Dear MPE Families,

Students are busy at work, learning many new things!  Thank you again to the MPE PTA for the new playground installation (please see attached picture).  We are all so excited to play on the new equipment.

During the holiday season, many students receive gifts – cameras, internet enable watches, games, etc.  Please do not send your child to school with these items.  They are a distraction to instruction and may become lost or damaged. 

Additionally, please remember that dogs are not permitted on school property (with the exception of service dogs). 

Our Buddy Bench Lid Collection has officially ended! Thank you to everyone who has donated their lids.  We look forward to sending our lids and receiving our new recycled bench!!

Upcoming Events:

• Toys for Tots Collection – collecting toys now!
• December 11^th – Author Visit – Jarrett Krosoczka
• December 14^th – MPE Spirit Day – wear MPE Apparel or blue & white clothing
• December 17^th – Kindergarten Holiday Museum
• December 24^th – January 1^st – School Closed for Holiday Break

Comfort Project 360 (CP360) is an initiative out of St. Barnabas providing comfort to cancer patients going through chemotherapy and radiation, providing a relaxing environment to patients during treatment.  One of the ways CP360 helps is by providing the "Comfort Cart" which delivers snacks while they are there. The patients love to pick their own snacks and love the personal attention given by the volunteers.

If you wish to participate, we are collecting items through December 14th. Comfort Project 360 is requesting the following in individually wrapped snack sizes:

Lays Potato Chips snack size bags

Snyder’s Pretzels snack size bags

Dove Candy – milk and dark chocolate

KIND bars

Oreos snack bags

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

Kindergarten students learned about estimation and the weight of objects. The children compared two classroom objects, and predicted which one was heavier, and which one was lighter. During reading workshop, the concept of beginning, middle and end were introduced. They learned that many stories have a beginning, a middle, and an ending. During science, students learned about colors by looking through prisms, blending colors with paints, and naming primary and secondary colors. 

This week in reading, first grade students learned “tricky part pals”, digraph duck and blend bunny to help them decode.  During writing, students continued to write big feeling stories while focusing on writing stories with a clear beginning, middle and end. In math, students practiced writing number sentences horizontally with the plus and equal sign, while rehearsing number stories to go along with their equations. 

This week, second graders started their new math unit in place value! Students learned how to read, write, and model numbers in the ones, tens, and hundreds place. Students also learned how to break numbers apart to show expanded form. In reading, second graders continued to delve into nonfiction texts. They filled out K-W-L charts, using their background knowledge on different topics.  First, they thought about what new information they wanted to learn and then they wrote down new facts about their topics. In science, students learned all about molecules, and how the density differs based on whether the molecules are in a solid, liquid, or gas. They also started learning about how matter can change from one form to another!

In math, third graders finished up their multiplication unit by reviewing how to model a multiplication sentence using arrays and equal groups. In social studies, students learned about the different rituals and customs of Native American groups across the United States.  During science, students continued learning about weather by creating weather instruments using supplies from our STEM lab. During reading and writing, students continued to research for their biography reports.

In the fourth grade, students were excited to have another MPE Pride Community Meeting, where we continued to learn about the concept of growth mindset. During reading, students began their new unit on nonfiction reading.  They identified the various forms of nonfiction and noted text features such as: pictures, captions, titles, and types of print.  During writing, students began learning the organizational components of a persuasive writing piece and were excited to begin drafting one of their own. Through fun, hands-on activities the mathematicians continued to learn about multi-digit multiplication.  They came to understand how to use the area model, partial products method, and traditional algorithm to multiply.  During social studies, students began their “train tour” through the Northeast Region of the USA.  The first stops took students to the rocky shores of Maine, the highest peak in New Hampshire, and to the site where the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Finally, during science, the classes continued to investigate invertebrates.  In small groups, students researched a specific invertebrate group to create an informational poster and clay model.

During fifth grade social studies, students ended the lesson on Native Americans and their region.  Students partnered up and made Google Slide Presentations to provide information about each region. The students were also introduced to the reasons  how and why the Europeans came to the New World.  During fifth grade social studies, the students continued discussing physical and chemical change by experimenting with vinegar and baking soda to produce their own chemical change.  They also watched a video of Riker Hill students doing an experiment with acetone and polystyrene (Styrofoam cup).  Then students completed a CER( claim, evidence, reasoning) to find out whether or not it was an example of a physical or chemical change. 

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

We had an exciting week at MPE!  Thank you to the MPE PTA for funding our playground renovation.  Stage 1 of the renovation began on Thursday and we are all so excited to play on our new equipment when it is installed! 

Please read below to learn more about what our students learned this week!

