Mrs. Wells' Class Reader's Theatre

Mrs. Wells' second grade class practiced reading plays to increase their reading stamina and reading fluency.  Below, check out the two plays, put on by three different groups: 

Caroline Play

Every year on Halloween, the adults of Caroline Elementary School put on a play for students based on a book.  This year, they put on The Magic Hat by Mem Fox.  Check out the video below!

Cornell Big Red Readers

Cornell Football Team members came to visit Caroline to read to our classes!

Welcome back!

Welcome back students!  It's been a lonely summer without you!

School Budget/Board Members VOTE TOMORROW

Remember to vote Tuesday, May 17, between 12:00noon and 9:00pm!

Voters who reside in the Ithaca City School District and are currently registered for general elections are qualified to vote in the school district elections. Polling locations for school district elections differ from general elections, so please check your polling location at
http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/images/stories/PollingPlacesrevised042511%285%29.pdf

Voters will see two propositions -- the proposed school budget for 2011-12 and the proposed use of capital reserves -- and five Board of Education candidates. The budget brochure mailing is available here.

For information about the five candidates for the three seats on the ICSD Board of Education, see:

• Contact information
• Video of May 9 candidate forum
• Candidate responses to PTA Council questionnaire
• Candidate responses to Ithaca Times questionnaire

PTAs and Parent Groups for the schools hosting polling stations have been asked once again provide some refreshments for polling workers (LACS, BJM, Belle Sherman, Fall Creek, South Hill, Enfield, Cayuga Heights, Caroline, and Northeast). The kindness in giving these folks some cookies, water, and such are most appreciated. 

Olympic Gold-Medal Winner Back at Caroline!

Caryn Davies, a graduate of Caroline, went on to join the United States Women's Olympic rowing team.  Her team has won a Gold and Silver Medal.  She came to visit Caroline for a second time this past Thursday!  First she lead us in a walk around the school to kick-off the Olympic World Fit Program.

Caryn stands at 6'4"! 

Banners read "3rd Grade Wishes You Luck in London!" and "Welcome Back Ms. Davies!" 

Johnson Art Museum

Today, Mrs. Nelson's 3rd grade class took a trip to Cornell's Johnson art museum.  Besides seeing ancient artifacts, we also had a beautiful view of Ithaca and Cayuga Lake.

Practicing Fluency through Reader's Theatre

Here, three 2nd graders play Baby Bear, Goldilocks, and Papa Bear.  Through acting out a play, these students are learning to read with expression and at a pace someone would while talking.

Watch out, Goldilocks!

Happy Spring!

With the help of some extended day program students, Miss Mack created this beautiful piece of art to hang in the entrance of Caroline to remind us that (even though it doesn't look like it) Spring is here!

Author Visit: Charles R Smith Jr.

Thank you Charles Smith Jr. for coming to Caroline and reading and showing pictures of his work!

Take a look at his website here to learn more about him!

Plantations visits 3rd Graders

Today, several women from Cornell's Plantations came to 3rd grade to go over some aspects of plants with the students.  Below, student dissect and name parts of a flower, and manipulate the life cycle of a wildflower!  Students will go to the Plantations on a field trip in May.

In addition, Happy Birthday Liv!

Special Guests at Caroline

Today, a quartet from the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra came to play their sing "Firebird" for the 2nd graders. The students have been listening to the song, learning about it, and drawing pictures of their interpretations.  Here is an excerpt about the program from their website:

The CCO's successful Youth Outreach Program visits the schools in and around Tompkins County each spring to provide a classical music experience for youngsters - right in their classrooms. For over fourteen years, an ensemble of musicians from the CCO has visited second-grade classrooms over a six county area.

The program consists of three phases:

• Phase 1: A docent musician from the CCO visits each school to introduce the second grade classes to the theme for the year and prepare them for the upcoming visit of a small ensemble.
• Phase 2: The small ensemble of CCO musicians then engages the children in an introduction to the oboe, viola, violin, and cello. They talk about music as a vehicle for expression and introduce the children to musical concepts.
• Phase 3: The program culminates in a visit to Ithaca High School's Kulp Auditorium where the 700 second-graders attend a one hour concert given by the award-winning Ithaca High School Orchestra.

