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www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us

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january calendar

happy new year!

School Reopens

Board of Education Meeting

Elementary Report Cards

PTA Meeting

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (off)

Pre-K Field Trip NJ Explorer

Board of Education Meeting

School hours:

in this issue:

PAGE

@ Presidents

Column Library News SOMEF

Full Sessions First Bell 8:40am AM Kindergarten 8:40-11:30am PM Kindergarten 12:30-3:15pm Grades 1-5 8:40-3:15pm 4-hour Sessions First Bell 8:40am AM Kindergarten 8:40-11:30am PM Kindergarten 10:00-12:45pm Grades 1-5 8:40-12:45pm

# Principal’s

Message More Library News

$ Programming 4 Fundraising

% Contact Info 5 Advertisement

^ Nurses Notes 6 5th Grade

Activities

6 South Mountain

Merchandise

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Honoring this month: Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968 Nobel Peace Prize 1964

box tops:

Please keep bringing in those Box Tops!

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happy new year!! presidents column Carlene Brumant & Sandi Brand PTA Co-Presidents

Welcome back! It’s hard to believe that it’s already 2008. Pretty soon we’ll be heading out again; this time for winter break. In the meantime, we’d like to share what’s happening. Our cookie dough sale is well under way, so be sure to order some. On a different note, we have a Cultural Arts performance planned for February. Our Chair, Ruthanna Graves-Morton will bring us Rochel Coleman for two shows on the 15th. He will depict historical African American characters. We had a great start with Dr. Quirk’s Slapstick Science, and Opera for the Young with Lori Brown Mirabel. We have no doubt that Mr. Coleman’s performances will be just as exciting.

library news

report cards Report cards are being issued on Friday, January 11, 2008. Please resolve all library ﬁnes, and return all extremely overdue library books before then, so your child will receive his/her report card. It is district policy to withhold report cards for lost library materials and unpaid library ﬁnes. Books become “Lost” when they are more than 30 days overdue.

As we enter this New Year, we’re sure that resolutions were made by most. We wish you the best of luck in achieving them. If volunteering is one of them, please don’t hesitate to contact any Board member. We can always use your help. We would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and would like to also extend those wishes to Valentine’s Day. Let’s make it a great 2008 for all our Superstars!

Carlene & Sandi SOMEF

The Six Flags Read to Succeed Program is back. Forms arrived from Six Flags earlier than expected, and were distributed before the holiday recess. Students can begin their six hours of recreational reading as soon as they receive a form/reading log. All reading logs MUST be turned in NO LATER than Tuesday, February 12, 2008. NO LATE FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED, as there is alot of paperwork to be completed by the school in order to meet the deadline for submitting forms to Six Flags. Students who complete the reading log, and return it ON TIME with a parent signature, will receive a free child’s ticket to Six Flags. The tickets are only valid from mid-June to midAugust 2008, so please pay attention to the expiration date on the ticket. Tickets will be MAILED home by the librarian in late May. Compete information about the program will be included on the reverse of the reading log. ✪

The South Orange-Mapleweed Education Foundation

Congratulations to Mary Ford, Tammy Murphy, Sara Juhlin, Bonita Samuels, Rosemary Jessell, Ellie Esposito, Suzanne Ng, Mary Sciano, Sophie Blavet, Roberta Baltin, Sharon Edelberg, Alison Steiner, and Karen Weiland, the recipients of six SOMEF Teacher Grants for their special projects to be carried out at South Mountain School this Spring. SOMEF awarded a total of $35,016 for 49 grants to be used in all nine schools this year. The Foundation received a total of 92 grant requests this year, but SOMEF could not afford to fund them all. You can help SOMEF to enable more teachers to complete their special projects by participating in the Late-Funding initiative. Go to www.SOMEF.org (or call 973-378-2055) for a complete list of grants already funded and a list of approved grants awaiting funding. Choose the unfunded grant that you like best, and make a donation to SOMEF to make it happen. ✪

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welcome back!! principal’s message

Battle of the Books is reading incentive program for students in grades 3-5. Students read books and come together to demonstrate their abilities and test their knowledge of the books they have read. The competitions are similar in style to the Quiz Bowl tv program. Students will be placed on a balanced team of 4-6 students from their class. In the „battle‰, each team is asked ten different questions by the librarian. All questions relate to character, plot, events and setting. Points are awarded for the correct title and author. The team members confer before a spokesperson gives the answer. Team members take turns being spokesperson.