Upcoming Events:

• December 4^th and 5^th – PTA Holiday Boutique
• December 11^th – Author Visit – Jarrett Krosoczka
• December 14^th – MPE Spirit Day – wear MPE Apparel or blue & white clothing
• December 17^th – Kindergarten Holiday Museum
• December 24^th – January 1^st – School Closed for Holiday Break

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

This week, kindergarten students were busy using all of their “reading powers” (pointer, picture, letter and word) to help them become Super Readers!  They learned that these powers are always with them throughout the day.  During Writing Workshop, the children explored the different places that they go to around town.  This discussion will lead them to brainstorm ideas to generate new stories.  During science, the children learned about the scientific method (ask, imagine, create and improve.)  They discovered that each of them were engineers!  The children were given a problem….that they had an itchy back but could not reach the itch.  They each had to imagine how to take care of that itch,  by creating a custom backscratcher. Next, they needed to draw a plan using paper towel rolls, tape, one fork and playdough. They created their backscratcher according to their plan.  Lastly, they tried it out.  Success!!  The children also learned that sometimes an engineer’s plan does not always work, so good engineers need to improve their plan with some new ideas.  Enjoy your backscratchers!!!

First grade students learned about the three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases.  The students explored differences in properties of matter through their senses of sight and touch. 

Second grade students have been immersed in all things matter!  Students discussed properties of each state of matter and even learned that some substances have qualities of more than one state of matter.  These are called non-Newtonian substances.   During writing, students began to showcase their unique skills and talents by writing "How-To" books to teach others how to do something they are passionate about.  During math students worked on different patterns like skip counting and arrays in order to help them use these patterns to add equal groups. 

Third grade students started a few new and exciting units!  During writing, students began their non-fiction unit on how to write biographies.  They learned how to research their person of interest and how to organize all the information into a report.  In math, students started their unit in multiplication.  They discovered that multiplication is repeated addition and that they can model by using "groups of".  During social studies, students learned about Native Americans and how they adapted to their land by using the natural resources they had around them for their basic needs.  Finally, during science, students learned about weather and the difference between weather and climate.  

Fourth graders had a fantastic time last week celebrating Colonial Day.  They made decorative pie tins, corn husk dolls, played games, and enjoyed making yummy butter.  It was a fun way to end their Colonial Unit in Social Studies.  During math, students are getting ready to do some major multiplication.  Stay tuned for 2, 3, and 4x1 digit problems as well as some 2x2s.  During reading, students neared the end of their fiction unit and enjoyed some great stories in Storyworks, a literary magazine.  Students also developed some opinions in order to prepare to do some fantastic essay writing.  Lastly, in science, students finished their study of plants and learned all about the characteristics of invertebrates.  They are excited to work on another project to show what they know.

Fifth graders are wrapping up their multiplication unit.  Students are ready to now apply their multiplication skills to the division unit they are currently working on.  Using the acronym "Does McDonald's Sell CheeseBurgers Raw?" students are easily able to remember all the steps of long division. Students have been busy converting ounces to pounds and identifying the special characteristics of quadrilaterals. Did you know that a square is a special type of rhombus, rectangle, and parallelogram?!  

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

What a great week!  Please see the attached pictures from our Halloween Parade.  I have also attached a letter detailing our second building-wide family meeting that took place on Tuesday, October 30^th.  Students learned an important message and I want to thank all of the staff for leading such great lessons!  We look forward to our next lesson in November. 

Additionally, on Wednesday, November 7th students will participate in red, white, and blue day for Veterans Day. Donations are welcome on our Mount Pleasant Elementary School team page. All funds will be donated to GI Go Fund. GI Go Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that assists veterans, active-duty personnel, their family members, veteran supporters, and all members of the military community with finding employment, connecting to their benefits, and accessing housing opportunities. Please consider donating to this important cause. 

Team page: 

https://gigo.org/teams/mount-pleasant-elementary-school-livingston-nj

Upcoming Events: 

Parent/Teacher Conferences – November 5^th, 6^th, 7^th – 12:15 P.M. Dismissal

Teacher’s Convention – School Closed on November 8^th and 9^th

PTA General Meeting – November 13^th at 7:30 P.M. – Mrs. Imbimbo, our interim school counselor will present to parents about how to support their child’s self-esteem and confidence

Lifetouch Homeroom Class Pictures and Individual Retakes – November 15^th

Spirit Day – November 16^th – wear blue & white or MPE Apparel

Pie Sale Pickup – November 20^th on the blacktop

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

This week the kindergarteners used Halloween as an opportunity to have fun and learn. Using sight words, students made a class book about their Halloween costumes. During shared reading, students learned many Halloween poems. Discussing Halloween safety kept the children safe while trick-or-treating. During math, students did some “pumpkin math”. They measured how tall the class pumpkin was using unifix cubes and how round the pumpkin was using links. Before counting how many seeds were in the pumpkin each one of the students guessed the number. Since there were so many seeds, the class decided it was easier to group and count the seeds by tens. Finally, students voted on what shapes to use for the pumpkin’s eyes, nose and mouth, in order to turn it into a Jack-O-Lantern!

First grade students completed a STEAM lesson in the STEAM Room this week.  The students were given a problem and had to plan and create a solution using only the materials provided.  After some attempts, the students were able to improve upon their designs and prove that success is possible when you have a growth mindset!

