Mrs. P's Class

Nicholas Edward Pettinelli

2012-01-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

I am still out on maternity leave, but wanted to add a link to the baby's birth announcement. I am enjoying time at home with my family, but am looking forward to finishing out this school year with my students!
Nicholas Edward Pettinelli

Conferences Are Around The Corner

2011-10-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Students have been working hard in room 214. The math class put their knowledge of polygons to the test to decorate the room for Halloween. The students made pumpkins and monsters by cutting paper into polygons and gluing it together to make their decorations.

In Reading and Language Arts, the students are busy editing their stories for our Halloween bulletin board: What's Brewing in 214? We continue to work with phomemes and sight words to improve pur reading skills. Also, students are reading independently and working on activities based on their independent reading. Two students are using the Tumbleweed Online Books through the Warren County Library. Others have selected novels they are interested in reading. All students are reading fictional books at this time.

Our science class is finishing up our unit on Erosion and Weathering. Soon we will be blasting off to study the moon and space.

Finally, I will be meeting with parents for conferences on Monday, November 7th at night and Tuesday, November 8th in the afternoon. Starting November 9th, I will be on maternity leave until April 1. Miss Megan Lynch will be filling in for me. She is currently the classroom aide for 6th grade here at OCS. She is very knowledgeable about current advances in special education and I know she will do a wonderful job teaching your children!

A few things

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

The end of the first month of school is upon us. Grade progress reports will be going home on Friday, October 7. Next week, some of the students will be working on independent reading packets at home. Others have reading homework packets that address the particular reading skills that need extra practice.

Students continue to learn more about geometry in math class. We are moving on from quadrelaterals to learn more about circles and circumference.

My science students are learning more about earth science. We explored the dirt around us to and will be exploring the effects of erosion and weathering on our planet.

Back to School

2011-09-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello,

We are busy getting used to our schedules and the activities in each class. I will do my best to post the homework on my blog. As you are all aware, my class has many ability and skill levels. The homework will also be leveled and geared to meet each student's needs. There will usually be spelling homework each night. As we move into October, some students will have some independent reading projects he/she will need to work on at home. Others may need to bring home a book at his/her independent reading level and read it to someone at home. Please check your child's agenda book each night to see that what he/she needs to do for the night. I will do my best to check it and sign it each day before the students leave my classroom.

In addition, I have some 7th grade social studies students for ICR. I will be re-wording and typing up much of the homework activities. You child is expected to complete the paper that is sent home each night. Remember, a current event is due EVERY Friday!

If you have any questions, please call, e-mail, or speak to me during back-to school night (Tuesday, September 20)!

Summer School

2011-06-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Summer school will begin on June 27 at 8:30 and go through 11:30. We will be focusing on reading, writing, and math during this time. This is a review time to maintain previously learned skills. This is not the time to learn new skills. Please call or e-mail me with questions.

Winding Down

2011-06-06T09:05:00.001-07:00

As we approach the final weeks of school students should still remember to complete homework assignments. All MARE reports and posters will be completed and up for display for Ocean Night. Please be sure to come to school on Thursday evening between 6:00 and 8:00 to explore the various ocean themed activities on display.

This week...

2011-05-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

we will be visiting the Scholastic Book Fair. The books are buy one get one free.

We are studying more words with the long o sound for spelling. We are also working on our MARE reports and posters. They will be displayed in the hall when the students have completed their final drafts.

In math we are studying fractions. We will learn how to find equivilant fractions and how to add, subtract, and multiply fractions. Then we will move on to decimals.

Testing is FINISHED!!!

2011-05-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Now that testing is finished, we can finally return to an almost normal school week. We will have some disruptions to the day due to concert practice. There will be homework during the week. There will be NO homework on the night of the concert.

Testing...

2011-05-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

This week begins the 6-8th grade portion of the NJASK testing. Students will not have homework in my class, but should take the time after school to review previously learned material to refresh their minds for the testing. I hope they go to bed at a nice hour and eat a healthy breakfast each morning. Keep in mind the high pollen count outside. If your child goes outside to play after school, please have him or her shower before bed to help clear the pollen from them and prevent an interrupted night of sleep.

Practice over the break!

2011-04-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Math class - make sure to practice your multiplication and division facts over the break!!! Don't lose the facts you've spent time learning! Writers - practice writing about your vacation. Make sure to write in a sequential way by using transition words and keeping on topic! Readers - Read over the break! Your brain will thank you for it! Have a fabulous break!!!

April Fools!

