All students in Grades 1-6 are busy preparing for our Spring Concert, happening on Tuesday, May 20th! Information about the concert was emailed and sent home on April 7th, and is also available in students’ Music Google Classrooms. Parents and guardians of students in Grades 1-3 are invited to see their students perform on the afternoon of May 20th, prior to our 3:00 dismissal. All 4th-6th graders–including all Band members–will be performing the evening of May 20th at Grant School. Band members should check the new Band schedule for additional in-school Band practices and are reminded that there are no Band lessons the weeks of NJSLA testing. All parents are encouraged to remind their students to review their words and music at home so we are prepared for an amazing performance. We can’t wait to see you!

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful spring break! We are back and completing our basketball unit soon. After basketball, we will begin working on a larger team sport, such as volleyball. Students will learn how to bump, set, pass and use their teams to create scoring opportunities in large class volleyball games. We will also work on ball control by learning how to keep the ball in the air for multiple hits. As a reminder, all students are required to wear sneakers to participate in physical education class for safety purposes. See you all soon!

¡Saludos! Spanish students in sixth grade are working on sports and pronouns. Students are writing sentences with pronouns and sports to state what sports they practice and play and what sports their classmates practice and play. The fifth graders are reading about the origins of some genres of Latin music and are writing sentences with different genres of Latin music using the verbs, Bailar-to dance and Cantar-to sing. Fourth graders are working on imperative vocabulary. They are learning what different signs and commands mean. Signs that are often seen such as Stop-Pare, Exit-Salida,e.t.c. In order for them to be aware and prepared in case of an emergency when and if they travel to a Spanish speaking country.

This month in Spanish class, students are building on everything they’ve learned throughout the year with fun and meaningful lessons! Kindergarten is learning about los miembros de la familia (family members). Through songs, visuals, and class discussions, they are starting to describe who is in their family using new vocabulary like mamá, papá, hermana, and abuelo. First grade is getting ready for summer! We’ve started a new unit on actividades del verano, where students are watching videos, naming summer activities, and practicing vocabulary in writing and conversation. Second graders are learning how to use pronombres (pronouns) and adjetivos (adjectives) to describe themselves and others. They are writing simple sentences like Yo soy alto and Ella es simpática, expanding their ability to communicate in Spanish. The third grade is wrapping up the year by studying líderes hispanos. They are applying everything they’ve learned, verbs, question words, family vocabulary, and adjectives to describe important figures and explain why they’re admired. It’s been incredible to see how much they’ve grown!

We have been preparing students in grades three through six for the NJSLA test coming up. The test will take place from May 5-May 9 with additional sections for the fifth grade on May 13 and 14. The test is comprised of language arts, mathematics, and science (for grade 5 only). Students have been learning the different controls and functions that the testing platform offers as well as how to navigate the virtual space efficiently so there is no time wasted and they can perform to the best of their abilities on the content. Please make sure that during the testing week that the children are on time to school and have a good breakfast so that they can put their best foot forward on the exams.

We have been very busy in Enrichment and GIfted and Talented classes. Kindergarten and first grade students heard the story, A Color of His Own, by Leo Lionni. We learned about chameleons and created habitats for them to camouflage themselves in! Grade two, students started a Fairytale STEM lesson. This lesson is a twist on the classic tale Hansel and Gretel. In this version, students will plan and create a trap to help them trap the witch! Third grade students continue building models of TIny Houses! In the process, we are studying geometry, area, and perimeter. These houses are coming out so cool! Grade four students have completed making original learning board games and are now enjoying playing them. In the fifth grade, G&T students have been enjoying exploring the Strawbees building system and using them to design and build bridges and catapults. Finally, the sixth grade G&T students continue studying mythical creatures. They have created Google Slide presentations to teach about their chosen creatures. Students are now designing and building a model of their creature as well as a trap that will contain their creature without causing them any harm.

Now that spring is almost here, take advantage of the nice weather and walk over to the Ridgefield Park Public Library. Applying for a library card is free. Consistent reading, especially during school breaks, can help students stay motivated and help them advance their English language skills. You can also use the Libby app from the Ridgefield Park library to borrow books and magazines online once you have a library card. Take your reading outside and enjoy the sunshine! Use the link to contact the library for more information. https://www.ridgefieldparkpubliclibrary.org/

Congratulations to all of our third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade students for their hard work and focus during NJSLA testing! Your teachers are so proud of you, and you should be proud of yourselves :) As a reminder, Grade 5 will also be testing on May 13 & 14 for Science. Spring is finally here and we are in the home stretch of the school year! Please encourage your child(ren) to keep working hard in order to finish the year off strong. We look forward to watching their continued growth.

Each month of the school year, we celebrate a character trait that we encourage students to practice and display in their everyday lives. Here is this month's character trait.

Why is attendance important?

Attendance is crucial for elementary-aged children because it directly impacts their learning and development. Being in school helps children build a strong academic foundation, stay engaged with their lessons, and develop important social skills. Absences from school can lead to gaps in knowledge, making it harder for children to keep up with grade level expectations. Regular attendance also fosters responsibility, routine, and a sense of commitment, setting the stage for future success both in and out of the classroom.

What is truancy?

When a child has many unexcused absences, it can fall under the category of truancy. Truancy is defined as 10 or more cumulative, unexcused absences of the days in session. Truancy is a juvenile offense that can lead to consequences for the juveniles and his or her legal parents or guardian. This may result in juvenile court and penalties imposed. Our school policy 5200 states, “prolonged or repeated absences, excused or unexcused, from school or from class, deprive students of the educational and classroom experiences deemed essential to learning and may result in retention at grade level.”

Which absences are excused?

According to district policy, a physician’s note is required to excuse student illnesses. It is important to note that this is excused ONLY for counting towards truancy. The number of days absent in Genesis will not change. The total number must be accurate for reporting purposes to the NJDOE.

According to the NJDOE, there are a few allowable reasons for a state-excused absence that pertain to elementary aged students:

• Religious observance (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));

• “Take Our Children to Work Day” or other rule issued by the Commissioner.

Let's work together to increase student attendance!