This week in second grade, students began their new science unit – Matter! Students explored different types of matter and discovered that all living and nonliving things are matter. Soon they will delve into each state of matter to learn more about them. During reading, second graders worked on making all different types of connections to the books they were reading. They practiced making text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. They also had a great time celebrating Halloween. In class, they wrote scary stories and read all types of Halloween stories!

Third graders worked hard on learning different strategies to solve subtraction problems.  Next is traditional regrouping.  Students learned a poem to help them with regrouping: More on top, no need to stop.  More on the floor, go next door and get 10 more!  Please feel free to remind students of this strategy at home as well!  In the next weeks, students will begin learning about the Native Americans, as they learn how to study each tribe through different lenses,  P.P.E.C.S (Political, Physical, Economic, Cultural and Social).  Students have already used the strategy of PPECS using the concepts of New Jersey and their classroom!

During fourth grade writing workshop, students completed their writing drafts.  Students were sure to include a variety of craft to elaborate upon the details in their story, through the use of dialogue, internal thinking, show not tell and incorporating lesson learned in the ending.  During reading, students finished analyzing characters and are now entering into the fictional world of Greek Myths.  It is time to put those multiplications facts to good use!   Students worked with equations, groups of, repeated addition and repeated subtraction, arrays, fact families, factor pairs, multiples and multiplication properties!  During science, students continued their study of living things in the plant and animal kingdom.  They worked on understanding the characteristics and traits that define a living organism in a specific kingdom.  Finally, during social studies, students worked on the study of life during the Colonial Period.  Students researched specific jobs that men and women did.  Do you know what a cooper did for a living?  Are blacksmiths still a part of modern day life?  What did school look like in the colonial period?  These are all questions that your child is an expert on now! 

During fifth grade English Language Arts, students continued to develop their higher level comprehension skills using the Literary Signpost Strategy. Students finished their read aloud, Letters From Rifka, and began to develop ideas about possible themes in the story.  They then used the RACERS Response Strategy to write about their ideas. In Writing Workshop, the students logged on to Schoology and continued to draft their personal narrative stories there. They learned that writers make new paragraphs when they start a new topic/idea, when they skip to a new time, when a new person begins to speak, and when a writer wants to produce a dramatic effect. They also learned how to properly punctuate dialogue. During grammar, students learned about the subject and predicate of a sentence.

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

We had a wonderful week at MPE and look forward to seeing everyone next week at our Halloween Parade on October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.  Please make sure to read the Halloween Guidelines attached to this email.  As a reminder, morning drop off supervision begins promptly at 7:35 A.M. 

Upcoming Events: 

Halloween Parade – October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.

Parent/Teacher Conferences – November 5^th, 6^th, 7^th – 12:15 P.M. Dismissal

Teacher’s Convention – School Closed on November 8^th and 9^th

PTA General Meeting – November 13^th at 7:30 P.M. – Mrs. Imbimbo, our interim school counselor will present to parents about how to support their child’s self-esteem and confidence

Lifetouch Homeroom Class Pictures and Individual Retakes – November 15^th

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

Apples, apples, everywhere!  This week, the kindergarten children were very busy learning all about apples.  Their poems, nonfiction books and read alouds centered around apples. They learned about the life cycles  of an apple tree.  The children loved getting their hands dirty while finger painting their favorite type of apple.  During mathematics, students did a taste testing activity where they helped to create a graph showing their favorite apple.  They ended their apple unit by making  homemade applesauce and enjoying it for snack!  Finally, during writing workshop,  the children explored the colors around them.  They wrote color stories and made sure that their pictures matched their text.

This week, first grade students started comparing fiction and nonfiction features and sorted the books in their book baggies. During writing, students used the mentor text, “I Love Animals” to think about reasons why they love their favorite animals. They also learned how to expand upon their writing by using lots of details. During math, students  began working on subtraction, using pictures and models to show taking away and comparing how many more. In science, students  studied the life cycle of apples and pumpkins and used a Venn diagram to compare the two life cycles.

Second graders have been busy digging into a study of characters during reading workshop.  They learned how to think about character traits, lessons that characters learn, and how characters change in stories. During word study, students continued to compare long and short vowels, as they began to learn different spelling patterns for these sounds. Second graders also participated in an exciting Fall themed STEM challenge, in which they were asked to create a support that could hold a small pumpkin (inspired by the story, Five Little Pumpkins)! Ask your student about their design, what worked well about it, and what they decided to improve.

The third graders are finishing up their Personal Narrative Unit during writing. They have been peer editing, looking for actions, dialogue, and interesting writing hooks! The classes are also looking for actions in the Character Unit of reading, analyzing the actions that characters make and what these actions show about the characters. Third graders are beginning their study of subtraction, learning new vocabulary and different strategies to help solve subtraction problems. They are also finishing up their unit in Geography and will explore sedimentary rocks with different experiments!

