Principal’s Note Sasha Slocum

October connects mental a n d p h y s i c a l h e a l t h w i t h celebrations of Bullying Prevention Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Week of Respect and America’s Safe Schools week.

McGinn kicked off October walking to school with Scotch Plains Councilman Spera. We look forward to continuing our healthy focus with Respect Week from 10/7-10/11 where we will practice self-care and thinking of others. Take a look at the activities planned for the week, starting with Mindful Monday, led by 3rd Grade Teacher, Amanda Marchica.

Schools are closed for Yom Kippur on 10/9. Our PTA has invited a safety and health focused assembly to McGinn on 10/10 called “Wear the Cape” for all students. On 10/11, join us to pick some healthy foods from our gardens as we clean up and harvest for the Fall. Sign ups for this volunteer clean up day and another on 10/25 are available at: https://www.signupgenius.com/g o / 9 0 4 0 F 4 5 A E A F 2 2 A 0 2 -mcginn.

MCGINN MEMOWHERE OUR COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS WORKS TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE! ISSUE NO. 98

WILLIAM J. MCGINN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCTOBER 2019

Students do not come to school on 10/14. This is a staff professional development day where our teachers will be learning more about our new w r i t i n g c u r r i c u l u m . Instructional aides will learn deescalation strategies and other skills for classrooms.

Our PTA w i l l ho ld “Sharing Lunches” on 10/23 and a Scholastic Preview for parents on 10/18. This day is also our Color Run, another healthful event for the whole family! Be sure to sign up with the PTA for your McGinn student to run for fun.

Fourth Grade Students joined local Service People, including McGinn dad, Officer Rites, for our 9/11 Ceremony.

Students and Staff Gathered Together to Commemorate Servicepeople who Have and Continue to Protect and Serve Us

Cont’d. on page 2

Principal’s Note (Continued from page 1)

Safe Schools Week runs from 10/21-10/25. Third Grade will take the Cognitive Abilities Test that week on the mornings of 10/22, 10/23 and 10/24. This t e s t m e a s u r e s V e r b a l , Quantitative and Nonverbal reasoning and is used as a district assessment only.

The district supports our hea l thy in i t ia t ives and is sponsoring an SPF team for the Crop Walk on 10/27. Come join or cheer for our walk, starting on Midway Avenue in Fanwood at the Dhammakaya Meditation Center.

Our fabulous fourth grade parent committee meets on 10/29 at 7:30 PM to discuss the wonderful events planned this year. We end October with a family-filled Halloween parade on 10/31 at 1:15 PM. All families are welcome to watch along the parade path.

This Memo highlights the start of the school year and the numerous events the PTA and our staff held to bring our community together, including Party on the Blacktop, Back to School Night, Kindergarten Picnic, and Take Your Parent to PE Week. We are so grateful for this collaboration with you to provide the richest educational experience possible for our students. Thank you!

Councilman Spera and Flame walked to school with McGinn!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Señora Sanchez has shared school-relevant

Spanish phrases all month, such as words of

respect. She has also posted short bios of

famous Hispanic Americans.

Mrs. George introduced the perfect

Pigeon book for our newest students.

Kindergarten has welcomed several Birthday Readers

already!

Mrs. Fritz Rocked “Take Your Parent to PE Week!”

Push ups, Pull ups

and walking

warm ups!

These kindergarteners (left) play fish catch with huge blow-

up fish. The giggles were priceless!

Stations of games at all grade levels made

for a super-active gym!

Back-to-School Night

Picture Days Thank you to our

parents who helped our students look beautiful and our picture days run

smoothly!

IMPORTANT DATES AND REMINDERS FOR STAFF AND FAMILIES

* 10/2 - National Walk to School Day * 10/4 - School Spirit Day; Pretzel Sale * 10/7 - 10/11 - Week of Respect * 10/7 - Staff Mtg., 3:20 * 10/9 - Yom Kippur; Schools Closed * 10/10 - “Wear the Cape” Assembly * 10/11 - Fire Department Visit for Fire Safety; Gardens Volunteer Day, 3:10 - 4:30 PM

* 10/14 - Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day; Staff Professional Development Day; No School for Students * 10/17 - 7:00 PM Newly Tenured Teacher's Celebration ; BOE Mtg. * 10/18 - Scholastic Workshop; PTA Color Run, 3:10

* 10/21 - 10/25 - Safe Schools Week * 10/22 - 10/24 - COGAT Grade 3 * 10/23 - Sharing Lunches * 10/25 - Gardens Clean-out Volunteer Day, 3:10 - 4:30 * 10/27 - SPF Crop Walk * 10/29 - 4th Grade Parent Meeting, 7:30 MPR * 10/31 - Halloween Parade, 1:15 PM

* Looking ahead… * 11/1 - School Spirit; Pretzel Sale * 11/4 - Singles Sessions Day, Evening Conferences * 11/5-11/6 - Single Session Days; Conferences * 11/7-11/8 - NJEA Convention; Schools closed

Party on the Blacktop 2019!

