Bedtime Stories Program at BRES!

New Milford, PA—February 17, 2011

Dressed in pajamas featuring everything from spider-man to pigs, and carrying everything from blankets to teddy bears, children gathered at Blue Ridge Elementary School February 16 for a special fun-filled event. “Bedtime Stories at Blue Ridge” provided the opportunity for families to spend an evening dining together, making a craft and enjoying a special story.

Students from the National Honor Society at Blue Ridge helped make the evening possible by receiving food donations and coordinating events based on the book “If you Give a Moose a Muffin” by Laura Numeroff. Young children and adults enjoyed making moose sock puppets, wearing pretend moose antlers to walk through a make-shift forest, and listening to the moose antics in the story.

“Bedtime Stories at Blue Ridge” was made possible through a joint effort with National Honor Society at Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge School District and Susquehanna County CARES (Childcare, Agencies, Resources and Educational Services.) CARES is a non-profit group dedicated to enhancing quality early care and education in the county, and supports Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children, because every child is Pennsylvania’s future.

Stephnie Thornton
Program Manager
Susquehanna County CARES
stcares@epix.net
(570) 465-5040

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah for Blue Ridge Kindergarten!

On Friday, January 28th, Kindergarteners at Blue Ridge Elementary School in New Milford, PA performed a variety of Disney songs and dances through NEIU 19’s Artist in Residence program under the instruction of Mr. Theo Lencicki. Mr. Lencicki’s most recent credit was in the Broadway National Tour of the musical “Hairspray.” He is a proud faculty member of the Arts Alive Institute, in addition to teaching several workshops and working with the Artist in Residence program. “Mr. Theo”, as the kindergarteners referred to him, instructed the students how to sing, dance and create stage scenery as well as props for their stage performance entitled, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” The students performed a dress rehearsal for their elementary school in an afternoon show. April Berger, April Rhone, Dominica Skal, Jamie Swartwood, and Tonya Wood, Blue Ridge Kindergarten teachers, volunteered to accompany and assist their students for Friday’s evening performance for families and community to view. Peg Glezen, Reading Specialist volunteered to operate the auditorium equipment and also accompanied Blue Ridge 5th Grade reading students who assisted the kindergarteners in the performance. Special thanks to Mr. Ron Parsons of Northeast Exposure located in Hallstead, PA for volunteering his time and materials with video and photography of the performance and retired Blue Ridge teacher, Mrs. Rose Berger for also videotaping the performance. Everyone applauded “Mr. Theo” for his wonderful efforts with the children.

Character Education ~ February 9

Today's Character Education Message is written by Amanda Swan and Micah Mullen:

Trustworthiness is:

• Having the ability to trust someone
• To be kind to one another
• Tell the truth
• Don't bully
• To be helpful to everyone

Congratulations to the following people for being awarded Character Counts Coupons:

Kyra Powell

Kayla Whitney

Ben Gudykunst

Character Education ~ February 3

Today's Character Education Message is:

Trust yourself to do the best you can each day.

Congratulations to the following people for being awarded Character Counts Coupons:

Hayley Kohlhep
Emily Formosa
Miranda Woosman
Samantha Price

Instrument Petting Zoo

On Friday, a group of my gifted students performed a service project by doing an "Instrument Petting Zoo" with the PM PreK classes. The students brought their band instruments, played them for the little ones, told them a little about the instruments, and then let the kids try it out (with some help from the big kids!). Attached are a few pictures. Everyone had a great time and I was very proud of Sarah, Maddi, and Theresa for organizing it!

Elizabeth Gaughan, Gifted and ESL teacher

Blue Ridge 6th Graders Give Donation!

Before Christmas you may have seen hexagon shaped donation containers in local businesses. These were made in art class by sixth graders from Blue Ridge who where hoping to collect money to donate to Susquehanna County Interfaith. The sixth graders were Brandy Baker, Devin Donnelly, Grace Perera, Brooke Marvin, Lindsay Reinhart, John Calla, Bailey Shaw, Alex Degraw, Daniel Beesley, Nick Folk, Dulce Tobon-Montiel, Zack Visakay, Callie Wyatt, Mikhala Griemsmann, Allison Hewitt, Megan Houlihan, Autumn Brown, Logan Conrad, and Jordan Mann. The coins and bills collected are to be donated to aid in paying for heat for families in need in our community. All of the containers have been collected and the money counted. Thanks to the generous people and businesses in our area we raised $455.49. On behalf of Blue Ridge Sixth Grade art class we thank all of those who donated and the following businesses that participated: Burger King, Dobb's Country Kitchen, Green Gables, New Milford Hardware, Pump N Pantry, Lindsey's Hardware, People's National Bank, New Milford Market, First Glance, Stone's Trustworthy Hardware, and Armetta's in Gibson.

Character Education ~ January 19

Today's Character Education Message is:

Being truthful builds your own self-respect.

Congratulations to the following people for being awarded Character Counts Coupons:

Rolly Miller
Kendra Millard

Kindergarten Artist in Residence is Back at BR for another year

Below is a picture of Mr. Theo (Artist in Residence Director) practicing with our kindergartners as they prepare for their performance on Thursday, January 27 at 6:00pm in the HS auditorium.

Rep. Sandra Major Visits Blue Ridge's PreKindergarten

A special visit was made to Mrs. Whitehead's prek classroom from Rep. Sandra Major. Rep. Major came to read to the children and to see what our day is like. Rep. Major was invited to our classroom to share with her the importance of making early childhood education available to all children and the importance of keeping the funding for the future. Rep. Major read two stories, The Mitten and Detective Dog and the Disappearing Doughnuts to the class. Rep. Major stayed and enjoyed our show and tell for the letter "Dd" (letter of the week) and the connection that was made to the book she read to us. The children enjoyed sharing our time with her and as a thank you we gave her a book we made for her We Are Pennsylvania's Promise for the Future. Our book was about what we want to be when we grow up.

We would like to thank Rep. Major for taking time out of her very busy schedule to come and visit our classroom and also to Stephnie Thornton for making all the arrangements for us.

Character Education ~ January 13

Today's Character Education Message is:

Trustworthiness is.........(written by Alyssa Johnson and Dylan Gleason)

• Important
• Trusting people
• Is a good thing
• Niceness
• Worthy of confidence
• Someone to depend on
• A friend you can keep secrets with

Congratulations to the following people for being awarded Character Counts Coupons:

Josiah Smalley

Morgan Mansfield

Garrett Peters

Ben Bleck

Kendra Millard