In the fourth grade, students were excited to have their first assembly of the year with a visit from the Livingston Police Department.  During the assembly, they learned about internet safety and cyber-bullying. In reading, the students continued their fiction unit by focusing on folktales and myths.  They learned to identify unknown words while reading and identified characters’ traits by noting their actions and motivations.  During writing, students were busy revising their own drafts for their current genre, realistic fiction. They focused on adding specific, sensory details and interesting story beginnings/endings. The mathematicians completed their addition and subtraction unit and began exploring multiplication through fun, hands-on games.  With the start of the new unit, it is important that your child is reviewing their multiplication facts daily. During social studies, students continued exploring colonization with a more in-depth look into colonial jobs.  Through a partner activity, students researched various jobs and discussed their purpose and relevance to jobs today.  Finally, during science, the classes continued to discuss cells by presenting their projects to one another. They also began classifying living things. 

During fifth grade math, students worked in their multiplication unit.  Students used their divisibility rules to find factors of large numbers and even create numbers of their own.  Students are also using the properties of multiplication to help make problems easier to solve.  In word study, students are completing their weekly activities with words ending in -te and -ce.  Students are identifying how to add -ion to the base words and how it changes the word’s meaning.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

We had a busy week at MPE!  Thank you to Mr. Darst for his presentation regarding literacy during the PTA Meeting on Tuesday night (see attached).  Please see the list of building events below.  Additionally, information regarding Halloween at MPE is attached to this email for your reference.  Please remember to send your child with non-perishable food donations for the Stuff the Bus collection in the upcoming days. 

Upcoming Events:

Stuff the Bus – October 25^th

Halloween Boutique – October 26^th

Halloween Parade – October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.

PTA General Meeting – November 13^th at 7:30 P.M.

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

In Kindergarten, students started to talk about books with their reading partners. They first sat back-to-back for private reading and then shared with their partner sitting elbow to elbow, and knee to knee. They shared many things that they noticed about the pictures and words in their books. After the firefighters visited last week, students had many discussions about fire safety. They learned poems like “9-1-1” and “Stop, Drop and Roll” that tell them what do in the case of an emergency. Using their sight words, “I” and “see”, they made a class book called The Grownups We See at MPE to help them identify the many adults that help them every day. During math, students learned how important numbers are in their world. They took a walk around the school and noticed that numbers help them in many ways! They also learned how numbers help them count objects.

First graders had so many great ideas for writing! This week, students focused on brainstorming things they like to do with their friends. Students worked on developing their ideas by turning them into stories. They continued to work on adding more details into their writing and developing their stories across 3 pages. They loved reading books and poems about pumpkins this week!  Students talked about signs of fall and the life cycle of an apple. They also looked at the life cycle of a pumpkin and learned how it compares to an apple. It was a great week!

During second grade social studies, students have been hard at work learning how to decipher maps, analyze why map symbols are important, and how to follow cardinal directions using a map.  During math, students were immersed in subtraction strategies and figuring out when it is best to use each one.  During writing, students narrowed down their topics for their personal narratives.  They will soon draft their narratives and learn how to add lots of meaningful detail to their stories in the weeks to come!  

In third grade, students finished up learning about igneous rocks and discussing how they form from volcanoes. Students also made models of igneous rocks. During math, students reviewed for their addition test on Friday by playing Jeopardy as a class. In social studies, students learned about their global address and mailed letters home to help them practice writing their address. In reading, students started their character unit by thinking about character feelings and traits throughout a story. During writing, students are finishing up their second personal narrative stories and are getting ready to revise, edit, and publish their pieces!

Fourth grades were busy reading and writing realistic fiction! During their fiction unit they learned all about the five elements of fiction and read many different forms of fiction. The students were busy revising and editing their own realistic fiction stories during their writing workshop. During math, they finished up their addition and subtraction unit and moved into multiplication. They studied living things in science.  The students had so much fun making their own cell model! During social studies, students took a trip back in time and learned all about what life was like during Colonial Times. They will begin to study the original 13 colonies and compare their lives to the lives of the kids during that time. They will culminate this unit with a fun Colonial Day in November!

This week in fifth grade social studies, students read all about American Indians.  They studied their migration routes, and their environments.  Next, they will take a closer look at the many different tribes of the American Indians.  During fifth grade science, students started a new unit on the subject of matter.  The students were so excited to begin this topic!!  Students discussed the states of matter, atoms, molecules/elements and the periodic table. 

Have a great weekend!

Dear MPE Families,

Students have been busy participating in the Week of Respect activities that Mrs. Imbimbo coordinated for our school.  Thank you to all of the families who sent in shoe donations for our shoe drive.  We look forward to a great month of furthering our kindness initiative through a variety of activities. 

Within the Genesis Parent Portal there is an updated medical form for you to fill out.  Please visit the “Forms” section on the portal and complete the medical form for Mrs. Cullen’s records (Over the Counter Medication Permission Form).  Thank you.