By familiarizing students with instruments before they have the opportunity to participate in the school's instrumental instruction program, the CCO hopes to promote individual music study in elementary school and beyond. The CCO is happy to share our enthusiasm and interest with kids of any age, and we appreciate the collaborative spirit of the schools and the individual teachers – this program wouldn’t be the success it is without your active involvement.



Meanwhile, "Kids on the Block" came to 3rd grade to teach about different disabilities.  First we met two students.  One was in a wheelchair, and has cerebral palsy.  He talked about what that is and how it impacts his life.

Next, we met Mandy, who taught us what it's like to be deaf.  She taught us some sign language, and the students learned to look directly at her and speak clearly so that she can read their lips.

Mr. McDonald eats BUGS for reading!

Last Friday, Caroline Elementary School reached our monthly reading goal and Mr. McDonald was served a 3-course meal of bugs to celebrate!

Meal worms, chocolate-covered crickets, and sour-cream grasshoppers!

Our new superintendent, Dr. Brown, showed up to be our special chef.

Every student wore a green "Wild About Reading" t-shirt!

For the time being, a video is posted on the homepage of our district's website. "Caroline- Wild About Reading"

In addition, a slideshow of this event can also be seen here in the Ithaca Journal.

Congratulations Caroline School!

Hangar exceeds campaign goal

(from The Ithaca Journal, Feb. 20, 2011)

Caroline Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Whitney Bong follows along on her script as her class performs "The Water Cycle Adventures" Friday morning on stage at the Hangar Theatre. For the first time in 16 years of creating original fourth-grade plays, the theater is presenting them on the Hangar's Stage. Project 4 brings together the Hangar's professional teaching artists, fourth-grade teachers and their classes throughout the Ithaca City School District to produce original plays and music based on curriculum topics ranging from arithmetic to history to literature. 

/ SIMON WHEELER / Staff Photo

Happy 100th Day of School!

Wow, many students are doing cool things to celebrate our 100th day in our 2010-2011 school year!

A long trail of 100 wooden blocks lead me to the kindergarten classrooms!

Mrs. Keating's kindergarten class made 100 Days crowns and brought in bags of 100 objects!

Mrs. Beeners' 1st graders completed many 100 Days of School fun coloring and counting activities!

 And in Mrs. Wells' 2nd grade class, Zach Neely made a beautiful mosaic with 100 pattern blocks including diamonds, triangles, squares, trapezoids, rhombuses, topped with 2 hexagons!

ITHACA SCHOOLS CANCELLED Wednesday 2/2/11

SNOW DAY!

ICSD Budget Survey

If you would like to input your opinion about what is most important while considering our budget for the schools, please go to the district's website and click on the red bar that says "ICSD Budget Survey - Click here to download"

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today we had a lion come to school and dance for us to a drumbeat to celebrate the Chinese New Year!

SPECIAL UPDATE: WINTERFEST!!!

SPECIAL UPDATE:
Because of the freezing rain, Winterfest has been postponed until tomorrow (Wednesday)!  An annual Caroline Elementary School tradition, the entire school will go outside from 12:30-1:30 to participate in many fun winter activities like sledding, snow decorating, snowshoeing, snowball target practice, giant parachute, "Iditarod" sled races, AND MORE!

So don't forget your BOOTS, SNOW PANTS, COATS, HATS, GLOVES, and SCARVES!

New Library Rearrangement

Check out this article!  Toward the end of last school year, several Cornell design students came and looked at our library and computer lab's floor space.  Then they redesigned the space to make both rooms look the way they do now!  There is a picture of our very own Mrs. Snyder in it!  Click here to go to the article!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...

Thank you to our wonderful friends at Hangar Theatre for yet another impressive production!  The other day the entire school was lucky to attend "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," based on the book written by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond.  I think there wasn't a single person in the cafeteria that wasn't laughing!

