Rolling Hills primary School
A Special Message from Mrs. Santarpia Dear Rolling Hills Families, Happy New Year to all of our families at Rolling Hills. We are excited for 2020 and all that the new decade and year brings. A special thank you to all of our members of the SBMT! They have been working diligently on our Partners in Reading (PIR) calendar that we will unveil later this month. It will include weeks of fun filled activities and special events that help foster the love of reading. A special thank you to our Second Grade Hills Helper Club for all of their help with the voting for PIR! The entire school voted on a list of themes. Our theme this year is “Read Like a Champion!� We are very excited for all of the fun activities and events we have planned! We hope everyone can join in on the fun. Please continue to access both Backpack Mail and download the Commack App if you have not done so already to learn more about our activities and special events at Rolling Hills! Warmly,
Kindergarten Korner
December was such a busy month as we learned about the holiday seasons and the ways that families come together to celebrate. No matter what holiday is celebrated, we learned that all people gather with their friends and families to eat, share stories and enjoy time with one another. January not only brings a new year, but a new decade! How exciting! Did you make a resolution for 2020? Many of our Kindergarten students did and they just may ask you what yours is. Many students said their resolution would be that they would like to learn how to read, and speaking of reading, the Kindergarteners are looking forward to making their Sight Word Rings and practicing those new words daily. In addition to learning many sight words, the children will be starting to take home Book Baggies with some Just Right Books, which they will be able to read independently. It is wonderful that many students will be keeping their resolution! Way to go Kindergarteners! Before we know it, February will be upon us and we will be bursting with love! We look forward to creating special cards and projects for our valentines and the 100th Day of School. There are so many fun activities involved in this celebration. We will count to 100 and learn to skip count by twos, fives, and tens. It will be interesting to hear what our classmates would buy with $100.
The First Grade Buzz! Happy New Year from your first grade friends! What an exciting month we have coming up! As the New Year begins, we look forward to Warm Up to Reading and the start of our Parents in Reading initiative (PIR)! As always, we will be working so hard strengthening our reading and writing skills in the classroom. One way we do this is by having conversations about books! We talk about the setting and characters in a story, and all the events that took place in a story. We talk about the problems that some of the characters face and the steps that they took to solve their problems. Sometimes we even try to think about how some of these stories relate to our own lives and “problems.” That really helps us dig deeper into a story. Making predictions while we read is really fun too and sometimes we even create our own ending to a story! We think you’d love our version of the The Gingerbread Man! We can’t wait to start our newest topic in Science on genetics! It’s going to be so much fun learning about our families and some of our inherited characteristics! Our current Social Studies unit focuses on families too, and the traditions and special times that families around the world celebrate. We find it so interesting to learn about the cultures and traditions of our friends! Well February is just around the corner, and love and numbers are in the air, as we look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day and the 100th Day of School with our classmates and teachers!
The Second Grade Scoop! Happy New Year and welcome to a new decade! We are well underway in our Reading and Writing Workshop Non-Fiction unit. Our classes are spending time researching whales, and other animals. After reading non-fiction books and searching databases in the computer lab, we learned how to record important information on “Stop and Jot” paper. We then collected our notes and wrote well-organized nonfiction stories. In Social Studies, we have been focusing on our past by learning about how things have changed over time. We looked at transportation, houses, roads and technology. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM! This fun science unit on properties of matter is definitely a hit! During our first lesson, we made ice cream and observed the change from liquid to solid. We will be conducting several investigations to describe and classify materials by their observable properties. In addition, we’ll test different materials to help us discover the best way to transport ice cream on a warm day. Finally, we look forward to celebrating Groundhog’s Day, the 100th Day of School and Valentine’s Day. The second graders at Rolling Hills are most definitely enjoying winter, and we hope you are too!
Mindfulness By Dr. Lori Gary
Including excerpts from an article in The Wall Street Journal by Emily Holland and from: http://www.theteachersacademy.com/blog/mindfulness-in-education/ When asked “what do children and adolescents need to be successful in life?” a common answer is “a good education”. Academic success is the goal that is emphasized by many school districts and families. However, there is little doubt that in addition to academic success, we also want our children to be happy and healthy. Researchers now realize the fundamental role that social and emotional well-being play in the attainment of academic outcomes. Learning to maintain attention to productive tasks, to sustain motivation when work becomes demanding, and to handle the frustrations of sharing, learning, and communicating with peers, are all skills that depend on the ability to understand and manage emotions. One way to help address our children’s social-emotional learning is through the use of Mindfulness training. What exactly is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is a form of meditation rooted in spiritual teaching in which people focus their full attention on the present moment. They acknowledge what they are feeling and experiencing—and accept it without judgment or criticism. The idea is to quiet the mind and heighten awareness. Despite its roots, mindfulness is a secular practice that can be done by anyone, regardless of their race, religion or socio-economic demographic. Mindfulness activities are simple, but they are not easy. Any activity that teaches the brain to focus on one object while remaining void of any judgment in the present moment is a mindful practice. Many are saying that teaching children how to use techniques such as meditation and controlled breathing to clear their minds can help sharpen students’ focus, reduce their stress and anxiety, and boost academic performance. “Studies show that grade-school-aged children who learn mindfulness and meditation are more focused and resilient,” says Sarah McKay, an Oxford University-trained neuroscientist and freelance science writer specializing in mind and brain. “It helps settle them down and improves concentration, particularly if done before school or after lunch breaks.” The Wall Street Journal published results of recent studies stating that schoolchildren taught the technique show a 24% increase in positive social behaviors; 24% decrease in aggression; 15% improvement in math scores; reduction and prevention of depression-like symptoms; and improved classroom behavior (self-control, paying attention, respect for others). (sources: Developmental Psychology; Mindfulness; Journal of Child and Family Studies).