As a reminder, Broadlawn Drive is a ONE WAY street during school days/hours, flowing from Shadowlawn Drive to Mt. Pleasant Ave (Route 10).   No one should be going the other way.  There is a sign posted on Broadlawn Drive and Ridgewood Drive that displays DO NOT ENTER. 

Also, double parking in the Town of Livingston is against the law and will be ticketed when seen.  There is no double parking allowed along Broadlawn Drive at any time.  The safety of our students is the most important thing, and having students come to a car that is double parked car is putting the safety of all children at risk.

We should take every precaution to keep ALL of our children safe, at all times.  Please obey the traffic signs to help ensure the orderly dismissal of all students from MPE.

Upcoming:

PTA General Meeting – October 16^th at 7:30 P.M., Mr. Darst’s Presentation on Literacy Strategies

Stuff the Bus – October 25^th

Halloween Boutique – October 26^th

Halloween Parade – October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.

In the classrooms…

This week, kindergarten students began writing stories about their families.  They read the book “Titch” as an inspiration, and realized that sometimes their lives are a bit like the lives portrayed by characters in books.  They also learned that sometimes, they are also very different!  Students were inspired by a visit by the Livingston Fire Department.  They also read stories and completed projects to reinforce the very important safety lessons that the firefighters taught them.  During word work, students sorted rhyming words into groups.  They learned how to find out whether two words rhyme or not by listening very carefully!

This week in math, the first graders reinforced their number sense by learning how to use a number line. They learned how to order and compare numbers, tell number line addition and subtraction stories, and compare numbers on the number line. During writing, students used the book by Mercer Mayer as a mentor text to write about all the things that they can do. They generated topics and then added details to their stories in support of their ideas. They also learned that their stories are not done until they edit with their “fix and fancy” checklist. During science, students continued to follow the steps of the scientific method as they conducted experiments. This week, they completed an experiment to find out how they can prevent an apple slice from turning brown.  Be sure to ask your first grader about all they learned this week!

Second graders have begun their first social studies unit of the year, an introduction to maps and globes. Students were able to bring prior knowledge and make many personal connections to this topic as they actively investigated both maps of large areas, such as North America, and maps of smaller areas, such as their classroom. During math, students built upon their basic facts by studying subtraction strategies. One goal in second grade is for students to become familiar with addition and subtraction facts so that they know them with automaticity. This will help students to build a strong foundation as they move on through the years to more complex mathematics, like addition and subtraction with regrouping, as well as multiplication and division in future grades. Students are well on their way!

Third grade is continuing their work on their personal narratives in writing. They edited and revised their pieces, including adding writing crafts such as dialogue and character’s action. The classes are finishing up establishing rules and expectations during reading workshop. In math, students continued their work with addition, learning the traditional method and problem solving using key words. During social studies, students learned more about the continents and oceans, while in science, they began to work on their study of igneous rocks.

During fourth grade reading, students finished up with their launching unit, where they looked at all different types of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.  They talked about theme and the elements of fiction, plus much more!  During writing, students worked on their first published piece, a realistic fiction story.  They focused on making their writing great by adding show/not tell, action, internal thinking, and dialogue to their stories.  During math, students worked on addition and subtraction strategies, including mental math and the traditional method.  In science, students moved to their next unit on living things.  They are excited about their first project, making a cell.  We all look forward to seeing how they choose to create their animal or plant cells.  Fourth graders love brain breaks, especially when they color mindful messages.  This was one of their favorites!

Grade 5 ELA students established one or two writing goals for their personal narrative writing unit. They continued to learn the literary Signposts adding the Aha Moment and Words of the Wiser Signposts to their repertoire.

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

We had a great week at MPE!  Please remember that MPE will be participating again this year to Stuff the Bus with donations to benefit those in need through CHOW!  Please send in healthy non-perishables through the morning of October 25, 2018, when the bus will be coming to MPE to be “stuffed”.  MPE teachers will collect the items in the classrooms and students will be involved in bringing items out to the bus on October 25^th. 

From our school counselor, Mrs. Imbimbo

Hello Parent(s)/Guardians,

Just a reminder that next Friday, October 12^th is the last day to bring in shoes for the Soles4Souls Shoe Drive! In addition, please send in your child’s “take home shoe”. The shoe template is attached to this email. Please have your child decorate the shoe and write a few facts about themselves. These will be displayed in the main hallway so we can show everyone at MPE what it is like to walk in your child’s shoe. Thanks so much for your support and partnership! Have a great weekend.

Upcoming Events:

Two Hour Delayed Opening – Monday, October 8^th

PTA General Meeting – October 16^th at 7:30 P.M., Mr. Darst’s Presentation on Literacy Strategies

Stuff the Bus – October 25^th

Halloween Boutique – October 26^th

Halloween Parade – October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.

Please read below to see what your child learned this week!

In Kindergarten, students continued to develop good reading behaviors. They learned this week that both pictures and words help tell a story. They also learned that it is also important to take time and look through a book carefully. As writers, students wrote and shared stories about what they love at school. When a friend is sharing, students are reminded to look at the speaker. During math, students learned about shapes. First, they sorted shapes into 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional. Soon they will be identifying and describing 2D shapes!  With the weather changing, students began to learn about the season of Fall!

