dunbar, Principal
Senior of the Month
Congratulations to May’s Senior of the Month Scott
Loitsch! Scott is a very motivated student who is
constantly willing to lend a helping hand. As a senior
he is taking advanced courses such as AP Government,
AP Literacy, AP Biology, and Calculus I and II. He was
recently the king in the Drama Club production CinderStein. Scott is involved in Ping-Pong Club, National Honor
Society, Yearbook Club, Ski Club, Spanish Club and is a
lawyer in Mock Trial. In his spare time Scott enjoys four wheeling, skiing,
helping out his local church, swimming, and driving. He is planning on going
to Albany College of Pharmacy. Keep up the good work!
—Ashlea Osborne, Student Council
State Geography Bee
Neyen Romano, a sixth grader in Mrs. Banks’ class, participated in the
New York State National Geographic™ Geography Bee at the New York State
Museum in Albany on Friday, April 4. Neyen joined 105 participants from
across the state in a contest of world geographic knowledge to earn a place
at the National Geography Bee in Washington, DC. He impressed the judges
by scoring 7 out of 8 in the preliminary round, almost a perfect score, and
missing only one question on geography in current events. The National
Geographic™ Bee, an educational program of the National Geographic™
Society, is a nationwide geography competition for U.S. schools and students
in grades 4-8, designed to encourage the teaching and study of geography.
The GMU Geography Bee will return in September for our third year.
Thanks to all of our students who participated this year.
—Gerrit Bakhuizen
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Poetry
Completed Apprenticeship
Corner
Ode to a Gravel Bed
Hazy, sticky mornings
Huddled tired silhouettes of life gather,
Every breath a puff of smoke for everyone to see
and share.
Motors rumble and smoke,
Hammers start banging and the hole comes alive.
Dirt moving and crashing
In a never-ending rain of dust and sand—
The heavy air fills your lungs with every breath.
Congratulations to Andrea Taylor for
completing her apprenticeship with the
Catskill Choral Society. As part of her
experience with the ensemble, Andrea
received private vocal instruction from
Ms. Cindy Donaldson in preparation for
the culminating concert experience, Light
in the Hills, conducted by music director
Timothy Newton. The Catskill Choral Society presented two
performances in April singing works by Brahms, Beethoven,
Lauridsen, Tchaikovsky and Gretchaniov, as well as selections by
Charles Ives, Eric Whitacre and Lennon and McCarthy. Andrea
also had the opportunity to audition for a solo and received one
in Lux Arumque, by Eric Whitacre. Congratulations Andrea on
a great experience and wonderful achievement.
—Anne Monaco, Music Teacher
Congratulations!
Teeth gritty,
Hair matted,
Shirt soaked with sweat,
Eyes burning from the dust
Afternoon sun glistening off the bright yellow
Dirt-moving dinosaurs,
Hydraulics whine with work.
Trucks,
Rollin’ wheels and shifting gears
Pulling in, getting loaded and pulling out
Perfect sequence like ants marching in
And out to the horizon.
At the day’s end
All the trucks file back in;
Motors idle down,
The screen stops pinging and shaking.
National Honor Society
On Tuesday, March 25 the GMU chapter of the National
Honor Society sponsored their spring blood drive. The drive
was organized by Barbara Gengenbach. We had an excellent
turnout and collected over 35 pints of blood. These donations
will be enough to help over 100 people. Thank you to everyone
who donated for their participation and patience. We would also
like to especially thank Huff Ice Cream for their continuing
donation for our ‘pint for pint’ program. The next blood drive
at the school will be on Tuesday, July 29. Contact the Red Cross
at 1-800-GIVE LIFE to schedule a donation. Thank you again
to everyone who helped make this a successful day.
—Tom Connell, Advisor
The hole is silent,
For it has died,
Like the sun in the sky.
—Chris Fuller
Driver’s Education Program
ue to the low number of applications we received for driver’s ed., we will not be offering a driver’s education
D
program this summer.
—Tonda Dunbar
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Soaring
Eagles
Grades 7-8
The Soaring Eagles theme for March was Dependability. Students who demonstrated their ability to be a positive member of the school community and participate in activities that make the school a better place to learn were
considered.
—Christine Harby
Congratulations to the following students
front: Kerisha Puerile, Tessa Brown,
Jon Davis, Lauren Hill, Gavin Loitsch and
Dillan Osborne; back: Elizabeth Mayne,
Jenny Wilkinson, Shelby Hartwell,
Greg Delaney, Clayton Burnside and Rian West
Grades 3-6
On March 27, ten students in grades 3-6 were recognized for their Dependability at the Soaring Eagles assembly.
