Welcome to 2020, a new year and the start of a brand-new decade. We hope you had a restful and fun-filled winter recess. We are very excited to welcome everyone back, but realize getting our students into the “school routine” can and will be difficult. With holiday festivities, late movie nights and sleeping in all behind us, it is time to get back to early morn-ing wakeups, classroom activities and homework assignments. The following are some tips which can help get your child in the back-to-school mode as quickly as possible:

Unplug and get those ZZZs: Get back to limiting screen time and ease back to a rea-sonable bedtime.

Remember Breakfast: If a child arrives to school hungry, they will be sluggish and easily distracted.

Get Organized: Take inventory of school supplies and organize folders and binders.

READ: Get back into the routine of reading books and scanning the notes that come home from school.

Check-in: Take a moment to check-in with the teacher about your child’s progress, especially if you have concerns.

Back to Homework: Just like the start of the year, your child will have to get back into the habit of regular homework. It could be a good time to adjust the HW schedule from the fall.

Before moving on to what is ahead, I want to acknowledge all the wonderful activi-ties the students were a part of during the month of December. We held a food drive where we collected enough food to support our local families in need, as well as several local food pantries. Our winter coat drive was a tremendous success, filling a classroom with winter coats which will be donated to local shelters. Finally, under the direction of Ms. Kirby and Mrs. Vitkun-Quigley, our LADSBS band, orchestra and chorus put on an amazing show for their school friends, as well as the evening concert for their families!

As we head into the colder months, please remember to send your children in with hats, gloves and winter coats for outdoor recess. We do our best to get everyone outside to release pent up energy and want to make sure they are safe and comfortable.

During the month of January we have a number of assemblies scheduled and what has become one of the highlights of the school year, our LADSBS STEAM Night! On Janu-ary, 23rd we have a number of amazing workshops scheduled for our students to explore how Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics impact our everyday lives. Be sure to sign-up in advance by clicking on the following link STEAM NIGHT 2020 or visiting the school website under LADSBS Announcements.

We are looking forward to the New Year and all the exciting activities we have planned ahead. In the words of author, Hilary DePiano:

“We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.”

Mr. Herrschaft would like to share. . .

LADSBS News... M I L L E R P L A C E U . F . S . D . January 2020

Important Dates:

1-3 Winter Recess Schools Closed 8 Jared Campbell Assemblies, All Grades, LADSBS 20 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Schools Closed

22 PTO Meeting, NCR 6:30 p.m. Sp. Ed. Mtg 7:30 p.m. Gen’l Mtg 23 STEAM Night 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. LADSBS *Snow Date: 1/27* 28 Athletes Helping Athletes, Grade 5 29 Board of Education Meeting @ MPHS 8:00 p.m.

EVERY STUDENT MATTERS. . .EVERY MOMENT COUNTS

LADSBS News...

Page 2

Trustworthiness...

Third Grade Thoughts . . .

Happy New Year! We hope everybody had a healthy holiday. Our students have returned to school refreshed and ready to get back to work.

In math, we have started working on Module 3. This is a unit that further explores multiplication and division through units of 10. This unit begins with revisiting the commutative property from Module 1 and further explores the distributive and the associative property. As with many concepts in math, you need a solid foundation in one skill to help build on the next.

This month in Science, we will be starting a new unit on weather. In this unit, we’ll be tracking daily weather and looking for patterns. We are excited to start this new topic!

Remember to sign up for the Third Annual STEAM night on January 23rd. Our students are working very hard every day. We are so proud of them! Have a great month!

Fourth Grade Focus. . . Welcome to 2020! The fourth grade staff would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

The fourth graders have returned from vacation well-rested and ready to continue working hard! For the first month of the year, fourth graders will continue to practice multiplication and division, as well as fractions. As always, students will be working to improve problem solving skills. In ELA, students will try their hand at some opinion writing and resume literacy lessons in Journeys. As for science, we will study magnets. Classes will study Native American people and how they have influenced America’s people, gov-ernment and society for social studies. We will also learn about the exploration of the New World by Euro-pean Explorers.

Students will also start working on this year’s science fair projects this month. We strongly encourage students pace themselves while gathering data and interpreting the results. Time management and patience is key to the scientific process. It will enhance learning and fun!

There are many exciting events happening at LADSBS during the month of January. The week we re-turn, all students will partake in a musical assembly to encourage good character. On January 23rd, LADSBS will be hosting the 3rd Annual STEAM Night! We look forward to seeing our fourth graders at these special

events.

Page 3

LADSBS News...

Respect...

