THE MILTON EXPRESS

January 29, 2016

M A S

Message from the Principal Although it is the shortest month of the year, February is certainly a busy and meaningful month. February is known as Black History Month, Dental Health Month, and American Heart Month. Students may even engage in dis-cussions centered around the 100th Day of School, Groundhog Day, and President’s Day.

This year, we will even have the opportunity to experience 29 days in February thanks to Leap Year! Experi-encing an extra day in February comes only once every four years; let’s make the most of this extra time added to the calendar. Think about the possibilities! Having Leap Year as part of our calendar this year allows you to…

Have one more day to read aloud to your child.

Have one more day to say something kind.

Have one more day to go on a nature walk with your child.

Have one more day to write a letter to a family member.

Have one more day for your child to play with a friend.

Have one more day to hug your child.

Have one more day to help someone in need.

Have one more day to enjoy the best in life.

Have one more day to sing and dance with your child.

Have one more day to say, “I love you!” to your family members.

As a learning community, we must continue to take advantage of every moment that life has to offer. We, as a staff, will always take the time necessary to address the needs of the “whole child” at school, while preparing them for the challenges that lie ahead in life. I want to thank all of our staff members and families for working to-gether in unity and cooperation to bring out the best in all of our children, regardless of the number of days in the month.

As we embark into the month of February, we will stress the importance of cooperation and working togeth-er to achieve great things. As you explore further through this issue of The Milton Express, you will find information pertaining to our School Spirit Week scheduled for the first week of February, as well as our Brown Bag Lunch cam-paign that will allow our learning community to help the less fortunate by providing them with brown bag lunches.

In addition, please take note of the following events that are sure to bring about excitement to Milton Ave-nue School in February. Our "planetarium" will be available during the first week of February, and Mrs. Mills will en-gage the students in lessons that are truly out of this world (see her article for more details). Our next "Walk to School/Waste Free Lunch Day" is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3. We have an early dismissal day for students on Wednesday, February 10, and we have no school from Thursday, February 11-Monday, February 15. Our "Pizza Parlor/School Spirit Day" is scheduled for Friday, February 19. The Story Pirates will return to Milton Avenue School on Friday, February 26 to act out some of the stories that our second and third graders submitted. We will conclude the month of February by having our monthly Milton Meeting on February 29.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Nick Andreazza

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOMS...

PRE-SCHOOL: Preschool has been busy learning about polar animals and snow as

well as hibernation. Bears, bears, bears were a big topic with real bears, teddy bears,

and Goldilocks and the Three Bears !

February will include hearts and friendship leading into our Valentine’s Day celebra-

tion. This will be followed by setting up our Post Office in the dramatic play area, writing and delivering

letters, and learning our addresses!

KINDERGARTEN: January has been a productive month in kindergarten! Our growing readers are us-

ing their super powers including: pointer power, re-read power, snap word power, and partner power to

help them succeed! Kindergarten Mathematicians have been gearing up for the 100th day of school by

counting to 100 and finding number patterns as they develop their number sense. Kindergarten writers

are excited to learn to write "how-to" books. They're beginning to realize how they are experts in many

areas. We are looking forward to making Valentine holders and spreading love by sharing Valentine's with

our friends in February!

FIRST GRADE: First grade jumped into 2016 with many goals to achieve. We have begun our non-

fiction units of study for both reading and writing workshop. As scientists, we have

investigated balance and motion. We are looking forward to our 100th day of

school in February!

SECOND GRADE: The month of January was very busy for the second grade.

Students are working toward becoming expert readers and writers of nonfiction.

As readers, they are learning how to grow their knowledge about a topic by asking

questions, using text features, and using the lingo of their topic. As writers, they are working on writing to

teach others about a topic they know well, while incorporating text features and the format of published

nonfiction books.

Science studies during the month of February will be very exciting for our second grade children. They will

be involved in investigations and experiments as they learn about the states of matter - solids, liquids, and

gases - and about how matter changes.

THIRD GRADE: Third graders wasted no time getting back in the swing of things since the new year

began! In reading, students have been working on summarizing skills, inferencing, and identifying character

traits. All classes have started or will be starting the whole class novel of Stone Fox, which gives students

an opportunity to meet in book clubs as well. In writing, we have wrapped up realistic fiction stories, and

are starting writing opinion pieces. We are nearing the end of our big multiplication and division unit for

the year. However, all students should still be working on memorizing their facts! The goal is automatic

recall of all multiplication facts 0-10. We thoroughly enjoyed our first field trip to SOPAC to see Mathe-

magic! Thank you to all our chaperones who joined us. Looking forward to the rest of a healthy hard work-

ing winter!

Counselor Corner Carole Soder csoder@chatham-nj.org

Counseling News

Every month the students devote them-

selves to learning about different char-

acter traits and the reasons why they

are important. In February, we are

putting what we have learned into ac-

tion. Milton Avenue School is partner-

ing with Bridges, a volunteer outreach

organization that helps the homeless, by

providing them with stocked brown lunch bags to deliver to the

homeless. Our goal is to assemble 400 lunches!

