Strathmore Elementary School
November 2018 Newsletter
Mrs. K Bera, Principal
- November 1-16 Food Drive
- November 2 School Spirit Day!
- November 6 Picture Retakes
- November 8 & 9 No School - Teacher's Convention
- November 13-16 Scholastic Book Fair
- November 13 Veteran's Day Parade...Wear Read, White & Blue
- November 14 Four Hour Session (School Dismisses at 1:20)
- November 15 End of First Marking Period
- November 15 Kindergarten Native American Day Celebration
- November 16 PTO Book Fair Bingo 6:00-8:30 PM
- November 21 Four Hour session (School dismisses at 1:20 PM)
- November 21 PTO Pie Pickup
- November 22 & 23 No School - Thanksgiving
- November 26 BOE Meeting at Ravine Drive 7:00 PM
- November 27 Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences 5:30-8:30 PM
- November 28 Afternoon Parent/Teacher Conferences 2:20-3:30
- November 28 Star Student 7:00 PM Cafeteria
- November 28 PTO Meeting 7:30 PM Library
- November 28 Report Cards on Parent Portal
Picture Re-takes
Parent/ Teacher Conference
Veteran's Day celebration
Strathmore Spirit Day November 2, 2018
What….
Show your school spirit by wearing your Strathmore spirit wear. *(If you do not have spirit wear, you can wear your Strathmore T-Shirt).
Why….
Show your pride for our school.
When.…
Strathmore will have Spirit Day the 1st Friday of the month (when school is open) beginning in November.
Spirit wear can be purchased through the PTO. Forms are available on the virtual backpack if you need to purchase any items.
Students are recognized each day to be our “Star Student”. A paragraph is read over our public address system detailing why this student was recognized. Every Star Student's picture is proudly displayed on our bulletin board for the month. At the end of the month, Star Students and their parents are invited to our Star Student presentation. Students are congratulated and receive a certificate of accomplishment from Mrs. Bera
Our First Star Student Ceremony will be held on
Wednesday November 28, 2018 at 7:00 PM
in the Strathmore cafeteria.
FOOD DRIVE November 1-16
STRATHMORE SCHOOL FOOD DRIVE November 1 - 16th
The Strathmore School PTO is sponsoring a food drive which will directly benefit Aberdeen Residents. Our goal is to collect a variety of unopened/non-perishable food, so we ask that each grade be responsible for specific items.
KINDERGARTEN: Dry Cereal, Canned Fruits, Canned Meats
(stews, pasta, soup, tuna)
FIRST GRADE: Pasta Sauce, Canned Veggies, Baked Beans
Dry Pasta
SECOND GRADE: Juices, Drink Mixes, Jelly, Mac and Cheese,
Rice, Peanut Butter
THIRD GRADE: Pancake Mix, Syrup, Boxed Mashed Potatoes,
Granola Bars
There will be barrels set up in the Main Lobby for collection.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
News from our Nurse
I’d like to ask your cooperation when sending in lunch, snacks and baked goods to school. Several children in the school have life-threatening food allergies to peanuts and/or tree nuts. Exposure to these foods either by eating, touching or being touched by someone who has this food residue on them can bring on an anaphylactic reaction, which can result in death for such children. Limiting potential exposure to these foods would greatly minimize the risk posed to these children. Therefore, I am asking for your cooperation when packing your child’s lunchbox or sending in snacks or party treats.
While peanut butter is the most common form of exposure, peanuts and tree nuts (which include walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, and filberts) are very often present in baked goods and candy and can only be detected by carefully reading the ingredient label.
HOW TO READ A LABEL FOR A TREE NUT-FREE DIET:
Avoid foods that contain nuts or any of these ingredients:
Almonds
Nut paste i.e. almond paste
Brazil nuts
Pecans (Mashuga nuts)
Cashews
Pine nuts (pinyon nuts)
Chestnuts
Pistachios
Filbert/hazelnuts
Walnuts
Gianduja (a creamy mixture of chocolate and chopped toasted nuts found in premium or imported chocolate
Hickory nuts
Macadamia nuts
Marzipan/almond paste
Nougat
NuNuts artificial nuts
Nut butters i.e. cashew butter
Nut oil
KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND:
- Artificial nuts can be peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with a nut, like pecan or walnut.
- Filberts are also hazelnuts.
- Avoid natural extracts i.e. pure almond extract, use imitation or artificial flavored extracts.
- Tree nuts have been used in many foods including barbeque sauce, cereals, crackers and ice cream.
Mrs. Annette Langer
Cold Versus Flu
What is the difference between a cold and flu?
Flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations. Flu can have very serious associated complications.
How can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu?
Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can tell if a person has the flu.
What are the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold?
The symptoms of flu can include fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). Cold symptoms are usually milder than the symptoms of flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems.
Welcome to Strathmore Elementary School. We are so excited to have so many new families join our community. We also love seeing all the familiar faces that are back to beginning their journey at Strathmore.
