Glebe Street Newsletter Available Online
The following editions of our monthly newsletter are currently available online: June 2010, May 2010, April 2010, March 2010, February 2010, January 2010, December 2009, November 2009, October 2009, September 2009

Glebe Student Recognized by the NYS OMRDD and Governor Paterson
On July 11, Glebe Street sixth grader Maddie Swart, together with her mother, Veronica, and her sister, Cassie, attended an official bill signing ceremony at the New York State Capitol in Albany. They were asked to stand with Governor David Paterson as he signed a bill into law. The purpose for the signing was to rename  New York State's Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to the "Office for People with Developmental Disabilities," reflecting the People First philosophy.

As he signed, Governor Paterson handed the pens that he used to each person at the table, beginning with Maddie first! The Governor then shook her hand and stood for pictures with her.

We’re proud of Maddie at Glebe Street Elementary School and of all of her accomplishments!

Physical Education Student Leadership Awards
Six Glebe Street students were  honored by the Capital Zone of the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance with the Sandy Morley Physical Education Leadership Award on May 3, 2010. During a ceremony at Hudson Valley Community College, more than 600 students from 37 school districts were recognized for excellence in physical education and outstanding leadership characteristics. Students were nominated by their physical education teachers to receive the award. Attending from Glebe Street were students V. Baker, K. Pica, C. Solby, J. Fitzgerald, R. Gargiulo and T. Hlozansky, together with their parents and physical education teacher Cyndi Cromer.

Panther Prowl Fundraiser
Panthers are taking STEPS towards healthy living. On Saturday, April 24, the Glebe PTA held its first Panther Prowl Walk-A-Thon. Students, families, staff and friends arrived at Knox Field at 9 a.m. and walked until noon. The intent was to raise money for the PTA while promoting exercise, so Glebe students asked family and friends to sponsor them monetarily in the number of laps they walked. A flat rate registration fee was charged to non-student walkers. Exercise, paired with healthy eating habits and a good night’s rest, is an important component to healthy living, and healthy living supports success in education. What a great message to provide to our students! Four laps equals one mile on the Knox track and our participants walked a total of 308 miles! Great job everyone and congratulations to all of the raffle winners. We hope to make this an annual event, so maybe we will see you again next year! See additional Prowl photos.

Lunch with the Principal
Once each month, 14 students who have displayed excellent character traits, especially the character trait worked on during that month, enjoy Lunch with the Principal. Glebe’s Lunch with the Principal program is supported by the PTA and the SDM team. Mrs. Kathy Perito and sixth grade teacher Mrs. Betty Flanders are a tremendous help with the program. Enjoy these photos from our luncheon in February 2010.  

Miss Manners visits our Glebe Students
Miss Manners, a fictional character created by our school counselor Miss Nasadoski, visited Glebe students recently. During her visit she talked about tolerance and provided several scenarios for staff and students to act out. It was a perfect opportunity for valuable lessons that enhance our continuous work for excellent character. This is just one small way in which we design out character education program at Glebe to show our students what is acceptable, fair, kind and inclusive behavior toward everyone.
 

Introducing Panther Craft
To encourage excellent character, our Glebe parents and teachers have started a wonderful new initiative for our students called "Panther Craft." We don't craft panthers, but we do invite volunteers to lead a session of crafting! Students are selected to participate based upon a drawing from names of students who have earned Panther Points throughout the month. Panther Points are awarded to students whenever a person in the school community notices a demonstration of excellent character. Students may choose to use their Panther Points to purchase a fun item from the Panther cart; to enter a monthly drawing to enjoy Lunch with the Principal; or to enter a drawing to participate in our new Panther Craft program. Mrs. Lesa Levin arranged the very successful first event, with Mrs. Roth as our crafter, and a fun time crafting and socializing was had by all! Many thanks to our Shared Decision Making Team, our Parent Teacher Association, and to the wonderful volunteer crafters! Enjoy these photos.
 

Art Show
On Tuesday, April 20, the Glebe Street Elementary School gymnasium became an art gallery for the evening. The artwork of students in grades K-6 dramatically cascaded from the ceiling down to the floor. Proud Panthers, accompanied family and friends, were happy to show off their hard work. After touring the maze of artistic pieces, one could enjoy a dish of ice cream and visit the PTA sponsored Book Fair.
Thank you to Miss Bintz for inspiring her students to follow their art interests.

Amazing Academics Displayed
The Glebe Street Elementary Academic Fair, this year, was an experiment in and of itself. Previously each classroom was charged with the challenge of having every child contribute to a class project. While these student-made projects were creative, informative and beautifully constructed, they were teacher guided and conceived. At the suggestion of the faculty, this year’s fair, led by a committee of four teachers and four parents (Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Wager, Mrs. Park, Mrs. Simone, Mrs. Preston, Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. D’Amore) was to be completely student-made, with only family input.

During the evening of March 18, our gymnasium was filled with amazing entries from students in grades K-6,reflecting personal academic interests. Among the many wonderful entries were cooking exhibits, a homemade gem display, dinosaur projects and science experiments (see photos). What a wonderful enrichment initiative - our students can be proud of the hard work they put forth! Special thanks to the custodial staff for understanding that learning can get messy.

Cheers for a wonderful event – we’re looking forward to seeing what amazing work the students come up with next year.

