School #5 - Oceanside School District

School #5
PTA News
NEWSBEAM
January/February
2016
PTA Presidents’ Message
Dear School #5 Families,
We hope you will enjoy the latest issue of
Newsbeam! The smiles on your children's
faces are the reasons why our PTA does what
we do!
•
We enjoyed seeing lots of smiles at our
Holiday Boutique this year!
•
There were lots of smiles the day PTA's
Arts in Education welcomed 'The Blue
Project'!
•
And there sure were lots of smiles (and
giggles too) at our PTA Movie Day over
the break!
But the fun is far from over--2016 is jampacked with lots of other smile-inducing
events such as Family Fun and Fitness, our
award-winning PARP program, and
Supermarket Bingo--just to name a few!
Each time your child smiles, it's like a feel
good party in their brain. But instead of
chips, dips and candy, there's dopamine,
endorphins and serotonin. And you know
smiles are contagious--the part of your
brain that is responsible for smiling when
you're happy is called the cingulate cortex-an unconscious automatic response part of
your brain.
So when your child is smiling, you (and us
too!) just can't help but smile back! And
the world simply is a better place when
your child smiles.
School #5 PTA is truly grateful to have your
support. Thank you for the opportunities
we've had to make them smile--we can't
wait for more! And as always we welcome
your comments, questions, suggestions
and of course SMILES.
Respectfully,
Kathy Schirrmacher & Jean Nelson
Co-Presidents School #5 PTA
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8 Tips to Stop Literacy Loss Over the Summer
“You can help your child grow into an adept and motivated reader by
creating a reading rich home..”
Winter 2016
Dear School #5 Families,
I hope you enjoyed the holiday break and returned to school with renewed energy and excitement for learning. While January
marks the start of a new calendar year, it also marks the midway point of the school year. As such, this is the perfect time to
reflect on the routines and habits set at home and recommit to supporting academic success. Check out the tips below to help
your child thrive in school.
Make sure your child consistently gets a good night’s sleep. In order for school age children to have the energy, focus and
concentration to perform their best in school, they need 10-11 hours of sleep a night. Tucking your child into bed at the same
time each evening is the simplest way to make sure they get the sleep they need.
Talk about school often with your child. Ask open-ended specific questions such as, what is one thing you did in math today?
Be sure to keep these conversations positive by praising effort, hard work, resiliency and showing kindness to peers.
I once read that ‘the written word is a gateway to all kinds of learning’. I am inclined to say that the written word is the
gateway to everything. You can help your child grow into an adept and motivated reader by creating a reading rich home.
Make reading alongside your child each night a priority. Model and encourage reading voraciously and varied, from
newspapers, magazines, recipes, to really great books. Be sure your child can name the book they are reading and even has
one ‘on deck’. Don’t hesitate to contact your teacher if you need support helping your child find book titles that are right for
them.
We have much to look forward to over the next few months. While this winter has been quite a mild
one, our January read aloud tells the story of the extreme blizzard of 1978. It is an event that I
remember clearly and think many of you may, as well. The book Blizzard by John Rocco also
emphasizes themes such as the power of nature, putting the needs of others first and a School #5
favorite, choosing kindness. Additionally, we are set to launch the Great Kindness Challenge and Pick
a Reading Partner (PARP) 2016. Be on the lookout for information on both these events. Finally, we
continue to celebrate our talented student authors as they publish their amazing pieces through the
first of three writing process experiences all students in grades 1-6 will have this year.
So School #5, here we go into 2016!
Warm regards,
Diane Provvido
Diane Provvido
Principal
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11/18 PTA Meeting Highlights
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Arts in Education
Box Tops
Our second assembly was another success!! On December 15th
your children attended a character education program called
The Blue Project, that literally rocked School 5!
Welcome back after the break, parents! I hope you were
all saving your Box Tops over the holidays. Keep on
clipping! Did you know that we’ve already earned $463.80
from Box Tops this school year? This year we are hoping to
beat our total of $679 from last year. We are so close!
Allison Bowman
Jared Campbell is an award winning singer/songwriter who has
toured the country performing at hundreds of schools. His
music focuses on showing respect and being kind and to
encourage young people to treat others the way they would
want to be treated.
Elisa Berman
You can send Box Tops to school anytime! Simply clip the
Box Tops logo from select products, put them in an
envelope or Ziploc bag, and send them in to your child’s
teacher. *Important Tip: Please don't staple Box Tops.
