GGM Basketball begins Saturday, January 28.
Students in Grades 3 - 6 are eligible.
Visit the following link: https://5il.co/1ngs4 to sign up!
Any questions, contact Emily Dowling at emily.downling@tuxedoschools.org
Attention George F. Baker High School students! The Snowball is Friday, January 27, be sure to hand in sign up slips by Tuesday, January 24.
To view the agenda for the Tuxedo Union Free School District Regular Board of Education Meeting on 1/18/2023, please visit our website, www.tuxedoufsd.org, select "menu" and then select "BoardDocs" under the Board of Education area of the screen.
Please use the following link to view the UPDATED meeting announcement for the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://5il.co/1neuy
Please use the following link to view the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJ4iGakjfY
Mindfulness is just a stones throw away. 🪨 For the past week, several George F. Baker High School students have had some company in their pockets and book bags - a pouch filled with three stones. But these are not just any run of the mill rocks, they embody challenging emotions being harbored by this group of juniors and seniors. On Thursday (1/12) afternoon the students will take a trip to the Ramapo River and throw them in water. The project was assigned by Ms. Jones’ as part of a psychology class lesson on emotions and support techniques.
To kick off the new year, students collected the stones and assigned an emotion to each one. Whether it was sorrow, anger, shame or jealousy; each individual needed to decide the emotions they would like to confront. From there, the class was asked to get to know their stones and develop a relationship with them. Saying good morning, sharing meals and taking a walk with their pouch in hand was encouraged as a way to ensure the stones absorbed each emotion. The intention is for the “healing frequency of the minerals” to act as “an antidote” and bring peace to each student as the rocks perform their duty. Following days of nurturing, it becomes time for the stones to return to nature, leaving the class cleansed in the process.
“When you lie no one trusts you anymore.” In just one sentence, George Grant Mason Elementary first grader Phoebe summed up the importance of honesty.
Phoebe’s insight came at this morning’s character trait read-along led by third grade teacher Mrs. Rocklin. For the January trait of Honesty, Rocklin chose “A Bike like Sergio’s” by author Maribeth Boelts and illustrator Noah Z. Jones.
The book tells the story of Ruben, a birthday boy who would just love to have a bike like his friend Sergio. Unfortunately for Ruben, money is tight at home and his parents can’t afford to give him such an expensive gift. But could Ruben’s luck be changing? During a trip to the grocery store, Ruben sees money fall out of someone’s pocket. He swiftly picks it up and discovers it was a hundred dollar bill; enough to buy a bike like Sergios! Ruben wrestled with how he could tell his parents, especially after seeing his mom cross items off the grocery list she doesn’t have the money to buy. When Ruben loses the money, and quickly finds it in his bag, he also finds his answer. He would be honest and return the money.
Rocklin followed up the reading with a discussion about honesty. And despite the freezing temperatures outside, a garden is growing inside GGM - a garden of honesty. This month, whenever a teacher sees a student or their class being honest, they will write the example down on the petal of a paper flower. Those flowers will be planted in the school’s main floor for all to see.
Who is up for a little “light” reading? 🔦 📚 All week, George Grant Mason Elementary third graders have been basking in the glow of flashlights during their independent reading time.
📕 Over the past few months, the class has been earning prizes for working well together, following rules and being honest. This time around, Mrs Rocklin’s students opted for a book time blackout!
As soon as she shuts the lights, students turn on their imaginations, getting lost in the pages of a work of fiction or non fiction. (Luckily they have a flashlight 🔦 to guide the way.)
📗 Rocklin is happy this is one of the prizes chosen by her vivacious readers, “it is so important to read each day and why not make it fun!”
📘 Flashlight reading has been spotted in other GGM classrooms this year. It’s one of the many enlightening ways Mrs. Rota keeps her fourth grade students engaged in their books.
💡What a bright idea.💡
#book #books #booklover #bookstagram #reading #readingtime #readingnook #readingisfun #readingislife #readingisfundamental
The Tuxedo Elementary Indoor Soccer season plans to get underway January 22. The league is available students in Grades 3 thru 6 and plans to meet Sundays at the John P. Mottola Gymnasium from 2PM - 4PM ET.(based on enrollment times may change) The league wraps up on March 12.
For more Information or to sign up, email: tuxedo.athletics@tuxedoschools.org
Sign up by January 14th and updated information will follow with exact times.
Tuxedo Forecast for Wednesday, January 4: High of 61° 🌤 and snow 🌨 in the morning… wait, what?!
❄️ That’s right there was snow in Tuxedo this morning, courtesy of our George Grant Mason Elementary Pre-Kindergartners. Ms. Braffett’s class cooled down this abnormally warm January day by creating snow slime. Glue, water, starch; one by one, students came to the front of the room to assist with the ingredients needed for their polar project. As the concoction came together, icy blue food coloring was mixed in and of course, glitter!
❄️ Braffett says she enjoys creating slime with the class because it is a fun way to introduce them to science, while providing an opportunity for teamwork. It is also a great sensory activity, which our young friends quickly found out as they began shaping and molding the glittery goop.
