Jodie Fitz Coming to Macdonough

Jodie Fitz, author of Thumbs Up to Kids Cooking, is coming to Macdonough School on Monday, November 8th.  

When Jodie comes to visit, she'll be accompanied by a certified nutritionist. They'll work as a team to bring fun, hands-on food and nutrition activities and messages to our kids along with a healthy treat for all students!

Together, they'll lead a discussion through an interactive, hands-on session that demonstrates how kids have the ability to get stronger and healthier bodies simply through their food choices.

Season Ends for North End Farmers Market

Children from Mrs. Walsh's class braved the chilly October weather to visit the last North End Farmers Market for the season. 

Students were treated to an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables during the visit.

We are grateful for the support of the North End Action Team in coordinating these wonderful walking field trips and look forward to visiting again in the spring!

Technology Day for Teachers

Teachers spent the afternoon learning how to incorporate the mimio into their classroom.

Time was spent updating school web pages. Our most veteran teacher, Angela Spaman, learned how to post on the Macdonough School blog.

Pumpkins at Macdonough

As a Hallowen celebration, every student at Macdonough received their very own pumpkin to bring home!

In the second grade classroom, teachers and students incorporated their pumpkins into math instruction.  Children weighed and measured their pumpkins using math tools like scales and tape measures.

Early Release Day - October 29th

Students were dismissed early so that the teachers could participate in professional development programs. 

This month our teachers learned about utilizing technology in the classroom.  They learned about the Macdonough Blog, class web pages, and using our new Mimio boards.

Happy Halloween at Macdonough!

The end of October brings with it the annual Kindergarten Halloween Parade.  Royal Queen Spaman and Fairy Princess Lenihan led a group of superheroes, cartoon characters, stuffed animals, and friendly monsters through the hallways of Macdonough School.

Reflections Art Program

The Middletown School Association (MSA) will be sponsoring the REFLECTIONS ART PROGRAM for 2010-11. The Reflections Program is a national art program that provides students with the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition.

A brochure with information about the Reflections Program is available at the MSA website.

Supporting the PTA Reflections Program is one way we can increase student achievement, foster student talents, and promote the arts.

Macdonough Teacher Honored!

Joanne Jukins received recognition last night as a "Local Hero" by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut. 

A reception was held at the Governor's Mansion where Ms. Jukins was honored during an awards ceremony.  Governor Rell made a surprise appearance and shared a moment with Ms. Jukins after the ceremony.

The Local Hero award is presented to teachers who exhibit tremendous dedication to their profession and outstanding efforts in servicing their schools and communities. To further recognize Ms. Jukins for her hard work, RMHC awarded a $500 grant to Macdonough School in her honor.                                                                                      During the presentation, Joanne was described "..As a learner who takes advantage of opportunities for new learning. As a a mentor, who shares knowledge with colleagues. As a model citizen, who is active in PTA events and rarely misses an evening school activity. Above all, as a superior teacher, who gives individual care to each of her students and creates an environment where her students can excel..."

Macdonough's School Based Health Center

The Community Health Center, Inc. is pleased to offer school-based health services at Macdonough School during the school day.

Licensed healthcare providers are available to provide expanded medical (treatment for illnesses or injuries, and physicals), behavioral health (individual, group, and family therapy), and dental hygiene (exams, cleanings, and sealants) services.

Our school-based health services work in conjunction with the care provided by your child’s pediatrician and/or dentist and are not intended to replace regular care by your child’s primary health-care provider.

For additional information about Macdonough's School Based Health Center, please contact Sara Miller or Nat Holmes.

Macdonough Runners to Race in Middletown

Members of the Macdonough School Running Club will be competing in eighth annual Middlesex Community College Foundation $cholarship 5K Road Race scheduled for October 30th at Middlesex Community College.

The 3.1 mile course is a scenic out and back route with several small rolling hills and a downhill finish in the reservoir area near the MxCC campus.  Entertainment for runners and their families will again be provided by the Pratt & Whitney Screamin’ Eagles Jazz Band.

