Thursday, January 17, 2008

Go Bulldogs!

Tomorrow is "Blue and White Day". Our undefeated Bulldog Basketball team will travel to Canfield to battle the Cardinals. When these two teams meet, anything can happen. Let's hope our boys can bring home yet another victory!

Please ask your children what they know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During morning announcements, I read part of a book that described his childhood and gave facts about his family. I'll finish the rest of the book tomorrow morning before sharing it with our afternoon kindergarten.



Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Family Game Night

Thank you to all of the 4th grade families that were able to make it to Family Game Night. The turnout was fantastic! I would also like to thank the SupplyRoom for providing the evening's games. It appeared as though everyone had a good time.

Mrs. Kaschak, Ms. Vasko and Mrs. Baldwin were all kind enough to attend and ensure the evening ran smoothly. Their willingness to plan and help comes as no surprise! Our school is so fortunate to have such tremendous support from so many different groups.

Within a few days, pictures of the event will be posted under "Events". Be sure to check them out.

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci


Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Brrrr!


Tomorrow is Family Game Night for our 4th graders and their families. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m! Hope to see you there.


I noticed that I failed to include the time on the invitation to K-2's "Family Technology Night". That event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:00 p.m.

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Monday, January 14, 2008

Big News!

Our school has certainly had its share of good news this year! Our students and staff have been recognized for individual and group accomplishments. The building has been featured in various articles in both the Vindicator and Town Crier. With the kind of support we have from parents and the community, it should come as no surprise that we have received more good news!

In October, our school participated in a national contest called "Cans for Cash-City Recycling Challenge". There were many participants from all over the country who competed in one of four divisions. These divisions were based on the population of the city or village. We fell into Division IV which could have up to 49,999 residents. With approximately 3,000 residents, the chances of us collecting the most cans in the division was slim. However, we collected over 1,400 pounds of aluminum. This was an amazing accomplishment!

In each division, $5,000 dollars was awarded to the city/village that collected the most recyclable aluminum cans . In addition, one city in each division was awarded $5,000 for having the most innovative ideas to promote recycling and the contest. Poland North Elementary School was responsible for winning this one! Through the support of our students, staff, families and community, our efforts and innovation impressed the judges. I am looking forward to learning more details from a representative from Washington D.C. and Poland's new mayor, Tim Sicafuse.

I'll keep you posted. Congratulations!

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Heroes of the Mahoning Valley!

The students of Poland North Elementary School were honored this morning as Heroes of the Mahoning Valley. The Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized our students as Youth Samaritans for their outstanding contributions to our community. At this morning's banquet, WFMJ's Scott Schneider presented ten of our students with the building's award. Each student said a few words to the large audience and provided a wonderful example of the kind of children we are so fortunate to have at Poland North Elementary School. They represented themselves, their families and our school extremely well. If you ask me, they stole the show! I would also like to thank their parents, Mrs. Baldwin and Mr. Sofranec for taking the time to attend. Thank you all for being there. Look for pictures of the event to be posted on our site soon.

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

P.S. There is more good news to share on Monday!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Just A Reminder!


Please keep January 28th open on your calendars. Information was recently sent home about the Poland Library's "Pajama Jam". It is a free event and one that I hope all of our students can attend. Everyone is encouraged to wear their pajamas!


Thank you,
Mr. Masucci

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

A Calm Day!

Today was a very quiet, calm day. The weather sure has been a bit of a surprise. The warm temperatures permitted students and staff to walk around the school's property yesterday and have made recess much more enjoyable for a lot of kids.

3rd and 4th graders will be taking Achievement Tests in the spring. Information about these tests and individualized recommendations for students will be sent home soon. Please note that the window for testing begins on April 21st. The testing dates are not determined by the Poland Schools, but by the Ohio Department of Education.

3rd graders will tested in Reading and Math.
4th graders will be tested in Reading, Math and Writing.

Check out this Achievement Test site to see sample questions.

Thank you,
Mr. Masucci