Highlights June 2018

Rolling Hills Primary School Rolling Hills Highlights

June 2018

Vol. 15 Issue 6

Principal’s Message Dear Rolling Hills Family: As the school year comes to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rolling Hills’ students, staff and parents. Each day, we planned and participated in activities that highlighted our commitment to maintaining an outstanding learning environment. Throughout the year, we worked together to support our community through many building and district activities. With the efforts of the members of our dedicated and talented Rolling Hills staff and the continuous support of the members of our wonderful PTA and our families, our students will continue to excel as learners and be active participants in their community.

Thank you, again, for your commitment of time and your participation as class parents, volunteers and chairpersons and members of PTA committees. Your assistance, creativeness and inspiration are very much appreciated.

Congratulations and good luck to our second graders who will soon be students at MandracchiaSawmill Intermediate School. We wish you much success and look forward to you visiting Rolling Hills.

May you all enjoy a safe, relaxing, fun-filled summer vacation.

With warmest regards,

Janet Studley Janet Studley Principal

Kindergarten

It’s hard to believe that the school year is coming to an end. When we think back and remember the first few weeks of school and look at the children now, we realize that they have grown and flourished in so many ways.

It seems like only yesterday your little ones were entering Rolling Hills for their first day of school.

As the school year comes to an end, the children will take with them the warm memories they have of their first year at Rolling Hills…the Halloween parade, class parties, the 100th day of school, field day, unforgettable assemblies and performances (thanks to the PTA) and, of course, all the new learning experiences that took place throughout the school year.

We look forward to a summer filled with long, sunny days and relaxing with family and friends. Have a safe and happy summer!

First Grade

First Grade sure has gone by so quickly!

We ended our year by exploring Living Things in science. We learned about different animals, food chains, and plants. It was exciting to plant our own seeds and watch them grow. We also examined mealworms, the larva stage of the darkling beetle life cycle. Our grade was lucky enough to have special LICAS programs about the rainforest and insects scheduled in our classrooms.

June is the time to pay tribute to “Old Glory”. Flag Day was celebrated by singing patriotic songs, reading poems, and sharing books. We were proud to wear our red, white and blue!

Field Day also takes place in June. Our classes enjoyed a fun-filled day of games, races, and good sportsmanship. Many thanks to Mr. Seifert and the PTA for a job well-done!

Aloha! We celebrated an end to our year in first grade by having a luau. In the morning we were treated to an exciting Hula show and learned some traditional hula dances. Thank you to our Arts in Education committee for arranging this program. We played games, made crafts, and enjoyed fun times with our families and classmates.

It was an awesome day and it was interesting learning about the geography of Hawaii, too.

As the youngsters prepare for Second Grade, we would like to remind you to have your child read and write often over the summer. Keep a journal with photos of events that take place so that your child can write about all these memories. Joining the Commack Library Summer Reading Program also encourages children to read regularly and it’s “free”. Pull out your word cards and practice reading all the words from the school year.

Reading and writing is good for the mind, and exercise is good for the entire body. Swim, bike ride, and play tag to stay fit this summer! We wish you a healthy and restful summer. We also wish Mrs. Studley all the health and happiness in the world as she retires!

Second Grade

It is always amazing to all of us that a year has gone by so quickly! We have been immersing ourselves in persuasive literature these past few weeks to get ready to write! Many second graders are also writing memoirs of their experiences, as we get ready to say “good-bye” to Rolling Hills!

We enjoyed our study of the life cycle of ladybugs! We learned how helpful these insects are to farmers and to us in our own backyards! All of the second-grade classes released the ladybugs in the courtyard once they hatched in our classrooms!

We still have many wonderful experiences here to share at Rolling Hills this month! Spirit Week, Wood Park Playdate, Field Day, yearbook autographs, and most important of all, our Moving-Up Ceremony are all events we are looking forward to with many mixed emotions!

As we say good-bye for the summer and hello to another school for third grade, the second graders and their teachers would like to thank all the volunteers and staff who have helped us this past year! We will miss Rolling Hills very much! Have a very happy and healthy summer!

