Download eagle`s nest - Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School

E AG L E ’ S N E S T
November 2015
Issue 1
By: Edward Aguiles
Welcome back to our 2015-2016 school year. For those of you joining us for the first time we hope that you will take full advantage
of our programs, resources, and opportunities to participate in the vast array of activities that the PTO sponsors or puts together. We
are excited by the changes this year has to offer at various grade levels.
Kindergarten:
This year kindergarteners will receive instruction in physical education for the first time in over a decade. Our kindergarteners will
be receiving instruction in physical education every Monday with Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd is new to the district and is a welcomed addition to our faculty.
Mrs. Fitzsimmons and/or Ms. Howard will be visiting the kindergarten classrooms as well to provide addition support to our kindergartners in the area of reading and literacy. This additional support should help us identify students in need much faster and hopefully
prevent students from falling too far behind their peers.
For the first time in over a decade Eisenhower has a full time school counselor at our disposal. Mrs. Maria Runfolo, (“Miss Maria”).
Mrs. Runfolo comes to us with a vast amount of experience. She will meet with our kindergartners once a week to work on social
skills and lend support wherever she can.
Kindergarten/First Grade:
Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year our kindergarten teachers will be “looping’ with their students. This means that with few
exceptions your child’s kindergarten teacher will also be your child’s first grade teacher. Looping will allow your child to begin first
grade with a teacher who already recognizes your child’s strengths and any deficiencies that may exist and begin working with them
immediately with less time being spent trying to assess what a student knows or doesn’t know going into the first grade.
Third Grade:
Throughout the district our third grade teachers are now working as a team. Two teachers will work with third grade students. One
teacher will be responsible for the teaching of language arts and social studies. The other teacher will be responsible for teaching math
and science. At parent conferences please make certain you meet with both teachers.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
601 Ernston Road
Parlin, N.J.
08859
By: Edward Aguiles
School Wide:
As stated above we have a full time school counselor who is available throughout the day to help
students with any issues that affect their academic success. She has a number of skills which she
brings to the table. She will be visiting grade 1 to 3 classrooms at least once a month and work
with these students on developing the academic, social, and emotional skills necessary to be
successful in their grade level.
Literacy Academy:
There will be a literacy academy made available to students early in November for students who
either meet the criteria based on deficiencies identified by the Intervention and Referral Services
committee or, once these students are placed, other students can also take advantage of the
academy on a pay per use basis. If this is something that interests you please look for an email
from the school regarding the morning literacy academy in the next few weeks.
As I said before, we have some exciting new programs here at Eisenhower and throughout the
district. I look forward to having our most successful year ever.
Mr. Aguiles
Mrs. Braun
Ms. Donna
Ms. Linda
Mrs. Paolantonio
Ms. Vigilotti
Ms. Good
Mrs. Berry
Miss Menden and Ms. Manning
Ms. McLafferty
Ms. Valente
Ms. Silvestri
Ms. Herschkowitz
Mrs. White
Mrs. DiStaulo/Ms. Bellina
Miss Clark
Mrs. Lorentz
Mrs. Seaman
Mrs. Bovery
Mrs. DelPrete/Mrs. Murphy
Miss Konstantinidis
Mrs. Henry
Miss Valentine
Ms. Runfolo
Ms. Kilduff
Mrs. Cardillo
Mrs. Fitzsimmons
Mrs. Howard
Ms. Lembo
Ms. Morris
Ms. Mihalenko
Pull out Resources
Ms. Moccia
Ms. Leslie
Mr. Najjar
Mr. Byrd
Mrs. Schwartz
Mrs. Swierczek
Mrs. Remite
Ms. Hessner/Mr. Dye
Ms. Vella/Ms. Segermeister
Ms. Feeney
LDTC
Ms. Gottdenker
Ms. Grove
Mrs. Dembner
Mrs. Reed
Custodians:
Mr. Benitez, Mr. Testa. Mr. Kahse
Matthew Byrd
Mr. Byrd is a Physical Education teacher who will be working with pre K-Grade 3 within the District. He comes to us from Jersey
City by way of Havre de Grace, Maryland. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training from Towson University with a
Physical Education Certification. He received his Teaching Certification through the Alternate Route Program through St. Peter’s
University. He is excited to be part of the staff of Eisenhower Elementary School.