Writing is the one activity that requires the writer to interact with subject matter using all levels of thought, from facts to evaluation and synthesis. The attached third grade writing samples are examples of students’ early attempts to apply all of the instruction that they have received to write clearly. Remember, they, the writers, are “works” in progress. I commend these young writers for their work. As students focus on learning to read and do math, they need an equal measure of encouragement, support, and understanding as writers. Enjoy! Please forgive me if any writers were not represented in this issue. The future will include all who want to publish in what I hope will be a regular part of the PTA newsletter.

Tom Gibbons

Individual awards are earned by the number of books read by each student. All students reading at least two books will receive a certificate of participation and an eraser and will be part of the battle. Students reading at least five titles will receive a certificate, and eraser and a pencil. Those reading at least eight books will get all of the above plus a notepad.

Dr. Gladstone’s Book About CATS! By Mia Gladstone Cats can be up to 2 or 3 feet long. That’s pretty big. Most cats that are pets react calmly when people pet them, but some cats don’t. For example, my cat doesn’t like people. She isn’t mean, but she reacts differently because she is scared of strangers. I don't blame her.

T-Rex By Anshul Vyakarnam The T-Rex was the king of the dinosaurs. First, the T-Rex stood as tall as a 2-story house! That’s a pretty big dinosaur. Also, the T-Rex had 50 cone-shaped teeth. Each tooth was more than 9 inches long! The T-Rex used these teeth to eat a ton of meat and bones in one bite. In fact, a T-Rex could eat 500 pounds of meat and bones in a bite! This is why T-Rexes were the king of the dinosaurs.

From Caroline Pryor (Mrs. Rubenstein's class) The T-Rex By Julia Herrero T-Rex was king of the dinosaurs. He was about 40 feet long from head to tail and was as tall as a two story house. His size gave him a colossal appetite. It could eat 500 pounds of meat and bones. T-Rex’s fifty 9-inch teeth helped it to do the job. This made T-Rex a top predator of the Jurassic peiod. T-Rexes were fascinating dinosaurs. T-Rexes were as big as a two-story house! Can you believe it? T-Rexes were really big and strong so they ate a lot. The T-Rex could eat up to 500 pounds of meat and bones just in one bite! The T-Rex was about 40 feet long from head to tail. Imagine something that big on your doorstep! T-Rexes had 50 cone-shaped teeth, each more than 9 inches long. If you lived in that time, better RUN!!!!

more library news

Tom Gibbons, Principal

I think she’s really cool. Speaking of cool, cats have extra great vision. Their vision is phenomenal, especially in the dark. You wouldn’t believe how cool it is. Cats eyes glow in the dark! I know it’s awesome. The dark causes cats eyes to glow because there is a special chemical in their eyes that only turns on in the dark. That’s why cats are awesome!

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South Mountain’s Battle of the Books will be starting in February with grade 3. Grades 4-5 will have their battles later in the spring. Students will be reading books from a list of 8-10 pre-selected titles. All students will be borrowing a Battle book in addition to their regular library books. Information will be sent home with students in a few weeks. Students will be provided with book lists,and the library has 10-15 copies of each title. Thanks to a SOMEF grant, the librarian was able to purchase several of the Battle titles in an audiobook version (either cassette or CD) for those students who would beneﬁt from the audio format. You may also obtain audio versions of the Battle titles at some area public libraries, or there are online sources for some titles to be legally downloaded. Please contact the librarian or your child’s teacher if you feel your child would beneﬁt from the audio version of the book. ✪

www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us

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programming: for january 2008

Before wishing everyone a happy New Year, we wanted to thank the many volunteers who helped to make the 2007 Winter Festival the best one yet. Despite a lack of electricity for the ﬁrst half of the festival, everyone’s spirits were high. Volunteers and visitors alike made the day a fun one for everyone. In particular, we would like to thank our co-chairs and PTA VPs, Maria Shapiro and Kara Erhamza of fundraising for all their hard work, Lori Ripley for her amazing decorations, Sylvia Cutler, for the wonderful cookie bake off, Eve Peterson for heading up face painting, and Julia Keller and Nathalie Stengele, two Superstars’ au pairs who volunteered several hours of their free time behind the food counter. We would also like to thank Marty’s Pizza for making three deliveries of pizza sold at cost to us, Mr Healy, asst principal at CHS for his wonderful magic show, Linval, a professional photographer who, despite not being able to take any pictures due to the power failure, was very positive through out and wants to come back next year, Marilyn Lehren and her band, and Ms. Wiggins for leading us all in a sing along to mark the end of the festival. In addition, of course, thank you to all of the parents and middle school volunteers as well as Girl Scout troop 232 and 1126 who helped out with arts and crafts and selling water, and Mr. Gibbons and the custodial staff who, as always, were so helpful and supportive. It was a great day for celebrating with Superstar students and teachers’ families. Now, on to 2008.

