Milton Express
March 31, 2021
Message from the Principal
Regardless of the month, each day we continue to stress the importance of instructional content areas such as reading and writing in preparing our children for a successful future. Another way we can prepare our children for a successful future is to allow them to recognize the importance of our planet, and how to take care of it. During the month of April, Earth Day signifies the perfect time to do this!
There are a number of engaging activities and important lessons you can consider when raising environmental awareness in your household with your children. Here are a few suggestions for your family to consider...
Save Energy
Explain to your children that televisions, computers, and lights use energy. Teach them to turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
Conserve Water
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a family of four uses 400 gallons of water every day on average. To conserve water in your household, be sure your children know to turn off the water while they are brushing their teeth. Perhaps they can even take shorter showers.
Recycle
Explain to your child that waste that is thrown away simply sits in a local dump or landfill if we don’t recycle. Be sure they are involved in the process of recycling paper, plastic, bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans. Perhaps you can even find new and creative ways to use these materials in your home after cleaning them.
Small Things You Can Do...
Walk or ride a bike instead of traveling by car when possible.
Donate old clothes, toys, shoes, or other reusable items instead of throwing them away.
Take nature walks to recognize the beauty and inspiration that surround us!
Plant a tree or create a garden!
Although Earth Day is marked on our calendars only once a year, it is important to teach children and adults ways we can make everyday Earth Day.
CLASS PLACEMENT
In the next few weeks, we will begin the process of compiling class lists for the 2021 – 2022 school year. Our goal is to create well-balanced classes and to provide the most appropriate learning environment for each child. When determining placement, we also consider boy/girl ratio, academic ability, peer relationships, learning style, students who require support services, and social and behavioral characteristics.
As parents, you may have additional information for us to consider. You are welcome to send me an email about your child to assist with class placement. Please include information such as your child’s learning style, any social challenges, and /or any emotional needs your child requires. Kindly do not request friends or a specific teacher. The key ingredient in this process is trust. I ask that you trust the staff to use the available information and our professional assessment to make the best possible placement decision for your child. All emails should be sent to me at nandreazza@chatham-nj.org no later than April 16, 2021.
April Highlights and Reminders
School Closed April 2 to April 9 for Spring Break. Please note that the Delayed Opening, originally scheduled for Monday, April 12, is canceled.
April 15: PTO Meeting at 9am. Cheryl Russo, Lafayette Principal will be the guest speaker! ZOOM LINK HERE
Meeting ID: 783 1257 4887
Passcode: e0PmF4
April 20: Environmental Assembly - virtual, Grades 1-3 at 2pm
April 28 and 29: Author's Day - virtual with Tara Lazar. See the PTO section for ordering details.
Please remember to submit the COVID-19 form in the Parent Portal. Forms should be completed by 8:00 am so your student can enter the building and start their school day!
Stetho-Scoop
News from our School Nurse, Erin Zotti
The Board of Education recently approved an updated policy regarding travel and quarantine based on changes in guidance from the Department of Health. Please refer to the following updated Rules for Return:
There is a required quarantine after travel regardless of whether or not your child has had COVID.
As per the NJ DOH, all non-essential interstate travel is strongly discouraged at this time.
If a student has traveled beyond the immediate region (NY, NJ, CT, PA, DE), they must quarantine.
You may choose to shorten the quarantine time from a full 10 day quarantine to a full 7 day quarantine. If so, students must get a PCR (not rapid) COVID-19 test on days 3-5 after the trip. If negative, they may return to school on the 8th day (as day 7 is still a quarantine day) as long as everyone in the household is healthy and there are no pending COVID-19 tests in the household. Please remember, the day you return to NJ is "day zero" and the next day is day one this is important timing for the PCR test.
Recent guidelines for travel quarantine have been adopted by the School District of the Chathams. If you previously completed the MAS Out of State Travel Form for upcoming travel, please update your selection as soon as possible. Reminder, if you select to submit a negative COVID-19 test, it must be received and confirmed prior to your child's return to school.-- Travel Form
Counselor Corner
Just like the weather, our feelings and emotions can be unpredictable and challenging to manage at times. When I am working one on one with students to help them understand better what they are feeling and how to make better choices, I utilize a wonderful SEL resource that I would like to share with our parent community. It is called Emotional ABCs. Here is the Link to their website. Sign up is free. This is an easy, fun and interactive way for children to learn about their emotions and how to self soothe, regulate, and understand their feelings. Both teachers and parents can utilize the lessons and activities
What's Happening in ART
SQUARE1ART - All classes are working on a special drawing for our fundraiser with the company Square1Art. Square1Art takes student artwork and prints keepsakes/products with the art directly on them. Children and parents will have the option soon to go online to their website to order these great keepsakes. More information will be provided once the work is shipped to the company and they provide a link for ordering!
