Wesleyan’s Jazz Orchestra

Professor Jay Hoggard of Wesleyan University, will have his jazz orchestra class perform at Macdonough School on Tuesday, April 26th at 1:00 p.m.

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

Student - Staff Basketball Game

Smiles of excitement were on the faces of children and teachers during the annual Student vs. Staff Basketball Game.  Fourth grade teacher Mr. Nelson, sporting a vintage New York Knicks jersey with Patrick Ewing's #33, led the teacher team.  He was joined by Miss Claffey, Miss McKenzie, Miss Lavoie, Miss Jakiela, Miss Grossman, Miss DiBacco, Miss Morello, and a special return to Macdonough School by Miss K!

Coach Teresa Morello managed the students to another fine performance.  Sportsmanship, hustle, teamwork, and tenacious defense characterized the student team.

Spectators were treated to a half-time show by the Macdonough School Cheerleading Team under the direction of fifth grade teacher Miss DiBacco. 

Third Grade Receives Dictionaries!

There were smiles all around in Miss Morello's class this morning due to a wonderful surprise!

Special thanks to the Middletown Rotary Club for providing each child in third grade with a brand new dictionary.

The gift was made possible through the Dr. Wilfredo Nieves Dictionary Project and coordinated by our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Michael Frechette.

District Art Show

The Middletown District Art Show is just around the corner. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 5th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. A special, Principal’s Choice Award will be recognized at 6:00 p.m. Artwork from students, K-12, will continue to be on display through Sunday, March 13th at the Zilkha gallery at Wesleyan University.

Gallery hours are as follows:

Saturdays & Sundays: 1-4 pm

Monday-Friday: 12-7pm

Macdonough in the News

From the Middletown Press

MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL GROUP NAMED WINNERS IN NATIONAL RECESS ROCKS VIDEO CONTEST

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (February 3, 2011) – The Macdonough School Video Production Club at Macdonough Elementary School in Middletown have been named winners in the national Recess Rocks video contest for their ideas for combating childhood obesity. The students at Macdonough placed second in the group category. The contest is part of the nationwide Recess Rocks childhood obesity prevention campaign launched by Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) in September 2010.

The video contest, which ran from September 8 to November 30, invited children and young teens in grades 2 through 8 across the U.S. to submit a two-minute video featuring a speech, song, dance or commercial that answers two questions: “How do you feel about the childhood obesity problem?” and “What can you do about it?”. Children could enter individually or as part of a group from a public or private school or youth-focused community organization or club. Entries were judged on overall impact, creativity, memorable content and delivery and a clear message on how the problem can be solved.

The MacDonough School Video Production Club’s video begins with one student telling another, who is playing a video game, to “Put it away. It’s time to play!” Those two students play, then find another sedentary student to recruit. Through a chain reaction, the two students soon become a group of kids who are playing a game outdoors.

The students at Macdonough won $1,000 for their school, A complete list of winners in the individual and group categories is available at http://www.recessrocks.com/.

Macdonough is a RIF School!

Did you know that Macdonough School is a Reading is Fundamental (RIF) school?

As Middletown’s only RIF program site, Macdonough School participates in the “Books for Ownership” program designed to motivate children, families, and community members to read together through a triad of principles basic to the entire RIF organization: book ownership, motivational activities, and family involvement in children's reading.

• Book ownership: Macdonough School students have the opportunity to choose and keep books each year at no cost to the children or their families.

• Fun literacy-related activities: Macdonough school staff motivate children to read with a myriad of festive book activities that accompany each book event. 

Black History Month Celebration!

Macdonough School Selected as Finalist in National Video Contest!

Macdonough School has been named as one of six finalists in a nationwide video contest sponsored by Recess Rocks! 

The contest engaged children and young teens in grades 2 through 8 across the United States in addressing childhood obesity. Children—either individually or as part of a school class or youth group — were asked to submit videos featuring a speech, song, dance or commercial that answered two questions: “How do you feel about the childhood obesity problem?” and “What can you do about it?”

The Macdonough entry, created as part of the school's after school Video Production Club, features students putting away electronics in favor of outdoor activities. 

View the finalists' videos by visiting the Recess Rocks website.

Jazz Concert

Thanks to our School - Family - Community Partnership team, a lucky Macdonough family is receiving tickets to a "sold out" jazz concert by the Charles Lloyd New Quartet.

The concert will be performed at Crowell Concert Hall on the campus of Wesleyan University.

Student-Teachers Begin the Semester at Macdonough!

We are delighted to welcome a group of student-teachers from Central Connecticut State University to Macdonough School this semester.