These students were chosen due to their being positive members of the school community and for taking part in
activities that make the school a better place to learn.
Congratulations to the following students
Student
Class
Nicole Grabo............................................................. Miss Mascolo
Jade Osterwald........................................................ Mrs. Stensland
Summer Mealey......................................................... Mrs. Microni
Logan Hartwell...................................................... Mrs. McMullen
Elaina Palada.................................................................... Mr. Trass
Rachel Taylor............................................................. Mr. Cimineri
Meghan Meers........................................................... Miss Gubbins
Mackenzie Cabrinety.................................................... Mrs. Banks
Sarah Baker.................................................................. Mrs. Benoit
Rebecca Corgan............................................................. Miss Smith
Next month, teachers will be looking for students demonstrating the attribute of Enthusiasm.
Keep up the great work!
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—Mrs. Banks
News from the Elementary Office
Elementary PE Reminder
There will be no school Monday, May 26 for
Memorial Day Recess.
The Elementary Spring Concert will be held on
Thursday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m.
Our Safety Patrol students will be leaving for
Washington on Saturday, May 10 and returning
on Tuesday, May 13. They have worked hard to
earn this trip—I hope it is a memorable experience for all of them!
We will be having Opening Ceremonies for
our Olympic Celebration on Friday, May 9, at
9:00 a.m., we hope to see you there. After that
day, ask your children what they are doing in
PE and have them share with you some of the
creative ways the PE staff are organizing their
Olympic events. Closing Ceremonies will be held
on Friday, June 13.
We continue to have Morning Mania on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:20 a.m.
in the auditorium. Parents of 4-year-olds entering kindergarten in September are welcome to
attend on Fridays, then have breakfast with other
preschoolers in the cafeteria. Our last Morning
Mania will be held Friday, May 9.
—Mrs. Karen Volpi, Elementary Principal
As the warm weather approaches we would like to remind parents
and students that sneakers are a requirement for PE class. As a safety
precaution, students are not allowed to wear sandals and flip-flops
for class. We would also like to express the importance of making
sure sneakers are properly tied. The fashion trend of loosely tied and
tucked under laces is not allowed. Please help your son or daughter
remember to wear appropriate footwear as this will have an impact
on their grade. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep
students safe.
—Ms. Zehr and Ms. Cole
We’ve got Rhythm
National Junior Honor Society News
Fund Raiser
National Junior Honor Society will be selling
10 inch hanging baskets for their spring fund
raiser. You can choose from red or pink New
Guinea Impatiens or Ivy Geraniums. These flowers are from Wessel’s Farms Inc. and will be beautiful. NJHS students will be taking orders starting
April 21- May 5. Flowers will be ready for pick up
on May 9, just in time for Mother’s Day. Please
help support NJHS.
Veterans’ Breakfast
The 12th Annual Veterans’ Breakfast sponsored by Gilbertsville -Mount Upton’s National
Junior Honor Society, will be held Saturday,
May 24, in the High School cafeteria. Breakfast
will be served at 8:00 a.m. This breakfast is held
in honor of and for all Veterans. We welcome all
Veterans and their spouse or guest to come. If you
know a Veteran in the area, please let them know
about this event. We look forward to serving you.
—Christine Harby, NJHS Advisor
During the month of March, Ms. Mascolo’s class found their
RHYTHM! They spent four weeks on a jump rope unit where
they practiced already existing skills and learned many new ones.
The students have been learning single rope skills like the step
through, 2 foot jump, skip jump, and the cross over jump. Students
were also given the opportunity to practice their long rope skills and
learn a few new skills using the Chinese jump rope.
We all know that jumping rope is fun all on its own; well the children in Ms. Mascolo’s class made it even more fun with the rhymes
they created. The rhymes were shared with the class for all to enjoy.
We also pulled together these rhymes and put them in a book for the
students to take home and share with their families.
—Ms. Cole and Ms. Zehr, Elementary Physical Education
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Elementary Music News
Music News—Grades 3 and 4
The Elementary Band and Chorus have two important
events coming up. Our spring concert will be on Thursday,
May 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the GMU auditorium. The second
event will be our participation in the NYSSMA Majors
Festival on Wednesday May 14, at Oneonta High School.
NYSSMA Majors is a festival where bands, choruses and
orchestras perform for adjudication. Groups perform for two
adjudicators and receive taped and written comments and
a rating of Participation, Bronze, Silver or Gold. The community is welcome to attend our performance at Oneonta
City School District.