First graders explored the Scientific Method in science this week! They followed the steps to perform a color experiment where the students determined what would happen when certain colors were mixed together. They performed the experiment and had fun recording their results! First graders also began writing "I Can" stories where they generated thoughts about things they can do and started to write stories on their own. They practiced remembering to reread their work, check for capital letters at the beginning of their sentences and add punctuation at the end of their sentences. They look forward to learning more next week!

This week in second grade, students started their personal narrative writing unit. They immersed themselves into various mentor texts to see what kinds of features personal narratives included. They learned that personal narratives tell stories from the author’s life, include descriptive language, and can be written over various periods of time. They are so excited to start writing their own personal narratives soon! During science, students have been working hard using the design loop model for STEM/STEAM challenges. After working on various challenges, both individually and in groups, they talked about how they can improve their models for future challenges. They talked about what worked and what didn’t work, and how they can make it better. Second graders have been great engineers this week!

Third grade students worked hard on writing their personal narratives.  Writers learned how to add writer’s crafts to their stories.  By using dialogue, show-not-tell, and descriptive language, the students learned how to make their stories come alive!  During math, students started their unit on addition.  Students learned how to add using partial sums, friendly numbers, and traditional regrouping.   During social studies, students became map experts!   They studied the different maps such as: Political, Physical, Natural Resources, and Precipitation.

Fourth graders are having a blast!  During reading, students discussed a variety of different types of texts and learned strategies for good book conversation, like think-pair-share and how to help each other figure out tricky words when they read.  During Writing, students are in the process of writing their first piece, a realistic fiction story.  Students tried different strategies to gather ideas, including making mini books that include a problem and a couple of attempts to solve that problem.  In Math, students worked with the addition and subtraction unit where they learned all about properties and rules, as well as how to solve problems using mental math.  During science, students had a great time creating their own experiment to perform based on the scientific method.  They tried out the STEAM lab and really enjoyed the experience.  Lastly, in Social Studies, students studied geography and are continuing to discuss the different lenses that social scientists use to study places. 

During fifth grade math, students worked with over and under-estimates.  Students realized how many different places in the real world they use estimation (time, grocery store, party planning, etc.)!  Fifth graders also started their study of measurement learning liquid capacity.  Cooking is just one activity where students need to know how many cups are in a pint, quart, and gallon! Ask them how the "Big G" helps us!

Have a great weekend!

October Parent Letter    PTA Text Reminders

 Shoe Drive ~ FAQ's    PTA Weekly Update

Dear MPE Families,

We had another great week at MPE.  Thank you to everyone who donated to our Walk-a-Thon.  All of the donations go to a local and very supportive charitable organization, Livingston Neighbors, Helping Neighbors.  Attached to this email is the PTA Weekly Update and the signup information for the PTA Text Reminders.  As a reminder, please make sure to follow all parking regulations at dismissal each day.  The parking situation has become dangerous to students as cars are parked in illegal spaces, which in turn, blocks the view from drivers.  Please follow the parking guidelines evident on the signage surrounding MPE. 

This week was our first “family” meeting at MPE.  To begin our lesson, all students in K-5 reported to their new group.  This group will remain the same throughout their years at MPE.  The teacher in charge of their group then introduced the new members of the group, did a welcome activity, and read the book: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.  Students then discussed the importance of treating others with kindness and respect.  These lessons will occur on an ongoing basis throughout the school year and will cover character education concepts as well as focus on our building goal of “growth mindset”.  Please ask your child about their experience and the story that they read while in their group. 

From our school counselor, Mrs. Imbimbo…

With the first month of school quickly coming to a close, MPE is getting ready to celebrate many different events during the month of October. We are kicking off October with the Week of Respect, where we will focus on “putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes”. Starting October 1^st through October 12^th we are going to be hosting a shoe drive with the organization, Soles4Souls. We will be collecting gently used pairs of shoes to give to those in need. Please take a look at the attached FAQ flyer about how you and your family can get involved.

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

The kindergarteners have completed their first full week of school! They have quickly adjusted to their new school routines.  This week they participated in their first “Community Meeting.”  The children were assigned to a MPE teacher along with other students from grades 1 – 5.  This week’s lesson centered around the theme of kindness.  They listened to the story Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.  The children were given the opportunity to reflect on what it means and how we can show kindness to others.  Kindergarten also participated in their first MPE Walkathon.  They worked  hard by walking 2 laps around the complex.  Thank you to all who came to cheer them on! During Reading Workshop, the children are understanding that books can become “Old Favorites.”  They read books over and over because they love them.  Everyone has an “old favorite!” In Writing Workshop, the children are getting ready to write about what they love about school.  They listened to the story I Love School to help generate ideas.  It’s great to see how many things make them happy at MPE!  

