Happy Halloween!

Halloween is always an exciting day for our students. I'd like to thank all of our PTO volunteers for helping out in the classrooms today. The weather has cooperated and should make for a very enjoyable evening.

Well........Today was the day that the finalists for the einstruction video contest were selected. Unfortunately, Mrs. Saculla and her students did not make the list. However, they should remain exceptionally proud of themselves. This has been a wonderful learning experience and one that I hope they remember for a long time.

I would like to thank the following individuals who were part of the video's creative team: Chip Atkins of Accent Media, Cheryl and Gary Kekel of Mainsail Music and Audio, Jill Jenkins, Tom Dowlin and Lori Gawdyda. Thank you for your kindness, time and support. I also want to thank Denise Dick from the Youngstown Vindicator and our friends at WKBN and WYTV for supporting our efforts. Most importantly, I would like to thank and congratulate Mrs. Saculla and her students for a job well done. While it is always nice to win, it is gratifying to be able to say, "We may not have won, but tried our very best."

Here is one of my favorite quotes: "Behold the turtle---he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Attention!

Veterans Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 11th. Over the past 6 years, our students have written over 1,200 letters to Veterans living all around the world. Far too many have said that they had never been thanked before for their service. This year Poland North Elementary School's students are writing letters to Marines stationed in Johnstown, PA. On Friday, November 7th, several of the Marines will drop by to pick the letters up and thank our students for their kind act.

PTO Fundraiser merchandise will be delivered to school on Friday, November 7th. Information will be sent home soon regarding pick up times.

Mrs. Saculla's classroom video: http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/523

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Snow?

It is a bit early to be wishing for a snow day! Let's continue to hope for good weather on Friday. Our recent newsletter had some wonderful safety tips about trick or treating. Please review them with your children before Friday.


There was a wonderful article in today's Vindicator about our recycling efforts. Our school is very fortunate to have such outstanding support from our local media. Knoll Run Golf Course has also been supportive. The nice folks there have been collecting cans for our school. Today....Mr. Sofranec headed there to play a few holes and pick up quite a few bags of cans. FORE!


Mrs. Saculla's classroom video: http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/523

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

A Boo-tiful Day!

It certainly was difficult to get out of bed on a day like today. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Friday's weather will be better. The Halloween Parade will begin at 1:15 p.m. and take place outside unless it is raining. Before heading outdoors, the students will make their way through each classroom in order for their peers to see their costumes. By the time they make it out, it may be closer to 1:30 p.m.

If you intend to take your child home or have someone else take your child home, you must send a note to school. An orange sheet of paper explaining this was sent home last week. At approximately 2:10, students will be dismissed by grade level through the gym doors on the side of the building.

Here's the link to see Mrs. Saculla's classroom video: http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/523

Don't forget to leave a comment. It is quickly approaching 2,000 hits!

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

P.S. Tomorrow is Red Day!

Let's Go Bulldogs!

The Poland Bulldogs have made the playoffs! Poland will host Granville on Saturday, November 1st. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. at PSHS. Please take a moment to read the blue sheet of paper coming home today. It provides information about tickets. Because this is a state playoff game, ticket sales will be quite different than regular season games. Go DOGS!

Please be sure to view Mrs. Saculla's classroom video. It has been watched over 1,000 times since Friday. If you have time, post a comment. The students enjoy reading them. Here is the link to the video: http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/523

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

The Video is Finished!

Mrs. Saculla’s class has completed their music video for the Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest, sponsored by eInstruction and Interwrite Learning an eInstruction Company. The video has been submitted and accepted. You can watch the video at http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/523. You can also get to the video by going to http://www.eimakeover.com/ and following the instructions.

Be sure to check it out.

Have a great weekend.

Mr. Masucci

Thanks!

Our BoxTops contest is going exceptionally well. Thank you for taking the time cut those little rectangles out. If you need more sheets to glue them on, please let your child's teacher know. We'll be sure to get them to you. To date, our PTO has earned over $440.00! The contest will run for a few more weeks, so keep them coming. Click here to see a list of all participating products. The homeroom which collects the most will earn a pizza party. For now, Miss Shurilla's class is in the lead. However, Mrs. Baldwin's 3rd graders are hot on their heels.

