Oak Tree Elementary School The Monroe Public Schools, in collaboration with the members of the

community, shall ensure that all students receive an exemplary education by

well-trained, committed staff, in a safe and orderly environment.

Principal’s Newsletter March 2018

Dear Oak Tree Families, Like a batter working on his swing or an actor rehearsing his lines, a child does homework to practice what he or she learns in school. However, completing homework is not without its challenges. Here are some solutions to common problems that your child may face at home.

Getting started is probably one of the most difficult tasks. Some children prefer to relax for a little while, while others like to jump right in and work. Have your child try each method for one week and keep track of how it goes. After approximately two weeks, you can determine together which routine worked best.

Trying a new spot for different assignments is also a good suggestion. He might finish his vocabulary assignment at the kitchen table and review his Math facts on the porch. A planned break can also give him a second wind.

One last tip is helping your child make a list of strategies to use when she gets stuck. For a Math assignment, they can use a number line or find sample problems in a textbook. When she is reading, she can look up words in a glossary or a dictionary. If they are still stumped, write down the question to give to the teacher the next day.

On a side note, I cannot begin to express my respect and admiration for our Oak Tree staff and families. Your commitment to “giving back” to our community was never more evident than during the month of February. Money was donated to the American Heart Association through our Jump Rope for Heart event and hundreds of food items will be donated as part of our annual participation in the Middlesex County Spring Food Drive. No words can describe what we have accomplished in one month’s time. March continues our commitment to our school wide literacy goals. Read Across America will be celebrated beginning the week of February 26th through March 2nd with our hallways decorated in tribute to Dr. Seuss. Guest readers will be reading in each classroom, a weeklong Spirit Week with fun activities is planned, and a Reading Train involving all of our staff and students will fill the halls on March 2nd. A special secret visitor will also be at Oak Tree to join in on the reading fun on March 1st. Our second One Book, One School took place on February 28th when I read Papa’s Mechanical Fish to the entire school which directly tied to our Makerspace initiative. It is often said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. With all the activities planned, including March Madness on 26, 27, and the 29th, we are certainly demonstrating our energy and excitement and taking charge of our learning.

Kindest regards,

Patty Dinsmore Patricia J. Dinsmore Principal patricia.dinsmore@monroe.k12.nj.us

REFERENDUM UPDATE The Board of Education has set a date of March 13, 2018 for a Referendum on a proposed

$68.8 million second Middle School. That Referendum asks voters to decide the fate of the new

school. Ultimately, the Referendum affects the future excellence within the District and the

range of opportunities for our children. It is a most critical decision.

Overcrowding continues at all our schools, and while the long-range plan also includes a new

elementary and an addition to the high school, the Board has started the plan where it is needed

most, the Middle School. A second Middle School will allow for appropriate class sizes, with

sufficient classrooms and laboratories for our advanced curriculum.

Not passing the referendum to build a second Middle School, which has already been afflicted

with severe overcrowding, will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the structural and

educational standards that we wish to maintain and even elevate. A future Middle School will

cost even more, and we could lose control of the design if the state mandates construction. A

Referendum failure also sets back the schedule for the other phases.

It is a most critical decision and we need your help to inform the entire school and wider

township community of this crossroads election. You and other voters hold the fate of our

children in the casting of a vote. This event is so important that we can’t afford to make a

mistake. The school bond referendum in March will be about three things — your children, your

taxes and your obligation. Our children are our future and we, Parents and Teachers, are

partners in shaping their future.

We are asking you to assist in getting the vote out so that we know the hearts and minds of our

community. We are implementing our Neighbor to Neighbor Outreach in two phases and we are

asking you to work within your defined neighborhood in these two phases:

Phase 1 Voter Registration; in January, telephone 15-25 Unregistered

Parents to encourage voter registration from a list that we provide for your

neighborhood.

Phase 2 Get Out the Vote; in February, reach out to an additional 30-45

persons identified as “frequent voters” on that same list just within your

neighborhood.