In first grade students thought of the many ways that kindness matters.  Not only in big ways, but also that very small things can make a difference.  During science, students investigated the changes that fall brings and will use their senses to see, feel, and hear the changes around them. 

During writing, second grade students learned about different strategies that the famous author, Donald Crews used.  This week, students examined how Crews used descriptive details and pictures to make the reader feel a certain way.  Students then used those strategies to edit their own writing!  In word study, students continued to introduce and add on new routines to the ones they started last week.  During science, students were introduced to the engineering process and will be able to put it into action by planning a device that will hold at least 20 pennies in water.  Students will have to plan, create, and then talk about how they can make their creation better! 

During third grade math, students finished up the number sense unit by learning how to round to the nearest ten and hundred. In science, students discussed rock properties and used magnifying glasses to observe rocks. During social studies, children worked on their map skills by learning about the hemispheres and map symbols. Finally, during writing, students continue to work on their personal narratives by mapping out their stories using movie strips.

In the fourth grade, students were excited to have their very first MPE Pride Community Meeting on Wednesday morning. They learned about the importance of spreading kindness to others and are looking forward to their next lesson. During reading, the students continued to learn about the importance of developing a reading life. They created reading goals, continued to “Stop and Jot” as they read, and learned how to have enriching conversations about books with other readers.  In writing, the writers began learning the organizational components of a realistic fiction writing piece and were excited to begin drafting one of their own. Through fun, hands-on activities, the mathematicians reviewed for their first unit test on place value. In preparation for the test, they developed a better understanding of rounding by learning the “Rolling Nines Strategy”.  During social studies, students continued their unit on regional maps through the PPECS lens. They have come to understand that there are different types of maps that serve different purposes in their everyday lives. Finally, during science, the classes continued to investigate the scientific method.  On their own, the students developed questions and experiments to demonstrate their knowledge of the method.

This week in science, fifth grade students continued to talk about The Scientific Method and used those steps to complete their own paper airplane experiment.  During social studies, fifth grade students discussed primary and secondary sources to examine which sources were trustworthy.  They also learned more about the skill of analyzing timelines.   

In Physical Education classes students became accustomed to class routines and expectations for the year. Safety Guidelines and procedures were discussed for the gymnasium and the playground equipment. All grades participated in a variety of spatial awareness activities which focused on moving their bodies safely as well as cooperative activities demonstrating and expressing the importance of team work, sportsmanship and treating others nicely.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

Thank you for attending our Back to School Night last night!  We loved getting to see all of you and we hope that you had a great time learning about your child’s classroom and MPE experience! Attached to this email is the presentation from last night.  It contains valuable information regarding the school as well as the MPE PTA. 

The video shown last night is available to be viewed by clicking on the following link: 

Back to School Night Video.  

Thank you again to Mrs. Ratner for creating the video and helping to highlight the amazing events that the PTA creates for the students of MPE.

The registration for the Fall After School Enrichment Sessions run by the PTA is OPEN.  Classes are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.  Please see the attached PTA Weekly Update for more information or visit the PTA Website. 

As a reminder, your child’s cooperative attitude and behavior while at enrichment classes are essential.  If behavior is disruptive, the PTA will consult with the parents and one warning will be given.  A second incident will not be permitted. No refunds, credits or switching will be issued.

Upcoming Events

SEPAC Back to School Night – September 27^th at 6:30 P.M. in the MPE Media Center

MPE Walk-a-thon & School Spirit Day (Wear MPE Apparel or blue and white) – September 26^th

Lifetouch Picture Day – September 28^th – Individual Pictures Only

MPE Book Fair – October 2^nd through October 4^th

Two Hour Delayed Opening – October 8^th

PTA General Meeting – October 16^th at 7:30 P.M., Mr. Darst’s Presentation on Literacy Strategies

Stuff the Bus – October 25^th

Halloween Boutique – October 26^th

Halloween Parade – October 31^st at 1:30 P.M.

Meanwhile, in the classrooms…

This week, kindergarten students learned how to be safe at school.  They practiced fire drills and lockdown drills, and learned that when they all stick together, they stay safe!  The children also learned about the routines around the classroom.  They are doing a great job of moving through the centers in the afternoon where they also try out new centers with their friends!  Some of the centers that the kids are enjoy, include: Table Toys, Play-doh, Blocks, The Home Center, and Puzzles, to name a few!  The children also worked on learning the routines of Word Work, where they cut out pieces to sort, according to the rules of the sort!  They are starting to be organized students!!  

First graders have been hard at work. They reviewed reading and writing workshop routines and learned good workshop habits. During math, students practiced how to count objects, by reading and writing numbers. During social studies, students worked on establishing a classroom community that demonstrates kindness and caring towards others. 

Second graders were excited to participate in several science experiments this week as they learned all about the Scientific Method and the steps that scientists use in order to find answers to their questions. Ask your scientist about the incredible “blue dye experiment” that shocked all of them! During writing workshop students went on a walk around the school with clipboards and writing tools to explore and sketch things that inspired them. Back in the classroom they used these images to spark writing pieces. Finally, during math, they continued to review and practice addition strategies and build on their already impressive number sense.

