May 2008

Dear Parents, Students, Teachers, and Community Members,

Thanks to all those who voted for our school budget. The budget passed three to one!!. What a great show of support for our wonderful elementary school.

This has been a great year: We passed our budget, we had the funds restored for the bussing, we passed the QSAC monitoring, we had a magnificent Community Health Fair, a dynamic Energy Expo, and our first Geography Bee. Our school never stops growing and providing exciting learning experiences for all our students, staff, parents, and community members. Excellent schools don’t happen by chance. We all must do what is rightfully possible to make Cape May City Elementary School one of the most excellent schools in the universe. We’re very capable of this this—not alone, but all together.

Check this out:

May is such a beautiful month, so it seems like we come to life after the long winter and schedule all kinds of activities. Check the activities calendar for the specific dates:

On May 1^st, our 5^th and 6^th graders participated in LOYALTY DAY: Here’s what two students wrote about the commemoration:

Loyalty Day by Alexis Wingate

On May 1^st , my classmates and I went to West Cape May to celebrate Loyalty Day. This holiday is celebrated every May 1^st in the United States. Loyalty Day was first observed in 1920. Its purpose is to restate loyalty to the U.S. On Loyalty Day, every government official has to display a flag on top of the building. At Loyalty Day celebrations, there are usually parades and parties. At our Loyalty Day, there were two mayors, the Mayor of Cape May and West Cape May. We got to go and had little flags. Some of us even got into the newspaper. We are Americans, and we love our freedom and that is why we celebrate. We also got to listen to God Bless America by Kate Smith. In conclusion, Loyalty Day is very important to everyone in America.

Loyalty Day by Emily Cavalieri

Today, we went on a really cool trip this morning. We went to a park to honor the Veterans because they risked their lives for us. It’s Loyalty Day! Loyalty Day has been around since 1920, that’s when it started. There were mayors there from West Cape May and Cape May City. It was lots of fun.

We stood and listened when they talked about important stuff. They had a bench there that honored a Veteran who passed away (last year). The garden they planted to honor them was beautiful, too! There were people there from newspapers. They took our pictures.

Loyalty Day is about remembering that we have freedom and to be thankful that we do.

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Points for Parents: Good New About Pre School Literacy

Children’s involvement in home literacy skills showed improvement from 1993 to 2005, according to the School Readiness and Early Childhood Participation Program of the National Household Education Survey Program. For children aged 3-5, who had not yet enrolled in kindergarten:

• 86% of the 2005 survey respondents had been read to three or more times in a week compared to 78% in 1993.
• 77% of the 2005 participants had been taught some letters, words, or numbers versus 58% in 1993.
• 42% of the 2005 group had visited a library at least once whereas just 39% had in 1993.

Cape May Winners

Drum Roll and Applause for the 2007-08 Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Kathy Lucas, 2^nd grade teacher who has taught here for 25 years! Mrs. Lucas will be honored at a County Luncheon in May. Three cheers for Mrs. Lucas. Hip-Hip Hooray, Hip-Hip Hooray, Hip-Hip Hooray!

Mrs. Lucas & Mrs. MacNaughton are featured in the May 2008 edition of IDE UPDATE—Making a Difference, One Teacher at a Time for teaching collaboratively to meet individual student needs. The two teachers participated in professional development training during the year for Differentiated Instruction.

Congratulations to the First Geography Bee winners: 3^rd place: Hannah Feulner, 4^th grade; 2^nd place: Ryan Meehan, 6^th grade; FIRST PLACE: EMILY HALL, 4^th grade. Congratulation EMILY!!!! Board Member Myra Kurkowski presented the questions to the students. Those questions were hard, too! Thanks Mr. Doto for organizing this great event.

BRAVO to the April Dolphin Club winners who will enjoy a Chicken Lunch with Mrs. Zelenak for being such great students: Iris Sanchez, Kindergarten; Adam Farrish, 1^st; Samantha Bruno, 1^st; Michael Auricchio, 2^nd; Abby Colletti, 4^th; Michael DiCave, 4^th; Michael Fortier, 5^th; and Ryan Tierney, 6^th. Wow, what great kids we have!!

Quote of the Month: You have to accept whatever comes, and the important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give…………Eleanor Roosevelt

vzelenak@capemaycityschool.org or call 884-8485

This newsletter may also be viewed at www.capemaycityschool.org