Welcome!
ALI CIAMPA
- Our outdoor gardens will be installed in the water fountain/bench area on the blacktop after the building’s exterior brick work is finished.
- We need volunteers for open positions on the PCA board:
Co- President
Co-Event Chairperson
2 Treasurers
Merchandising
PR - Slate presented in May, vote in June. Contact Ali or Danielle
- We also need a volunteer for the nominating committee. Description:
As you know multiple positions are open for the PCA Executive board. Per the PCA bylaws, we need a few people to comprise the nominating committee to communicate with prospective candidates. Please read the requirements below and let me know if you are interested in being on the nominating committee. - The requirements include:Emailing the school parents (via Mr Z) about the open positions and requesting volunteers:
Co-President – 2 year term
(2) Treasurer – 2 year term
Co-Events – 2 year term
Outreach (New name PR) – 2 year term
Co-Fundraising (new name merchandise) – 2 year term
When a candidate contacts you regarding the position you need to communicate the position responsibilities via email. At the May Meeting you will present the slate of candidates (People can also come forward at the meeting). New board members are voted in at the June meeting. - Volunteers are needed for the after school program. Contact Christine Abbenda Hughes
- Volunteers need to host evening “Coffee Talks.” Host friends and neighbors for an informative evening with Dr. Melnick and the Superintendent for business in your home. Contact Shelly Newman at the central office
- Ladies night out with Mary Drew at Cedar CreekThursday 3/10 fund raiser for gardening and outdoor learning areas
- PCA and student government 1st annual fun run, Saturday April 16- more details to follow. Questions and volunteers contact: Kirsten Marchioli and Christina Volz
DENISE SUSSMAN & NATASHA DIFEO EVENT CHAIRS
Thank you Todd Korte for an amazing science night!
Thank you Aimee Sanborn for running the school play!
Thank you Sasha Popatov for running international night!
The jamboree will take place April first. The deadline to enter is March 17. Heather Synder is running it
Staff luncheon is May 17. Information to follow
GAYLE D’VERSA, SEPTA
Dr. Linda La Marca is speaking at the march 30 meeting at 7:30 in the high school library
Septa will be offering a scholarship, details will be sent out
SARAH JONES, Board of Ed.
This has been a difficult budget year
We are allowed only a .67% increase in budget this year
There will be a review of the guidance department. Due to new State guidelines we may need to hire 4 additional guidance counselors according to Dr. Melnick the changes to state tests are not significant. The laws are the same, the shortened test is not significant and teacher involvement is not happening soon enough.
The process for interviewing a new superintendent has begun in preparation for Dr. Melnick’s retirement.
Next Board of Ed. meeting we will interview search forums to help us find our new superintendent. Their will be a Viking Explorers presentation, and a Cuba Trip presentation. Check out Sarah Jones profile on Facebook.
DEBORAH MCDERMOTT, LAC:
LAC advocates for legislative issues that affect our district.
March is when legislators negotiate the budget so it is the time to advocate.
We have a coalition with the Garden City and Manhasset LAC’s
The 3 above mentioned LAC’s had a breakfast with our assembly members to discuss 3 main topics:
NS-LIPA
GC-Tax cap legislation
Manhasset- State testing & APPR(teacher evaluations)
LIPA’s 600 small properties have been removed from the tax role. They are being billed for these properties instead. They shorted every district. It cost ours $2.5 Million
Nassau county districts are suing LIPA. We asked our legislators for help.
We also asked our legislators to simplify the complicated formula related to the 2% tax cap.
Asking for 30-12D amendment change, return to using student work and other forms of evaluations. Also that schools do not have to use independent observers(that we pay) to evaluate teachers. Principals should do it.
MS. SCHLEIFEN, GRADE HAPPENINGS
K: Writing- finishing how to books. Moving on to All About books
Reading- building our reading muscles- looking for students to be at a benchmark of B
Math- geometry
Science/social studies- will begin nursery rhymes shortly
Looking forward to working in the garden as the weather gets warmer.
1st: First graders had their Fairy Tale Ball on February 12. Students were very excited to share all they learned with their family by singing songs, reciting poems, performing readers theater and showing off their Fairy Tale Reviews.