The Incredibles 2 Rocked the Screen!

Our students and staff have been

collecting Post-Its based on their acts of being kind, helpful,

responsible, respectful, safe and fair - our six school-wide expectations.

Kindergarten Picnic

Praying Mantis Students caught sight of this important garden insect in our Salisbury

Garden.

Student Council Book Drive Donation

Fanwood Book Drive

Fourth Graders

delve into geographic

regions (left) and

writing (right).

The 2018-2019 Student Council collected 100s of

books through June, which benefited our local

Fanwood Library this Fall.

Grade Level Studies

Third - Analyzing non-fiction text features thrust these 3rd graders into deep thought. Fourth -These 4th graders created family

crests and shared them with partners to get to know one another better for Social Studies.

Kindergarten (above): Kindergarteners learn about properties of shapes by building with them and making pre-

planned designs. Do you see a person? First (top right): 1st graders work on math

puzzles throughout the room. This pair compared values while other groups worked on different number games. Second (right): Number Top It, an

Everyday Math Game, is a great way to shore up number sense. It can be played simply as a highest number game or with

additional challenges, such as using several cards to create a number sentence.

4th

3rd

1st

2nd

K

Thank you, McGinn Community!!! On behalf of the PTA and McGinn School, we thank you for your many contributions to our programs and events. The following

people have recently shared their talents, time and caring for our students in many ways. If you do not see someone posted here you know contributed time and care, please email sslocum@spfk12.org. Your time and efforts are greatly appreciated!

Sign BoardThank you

• • •Cooper and Jodi Repinsky

New Student Scavenger Hunt

Thank you• • •

Elayne, Ana & Andrew Edmonds; Alice & Catherine Fahey; Regina

Gannon; Stacey & Anna Geissman;

Ruhi & Rigved Raut; Dariann, Juliette & Melanie, Rose; Benita &

Kate Sefanka; Jen & Ajey Stern; Janelle, Landon & Will Timbie; Jodi &

Cooper Repinsky, Neelambari Save

Plant SaleThank you

• • •Sharon Prevost, Sara Taner and

Neelambari Save

PTA MembershipThank you

• • •Elayne Edmonds

Pretzel SaleThank you

• • •Stacey Geissman, Alice Fahey,

Sondra Borowski, Erin Decker Dari Rose, Benita Sefranka, Janelle Timbie

Drop-Off LineThank you

• • •Leticia Catalano, Robert Lacovara, Pier Davis, Jeremy Davis, Kristen

O’Grady, Lorena Zanetti, Matthew Davide, Melissa Zito, Baaba Haidara,

Cara Kennedy, Melissa Noriega,

Maria Moloney, McGinn Staff

Party on the BlacktopThank you

• • •Dina Lindner, Michelle Mushaty,

Janelle Timbie, Alice Fahey, Elayne Edmonds, Stacey Geissman,

Neelambari Save

School PicturesThank you

• • •Maria Moloney, Sara Taner, Stacey

Geissman, Alice Fahey, Elizabeth

Assuncao, Lauren Boyce, Dara Eisenstein, Allie Damon, Matthew

Davide, Erin Decker, Kate Dening, Orly Fleureton, Brian Flynn, Nicole

Griffin, Kiran Gundimeda, Damaris

Gutierrez, Albena Hauptman, Melanie Inguanzo, Rameshwari

Kharde, Silvana Kuchar, Rashmi Kumar, Robert Lacovara, Julie

Lipsky, Jen Murphy, Michelle

Mushaty, Teresa Meyer, Melissa Noriega, Susan Pastir, Suzi Okane-

Pellegrino, Sharon Prevost, Abby Price, Kristen Rodriguez, Kim

Roost, Kelly Sacchetti, Benita

Sefranka, Christine Scordato, Binni Shah, Katie Smith, Laura Styler,

Masae Szopinski, Janelle Timbie,

Allison Vitagliano

Kindergarten PicnicThank you

• • •Janelle Timbie, Alice Fahey,

Neelambari Save, Ruhi & Rigved Raut, Jodi Repinsky

GardensThank you

• • •Marian Sepinwall, Rameshwari

Kharde, Trina Baptista, Sara Breivgogel, Jodi Repinsky,

Christopher Ciotoli

Welcome Back LuncheonThank you

• • •Neelambari Save, Benita Sefranka,

Janelle Timbie, Stacey Geissman,

Alice Fahey, Elayne Edmonds, Jodi Repinsky, Dariann Rose

MobilArqThank you

• • •Suzi Pellegrino