Meghan Grove
Ms. Grove is the Learning Disability Teacher Consultant on the Eisenhower/Arleth Child Study Team. Although she is new to Eisenhower, she has been a Sayreville Educator for past 12 years. She started her career as a third grade special education teacher at Arleth
Elementary School where she taught both second and third grade. She graduated from Kean University with a bachelor’s degree in
special education and a Master’s of Science degree in special education as well as a Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant certification from Monmouth University. She is excited to become a member of the Eisenhower family and assist our students with the academic tools needed to become successful learners.
Maria Kilduff
Mrs. Kilduff is pleased to be joining the Eisenhower School Team. She will be teaching 3rd grade Spanish. She is joining us from Truman School, where she taught kindergarten, first, second and third grade Spanish for 15 years. Mrs. Kilduff is looking forward to a
fun and successful school year.
Jacqui Manning
Miss Manning is excited to be joining the Eisenhower team as part of the first grade co-teaching team with Miss Menden. Previously,
Miss Manning worked in Bridgewater for 3 years teaching 4th grade. She earned her Elementary certification from the University of
Massachusetts and her Master’s in Special Education from The College of New Jersey. She looks forward to having a fun and successful year!
Maria Runfolo-McCormack
Ms. Maria is the new full-time School Counselor at our school. She has many years’ experience as a School Counselor and is coming
to Eisenhower from the Sayreville Middle School. She is very excited to be working with you, the children, Mr. Aguiles, teachers and
school staff to make this a great year for all of you!!! She began as a first grade teacher many years ago and then moved onto teaching
in a middle school and then became a School Counselor. She went to Seton Hall University for her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. In addition, she has a license as a professional counselor.
Kenneth Testa
Mr. Testa grew up in Old Bridge, N.J. He is a Certified Animal Control officer. He likes to volunteer at animal shelters when he has
free time. Mr. Testa enjoys watching football and is a New York Giants fan. His other hobbies are reading, hiking, and drawing. He
started subbing in Sayreville as a custodian earlier this year and now works full time at Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School.
Mrs. Braun
Blood pressure measures the force of blood on the walls of your arteries. It is measured by using a device called a sphygmomanometer. The reading is given with two numbers. The top number is called the systolic number and measures the force of blood as it is
pumped from the heart onto the walls of your arteries. Doctors say the number should be below 120. The bottom number is called
the diastolic number and measures the arteries at rest or between heart beats. Doctors agree that this number should be below 80.
Blood pressure numbers can vary with your activity and is regulated by the nervous system, stress, and endocrine system. High blood
pressure is called hypertension and low blood pressure is called hypotension. Long term dangers of high blood pressure can have an
effect on the lungs, kidneys, heart, blood vessels and brain.
High blood pressure can affect anyone even children. It is sometimes called the “silent killer” because it often does not give any symptoms. There are nearly 400,000 deaths each year from high blood pressure. If you are over 40 years of age, overweight, or are African
American, your chances of having high blood pressure are increased. Everyone should know their numbers and have their blood pressure checked at least once a year and more often if it is on the high side.
There are a few things you can do to help keep your pressure in check. If you are overweight, loosing even 5 to 10 pounds can help
lower your numbers. Exercise also helps lower your numbers. Something as easy as walking 20 minutes a day will help. Play ball,
jump rope, or ride a bike with your children is not only good for you, but the kids will love it. If you plan to start an exercise program
please check with your doctor first.
Another thing that can contribute to hypertension is sodium intake. Current guidelines for the average Americans is to consume no
more than 2,400 mg (about 1 teaspoon) of sodium a day. If there is a family history of hypertension, or you are in one of the prementioned groups, it is recommended you consume no more than 1,500 mg (3/4 teaspoon) of salt. Just to give you an idea of how quickly sodium counts increase in a day I have given you the following counts:

A 1 ounce serving of potato chips (about 15 chips) is 170 mg of sodium

A 1 cup serving of packaged soup mix is 670 mg of sodium

A ½ cup serving of packaged stuffing mix is 390 mg of sodium

One serving of canned mushroom soup is 870 mg of sodium

A 1 cup serving of packaged mac and cheese is 570 mg of sodium

One cup serving of packaged rice pilaf is 950 mg of sodium
Needless to say, there is a need to stay away from processed and prepackaged foods. Learn to read labels. Choose fresh meats over
processed meat. Eat more fresh foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. So many people reach for that salt shaker before they
even taste their food. Foods can be flavored with spices and herbs. Ground pepper, ginger, curry powder, chili powder, rosemary,
oregano and basil do a fine job spicing up food.
Following these few suggestions will not only help reduce your sodium intake, but may also reduce your risk of hypertension and improve your general health.
Mr. Najjar
Mr. Byrd
Welcome Back!!!
I'm looking forward to a great year full of fun and activity. We started off the year with an emphasis on fitness and staying active and
hope you continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle in all aspects of your life. Eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep, and staying active,
not only in gym class but during your free time as well. Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser will take place in February and our annual
Field Day will be in June. Good Luck this school year and I look forward to working with ALL of you!!!
Mr. Najjar
Greetings to all my wonderfuls from Byrdie!
The year began in a new way for our Kindergarten students meeting a new addition to the Sayreville School System. We will "Fall
into Fitness." Plenty of sleep, drinking our water, eating fruits and vegetables are the things that will keep us all healthy, and most of
all we will stay active in and out of Physical Education class. Mr. Byrd is going to lead by example in his desire to become healthier.
With the help of each and everyone of his students this will be a great year. February will bring us Jump Rope For Heart fundraiser.
Start your practice now! The next big event will be Field Day in June. Be ready to soak in some sun and celebrate another wonderful year of fitness. Remember, have fun and play nice. Good luck to us all.
Mr. Byrd
Señora Kilduff
Señora is very excited to be teaching 3rd grade Spanish at Eisenhower School. They have been very busy learning greeting words,
colors and shapes as well as numbers from 1 to 40 so far. Also students have learned songs and they have been answering questions
about daily routines in Spanish. All 3rd graders made a color book in Spanish. She is looking forward to teach them more and having a
successful school year. Another great activity is that the 3rd graders make the morning announcements in school in Spanish. Always
remember to practice the Spanish words that you learn in school.
Mrs. Cardillo
Welcome back!
Please congratulate your child on keeping their brains sharp by reading over the summer.
Below is a list of the top readers for summer reading. They went above and beyond in reading hours and earned a free Papa John’s pizza pass. Congratulations! Sia Yambasu, AbhishekAchari, Maria Esposito, Emanuel Marion, Allen Bex, Tanish
Pakkala, Chand Naqvi, Jay Banasiak, Marek Pomiklo, Daniel O’Mahony, Lauren Jennings, Hend Hafazalla, Ethan Alexander, Chhavi Yadav, and Danielle Zapoticzny September was Library Card Month as I mentioned at Back-to-School Night.
About 10 students took advantage and sent in the orange registration cards that were available that night and got their first
Sayreville Public Library Card. I hope you get a lot of use out of your first “plastic” card. If you did not pick one up that
night, don’t worry you can get a library card any time. Just stop by our wonderful town library on Washington Road. It’s
free and a great way to ensure your child has the opportunity to become a lifelong reader.
Please remember that our Library/Media Arts program has changed a little this year. Borrowing library books is done separately with the classroom teacher. Please mark your calendars to help your child remember to return books on his/her
scheduled day. Speaking of Media Arts, we have been very busy reviewing the basics for library and computers. We actually took a parts of the computer quiz using a fun online game called Kahoot. Ask your child if they liked taking tests with
this website. I’m sure they will tell you it was fun. We have also practiced logging in, opening and closing programs, as
well as, getting lots of mouse practice in fun programs like Paint and KidPix. Studies show that with the use of tablets,
laptops and cell phones, many children don’t use a mouse as much. If you do have a computer at home, please try to let
your child practice this very important computer skill.
We are also starting our typing programs. Kindergarten and First Grade are using Type to Learn Jr. Second Grade is using
Type to Learn 3. Third Grade is using an online program called Typing Pal. After we complete the initial test, students
will get a letter explaining how they can practice at home too.
Our Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Eisenhower School the week of 11/16/15. We will be sending home the flyers very
soon. Your child will visit the fair during his/her Media Arts time. Watch our school website to see links to preview the
books. You can even order online if you prefer. If you are interested in volunteering during the book fair, we will have an
online sign-up site for your convenience. Watch for the email blasts and information on our school website.
As always, thanks for your support. If you need to reach me, don’t hesitate to email me at
[email protected].
Miss Clark
It's been a wonderful start to Art with amazing line designs by Kindergartners, beautiful sunflowers by first graders, rainbow ice cream cones made by mixing colors by second graders, and shockingly realistic drawings of new school shoes
from observation, on scratchboard, by third graders. The students of Eisenhower are remembering art lessons from the
past and are using those skills to successfully complete more complicated and creative projects each year they return to
Eisenhower. The Kindergartners are currently working on Thanksgiving necklaces by making clay medallions, painting
them, and stringing them together with other beads. First graders are finishing up farm pictures, reviewing different
types of lines, complete with scarecrows made with mixed media. The second graders have worked hard on paintings of
trees in fall forests. Finally, third graders have just completed sculptures of pumpkins by constructing two pinch pots,
one on top of another. Each pumpkin is unique and painted with care!
Miss Valentine
It's so great to be back for another musical year at Eisenhower School!
Everything we do in the music room works towards developing answers to two ongoing essential questions.
1. How can I make music?
2. What can I learn by studying the music of others?
We find answers by creating music through singing, playing instruments, and notating our own compositions. We also
participate in listening and moving activities to better understand music that has been created by others.
Please check out the music website: www.tinyurl.com/Eis-Music for up-to-date information about what's going on in the
music room.
Throughout the school year, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me at
[email protected].
Mrs. Dembner and Miss Reed
AWord from the Speech-Language Specialists
Here are a few ideas to prompt excellent speech and language skills. These ideas can be applied to students of all ages and
levels.

