Blue Lion



Blue Lion

Martin Luther King Elementary School

March 2009

Contents

5THGrade Project News 2

James Howe Visits MLK 2

MLK Cultural Night 3

First Annual MLK PTA Science Fair for grades 3-5 3

Family Movie Night 3

Mrs. Jackson’s Actions 4

Spring Book Fair 4

MLK PTA Membership 5

Mrs Lippe’s Garden Club 5

Jump Rope For Heart 6

Editor’s Note 7

The Preschool Academy 8

Words from Mrs. Wilton... 9

School Calendar - March 2009

03/02/09 Read Across America Day - Dr. Seuss Celebration

03/02/09 Principal’s Reading Challenge (3/2/09 – 3/6/09)

03/05/09 Twin Day

03/06/09 Character Counts Pillar is Respect - wear yellow or gold

03/08/09 Daylight Savings Time begins - set your clocks ahead 1 hour

03/10/09 PTA Meeting (7:15 PM)

03/12/09 Mismatch Day

03/12/09 MLK Movie Night - Horton Hears a Who - 6:30PM - 8:30PM

03/19/09 Crazy Hair Day

03/19/09 Evening of the Arts - 6:30PM - 8:30PM

03/25/09 Kindergarten Enrollment A-M (1:00PM - 4:30PM)

03/26/09 Kindergarten Enrollment N - Z (1:00PM - 4:30PM)

03/26/09 Sports Day - Dress in your favorite sports attire

03/26/09 Snow Date for Evening of the Arts

03/27/09 School Spirit Day

03/30/09 Mariah Puppet Show - 2PM - grades K-1

03/30/09 Box Tops/Tyson/Campbell’s Collection

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5TH Grade Project News

We sincerely thank all 5th grade parents who sent in such wonderful boosters for the year book. These messages are so important for the children and will be treasured memories in years to come.

The 5th grade committee is currently planning a wonderful breakfast for the teachers and students. This enjoyable event will take place on February 25th at 8:00 am. We need enthusiastic parents to contribute food items, help set up, serve, and clean up.

To sign up to volunteer for the 5th grade breakfast, please email Lori Lim at berrygal66@. For any food contributions, please email Tracey Leary at tleary@.

James Howe Visits MLK

On December 12, 2008, the MLK community was privileged and honored to meet and learn from children’s author, James Howe. James Howe is the author of over 70 books for children and young adults. He is probably most famous for his Bunnicula series featuring a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula. Howe has also created a series of short chapter books about two best friends named Pinky and Rex. His other works include books, novels, nonfiction, young adult novels, several series of short chapter books, adaptations of classic stories, and screenplays for movies and television. He recently published two novels for young adults and one of them, The Misfits, became the inspiration for National No Name Calling Week.

In the weeks preceding the visit, students engaged in studying the works of James Howe in their classrooms. During this author study, students were able to study his writing style and writing crafts and then tried to emulate them into their own writing. On the day of the visit, students were divided into three groups based on their grade level for presentations by James Howe. Students in grades kindergarten through grade three wore “Bunnicula” ears for James Howe during the presentations. Mr. Howe discussed the inspirations for his work and how he develops topics for his stories. He showed the students his personal notebook that fits in his pocket so he can always jot down an idea whenever it comes to him. Mr. Howe carries his writer’s notebook with him everywhere!

After the morning presentations, James Howe ate a “Bunnicula” inspired lunch with a small group of third, fourth, and fifth graders. The students were selected based on a lottery and they had the opportunity to ask him questions during the luncheon. After the luncheon, James Howe personally signed books for all students who purchased a book during a pre- book sale. Over 600 books were purchased! We hope your children enjoy this keepsake and cherish this experience for a lifetime.

A huge thank you goes to the PTA for supporting us in this endeavor. We would not have been able to have James Howe visit without them! Additionally, thank you to all the teachers and parents who helped organize the event and the fourth grade teachers who worked hard to prepare and organize the luncheon. Lastly, thank you to all of you who continue to help your children grow and learn each day. Your support truly makes a difference in their lives.

