Thu, 30 Jun 2011 9:58:30 EDT

ETHEL MCKNIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 58 TWIN RIVERS DRIVE EAST WINDSOR, NJ 08520

RESPECT YOURSELF RESPECT OTHERS RESPECT YOUR SCHOOL

Gayle Parker, Principal April, 2009 Sylvia Zircher, Assistant Principal Dear McKnight Families, It is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the third marking period and beginning our last quarter of the year. Many exciting events are planned such as spring field trips, our chorus, band and dance performances and of course, our fifth grade promotion! Speaking of spring, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Lumkong for conducting grade level presentations on Earth Hour, an initiative to save our environment. The students gained much valuable information and learned that we can make a difference if we all work together! Consequently, our Student Council, advised by Mrs. Katz, is embarking on a school-wide recycling plan as developed by third grader Casey Weber. McKnight School is going green! Spring also is the time for NJASK assessments for grades 3, 4, and 5 and NJPASS for grade 2. NJASK will be administered during the week of May 4th. NJPASS will be administered the week of May 11th. You may ask, why assessment? Assessments are done to ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward learning the required knowledge and skills defined in the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS). Assessments are intended to give individual feedback on the students� progress in achieving the standards. The following website at the New Jersey Department of Education will provide you with more information regarding the NJASK assessment: www.nj.gov/education/assessment/. Information is provided in both English and Spanish. You might wonder what you can do as a parent to support your child. First of all reassure your children and encourage them to try their best. Some children experience anxiety regarding the testing process. We want to let them know that they are not expected to be an expert in all areas. The best thing for you to do at home is to make sure that your child gets enough sleep each night, eats a healthy breakfast and arrives to school on time. Testing takes place the first thing in the morning. The week following testing is designated for make-ups in case your child is ill during the testing week. We thank you for your assistance in making testing as smooth as possible for your child. I�d like to wish all of our families a happy and healthy Spring. Yours in Education, Gayle Parker

Bullying vs. conflict By Mrs. Zircher, Assistant Principal

Bullying happens whenever someone uses his or her power unfairly and repeatedly to hurt someone else. One of the most difficult things is to understand the difference between bullying and normal conflict. Recently, I was invited by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation to attend a workshop for administrators about teasing and bullying. One of the most important things I learned is that there are distinct differences between acts of bullying and normal conflict. The chart below indicates some guidelines for understanding both.

Bullying Normal Conflict Imbalance of power Can occur between friends Repeated actions Happens occasionally Purposeful Accidental/impulsive No remorse Remorse is evident Bully blames the victim Both parties take responsibility Makes no effort to solve the problem Both parties seek resolution or assistance Attention/control seeking behaviors No power seeking or attention getting

If you suspect that your child is a victim of bullying, please contact Mrs. Rogers, our school counselor, Mrs. Parker, our principal, or myself, immediately. It is best to address bullying behaviors right away, and initiate a plan to assist the bully in making better choices, and the victim in becoming more assertive. If you believe your child is having difficulty resolving normal conflict, please contact Mrs. Rogers. She is an excellent resource in providing support for student compromise and conflict resolution. The following may also assist you in initiating discussion with your child regarding conflict resolution.

Steps to Resolve Conflict 1. Cool off � brainstorm some ideas with your child for cooling off. One idea may be to count to ten, or take a few deep breaths. 2. Use an I-Message � Each person takes turns explaining their side of the story and how they felt about the situation. No blaming, no name calling, no interrupting. 3. Say it Back � Take some time to state the problem as the other person sees it. 4. Take Responsibility � Each person states how he/she is responsible for the problem. 5. Brainstorm Solutions � Both parties think of ideas for compromise. 6. Acknowledge � Affirm, forgive, or thank your partner.

Although there are six steps to the process, it only takes a few minutes to resolve a conflict in this way. Role play situations to practice this at home. At the Bar Association Workshop, I learned that the most effective way to combat bullying is to develop a school-wide culture and climate that is community based and supportive of individual needs. Our Responsive Classroom initiative has been instrumental in building this type of climate and culture at McKnight! The underlying belief of the Responsive classroom approach is that it is important to know children individually, culturally, and developmentally. Academic learning happens best within a positive social context, therefore at McKnight much attention is paid to helping children develop positive social skills. We continue to appreciate all you do in collaborating with us to meet the needs of our children. For additional resources, please visit the following websites: http://www.stopbullyingnow.com http://pbskids.org www.njbullying.org

