Macdonough School Running Club

Members of the Macdonough School Running Club attended the The O’Hartford 5K & Wee Mile in Hartford on Sunday, March 15th. Most of our young runners competed in the Wee Mile children's race around Bushnell Park.

The O’Hartford 5K and Wee Mile o’fficially capped off Hartford's weekend St. Patrick's festivities. Along the way, Irish bagpipers and Celtic fiddlers entertained the runners. The fun continued after the finish with a post race party complete with corned beef, bagels, and much more.

In addition to green race t-shirts each child was awarded a race medal as he or she crossed the finish line. Macdonough School's participation in the race was sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation and 21st Century Schools Program.

CMT - Day Five

Students at Macdonough School took the fifth portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test today. Third, fourth, and fifth graders read passages and filled in missing words on the Degrees of Reading Power test.

For those who worked especially hard, the staff arranged for some fun incentives. A few children in each of the classes were selected to play laser tag at A New World Laser Tag in Middletown. The students will be meeting after school for this fun trip at the conclusion of the Connecticut Mastery Test.

Cooking for Literacy!

Chaelyn Lombardo, from Kids Korner, will be running another "Literature for Lunch"Book Club in collaboration with the Family Resource Center. This club will be for Second Graders. It is called, "Cooking for Literacy!". It is an academic, social, and physical curriculum.

IThere will be two clubs of 7 children each. One club will be held on Tuesdays and the other will be on Thursdays (12:20-1:10). Each club will meet in the FRC for both their lunch and recess period once a week. There will be some instruction and discussion over lunch. After the children are finished and have cleared their trays, they will begin the activity for the day.

The groups will complete several activities and games based upon a popular storybook and they get to keep a free copy of the book at the end of the club. The final club meeting will be the special cooking activity day which is based upon the storybook.

Dental Health Visit for First Grade

First grade students were treated to a dental health lesson presented by our friends from the Community Health Center. The students learned about the proper way to care for our teeth and maintain wonderful smiles!

Special thanks to Nat Holmes from the Community Health Center for organizing this visit.

Fourth Grade Field Trip - New England Air Museum

Fourth grade teachers Sarah Claffey and Amanda Johnson have arranged for their students to visit the New England Air Museum for an exciting field trip.

The Museum is situated in three large display buildings consisting of more than 75,000 square feet of exhibit space. The children will have the opportunity to view not only aircraft and engine displays, but many fascinating exhibits on such diverse topics as the Lafayette Escadrille, WWII Combat Gliders, the History of Sikorsky Aircraft, Early French Aviation, a History of Air Mail, the Tuskegee Airmen, Airships, and many others.

In addition, the students will participate in a hands on science activity that is aligned with the fourth grade science curriculum.

The field trip, scheduled for May 6th, is being offered to Macdonough School students free of charge!

CMT - Day Three

Students at Macdonough School took the third portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test today. Third, fourth, and fifth graders read passages and answered reading comprehension questions.
For those who worked especially hard, the staff arranged for some fun incentives.

Mrs. Waterman's class won a field trip to The Book Bower, a used bookstore located in the Main Street Market. Each student in the class, along with Mrs. Waterman, will have the opportunity to select a free book from this wonderful book store!

CMT - Day Two

Students at Macdonough School took the second portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test today. Third, fourth, and fifth graders read passages and answered reading comprehension questions.

For those who worked especially hard, the staff arranged for some fun incentives. Smiley face t-shirts were provided to students whose hard work brought smiles to our faces!

The shirts were supplied by our friends at Gorilla Graphics of Middletown!

PROBE Cultural Fair

Students at Macdonough joined their peers around the city for the annual PROBE Cultural Fair on March 4th.



Student projects for Grade 4 focused on Ancient Greece and Grade 5 students participated in an activity entitled "Creating Our World."

PROBE, Middletown's Gifted Education Program, is taught by Roberta Avery & Marie Serra at Farm Hill School. Students from Macdonough School travel to Farm Hill one morning each week to participate in activities.

CMT - Day One

Students at Macdonough School took the first portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test today. Third, fourth, and fifth graders wrote narrative or expository essays in response to writing prompts.

For those who worked especially hard, the staff arranged for some fun incentives. A face painter came in to decorate Macdonough School faces. An artist from Funtastic Face Painting was on hand to work some magic on about a dozen students!

Macdonough in the News...