2011-04-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, we didn't get all of that snow that was predicted on all the forecasts! I know we are all happy about that. There are only a few weeks left until state testing and we need all of our days to prepare. I will be sending home work packets for the Spring break to help students practice the skills they learned so far. This week, we continue to work on reading fluency, vocabulary development, sight word recognition, and making inferences while reading. In math, the class is working on multiplication and division. We will be using the calculator to work with larger numbers. Next week, we will be focusing on using our fact skills to assist with geometry.

Getting down to business

2011-03-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Students finished their novels and constructed a poster response to the novel he/she read. They will be displayed in the hall. For the next month, we will be fervently working on polishing our reading and writing skills to prepare for the NJASK testing. We finished up learning about writing checks in math class. We'll be working on a variety of skills over the next few weeks. These include multiplication and division; fractions; measurement; geometry; and probability. We have missed several math classes due to the inclement weather and assemblies held during math time. We know we can work hard to get all of the knowledge into our brains! Hopefully we have seen our last snow day until next winter! As a result of the last two snow days, there are calendar changes that will go into effect. We will be going a few days longer in June. We will be getting out of school on June 22. The ESY program will start on June 27. Remember, the program is 1 hour shorter this year. It runs from 8:30-11:30. See you there!

Middle of March Madness

2011-03-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

March is flying by!
Language Arts 1:We are almost finished with our novel Island Book One: Shipwreck. We've been learning a lot about boats, tenacity, and relying on your strengths to get through tough situations.
Language Arts 2: We are almost done with Sweet Valley Twins Book 2. We're building vocabulary and working on reading fluency.
Math: We are learning more about the record keeping of check writing. Students are applying their skills with adding and subtracting decimals to manage a checkbook register.
Science: We are learing about forms of energy.

Reminder

2011-03-04T05:27:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 11 and Monday, March 14, will be 1/2 days. The students will be dismissed at 12:30. There will be no lunch served either day. The teachers will remain at school for professional development.

Come on Spring!

2011-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

We were teased last week with our two warm days in a row. As a result, the students in room 214 are really anxious to change the decorations to present a more Spring-like atmosphere. We will be working on these decorations, but will make decorations in a way that correspond to NJCCCS and IEP goals. We look forward to any visitors who might like to partake in our warm atmosphere!

Finally a full week!

2011-02-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to finally be without a snow day here at OCS!!!

The next few weeks will find us working on improving our writing skills. This is an important form of communication and a vital life skill.

We will continue to work on phonemic awareness and applying learned strategies while reading new or difficult words. Students will be reading novels over the next few weeks. Some will read The Island Book One: Shipwreck.

In math class, we are working toward multiplication and division for some and more advance addition and subraction for others. Also, there are some students working to understand what it means to add and subtract numbers.

Back to school!

2011-01-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

We are back! The students are doing a wonderful job getting back into the school routine. We are working hard with new challenging spelling words in class. Expect to see spelling homework each night.

We are studying money in math class. Each student is working at his or her own level. Some students are making change, working on percentages, and budgeting. Others are working on counting all coins. While others are working on identifying coin values and adding pennies and nickels.

In science class, students are learing about designing structures. They are already experts at building with Legos. Now we will use other building materials and decide how to design a building that is sturdy.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a moment to thank my fantastic students and their families for a great four months of school! I hope you all enjoy time with family over the break and have fun ringing in the new year! See you on January 3, 2011!!!

Mrs. P.

Next week

2010-12-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

I know the kids are getting excited for the big holiday break. However, we all must do our best to keep on learning through Thursday. We have full days of school Monday-Wednesday. We will have a 1/2 day on Thursday and no school until January 3, 2011!

Winter Concert

2010-12-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

The students have been practicing in their music classes and at other times during today, Friday, and next Wednesday for the Winter Concert. They are all very excited to participate. Students should arrive at the school at 5:30 Wednesday evening. The concert will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. I will be at the school to assist students. I look forward to seeing everyone there and especially watching the students perform!!!

Goodbye Justin

2010-11-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Last week we were sad to see one of our students transfer to a new school district. We had a going away party and each student shared their feelings about this event.

This week we are re-reading the Casey and Bella books in anticipation of author, Jane Lovascio, visiting our school. The students will try their hands at developing a Casey and Bella story.

In math we are comparing numbers. Next week, we will study money and decimals. This will help some of the students to eventually work on finding percents and the real-life application of sales and tipping.

Our science class will finish up their reports on the animals of the arctic.