Our "Cans for Cash" contest ends on Friday, October 31st. Please ask family and friends to help us out and send their empty cans to school. We need to end the contest on a high note.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Extra...Extra.....Read All About It!

Be sure to take a look at today's Vindicator. There is a nice story about yesterday's bulb planting. There are quite a few new pictures posted, too.

Our school's newsletter is heading home today. It is absolutely wonderful! Please take a few moments to read it with your children. I would like to thank Mr. Vrabel for investing so much of his time in creating it.

I would like to remind 4th grade students and parents that Ms. Vasko and Mrs. Kaschak continue to post Ohio trivia questions on their webpages each Friday. Students have the opportunity to answer the questions and earn bonus points for Social Studies. Please encourage your children to participate. You can find more details on the teachers' pages.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Imagine!

Can you imagine how colorful our school is going to be in the spring? Thanks to American Beauty Landscaping's Roger Meyers and our friends from Home Depot our students planted close to 400 iris, tulip and hyacinth bulbs. As usual, the Home Depot's Chris Martin was kind enough to make sure we had everything we needed. The day began with Mr. Meyers speaking to all of our students and staff and teaching them quite a bit about bulbs. His background as a teacher led him to bring in a few visual aids, too. Afterwards, each classroom went to work! Bulbs were planted in the courtyard and around the school's sign. Our students can now take a sense of ownership in the way the school will look in the spring.

We had other special guests, too. The Green Team's Peg Flynn stopped by to check things out. The Green Team continues to support our efforts here at Poland North Elementary School. In addition, WKBN's Rich Morgan was here. Look for footage of today's activity to be on both WYTV and WKBN. We were told to watch the 6:00 news! Look for articles in the both the Vindicator and Town Crier, too.

I cannot thank our guests enough. Because of their generosity, lasting memories were made for all of our students. I'd also like to thank our local media for being here. Your continued support is deeply appreciated.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

A Little Dirt Doesn't Hurt!

We'll be working outside tomorrow. Consequently, there will be a "slight" chance that Poland North Elementary School's master gardeners will get a bit dirty. It may not be the best day to wear new outfits!

There was a fantastic article about Mrs. Saculla's class project in today's Vindicator. Detailed information about the project and contest her class has entered will be sent home this week.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Check It Out!

Take a look at the video link at www.vindy.com. Just click on Poland North Elementary. On Wednesday, footage was taken of Mrs. Saculla's class actually making their music video. The video will be completed next week and entered in a contest.

Half of today's MiniPage poems came from Poland North Elementary School. Great job!

Thanks,

Mr. Masucci

Breaking News!

Students in Mrs. Saculla's class have successfully recorded their own version of High School Musical's "The Start of Something New". Their updated version will be used in their very own music video. The video is part of a nation-wide contest. Much more information will be heading home in the next few days. There will be a great story in Sunday's Vindicator, too!

Click on the link to the left to hear their song!

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

A Long Weekend!

The end of the week has arrived! It is hard to believe that October is half way over. Be sure to check out the school's calendar to learn about some of the exciting events coming up. First up will be the visit from Home Depot representatives and American Beauty Landscaping's Roger Meyers.


Enjoy the next three days. Check out Saturday's MiniPage to see if any North students had their original poems published. In addition, look for an article in Sunday's Vindicator for a story about our school.

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

And.........Action!

Today is the big day for students in Room 105! Mrs. Saculla's class is participating in a very unique contest. With the support of some very kind individuals, a music video will be shot today after school. The video will show how technology is being used in the classroom to make learning more enjoyable. There are a lot of details about the contest that I will share at a later date. Today.....it's lights....camera.......ACTION!

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

P.S. When finished, we will have a link to the video on our site.

Special Delivery!

Boardman Steel, a steel fabrication plant located on Southern Boulevard, was contacted several weeks ago and asked to help our school come up with an innovative way to collect aluminum cans for the "Cans for Cash" contest. They definitely came through for us! This morning a 7-foot tall steel replica of the Earth was dropped off and will now serve as a receptacle for our cans. I would like to thank Boardman Steel's owner and President David Deibel and Shop Superintendent Michael Gromada for their generosity and support. Pictured with our students is Mr. Gromada. In addition to the Earth, he brought a bag of empty cans the men working on the project had accumulated.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Moving Along!