Go for a walk outside and describe the things you see (Ex: shapes, colors, textures and smells)

Look for things that contain various sounds used in the English language.

Talk to your child during everyday activities (ex: car rides, trip to the grocery store and reading with your child).
Ask open-ended questions.

Have your child tell a spooky story and ask to give as much detail as possible.
Happy Speech and Language Learning!
Mrs. Fitzsimmons and Mrs. Howard
There has been an exciting change to the ASI Reading Program this year. We are fortunate to have two reading teachers,
one who is servicing kindergarten and first grade and the other second and third. Together we supplement and support
classroom reading instruction for the students who qualify for the program. In addition, we formulate and implement plans
that will improve students’ reading skills and foster an enjoyment of books to encourage reading as a leisure activity. Developing a positive attitude and self-confidence in our students promotes a high-level of reading success!
PTO Board Members 2015-2016:
President: Suzanne Green
Vice President: Suzy Sylvester
Treasurer: Tracy Kehoe
Recording Secretary: Ursula Huggins-Jones
Corresponding Secretary: Lynn Pulvermuller
December 1, 2015
6:30 pm
January 5, 2016
6:30 pm
February 2, 2016
6:30 pm
March 1, 2016
6:30 pm
April 5, 2016
6:30 pm
May 3, 2016
6:30 pm
June 1, 2016
6:30 pm
Hello Parents! It's that time of year again. School has started and the collections and contests have begun! We are still
collecting Boxtops for Education and Labels for Education (Campbell's soup labels) for our school to
earn money. Please send in your Boxtops and Labels in a bag with your child's name and teacher's
name on it. At the end of the school year, Boxtops and Labels will be tallied up, and the class with the
most of each will earn a class party! Please help your child's class win a party and help our school at
Friday, February 5, 2016
Our preparations for the Tricky Tray have begun. Empty boxes for tricky tray items will
be placed in the hallways of the school. If you have any new items and would like to
donate them, please send them in. Please do not send in used items.
We are also looking for baskets. You can send them via your child or you can drop them
off at the PTO meetings.
Basket themes for each grade will be sent out shortly.
October 16, 2015
The Pumpkin Patch was held on October 16. A big thank you to our Executive Board members for this wonderful event.
The children all had fun choosing a pumpkin from the “Patch” behind Eisenhower School. They also choose an apple from
the Apple Stand. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers for making this day extra fun for the children.
By: Lori McLafferty
Dwight D. Eisenhower School is requesting photos of active-duty members of the military who are residents of Sayreville or who are
graduates of Sayreville schools, for recognition on an appreciation bulletin board in the school.
Welcome to the first issue of Eagle’s Nest. We would like to welcome all the new teachers,
students and parents to Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School.
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Have a safe winter break.
Editors: Dean and Maria Kakadelis