Mackay Newsletter

Dear Mackay Families,

I hope you are well and enjoying a fantastic start to the fall! As the chill begins to fill the air outside, things are just warming up inside Mackay. The rigor is starting to increase as teachers and students hit their stride and start to tackle the new topics, build routines and strengthen relationships.

It was so terrific to see so many of you at our Back to School Night. I was thrilled to welcome you into our building, and I was so excited for you to get a peek into our thriving classrooms. I hope the evening helped you to connect to the school and feel a part of something amazing! I will continue to update you throughout the year on our progress with our school goals and initiatives. We have lots of new and exciting programming on the horizon!

We're looking forward to The Week of Respect and our visit from Katie Wood, Author of The Simple Seed! Click here for the video clip we shared at Back to School Night. I hope you will join us for our parent night on Tuesday, October 8th at 7 pm, when Katie will talk about her journal and strategies for parents to connect and partner with us in our gratitude project. We will carry this theme of “Bloom with US” into our Week of Respect this week when students will spend time thinking about how gratitude can help us grow, learn and thrive. Please help your child remember to show their spirit this week with our Week of Respect Spirit Days!

As we look ahead, lots of fun will be had this month with fall happenings like our Halloween Parade and our HSA sponsored Trunk or Treat on October 25. Some of the teachers and I can’t wait to see you and your decorated cars there! Please consider decorating a car… this is such a fun way to share the spirit of the season and connect with our community. Our school wide Halloween celebration will take place on Thursday, October 31st. Students will have class parties followed by the parade. This year, the parade will be at the end of the school day. Students go home for lunch and to change into their costumes. In celebrating the holidays in the classroom, I would like to remind you that there is no distribution of food or sweets of any kind. Unless you are a class parent and have instructions from the teacher, we ask that parents/guardians refrain from sending anything in with their child. Several students have allergies or dietary restrictions and we do not want anyone to feel excluded from participating.

Please remember to dress your child appropriately for the changing weather and stay tuned to our social media and website for reminders and updates!

Wishing the entire Mackay family a wonderful October, a happy Halloween and a great transition into fall! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Heidi Chizzik

Principal

We will be celebrating Halloween on Thursday, October 31st with our annual Mackay Halloween Parade!

• 12:00-1:30 PM - Students will be dismissed from school to go home for lunch and change into their costumes. (There will be no special lunch on this day). Students who are unable tp go home can remain at school during this time. Our lunch paras will be here. Those students should bring their lunch and costumes to school.

• 1:30 PM - Students will report back to their classrooms and enjoy their class parties.

• 2:40 PM - The parade will start! Parents can gather around the building, as we will march twice around before meeting on the turf field for class pictures followed by regular school dismissal

We hope you will be able to join us for the parade!

October is National Bullying Prevention month, and in New Jersey, we acknowledge the first full week of October as the Week of Respect. From October 7th - 11th, we will dress up according to the theme of the day to show how we Take Care of Ourselves, Take Care of Each Other, and Take Care of our School. We say thank you in advance for supporting us in dressing up with us each day! During the Week of Respect, we will welcome author, Katie Wood, to share her incredible journal with the students, staff, and parents. We are so excited to launch The Simple Seed of Growth, Gratitude, & Giggles journal activities with our community. Let’s continue to GROW together in GRATITUDE! Check out our theme days for the Week of Respect.

-Mrs. Angerson

All students are learning about Peru. K-3 will learn/Review El Otoño (Fall) greetings, colors, and numbers will be the main vocabulary this month. 4-5 students are reviewing greetings, calendar, and numbers. 4 graders will start "How am I/ Como soy yo" unit and 5th graders will finish introducing themselves and others. and will learn about Hispanic Countries.

- Senora Guerrero

As we enter the cold and flu season, it's important to know when to keep your child home to prevent the spread of illness. Please keep your child home if they have:

1. Fever – keep your child home if their temperature is 100.0° F or higher. Wait
until your child is fever-free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication
before letting them return to school.

2. Diarrhea – is often the result of infection, food poisoning, or a side-effect to
medications such as antibiotics. Keep your child home until stools are formed
and your doctor gives the okay for them to come back to school. Make sure your
child stays well hydrated.

3. Vomiting – is usually caused by a stomach virus or other infection. Keep your
child home if they have vomited in the last 24 hours. Your child
should tolerate meals before returning to school. They can return to school after
symptoms clear up or your doctor says they are no longer contagious.

4. Severe Cough – if your child has a severe cough and excessive runny nose
with yellowish-green discharge, you should keep your child home from school. A
serious cough could be a sign of contagious conditions like whooping cough, viral bronchitis, or croup. It can also be a sign of asthma or allergies.

5. Sore Throat – it can be a symptom of strep throat or a common cold. If your
child has been diagnosed with strep throat, keep your child at home for at least
24 hours after starting antibiotics. If your child has a mild cold, it is okay to go to
school.

6. Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) – it is contagious and your child should stay
home from school for the first 24 hours after treatment begins. Symptoms of pink eye include eye redness, irritation, swelling, and pus.

7. Earaches – they are not contagious and there may be no need to keep your
child home for a mild earache, as long as your child feels well enough to
concentrate.

8. Rashes – can be a sign of contagious conditions such as chickenpox, bacterial
meningitis, or impetigo. You should keep your child home until they are
diagnosed. They can return to school after the symptoms are gone and their
doctor gives the okay.

9. Mild Cold or Respiratory Symptoms – are no reason to keep your child
home as long as their nasal drainage is NOT excessive and clear, and their
cough is mild. Please teach and reinforce hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used.

Keeping your child home when they are ill helps protect classmates and teachers and ensures your child has time to recover. Let's work together for a healthy school year!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at
ssaglimbene@tenafly.k12.nj.us or call me at 201-816-7703.

- Nurse Sharon

I hope you and your family had a restful and enjoyable summer break! We’re excited to welcome your children back to school and dive into some fun and engaging Physical Education (PE) units.

Grades 3-5: Soccer Unit Students in grades 3 through 5 will be kicking off our soccer unit. We’ll be focusing on fundamental soccer skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. In addition to skill development, teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship will be emphasized throughout the unit. Please ensure your child comes to school with appropriate footwear (sneakers) and comfortable clothing, as we will be spending a lot of time outdoors (weather permitting).

Grades K-2: Throwing and Catching Unit Our younger students in grades K through 2 will be working on their throwing and catching skills. This unit will help improve their hand-eye coordination and motor skills in a fun, supportive environment. We’ll be practicing various types of throws (underhand, overhand) and catching techniques through games and activities designed to keep them active and engaged.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out. We’re looking forward to a fantastic time in PE!

Thank you for your continued support!

Best regards,
Mr. Marciano
PE Teacher

As we wrap up our first month of school, students have explored so much of the library! We have learned all about library procedures, organization, and book care. Students are getting familiar with call numbers so they can access library materials and information independently. Students and staff look forward to Mackay’s annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest in October. Keep an eye out for the flyer and form being sent home for all the details, which are also available below.

I can’t wait to see how students bring their favorite book characters to life!

-Ms. Brenzel

This month in the art room we are hard at work for our first big project!

Students in all grade levels are creating flowers to be displayed on a large flower and grass wall in the halls of Mackay! Students in kindergarten are creating flowers using clay and learning about different types of lines to decorate the flowers. Students in 1st grade are creating flowers using clay and beads and also using their knowledge of lines in their creations. Students in 2nd grade are creating paper flowers and reviewing and learning about 2D shapes and 3D forms to turn flat paper into 3D flowers. Students in 3rd grade are creating flowers using beads and learning about Balance in art. Students in 4th grade are using clay to create roses and learning about Color Value. Finally, students in 5th grade are creating collage flowers inspired by stained glass and reviewing their knowledge about Color Value to complete their pieces. We can’t wait for you to see and experience our final work!

Until next time,

Ms.Bracero

We hope everyone had a great and music-filled first month of school. We would like to start our blurb with a warm welcome to Mrs. Tirri to the Mackay School Community! She is our newest Music Teacher, and she will be teaching the General/Vocal Music classes to students in Kindergarten and First Grade—not just at Mackay, but at all Tenafly elementary schools. Mrs. Tirri will be at Mackay every Thursday and some Friday afternoons.

Mr. Fugaban will continue to teach students from Second Grade through Fifth Grade, but he will be traveling between Mackay School and Maugham School. He will be at Mackay on Monday afternoons and all day on Tuesdays and Fridays. Mrs. DeJoseph will be at Mackay on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Band, Orchestra, and Chorus rehearsals started in September, and we have a lot of work ahead of us to prepare for our Winter Concert. Students, please make sure you are checking Google Classroom periodically. Please see below for the general rehearsal schedule (all ensembles start rehearsal at 7:30am):

• Tuesday mornings: Chorus
• Wednesday mornings: Band
• Thursday mornings: Orchestra
• 
  

We are looking forward to making many musical memories throughout October and the school year!

Musically,
Mr. Fugaban, General/Vocal Music (Gr. 2-5)
Mrs. Tirri, General/Vocal Music (Gr. K-1)
Mrs. DeJoseph, Instrumental Music (Gr. 3-5)

It is that time of year again to nominate the Governor's Educator of the Year for Mackay School! Please consider nominating a teacher or staff member.

You can complete the online google form and return it to the main office before the deadline.

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, October 25th.

Additional eligibility criteria can be found on the Department of Ed. website.

Follow Mackay's social media platforms to keep up-to-date with upcoming events and happenings in our school and community.

Instagram - @principalmackay