The weather looks great for tomorrow! Therefore, we are going to take our monthly walk. Please be sure your children wear appropriate shoes. Before we know it, cold weather will prevent us from heading outside. Thanks to our friends at National City Bank our students will have other opportunities to exercise during the long winter months. More information will be heading home in a few days.

I am hoping for a big "can" day tomorrow! Please send in as many as you can.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

The "Write" Stuff!

Poland North Elementary School has some fantastic poets! In this week's MiniPage, there were four students' poems published. Three of the four were written by our students. Please continue to encourage your children to write poems about upcoming holidays or special events. This is a great way to further develop writing skills. It is a great activity for students of all ages and grade-levels. Simply send the poems to school and have your children place them in the mailbox outside of the school's office.


Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

The Weekend!

Tonight our Poland Bulldogs will tangle with the Steubenville Big Red. The game is going to be incredibly crowded, so I suggest arriving as early as possible. Many of our students will be attending. My advice to them was to stick close to their parents since it will be very easy to get lost in the crowd. Let's hope the Bulldogs come out on top!

All posters for the Juvenile Court Advisory Board's Poster Contest are due on Monday. Please be sure the entry form is attached to the back of the poster. I am looking forward to receiving a lot of entries.

Keep your eye on tomorrow's MiniPage. Over the course of the last 2 weeks, I have sent close to 30 poems in from our school.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Cans for Cash!

We are in our 2nd week of the "Cans for Cash" contest. Please keep those empty aluminum cans heading our way. By Monday, there should be a 7-foot tall steel replica of the Earth in front of our school that will serve as a receptacle.

Our students will then be able to throw cans inside. By doing so, we can save the Earth.....one can at a time! I'll share more details in a few days!

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

A Rainy Day!

Today's wet weather and cooler temperatures are clear indicators that fall is in full swing. Although I am not a big fan of raking leaves, it is one of my favorite times of year. Keep your eyes on the trees surrounding our school. Within a few weeks, their colors will be amazing!

I reminded 3rd and 4th grade students about Family Technology Night. Invitations will be going home before the end of the week. Please plan on attending. A similar night will take place in February for K-2 students. Our friends at National City Bank will be helping out and taking an active role in both events.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

P.S. I have more good news to share.

Relax!

Our 3rd Graders completed the Ohio Achievement Test in Reading today. They all worked very hard and deserve a pat on the back! The results of the tests will arrive at school in mid-November and will be forwarded to parents.

The PVFD visited our school today. 1st and 2nd Graders listened to firefighters and had the chance to check out their firetruck.





Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Congratulations!

This is a nice way to start the week! The students of Poland North Elementary School will be receiving yet another award. The Association of Fundraising Professionals Mahoning/Shenango Chapter will be honoring our school and students on Tuesday, November 11th at Mr. Anthony’s. Our students will be recognized as this year’s “Outstanding Young Philanthropists” for their generous contributions to our community. Other honorees include: Canfield Rotary, Farmers National Bank and the DeBartolo Family. Sixteen students will be attending the luncheon and will accept the award on behalf of all of our students. I will be sending more information home in the weeks to come. This is an amazing honor and one that will be shared with the individuals, families, businesses and organizations that have always supported our efforts. Congratulations!

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

Laugh It Up!

Are you ready for this one? Over my 15 years in this building, I can now say this has happened to me twice.

I wore a black sweater vest to school today. As I was cruising the halls this morning, a kindergarten student stopped and made the following comment:

"Mr. Masucci.... I like your sweater. My grandpa has one just like it."

Enjoy the weekend.

Mr. Masucci

Great Job!

Over 60 students completed the "virtual assignment" posted on our site yesterday. I was thrilled to see so many choose to participate. Thank you parents for your support. There will be plenty of other chances coming up for even more to participate. Keep your eyes and ears on our site!

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci

October!

October has arrived .........and so have the cans! Thank you for dropping off so many bags. Please keep 'em coming.

Our latest BoxTops Contest is off to an amazing start! As of this afternoon, Mrs. Baldwin's 3rd grade class is in the lead! Mrs Gunn's team is close behind! In all, 102 completed forms were turned in this morning. That translates to $102.00 for our school. Great job.

Thank you,

Mr. Masucci