The students have been working very hard on their band
and chorus music. Among the pieces the band will be performing at NYSSMA and our concert is Enchanted Wizard,
by John O’Reilly. Another piece we will be performing is
Triangle Time, by Timothy Loest. This last piece is an exciting piece which will feature some special guests!
The chorus will be performing at the concert and
NYSSMA as well. Among the pieces they will be singing
is one called A Great Big Sea, by Lori-Anne Dolloff and a
medley designed for our concert called Flix Are For Kids,
arranged by Sally K. Albrecht. This piece is a great toetapping number with the students decked out in hats and
canes! It should be an exciting program—we hope you will
come out and see us!
—Anne Monaco, Music Teacher
The fourth grade instrumental students have been working
very hard to prepare two pieces for the instrumental concert
on Thursday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the Gilbertsville-Mount
Upton auditorium. The fourth grade students have been
coming for about fifteen minutes, once a week, for almost six
weeks putting together Hot Cross Buns (traditional) and Hard
Rock Blues, arranged by John Higgins, as a band.
Fourth Grade Band Students
Cou r t ney B a ke r, M a d i s on B a n k s , B r a nd on
Barrows, Jacob Bedell, Jordan Bower, Kausher
Bruno, Shelby Burnside, Jillian Butts, Brianna
Christian, Lexus Coughlin, Matthew Delaney, Rita
Doherty, Kaitlyn Gross, Logan Hartwell, Richard
Knapp, Matthew Lyons, Elle MacPherson, Dylan
McCumber, Summer Mealey, Cherokee Mowers,
Benjamin O’Connor, Elaina Palada, Wyatt Poole,
Kelsey Ross, Katherine Schultes, John Sullivan,
Courtney Vaccaro, Angelica Welch and Colin Wind.
Great work this year on a difficult piece!
The third grade students are also working very hard this
year. Ms. Mascolo’s, Mrs. Microni’s, and Mrs. Stensland’s
third grade and second/third combination classes are
going to be performing in the Spring concert with several
pieces they have been working on during their study of the
recorder. If you notice the different colored yarn on their
recorders you will see a variety of bright colors showing
where they are in Recorder Karate.
Recorder Karate is similar to the sport of Karate except
that the students’ performance on a particular song helps
them to gain a certain color belt. They must obtain their
belts in a specific order and can only continue to the next
color if they have passed the color they were working on.
This year’s students are moving quite fast and are anxious
to receive their next belts!
NYSSMA’s Sweet Melodies
Sweet Melodies is a fun evening filled with music and
sweets. This year’s Sweet Melodies will be presented on
Tuesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. Students who have been
practicing for the NYSSMA solo festival will present
their solo to an audience for the first time on May 6. This
is a great way to get those early jitters out of their system
before the actual audition which is held on either May 16
or 17, at Norwich High School. The only requirement we
ask is to bring a dessert to pass. Students in Elementary
School who are participating in the NYSSMA Solo Festival
are: Sarah Baker, Jenna Bakhuizen, Olivia Birdsall,
Autumn Butler, Rebecca Corgan, Larissa Eccleston,
Alexandria Grow, Christina Hawkins, Paige Hendee,
T. J. Letson, Marissa Mehlrose, Trevor Puerile,
Tyler Pope, Neyen Romano, Ryann Straley, Tiffany
Sullivan, Nathan Tiffany, Ioana Tomoiu, Matthew
Ward, Nathan Whitehill and Nathan Winans. We will
begin our evening in the high school cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.
Hope to see you there!
—Anne Monaco
Students Performing in the Spring Concert
Daniel Backman, Andrew Baker, David Bedford,
Walter Beers, Lucas Birdsall, Michael Birdsall, Melody
Byrd, Cecilia Caietta, Nicholas Cammer, Gabrielle
Charron, Christina Corgan, Rylee D’Addezio, Visiliki
Drapaniotis, Jocelyn Duncan, Kayla Grabo, Nicole
Grabo, Auttum Hartwell, Zachary Hilgers, Nakita
Hodge, A lyssa Hotal ing, Miranda Light, Tyler
Lindsley, Christopher ManWarren, K inzie -May
McCumber, Austin Mullinex, Felicia Musson, Dustin
Nesbitt, Dylan Nichols, Michael O’Connor, Jade
Osterwald, Madison Owens, A.J. Prostak, Sarah
Randall, Alexis Roalef, Samantha Sullivan, Jeremy Wise
and Alena Young. Way to go on a great job this year!