Interested in joining us?  Applications available here.

Homecoming for Macdonough Students

Macdonough students from Mr. Nelson's fourth grade class will experience a bit of Homecoming Weekend at Wesleyan University. 

Mr. Nelson has arranged for tickets to this weekend's Wesleyan vs. Amherst football game.  Parents and students are invited to join Mr. Nelson for the game!

Macdonough Goes Pink

Visitors to Macdonough School on Friday may have noticed that pink was the color of the day!

Staff members at Macdonough School wore pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The teachers contributed to a school donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Throughout the year, staff members "dress down" to raise money for local and national charities.

Macdonough at the Market

Second graders visited the North End Farmers Market today on a walking field trip. 

They were treated to fresh fruits and vegetables!

Our walking field trips to the North End Farmers Markets are supported by our friends at the North End Action Team!

Macdonough School on the Radio!

Representatives from WCNX radio came to Macdonough School to tape the School Lunch segment. 

Fifth grade students read the Middletown Public Schools' lunch menu for a special broadcast.

The School Lunch Menu will be broadcast LIVE on Mondays at 4:20 pm and again at 4:45 pm. It will also be available ON DEMAND through the WCNX website: http://www.cnxradio.com/ from Monday - Sunday of each week. They simulcast the broadcast over 1710 AM in the Middletown area and on the web.

This program is part of Macdonough School's outreach programs into the community.

Middletown Public Schools #1 Readers

Kindergarten students from Mrs. Lenihan's and Mrs. Spaman's classes cheer as our new banner is unveiled!

The banner was presented to Macdonough School by Superintendent Frechette in recognition of our school's participation in the Summer Reading Program.

Thanks to all of the students and teachers for earning this honor!

Kindergarten Students at the Firehouse

Macdonough kindergarten students took a walking field trip to the Middletown Fire Department.  They saw fire trucks, met fire fighters, and learned about fire safety!

Stock Market Game at Macdonough

Fourth grade students at Macdonough School are participating in the Stock Market Game. 

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

Macdonough's fourth grade teachers are also in the game, participating in the teacher division (but with a close eye on how they stack up against the student teams)!

Some teams will make money, some teams will lose money, but all teams will learn something in The Stock Market Game.

Macdonough School Selected for Wesleyan University's East Asian Studies Outreach Program!

Two Macdonough School classes were selected for participation in Wesleyan University’s 2010-11 East Asian Studies Outreach program. 

The East Asian Studies Outreach program is designed to reach students in the community directly, by providing a range of "hands-on" cultural activities that introduce them to various aspects of East Asian cultures.  Topics include Chinese Lion Dance,  Food in East Asian Cultures,  Japanese Tea Ceremony Demonstration, Music of East Asia, and Origami. 

Congratulations to the students in Miss Green's and Ms. Jukins' second grade classes, Mrs. Waterman’s third grade class, and Mrs. Paul's, Mr. Nelson's, and Miss Claffey’s fourth grade classes!

ING Hartford Marathon Weekend

Macdonough School students and teachers participated in this weekend’s Hartford Marathon festival.

Teachers, students, and parents competed in the ING Hartford Half Marathon as a relay team. 

Several teachers completed the entire 13.1 mile course including Miss Claffey, Mr. Nelson, Miss Weindruch, and Miss Antonucci.  Others joined students and parents to run one or more miles of the course including Miss McKenzie, Mrs. Broomfield, and Mrs. Brick.
Added together, the Macdonough Marathon Relay Team completed almost 100 miles of running!

Macdonough School's participation in the ING Hartford Half Marathon was sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation as part of Jeff's Running Partners program.

ING Hartford Marathon Weekend

Macdonough School students and teachers participated in this weekend’s Hartford Marathon festival. 