NEWS FROM THE COMMONS

Dear Families, We hope that you and your family enjoyed a wonderful spring break and got a chance to spend some quality time together away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As we begin the last semester of school, we thought it would be a good time to discuss how fears can impact the lives of children. We found a fantastic article that discusses ways to help your child through things they may be fearful of and how to help them to overcome their anxiety. We hope you find this as helpful as we did. Sincerely, The EMK Kindergarten Teachers:  Diane, Mindy, Nicole and Shannon

Dealing with Fears Lots of things can be scary to children -- loud thunder, the dark, barking dogs, clowns. Young children are just starting to learn about the world. So they do not understand much. They often feel small and not very safe. Things can be scary when you do not understand them, even things that are not real -- like monsters or bad dreams. Parents can get upset, too, when their children are afraid. Fears seem "babyish." Parents often worry that fears will hold their children back from doing things, sleeping well, and making friends. It can help to remember that fears are normal in childhood ... and fears do not go away easily. Most children outgrow fears as they learn more about the world and find ways to manage their feelings. You can help your child feel safer and stronger by your patience and your love. Fears are a normal part of growing up. Let your child know that many children are afraid of things -- even if they do not show it. Try to remember when you were scared as a child. That can help you know how important your comfort is to your child. And you can trust that some day, your child will feel stronger, too. Listen with care when your child tells you what he or she is afraid of. Do not tease. Do not say, "There is nothing to be afraid of." Fears are real to children. Children need your caring help until they get over their fear. Try not to force your child to do something that is scary. Forcing can make children even more afraid. You might say something like, "I know that is scary for you. Hold my hand. I will help you feel safe." It is ok to stay away from something that can scare your child. For example, � Cross the street to get away from a barking dog. � Do not let your child watch scary TV shows. You can say something like, "Maybe you can do it another day." Then your child knows you understand this is hard. Children feel stronger when they have some power over the fear. Give your child things to do to help with the fear. � Let your child turn on a nightlight or flashlight. Then your child can make the room not so dark and not so scary. � In a storm, your child may want to yell "Boom!" or bang on pots when you hear thunder. � Let your child turn on the vacuum cleaner to be in charge of the noise. � Ask your child to turn off a television show that is scary. Children can feel powerful when they turn it off. Children do not know what is real and what is not real. Your child needs your help to learn what is real and what is pretend. You can say something like, "I understand that is scary for you, but monsters are not real." Many children need to hear again and again that monsters are not real. There are many books that help children with fears. � Your child may be able to hear about something scary, if it is in a book -- and if you are nearby. � Talk about what is not real in the book. � Try not to make your voice scary when you read. That may make your child afraid. Play helps children work on their fears. When children play about something, they are in charge. Then they do not feel so small, helpless, and scared. Children may play about the same thing over and over. Each time they play about something, they understand it a little bit better. And they get a little bit stronger ... and less afraid. Children may want to draw a picture about a monster or dream that scared them. Remember that even playing or drawing about something can be too scary for some children. When children play about monsters or superheroes, their play can get wild. That is because they are scared. They need an adult to stop them and help them calm down. Getting over fears can take a lot of time. But if fears hold your child back from playing or making friends, you may want to ask your child's teacher or a doctor. First Grade

With the arrival of Spring, first grade has been studying ways to nurture nature and take care of the Earth. On April 3, we visited PSE&G GreenFest 2009 at Garden State Exhibit Center. The children participated in a variety of �green� activities, including composting, organic cooking, saving water and planting seeds. In addition, the children were given the opportunity to make �Save the Earth� themed flags using recyclable materials. This was a fun way to get ready for Earth Day on April 22nd. Back in the first grade classrooms, the children will be reading, writing, and illustrating their own ideas of how children their age can help the environment.

Second Grade Newsletter

Spring has finally arrived and we�ve been having a very productive and exciting season so far! We are really growing into strong, independent readers and writers. We�ve been busy using the writing process and writing beautiful poems about Spring. We�ve also become more knowledgeable mathematicians and scientists. We know how to work with fractions and can tell you the best way to cut a pizza for a group of friends. We have learned about probability and can tell you the likelihood of an event occurring. In science, we�ve been making quite a commotion with spinners, zoomers, and rollers. We know that a force moves an object along and we can even predict which way an object is going to move. Even though we�re enjoying our unit on Balance & Motion, we�re really looking forward to our study of Plants & Organisms later this month. We can�t wait for our trip to Insectropolis and look forward to examining some interesting bugs close up. As always, the second grade teachers are very appreciative of our parent volunteers and for all of the help and support our students receive from their wonderful parents at home. We look forward to the remainder of this school year and the fun, exciting lessons to come!