Latkes!

A huge thanks to Emma's mom, Wendy Salomon, and grandma for coming in to her 3rd grade class and sharing their tradition of making homemade latkes!  Everyone loved them, and I'm sure everyone in the school could smell them through the hallways!

Thanksgiving

These are some of the things that Caroline Elementary students think of on Thanksgiving! (Click on the picture to see a closer view)

What are YOU thankful for?  Leave a comment!


 
 

2nd Grade: The Great Cricket Release

Fun Question!

Parent-Teacher Conferences!

Please don't forget to sign up for parent-teaacher conferences this Friday, November 12th!  If you have not signed up for a time slot yet, or need a reminder of what time you signed up for, please call Janet in the office at (607) 539-7155

"The Hat" Play

Every year the Caroline Teachers put on a play the day of our Halloween Parade.  We choose a book to act out.  This year we chose "The Hat" by Jan Brett.  See if you can tell which teachers played which characters!

Simple Machines

The fifth grade class made “Mystery Machines” to see how simple machines work.  They used basic supplies to make their own machines.  This is a picture of them!

Picture and caption by Izzy Magnuson-Lee, 5^th grader

Halloween Parade on Friday

This Friday at 1:00pm we will be having our annual Caroline Halloween Parade!  If the weather permits, families are welcome to gather on the inside of the soccer field.  Otherwise, you may go to the gym or cafeteria in the case that the parade will be held indoors.

Don't forget to sign in at the office, and if you are planning on taking your child home, you must sign them out in the main hallway.

Please remember: no masks, or violent costumes, and please leave your props at home.  Do not wear costumes to school; we will change into them before the parade.

Participation is not mandatory!

Caroline is GREEN!

Yesterday the school's green team displayed the following slideshow in an all-school assembly.  Students were moved to understand why it's so important to make the thoughtful decision to compost and recycle carefully.

Picture Day!

Tomorrow is Picture Day!  Don't forget your best SMILE!

Fire Safety Day

 Today was Fire Safety Day at Caroline Elementary.  In the morning, pre-k and kindergarten classes got to tour and sit in an ambulance and two different fire trucks!  They also met firefighters and saw what they look and sound like when all of their equipment is on.

  In the afternoon we had a school assembly.  After going over bus safety, the firefighters showed the audience what they look like with all of their equipment on.  They even walked around through the audience so we could get a good look and listen to what they sound like when they talk and breathe!

THIS WEEK

Thursday, October 7th:  the district will hold an early dismissal drill. All students in the district will be dismissed 15 minutes early. The district conducts the drill annually in an effort to test its emergency plan.  Caroline Elementary students will be dismissed at 1:45.  There will be no CASP on this day.


Friday, October 8th: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!  Superintendent's Conference Day for teachers and school staff.

What's Going on in: 2nd Grade?

Second graders in Mrs. Wells', Ms. Goodmark's, and Mrs. Ward's classes are studying mealworms! Students get to observe their mealworms in their own personal containers.

Curriculum Nights

Thanks to all parents who were able to make it to Curriculum Night! The students seemed excited to show off their desks, classrooms, and work! And a big thanks to John Simon who sang fun songs to the children while their guardians had some alone time with the teachers!

Who's New at Caroline?!

This school year we are lucky to receive a whole bunch of amazing new adults at Caroline!  Read below to learn some information about the new faces you may see!

Mr. McDonald, Principal

Why I wanted to become a teacher/principal: Because I love children, love to have fun with them, and want to make a difference in their lives.

My hobbies include playing/coaching/watching football and spending time with my family

If I were an animal, I’d be an eagle, because when they fly into a storm, they use it to rise above and overcome the turbulent weather.

Ms. Graw (Ms. Emily), 1st Grade Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I believe every child has the right to an education, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, and/or culture.

My hobbies include reading, traveling, and collecting treasures from around the world

If I were an animal, I’d be a bird, able to soar high, yet humble enough to land on the ground and appreciate her source of sustenance.