🥶 Luckily this snow doesn’t melt!
...and we’re back! Rested and refreshed from the winter break, George Grant Mason Elementary students returned to the classroom this morning, ready to learn (and create). 📓
📐You could feel the enthusiasm in Ms. Klimowich’s STEM lab where the second grade class put on their engineer caps to build ramps that could support the weight and energy of a rubber hand ball. 🛝
🔢 Down the hall, Mrs. Rocklin’s third graders put their energy into brushing up on some math equations, while Mrs. Rota's students got to work on their chromebooks. 💻
❄ Downstairs in Mr. Stankiewicz’s art room, fourth and fifth grade students brushed aside the rainy day by creating snowflakes using paper and scissors.✂️
🥳 #HappyNewYear and here is to a great second half of the school year! 🙌
❄️Let ‘em sew, let ‘em sew, let ‘em sew. George Grant Mason Elementary second graders got a lesson in sewing this morning; starting the day stitching and stuffing a fabric snowman. Before our budding seamstress and seamsters got to work, Ms. Blume walked the class through the steps of threading, piercing and pulling the needle. Their directions were capped with a safety reminder, because needles can be sharp! Ms. Blume reminded everyone, “if you need to get up, poke the needle in your tomato!” 🍅
🪡 With the help from five of our classroom mothers, students began sewing the seam along the edge of their fabric snowman, guiding their handpicked thread carefully and creating a whipstitch. Once they were nearly complete, it was time to stuff the snowman and seal it up.
✂️
🧵 Ms. Blume said the reason she wanted to do a lesson in sewing was simple, “its an important skill to have.” It also teaches students, “patience” and “fine motor skills.” 🪡
⛄️ It also created an occasion for camaraderie and collaboration. As each snowman was completed, classmates turned to help each other and compliment one another’s work. Some jokes were also shared. What would a snowman say if he could talk? “I’m a cool snowman” or “there is snow place like home!” ⛄️
To view the agenda for the Tuxedo Union Free School District Regular Board of Education Meeting on 12/21/2022, please visit our website, www.tuxedoufsd.org, select "menu" and then select "BoardDocs" under the Board of Education area of the screen.
It’s a holiday whodunit?! Someone stole Mrs. Rota’s headbands!
When George Grant Mason Elementary fourth graders arrived in school last Thursday, they found their teacher’s door covered in caution tape! The classroom had become a crime scene!
Students were ushered by Mrs. Rota and Mrs. Bock down to the school library where they were met by officers from the Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake Police Departments. Mrs. Rota explained that someone made a big mess of her room and took a bin of holiday headbands! But who was it? Luckily elves Joy, Twinkle and Snowflake got a glimpse of the classroom caper and left behind some clues before being captured. Tuxedo Officers Hall and Russell and Greenwood Lake Police Chief Eirand explained they would need some help cracking the case.
After the caution tape was cleared and the door was opened, students discovered their desks were littered with evidence. From Nurse Castricone’s stethoscope to Mrs. Sayle’s folder, it seemed like everyone was a suspect! With some help from the fifth-grade class, our young sleuths got to work searching for clues and marking off evidence. Once everything was accounted for, these grade four gumshoes began connecting the dots. Because the headband bandit has a fish tank, likes to read and have fun with her students - Mrs. Sayles and Mrs. Rush were the leading suspects.
So who did it? Well it was Mrs. Sayles! She just couldn’t resist festive fashion choices. But don’t worry, she is not a criminal! She emailed to say she was borrowing them, and Mrs. Rota never saw it! So Mrs. Sayles was let go by GGM authorities, photo souvenir in hand.
There was no denying the fun of solving the mystery, but it was much more than figuring out who stole headbands and trapped three innocent elves. It was an important lesson on #inference - how to come to a conclusion using evidence and reasoning. Mrs. Rota says it is vital for our young learners to know that “you can’t just throw something out there; you have to back it up.”
It’s safe to say thanks to some creative teachers, one good sport, Brendan Eirand and our local authorities, that case is closed.
Please be advised that the Tuxedo Union Free School District will be on a 2-hour delayed opening today, Friday, December 16, 2022.
Please use the following link to view the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MxrEOaeQE
Please use the following link to view the meeting announcement for the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://5il.co/1m20s
Please be advised that the Tuxedo Union Free School District will be dismissing early today, at 12:30.
Please see the following update from the New York State Education and Department of Health regarding influenza, RSV and COVID-19.
https://5il.co/1m19k
A tradition that truly “rocks.” With paint and markers in hand, the George F. Baker High School Senior class gathered at the edge of Tornado Drive yesterday afternoon to sign the rock that sits atop the TUFSD campus.
Standing shoulder to shoulder in the December cold, students added their names and a “Class of 23” design that now greets drivers passing by on Route 17.
Earlier in the day, a bundled up Mr. Stankiewicz was seen cleaning and prepping the rock so our oldest students could sign it ahead of Spirit Week, which kicks off Monday.
Go Tornadoes!