Band: Great job performing your Winter Concert! Now that the New Year is upon us, the 5th Grade Band will begin prepar ing solos for NYSSMA. Musicians who par ticipate will need to practice a lengthy solo and memorize scales or rudiments to perform before a judge in the Spring. The 4th Grade Band musicians are doing a wonderful job learning their notes and playing their instruments. We will be preparing for a Beginner’s Recital on April 2nd!

Chorus: Congratulations on a beautifully sung Winter Concert! Mrs. Quigley is so proud of all the work that you’ve done! We are preparing to sight read new music to be sung in the Spring, and we will con-tinue to improve on our sound as a chorus. Keep up the great work!

Orchestra: Congratulations and thank you for a fantastic Winter Concert! All Orchestra students should feel accomplished for putting on a wonderful show. We have already started sight reading new mu-sic to be played in the Spring, and we will continue to improve on our musicianship and playing as an en-semble.

Music Musings . . .

LADSBS News...

Page 4

Responsibility...

Fifth Grade Flash . . . Happy New Year! We hope that our students and their families are welcomed in the new year with

good health and happiness! We look forward to a bright, productive 2020 with your children.

As we ring in the new year, it is only natural to reflect upon the past. So much excitement, learning and giving took place here at LADSBS before the holidays! We teachers are so proud of the tremendous efforts and caring hearts of our fifth graders, as they contributed so much to our food drive, our coat drive, and the fundraiser for Veterans. We know that behind every student are families who care, encourage and stay involved, and for that we thank you very much! Speaking of pre-holiday involvement, CONGRATU-LATIONS to the MANY amazing fifth grade musicians who performed in the holiday concert! What an impressive performance! Keep up the great work! ♫ ♫ ♫

In looking ahead, our fifth graders can expect their second visit from our “Athletes Helping Athletes” program. They will certainly be excited to see their High School friends who come to talk with them about peer pressure and show them strategies to stay away from drugs and alcohol. These model student athletes make a positive impression on our fifth graders!

Looking ahead at extracurricular activities outside of the school day, our morning clubs will begin on Tuesday, January 7th from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Students who signed up for clubs should have gotten information about which day, Tuesday or Wednesday, they will be attending their club, as well as

which club they got into. We are also gearing up for S.T.E.A.M Night here in the evening of January 23rd! This is a fun night to spend with your child, sharing in the magic and wonder of science. It’s fun and it’s free! Keep your eyes and ears open for details regarding the registration process.

In closing, please be sure to visit our school website to stay updated on special events, deadlines, and school news. There are countless resources, fun links and plenty of pictures of your wonderful children! Again, Happy New Year and thank you for your support and involvement!

Marvelous Math . . . Our students took part in a National Holiday Contest which ran from December 6th- December 12th. There were 35,517 students that played. Fifth grade student, Akilesh Kandasamy, finished in 7th place overall! What an outstanding accomplishment. We are all so proud of him! Special thanks to all students who took part!

4,681

Classes entered

1,653

Classes qualified

7,847,517

Questions answered

6,534,183

Correct answers

35,517

Students played

LADSBS News...

Page 5

Fairness...

Character Clips . . . Each month in this space, we try to focus on how our students understand different aspects of empa-thy (feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling). We have even created a new word here at LADSBS to describe a person who seeks to understand how another person is feeling, an “empathologist”. This month, 5th grader, Mia Caputo (Mrs. Volk and Mrs. Losee) wrote a funny, emotion-filled piece high-lighting the pros and cons of winter. Despite her efforts to see both sides of winter (a key component of em-pathy), we are sure you can tell from the below picture how she actually feels about cold weather.

The Pros and Cons of Winter

By Mia Caputo Grade 5 – Mrs. Volk and Mrs. Losee

There are LOTS of fun things to do in the winter like, drink hot

chocolate and snowball fights. Honestly, I can go on and on. But here are my top favorite

things about winter: You can build snow men (especially in crunchy snow!) or watch

Home Alone 2 and stay inside (it’s my favorite Christmas movie). Maybe try ice skating? (Ice is nice.)

But of course, everything has its ups and downs… here are some things I DON’T like about winter:

How about frost bite? Ahhrnggg!!! Being cold! Brrrrr!

And DO NOT get me started on slipping on ice! OWWWW!!! Anyway, I can go on and on about things I DO like about

the winter and things that I DON’T (but I won’t). Thank you for reading my essay!

Happy New Year !!

Technology Tips . . .

Healthy Habit Games and Activities for Kids

PBS Kids: http://pbskids.org/games/healthy-habits/

Healthy Eating: http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Kids/Kids-Games-Activities.aspx

Here’s to a Healthy & Happy New Year!!

LADSBS News...

Page 6

Caring...