Third Grade News

Like flowers in the spring, our students continue to bloom. They are growing in every way.

We had the wonderful experience of seeing the play Charlotte�s Web at the Trenton War Memorial. We all enjoyed the show and the follow-up discussions. We compared the book and the play. The book by E.B. White is our favorite.

We have been astronomers studying the solar system and now we are becoming chemists. We have started our study of chemistry. The students will put on their goggles and make discoveries.

We marched through the Revolutionary War and we have discussed New Jersey history and government. Our next field trip will be on April 16th to The Old Barracks and the State House in Trenton. Exciting history awaits us.

Please keep practicing the multiplication and division facts.

We hope your Spring Break was peaceful.

Fourth Grade Happenings Spring is here and your children are blossoming as we approach the fourth marking period. This past marking period the fourth graders enjoyed learning about magnetism and electricity. They have been discovering how to light a bulb and make a motor run by making a complete circuit. In reading the children researched a famous American and shared what they learned with their classmates. We are encouraging our children to become lifelong readers. Reading each night for at least 25 minutes helps them reach this goal. In math your children have become mathematicians. The fourth graders were busy collecting data, analyzing it, and displaying the information using different types of graphs. They also learned about probability, the chance of something happening. It is very important for your child to master all his facts. The district offers great programs to reinforce what they are taught in school. Study Island is based on the math standards and Math Facts in a Flash helps children learn their facts. To help your child become more computer literate they should go on Learning.com. The children really enjoyed seeing �My Heart In a Suitcase.� Reading picture books about the holocaust really prepared them for seeing the play. After seeing the play, many children were inspired to write poems about war and the holocaust. Our final trip will be on June 2, 2009. We�ll be going to The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. More information will be coming home soon. We hope that many of you can join us. Thank you for your support! We are enjoying working with our Fourth Graders!

Fifth Grade Welcomes Spring

Hay fever maybe, but �spring fever��..not yet. The fifth graders have already enjoyed their spring break; however, academics still need their full attention as they busily prepare for the upcoming NJ ASK test.

They continually review math concepts previously taught with their daily Calendar Math activities, Math by the Minute exercises, independently working at centers, completing Problem of the Day exercises, or through the use of computer programs. In April�s calendar Math alone, students revisit geometric terminology, measurement conversions, equivalent fractions, decimals, percents, data analysis and algebraic thinking. Students are perfecting problem solving strategies such as working backward, making a table, drawing a picture, using logical reasoning, or guess and check. Many types of graphs have been created of their real-life experiences using our computer technology. If you�d like to practice further with your child, Study Island is a valuable resource.

Fifth graders have such wonderful opportunities to read �good� literature. Some students are currently reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry which enlightens them in regard to the subject of the holocaust. Others are learning the process of journaling as they read Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. While some learn by reading the novel, Wringer by Jerry Spinelli that celebrating a birthday is not always an enjoyable experience. In Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko, students learn about developing compassion for a disability. Whatever novels are read, students are expanding their vocabulary and strengthening their comprehension skills as they become exposed to a variety of genre.

In social studies we continue our Age of Exploration. Most people are aware that Columbus received the recognition for discovering America, but current research indicates that the continent was actually found by a Viking, named Leif Erickson. The stories behind the adventures of explorers such as Marco Polo, Hernan Cortes, Jacques Cartier, Sir Francis Drake and many others are truly exciting!

Our study of Oceanography officially comes to an end at the close of the third marking period. However, on our trip to Sandy Hook on June 4th, we will revisit some of the critters of the aquatic world.

There are numerous prospective events on the horizon for the fifth grade students. These include a fun-filled trip to Sandy Hook, the annual Fifth Grade Picnic at Etra Park, orientation to the Kreps School, a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Promotion. Be on the lookout for notices coming home regarding these special events.

Mission Democracy Teaching our children to become more informed and responsible citizens.

The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and Congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Teaching children the role of citizenship in a democracy is an important goal of parents and educational institutions. The East Windsor Regional School District continues to accomplish this goal with its ongoing program, Mission Democracy. On Tuesday April 21st, all district students will be able to accompany their parents to the voting polls and cast a ballot of their own.