In Monroe Township, we want to continue to provide an academically rich experience that

simultaneously addresses the needs of the whole child. Please say “yes” and support our

information process by reaching out in your local neighborhood.

https://www.monroe.k12.nj.us/Page/12811

A WORD FROM MRS. AMENDOLA……. In the beginning of the month we will celebrate our love of reading by participating in Read Across America. You can help us encourage our students, your children, to foster this love of reading by continuing to take time to read with them at home. Please visit our librarian’s webpage on Oak Tree’s school website to access resources and links to find some outstanding books. This month we will focus our character education instruction on the value of cooperation. You can support our lessons at home by discussing the character values with your children, modeling the values, and reading books with your child. March’s character value is cooperation. Before reading some of the books listed below, have a conversation with your child about cooperation and what it means to work together. This will support the discussions and lessons we teach here at Oak Tree. Below are some books that you can read with your child, which have themes related to the character trait:

Teamwork Isn’t My Thing, and I Don’t Like to Share! by Julia Cook

The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola

Pinch and Dash Make Soup by Michael J. Daley

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian

The Enormous Potato by Aubrey Davis

The Mitten by Jan Brett

The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel Web Resources There are so many wonderful educational websites and applications for mobile devices available for you to download and use. You may have some favorites that your children love to use, or maybe you are stuck with where to start. Below are some resources for you to try this month: Language Arts

Read Me Stories – Children’s Books – For mobile devices

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-me-stories-childrens/id362042422?mt=8

- A new book every day develops your child's love for books and a daily reading habit.

- Free sample books

- Text highlights as read

- Touch the characters to explore further story lines

Sight Words List – Learn to Read Flash Cards & Games – For mobile devices

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sight-words-list-learn-to/id445708245?mt=8

- Sight Words, also known as the Dolch List, are an integral part in learning how to read.

This application allows you to:

- Add your own cards - you can add an unlimited number of new words and record your own voice - Add new lists - you can add and group flash cards into customizable lists - 5 game modes from easy to challenging - Continuous looping feature so you can go through hundreds of flashcards automatically Mathematics

Tick Tock – Tell the Time – For mobile devices

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tick-tock-tell-the-time/id477046482?mt=8

- A simple app aimed at helping children learn, explore and practice telling the time.

Math Splat – For mobile devices

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-splat/id495477324?mt=8

- A simple number based app aimed at helping improve your mental math abilities. The

object of the game is to splat the answers to all the questions as fast as possible. Each

level consists of a +, -, x and ÷ game.

Number Pieces, by the Math Learning Center – For mobile devices

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/number-pieces-by-math-learning/id605433778?mt=8

- Number Pieces helps students develop a deeper understanding of place value while

building their computation skills with multi-digit numbers. Students use the number

pieces to represent multi-digit numbers, regroup, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

STEM

Kodable – For desktop or mobile devices https://www.kodable.com/download

- Introduces kids to the kind of logic and the concepts needed in computer programming.

The free version includes the first lesson, Smeeborg, which introduces kids to the step-

by-step instructions involved in programming, if/then statements, and loops.

Kate and Harry http://www.kateandharry.com/

-Build a ship. Or a submarine. Or a pirate pear boat. See Kate or Harry steer your vessel through the ocean. Search for treasure chests. Tap the sea creatures! Go Car Go https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/go-car-go/id417281582?mt=8 -A physics-based game, where users can build a car and test it on a variety of courses.

General

Typing Race Cars http://www.abcya.com/typingracecars.htm

-The object of Typing Race is to drive as far as you can before running out of gas!

Correctly enter the letters, numbers and punctuation marks to pass cars and earn gas.

Bumping into cars will cause you to lose gas quickly.

Many of our teachers have wonderful web resources posted on their class webpages as well.

Be sure to check out the webpage of your child’s teacher!