We will also be working on decorations for the meaning of Thanksgiving. We will have a half-day on Wednesday, November 24. Then we will be off for Thursday and Friday. I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!!! I am certainly THANKFUL for such great students, staff, and parents!!!

October 25-October 29

2010-10-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Next week is Red Ribbon Week at OCS. Please remember to dress you child according to the notice that was sent home this week. If you have trouble finding clothing for you child to wear that goes with the list that day, please let me know in advance and we can find a way for him/her to participate. All of the students enjoy participating in the school-wide events. Also, remember to check your student's folder for information about the Halloween parade held on Friday.

Our Weekly News

2010-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

This week, the students enjoyed making dirt pie for a student's birthday! They also are working on making our room look great for Halloween.

Today, all students donated $1.00 toward breast cancer research! We all enjoyed wearing our hats today.

The coming week...

2010-10-08T07:01:00.001-07:00

We will not have school on Monday, October 11. The teacher will be attending workshops throughout Warren County.

On Wednesday, we will be making dirt pudding to celebrate a student's birthday. Then on Monday, October 18, we will follow the directions to make individual no-bake pumpkin cheesecake to celebrate another student's birthday.

DIRT PIE

1 large bag oreo cookies

1 c. 10x sugar

1/2 stick softened butter

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese

2 boxes instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 c. milk

1 (12 oz.) container cool whip

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

Welcome, October!

2010-10-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

We are so excited it is October. We enjoyed the month of September. We are finally getting into a routine. The students had a blast at the Hispanic Heritage dance on September 24.

On Tuesday, we will have Spirit Day at OCS. Students may dress in their pajamas or school colors. There are two birthdays to celebrate in our classroom this month! We will also be celebrating Halloween at OCS on Friday, October 29.

A few things to keep in mind

2010-09-15T09:22:00.001-07:00

I want to remind parents to check you child's agenda book when he or she arrives home from school. Help them to check off each assignment as they complete it. Allow for short breaks during homework time, but make sure your child returns to complete the entire assignment. Then assist them with placing it in his or her appropriate folder. Especial during this first month of school, help to make sure they place what they need for school in their backpacks the night before. This is important because homework is often reviewed and graded the next day. They need to learn to be responsible, but they might need some help developing a plan.

Also, there will be a school dance on Friday, September, 24. Grades 4-6 will have their dance from 4-6 o'clock. I can stay after school with your child if you are unable to give him/her a ride to the dance. I can also stay at the dance to assist your child. Please let me know at Back to School Night on September 28, if your child will be attending the dance. Thanks!

Scheduling

2010-09-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Therapists have been in and out of our room all week trying to develop the best schedule to meet the students' needs. You will receive a final schedule by Monday, September 13.

Welcome Back!

2010-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

The past 3 days have flown by!!! The students are so excited to be back at OCS! The staff is so happy to see them back. I am in the process of completing scheduling with therapists. A finalized schedule should be sent home with your child on Tuesday.

You child will have a folder for every subject he/she has in my classroom. Classwork, homework, and tests will be sent home in this folder. Graded papers will be located in the back pocket of the folder. You may keep these papers at home. Inside the front of the folder, you will find a taped table to display the grade you child received on classwork, homework, and tests. Next to each grade, you will need to initial that you saw the grade. This will give you more advanced notice of how your child did on the work he/she completed. You will still receive Friday reports each week, as well.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Earl is not invited to the party this year!!!

Luau Lunch

2010-06-10T09:28:00.001-07:00

We would like to send out a big THANK YOU to the PTA and the volunteers that helped to feed the students and staff at the OCS Luau lunch!!! Thank you for giving your time to make an enjoyable lunch for all!!!

June is Here!!!

2010-06-02T07:26:00.001-07:00

We are nearing the end of the school year. Our Language Arts class is finishing up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They are working on designing their own candy invention. This project will be due June 11. There will be an idiom benchmark test on Wednesday, June 9.

Our math classes are working on multiplication facts (4th/5ht) and fractions (5th/7th). We will have a test on Thursday, June 10. This test will contain items for our benchmark assessment.

7th grade Social Studies will have a benchmark test on Thursday, June 10. They will finish out the year by reviewing the war of 1812 and the Civil War.

The 7th grade left today for Tuckerton, and will be gone for three days. Monday, June 14 is field day. Students are not allowed to ride their bikes to the lake. Dismissal is at 12:30. Ocean night begins at 6:00 that night. Please come and experience all that your children have been learing about.