Third graders have been busy this week listing writing ideas in their writing journals.   Students learned that when they write personal narratives, they write about people, places and things that are important to them.  During math, students learned how to compare numbers and how to order numbers in their Number Sense Unit.  In social studies, students learned more about symbols on a map and cardinal directions.  During science, students studied what is inside the Earth.  They examined the four layers of the Earth and what makes each layer different. 

Fourth graders were busy learning the steps of the Scientific Method this week and comparing/contrasting the Scientific Method to the Engineering Design Loop.  They did a fun experiment with lemons, limes, and oranges to see which ones would sink and which would float and figure out why. During reading, students learned all about how Reader’s Workshop functions and listened to a variety of texts to help them practice “thinking” about what they read. During writing, students began their Realistic Fiction Unit and will soon learn the steps of writing a realistic fiction story. During social studies, students used their atlases to learn about what makes a region. The students came up with their own questions and were able to use the PPECS framework (Physical, Political, Social, Economic and Cultural) to answer them.  Students also had fun working with math stations, learning how to compare and order numbers.  They reviewed their rounding skills and will soon be rounding numbers through the millions!  Students are busy preparing for their first math quiz next week.

Fifth grade ELA students completed a series of stations that provided them with information about the culture and societal norms of the 1920’s as well as the concept of immigration. This work will help to provide them with background knowledge for the first read aloud of the year, Letters From Rifka. They also started to use literary Signposts in order to help them begin to think about literature more deeply.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Dear MPE Families,

We had another great week at MPE!  We look forward to seeing everyone next week at our Back to School Night on Thursday, September 20^th.  Please see the attached schedule for the night!

Upcoming Events:

MPE Back to School Night – September 20^th (see attached schedule)
SEPAC Back to School Night – September 27^th at 6:30 P.M. in the MPE Media Center

MPE Walk-a-thon – September 26^th at 1:45 P.M.

Lifetouch Picture Day – September 28^th – Individual Pictures Only

MPE Book Fair – October 2^nd through October 4^th

Two Hour Delayed Opening – October 8^th

PTA General Meeting – October 16^th at 7:30 P.M., Mr. Darst’s Presentation on Literacy Strategies

Please read below to find out what was taught at MPE this week!

In Kindergarten, students worked on learning their new daily routines.  They practiced unpacking and hanging up their materials in the morning as well as choosing their lunch option and packing up in the afternoon!  Making friends and learning their names was also a big part of their day. Students learned good reading behaviors such as how to hold books, turn pages, and look at the pictures and words. They also practiced being writers by writing stories of what they can do. During math, students were introduced to the calendar.  They will do Calendar Math Activities every day in Kindergarten!   

First graders had a great week! They reviewed how readers build good habits and set goals for themselves. Students practiced rereading favorite parts of books and retelling what happened in the stories with their classmates. In math, students looked at how patterns repeat and extend. They read the big book Pitterpats, where together, they described the patterns of Pitterpat creatures. Then, they had fun creating patterns of their own and enjoyed sharing them with the class!

This week in second grade, Reading and Writing Workshops were launched! Students learned how to shop for “good fit” books, and shared their reading lives. They talked about what types of books they enjoyed reading, and created reading goals for themselves. In writing, second graders practiced generating topics to write about, and used “Bigmama’s” by Donald Crews as a mentor text to write about real life experiences. In math, students began their first unit where they reviewed addition strategies like counting on using a number line.

The third grade began their Number Sense Unit, where they learned how to write numbers in standard, word and expanded form. The classes completed a “book tasting,” where they sampled different genres of books to figure out which kinds of books they enjoy the most! The classes also began generating ideas for their personal narrative writing, were they thought of people that have impacted their lives. During science, the students also challenged themselves with a STEM project to build collaboration, communication and problem solving with their peers!

Fourth grade is off to a wonderful start.  During reading, students learned all about routines for reading workshop.  They heard some exciting read alouds that have inspired them to be the best readers they can be.  During writing, students worked on gathering ideas that they could write about.  Very soon, students will work on their first piece of realistic fiction writing.  During math, students learned about number sense and how to read and write big numbers in a variety of different ways.  Students had lots of fun during science were they learned all about the concepts of claim, evidence,  and reasoning.  They also reviewed the concept of the Scientific Method with some hands-on experiments.  Ask your child about the spaghetti/marshmallow towers they created.  Lastly, during social studies, students began to learn about the five different lenses that social scientists use to study regions.  Students cannot wait to learn more about PPECS in the coming weeks.

Fifth grade students did a great job of cycling between their teachers and getting to know their new routine!  During math, students reviewed place values and worked with numbers from the hundred billionths place through the thousandths place.  Students also practiced the routine of calendar math by identifying all of the prime numbers between 1 and 100.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,

Emily Sortino, Ed.D.

Principal

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School