OAK TREE OLYMPICS What an action-packed day of peaceful competition, teamwork, and excitement! On Friday, February 2nd, the students at Oak Tree School took part in our very first Olympic Games. The day began with a torch relay and parade of nations around the building. Stations throughout the day included Speed Skating, Noodle Javelin, Gymnastics, and many more! At the conclusion of the day, the students received Olympic medals, and they reflected on the day’s experience. We hope that our students not only enjoyed this event, but made a direct connection to the real Olympic Games that were being held in South Korea. Please try to find time to discuss this thrilling event with your children, emphasizing a spirit of peace among athletes around the world. GREEN THUMBS GARDEN PROGRAM We are eager for spring here at Oak Tree School! This year we will continue our Green Thumbs Garden Program for third graders. Our Green Thumb members will be involved in all aspects of planning, creating, planting, rebuilding, harvesting and caring for our unique school garden. If your child is not in third grade, but is still interested in our garden, please consider signing up to water/weed our school garden during the summer months. The sign up notice will be posted in spring. The garden opens each year at our annual Healthy Living Night. Hope to see you there.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR VISITORS TO OAK TREE SCHOOL Our school district requires all visitors to identify themselves and state the purpose of their visit upon entering our buildings. Visitors are required to sign in at the office, show photo identification, and wear their visitor’s badge in a prominent place on their person. Our staff has been instructed to question anyone who is not wearing a badge. Anyone wishing to sign out a child during school hours must be authorized to do so and must properly identify themselves with a picture ID, such as a driver’s license.

STUDENTS BEING PICKED UP AT THE END OF THE DAY It is school policy that parents who need to pick their children up before dismissal send a note to the teacher stating who will pick the child up and at what time. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances arise during the course of the day, requiring an early pick up of a student. When this happens, please be sure you contact the office to share any pertinent information. Also parents should try not to come into the office at the end of the school day to pick up their child at the same time as students are being dismissed to board buses. As you can imagine, this type of situation, when a child is already on the bus, is less than ideal and can be very stressful for him/her. When an emergency develops and you are planning to pick up your child at the end of day, please help us by insuring pick up no later than 3:14 PM, at least 10 minutes before students begin boarding buses (3:24 PM). Thanks for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. MORNING DROPOFF Please note that Oak Tree students cannot be dropped off BEFORE 8:50AM EACH MORNING. Staff is unavailable prior to that time to monitor the students in the foyer. Our school day begins at 8:55 am. We have many parents dropping off their children and then driving away. This is very unsafe. If your child arrives at school after 9:00 am then an adult must walk the child into the office and sign them in for the day. REPORT CARDS Parent access to second trimester reports cards will open on March 26th. COGAT TESTING The COGAT test will be administered to all first grade students during the week of March 5-7. Make sure to eat a good breakfast, get a good night’s sleep, and be on time to school. A MESSAGE FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE, MRS. MC NUTT March is National Poison awareness month with the third week in March representing Poison Awareness Week. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Children Act Fast…So Do Poisons”. Accidental poisonings are responsible for many emergency room visits and calls to the local Poison Control Centers. Over 50% of the calls to the poison control centers are for children younger than the age of 6. This month is a good time to check your house for any potential household item that may present a hazard to your child. Some household items that may present problems for children are:

Batteries

Household Cleaners including dishwashing soap, bleach, cleansers

Medications not secured in a medication cabinet with child safety locks

Personal Care Products such as nail polish remover, perfume, mouthwash, toothpaste, creams

Plants

Garage items such as antifreeze, gasoline, window cleaner, plant food

Vitamins

It is important to call the NJ Poison Control Center Immediately if you think your child may have ingested a poisonous material. They can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 any time day or night for guidance. For further information on how to protect your family, please visit the New Jersey Poison Control Center Website at www.njpies.org.

Importance of Breakfast Breakfast is so important for our children before they start their busy school day. Not only does it give them energy to start a new day, but breakfast is linked to many health benefits, including weight control and improved performance.

Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to the kind containing doughnuts) can help give you:

A more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals Improved concentration and performance in the classroom More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity Lower cholesterol levels

Eating breakfast is important for everyone, but is especially so for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom and on the playground, with better concentration, problem-solving skills, and eye-hand coordination. (WebMD).