Helping Children with Communication Disorders in Schools

By: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

How do speech, language, and hearing disorders affect learning?

Communication skills are at the heart of life’s experience, particularly for children who are develop-ing language critical to cognitive development and learning. Reading, writing, gesturing, listening and speaking are all forms of language – a code we learn to use in order to communicate ideas.

Learning takes place through the process of communication. The ability to participate in active and interactive communication with peers and adults in the educational setting is essential for a student to suc-ceed in school.

Speech Stirrings. . .

Peace Team Talks... The 5th grade P.E.A.C.E. Team is excited to share the results of their monthly discussions with some of their favorite teachers! Hannah Rice and Riley Waltz of Mrs. Volk and Ms. Losee’s class gave us some insight into their 4th grade teacher, Mr. Curran:

Why did you choose to teach fourth grade, not any higher grade?

I interviewed in AMPS originally but there were no openings. Then I tried 3rd but there wasn’t an opening either, so I got 4th grade. Although, I taught 5th grade for one year, I liked 4th better.

What was your favorite subject growing up?

I loved math and science. Mostly because numbers always made sense to me. For example, when I was little my friends asked me how I got the answer so quickly, and I replied with I don’t know, it just clicked.

What inspired you to teach Math Olympiads?

I wanted to focus on the kids doing well in math who were getting bored during math lessons. Those stu-dents would have been finished before the rest of the class, and I try to challenge them the most I can.

What is one goal you would like to accomplish in life?

I would want my children to be more successful than I am and to succeed in life. I would want them to grow up happy and healthy.

If you didn’t become a teacher, what job would you want to have?

I would have wanted to be a doctor (endocrinologist) to help people with diabetes like me.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have 2 cats. Their names are Callie and Cody.

LADSBS News...

Page 7

Citizenship...

Nurse’s Note . . . The district’s School Health Services program supports your student’s academic success by promoting health in the school setting. One way that we provide care for your student is by performing the health screenings as mandated by the State of New York.

During this school year, the following screenings will be required or completed at school if the screening results were not documented on the student’s Health Examination form:

Distance and near acuity for all newly entering students and students in Pre-K or Kindergarten, Grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11.

Color perception screening for all newly entering students.

Hearing screening for all newly entering students and students in Pre-K or Kindergarten, Grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11.

Scoliosis (spinal curvature) screening for all girls in Grades 5 and 7, and boys in Grade 9.

A letter will be sent home if your student needs follow-up with your health care provider. Please call the school’s Health Office at (631) 474-2721 if you have any questions or concerns.

Vision

Hearing

Scoliosis

Art-I-Facts. . . Looking for some fun ways to get creative when you’re stuck indoors? Try painting with ICE! Mix up some paint and water, pour it into ice cube trays and add a popsicle stick. Once they’re frozen, they’re ready to use. Watch and see what happens as they melt or use them to create a winter wonderland master-piece!

For more inspiration, head over to https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/

winter-steam-activities/ for lots of winter-themed STEAM activities.

Central Office Administration

Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie, Deputy Superintendent

Susan Craddock, Assistant Superintendent Sandra Wojnowski, Executive Director for Educational Services

Colleen Card, School Business Official Ron Petrie, Administrator for Physical Education, Health,

Athletics and Intramurals Kurt Roth, Administrator for Instruction and Data Reporting

Barbara A. Weir, Director of Technology Dennis Warsaw, Director of Facilities

Jeremy Koch, Administrator for Pupil Personnel Services Donald Pearce, District Treasurer Patricia Morbillo, District Clerk

Board of Education

Johanna Testa, President Richard Panico, Vice President Noelle Dunlop, Trustee Keith Frank, Trustee Lisa Reitan, Trustee

Throughout the course of the year, we run a number of drills to help us en-sure the greatest possible safety for your children. In the near future, we will be practicing lock downs, lock outs and emergency weather dismissal drills. Please do not be alarmed if your child comes home and says that we had a “lock down” today. These are practice drills to ensure that everyone is aware of what to do in case of an emergency, that the best practices are in place and that contingencies are considered. If there was a real emergency, you would be contacted through our blackboard connect system as soon as possible.

Please take time to review plans and procedures you have established with your children in the event school needs to close early for inclement weather or an unforeseen emergency.

Helpful Hints . . .

“The sum of us is greater than all our parts.”

Maya Angelou

Citizenship...We help others!

Don’t Forget . . . When picking your child up from school, please remember to bring ID. The person sitting at the desk may be a substitute who does not know you and is required to see proper ID before re-leasing your child.

EVERY STUDENT MATTERS. . .EVERY MOMENT COUNTS