The March 1, 2009 edition of the Middletown Press featured a story entitled "Macdonough Named one of Best Achieving Schools in State." The story focused on the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now recognition of Macdonough School (ConnCAN) as one of the most improved schools in Connecticut.

Dr. Seuss - Read Across America

Students and staff celebrated Dr. Seuss Day by participating in the annual Read Across America celebration.

Each class welcomed a special guest reader to share their favorite Dr. Seuss tale. The school was filled with red and white stovepipe hats, oobleck, and green eggs and ham.

There was even a visit from the Cat in the Hat with Thing One and Thing Two!

Student - Staff Basketball Game

It was the students against the staff in this annual exhibition of basketball skills.

Fresh off a terrific season in the Middletown Public Schools Elementary School league, the Macdonough Mariners were in top form. Coached by Teresa Morello, a third grade teacher at the school, the Mariners were raring to go.

The teachers pulled off a last minute victory thanks in large part to the heroics of kindergarten teacher Angela Spaman!

Wesleyan Connections

Kids on the Block is a community service group at Wesleyan University that teaches elementary school students about people with disabilities through puppet performances. The group will be visiting Macdonough School to perform for fourth graders on April 9th at 12:15 p.m.

The program is a chapter of a national organization called Kids on the Block, Inc., which provides puppet programs to help inform children on issues of disability awareness and social concerns of people with disabilities.

Wesleyan Connections

Professor Jay Hoggard of Wesleyan University, will have his jazz orchestra class perform at Macdonough School on Thursday, April 9th at 1:00 p.m.

Arrangements for this performance were made through Wesleyan's Center for Community Partnerships.

News from the Art Room

Save the date! The district-wide art show is March 7th-15th. The opening reception is March 7th.

Kindergarten has been working on various mixed media, seasonal artworks including penguins and snowmen. To celebrate the Chinese New Year students have been working on and will be completing Dragons.

Grade 1 students have completed clay animal sculptures. We are currently completing Paper Cuts.

Grade 2 students studied Henri Matisse and created collages. We are currently creating fans and studying watercolor techniques.

Grade 3 students constructed the facades of houses using clay, after studying architecture. We have just begun a project on Carp kites. The kites involve learning about symmetry, the technique of rubbing and the blending of oil pastels.

Grade 4 recently completed an artwork inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe using a glue relief and chalk pastels. We are currently studying calligraphy.

Grade 5 students are working on mixed media collages inspired by the artist Stuart Davis.

School Lunch Menu on CNX Radio

Students from Macdonough School recorded this week's school lunch menu to be broadcast on WCNX Radio.

Congratulations to fifth graders Pedro, Jennifer, Angel, and Tajanah!

Chinese New Year

Third graders at Macdonough School recently celebrated and learned about the Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Ox.

Thanks to Mrs. Lawton for coming in and teaching us about the holiday.

After School Programs

Registration forms for two spring session after school programs have been distributed to students in second, third, and fourth grades.


The popular Computer Club returns for a spring session. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the XO laptops. Each student in the program will have the opportunity to bring a laptop home to continue their learning. This program is made possible through the generous support of the North End Action Team.


A spring edition of the Fitness Club will engage students in a variety of physical fitness activities. Students will have the opportunity to enter a local race and compete in a fun run or full 5 kilometer run.


For more information on our spring After School Programs, please contact Bridget Poturnicki at 347-8553.

SURFS Up at Macdonough School

Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is the focus for our school-wide positive behavioral support program. Through the acronym SURFS, students and staff have a common understanding of expectations for behavior in a variety of settings.

S=Self-Responsibility
U=Understanding
R=Respect
F=Fairness
S=Safety

We believe that introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important of a student’s educational experience.

The month of February will include a focus on Self-Responsibility. Teachers and students will spend time each day discussing the attribute of Self-Responsibility in the classroom, the hallway, the cafeteria, the bus ride, and even at home.

WES Math is Back!

Third, fourth, and fifth grade students excelling in math at Macdonough School have the opportunity to work with Wesleyan University students one hour each week during the spring semester.

The WES Math program gives budding mathematicians the chance to develop their problem solving skills in a small group setting.

Here is a sample of the type of work our students are tackling...

Pizza House sells two types of pizza that each come in three sizes. The chart below shows the price of each type of pizza and how many people each serves.