From February 1-29, we will be collecting the following items for

our Sustainable Brown Bag Lunch service project. We’ve asked

each grade to bring in a specific item needed. Please remember

that we are filling lunch bags; multiple snack size packages are

welcome in our attempt to meet our goal of 400 bags.

Kindergarten/Pre-K - Nuts, trail mix, goldfish or pretzels

First Grade - Fruit cup or unsweetened applesauce with

spoon

Second Grade - Nutri-grain-type fruit & cereal bar

Third Grade - Drink: Water (6 or 8 oz. bottles)

The PTO is generously helping with the cost of the sustainable

main item: chicken or tuna salad with crackers, which is needed

to complete the lunches.

Look for bins outside the Main Office to deposit your donations

starting on February 1.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support of this

important project. If you have any questions please do not hesi-

tate to contact me: csoder@chatham-nj.org

MILTON MEETING

We celebrated our students at the monthly Milton Meeting on January 29. Mr. Andreazza and Mrs. Soder talked to students about the partnership between Bridges and Milton and explained the brown bag lunch project for Febru-ary. We also recognized students for achievement in Art, Music, and P.E., as well as the Principal’s Student of the Month. Congratulations to all of our students who were recognized at our Milton Meeting!

Principal’s Student of the Month Award: Megan Gibney, Dario Manrique, Madison Kocis, and Sophia Alcantara Marvelous Musician: Cara Lynch, Madelyn Cantillon, and Aryan Kumar Outstanding Artist: Alice Boggis, Nathan Garlick, and Laney Albanese, MVP Award: Molly Chazen, Kevin Grundy, and Cole Morris Bucket Fillers—Fairness: Genevieve Conneely, Luc Castet-Bellocq, Alexis Doherty, Wesley Zartarian, and Ms.Martin’s class

February is COOPERATION month at

Milton!

What does it mean to COOPERATE?

Working together as a team for a common goal

Getting along with others Helping others to succeed Taking only your fair share, when offered

something

What are ways you can show

COOPERATION?

Being supportive of other people’s ideas, even when you might not agree with them

Be willing to compromise Cheerfully working with any partner you are

assigned so as not to hurt their feelings

Why is it important to COOPERATE?

We can do more together than we can alone Everyone has special abilities and talents Things in life come easier when you can get

along and work well with others

Jewel Barkley, RN School Nurse/Health Educator, jbarkley@chatham-nj.org

Head Lice: There have been several random cases of head lice throughout the school. Head lice

can cause a great deal of panic and frustration among parents and kids, and that is why I am asking for your assis-

tance. First, please read the Head Lice Policy by going to the SDOC’s home page, click on District Overview fol-

lowed by Student Health Services and along the left column, you will see Head Lice Resources. After reading these

resources you will not feel better about your child having head lice, but you will be educated about head lice and

have a better understanding about the mode of transmission, treatment and ways to prevent it from happening

again. Take note if you see your child(ren) persistently scratching their head---this can be the first indication that

head lice may be present. However, an itchy scalp can also be the result of cold, dry weather or over shampooing.

Now is the time to read these materials before your child comes in contact with head lice. Please let me know if

you do find head lice, and of course, all information is always confidential. I will be happy to answer any questions

and help you do follow-up head checks.

Skin care: As the outdoor temperatures plunge, it is important to keep a few important weather related precau-

tions in mind in addition to dressing appropriately for the weather. Skin related issues, such as dryness and crack-

ing, take a huge toll when not adequately moisturized. This is particularly true for students who have eczema,

generalized dry and flaky skin and severely chapped skin around the mouth and lips. Cracked skin anywhere on

the body is always a possible portal for bacteria and viruses to enter the body. Please send your child to school

with their own personal lip balm to be kept in their backpack, explaining this is not an item to be shared with

friends, but only for their own personal use. I provide Vaseline to students complaining of lip/skin irritation; how-

ever, this is not as effective as a heavier lip balm. The best time to moisturize your child’s skin or treat eczema is

just after bathing. Cracked and bleeding lips are quite uncomfortable and can be a total distraction to classwork

concentration.

Valentine's Day Party Reminder: All classroom are peanut and tree-nut free. If your child's class will be having a

Valentine's Day party, it will be held on Wednesday, February 10 prior to the President's Break long week-

end. The Food Permission Forms must be turned into the classroom teacher no later than 5 days prior to the

event; therefore, Friday, February 5. Get those forms completed now to avoid the deadline crunch.

The Stetho-Scoop Absence Line: 973-457-2508, press 1

THIS ‘N THAT — REMINDERS FROM THE MAIN OFFICE

Kindergarten Registration - Interested in registering your 5 year old for Kindergarten? Please visit the PARENT RESOURCES section of the district website.

