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MORICHES ELEMENTARY
2016-2017 PARENT NEWSLETTER
1st Edition
Principals’ Message
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Moriches families a fantastic and joyful holiday season. During the months of November and December, the students and staff have been focused on the virtues of grat-itude and generosity. We are all thankful for what we have and look to share with others whenever possible. Students have been participating in the Colonial Youth Food Drive and we are also collecting for a Toy Drive to help those less fortunate.
The Winter Recess/Holiday Break is from Monday, December 26th to Monday, January 2nd. Classes resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.
We have many new and exciting initiatives at Moriches Elementary School this year. Students in grades 1-5 have a weekly period in the STEM lab to enhance their science experiences. They have been working on hands-on multi-disciplinary lessons aligned to their grade level standards. We have re-ceived plenty of positive feedback about this new program enriching our stu-dents’ educational experiences. We also have implemented a standing library schedule which allots one period a week for each class to visit our beautiful library to check-out books as well as utilize our technology and media resources. Our goal is to increase students’ opportunities to access books and continue to cultivate their love of reading. We have also provided a health overview/training to all of our faculty and staff members of Moriches Elemen-tary School. Our district lead nurse provided overview training and infor-mation about what to do in a medical emergency. Topics covered included: CPR overview, Heimlich Maneuver training, basic first aid, food allergies and seizures. Our students’ safety is our top priority.
We wish you and your family happy holidays and a happy and healthy new year. May 2017 be your best year yet!
News from the Nurse’s Office
Influenza (flu) is a contagious disease that can be serious. Every year, millions of people get sick, hundreds of
thousands are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu. CDC urges you to
take the following actions to protect yourself and others from flu.
A yearly flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. Everyone 6
months or older should get an annual flu vaccine by the end of October, if possible, or as soon as possible
after October.
Flu vaccines are offered in many locations, including doctor's offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies
and college health centers, as well as by many employers. Protect Yourself. Protect Your Family. Get Vac-
cinated.
Avoid close contact with sick people, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, cover your coughs and
sneezes, and wash your hands often (with soap and water), and clean and disinfect surfaces and objects
that may be contaminated with flu viruses.
If you become sick, limit contact with others as much as possible. Remember to cover your nose and mouth
with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw tissues in the trash after you use them. Stay home for at
least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should
be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine before resuming normal activities.)
JUST A REMINDER
Please remember our friends that live on Louis Avenue. For the safety of our neighbors as
well as the students, families and staff at Moriches Elementary School, please be aware
that the speed limit on Louis Avenue is only 20 mph. We appreciate your cooperation.
Each month our Moriches’ Physical Education teachers select one boy and one girl from each
grade level to receive the ATHLETE OF THE MONTH AWARD. In order to be selected, students
must meet certain criteria.
HOW CAN YOU BE SELECTED AS ATHLETE OF THE MONTH:
Follow directions
Always come to class prepared
Show good sportsmanship
Do what is asked of you
Respect yourself and others
Always try your best
Be safe & have fun
OCTOBER RECIPIENTS NOVEMBER RECIPIENTS
Mia Cartelami & Billy Langenhahn Courtney Wood & Melvin Madera
Caitlyn Michiels & Dylan Guffanti Kaniya Bennett & Corey Payne
Jayla Thomas & Aidan Dobrie Brianna Freck & Aidan Lee
Courtney Petersen & Oryon Maldonado Rajana Heron & Devin Huggins
Ariel Thomas & Isaiah Hall Jariella Gonzalez & Braeden Vaughan
Jennifer Reina Sinchi & Christopher Bridges Kayla Gilmore & Jake Sambriski
On October 6th, Moriches had their
annual Paint Night. Students and
parents had a lot of fun creating a
fall scene.
On October 18th, thirty of Moriches fifth graders were
chosen for Safety Patrol. They have the job of keeping our
hallways and walkways safe during arrival and dismissal.
The students pictured below are the Safety Patrol Group
for the first half of the school year.