Pizza Sizes and Servings Size/Type
Small (1 serving) Thin crusted - $2.50 // Thick crusted - $2.95
Medium (3 servings) Thin crusted - $4.95 // Thick crusted $5.45

Large (8 servings) Thin crusted - $8.50 // Thick crusted $9.75

Place an order that meets the following conditions:
--The order serves exactly 30 people;
--Half the servings must be thin crusted and half thick crusted;
a. Show how many of what size and what type you would order to meet these conditions.
b. What is the total cost of your order?

Need help? Just ask one of our WES Math students!

WES Reads is Back!

The return of the Wesleyan University students for the spring semester marks the return of the WES Reads program at Macdonough School.

Selected students in grades three, four, and five will be spending time this spring reading novels with university tutors.

This semester's novels are: The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, Frindle, by Andrew Clements, and Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville.

Last semester, more than three dozen Macdonough School students participated in the WES Reads program.

Presidential Inauguration at Macdonough

Teachers and students had the opportunity to witness history at school as the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony was shown on the big screen in the school gymnasium. Cheers were heard throughout the building as Barrack Obama took the oath of office.

Macdonough In the News

Fourth grader Thomas Natale is among the students featured in a Hartford Courant article about TestPrepFun.com.

Thomas was a Week One winner in the CMT League and was awarded a Test Prep Fun t-shirt and is in contention for a $300 US Savings Bond.

Raising Readers at Macdonough School

Macdonough School was selected as a host site for the 2009 Raising Readers program. Macdonough was one of only two schools in the district to be chosen for this honor. The program will be offered to parents of primary age children to support efforts at promoting literacy at home.

The Raising Readers program is a nationally recognized family literacy program for parents. The Raising Reader program provides opportunities for parents to practice storytelling, reading aloud and writing in a nurturing environment. Parents use weekly journals, to record at home literacy experiences. They also are provided with a free quality children’s book after each session to add to or build a family library.

Literacy Grant for Macdonough School

Congratulations to Mary Beth Brick, Instructional Support Teacher at Macdonough School. She was awarded a $250 grant from the Community and University Services for Education committee. Mrs. Brick's grant application was entitled We Both Read: Children and Parents Sharing Books.

The grant will be used to purchase a collection of hard cover books that feature a unique interactive format designed for a child to take turns reading aloud with a parent or another member of the family. The left-hand pages feature more sophisticated text for the parent to read. Then, for their turn, the child reads the right-hand pages, which feature text written at a specific early reading level.

This is an excerpt from one of the books to be purchased, a non-fiction selection about animals. As mentioned, the left hand pages are geared for adult reading, while the right hand pages feature similar content at a child's reading level.

Grant Awarded to Macdonough School

Congratulations to Kym Ciccia, Reading Teacher at Macdonough School. She was awarded a $250 grant from the Community and University Services for Education committee. Mrs. Ciccia's grant application was entitled Half and Half: Children and Parents Sharing Books.

The grant will be used to purchase a collection of hard cover books that included fiction and non-fiction collections. Research shows that reading a fictional story will ignite a reader’s curiosity and interest in non-fiction information on the same subject. By presenting a great story, followed by non-fiction content that relates to the story, the Half and Half books provide a perfect bridge for readers to cross from story to facts!

This is one of the books to be purchased entitled Giants of the Ocean.

FICTION: Rescued by a Dolphin - A storm rages at sea and a young boy sees a small raft being tossed through the waves. On the raft is a young girl and circling the raft is a huge shark, just waiting for a wave to knock the girl into the sea. Unable to help, the boy watches as the shark begins to attack the raft. Suddenly, a dolphin strikes the shark - and what happens next is nothing short of amazing!

NON-FICTION: Sharks, Dolphins and More! - Did you know there is a whale with a long twisted horn like a unicorn? Did you know there are crocodiles that swim in the ocean? This book is loaded with exciting information! You'll learn about animals of the ocean that are endangered - and some of the things that are being done to help protect them. Plus, find out how killer whales catch seals, how dolphins sleep, and much more!

Firefighter Al Visits Second Grade

Macdonough School second graders got a special treat on Thursday, January 8th. After reading stories all week about Fire Safety, Firefighter Al from the Middletown Fire Department visited.

He showed the students all the specialized gear that firefighters use and he reminded students how to prevent fires and how to be safe around fire. Did you know that a firefighter's gear weighs 100 pounds? And that a room can be over 1,000 degrees in a fire?

The second graders got to ask Firefighter Al some excellent questions and everyone enjoyed his visit.