We will have a week off in between the end of the 2009-2010 school year and our ESY program. The ESY program runs from June 28 - July 23 (no school on July 5). The hours are 8:30-12:30.

4th/5th Grade Dance

2010-05-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

4th/5th Grade Dance 2010

On Friday, May 14, our 4th and 5th graders went to their first school dance. They wore nice clothes and made sure they were especially handsome for the evening. We are looking forward for the dances to come over the next years at OCS! Here are some pictures from the night.

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

2010-05-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our class is really enjoying reading Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. We will be having a chocolate taste test contest next week. The students will watch the more recent movie when we finish the novel. This version is truer to the novel.

Spring Happenings

2010-05-11T10:25:00.001-07:00

We are nearing the finish line for the 2009-2010 school year. All the students have worked really hard this year! We have a few assemblies and important dates coming up:

May 17 - Bike Safety Assembly - 2:15.

June 14 - Field Day - M.A.R.E. in the evening at 6:00

June 17 - Last Day of school for students

Winter happenings

2010-02-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Our classes are working on skills to assist with the NJASK testing just around the corner. I am very proud of my students that are really working to challenge themselves! Also, those students that are participating in the NJAPA (alternate proficiency assessment) will be completing activities in the next two weeks. APA binders will be sent to the testing facility by March 4, 2010.

A question about progress report reporting came to my attention recently. Parents were unsure about why their child's progress was marked for the last marking period of the 08-09 school year. Your child's progress is monitored and marked during the reporting time after his/her most recent IEP takes effect. For instance, if your child's IEP date was May 09, his/her progress report will reflect progress on the goals in the newest IEP. The reason it shows on the progress reports for the 09-10 school year is because we are looking at progress on IEP goals from implementation, which often doesn't correspond to the traditional school year marking periods due to when IEP meetings occur. If you have any questions about this process, please call the CST office.

December Events

2009-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

We are entering into an exciting and busy month. I would like to keep you updated on the following events.

The OCS Winter Concert will be held at 6:00 on December 9. Our students have been practicing in their music classes and look forward to participating in the concert.
The PTO Santa's Workshop will be held next week. Students in 5K will be going from 11:18-11:48 on Tuesday, December 8. Students from 4M will be going on the same day from 11:53-12:25. Students in 7L will be going from 9:26-10:19 on Wednesday, December 9. There will be a make-up-time from 10-1 on Thursday, December 10.
School will be dismissed early on Wednesday, December 23. We will be on Winter Break until January 4, 2010.

We will be learning about different holidays celebrated in the month of December. We will also learn about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students in my life skills class will be making some holiday decorations. They will be focusing on following directions, measuring, counting, adding and subtracting, and other skills. We will also be working on speaking appropriately on the telephone by using a tape recorder to help the students to evaluate their telephone skills.

This week

2009-11-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law passed away on Thursday. I will not be in school on Monday, November 9. I will be back on Tuesday and 1/2 of Wednesday. Then I will be absent until Monday, November 16. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I will be conducting an APA (Alternative Portfolio Assesment) for students that need this as part of their assessment in their IEP. Thank you for your consideration in this difficult time.

Mrs. P.

Report Cards

2009-10-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Report cards will go home with you when we meet at conference time. If you are not meeting with me for a conference, it will be sent home with your child. All conference request forms should be in school by now. You will know your conference time by October 28. The 5-8th grade teachers will be meeting on Tuesday afternoon to plan conference times. Please check your child's agenda book for more information.

Conferences

2009-10-21T02:54:00.000-07:00

Well, time is flying and conference time in fast approaching. You should have received a form from the homeroom teacher about conferences. They will be held on Monday, November 2 from 4:30-7:45; Tuesday and Wednesday, November 3-4, from 1:00-4. The teachers in grades 5-8 typically meet together with the parents to discuss the student. We have been working hard and all the student's in room 214 are eager to share their successes with their parents!

Back to School Night

2009-09-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Back to school night will be on September 15 at 6:00 for students in grades PS - 4. It will be on September 22 at 6:00 for students in grades 5-8. I will be there both nights due to the fact that I teach students in grades 4-7. Please note, I will only be at the school until 7:00 on September 15.
I am always available for questions and concerns during the school day. I am usually at the school until 3:30 pm (often later). I can be reached at (908) 453-4101 x 1215 or by e-mail - spettinelli@oxford central.org. I can only make local calls from my classroom phone. Therefore, if you would like me to call you back to a cell phone, I am limited in the times I can leave the room to make such a call. Typically, I am available from 9:30-10:15 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. I am available from 1:00-1:45 on Tuesday and Wednesday. I am also available after school. I will do my best to make every effort to call you back as soon as possible. If there is an issue that needs my immediate attention, I can arrange for coverage to contact you immediately.