Thanks to the generosity of the PCA, On February 26, the entire first grade visited the Vanderbilt Planetarium for an interactive show called “Take a Wild Ride Through the Solar System” as part of our new astronomy unit in science.
2nd: We are working on a STEAM field trip for April. Information will be coming home in the mail
as soon as it is all confirmed.
We had a great video conference on Long Ago, the kids were very engaged and really saw the differences between life in 2016 and 1890. We are creating poems in writing and learning about balance and weight in science.
3rd: In literacy we are learning how to read more closely and respond to questions about texts in the written form, paragraphs. We will be exploring the poetry, the craft and appreciation for the form. Also, we will be learning about SLAM poetry. This work will coincide with our last interdisciplinary unit where we explored peoples access to food, water and education around the world. We will be going to the NCMA one more time.
4th: Students in 4th grade have completed their research projects on The American Revolution. They researched an event and created presentations to teach others about their area. The students are enjoying learning all about lines, angles, and shapes. They love learning how to use math tools like the protractor and drawing triangle to create perpendicular and parallel lines.
5th: 5th grade is finishing up unit 10 in math, and starting literary essays in writing. They are also
working on their science fair projects in swes. We have a field trip coming up in March to the Cradle of Aviation for a Conservation Day event.
Music:
The Sea Cliff Singers are gearing up for their Barclays Center debut on March 23rd. They will also be performing at the rescheduled International Night on March 3rd. NYSSMA is coming up and a large group of students are preparing to sing solos at the festival. The third grade just had their interdisciplinary China culmination, which included Art, Music and social studies. A write up of this event and some pictures can be found on the Sea Cliff website. The fourth and fifth graders are preparing for their Spring Concert which is set to take place on May 3rd.
Art:
Our stem fair this year will be called the STEAM fair, and include a display of artwork that supports science, math, design, or technology. We just had our China Culmination in 3rd grade, in which students were engaged in the process of creating Chinese Dragon Puppets. They are continuing their exploration of Chinese art.
K, 1, 2– Engaged in artist studies that are linked to their classroom curricula. Winter K- 2 portfolios will be going home soon.
4, 5- Students are learning about value and applying it in different ways.
5th graders are keeping their art stored at school until the end of the year. We will be using the auditorium as an exhibit space of artwork of their choice at graduation. Every grade level is working on a painting for the auction!
PE:
As we head into the month of March, we begin celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early by setting a trap in the gym to try to catch another Leprechaun! We are also beginning our Gymnastics/Challenge Unit. Our students will participate in a variety of activities related to gymnastics. We use the rings, balance beam, vaulting horse, tumbling mats, climbing ropes and cargo net to help improve fitness, strength and self esteem through various challenge activities. Our culmination is the Indiana Jones Temple of Doom full gym obstacle course, incorporating many of the skills learned throughout the month…..our students favorite!!!
RENATO STAFFORD, SEA CLIFF COMMUNITY GARDEN CONSULTANT AND COORDINATOR:
- personal experience:
Created his own zero energy hoop style house, runs outside gardens as well.
produces enough fruits and vegetables to fed his family throughout the year and much more.
grows tomatoes, onions garlic zucchini, fig trees, potatoes, snap peas, fruit trees, apples, melons, watermelons, string beans peppers, eggplant. He also fishes and clams all year long
extremely knowledgeable about making organic compost
His wife and children are also involved in growing their own food - work:
teaches others how to do this
hired by restaurants, backyard gardeners, and schools
has created similar project at Waldorf school in Garden City. Produced 5 months of leafy greens for student meals
Hamptons Bays Middle school. Uses vegetables in cafeteria and sells at farmers markets to raise money
created gardens for Oceanside resturant so that they could grow their own organic produce
Healthy soil is extremely important. Teaches about compost- ash from wood, veggies, leaves, seaweed for salts and minerals, cow and chicken manure - Sea Cliff Project:
Renato will be involved in teaching the kids and adults once a week here
creating gardens and hoop house
starting seeds
starting plants
soil- running a compost program
irrigation
weeding
insect/critter prevention
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NEXT MEETING WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH!
Sea Cliff School Parent Community Association 