FIRST GRADE
First grade recently learned how to create mountain landscapes. We discussed in art how things lower in the picture appear closer while higher on the picture they appear far away. Students then explored the Elements of Art: line, space, and color. After sketching lines across a paper to show peaks and valleys, students enjoyed painting their picture with watercolor paints. The mountain range appears to move into the distance in the completed art. Great work!
SECOND GRADE
Second grade just completed some amazing mixed media artworks of planets in outer space.
Students began by painting an entire sheet of paper with a wide variety of colors using watercolor sets. Next we worked with white oil pastels on black paper to create star filled backgrounds including some meteorites or shooting stars. Once painted papers were dry, we traced a variety of different sized circles and cut them out and glued them to our background. We discussed the differences between shapes and forms. Students learned how to make their circles appear more like forms by adding a shadow with black pastel. They are out of this world!
THIRD GRADE
Third graders have been exploring positive and negative space by creating a tree composition. In art, positive space is the area taken up by the main subject. Negative space is what takes up the background. Students learned ways to draw trees so that they created a variety of interesting negative space shapes to add color to. Branches touched the edge of the paper and overlapped one another to create interesting backgrounds. Once the trees were sketched out, we painted them with watercolor paints. Stunning works!
PTO NEWS
PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING FOR THE 2021-2022 PTO!
If you’re interested in getting involved at Milton, please consider volunteering for the PTO! It’s not only a great outlet for your creativity, but volunteering helps foster relationships within the school and lets you interact with your children. Nothing puts an extra big smile on your child’s face like knowing you’re the one who helped make their event so special! There are many skills and levels of time commitment needed; please take a look at the different volunteer opportunities we offer (https://signup.com/go/bEzrNxU). Please reach out to Laura Bojanowski (lauraannfields@yahoo.com) for more information.
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
If there was ever a year to show our teachers and staff how much they mean to our school community, this is it! During the week of May 3, we will be celebrating the Milton staff and the ways they help our children grow and learn each and every day. Please consider making one (or more) donations to fill our raffle baskets -- a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, a Seaside Park beach getaway complete with a stay at a beach house and all your warm weather necessities, a Happy Valley summer retreat including accommodations and cozy accessories, and a family friendly staycation. Visit https://signup.com/go/OfUxjmj to contribute. All donations should be sent into school or dropped off at 47 Elmwood Avenue by April 26.
AUTHOR'S DAY
On April 28th and 29th, New Jersey author Tara Lazar will be joining us during Virtual Hour for our annual Author's Day. Tara uses word play and familiar characters to tell fun and engaging stories. Please visit her website, taralazar.com, to learn more. If you would like to order a book autographed by Tara Lazar, please complete this Order Form and make payment on Community Pass by April 13th. See see this flyer for details. We are so happy to be able to continue the Author's Day tradition at MAS in this unique format.
READING PROGRAM UPDATE
Milton readers kept up their great work in March! Students read enough books to dedicate 10 more books to the library, bringing the total number of books dedicated so far this year to 24 books. 1T earned two more books, bringing their total to 8. They will visit Luxembourg and Switzerland! 3K also earned two more books, bringing them to 3 books. They will now get to explore Edinburgh, Scotland and Stonehenge in England! 3R read enough to earn another book, bringing them to 4 so far. They are traveling to France! 1D and 2M each earned their second books this month so they will get to tour Scotland. 1V, 2B, and 2P will get to dedicate their first books this month so they are taking a visit to the Statue of Liberty before heading overseas! Congratulations to all of our readers as they travel the world through their books. Keep up the great reading and then complete your google reading program form.
CALLING ALL THIRD GRADE PARENTS!
Please go through those old pics and send them to us for the 3rd grade yearbook. Kindly include any details you may have.Send email to Third Grade Yearbook Committee.
Lafayette PTO Need You! Please sign up and become a part of one or more Lafayette PTO committees! Your help is greatly appreciated, and the success of our PTO depends on your time and effort. Thank you for considering a position. THIS LINK!!