Again, please note that I will be available for both Back to School nights. However, I will only be in the school until 7:00 on September 15.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's education!

Getting Ready For Next Week

2009-08-26T08:31:00.001-07:00

We are moving into a new room this year. Our classroom will be across from the faculty room and the teacher and student bathrooms. Our class will have access to our own bathroom across the hall. there we will be working on activities of daily living skills (ADLS). We will be working on brushing our teeth and hair, washing our hands and face appropriately, and washing items from the classroom that need to be cleaned. Our room was not ready for me to set anything up last week. We have a new floor, paint on the walls, and a new door! I will be in Thursday and Friday working on our room and getting it ready for us to learn all the great things we will be learning this year.
Our theme in our room will be Independence! We are going to work on trying things ourselves before seeking help. This is a tough habit to break, but I know it can be done. Think of all the things that can be accomplished it we try first before waiting for help. This being said, there will be some things that we HAVE to wait for an adult for. We will go over this the first week of school.
I have one more bit of news to report. We will have a new student join us this year. His name is Justin, he is in 7th grade, and he comes to OCS from Mansfield Twp. We are very happy to welcome him to our class!

See you all next week!

New student!!

2009-03-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We will be getting a new student in our class starting on St. Patrick's Day! We are all very excited to welcome Sheldon into our class. We will also be re-arranging the classroom, adding room dividers, and changing the schedules. It will be exciting to have things moved around and it will provide a good learning experience for those students that have some trouble with change.

We are also hoping to get some class fish. We were going to try a hampster, but will start out taking care of fish to get used to the responsibility.

Also, please note that summer school will be held at the Brass Castle School rather than the Port Cauldon School. We will have some students that will join us from that school. I do not want to get a hampster that will not be able to join us this summer.

Till next time...
Mrs. P.

A busy week

2009-01-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

Today, teachers were in school while the kids got to enjoy some time at home doing what they like. We dicaussed the upcoming building projects and the plans for the summer program. As of today, the plan appears to be that the ESY students will attend the Washington School District's Port Colden school while our school gets it's much needed repairs. This will be an adventure for us all, but many of our students that attend the ESY program will need their parents and teachers to help them with the transition to a new school building. I will keep you and your child up to date with the latest information. When we get closer to the end of the school year, we will work on some social stories and ways to cope with the change of moving to a new school building for the summer.

This week at a glance:
Reading/Language Arts-
Tuesday: Review new spelling words; Use the correct pronouns to replace subject words; Poetry reading; Edmark reading lessons; Writing for meaning
Wednesday: Wilson Reading program; Poetry reading; Edmark lessons; Quick Reads
Thursday: Spelling review; Practice with pronouns; predicate expanders; Quick Reads
Friday: Spelling test; Wilson reading; Writing for Meaning

Math:
Tuesday: Rounding whole numbers to the nearest ten and hundred.
Wednesday: Rounding whole numbers to the nearest thousand.
Thursday: More practice with rounding.
Friday: Test on rounding and place value.

Science:
Tuesday: Construct water cycle headgear
Wednesday: Make a water cycle in a bag
Thursday: Begin to write "If I were a raindrop..." story books
Friday: Edit first draft of book.

Social Studies:
3rd/4th
Tuesday: Put together a timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life.
Wednesday: Finish Lenapae Posters
Thursday: Watch a movie on Lenae Lenape. Decide which part of village each student will focus on. Begin to plan consrtuction of the village.
Friday: Work on Lenape village

6th
Wednesday: Review homework. Answer remaining questions in class.
Thursday: Begin study of Ancient Egypt. Read and answer questions for homework.
Friday: Watch movie on Ancient Egypt.

Trying Something New

2009-01-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, so it seems like a good time to start something new. When I started college, the Internet was just becoming popular. Now, I can hardly remember what I ever did without it. Technology is changing so much so quickly.

Blogging has been around for several years. Over the last couple of years, it seems to be becoming increasingly popular and more user friendly. Mr. Maguson has been doing it awhile, and wants the staff at OCS to try this new way of communicating with the world. So here is my shot at beginning to blog.

I am excited to try this out. I will be blogging about the interesting things we are doing in the classroom and any events coming up that will affect the MD class. I look forward to what the new year will bring. See you next blog.

Mrs. P.