They can't accept them with staples in them. The best part
is schools can use Box Tops cash to buy whatever they
need!
Visit www.boxtops4education.com for more information
and get access to new, printable coupons for Box Tops
products every month! Or, contact School #5’s Box Tops
Coordinator, Elisa Berman at 917-716-6884.
Holiday Boutique
The children were captivated by the music and were singing
along to songs like “No Bullies Allowed” and “Change the
World”. And if the music wasn’t enough, Jared’s humor kept
them laughing out loud!! We hope your children shared their
thoughts about this program with you, it truly was a great
experience!
Movie Day
Lisa Thornton
Approximately 70 of our
School #5 family and friends
gathered at The Bellmore
Playhouse on December 31st
to spend New Year’s Eve
morning watching Alvin and
the Chipmunks: The Road
Chip. The movie was a great
way to end the year - with
family and friends, singing
and laughing!
Look for a flyer with details
about our next Family Movie
Day over February break. Stay
tuned!
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Darlene Brunetta and Andrea Failla
The Holiday Boutique was a huge success! We are so
thankful for all of the time and energy our volunteers gave
us! It was so nice to see the children really excited to buy
gifts for all of their family members! Jewelry was a big hit
this year! We had quite a wide variety for sale! Food
inspired pillows were a big seller, as was our holiday
section! Happy New Year!
PTA Council Update
Board of Ed Update
Fran Perpero & Tara Stromer
Laura Lisi
The last PTA Council meeting was held on November 18th and attended
by local assemblymen Brian Currran and Todd Kaminsky, who were
invited by Council to discuss the latest updates from Albany, as well as
address any concerns related to public education.
Our Board of Ed Meetings are held every month at 7:30pm
and rotate to the different schools in our district. The full
schedule can be found online at
www.oceansdieschools.org.
Meeting Highlights include:
The next meetings are on January 19th School #9M,
February 9th at school #4 (Budget Workshop #1), and
March 1st at School #6 (Budget Workshop #2).
•
Council advised attendees to participate in the 1) Common Core
Learning Standards survey put out by NYS Ed Commissioner Elia
and 2) Common Core Task Force survey from Governor Cuomo. The
following links include the background on the CCLS . Note surveys
were closed on 11/30 and no longer available,. Updates below.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Commissioner of State Education's Website
Survey Results on Common Core Learning Standards
Common Core Task Force Recommendations (12/10)
Gratitude to parents and positive feedback from Albany were
expressed from Curran and Kaminsky on Common Core/AARP/
Education Standards/Testing; concerns are being heard and
improvements are imminent .
Kaminsky is leading the issue on access to Regents diplomas for
Special Needs students. Better learning paths with universallyaccepted credentials are needed. Notes form m at Oceanside Library
Forum on 12/8
•
Growing concerns of substance abuse problems in the community,
were addressed. Community has to work together on awareness,
prevention , and treatment. Special forums and meetings are being
held to start the conversation among educators, parents, &
students. Forum held in East Rockaway on 12/3.
•
The next PTA Council meeting is scheduled for January 25th at 8
pm.
Some highlights from the December Meeting were:
• A review of new course offerings at the High School
including Virtual Enterprise, Intro to Engineering and
Design, Materials Processing, Advanced Choreography
and Dance, Theatre Production, Advanced Theatre
Production, 3D Sculpture & Crafts, and AP Computer
Science Principles.
• A review of course modifications made at the High
School
• The District’s security vendor is finalizing necessary
programming and testing of the automated lockdown
system
• New scoreboards were purchased and installed at the
High School.
• Bond Update: Phase IIB Projects were approved. Work
to be completed this summer include parking lot
reconstruction and masonry restoration at School #4,
locker room renovations and auditorium and bathroom
refurbishment at OHS, installation of A/C and
replacement of seats in the School #6 Auditorium, and
district-wide gas upgrades.
• The school calendar for the 2016-2017 was approved.
First day of school next year is Thursday September 1st,
BEFORE Labor Day.
Shared Decision Team Update
We have been in contact through phone calls and letter writing with the Town of
Hempstead and Nassau County, about getting a left hand arrow signal installed at
the light on Merrick Rd and Oceanside Road. The County has looked at the
feasibility of this, and recommends a delayed light may be the better option, due
to space constraints. We are hopeful that something can be done to help ease
some of the traffic issues at this intersection, and improve safety conditions,
which is obviously the priority.