Physical Education

Dear Rolling Hills Family, As the school year comes to an end at Rolling Hills, I would like to extend my thanks to the administration, staff, parents, PTA and students for all of their support this year. Some of the wonderful programs we do here at Rolling Hills are Fit to Read, Family Fitness Night, Jump Rope for Heart, Sport Time Tennis, Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse/ Badminton and Field Day. My main focus as a Physical Education Teacher is to inspire your child to have a passion and love for physical fitness. Part of that focus as a Physical Education Teacher also includes character education. This encourages every student to be a cooperative, problem solving, honest, citizen of the Commack District.

My promise to you the parent and your child the student is: I am here to Physically Educate your children. I have a strong passion for being physically fit and for living a long healthy life. I believe that children should know what they must do in order to achieve maximum health. I am here to help your children learn through physical activity, teamwork, and cooperation. Your children will have a great time in my physical education course. We will go over different sports and activities to help better your child’s life.

Parents and guardians must set an example by engaging in physical activity. Come up with new ideas for the entire family to be physically active. Fitness comes from all around us, not just in a gym. Here’s a list of possible fitness ideas that families can take part in:  Go for a walk  Go swimming at the beach/pool  Go for a bike ride or a hike  Throw a football around  Do a gardening project  Mow the lawn  Shoot some hoops Besides physical activity, healthy food choices are vital to overall health. The following is a list of quick and healthy alternatives that are easy to put together and try:  Breads (including whole grain and wraps)  Fruits/ Veggies (many delicious varieties during summer months)  Yogurt (regular and frozen)  Lean meats (chicken, turkey)/ and fish  Salads  Nuts  Dairy Planning ahead is essential. Prepare lunches the night before to ensure healthy choices. Parents and Guardians can lead by example. Eating healthy is critical to improve your family’s quality of life.

Thank you for your time and concern. I know, with your cooperation, your children will have a fantastic experience!

Sincerely, Mr. Seifert Rolling Hills Physical Education Teacher

SUMMER FUN

Fine motor skills are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, like muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists. Children use their fine motor skills when writing, holding small items, buttoning clothing, turning pages, eating, cutting with scissors and using computer keyboards. Below is a list of some fun fine motor activities to do over the summer. Have fun and be creative! o

Mold and roll Play-Doh into different shapes.

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Roll Play-Doh into tiny balls (peas) using only the fingertips.

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Use a plant sprayer filled with water to write or create something on pavement or a sidewalk.

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Use large tweezers to pick up items such as Cheerios, small cubes, small marshmallows, pennies, etc.

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Enjoy lacing and sewing activities such as stringing beads, Cheerios, or macaroni.

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Use eyedroppers to "pick up" colored water or to make artistic designs on paper.

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Roll small balls out of tissue paper, and then glue the balls onto construction paper to form pictures or designs.

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Turn over cards, coins, checkers, or buttons, with one hand, without bringing them to the edge of the table.

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Make pictures using stickers or self-sticking paper reinforcements.

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Play games with the "puppet fingers" -the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

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Make letters/words from Wikki Stix. They are reusable!

o

Construct something from Legos or blocks.

Pam Jensen – Resource Room

Late Arrival and Early Departures Late arrivals and early departures compromise your child’s instructional time, and consequently disrupt classroom routines. Please schedule appointments after 3:30 p.m. For unavoidable emergencies, please send a note to your child’s teacher to facilitate a safe, organized dismissal. Please remember, according to District policy, we will record all early departures for students who are picked up before 3:00 p.m.

School Bus Safety

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During our bus drills, we reviewed safety guidelines with our students. Please review the following bus safety rules with your child: Arrive at the bus stop a few minutes before schedule.

Keep arms and head inside the bus.

Wait at the curb until the bus comes to a complete stop before boarding.

Sit in the bus seat and refrain from shouting and making loud noises to assure that the bus driver is able to drive the bus safely.

When exiting the bus, move directly to the curb.

No eating or drinking is permitted on the bus.