January is usually a time to look ahead, but we’d like to take a minute and reﬂect back on the Winter Festival. Even with the power outage, our Superstar families managed to have a great time. We’d like to thank each one of you for coming out and showing your support for our school. We’d like to thank our South Mountain parents who showcased their businesses and sold items as well as all of our vendors. Our programming co-chairs, Lisa Nolet and Letitia Campbell put together talented entertainers and great crafts for everyone to enjoy. Special thanks to Lorry Ripley and Rachel Sullivan for turning the school into a winter wonderland and to Jennifer Stemmerman for organizing all of the delicious baked goods. Big thanks to Sylvia Cutler for chairing the annual cookie bake off.

Mark your calendars for the ﬁrst PTA meeting of 2008. It will take place on Wednesday January 16th at 9:00am at South Mountain School. It will be a Coffee Social/general PTA meeting. Parents are invited to bring ideas, ask questions, etc. while the PTA shares information about their activities.

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to exercise more? Join Mr. K and other South Mountain parents for a competitive basketball series in the South Mountain gym. All money raised will go towards new equipment for the gym. Questions? Contact Mr. K.

Lisa Nolet & Letitia Campbell

by Lisa Nolet & Letitia Campbell

Also mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00pm for our Parents as Partners event: Parents in the Classroom. Parents, throughout the district, will be invited to attend mini classes in major subject areas for various grades. The classes will be taught by teachers from our district so parents can get a better sense of what it is like to be a student in MSO elementary schools. We are hoping for a great turnout from throughout the district but especially from our parents of South Mountain School. Finally, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

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We will be starting a “Change the Future” coin collecting initiative starting later this month. Keep an eye out for information in your child’s backpack.

We’re looking forward to a great 2008!

Kara Erhamza & Maria Shapiro

www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us

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Zina’s Handmade Treasures

www.hidef-av.com

audio

see what you’re missing.

video

Great gifts, or treat yourself! Baby blankets, baby sweaters Children’s sweaters and ponchos Adult ponchos, scarves, and shawls Everything is handmade by Mrs. Schaefer-Gelo’s mother. If interested in purchasing a treasure or two, please contact Mrs. Schaefer-Gelo (Second Grade Teacher) or email her at: gschaefe@somsd.k12.nj.us

contact info: home theater

CS M ART

South Mountain PTA Executive Board Co-Presidents Carlene Brumant (973) 761-7764 Sandi Brand (973) 762-5333

201.259.8426

F RAM E

161 SPRING STREET MILLBURN, NJ 07041 • 201 - 486 - 5899 • CARYN@CSM - ART.COM

PAIN T IN GS P RIN TS PO ST ER S LIT H O GRAPH S CO LLEGE AN T IQUE P RIN TS P H OTO GRAPH Y SC ULT UREŁ M I RRO R S

C USTO M FRAM IN G CO RPO RAT E RESID EN T IAL CO N SULT IN G ART PLAC EM EN T I N STALLAT IO N S M URALS ART ACC ESSO RIES AP P RAI SALS

SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT • ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH ART

www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us

south

mountain

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page

Zina’s Handmade Treasures

www.hidef-av.com

audio

see what you’re missing.

video

contact info: home theater

CS M ART

South Mountain PTA Executive Board Co-Presidents Carlene Brumant (973) 761-7764 Sandi Brand (973) 762-5333

201.259.8426

F RAM E

161 SPRING STREET MILLBURN, NJ 07041 • 201 - 486 - 5899 • CARYN@CSM - ART.COM

PA I N T I N G S P R I N TS PO S T E R S L I T HO G RA PH S CO L L EG E A N T I Q U E P R I N TS P H OTO G RA PH Y S C U LT U R E Ł MI RRO R S

C U S TO M F RA M I NG CO R PO RAT E RE S I D E N T IA L CO N S U LT I N G ART PLAC E M E N T I N S TA L LAT I O N S M U RA L S ART ACC E S S O RI E S AP P RA I SA L S

SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT • ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH ART