— Mrs. Wojcik

MLK Cultural Night

 This year, MLK Annual Cultural night was held on January 30, 2009. It was a multi-cultural extravaganza!  MLK children, parents and teachers participated by showing off their traditional dress.  The children had a great time parading in the fashion show.  Everything was well organized and the food from the various international regions was a treat to the palate.  This year the talent show will be held separately from Cultural Night. This is a great idea, as it took away the pressures of performing away from the kids.  Lifetouch Photos came to take professional photographs of our MLK families dressed in their gorgeous outfits for a small fee.  We look forward to many more years of uniting the multiple cultures at MLK that make us such a unique school.

First Annual MLK PTA Science Fair for grades 3-5

In January, MLK had our first annual PTA Science Fair! We had over 50 students participate by making Science projects of their choice!!! Those students, teachers and parents who were able to attend were treated to some really creative projects such as a working homemade film strip, lemon generated electricity, a homemade Para-scope, light refractors and so much more! It was a wonderful morning spent together with our focus on Science. All students who participated explained their projects to evaluators who asked students questions about their projects and gave suggestions for future research. Needless to say, it was a great start and we are so happy to welcome the PTA Science Fair to MLK. Thanks to all who participated and a special thanks to all the teachers who gave up their Saturday morning to come see the great work their students did on their projects. We truly appreciate your support, and so do your students. We hope to make it bigger and better next year, and it is highly suggested that the younger students attend to see and hear about all the projects. We hope to see all of you next year!!!! Thanks for a great start!!!

Family Movie Night

Please join us for our first “Family Movie Night” at MLK! The “Family Movie Night” will be held on Thursday, March 12th at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. The featured presentation will be Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! The film is based on the beloved book written in 1954 by Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. Horton, an imaginative elephant is determined to help when he hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck.

The movie night is a great opportunity for you and your family to spend some quality time together and celebrate the culmination of Read Across America. Wear your slippers and pajamas, bring some pillows and blankets and get ready to cuddle up with loved ones for an excellent movie! The cost is only $1 and it provides you with a drink and box of popcorn. If you would like to attend this wonderful event, please return your permission slip and money as soon as possible. Space is limited so it will be a first come, first serve basis. We look forward to seeing you on March 12th!

— Mrs. Wojcik

Mrs. Jackson’s Actions

I am Mrs. Jackson, the Literacy Enrichment Teacher (L.E. T.). I’ve been at Martin Luther King Elementary School for 5 years.

The L.E.T. position has been in the Edison schools since kindergarten went full-day, six years ago. The position was introduced as a 45 minute “specials” period for the kindergarten students of Edison. I travel between 4 kindergarten classes and 1 pre-primary everyday.

The L.E.T. position was created as an educational program to incorporate art, music and gym into the kindergarten day. The first year of the L.E.T. program, it was very centered on the art and literacy aspect of learning. However, the second year, the program was reconstructed. The art was not to be the main focus. The supervisors recognized their was a need for the kindergarten students to have more movement in their day, as well, capitalizing on the fact that the link between learning and physical hand-on activities are a great way to reach all types of learners. The supervisors want to see more physical education games and activities instead of art oriented activities.

All the activities that I do with the 5 kindergarten classes include some physical movement in them. Due to the fact that there is no official curriculum for the L.E.T. program, I create most of my games myself, with the help various resources.

I play familiar games such as musical chairs but I always add a literacy twist to it. As the game progresses, I add things like alphabet cards or word family cards. The kids are always happy to play and learn in this effortless way. Other fun games the kindergartners like to play included, kite flying with symmetry, jumping in the leaves for the letter “L”, bowling with counting and graphing, fishing with rhyming words and seasonal scavenger hunts.

I really feel privileged to work with the kindergarteners of MLK. I enjoy being with them and they always let me know that they feel the same way too

Spring Book Fair

The Scholastic Spring Book Fair has come and gone and it was a great success! MLK students were excited to see all the new books on the shelves and went through them eagerly to discover their ‘treasures” to take home. Wimpy Kids, Goosebumps, Superheroes, and Princesses are now at home with them and ready to share their adventures.

Since this was the first Book Fair for us as co-chairs, we would like to thank all the parents who supported and participated in the Spring Book Fair buying books for their children. We made it! The PTA received a very good profit for the school and we were able to help increase the school library.

We also want to thank all the volunteers who helped: Rhonda Gergits, Shilpa Patel, Sharon Chempiel, Lynn Keurian and Ana Tavares. Big thanks to Mrs. Mirfield, Donna Rothchild and Shelly Telson for giving us advice on how to make this event such a success.