Please make sure your children have something to eat before coming to school. Breakfast on the run can include: Granola bars, fruit, cereal bars, GoGurts, yogurt cups, packaged granola snacks or nuts, smoothies, dry cereal in a Ziploc bag, or peanut butter and jelly. You don’t have to limit breakfast to traditional breakfast foods. Try ‘thinking outside the breakfast box’ with different foods for breakfast such as grilled cheese sandwiches, soup or dinner leftovers. Whatever your child chooses to eat for breakfast, please have them eat something healthy and substantial to help them have a successful day at school.

Laundry Pod Alert Poison centers receive many calls each year about children getting into laundry detergent. Swallowing it often causes mild stomach upset, if there are any symptoms at all, but poison center experts say the new highly concentrated single-load liquid laundry detergent packets seem to be different. Some children who have gotten the product in their mouths have had excessive vomiting, wheezing and gasping. Some get very sleepy. Some have had breathing problems serious enough to need a ventilator to help them breathe. There have also been reports of corneal abrasions (scratches to the eyes) when the detergent gets into a child’s eyes. Reports from January 2018 alone indicate that nationally, poison control centers have already received 606 calls for exposures to laundry pods. For 2017, there were over 10,000 calls for exposures to laundry pods. These pods and colorful, soft and sweet smelling and many children are drawn to them for those reasons. Exposures can be as minor and touching the pod and experiencing some skin irritation to a full blown reaction if a pod is ingested. Please keep these pods locked and out of reach of your young children.

Classroom Snacks Please send daily snacks for your children. All classes at Oak Tree have daily snack and all students should bring a snack to school daily. NEWS FROM OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST Congratulations to the students in grades K through 3 who took part in the Six Flags

Read to Succeed Program! Oak Tree Elementary School is proud to have had so

many students participate. Tickets will be received in the late spring.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

March 1 Makerspace Night (Grades 2 and 3 for ticket holders only) Animal Day 2 Read Across America/Reading Train/Guest Readers Pajama Day 5-7 CoGAT Testing 9 Corey the Dribbler Assembly 14 & 15 KindergARTen Program 16 Celebration Day PTA Meeting @ 9:30 19 Trimester 2 Ends 21 Mindfulness Matters Day 26 March Madness – Grade 1 Parent Access to Report Cards Opens 27 March Madness – Grade 2 29 March Madness – Grade 3 30 School Closed

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS In March, we are collecting canned food for the Middlesex County Spring School Food Drive called M.C.F.O.O.D.S. Students are asked to bring canned food donations to school beginning March 5th through March 16th. Donations

will be used to help replenish the supply of food at the county distribution site and ensure that all Middlesex County residents in need have access to nutritious foods and necessities. Thank you for your continued support and generosity!

MARCH MADNESS Our 3rd grade students are looking forward to the upcoming March Madness basketball tournament. The tournament will be held on March 29th. The 1st and 2nd grade students are equally excited to be participating in a basketball skills challenge on March 26th (first grade) and March 27th (second grade). In the past students have created their own t-shirts at home to celebrate March Madness. They are still welcome to do so, but it is completely optional.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

The value that we will be focusing on during the month of March is “Cooperation”. For our

students, we define cooperation as, “working and playing together peacefully to

achieve a goal”. Students will understand that cooperation includes compromise,

sharing, taking turns, doing your part, and “talking it out”. These values will

be practiced during our “cooperation” guidance lessons this month.