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To Your Good Health Teach your children wellness skills: 

Set a good example. Take stairs instead of elevators, and reach for fruits at snack time.

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Guide children to participate in a variety of physical activities. In addition to playing sports, take a nature hike or walk through a local park.

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Set limits for “screen” activities. Look for video games that include some physical activity.

Adapted from the “Top Health Newsletter”

Nurse’s Office Reminder -Please pick up all medications from the Nurse’s Office during the last week of school.

-We can only release medications to an adult.

-We will discard all medications that remain in the office on Friday, June 22, 2018.

Lost and Found

If your child has misplaced an article of clothing, please stop by the Main Office to check the Lost and Found Box.

To Mrs. Studley on her retirement. We wish her much happiness!!

School-Based Management Team Members 2017 – 2018 Louis Cardinale Lori Gary Jodie Hawkins Nancy Lopes Jen Neri Laurie O’Grady Jill Piazza Jane Roman Jenn Ryan Janet Studley

Support Staff Teacher Representative Parent Representative Teacher Representative Teacher Representative Parent Representative Parent Representative Teacher Representative Teacher Representative Principal

A heartfelt thank you to: …All the members of the Rolling Hills staff, for their dedication to the Rolling Hills students. …The Arts-in-Education Committee for providing wonderful programs throughout the school year. …The Box Top Committee for organizing a most successful collection of box tops at Rolling Hills. …The Bulletin Board Committee for highlighting birthdays with great style and creativity. …The Staff Appreciation Committee for planning a very elegant and delicious lunch that was truly enjoyed and very much appreciated. …The Masterpieces Committee for organizing keepsake copies of our students’ artwork and stories. …The Kindergarten Registration/Orientation Committee for welcoming our new students and their parents to Rolling Hills. …The Plant Sale Committee for providing our families with a selection of beautiful healthy flowers. …The Moving-Up Committee for helping to make this a very special event for the second grade students and their families. …The Yearbook Committee for preparing a special book of memories for our students, staff and parents. …Parent volunteers who helped to make sure that our students and staff enjoyed a wonderful Field Day. …The Gala Committee for planning a special event with wonderful baskets. …Our Book Fair Committee for organizing a very professional display and guiding our students to choose a variety of books. …To the members of the committees that we have thanked and recognized earlier this year, thank you again for all you do for the students and staff at Rolling Hills. …A special thank you to members of the Rolling Hills staff for your support and attendance at our PTA functions. …and to the PTA President, Executive Board members, the Committee Chairpersons and to all our volunteers who help to enhance the educational program for all our Rolling Hills students.

Looking Ahead

6/4 6/5 6/6

6/7 6/8 6/12 6/13 6/14 6/15 6/18 6/19 6/20 6/21 6/22

8:00pm PTA Council Executive Meeting at Hubbs 8:30am RH SBMT meeting in Conference Room Classroom Teacher/ENL Teacher Articulation meetings-as scheduled RH Field Day District Wide Blood Drive at MSIS 1:00pm-7:00pm 5:30-9:30pm Mrs. Studley’s Retirement Dinner at Stonebridge Country Club Arts in Education – Clementine – TWUSA Grade 2 at Sawmill 9:30am Arts in Education Committee Meeting at RH 6:30pm SEPTA Year End Dinner RH Rain Date for Field Day BOE Meeting at CHS Arts in Education – Hawaiian Artists - Grade 1 – Cafeteria Arts in Education – Jester Jim- Grade 2 Arts in Education – David Levitan – World of Magic Grade K -Front Lawn/Cafeteria 9:45am RH Grade 2 Moving Up HALF DAY OF SCHOOL RH Staff Appreciation Luncheon HALF DAY OF SCHOOL HALF DAY OF SCHOOL/LAST DAY OF SCHOOL ******************

Rolling Hills Primary School Mission Statement We are dedicated to providing a nurturing school environment that fosters respect, compassion and tolerance. It is our mission to guide our students to develop a positive self-image and become life-long learners who make meaningful contributions to their community.