— Isabel Ikemoto and Kristen Sarkaria

MLK PTA Membership

If you have not signed to be a member of the MLK PTA, it’s not too late still. You can download a sign up form located in our MLK

PTA website and send it with your child. Its only $10 per year to join. Please support us... The children of MLK are the ones who will benefit the most.

— Ana Tavares

Mrs Lippe’s Garden Club

This spring season at MLK 2009 will be the first time a Garden Club has started. It is comprised of second graders who signed up in the fall.

Their jobs will consist of forming the rows for the plantings, planting the seedlings, seeds, or plants that were grown in the classroom, and plenty of daily weeding. When the second garden opens, the jobs will be doubled.

One garden will grow vine plants such as squash and pumpkins. The original garden will grow tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, parsley, dill, zucchini, flowers, etc.

During the summer there are usually two harvests. One is in July and the other in August, depending upon the weather and growth of the produce. A phone call will be made to groups of students to help in the harvest. Then we call the Hands for Hope Food Bank and they come and get the vegetables to prepare for the needy people of Edison.

The mission of the garden takes on many aspects. One, the students learn about gardening from seed to end products – vegetables. Second, they learn about garden pests and without the use of pesticides try and control them. Next, they also learn that not all seeds grow and produce a vegetable and so they have to deal with disappointments. Then they learn about life and what the commercial farmer has to contend with in order to make money from farming, and at the same time deal with critters and the destruction of their crops.

This is a life learning experience which most of the children take home with them, and try their own hand at gardening. To spend a great amount of time and energy in growing a garden for others is a very worthwhile project that gives great rewards for one’s self esteem. The children receive the praise when the newspapers and own town TV channel show the pictures from their experience. Last, the children learn to be responsible, reliable, caring, and most of all respectful of what they are doing and who they are doing it for…the community!

— Mrs. Lippe

Jump Rope For Heart

STUDENTS AT MLK PARTICIPATE IN JUMP ROPE FOR HEART

Students at MLK jumped at the chance to fight heart disease and stroke, our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. On Monday, 2/9/09 – Tuesday, 2/10/09, during physical education classes, our school held its first annual Jump Rope For Heart event.

Jump Rope For Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The average heart beats 100,000 times each day. One of the best ways to take care of your heart is to make exercise a regular part of your everyday life. Jump Rope For Heart teaches students how exercise benefits the heart and shows students that volunteering can be fun and beneficial to the whole community. They learn how they can make a difference by providing important community service and having a great time at this fun-filled event.

Students jumped rope to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Money raised by the event went to fund potentially lifesaving research as well as educational and community programs. Although we did not reach our school goal of having 100% participation, we DID earn a $200 gift certificate for physical education and/or playground equipment because we raised a total of $4,167.78!!! Great job, MLK!

Thank you for helping our students help others. Students will receive thank-you gifts based on individual dollar amounts raised. Top sponsored students in each class will also receive a special gift.

Special thanks to the Physical Education teachers (Mr. Blevins, Mrs. Markano, and Mr. Mondano), Mrs. Rothchild and the PTA, and the Character Counts Team for their amazing effort and support that helped make this event such a success!

MLK TOP SPONSORED STUDENTS

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* Students chosen based on total # of sponsors they received funds from. When tied, the student with the higher total was chosen.

Congratulations to MLK’s TOP SPONSORED student, KEMAR THOMAS, with 18 sponsors, from Mrs. Lippe’s class!

Editor’s Note

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The Preschool Academy

The Edison Township Public School District

is currently accepting applications for the Preschool Academy

Our integrated preschool program serves a limited number

of Edison three and four year old children of varying degrees of developmental readiness, using the High/Scope approach to the early childhood educational experience with a focus on active learning.

Children must be at least three years old on or before October 1, 2009

and must be Edison residents.

Tuition is currently $250 per month for the half-day program. Tuition amount is subject to change for the 2009-2010 school year. A limited number of tuition-free openings for income-eligible students may be available, pending implementation of the NJ State Department of Education’s Preschool Expansion funding program. Transportation is not provided for tuition-paying students.

For additional information, please visit , watch Edison BOE Channel 14, or call 732-452-4930 or 732-452-4932.