One of the unique aspects of the Mission Democracy program is the ability to bring the issue of voting to the student�s level. This is accomplished by students voting on a unique question that directly affects their school environment. Each schools question is developed by their own students and teachers. Ethel McKnight students� question for 2009 will be:

What is your favorite outdoor game? 1. Kickball 2. 4-Square 3. Steal the Bacon

Every student attending the East Windsor Regional School District is eligible to vote on their individual school question. Please take time and discuss the above question with your child. This will help your child feel confident about their decision.

Please make plans now to take your child with you to vote on April 21st. Students will be able to vote at all polling locations between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Thank you for your support of Mission Democracy.

Visit www.eastwindsorregionalschools.com and look for the Mission Democracy link.

News from the Nurse A reminder for all parents registering children for kindergarten�. Please make sure the physical and boosters are sent to the school prior to the first day in September.

If your child is entering Kreps this fall you will need to present a recent physical and your child needs to have full series of hepatitis b shots, Tdap, and meningococcal vaccine. Please check with your pediatrician now to see if your child will be ready to attend Kreps in the fall.

Please send in your change of address and/or phone numbers as soon as you become aware of any change. If need to know how to reach you in the event of illness or emergency. Thank you.

Physical Education Fireworks We would first like to congratulate our 5th grade students. The fifth graders showed great sportsmanship in our student verses the staff basketball game. It was a tough and exciting game, where the students beat the teachers 62-50. Another annual event we have each year is Jump Rope for Heart. Jump Rope for Heart is a special event for the American Heart Association. Our third, fourth, and fifth grade students jumped rope during their physical education classes. Students also have the opportunity to fundraise for the American Heart Association, while working on their cardiovascular fitness. Any student that did raise money should return their envelope to their teacher by April 15, 2009. While the older grades students jumped for a good cause our first, second and third graders finished the up the marking period with our gymnastic unit. Students learned and showed us different partner tricks, pyramids and tumbling tricks. Last we would like to take this time to remind you that proper clothes and sneakers must be worn to participate in physical education classes. Students should wear comfortable clothing where they can move on all levels, so no skirts or dresses. Sneakers should cover the whole foot and have a closer such as velcro or shoelaces. If have any questions please contact Mr. Handel at mhandel@ewrsd.k12.nj.us or 443-7800 ext 082 or Miss Cantagallo at jcantaga@ewrsd.k12.nj.us or 443-7800 ext 083.

Welcome to EMK ART!

Our McKnight artists have been very busy this year with many exciting projects. The 5th graders are continuing to discover their uniqueness by drawing and painting self-portraits. They are learning about how to choose the best pencils for drawing. The 3rd and 4th graders are creating three-dimensional buildings and their ideas are amazing! 1st and 2nd graders have also been discovering how to draw themselves. Portfolios will come home (secretly in May!), and look for the excellent detail in the drawings of themselves and their home. As always, it is my pleasure to teach your children!

STUDENT COUNCIL

It�s hard to believe that it�s already April. This year is flying by. The 3rd group of Student Council members are getting ready for our last trip to the Senior Citizen�s Center this year. We will be going on Friday, April 17th, and Mrs. Grois and some of the chorus members will be joining us this time. The Seniors are always so happy to see the children. They even stop their bingo game to spend time with them. Thanks to the East Windsor Education Association, we have been able to bring gifts for the Seniors at the center (ice scrapers, first aid kits, insulated lunch totes, water bottles). They really appreciate these little presents. We have three more School Spirit days for the year. April 24th is Pajama Day, May 15th is Sports Day, and June 5th is Beach Day. School Spirit days are always fun for the students. When we return from spring break, the Student Council will research more activities we can become involved in for the last part of the school year.

Here�s What�s Happening in E=mc� classes

THIRD GRADE Third grade NASA Engineers have just completed their study of aeronautics. They participated in several flying missions throughout this unit culminating with the investigation of the location of load, or cargo, in a plane and how it affects the flight distance and accuracy. The students tested their airplanes with paper clips located in different positions. The mission was completed by constructing a triple-bar graph with their test flight data. Third graders are now beginning to prepare for their Fairy Tale Trial, �The Case of the Big Bad Wolf�. Big Bad has been accused of the malicious destruction of two houses and the murder of two little pigs. The students, acting as lawyers and witnesses are preparing their questions and testimonies for court. Stay tuned for more news of the upcoming trial presentation.

