Clinton Township Newsletter

1 6 m a r c h 2 0 2 0 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P S C H O O L N E W S www.ctsdnj.org According to CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and m a n a g e e m o t i o n s , s e t a n d a c h i e v e positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The CTSD is committed to educating the Whole Child by addressing SEL throughout the district. In fact, the CTSD Board of Education established Social and emotional learning (SEL) as one of the district goals for the 2019-2020 school year. As one of the many ways we address this important area of child development, our students participated in the Global School Play Day on February 3, 2020. Students brought toys and games from home and played with classmates all while learning and reinforcing the many valuable lessons that are acquired during play. Wonderful sounds could be heard throughout the buildings as students played, built forts and worked with peers on a variety of activities all driven by the students themselves. Students were excited and exhausted at the conclusion of this wonderful day. Thank you! Dr. Michele Cone, Superintendent of Schools A L e t t e r f r o m Michele Cone, Superintendent of Schools Dear Clinton Township Community Members: Social Emotional Learning I N O U R S C H O O L S : Spruce Run School The preschoolers at Spruce Run School celebrated the Global Day of Play with more than 500,000 other students around the world from 75 nations. The Global Day of Play is a day with no screens, less structure, and tons of play. For the preschoolers, it also means learning about sharing and kindness with students exploring toys and games of their friends. One of our teachers reported that it was especially exciting to see students sharing and communicating their interest in trying new toys. The Global Day of Play initiative was such a success that the organizers have already planned the 2021 Day of Play. Winter is almost over and our youngest learners are still hoping for... you guessed it, snow. As we end the month of February and prepare for March, students are learning about friendship, kindness, helping others, while staying active on our sensory path and in the gymnasium playing games, driving the firetruck or riding the bike, and getting outside in between rain showers. Patrick McGaheran School R e a d A c r o s s A m e r i c a : O u r P M G students love to read! The month of March brings a special focus on reading in our school as we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, and our students engage in special reading activities during "Read Across America" week. We will have a read-a-thon in school, and have special s p i r i t d a y s t o c e l e b r a t e different Dr. Seuss books all week! We will also have a special visitor, as the Cat in the Hat will be visiting our school! Global School Play Day: On Wednesday, February 5, our schools had the privilege of participating in Global School Play Day (GSPD). GSPD is a day dedicated to reminding students of the importance of unstructured play. Play for children at this age is fundamental to social learning, fostering creativity, and allowing kids to just be kids. There are many benefits and necessities of play, both in and out of the classroom. We spent the day playing- inside and outside, with other classes, with new friends and old friends! It was a great day! Starlab: We were so excited to bring the Starlab to Patrick McGaheran School in February! The Starlab is a portable planetarium that is brought to PMG to provide our students with the opportunity to view the constellations. The Starlab dome is inflated and constellations are projected onto the ceiling using a special projector. A special thank you to PMG teachers, Mrs. Filus, Mrs. Cwynar and Mrs. Repsher, who coordinated and presented this opportunity to our students. It was so exciting to learn more about the stars from the comfort of the classroom! KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP REMINDER! Kindergarten Round-Up is now occurring for the Clinton Township School District. A child must be 5 years of age on or before October 1, 2020 to be eligible for kindergarten during the 2020-2021 school year. If you have a child who will be eligible for kindergarten next year, please notify our district as soon as possible by completing the Kindergarten Round-Up Survey online at http://bit.ly/KPMG2020. Please visit our website for more information regarding Kindergarten Registration. If you should have any questions regarding the kindergarten registration process, please email Ms. Carmella Shaw at: cshaw@ctsdnj.org or call her at: 908.236.7235, ext. 521. Thank you!

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