Look for The Kindness Challenge in early 2016, which will include a week long
celebration of kindness, including activities families can share in at home. Date
TBD.
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New &
Upcoming
PTA Events
P.A.R.P
Nutrition Update
Virginia Lestingi
We had a brief meeting in early December and discussed the proposed outline
of our presentation for the P.A.S.S meeting as well as the NYS audit update
that was to take place mid December. Auditors visited School #5 on
December 9th to evaluate the school and lunch program. Results of the audit
have not yet been shared with the committee.
Pick A Reading Partner
Mary DiGiovanna & Fran Perpero
On Monday, February 1st, School #5’s PTA and
staff will kick off the 2016 PARP Reading
Program. "School #5 - Rocking, Reading and
Rapping." Student's will explore the art of story
telling and reading through music. We will
introduce books written by musicians and
encourage the person picked to be the student's
reading partner, to share their favorite music and
the stories that they tell.
The Pick A Reading Partner (PARP) program began
in the New York State Senate Education
Committee through the efforts of the late Senator
James H. Donovan. In 1987, the PARP program was
turned over to the New York State PTA to be
sponsored and administered.
The PARP program is a reading program which
encourages parents or someone in a parental role
(i.e. grandparents, aunts, uncles, step-parents,
guardians, older siblings, etc.) to read with their
child at least 15 minutes a day.
Stay tuned for details on the program!
The next nutrition committee meeting will take place at School # 5
on February 10 at 11am to do a lunch observation. This is done each year and
a school is picked at random. Committee members will have a checklist of
items to observe both what the kitchen/lunch staff is serving, procedures in
place as well as what children are eating and bringing in on their own. Let me
know if you have any questions or require additional information.
Staff Appreciation
Amy de la Teja & Marlo Goodstein
2016 is upon us and the Annual Staff
Appreciation Luncheon is fast
approaching.
On Thursday, March 17 we have an
opportunity to show our appreciation for
all the hard work the School #5 teachers
and staff do for our children. The theme
is under wraps for now.
We are ready to celebrate all the wonderful people who make
School# 5 as great as it is!! Many volunteers will be needed so
please contact Amy de la Teja at [email protected] if you
can help.
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PTA Membership Form
Name:_______________________________________
Child’s Name:____________________Grade:_______
Teacher:_____________________________________
# of Memberships:_______________x$11:_________
Family Membership________x $17:__________
Please send form back in envelope marked PTA Membership.
Please make all checks payable to School #5 PTA.
VPs of Membership
Darlene Brunetta
377-4229
Mary O’Donoghue
536-1784
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20 Tips for Pick A Reading Partner
You are encouraged to read at least 15 minutes every day with your child. Here are some
tips to help you become successful at reading together while making it an enjoyable
experience for you (the parent or any adult) and your child.
ESTABLISH THE RIGHT CLIMATE
• Make reading a pleasant experience.
• Build a home library. Children love to reread their favorite books. Give books as gifts. Subscribe to a children’s magazine
in your child’s name.
• Work with your child on projects that involve reading: cooking, model building, arts and crafts.
• Read to your child as often as possible. Discuss the story and ask a question or two about what you’ve read to encourage
good listening habits.
• Success is important. In selecting a book, choose any page and have your child read it aloud. If your child makes fewer than
five errors, the book is at his or her reading level.
• Listen to their questions and stories. Give them time to put their ideas into words.
• Talk and sing with your children.
CREATE EXCITEMENT
• Make a story come alive by using a finger or sock puppet and have the puppet retell the story.
• Start reading or telling a story and stop before it is finished. Have your child finish the story.
• Read with expression. There are very few children who would rather watch TV than hear a good story read with feeling and
enthusiasm by someone they love.
• Dramatize a story you have read with your child, each taking different parts.
• Share your childhood through storytelling. Children love to hear stories about their family’s background.
OFFER POSITIVE COMMENTS
• Build self-respect and morale by praising whenever your child reads. There is a difference between encouragement and
pressure. Each child needs to experience success.
• Say things like:
That’s really nice.
I like the way you did this.
That’s quite an improvement.
Thank you for sharing this paper with me.
Let’s send this to grandma and grandpa.
That’s an interesting point of view.