• Miss Olivia Delaney will be working with Mrs. Shalan Paul in fourth grade.
• Miss Amanda Adams will be working with Miss Sarah Claffey in fourth grade.
• Miss Crystal Kolman will be working with Miss Allison Monarca in second grade.
• Miss Kristie Fergusson will be working with Miss Lauren Weindruch in fifth grade.
• Miss Danielle Velodata will be working with Mrs. Spaman in kindergarten.

Junior Achievement Selects Macdonough School!

Macdonough School has been selected for a one day program by Junior Achievement!

Junior Achievement Worldwide is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers — all working together to inspire young people to dream big and reach their potential.

JA’s hands-on, experiential programs teach the key concepts of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people all over the world.

Youth Issues: A Lecture Series

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.

Please join us in helping to instill these important character traits in your children - at school and at home!

Macdonough Student Honored at MLK Ceremony

A celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., was held Monday at the First Church of Christ on Court Street.

The 18th annual event featured music and dancing in honor the civil rights leader's birthday.  As part of the celebration, Macdonough School 4th grade student Kendalyn Zipf read her entry into the "Letters to Dr. King" contest.  Her letter detailed ways that the work of Dr. King had changed Middletown for the best.
 
The event was sponsored by the Scholarship Committee of Greater Middletown which provides scholarships to deserving students.

Macdonough Mariners at Wesleyan University

Coach Teresa Morello brought the Macdonough Mariners basketball team to Wesleyan University this weekend. The team cheered on the Wesleyan Mens' Basketball team as they took on Amherst College.

At halftime, the Macdonough students took the court for a scrimmage before a packed house at Bacon Fieldhouse.  Miss K served as the ref for the intersquad game between the Mariners.

After the scrimmage, the team stayed for the second half of the college game and watched as Wesleyan lost a close game to their rivals from Amherst.

New Electronic Keyboards at Macdonough!

Thanks to Farah DeAngelis, our music teacher, for writing a grant to get additional electronic keyboards at Macdonough School.  They arrived today from UPS!

The keyboards will be used by students in our after school program.  Miss DeAngelis, along with Professor Barbara Johnson from the Hartt School of Music, provide free piano lessons to Macdonough School students each week.

Macdonough Students to Attend Dave Fry Concert!

Thanks to the efforts of our School-Family-Community Partnership team, two lucky Macdonough families have been invited to the Dave Fry Concert at the Buttonwood Tree this weekend.

Dave Fry is a wonderfully engaging family folk musician with decades of experience performing for kids and adults at festivals, clubs and schools throughout the East Coast.  Dave is a CT Teaching Artist, NJ Master Artist, with award-winning children’s music CD’s and several national PBS-TV shows.  Dave features banjo, guitar and mandolin and a bag of instruments to involve the whole family in making music together.

Macdonough School... In the news!

Featured in The Middletown Press on January 10, 2011

MIDDLETOWN – Ronald McDonald House

Charities® of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts has honored one area teacher with the fourth annual RMHC Local Hero Awards.

A teacher for over 20 years, Joanne Jukins has been a second grade teacher at Commodore Macdonough Elementary School in Middletown for the past six years. She was selected for the award due to her superior teaching skills, as she gives individual care to each of her students and creates an environment where her students can excel. RMHC awarded a $500 grant to Macdonough Elementary School in her honor.

A Book for Macdonough

A Book for Macdonough is a new program that provides the opportunity for people to donate a book to our school library in honor of someone.

The newest book donation is the Children's Book of Music by DK Publishing.  This book was donated by the Macdonough School staff in honor of our two amazing music teachers: Miss DeAngelis and Mr. D'Amato.

The Children's Book of Music takes readers on a chronological journey around the world, exploring the sounds and rhythms of different cultures, the development of instruments, and the progression of musical styles. The book also includes a bonus CD, featuring a selection of music from around the world!

For more information about A Book for Macdonough program, please click here.

Donors Choose Project - Technology!

DonorsChoose is a simple way to fulfill needs and foster innovation in our public schools.  Teachers post projects and donors fund those that are of interest.

Ms. Jukins, a second grade teacher at Macdonough, is seeking money to purchase a document camera for our school.

This is part of her project description:

“The doc cam is a wonderful technology tool that allows us to share student work on the spot. We can project work in order to edit and revise as a class, to explore and create together, and to have instant access to projected images for all to see and learn from!”

Want to learn more? Click here!

Box Tops for Education

Help Macdonough School earn money by clipping Box Tops from your favorite products. This is one of the easiest way to earn, because we buy these products daily!  All you have to do is Clip, Turn-In and Save!

