Music is in the air—new
strings program to launch
AUGUST 2007—As
part of the proposed budget, funding for a strings
program at the intermediate schools has been allocated.
Maple Hill and Mechanicstown Elementary Schools will
both receive strings programs said Betsy McKean, Business
Administrator.
“Playing a stringed instrument enhances a child’s
quality of life,” said Gregory Bennett, K-12 music
chair. “It provides creative, emotional, and social
opportunities and can lead to improvements in academic
performance in other areas beyond music.”
Programs at both of the intermediate schools are set to
start in the fall of 2007.
Maple Hill
teacher named Teacher of the Year
MAY 2007—Matthew
Wentworth, teacher at Maple Hill, was named teacher
of the year by Wal-Mart after his student
Jazmyn Martinez wrote
a nomination on behalf of him. A surprise ceremony for
Mr. Wentworthon
was held on Thursday, May 10, 2007, at the school.
"I was unaware of
this until they called my name as the Teacher of the
year. I was quite surprised and very honored. The
fact that one of my second grade students wrote the
nomination made it even better," said Wentworth.
The school was
awarded $1,000 as a result of Mr. Wentworth winning
the title.
Maple Hill & Mechanicstown to get new strings program
MAY 2007—As
part of the proposed budget, funding for a strings
program at the intermediate schools has been allocated.
Mechanicstown and Maple Hill Elementary Schools will
both receive strings programs said Betsy McKean,
Business Administrator, if the budget is approved.
“Playing a stringed instrument enhances a child’s
quality of life,” said Gregory Bennett, K-12 music
chair. “It provides creative, emotional, and social
opportunities and can lead to improvements in academic
performance in other areas beyond music.”
Programs at both of the intermediate schools are set to
start in the fall of 2007.
NHS students speak with Maple Hill students. |
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NHS
students work with fifth graders in "No-Name Calling"
workshop
APRIL
2007—Maple
Hill got some visitors from the high school National
Honor Society (NHS) this April. NHS students interacted
with fifth graders in a program that promotes “No
Name-Calling.” High schoolers demonstrated some
techniques to help fifth graders in sticky situations
and they also shared some of their experiences, and did role
playing with students as part of the workshop.
Students get unlikely visitor, Daisy the pot belly pig!
FEB.
2007—Maple Hill students got a visit from farmer Paul Minor
and his pot belly pig, Daisy, an unlikely guest but one
that made a big impression on the kids.
"Although it was unique just to have a pig as a visitor,
that was only the beginning," said staff member Mary
Conklin. "Farmer Minor recounted details of Daisy’s
youth, her schedule and how she loves having stories
read to her. He also brought along Daisy’s wealth of
clippings from previous appearances and her collection
of books about pigs."
While
sitting in his rocking chair, Minor asked children to
participate in reading a little pig story as Daisy
calmly watched the proceedings and uttered an occasional
snort. Daisy has been in the company of many celebrities,
diplomats and legislators. She was the first pig to
ever be invited into the U.S. Capitol building and has
been on television.
Children read stories with Farmer Minor throughout the
day and also got a chance to meet Daisy up close and
personal!
Noted poet &
professor
visits Maple Hill for lecture series
FEB.
2007—In
honor of Black History Month, award-winning poet and
author Quraysh Ali Lansana visited Maple Hill Elementary
School as part of
Middletown's Arts-in-Education programming.
Lansana, a professor at Chicago State University,
visited the school during the week of Feb. 5, 2007, to lecture on the
life of Harriet Tubman. Students in grades 2-5 heard Lansana
read poems from his book They Shall Run: Harriet Tubman Poems,
and had the chance
to discuss selected poems with the author and ask
questions.
Students celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., Day
JAN.
2007—Second
and third graders at Maple Hill celebrated Martin Luther
King Jr., Day by reading Martin’s Big Words: The Life of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during their library classes
said Mary Margaret Green, librarian.
"The key concept presented
through the book is nonviolent change," Green said. "The
author points out that Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel
Peace Prize because he taught others to 'fight with words,
not fists,' a message equally as important today as it was
during the Civil Rights movement."
In library class, students discussed ways
their lives would be different today if it hadn’t been for
the courage and perseverance of people like Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Book fair great
success
DEC. 2006—Throughout the fall, Maple Hill held its annual
book fair, which was a great success. Many classroom
teachers received donations as did students at the school.
The library will receive resources donated from Scholastic in the coming months as a results of the school's
effort.
Operation SAFE CHILD Day at
Maple Hill
OCT.2006—On
Monday, October 30, 2006, Maple Hill Elementary School hosted
the Orange County Sheriff's Department Operation SAFE
CHILD Day. The day raised awareness about child safety
by finger printing children and creating SAFE CHILD ID
cards for parents and guardians right at the school.
Using
equipment that contains the latest digital
fingerprinting technology and high resolution
photography capabilities, SAFE CHILD ID cards were
created in less than two minutes and can be stored in a
parent or guardian's
wallet or
pocketbook.
The cards
contain the child's name, biographical information (date
of birth, gender, height, weight, hair color, eye color
and race), and a fingerprint image of both index
fingers.
The goal
of the program is to record and store the fingerprints,
basic biographical information and photographs of
children who are not missing— information critical to
expediting the return of a missing child. The
storage of information is
entirely voluntary and requires
the written consent of a parent or legal guardian
according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services
(DCJS).
School
receives $500 grant from Exxon in Middletown
OCT.2006—Maple
Hill Elementary School received $500 from Exxon
Mobil, at 50 Industrial Place in Middletown, this
October.
Each year the school is offered the opportunity
to apply for this grant, to be used for a
variety of things like special programs or
academics at the school.
This year, according to Principal Paula Amaditz,
the $500 grant will go towards literacy and Maple
Hill's BEE EXCELLENT EVERYWHERE
program.
 Students
work with professional poet
OCT.2006—Fourth
graders at Maple Hill got the chance to work with Georgia Popoff
(pictured at left), a professional poet, during the middle of October.
Popoff is serving as Middletown's Writer in Residence this
year, working with students and teachers in various grade
levels throughout the district on poetry.
Students at Maple Hill worked
with Popoff, and their classroom teachers, on writing persona
poems. Students selected an animal that they wanted to be
while writing their poem and created first drafts, then
worked on editing poems with Popoff in class.
 Elementary
art teacher receives Artsonia leadership award
SEPT.2006—Wendy
Enoch (pictured at right), art teacher at Maple Hill Elementary School, was honored by
Artsonia for her commitment and
leadership in arts education. Only ten school
teachers per state were recognized across the
nation.
Artsonia, the
world's largest online student art gallery,
presented Enoch the honor in late September. The
award recognizes the significant achievement in the
area of technology integration within the school's
art program and her involvement in encouraging arts
education in the Middletown community. |