Today, our new physical education teacher, Mrs. Oszurek, brought a group of 4th and 5th grade students to Hartford to participate in the ING Run for Something Better Program. 

Macdonough students have been training at home and school to run 12 miles during the past month. They each ran their last 1.1 "Final Mile", to cross over the official ING Hartford Marathon Finish Line in Hartford's Bushnell Park, receive a Finisher's Medal and then enter the "World of Fitness” area. 

The World of Fitness area contains exhibits and activities which focus on promoting healthy choices for kids. Presenters include the Hartford Wolfpack, the Connecticut Science Museum, the Hartford YMCA, and more!

World Record at Macdonough School

Children in Mrs. Walsh's first grade class at Macdonough School helped to break a world record by participating in the Jumpstart Read for the Record program!

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, is an international campaign to bring children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world.  Today,  youngsters from near and far broke the world record as nearly 1,000,000 readers shared Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day.

On this historic day, one amazing book was read aloud in classrooms, libraries, and homes from Japan to Germany, from Belgium to Brazil, to cities and rural communities across America and right here at Macdonough School!

Gold Medals at Macdonough!

Did you know that Macdonough School students had the highest 4th grade math scores in the city on the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test? 

An amazing 97% of our fourth grade students scored proficient or above on this assessement, higher than all other Middletown schools.

In honor of this special achievement, 4th grade teachers Sarah Claffey and Buster Nelson were awarded gold medals at our October SURFS Up Celebration.

Congratulations to students, families and teachers for this gold medal performance!

Macdonough Students -- As Good as Gold!

Each month, students from Macdonough School are recognized for their accomplishments in and out of the classroom.  One type of recognition comes from our special area teachers in art, music, and physical education. 

A golden paintbrush is awarded to the class with the best behavior in art, a golden microphone for the group that best demonstrates appropriate conduct in music, and a golden sneaker for the students who exemplify the best sportsmanship and participation in physical education.

This month, it was a clean sweep as Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Paul's class took all three golden awards!

Macdonough Teacher Honored

Joanne Jukins has been selected as a 2010 Local Hero by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut.  She was surprised with the news of the award at our October SURFS Up Celebration.

Joanne was selected for the award in part due to her "tremendous dedication to her profession and outstanding efforts in servicing her school and community."

In addition to her work as a second grade teacher, Joanne serves as the school's Educational Technology Specialist.  She is a member of the School Data Team, and volunteers at numerous School-Family-Community Partnership functions.

Joanne will be formally recognized at a banquet at the Connecticut Governor’s Mansion on Tuesday, October 26th. 

Macdonough's October Food Drive

Fifth grade students organized an October Food Drive in support of the Amazing Grace Food Pantry.  As children arrived to school, book bags were overflowing with cans and boxes of food for the drive.

More than three hundred non-perishable food items were donated by our students!

The food drive was held in conjunction with our October SURFS Up Celebration.

Middletown's #1 Readers? Macdonough School!

The Superintendent of Schools visited our October SURFS Up Celebration for a very special announcement.

Dr. Frechette presented Macdonough School with a banner proclaiming us Middletown's #1 Readers for our participation in the city's summer reading challenge.

Thanks to all of the Macdonough families for making reading an important part of the summer!

The banner will be hung on the front of the school to remind everyone about the importance of reading.

Dave Fry Concert at The Buttonwood Tree

The Buttonwood Tree is hosting a children's concert with Dave Fry on Saturday, October 9th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Dave’s concerts feature both traditional and contemporary folk music, spliced together with guitar, mandolin, banjo, wry and spontaneous commentary on American family life, and plenty of participation on everyone’s part. Dave Fry is unique in his ability to entertain all ages, and builds a sense of community everywhere he performs.

One lucky Macdonough family will receive a complimentary family four-pack of tickets.  The opportunity was made possible by our School-Family-Community Partnership Team!  For others wishing to attend, please contact The Buttonwood Tree at 860-347-4957 for information on tickets.