Sea Cliff School Parent Community Association

Library: In fifth grade library classes we have been focusing on freedom of speech. Students have read pro/con articles about professional athletes’ right to protest at games and have been taking a position on the issue. Students have considered multiple perspectives and are writing and supporting what they believe.

 In library, fourth grade just participated in an interactive readers theatre video conference. Students were Loyalists, British soldiers, Patriots, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and immersed themselves in the time period.

 In third grade library class, we are connecting to their China study as we read Little White Duck – a childhood in China. This graphic novel memoir encourages analyzing images and provides a first person account of life beginning in 1973 under Mao.

 K-2, we are focusing on Black History month. Ruby Bridges bio and black and white photos of her integrating the William Frantz elementary school in 1960.

 PE: In PE we are finishing jump rope and hoops for heart this Friday.  We have been working on various jumping/plyometric activities and learning skills and games in basketball.  We will be doing the Winter Olympics next and going into our challenge/climbing/gymnastics unit after that.  We hosted our 5th grade basketball shoot-out after-school before break, where the top 5 5th grade boys and girls in lay-ups and free throws competed against the top 5 boys and girls from GWL and GH.

Spanish: My 3rd grade students will be learning school supplies and important expressions in the classroom. My 4th graders will be learning winter activities and expressions  such as likes and dislikes. And in 5th grade they will be writing pen pal letters to other 5th grade students in Sea Cliff. They will be exchanging personal basic information as well as asking their peers about themselves.

 Mandarin: In fifth grade we are working on a digital, multimedia project for the culmination of our family unit.  Students have typed up a short book introducing their family members in Mandarin, and now will be making a movie using the Apple I-movie software where they will narrate pictures of their family members using mandarin.  In other classes, we are learning about body parts, countries, and the calendar through interactive, multimedia activities and learning centers.

Music: Right now the Sea Cliff Singers are preparing for their March 16th performance at the Barclays Center. Piano NYSSMA forms are due to me by March 8th.

 STEAM: Kindergarten:

After first exploring how ramps affect the motion of rolling objects, kindergarten engineers are currently extending their knowledge of ramp construction as they build and test marble roller coasters made out of foam insulation tubing.

 First Grade:

To enrich their classroom learning about astronomy, first graders have been busy building and using models to better understand our solar system.  Starting with day and night, students used flashlights and miniature globes to model how day and night repeat as a pattern.  From there, students used their models to visualize how a year happens on Earth, as well as the scale of the planets in our solar system.  This week, students will begin constructing paper rockets as they consider how the design of a rocket affects its motion and flight.

 Second Grade:

To conclude their STEAM work with balance and weighing, students collaborated to build different types of balanced structures.  After first trying to balance 10 different classroom objects to create a tower that was at least 2 feet tall, students worked together to build innovative and unique balanced rock sculptures.  As part of a Valentine’s Day inspired engineering challenge, students then considered how they could use a provided set of classroom materials to construct a working bow and arrow.  Each engineering group split into two smaller teams; one made the bow, while the other made the arrow.  Groups are currently testing, evaluating, and refining their devices and learning from other successful designs.

 Kindergarten:  In K we are starting to finish our Teachers College How To writing.  The children have learned to use the words first, next, then and last to show sequence of steps in writing.  They also know that How to writers teach their readers about something.

In math we are doing 3D shapes and having fun with cylinders, cubes, cones, pyramids and spheres.  They are very different than 2D shapes bc they have a face and edge  most of the time.

We are in the middle of our science unit of winter and we are learning how weather changes people, animals and plants.  We have loved learning about how animals adapt in winter by migrating, hibernating or foraging.

1^st: First grade just completed a fairytale genre study that emphasized  character development and story elements through Reader’s Theater and ended with the Fairytale Ball culmination. In Writer’s Workshop we are focusing on writing reviews. The current mathematics unit is exploring measurement.  Our science unit on astronomy will be enriched by our upcoming trip to the Vanderbilt Planetarium on March 10th.

2^nd:  Second grade just finished up their community study by creating their own classroom community. The students wrote about a place in our community, why it was important, if it met a need or want.  Then created a building of that place.  We are in the midst of writing realistic fiction and learning about walking in a character’s shoes in reading.

 3^rd: Third grade’s interdisciplinary unit is exploring life in China with a focus on global issues affecting the people.  We are exploring rocks and minerals.  We completed a study of fractions.  Our work in literacy is writing about reading (paragraphs, responding to questions about various texts).

4^th: The 4th grade is currently reading various texts in a Reading Restaurant fashion! We are exploring and thinking deeply about components of a difficult text, author’s craft and questioning. For math we are studying geometry, angles, and lines. We just had a great readers theater performance to culminate our American Revolution study and we are beginning to explore motion and design in science challenges!

5^th: Math-starting geometry

Finishing up argument writing

Focusing on close, reading analysis and supporting our thinking with text evidence.

• 3/24 Game Night
  • Dessert donations needed
  • Great job Jamboree
  • Play next Week, 2 perfomances
  • Need Beach Party Chair
  • Ali Ciampa and Natasha will be handling food for Carnival

• First grade TA Ms. McGovern is leaving and Ms. Amy Roberts will be her new replacement
• February and March- focus on health and fitness
  • Fruit Fridays
  • Mindfulness exercises throughout school in am
    • So far 7 classes have as a daily morning routine
  • Mindfulness expert coming to talk to teachers
  • Jump Rope For Heart underway
  • planning to book “Mr. Recess”
  • playgrounds should be finished early April
  • Teacher training in Social Emotional Stanford K-5 program coming at end of school year
  • Dr. Z working his own website for parents
  • have a public speaking coach for 4&5 grades from Teachers College
  • Looking for a poet to visit school during poetry week
  • Grade 2 culmination photos coming soon

• 11 members
• Education and financial issues that affect our schools
• formed coalition with Manhasset and Garden City LAC’s
• Will be attending a coalition breakfast with senators and assembly members in Garden City
  • pressing on issues such as state aid
  • long term history of inadequate funding for education by the state
• ***please look on our website on the North Shore schools page under Board of Ed tag
  • Here you will find in detail the issues that are most pressing to LAC and what they have been working on.
  • 3/31 State Budget vote
• DEB MCDERMOTT IS RUNNING FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE
  • Deb McDermott for Sea Cliff on Facebook

• New Superintendent: Peter Diroso from Pelham
• New filtered water fountain in schools
• Board working on budget now
  • Look online for information
  • May vote

• 3/8 7:30 high school library meeting “How to Effectively Advocate for Your Child”
  • presented by Randy young from LI Parent Center for Community Inclusion(CCI) At Long Island University post
  • This interactive workshop will enhance your understanding of how to advocate for your child.  You will learn about rights and roles in the education process and strategies to obtain the services your child needs while building strong relationships with professionals.
  • In addition you will learn about a new pilot program through NYS, IEP Facilitation, a program designed to help parents and all members of the IEP team effectively communicate and draft an IEP that best meets the needs on the student.  All are welcome.

• 3/7 Free sample from Our Harvest
• 3/11 School Play: 2 performances
• 3/24 Piano recital
• upcoming PCA meetings:  5/3 & 6 7
• PCA website: https://www.seacliffpca.net
• Like us on Facebook:  SeaCliffElementaryPCA

• Our Harvest: online farmers market
  • 25% off first order code: KIDS
• Amazon Smile:
  • https://smile.amazon.com
  • Choose Sea Cliff Elementary
• Box Tops!
  • Please collect box tops from groceries and household items and place them in the BOXTOP mailbox in the main office.