—Anne Monaco and Anna Wentlent, Music Teachers
9
Artist of the Month
K/1 and 1 Show off their Pearly Whites
May’s Artist of the Month is Corey
Wilson, a first grader in Miss Lehtonen’s class. We took a look at the work
of artist Andy Warhol, and discussed
the bright colors he used and how he
would repeat an image—sometimes
one hundred times! We only repeated
our image four times. Each student did
a self-portrait and reproduced the same face with different colors each time on different brightly colored paper.
Corey really enjoyed doing
this piece and using the oil
pastels that had so many
colors.
Corey really likes to
draw detailed pict ures
using the thin markers, and
working with his favorite
colors, blue, purple and
black. He likes to draw
things like houses, snowmobiles, four-wheelers and
mechanical things. Keep up
the good work Corey!
—Mrs. Theis
The K/1 and 1st grade classes have been studying the
importance of brushing our teeth. The students practiced
songs to remind them of how to properly care for their
pearly whites, and they did a fantastic job performing them
for Morning Mania. The students performed their hits, Are
Your Teeth Clean and White, Here’s My Toothpaste, and
Brush, Brush, Brush Your Teeth. We would like to offer a
special thanks to Ms. Stoutenberg for making the fantastic
costumes. She put a lot of time and effort into them and the
children looked absolutely adorable!
—Mrs. Privitera and Miss Lehtonen
Awesome !
Living Willow
Board of Education Dinner
This spring Ms. Microni’s 3/4 class, Mrs. McMullen’s
and Mr. Trass’ 4th grade classes will be working on creating
a Living Willow Structure here at GMU. Bonnie Gale, a
local willow artist, came to give a presentation to the K-6th
grades showing us different structures that have been built
in the surrounding area. The students seemed very excited
about the project, and even classes that weren’t involved
had really good questions about the process.
The 3/4 and 4th grades will work in art class to develop
plans for the structures, and then Ms. Gale will help us to
pick the ones that will work best for the project. At the end
of April or the beginning of May (weather will have a lot
to do with the time) we will prepare and plant the site. It is
going to be located between the two Elementary wings, so
the classrooms that have windows on that side will enjoy
seeing the structure grow. We are all very excited!
—Mrs. Theis
On Thursday, May 1, the Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton
Board of Education will be hosting a spaghetti dinner
before the Elementary Concert. This dinner is a freewill offering dinner and is in support of the Board of
Education Graduation Awards. The dinner will take
place from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Pork Dinner
The Butternut Preschool will be hosting a Pork
Dinner with all the trimmings on Saturday, May 10.
Takeout dinners will be served from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at
the Christ Church in Gilbertsville. Tickets are $6.50
and pre-sale only. If you are interested in buying
tickets please contact Raquel Norton at 783-2207 or
988-6375.
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playing
News from K/1
Cover
Cover
sun
There
hild’s
ou can try.
4.
Sunscreen Scoop
Shades Are Cool.
And they protect your
child’s eyes from UV rays, which can lead
Sunscreen may be easy, but it doesn’t protect
to cataracts later in life. Look for sunglasses
your child’s skin completely. Try combining
sunscreen with other “Choose Your Cover”
that wrap around and block as close to 100% of
options to prevent UV damage.
both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
5.
Sunscreen comes in a variety of forms – lotions,
Rub on Sunscreen. Use sunscreen with
mbrella
event
ened.
overs your
st UV rays.
ants with
’t always
ts or a
es, too –
ction by
child in
ace, scalp,
and give
ular
ars and
e to pro-
een.
sprays, wipes or gels. Be sure to choose one
It has been another
month
in the K/1
at leastexciting
SPF 15 and
UVA/UVB
pro- classroom!
We have been very busy learning about ants and plants, and
tection every time your child goes outworking on money, measurement and time.
Theside.
highlight of our month was baking carrot cookies.
We would like to express a very special thank you to
Ms. VanHouten, for she helped us find a recipe and
facilitated while we all made our own individual cookies.
She put a lot of time and effort into the project, and it really
paid off! Not only did we put our measuring skills to good
use, we had a fantastic time as well. The picture shows the
proud children and their delicious cookies.
Also, we have been working on plants and ants. Besides
giving us great practice with rhyming and word families,
learning about both plants and ants gives us plenty of great
opportunities to compare and contrast, as this theme gave
us subjects both in literature and in our environment. We
had fun learning the parts of an ant and discussing why ants
are important. We also planted our own plants and became
little scientists as we observed them go through the process
of growing from seed to plant.