CHIP Registration — The School District of the Chathams is currently accepting letters from Chatham resident fam-ilies interested in having their 3- and 4-year-olds attend the Chatham Inclusion Preschool (CHIP) Program. For more details, click here.

Presidents Break — There is an early dismissal on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 and school will be closed on Feb-ruary 11-15 for the Presidents Break. School will reopen on Tuesday, February 16. Please check the school web-site for specific hours on February 10.

Library Lore Jill Mills

jmills@chatham-nj.org

In anticipation of the planetarium, classes have been learning about various aspects

of the constellations and stars. In kindergarten we are talking about the stars and

the imaginary pictures they form in the constellations. First Grade is learning about the legends and sto-

ries of how the constellations formed in the sky. We are talking in second grade about the zodiac con-

stellations and matching them to birthdays, and third grade is linking the planetarium to their science

class by learning about the stages of the moon.

The planetarium will be open on Wednesday evening, February 3, 2016 from

6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. for Family Night at the Planetarium. There will be three

planetarium shows that will run approximately 20 minutes. The show will cover

the legends of the constellations. Parents are invited to attend this presentation

and experience this wonderful adventure. This is not a drop off event; parents

and children will experience the stars together!

COLD WEATHER REMINDERS!

Students will enter the school for

morning line-up if the temperature,

factoring in the wind chill, is less than

20 degrees. Students will remain in-

doors for recess if the temperature is less than

20 degrees.

If there is snow on the grass, students will be

permitted to play on the blacktop only at out-

door recess provided they are dressed appropri-

ately with the proper gear including a winter

coat. Due to a number of factors, students will

not be permitted to play in the snow during out-

door recess.

School officials have the final discretion for de-

termining if a student is dressed appropriately

for outdoor play.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Keep up to date on the latest happen-

ings in the Chathams! Information is

available on the Milton website for the

following upcoming events:

Chatham Recreation Spring Sports

Sign-Up

Mr. A Day Camp

PTO NEWS

Please go to www.volunteerspot.com to Volunteer for PTO activities

PTO Board Positions for 2016-17

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much”. – Hellen Keller

There is so much to do, and so many distractions pulling us in different directions. Please share your time and talents as a member of the Milton Avenue School PTO Board. PTO Board volunteer positions for the 2016-17 school year are now posted on Volunteer Spot.

Any accountants out there? We are in need of an Assistant Treasurer. Are you organized? The job of Secretary has your name on it. Do you love to read? Share your love of books and organize the Book Fair. Commuter-warrior by day, and social butterfly by night? Consider the Ladies Night Committee.

Take a few minutes to review the open positions. There is an opportunity for everyone and for every time commit-ment. We can make a difference in our school – let’s do this! If you would like more information about a particu-lar volunteer position, email Danielle McDavit at dbmcdavit@gmail.com.

Family Fun Night is March 4, 2016

Family Fun Night is quickly approaching and we need your help to make it a success! Volunteer Spot is up and ready. http://vols.pt/UgfnAS Please sign up to help. We are also accepting silent auction prizes. Feel free to drop them off to Kati Manwaring at 107 Center Avenue. We are looking forward to another fun-filled Family Fun Night! If you have any questions email Kati Manwaring at katimanwaring@gmail.com or Caroline Connely at cconneely1@yahoo.com Thanks in advance for all your help!

Cafeteria News from your Cafeteria Committee

Mark your calendars! MAS's Pizza Parlor Days for the remainder of the school year are: February 19; March 11; April 8; May 13 and June 10.

Chartwell's, our food service vendor, is working to improve the quality of their meals as well as the fruits and vegeta-bles offered each day. Please encourage your children to take the fruit and/or vegetable that comes with their meal. They are welcome to take as many servings of the fruit and vegetable as they would like. Bottled water is also offered for an additional $.50. For children with food allergies, parents are encouraged to utilize the school district's Director of Dining Services, Robert McBreen. Robert's email is: Rmcbreen@Chatham-NJ.org. He will be able to an-swer questions about ingredients or any concerns about cross contamination for our students with food allergies. As always, if anyone has any questions, concerns, or thoughts regarding our lunch program please contact Tricia Gibney at TriciaGibney@aol.com or Jennifer Thornton at JenMikeThornton@yahoo.com.

Once again, thank you to all our wonderful PTO volunteers.

EMILY LAJEUNESSE

PTO PRESIDENT

Wednesday, February 3

Mismatch Day

We are all unique and special, but together

February is Cooperation month.

Let’s kick off this month’s theme and show our Milton spirit.

School Colors Day

Monday, February 1

We are United in

Thursday, February 4

Hats Off to

TEAMWORK!

Friday, February 5

Wear your favorite sports jersey because when we work together as a

Tuesday, February 2

Lending a helping

hand allows others to

feel warm and special.