Another great way to earn Box Top points is by registering online. Once you register through Box Tops for Education Website, you have the opportunity to receive coupons and promotions on Box Top products that you can use at the local grocery store. 

You'll also get: Macdonough's complete Box Tops earnings details, money-saving coupons for Box Tops brands, over 100 recipes using Box Tops products, and exclusive chances to win Bonus Box Tops.  Best of all, membership in boxtops4education.com is absolutely FREE!

Macdonough School Selected for National Assessment!

We are pleased to announce that Macdonough School has been selected to participate in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Our fourth grade students will take the NAEP Assessment on Monday, January 31st.

NAEP is often called the "Nation's Report Card." It is the only measure of student achievement in the United States that allows you to compare the performance of students in our state with the performance of students across the nation.

We are delighted that students from Macdonough School will have the opportunity to showcase their knowledge on this important academic measure.

Greek Myths at Macdonough

Did you know a group of students meet each Wednesday morning before school to learn all about the great gods and goddesses of ancient Greece? 

Jen Alexander, a Macdonough parent, leads the group and introduces our students to famous Greek gods including mighty Zeus, lord of the universe; elegant Athena, goddess of wisdom; Hera, queen of Olympus; and moody Poseidon, ruler of the sea.

Each child in the group received a copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths to further explore the many gods and goddesses of ancient Greece!

Macdonough Students win Recycled Scuplture Contest

Two Macdonough School students took first prize in Middletown's 2010 Recycled Scuplture Contest. 

The brothers took old homework papers and created a sturdy and attractive in-box.  Their artistic creation won first place in the Family Division.

The box is on display in our main office.

Congratulations to Rakesh and Rajeef!

Macdonough School Students win Stock Market Game!

The Connecticut Stock Market Game™ program announced two teams from Macdonough School were the top finishers in Connecticut for the Elementary School division of their fall session.  

Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, students strived to create the best-performing portfolio using a live trading simulation. They invested in companies, tracked their investments, and competed with other school teams across the state during a ten week session in a race to make the most of their investments. 

The first place team from Mrs. Paul's class turned their intial investment into $129,710.81, while the students in Miss Claffey's class earned an impressive $117,965.51.  

The Macdonough teams were also in the top ten statewide out of more than twelve hundred teams representing elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, and adult teams. 

The students and teachers will be honored at a ceremony hosted by the Connecticut Council on Economic Education.

Macdonough School... In the News!

While we occasionally see Macdonough School featured in the news for one thing or another, students at Macdonough School are now "into" the news another way!

Thanks to the Newspapers in Education program, a dozen copies of "The Hartford Courant" are delivered to our school each morning.  Students in our third, fourth, and fifth grade classes have the opportunity to receive newspapers.
Students enjoy catching up on the news, sports, and weather throughout the day.  They even get a chance to read about Macdonough School now and then!

Tis the Season to Be Reading

Macdonough School students and staff celebrated “TIS THE SEASON TO BE READING DAY” with special guest readers / community leaders today.

Each classroom welcomed a guest reader / community leader for a read aloud.  Then the entire school assembled in the gymnasium for a celebration to include a reading of Governor M. Jodi Rell’s formal proclamation of December 16th, 2010 as “Tis the Season to be Reading” day statewide, a read aloud of Our Children Can Soar, written by Michelle Cook; and a new book giveaway for every child at the school.

Children were reminded that although many associate this time of year with holidays and gifts, it's alway the season for reading at Macdonough School!

Macdonough Mariners

Coach Teresa Morello led the Macdonough Mariners to a thrilling last minute victory against the Bielefield Bobcats in today's interschool basketball game.

The Macdonough school team, comprised of fourth and fifth graders, demonstrated terrific teamwork, wonderful sportsmanship, and represented our school with pride in front of a standing room only crowd.

To keep the crowd energized during the basketball game, our cheerleading team led an assortment of cheers. 

The Macdonough School Cheerleading Team is led by Coach Stefanie DiBacco, a fifth grade teacher at Macdonough School.

Kwanzaa Celebration

The Kindergarten students learned about the Kwanzaa celebration this week. The students read the story "My First Kwanzaa" by Karen Katz. Students created a windsock with the traditional colors seen in Kwanzaa celebration- black, red and green. Students also enjoyed a delicious snack of various fruits found in the Kikombe. A Kikombe or unity cup is made up of corn, apples, yams, nuts, and squash. The fruit and vegetables remind the people of the end of the harvest and the beginning of the planting season.