Here at the Commack Union Free School District we utilize the Infinite Campus Point of Sale System for our school lunch program. Parents and guardians can use their Infinite Campus parent portal accounts to conveniently log on and view account balances and daily meal purchases in real time. You can access this information after signing on to your parent portal account and then going to the Food Service Tab. The Infinite Campus Food Service System includes Campus Online Payments, which allows you to submit food service fees 24/7. If you need additional information, please contact the office at 631-858-3570. In addition, you can obtain or view a copy of the monthly lunch menu on the Commack School District Website.
Art News In Mrs. Cellana's art classes, children have been creating seasonal projects. All classes created autumn projects with the use of watercolor paint and are now beginning winter art creations. Again this year, the students are enjoying creating their Kids Art greeting cards during the art classes. Also, we are excited to have visiting artist, Janine Bendicksen, working with all of our students during art classes in mid-January. Additionally, we're looking forward to our second graders creating their Art Legacy project.
Assemblies & Special Rolling Hills Events We enjoyed Happy Holidays Around the World! This Arts in Education program was presented on December 20, 2019 to all students! The Legacy Project for second grade is starting this month with Ms. Cathy Russell!
Character Education Our STAR Gatherings continue to be a huge success and a great way to come together as a family! Here are our upcoming character traits and books: January - Attaining Pride– Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun February - Honesty - The Empty Pot March - Endurance - Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike
Winter Weather School Closings & Delays
School Bus Safety
During our first two bus drills, we reviewed safety guidelines with our students. Please review the following bus safety rules with your child:
Winter is in full swing and the snowy weather may be on its way. Reminders for inclement weather: Families will receive an automated phone message to inform them of school closings and delays. You can also utilize the website www.commack.k12.ny.us, Channel 12 and the radio stations listed on the district calendar.
Scope Program at Rolling Hills In the event of an unscheduled early dismissal or canceling of after-school activities due to weather conditions, the SCOPE program will be canceled.
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 speak at a reasonable volume 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.
A heartfelt thank you to: Rolling Hills Founders Day Honorees Michele Condello and Laurie O’Grady Please plan on joining us to honor them on
Our Birthday Bulletin Board Committee for the beautiful bulletin board displays each month! Our Yearbook Committee for continuing to work diligently on our RH Yearbook!
Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 6:00PM Stonebridge Country Club
Our School Spirit Wear Committee for distributing a Rolling Hills shirt to all our new students.
Rolling Hills Teacher of the Year
Our After School Workshop Committee for putting together some great clubs for the students to enjoy!
Dr. Lori Gary
Lost and Found
Our lost and found has been accumulating. Please check the box in the cafeteria when you visit Rolling Hills!
Our PTA members who volunteered to help with our Kindergarten Registration. Our Winter Boutique Committee for helping the students select Holiday items for friends and family.
Mark Your Calendar! 1/6—PTA Council Executive Meeting—7:30PM—HUBBS 1/7—PTA Meeting—7:00PM—RH Cafeteria 1/8—School Gathering—Wear your SPIRIT WEAR! 1/9—Afterschool Workshops Begin Board of Education Mtg.—8:00PM at HUBBS 1/10—Arts in Education Mtg.—9:30AM at RH 1/14— RH Kindergarten Registration 1/15—RH Kindergarten Registration 7:30PM—SEPTA Support Group Meeting 1/16—Afterschool Workshops 1/20—School Closed—Martin Luther King Day 1/21—Partners in Reading Begins 1/22—School Gathering—Wear your SPIRIT WEAR! Evening Kindergarten Registration—HUBBS 1/23—RH Warm Up to Reading—6:30PM—RH Cafeteria 1/28—SEPTA Meeting—7:00PM—WP 2/4—PTA Meeting—7:00PM—RH Cafeteria 2/6—PTA Council Founder’s Day SEPTA Support Group—10:00AM 2/7—Arts in Education Mtg.—9:30AM—HUBBS RH PTA Sweetheart Dance—7:00PM—Cafeteria 2/13—Board of Education Mtg.—8:00PM at HUBBS 2/14—Elementary 100th Day of School 2/17-2/21—School Closed Parents, as a reminder, ALL visitors 2/25—Nutrition Week must present a valid ID to enter the 2/27—Parent Workshop building. Thank you!
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration packets have been mailed to eligible children. If you have not received one, please call the Hubbs Administration Building at 631-912-2028. Dates for RH Kindergarten Registration: January 14th and 15th Evening Registration at the HUBBS Administration Building: January 22nd
School Phone #: 631-858-3570 Nurse’s Office # 631-858-3573