Mrs. Marie Pisicchio
Forest Lake, Mandalay and Wantagh Elementary students celebrated the first 100 days of the 2019-2020 school year on Feb. 13 with English language arts, mathematics and art activities. As each student passed through their classroom doorways, they proudly displayed their t-shirts decorated with 100 items or by dressing up as 100 year-olds for this momentous occasion.
A dull thrumming resonated throughout the Mandalay gymnasium as students in grades K-5 were introduced to the newest physical education unit sensation called cardio drumming. Even though attempts at percussion were muted through the beating of rubber exercise balls with drumsticks, the concept was essentially the same, to drum to the beat of fast-based, popular music.
Mandalay’s student council collected baby wipes for troops overseas during the month of January. Sponsored by the Blue Star Mothers of Long Island organization, baby wipes are one of the military’s most needed donations, especially for soldiers serving in desert locations.
Mandalay kindergarten students strengthened their addition skills through participation in winter math stations. Teacher Erin Joyce has been working with the students on adding numbers from one through 10 and explained that stations are an integral part of learning each day.
Book characters Elephant and Piggie, followed by Pete the Cat and Pigeon, were the clear winners in Kristin Rogate’s kindergarten class election, held at Mandalay Elementary. It was a culminating activity for a lesson about the election process and why it is important to vote. Prior to Super Tuesday, the students exercised their American right to vote by holding a mock election.
Mandalay has opened its new Helping Hands food pantry, located in the elementary school. The pantry will assist needy families in the school community, but the broader goal is to service the entire district community, elementary guidance counselor Donna Shulman and third grade teacher Stacey Vespe said.
Forest Lake, Mandalay, and Wantagh elementary fifth-graders marked an important academic milestone as they attended individual moving-up ceremonies held in the high school auditorium. Each celebration was punctuated with photo montages and video presentations, as well as special musical performances that added to the sentimental occasions.
Bright-colored post-it notes were scattered across classrooms at Mandalay Elementary School with positive messages and words of kindness in recognition of Positive Post-It Day. Some of the messages included were “Be who you want to be,” “Be you and only you,” and “Stay happy, be happy.”