We know that many of you do not know what the PTO is or why you would want to join? Simply put, we are a group of parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators that work together to make this time at Strathmore the best educational experience for all of the children. We work throughout the school year through events, various fundraisers, services, etc.
We need your help! Whether it’s volunteering at an event, providing donations, running a committee, every little bit helps. I strongly believe that lots of hands make little work.
Nicole Johnson & Allison Pusillo
PTO President & PTO Co-President
NOVEMBER 2018 Homework Help Tips
What is it about homework that wears families out? Even newbie grade-schoolers, who love doing it at first, often lose their enthusiasm and start stalling. And after a long day, you just want your kiddo to knuckle down so you can get dinner on the table or start the bedtime routine.
But playing cop rarely works — micromanaging and nagging only make kids feel stupid or frustrated. A better solution: Think of yourself as a coach and cheerleader. To help you get there, we asked teachers and parents to share their A+ strategies for solving the most common headaches. Their work-like-magic tips are guaranteed to bring harmony back into your homework routine, whether your child is a kindergartner or a fifth-grader, a whiner or a procrastinator!
1. Do It as Early as Possible: Best for Everyone
On days when there are no afternoon activities, give your child a time frame to get down to business. This gives her some control over her schedule (some kids need a longer break after school, and others need to start right away to keep the momentum going). The only rule is that 5 o’clock is the latest time to start. If you work, that means homework duties will fall to the after-school caregiver. This way, you can just review and wrap things up once you get home.
2. Create a Call List: Best for Forgetters
From kindergarten on, kids need a list of three or four classmates they can call on when they forget an assignment. The study buddy can read your child the spelling words over the phone, or his mom can snap a pic of the worksheet and text it to you.
3. Build Confidence: Best for the Intimidated
When kids don’t get something right away, they may feel like they’re stupid and start to shut down. You can short-circuit negative thinking by sitting down and figuring out the first problem together. That alone can help him remember how to do the rest. Then heap on the praise: “You did a great job on that one! Try the next one now.”
Another strategy: Have your child show you similar problems he worked on in class. That may jog his memory so he can retrace the steps. Plus, it helps you see what he’s already learned.
4. Cut It in Half: Best for the Overwhelmed
That’s right — you can make an executive decision to lighten your child’s load for a night, if:
· She doesn’t understand the assignment.
· The assignment is vague or touches on a topic she’s not ready for.
· She’s exhausted from a long day of school, gymnastics, and an argument with her best friend.
What you can’t skip is informing the teacher. Have your child write the teacher a short note. If she’s too young, write it yourself (with her input) and have her sign it.
Most teachers will be understanding if a student does this once in a while, but if your child frequently fails to finish her assignments, there will probably be a consequence.
5. Change the Scene: Best for Daydreamers
Something as simple as a special place to work can boost a child’s motivation and, in turn, his confidence. Being in the spot where Mom does grown-up work may just help them focus.
6. Keep the Positive Feedback Coming: Best for the K–2 Set
Little kids need instant feedback, so it’s okay for parents of young grade-schoolers to correct mistakes. If you praise specific improvements, your little learner will become more inclined to try to do a good job the first time around.
7. Leave the Room: Best for Whiners
Kids who drag things out are often doing so for your attention — they’re enjoying the interaction on some level. Avoid joining in. And if you must stay in the room, have your child work in a spot that’s farther away from whatever you’re doing.
8. Beat the Clock: Best for Procrastinators
Sometimes a pint-size foot dragger just needs a jump-start. If that’s true for yours, try “Five Minutes of Fury”: Set a timer for five minutes, shout “Go!” and have your child work as fast as she can until the timer goes off. At that point, she can take a short break or keep going and many kids continue.
9. Plan, Plan, Plan
Many teachers will break down big projects into a series of deadlines so that children learn to budget time.
10. Let ’Em Vent: Best for Everyone
When your routine is upended — and your kid hasn’t even started his homework — ease frustration by letting him complain. Listen, empathize (“Wow, that is a lot of work”), and state his feelings back to him (“You sound upset”). Once your child feels understood, he’ll be more likely to accept your suggestions — and better able to focus on what needs to be done.
Plus: Your Way vs. The Teacher’s
Your child’s tearing up over a long-division worksheet and you actually remember how to get the answer. But the teacher’s instructions are different. Do you show your kid your method — so at least she’ll have the correct answer?
Hold off. Your process may confuse her even more. You can help your child by talking to her about what she remembers from class and steering her to the textbook. If she’s still lost, just have her write a note to the teacher explaining that she doesn’t understand. (http://www.scholastic.com)
When it comes to math, practice counts
Take turns reading aloud with your child
Strathmore Elementary
Email: Kbera@marsd.org
Website: www.marsd.org
Location: 282 Church Street, Aberdeen, NJ, 07747
Phone: 732 705-5900