Musical Mentoring at Macdonough

Thanks to an incredible partnership with the Green Street Arts Center, Macdonough School is proud to announce the start of the Musical Mentoring program.

The program matches fourth graders at Macdonough School with students from Wesleyan University for private weekly music lessons. 

The first session of the Musical Mentoring program was held yesterday.  Students were introduced to the instruments (viola, violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, or saxphone) and had the opportunity to select one for their lessons.

"Donors Choose" Project in Middletown

DonorsChoose is a simple way to fulfill needs and foster innovation in our public schools.

At www.donorsChoose.org, teachers submit ideas for experiences and materials that their students need to learn, such as: improving vocabulary with a class set of dictionaries; developing algebraic skills with graphing calculators; or taking students to Washington, D.C. to see the Supreme Court consider a case.

The first DonorsChoose project in Middletown is posted from Macdonough School! Miss Sarah Claffey, a fourth grade teacher, is seeking money to purchase book series for students.

Her project description begins with the following:

“Have you ever been reading a book and wished it would never end? Have you ever been thrilled to know that your favorite author has written a sequel allowing you to "spend more time" with your favorite characters? If so, you'll know exactly why I'm looking for book series for my students!”

Want to learn more? Click here!

Any individual can search proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project she/he finds most compelling. Donors may receive a feedback package of photographs, student thank-you notes, a teacher impact letter, and an expenditure report showing that their gift was spent as directed.

Holiday Concert 2010

Thanks to Miss DeAngelis and Mr. D'Amato for putting together a wonderful holiday concert!

We even had a surprise visit from Santa and Frosty the Snowman!  Where else but Macdonough School would these two special guests give away books as presents?

Holiday Wreaths at Macdonough!

Thanks to our friends from Middletown High School's Vocational Agriculture Program, a few dozen Macdonough families received holiday wreaths at dismissal today.

We even had a few to decorate our doors!

Did you like the potato latkes?

This week the kindergarten classes tried Potato Latkes during snack to celebrate Hanukkah. This week the question for our graph was "Did you like the potato latkes?" More students liked the potato latkes in both Mrs. Lenihan & Mrs. Spaman's class.

Hanukkah In Kindergarten

The kindergarten children learned about Hanukkah today. The children made menorahs and ate potato latkes.

Ms. Sally came in to show the children how to light the menorah and read them a Hanukkah story. Happy Hanukkah!

Recess "Plus" at Macdonough School

While almost every school has recess, not many schools have recess "plus."  Students at Macdonough School have the chance to participate in a variety of extra activities during their recess periods thanks to our wonderful staff.

Some of this trimester's Recess Plus programs being led by Miss Chaelyn Lombardo include:

• Out Of This World: a Recess Plus Science Club
• Kidz Math: A Recess Plus Math Club
• Cooking for Literacy: A Recess Plus Enrichment Club
• Kids are Authors: A Recess Plus Contest Club
• Math Rap: A Recess Plus Math Club

Counting Pennies

The students in Mrs. Lenihan's Kindergarten class are learning to count pennies. An area of our classroom was set up as a school store. Students had the opportunity to buy erasers, bracelets, reading books, holiday stickers and many other items. The students were given 5 cents to spend and had to count out their pennies to make the right amount of money to buy what they wanted. Happy shopping!!

Jack Jackter School Visits for Equal This

Every month Macdonough fifth graders get together with fifth graders from Jack Jackter Intermediate School in Colchester for a math program called Equal This.

Equal This is a program that allows students to engage with students of their own age and form positive friendships while partaking in various math activities. Students correspond monthly through friendly letters and visits. Macdonough students are grouped with students from Jack Jackter School. They compete against each other in a higher level thinking Equations game.

This month Jack Jackter had the opportunity to visit Macdonough. They were greeted by the fifth grade students and received a tour of the school. During their visit students worked together to create geometric masks that represented their unique individuality. Students shared the masks and were able to make connections with each other.

Musical Mentoring at Macdonough!

We are delighted to announce the start of a new program at Macdonough School!

In partnership with the Green Street Arts Center, the Musical Mentoring program will be offered to fourth graders. It is an after school program meeting on Wednesdays beginning in January.

The program will provide weekly private music lessons from Wesleyan University musicians for our students. Children will be matched with one of the following instruments for lessons: trumpet, trombone, violin, flute, saxophone, or clarinet.

Stay "tuned" for more information on this exciting new program!

What makes you the Happiest?

Kindergarten children graph this week about 'What makes you the happiest?' They chose from reading a book, spending time with family & playing outside. The winner is: SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY!!!! This was the winner in both Mrs. Lenihan & Mrs. Spaman's class.