FOURTH GRADE Fourth graders continue their journey back in time to the Middle Ages. They recently used their knowledge of heraldry (the old practice of painting shields with images to identify a warrior) to design and paint their own shields. They will use blazon, the language of heraldry to describe their shields. The students will then enter the realm of medieval castles and create a scaled model. Our culminating activity will be a medieval feast. More information will follow on this upcoming event!

FIFTH GRADE The fifth grade students are presently working on our �Thrill Ride� unit. This unit focuses on Newton�s Laws of Motion and presents real world problem solving situations, including a hands-on construction project. Our student engineers, project managers, and physicists will design and build their own roller coasters for a new theme park opening up called �Sir Isaac�s Inertia land.� To prepare each student was able to test out his or her ideas using computers on several roller coaster building websites. It all begins with teamwork and an aggressive and exciting project proposal. So buckle up, hold onto your seat and get ready for �Thrill Ride�!

FIRST AND SECOND GRADE First and second graders continue to explore new and exciting scientific concepts by participating in hands-on experiments in our Scientific Inquiry unit. The students look forward to our meeting times and are becoming experts in the steps of the scientific method. A recent activity called �Water Works� allowed the students to use simple materials (eye droppers, waxed paper, toothpicks and water) to explore cohesion and how it works. The students� enthusiasm is shining through and it is exciting to see their progress as they advance through the program.

PTA President�s Message By Rodger B. Lippman

March: it comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion all while providing us with a bit of �Madness.�� (NCAA basketball reference; once in a while I have to throw a bit of �guy stuff� in the mix) Both March and April are filled with the change of seasons but packed with PTA events. I am proud to announce a series of events that your PTA had either planned or is in the process of planning for March/April.

March 1st kicked off our best PTA funded Read Across America Day Ever. On this day our children were read to by parents and faculty as well as visited by different species of reptiles.

Tanya Schamper added a great new look to our Notecards program and did a great job showcasing our future artists work.

EMK welcomed back ,�RFTS� featuring Usborne books co chaired by Barb Regan and Pam Frunzi. Through this program our children read over 66,000 minutes!

Family Fun Bingo was a blast again and couldn�t have been more successful in providing a great time for all. Much thanks to bingo chairperson Allison Gordon, her hard working committee and the local businesses and families that donated so many great items for prizes.

Texas Hold �em returns on Friday April 24th and takes place at the Elks Lodge in East Windsor. Check our website for more information or email co chairs Ralph Sanon-Jules or Brian Haug at cards@emktpta.com for more information. See the flyer in this newsletter for more information.

Scholastic Book Fair Returns to EMK on May 19, 20 and 21 with half price books! This event is always a sure fire hit with the kids. Contact Michel Paul or Suzanne Simon at scholastic@emkpta.com if you are interested in helping out during the hours of the fair. (check our website for the hours of the book fair)

April 22 marks the date of our final PTA planned and funded assembly, �Math/Arithmiticles.� Many thanks to Barb Regan for researching and planning 5 great assemblies this year for our children to enjoy.

Terry Brookwell will be back in action shortly overseeing Spring Photos and 5th Grade Class Photos. Thank you Terry for helping to make our children shine!

Class trips are being planned and are currently taking place as the warm weather is rapidly approaching. Your PTA has over $8,000 allocated to subsidize the cost of these trips for every grade.

Additional PTA Sponsored events to shortly report on: Mother�s Day Plant Sale, Teacher�s Appreciation Luncheon, 5th Grade Promotion and a very special �Healthy� End of Year Party. Stay tuned��..

Keep those box tops coming! The Giampolo and Seip families are cutting and sorting them as you read this. Box tops is estimated to bring in over a thousand dollars this year. That�s over a thousand box tops brought in by you and processed by both Cindy and Ruth; amazing.

Our next PTA meeting is scheduled to take place on April 20th at 7:00pm (Note: this date differs from our originally planned date listed on the district calendar). EWRSD Ron Bolandi will be our guest in reporting on the new school budget as well as taking questions. I hope you can come on out and be a part of our meeting.

I thank so many of you for volunteering and supporting our PTA. As always, I welcome any and all suggestions on how to improve what I am proud to say was (and still is) a very triumphant school year for all. Please feel free to contact me at info@emkpta.com with your productive comments, questions and suggestions.

Enjoy!,

Rodger B. Lippman EMK PTA President rlippman@emkpta.com www.emkpta.com

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