Top Row (left to right): Corey Bazemore, Joellyn Gomez, Kate Samlihan, Ryan Lee,
Kaitlin Baker, Maya Blount, Jasenia Daniels, Summer Griffin, Lanasia Mayo, Christopher
Bridges, and Joseph Janssen
Middle Row: Brayden Le, Keira Phelps, Jake Sambriski, Leana Guayllazaca, Jayla Rivera,
Katrina Lissy, Ava Hatch, Nicholas Schaefer, Jason Gielarowski, and Aidan Russo
Bottom Row: Chase Graboski, Alexandra Bacany, Adrianna Filippelli, Skyler Weber,
Jennifer Reina Sinchi, Betzee Barbecho, Carla Zavala, Genesis Soto Leiva, and Marcela
Salcedo
Students at Moriches have been so excited to be a part of a new STEM program
this year. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Under the
direction of Ms. Stitham, every week the students in each grade level take part in
completing a challenge or experiment in the Science Lab. There is always a lot of
excitement in the Science Lab! Students have built towers with spaghetti, made
racetracks out of tubes, learned about habitats of animals and built houses out of
cards. The students’ most exciting day was when they made pumpkin volcanoes.
The motivation and desire for STEM is wonderful and Ms. Stitham always looks
forward to seeing the students’ new and exciting inventions and designs.
The students in Mrs.
Megna’s second grade
class worked
cooperatively to make
a replica of a lung in
the Stem Lab.
Second grade classes learned about chromatography. Chromatography is the separation of a
mixture by passing a solution through it. Students were able to add heated water to the
plates in order to draw out the dye from the skittles. Students used a table to chart their data
and graphed a conclusion to their experiment.
Third grade classes attended the STEM Lab in October. They were asked to create some
things that would benefit the Inuit People, who live in Northern Canada. Some of the things
the students created were pouches with fur, mittens and hats to stay warm.
Third graders in the STEM Lab were learning about gravity and were asked to
create a racetrack that would allow a pom-pom to travel and stay inside the track
for more than 5 seconds. Once the pom-pom passed the test, they tested a ping-
pong ball and a marble.
Some of the creations by fourth grade students working and creating in the STEM
Lab. Students had to build a tower given 20 spaghetti sticks, 1 marshmallow and
tape.
What’s New in Kindergarten?
The Kindergarten team is very excited to welcome an eager group of young learners. The
students are working to learn their alphabet letters and sounds. Students are learning
about numbers and shapes. This is a great time to play counting games at home. How
high can you count? Students are practicing their sight words. With the combination of
letter/ sound knowledge and sight words students are learning or beginning to learn the
skill of reading independently. Thank you to the parents for their at home support! Raz
Kids computer reading program is up and running! This is a great way to enjoy
reading at home. The PTO sponsored Reading Rainbow program has begun! Every child
is reading 10 books then receiving a sticker prize! The ultimate goal is for 100 books!
The students that reach this goal will be invited to the Reading Rainbow party at the end
of the year! Start your reading engines! We know you can reach this goal!
In September the K team participated in William Floyd Peace week. Each student created
a puzzle piece and illustrated what peace meant to them. The classes explored different
picture books, songs, and dances that taught about peace.
In October the K students participated in Fire Safety with the local fire department. Our
students learned all about stop, drop, and roll as well as 911! The students took a tour of
a Fire Engine. Most importantly, the students learned that Fire Fighters are there to help!
The Kindergarten classes had a blast on Pumpkin day! PTO had several stations of
Harvest fun! The children picked pumpkins and played many harvest games! If you have
not done so already, please send in your $5 PTO membership. The money goes to
support programs like Pumpkin Day as well as many other student activities!
Kindergarten is a year of AMAZING growth! What an exciting time in your child’s life!
The little acorns of the William Floyd Mighty Oak tree have started growing with
great success!
Mrs. Jonaitis’ kindergarten class working on their ABC’s.
Mrs. Aiello’s kindergar-
ten class having some
fun learning time and
practicing their writing
Mrs. Petersen’s kindergarten class
enjoys morning ELA learning.
Center time learning for
Mrs. Churilla’s kindergarten
class .