Students will learn that cooperation is essential for maintaining

harmony and getting things accomplished throughout their lives. You

can encourage cooperation at home too. Have your children practice taking

turns and sharing with family members and friends. Praise them when they display these

behaviors. Discuss how your family cooperates in every-day life such as helping each other

clean-up, getting ready in the morning, talking out conflicts, playing games fairly, etc. Point out

to your children that when everyone cooperates, it helps things run more smoothly. We can’t

wait to see how proud our students feel when they show us how well they can cooperate with

one another,

KindergARTenProgram

Kindergarten teacher Laura Goldstein and her team were just awarded a FAST grant by the Monroe Township Education Association. The MTEA FAST Grant will provide generous funds to support our youngest students and their parents’ participation in a Paint Party at Oak Tree School during school hours on March 14 and 15. Individual art canvases, aprons, hats, paints and brushes along with step by step instructions by local artist Kathleen Morolda from The Cranbury Station Gallery will be purchased. In addition, the subject matter of the painting celebrates the diversity of our world by featuring an abstract earth and all types of children holding hands. We hope to foster creativity, acceptance and inclusive attitudes which students can further explore and build upon as they continue their education here at Oak Tree School.

ATTENDANCE AND PLANNED EXTENDED ABSENCE POLICY Regular attendance is a requisite for success in school. New Jersey law requires that students attend school regularly and it is the parent’s responsibility to insure that their child attends school. Please stress the importance of daily school attendance to your child. There are times throughout the school year when families may find it necessary to take their children out of school for an extended period of time. Our Board Policy addresses the criteria that should be followed should this occur. If you will be taking your child out of school for an extended period of time (10 days or more), kindly provide a letter from the parent/guardian to the school addressing the number of days and dates the child will be missing school. Policy states the student will be dis-enrolled during this absence period. No homework or make-up tests will be provided. Upon returning to school, the parent/guardian will be responsible for re-registering the child. Please contact Cherie McCoy at 609-642-6128. READ ACROSS AMERICA

Ask your children about all the wonderful activities that are taking place during our Read Across

America celebration. The halls are decorated as a tribute to Dr. Seuss. Guest readers will be

in the building on March 2nd to read to all the classes. We will have a fun filled Spirit Week !

And to top it all off, the entire school will make a Reading Train at the end of the week. What a

great way to celebrate our love of reading at Oak Tree!

NEWS FROM THE READING SPECIALIST As you drive around town, have no fear, have no fright But make sure you look left, and make sure you look right

For I hear, a surprise guest is making his way

He’s coming to Oak Tree for one special day

On the first day of March, be alert, sit back

Look for someone who’s tall and wears a striped hat

As he walks our halls, he surely will look

For children who have their eyes in a book

Because reading is what this Cat likes to do

And soon he will be here to celebrate with you!

Please take some time out for reading with your children at home, at the library, or even in the

car as you travel from place to place. You can find fun projects to make at home and fun games

to play on the following site- www.seussville.com

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places

you’ll go.” --Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut”

Happy Reading, Mrs. Kappus

HOMEWORK REQUEST With the flu and cold season come students’ absences. We are happy to comply

with requests for homework and classwork when your child will be absent for three days or more because of illness. It does take time to collect materials and assignments so if you wish to request homework to be sent home, please call the school office prior to 10 am. In cases of shorter absences, our first concern is for the health of your child and getting the proper rest and care, not homework being completed.

FALCON LEADERSHIP AWARD The following students were nominated by their grade level teachers to receive the Falcon Leadership Award in February. Each student is being recognized for demonstrating responsible and respectful behavior. We are so proud of them!!!!

Kindergarten Soham Mete Grade 1 Lucia Katransky Grade 2 Nora Simmonds Grade 3 Shreeya Menon

RIDE WITH CHARACTER

Congratulations to Bus 21 for being awarded February’s Bus of the Month as part of our

positive behavior bus incentive program, which ties directly to our Rising Stars program. Each

Oak Tree student received a certificate of recognition and two star tickets. The bus is also

being recognized with a special bulletin board. We are so proud of them!!!

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to Mrs. Maria Felice, Oak Tree’s Educational Support Staff of the Year. Mrs.

Felice is a well loved and respected lunchroom aide and classroom paraprofessional.

OAK TREE’S ANNUAL TOWNSHIP LIBRARY ART SHOW

You are invited to Oak Tree’s Annual Library Art show. You have the chance

to view the amazing art work created by our very own resident artists here at

Oak Tree. We will be showing our display throughout the month of March at

the Monroe Township Library.