Mr. Beigel, 3^rd Grade Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: When I was a teenager, I started working at a summer camp.  I really enjoyed it, and decided it was something I wanted to pursue, so I did that for five summers!  Then at the end of it, I decided that teaching was something I wanted to pursue as an extension of my experiences, and so far it's been really good!  I like having an impact, seeing kids grow, watching the change that takes place through the year, and I like the connections that are made.

My hobbies include spending time with my family (I have three children!) and see them grow, running, skiing, reading, and playing guitar. 

If I were an animal, I’d be a Golden Retriever, because I like to be happy, and I think Golden Retriever are typically happy dogs, and great family members!  They're fun to be around, and I try to be a people-person.  (Plus they like to run around outside and play, and I like to do that too!)

Mr. Graham, 4^th Grade Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I used help my younger nieces who were in elementary school do their homework.  They did not understand how to do multiplication and I helped them over the weekends to make sure they understood it.  When they both did well on their math tests, it made me feel good to know that I had a hand o their education.  They are my inspiration for becoming a teacher.  

My hobbies include playing the piano, reading books centered around education, and watching good movies with my wife.

If I were an animal, I’d be the Golden Lion Tamarin, because they are tiny but fierce little mammals!

Mrs. Badeau, Special Education Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I love watching children learn and being part of that experience.  There is something amazing about seeing a child’s face light up when they learn something new or if they suddenly understand it.

My hobbies include reading, writing, scrapbooking, painting, downhill skiing

If I were an animal, I’d be a bird because you see the world from a whole new perspective.  I also love to travel, so flying wherever and whenever I want would be awesome!

Ms. Allee, English Language Arts Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I have always enjoyed working with children.  I used to teach kids to swim, but I got waterlogged so now I teach them to read!

My hobbies include swimming, running, reading, cooking, playing with my kids

If I were an animal, I’d be a dolphin because I want to live in the ocean!

Mr. Zulu, Math Teacher’s Assistant

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I struggled with reading and writing myself as a child, and after working with high school-ers who felt like they were stuck being “bad” at reading and writing, I wanted to reach out to the elementary level to help them with their skills and confidence.

My hobbies include basketball, reading

If I were an animal, I’d be a salamander, because I adjust to different situations, whether on water or land!

Ms. Notarianni, Music Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher:  I've wanted to be a teacher for my entire life-- it's a joy to be a part of learning.  Plus, kids ROCK.

My hobbies include reading, telling stories, and being outside.  In addition, traditional social dancing has always been a part of my life-- contra dancing, English Longsword and Clog Morris teams, and waltzes.  When I lived in New England: Appalachian clogging, and when I lived in Kentucky: Southern Squares.  Now it's Lindy and West Coast swing dancing here in Ithaca.  I also travel to Louisiana to visit my musician friends and dance to Cajun and Zydeco music down there.  It's lots of fun as well as being a direct link to our living American heritage of traditional music and dance.  
   Of course....I also like to play music of all kinds (good thing, since I'm a music teacher!) with my friends, in bands, and by myself-- on piano, banjo, uke, guitar, concertina, and fiddle.

If I were an animal, I’d be... When I taught on the Navajo Indian Reservation,  I liked seeing how fast and silently coyotes move, and how splendidly eagles soar.  But I think it would also be awesome to be a dragon-- I mean, come on, being able to breathe fire?  How cool is that?  Not to mention swift horses and fierce tigers.  Hmmm....so many choices...

Ms. Bintz, Music Teacher

Why I wanted to become a teacher: I’ve known for awhile (since I was about 10) that I wanted to be a teacher!  I want to make people love music as much as I do!

My hobbies include hiking, food, singing, watching movies, traveling, and riding rollercoasters!

If I were an animal, some days I would want to be a bunny!  Other days I wish I could be an owl so I could fly and hang around at night.



Also, welcome back Ms. Goodmark, returning to Caroline as a 2nd grade teacher!  And Miss Coffey joined the special education team at Caroline!