SEPTEMBER
Mohammed Saleh, Payton Kurosz, Ryan Lee, Jasenia Daniels, Joellyn Gomez and Justina Morris
Matthew Dobrie, Jason Gielarowski, Allen Holness, Maya Blount, Brando Montalban and Betzee Barbecho
Fifth Grade Citizenship Award winners:
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Allison Filosa, Adamaris Camey Perez, Leana Guayllazaca, Alexa Staats, Henrry Rivas and Liliana Munguia
Moriches Elementary School second graders visited the Brookhaven National
Laboratory. During the trip, the young scientists enjoyed a hands-on learning
experience. Students learned about sound, light and magnets while using The
Scientific Method. It was a wonderful experience and everyone learned many
new things.
On October 31st, the third grade classes enjoyed their annual STEM pumpkin investigations.
The students rotated classrooms and engaged in various scientific activities. Activity topics
included: buoyancy (will the pumpkin sink or float?), estimation of seeds, and learning about
the parts of a pumpkin. This hands-on experience could not have happened without the help
of Hank’s Farm (a local business) and parent volunteers. This educational experience was fun
and rewarding for the entire grade level.
MORICHES ELEMENTARY 37th
ANNUAL GREAT PUMPKIN CONTEST
First Place: “The Puffer/Blowfish” by Alexandra
Bacany and Family
Second Place: “The Hamburger” by Drew and
Rylie Wiegand and Family
Third Place: “The Large Poppin’ Popcorn” by Nathaniel Jacobsen and
Family
Honorable Mention: “The Pink Troll” by Payton Kurosz and Family
Honorable Mention: “The Wicked Witch” by Makayla Palmer and Family
Honorable Mention: “Frankenstein” by Courtney and Faith Petersen and
Family
Pictured left to right: Nathaniel Jacobsen, Payton Kurosz, Makayla Palmer, Alexandra Bacany, Drew Wiegand,
Rylie Wiegand, Faith Petersen and Courtney Petersen
Once again Moriches participated in a Halloween Candy Buy Back Fundraiser for the troops.
Students brought in their unwanted Halloween candy to a box that was located in the front
lobby. East End Orthodontics came in and weighed the candy that was collected over a
week. The collected candy is sent to the troops and children overseas. The students were
very generous with donating their candy!
Moriches Elementary’s kindergarten through third grade classes welcomed pediatric dental
residents from Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. Mrs. Scheifele’s first
grade class learned the importance of taking care of their teeth and gums every day. Stu-
dents were shown the proper brushing and flossing techniques and talked about healthy
food choices as ways to take care of their teeth.
Third grade classes studied the electoral process. Congressman Lee Zeldin volunteered his
time to meet with all the third grade classes at Moriches Elementary. He discussed his role as
a Congressman. He also shared his experience as a graduate of William Floyd, as well as his
role in the military. He explained all the branches of government and how they impact the
student’s daily life.
Mrs. Petersen’s kindergarten class took turns voting in a voting booth. They learned about
the voting process and the importance of voting. Students took turns casting their votes on
ballots for their favorite bug, their favorite cafeteria food, and their favorite color.
First grade classes learned about Election Day by voting for their favorite cookie. Each student
was involved in filling out a voter registration form, creating a venn diagram on the two
“candidates” as well as filling out their very own ballot. The chocolate chip cookie was the
winner in Mrs. Filippelli’s class and the Oreo cookie was the winner in Mrs. Hansen and Mrs.
Scheifele’s class!
Students in Mrs. Kadletz’ class voted for the President of the Forest. Students had a choice of
three candidates. “Betsy Beaver“ promised to protect the animal’s homes, “Fitzgerald Fox”
promised he would keep every animal safe and happy, and “Bartholomew Bear” promised to
listen to problems and talk out solutions. The children registered to vote, signed a voter regis-
tration form, filled in a ballot to vote for the candidate they chose, placed the ballot in a ballot
box and received an “I voted” badge. After the ballots were counted the students graphed the
election results. It was a close race, but “Betsy Beaver” was elected as President of the Forest
with 12 votes! The students learned a lot about the election process through the lesson.
Ready, set, run………..a campaign! Mrs. Dobbeck’s classes ran their very
own candy election. The classroom was split into two groups and assigned
either “chewy” or “chocolate.” Students wrote campaign slogans, persua-
sive speeches, and created campaign buttons. After much debate the win-
ning candies were as follows: Mrs. Dobbeck’s morning class chose “Air
Heads” and Mrs. Dobbeck’s afternoon class chose “Snickers.”
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