The weather is finally warmer and our K-2 readers and writers are blooming at Orchard Hill! As we enter the final quarter of the 2022-23 school year, it's a great time to think about ways to continue to support your child as a reader and writer through the rest of the school year and into the summer. If you're feeling stuck on the best way to go about this, please take the time to watch some (or all!) of this collection of videos from the experts at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.

To keep the momentum going in fun, kid-friendly ways over Spring Break, check out some recommendations below:

• The Somerset County Library System has TONS of free activities and events at the Montgomery and Hillsborough branches. Check out this link and sort by location, age group and date range to explore what is offered during the break!

• Play Sight Words Memory! Below are links to cards you can use, or create your own by having your child write the words. Remember to include two of each word to find matches!

• Kindergarten Sight Word Cards

• First Grade Sight Word Cards

• Second Grade Sight Word Cards

• Get outside!

• Practice writing letters, sight words or words with familiar spelling patterns with sidewalk chalk.

• Go on a nature walk! Give your child a notebook or paper and a clipboard and encourage them to record their observations about the world around them. What can they see, hear, smell, touch?

• A tiny topics notepad is a great way to collect small ideas to inspire poetry. Children can jot down what they notice... a tiny caterpillar stomping across a leaf, a butterfly fluttering its wings, clouds in unusual shapes. These small observations can become springboards for original poetry.

• There are many benefits to being outdoors, from a daily dose of Vitamin D and fresh air to improving mood and focus. Springtime provides a great opportunity to close the Chromebook, put down the iPad and get outside with a good book.

Greetings from the Orchard Hill Nurse’s Office!

As the weather gets warmer, please make sure that your child comes into school with a water bottle every day! As they run around more with some extra time outside and the increased temperatures, it can be easy to get dehydrated so the more water they drink the better!

Many students are affected by seasonal allergies which can make it uncomfortable for them during play time outside. With that in mind, if you know your child has seasonal allergies, please consult with your child’s health care provider regarding if/when to start antihistamine treatment. These medicines can take some time to build up so it may be best to start prior to showing uncomfortable symptoms. If your child also suffers from asthma, please make sure we have a current copy of your child’s asthma action plan as well as your child’s inhaler in the health office. Sometimes seasonal allergies can set off a child’s asthma so it is best for us to have the medicine ready to go as soon as symptoms arise instead of waiting until the medicine is brought when the child is already symptomatic.

As the end of the year draws near, keep on the lookout for communication regarding medication pick up at the end of the year! Please keep in mind that any medication left after the last day of medication pick up must be discarded.

Please feel free to contact me at 609-466-7605 ext 1600 or at rhanna@mtsd.us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you and Happy Spring!

Wishing you best health,

Rachelle Hanna, BSN, RN, CSN