Our math units have been very fun, although very challenging. Money is a very difficult concept for children
to learn, especially since it is a skill that they don’t get
to practice very often. The students punch in numbers at
lunch time instead of paying for their items, therefore they
don’t have many opportunities to see money being put to
use. Whenever possible, I would encourage parents to have
their children interact with money in real-life situations so
that they can gain practice with the skill, as well as realize
the value of money.
In Language Study, we have been practicing the /ou/ and
/ow/ sounds as well as improving our sight word recognition. Next month, we will be learning more suffixes and
practicing their use.
Next month, we will be busy working on the theme of
the Rainforest. Keep tuned in to learn about our fun new
adventures!
—Mrs. Privitera
made especially for kids with:
rr
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher
both UVA and UVB protection
For most effective protection, apply sunscreen
generously 30 minutes before going outdoors.
And, don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips and
the tops of feet which often go unprotected.
Take sunscreen with you to reapply during the
day, especially after your child swims or
exercises. This applies to “waterproof” and
“water resistant” products as well.
Keep in mind, sunscreen is not meant to allow
Warning:
your kids to spend more time in the sun than they
would otherwise. Sunscreen reduces
Even a few serious
sunburns can
increase your child’s
risk of getting
skin cancer.
damage from UV radiation, it doesn’t eliminate it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics now advises
that sunscreen use on babies less than 6 months
old is not harmful on small areas of a baby’s skin,
such as the face and back of the hands. But your
baby’s best defense against sunburn is avoiding
the sun or staying in the shade.
Protect the Skin They’re In
CDC Publication #099-6044 Printed June 1999. Revised June 2000.
11
May Calendar of Events
U
M
G
MBb/Sb vs. CV-S
BOE Dinner, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Elementary Concert, 7:00 p.m.
VBb/Sb vs. CV-S
MT @ Downsville
SAT I
Bike-A-Thon
VT @ Cooperstown
AP Test: Govt. & Politics, 8:00 a.m.
VBb/Sb @ Milford
MBb/Sb vs. Norwich
Spring Sports Pictures
Budget Hearing, 7:00 p.m.
Sweet Melodies
VBb/Sb vs. Edmeston
VT @ Edmeston
AP Test: English Literature, 8:00 a.m.
MBb/Sb @ Milford
VBb/Sb vs. OV
High School Concert, 7:00 p.m.
AP Test: Studio Art, 12:00 p.m.
Last Morning Mania, K-3
Teacher/Employee of the Year Assembly
VSb @ Morris
MT @ Norwich
VT @ TV Relays Mil.
VBb @ Afton, 10:00 a.m.
AP Test: Biology, 8:00 a.m.
VBb @ Morris
MBb/Sb @ Worcester
VBb/Sb vs. Downsville
VT @ CV-S
NYSSMA Major Festival, Oneonta
VBb/Sb @ DeRuyter
15
16
19
19-23
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
29
30
31
VSb @ Franklin
MBb/Sb @ Laurens
MBb/Sb @ Downsville
VBb @ Hancock
MT @ CV-S
VT @ Downsville or Sherburne, TBA
NYSSMA Solo Festival, Norwich
VSb vs. Laurens
MBb/Sb @ Norwich
NYSSMA Solo Festival, Norwich
Student Exhibition Week
Budget Vote, Noon-8:00 p.m.
HS Small Ensembles Performance, 7:00 p.m.
MBb/Sb vs. Morris
Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m., HS Library
MBb/Sb @ Edmeston
VT TV Championship @ CV-S
7/8 Progress Reports
9-12 Report Cards
Veterans’ Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.
No School—Memorial Day, Offices Closed
MBb/Sb @ CV-S
VT Sec 4 Steeple & Pent, TBA
3-6 Soaring Eagles, 8:15 a.m.
7/8 Soaring Eagles, 1:30 p.m.
VT Sec 4 @ Delhi
MBb/Sb vs. Downsville
Junior Prom
Don’t Forget!
Budget Hearing: Tuesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m.
Budget Vote: Tuesday, May 20, Noon-8:00 p.m.
GILBERTSVILLE-MOUNT UPTON
CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D
Gilbertsville
New York 13776
PERMIT NO. 1
693 State Highway 51
Gilbertsville, New York 13776-1104
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Gerald Theis, President
Lisa Carkuff, Vice-President
Harold “Manny” Button
Jose Gonzalez
Frederic Johnson
Parris Roseboom
Mark Talbot
Douglas A. Exley, Superintendent
Amber Birdsall, Editor
ECRWSS
BOXHOLDER
OR CURRENT RESIDENT
DCMO BOCES Printing Service • Norwich, NY
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