Applications are available at or may be picked up at the following locations during the hours of 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM:

• Public Schools of Edison Township Education Center, 312 Pierson Avenue

• FDR Building on the James Madison campus, 838 New Dover Road

• Continuing Education Center near Edison High School, 10 Boulevard of Eagles

Return or mail completed applications by March 31st to Suzanne Capraro, Elementary Supervisor, Public Schools of Edison Township, 312 Pierson Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08837

Completion of the application does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

A lottery may be held to determine participation.

Words from Mrs. Wilton...

February was filled with many enjoyable learning celebrations,

As we have journeyed through for more than half the school year, we are proud of the accomplishments of all our learners!

~Annual Cultural Fair~

It was such a pleasure seeing everyone at the annual cultural fair this year. The students looked so very beautiful in their traditional attire and the displays throughout the hallways were wonderful! We do thank all the parents who took the time and creativity in showing their articles of tradition and cooked the most delicious food for all to taste. A special thanks goes to all the teachers who participated this year and to the parent committee who helped organize the event. In addition we truly thank our custodial staff and the tremendous effort it took for them to prepare the building and clean up after the event. Without the collaboration of all involved, this event would not have been such a success. Thank you again.

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I-Abolish

On January 30, Ms. Lorraine Baucam performed for the third, fourth and fifth grade students spiritual music that facilitated learning about slavery past and present. We thank her for her generosity in coming to our school and providing our students with a rich learning experience.

Reading, Reading, Reading…

In celebration of the upcoming “Read Across America Day” and the birthday of the great rhyming author, Dr. Seuss, there are many activities planned for the week of March 2, 2009.

Guest readers will be invited to read to classes, DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time is scheduled for each day, and the Student Council President will lead the school in the Reading “Oath.” These were only a few of the activities planned.

In addition, there will be the annual Principal’s Reading Challenge to be met. The challenge for the school is to have a total of 100,000 minutes read by the entire school population in one week. Logs will be going home for students to log their reading experiences. If you’re visiting the school that week, you may notice the marbles on each classroom door. The accumulation of marbles is to monitor success of reading as each class gets closer to its goal of reading minutes. If the students meet the challenge, I will dress up as a character from a children’s book on Monday, March 16, 2009. CAN we meet the challenge? Only time and your child’s MOTIVATION will tell!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher Conferences are an excellent way to understand your child’s learning in progress. Communication between home and school has shown to have a great impact on the overall achievement and success of children. If you were unable to meet with your child’s teacher during parent/teacher conferences and would like to find out about your child’s learning day, please call the school and make an appointment. We always encourage having communication between home and school.

Science Fair

MLK had their first annual science fair on Saturday, January 31, 2009. The children did a marvelous job and I commend them on their efforts, motivation, and successes in experiments. A special thanks goes to Mrs. Mc Carthy and Mrs. Voorhis who planned and organized the day.

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Safety Concerns

It has come to my attention that the parent parking lot at the end of the day has become problematic. I’m confident that you agree with us that keeping all the children safe at MLK is essential. Therefore, I’m asking for you assistance in following extra safety precautions in the parent parking lot when picking your child up at the end of his/her school day. By following these simple rules of safety, we can avoid any potential hazards. 1. Please do NOT have your child walk to your car unattended by you. 2. Please walk around the back of your car to check for pedestrians. 3. Cross over at the painted crosswalk at the end of the parking lot. 4. Take extra precaution when backing up and driving through the lot. 5. Never leave your car idling unattended. 6. Never block traffic as many cars will have to wait on Inman Avenue.

I’m confident that if we follow all the precautions, we can all keep our students safe.

Best Loved Poems of

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

In her own words…

“Read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers. You will find to your delight that they are easier and more joy to read than the second-rate ones. They touch your imagination and your deepest yearnings, and when your imagination is stirred it can lead you down paths you never dreamed you would travel. If you read great language you will develop, without your realizing it, an appreciation of excellence that can shape your life.”

Until next time…

Diane Wilton

Principal

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If you would like to help or contribute more, call your nearest American Heart Association office at (609) 208-0020 or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721).

— Susan Shyr [First Grade Teacher, JRFH Coordinator]

E-mail: Yoonsun.Shyr@edison.k12.nj.us

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the March edition of this newsletter. We hope to publish the Blue Lion around the first week of every month. If you have any questions or wish to contribute to future issues of this newsletter, please feel free to write to us at sp529@nyu.edu or rienovo3@. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

— Shivi and Sherie

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