You really outdid yourself today.
Very creative.
• Make sure your child has well-balanced meals and adequate rest. How a child feels affects his or her attitude.
• Be genuinely interested in the work your child brings home. Your interest will make your child want to do better in school.
DEVELOP VOCABULARY
• Introduce the fun of language to babies through nursery rhymes and lullabies.
• Have your child dictate a short story to you. Children love to tell stories. Help your child read it back to you. Then see if he
or she can read it alone.
• Develop vocabulary by having your child give the opposite of words such as black, uncle, open, stand, etc.
• Choose TV programs with your child. View TV with your child. Talk about TV programs.
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Mark Your
Calendars
School District App
All of your school related information, from the
calendar to the website to the parent portal can now
be found in one place, an application that can reside
on the home screen of your smartphone or other
mobile device. The app is available in both the Google
Play and Apple App Stores.
Don’t miss out on these important and
fun events just around the corner.
January
**Now Features Days of 6-Day Cycle**
Stay Connected
Want to get the latest news and updates on exciting School #5 PTA
events and programs , as well as future issues of Newsbeam? Stay
connected by sharing your email address with the PTA. You may have
already shared it with us when you filled out the student directory
contact form at the beginning of the year. However, if you did not, and
are not currently receiving emails from Oceanside School #5 PTA, then
send your child’s name, class, and email address to Jaime Martinetion
at [email protected] or call Jaime at 662-9310 to
confirm that your email address is on the list.
Volunteers Needed
Want to volunteer but don’t know where to begin? Contact our PTA CoPresidents to help you get started. All committees could benefit from a
helping hand. You will be so glad you could make a difference. Upcoming
events include PARP, Staff Appreciation Day, Flag Day BBQ, a and the
Annual Dinner Dance.
Share Your News
Have an interesting idea for a story or a tip that you believe will benefit PTA
members? Contact your PTA Newsletter Editor with your thoughts at
[email protected].
Co-Presidents
2015-2016
School #5 PTA
Executive Board
Contact Information
Past President
1st VP Arts in Education
2nd VP Teacher Relations
3rd VP Ways and Means
Treasurer
Corresponding Secretary
Recording Secretary
PTA Membership
Council Delegates
Counselor/Principal
1/01 SCHOOLS CLOSED
1/14 School #5 PTA Meeting; 7:30 PM
1/15 School #5 Family, Fun & Fitness Night
OUSD Board Meeting; 7:30 PM (#3)
1/18 SCHOOLS CLOSED
1/19 OUSD Board Meeting: 7:30 PM (#9M)
1/20 SEPTA Workshop; 7:00 PM (#5)
1/25 PTA Council Meeting; 7:30 (#7)
1/26 PASS Meeting; 7:30 PM (#7)
November 2013
February
2/01 PARP Begins
2/05 School # 5 Principal’s PJ Night
2/09 OUSD Board Meeting; 7:30 PM (#4)
2/15 -219 SCHOOLS CLOSED
2/24 SEPTA Meeting: 7:00 PM (#6)
2/25 School #5 Musical Assembly
PASS Meeting: 7:30 PM (#7)
2/26 School #5 Musical: 7:30 PM (#6)
March
3/01 OUSD Board Meeting; 7:30 PM (#2)
3/07 School #5 Ecology Fair
PTA Council Meeting; 7:30 PM
3/10 School #5 PTA Meeting: 9:45 AM
3/15 OUSD Board Meeting; 7:30 PM (#5)
3/17 School #5 Staff Appreciation Luncheon
3/18 Report Cards Available
3/19 DOCA/Kiwanis Egg Hunt: 11:00 AM
aaaaaaa(Schoolhouse Green)
3/24 –3/28 SCHOOLS CLOSED
3/29 OUSD Board Meeting; 7:30 PM (#4)
339 SEPTA Staff Appreciation:7:00 PM (#7)
Kathy Schirrmacher
643-1377
Jean Nelson
665-9099
Tommy Beirne
659-2051
Allison Bowman
705-4074
Andrea Failla
578-8131
Lisa Thornton
764-9285
Anne Donohoe
917-407-2141
Jaime Martinetion
662-9310
Patty Salute
695-2210
Darlene Brunetta
377-4229
Mary O’Donoghue
536-1784
Fran Perpero
594-6009
Tara Stromer
917-921-5669
Diane Provvido
678-7585
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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