Test Prep Fun - Week One Champion

TestPrepFun.com is a website dedicated to providing opportunities for students in grades three, four, and five to improve their reading, writing, and math skills. The site has thousands of questions to help children sharpen their skills. For the next few weeks, the site has opened "The Official CMT League" to challenge students across the state to compete for the title of MVP (Most Vigorous Player).

At the end of Week One, a Macdonough School student has taken top honors in the fourth grade division earning an MVP t-shirt and placing him in contention for a $300 savings bond.

More Technology at Macdonough School

The white boards at Macdonough School are coming alive with a new technology called mimio. Some classrooms have received a ceiling mounted projector which transforms white boards into larger than life computer screens. Students and teachers can now interact with technology in new and exciting ways.

New mimio systems have been installed, most recently in Mrs. Waterman's third grade classroom, in many of the upper grade rooms. With installations scheduled for two more classrooms this month, Macdonough School will have this exciting technology in more than half the school!

Book Donation for Macdonough School

A case of new books arrived this week as a donation to the Macdonough School library.

Miss Loiseau, a reading teacher, made a connection with a publishing company and arranged for the shipment of books to be added to the collection in the library.

Kindergarten Students Get Special Visitor!

Students in Mrs. Lenihan's kindergarten class were treated to a special visitor during their sharing time.

Several reptiles were brought into the classroom to the delight of students and teachers alike!

Holiday Treats for Macdonough Students

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As children from Macdonough School prepared for the holidays, they were given something extra to bring home for the upcoming break. Each of the students had the opportunity to choose a gently used book as a holiday treat.

The books, donated from a variety of sources, contained both fiction and non-fiction selections. Authors included Dr. Seuss, Judy Blume, E.B. White and more.

Increasing access for students to quality children's literature is among the goals of Macdonough's School Improvement Plan.

Holiday Choral Concert

Mrs. Hallie Sorensen, music teacher at Macdonough School, presented a Holiday Choral Concert on Monday, December 22nd featuring students in kindergarten, first, and second grade. A wide variety of seasonal tunes were performed for family and friends.

Book Donation for Macdonough Students

Children from Macdonough School received a wonderful holiday surprise as students from Xavier High School donated more than 250 books to the school. Boxes filled with fiction and non-fiction selections were delivered by members of Xavier's Ryken Service Society and the Interact Club.

The books will be used for Macdonough School's Free Book Friday program. The Free Book Friday program was designed to provide gently used quality children's literature to the boys and girls at Macdonough School.

Basketball Season at Macdonough

Each winter students in fifth grade are welcomed to represent Macdonough School as members of the school basketball team.

The Macdonough students play against each of the other elementary schools in the city. The team is being coached by third grade teacher, Miss Teresa Morello.

For information regarding the team's upcoming games, please visit the Macdonough School website at http://www.middletownschools.org/

Along with the basketball team, Macdonough School also fields a cheerleading squad comprised of fourth and fifth grade students.

The cheerleaders are coached by Miss Allison Monarca, a second grade teacher at Macdonough School.

Wesleyan Book Donations

Students from Wesleyan University donated two children's books to our library. The donations were made on behalf of college students who are volunteering in the WES Reads and WES Math programs at Macdonough School.

The donated books were Tomie DePaola's Big Book of Favorite Legends and My Dog May Be a Genuis.

Asian Brush Painting

Macdonough School students were treated to a three session after school program focusing on Asian Brush Painting. Hannah Jung, an art teacher at Middletown High School, offered the program to students in third, fourth, and fifth grade.

Students completed the program on December 4th having participated in experiences using the four foundational techniques of brush painting using four different plants (Orchid, Plum Blossom, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo).

The Asian Brush Painting program was offered as part of Middletown's Professional Improvement Grant Fund.

Mobile Dental Clinic Visits Macdonough

The Health Center was transformed into a dental clinic this week as Macdonough School was visited by the Mobile Dental Clinic. Many of our students had the opportunity to see the dental hygienist for check-ups and cleanings!

If you would like your child to have access to this program, please call the school and ask for information on the Community Health Center at Macdonough School.

PTA Book Fair

Parents and students are enjoying the PTA Book Fair this week. Each class has had the opportunity to visit the book fair to preview and purchase books. Parents have also been welcomed to visit during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Proceeds from the book fair are used to offset costs associated with field trips at Macdonough School.