Vice Presidents, Administration Rhonda Johnson (973) 762-2940 Sandy Sandoli (973) 275-3856 Vice Presidents, Fundraising Maria Shapiro (973) 761-4779 Kara Erhamza (973) 313-2296 Vice Presidents, Programming Lisa Nolet (973) 761-7531 Letitia Campbell (973) 763-8014 Treasurers Jill Johnson Louise Finkelman

(973) 378-3441 (973) 378-2313

Corresponding Secretary Laura Reichgut (973) 763-6905 Recording Secretary Mercinth Pearce

(973) 762-6889

(973) 378-3441 (973) 378-2313

Corresponding Secretary Laura Reichgut (973) 763-6905 Recording Secretary Mercinth Pearce

(973) 762-6889

www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us

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nurses notes

jan 2008

fifth grade activities Chairs: Letitia Campbell, Deb Gunter, Kim Pryor, Lisa Nolet

Proper hand washing is probably the most important thing parents and children can do in the household to prevent colds, Poinsett says. “Many of us wipe our mouths and noses with our hands without washing hands afterward. Washing your hands with soap, including the backs of the hands, in between ﬁngers, for 20 to 30 seconds – about the length of the Alphabet song – is key. Also, keeping nails short and clean helps to keep hands clean.”

Fifth grade is a special time in our school district since it is the ﬁnal year of elementary school. Consequently there are many special activities to mark this signiﬁcant year. In order to help fund those events, there are special fundraisers for this grade as well. Below is a calendar of 5th grade activities. Volunteers are needed to help with all activities. Contact one of the 5th grade committee chairs or your child’s class parents to volunteer in some way.

“The number one habit that parents should teach their children is still the age-old washing of hands,” says David Tejeda, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at California Paciﬁc Medical Center in San Francisco. “Catching air-borne germs is relatively minimal – direct physical contact is still the easiest and quickest way to catch a germ.

“We constantly touch our eyes, face and others with our hands,” Tejeda says.

January 25th bake sale - Heumann’s class

“Children should wash their hands after they use the rest room, before they eat and after they blow their nose.”

February 14th Valentine’s Day Dance-a-thon

Explain to your child the importance of washing away a morning’s worth of shared germs before eating lunch, says Nancy Bock, director of consumer affairs for The Soap and Detergent Association, a nonproﬁt trade association in Washington, D.C.

February 26-28 Used book Sale

February 29th bake sale - Simon’s class

March 28th bake sale - Cahn’s class

April 2-3 Fairview Lake Campout

April 18th bake sale - Appenzoller’s Class

(Excerpt from Bug zapping 101, Coming clean on keeping school kids healthy by Tara Aronson, Special to The Chronicle) ✪

May 30th bake sale - Heumann/Simon’s classes

June 16th pool party SO Pool

June 20th Moving Up Ceremony and Reception

South Mountain Merchandise Car Magnets $5.00 Water Bottles $3.00 South Mountain Tye-Dye T-shirts Youth XS,S,M,L Adult S,M,L,XL South Mountain Tye-Dye Tank Tops Youth XS,S Adult South Mountain White Short Sleeve T-shirts Adult South Mountain White Long Sleeve T-shirts South Mountain Flannel Boxer Shorts Youth S,M,L

Name

San Francisco health Web site ThriveOnline.

A Handy Cold-buster

This is especially important to reinforce during the cold and ﬂu season when children are inside classrooms, sharing chest colds and stomach bugs along with pencils and snacks, according to Mimi Poinsett, a Modesto pediatrician and “Kids’ Doc” online expert with Oxygen’s

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$15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $ 5.00 $10.00 $12.00

Teacher Phone/email Please make check payable to: South Mountain PTA

Send your payment to the PTA via your child’s backpack in an envelope marked T-shirts.

Questions? Contact Kara Erhamza 313-2296 or Maria Shapiro 761-4779

* Start collecting gently used children and adult books in resalable condition to donate to the book sale!

ADVERTISE

for $2.00 you can place an AD. (business card, birthday wishes, etc.) Size: 2.75" x 1.75" For larger sizes and display ADs, please inquire. Submissions by email only. Electronic PDF version will be in color. Printed version will be B&W.

classifieds: Advertising Policy Deadline: the 15th of the prior month when you wish your AD to appear. South Mtn Families ONLY.

credits: Design William Kochi KODE Associates, Inc. Printing Mary Jo DeFranco Signal Graphics