If You Give a Panther A Pancake…
On Saturday, March 7, the Glebe Street PTA hosted a pancake breakfast fundraiser at St. Patrick's Lodge in Johnstown. Tickets, which were available by pre-sale and at the door, sold like hotcakes! Nearly 250 people were in attendance, including New York State Senator Paul Tonko. Thank you to the Glebe Street students and parents who worked this great event; to the lodge members for cooking; and to those who came out to show their support. Also, a very special thank you to Stewart's for their generous donation of eggs and juice.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Celebrated With PARP
The month of March has been full of wonderful activities for the students of Glebe Street Elementary School. Two such activities were the celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday and the Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) program. PARP is a wonderful way to encourage our children to read, by showing them our own joy in reading with them. This year’s PARP theme was The Olympics. For two weeks, children read at home with parents for at least 15 minutes a day. Participants who returned their participation slips received an Olympic medal and a book. Mrs. Lisicki's first graders were fortunate to have their parent reading partners come to their classroom and share in the reading of several Dr. Seuss books! Congratulations to all of our Glebe Street readers. See additional reading photos.

Dancin’ Back Into the Ice Age
Glebe’s winter “Ice Dance” brought all sorts of cool kids to our gymnasium on February 19 after a good week’s worth of work! It’s important to celebrate with each other as we learn with each other. Our terrifically supportive PTA arranged the dance for the students and families, and over two hundred attended and danced to tunes provided by a DJ. Please enjoy these pictures of this successful Glebe PTA family night! Thank you PTA – and thank you Mr. Henry and Mr. Fleming for helping to tidy up with us after the event!

Learning Turns 100 Days Old
Our Glebe Street school community celebrated the 100th day of school on February 17 in hundreds of ways. Nearly 200 students were involved in creating many projects to commemorate the day. It was great to celebrate the hard work and solid learning that we spend so much time focusing on. Students loved the 100th day commemorative cake served for dessert at lunch! Thank you Mrs. Mittler, Mrs. Audrey and Mrs. Fisher!

It’s All Greek to Me
Sixth graders have been working on a unit called "It's All Greek To Me" in social studies, utilizing map skills and studying Greek architecture, amphoras (ancient Greek vessels with two handles), the Greek flag, the Olympics and the Olympic torch.

After learning that the Olympic tradition dates back to ancient Greece in 776 BC, they created their own Sixth Grade Social Studies Olympics, with a javelin throw (using a nerf dart), the shot put (using a cotton ball), the discus throw (using a paper plate) the broad jump and, the most popular event, arm wrestling. A closing ceremony was held on February 4, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to many and certificates of participation given to all.

They are now creating a hallway display with pictures of Mt. Olympus, Zeus and the Gods/Goddesses.
 

Sixth Graders Picket Principal’s Office
To illustrate the importance of democratic rights, students in Mrs. Flanders' and Mrs. Jones' sixth grade classes “play marched” into the principal's office and “protested” going out for recess (it must have been very cold that day!). This mock exercise really hit home the singular activity of picketing in protest as a peaceful means of marking views and opinions to governmental laws and edicts. The “march” was performed in fun, but really got the message across. We all had a good laugh, but also came to understand and respect that it is our right to be heard when we are in opposition to government. Martin Luther King and civil rights were the focus of the lesson - his efforts for peaceful demonstration liberated millions of Americans.

The NED Show
"Never Give Up, Encourage Others, Do Your Best!" This very important character building message was delivered with a yo-yo and some laughs when the NED Show visited Glebe Street Elementary School on January 14. NED is a fictional character who wakes up one morning and faces some "out of this world" challenges, through which he perseveres. His story is told through the performance of audience captivating yo yo tricks. The students truly enjoyed this assembly and could be heard repeating the lessons learned in the days that followed. A special thanks to Mrs. Cirrichio and the PTA for making the assembly possible!

Showcasing our Chorus and Band
Music education is important at Glebe Street Elementary School. Our Glebe bands are under the direction of Miss Tamara Healy, while our chorus is under the direction of both Miss Jenna Polling and Mr. James Morton.  Hats off to our ensembles for bringing so much happiness to others through their music!  It is through experiences like concerts that our students learn important confidence skills as they show the musical skills that they have honed through personal practice and ensemble rehearsal. Congratulations, students and directors. Special thanks to Mrs. Ermie for putting together the program printing, to parents for supporting their children in practice and involvement, and to our fifth and sixth grade teachers for making accommodations that enable so many students to participate.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered
On Friday, January 15, the students, staff and families of Glebe Street Elementary School came together to honor the memory and message of an American icon and hero.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of equality came during a time when its delivery was often met with resistance. Despite the obstacles he faced, Dr. King continued on with the vision of his work, in hopes of one day creating a better world.

Through student performances in the arts of song, poetry and a pictorial slide show, his message was shared and appreciated at Glebe Street Elementary School.

Family BINGO Night
There was a school that had some fun and Glebe Street was its Name-O! G-L-E-B-E, G-L-E-B-E, G-L-E-B-E and Glebe Street was it's Name-O! At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 8, Glebe Street Elementary School held Family Bingo Night in its gymnasium. Despite the very cold weather, the turn-out for this free, PTA-sponsored event was spectacular! As players came in they were given their Bingo card and welcomed to help themselves to a beverage. Prizes were awarded to children for winning such games as four corners, straight BINGO, diagonal lines, and the letter X. During a brief intermission, snacks were served. Not only did the students enjoy themselves, but parents did too! It was wonderful to walk around and see children giggling with their parents about their bum-luck or strategically planning how to win the next round. These moments are so important as we work together and encourage character building and strengthening. When you play a game with your children, you are sharing your time with them. You are also teaching them; teaching them that they are loved. A special thanks to the official number caller, the very entertaining Mr. Clizbe, and to his wonderful assistant Mrs. Brown.

Good-bye & Good Luck to Ms. Duesler
Glebe Street is getting ready to say good-bye to Ms. Alyssa Duesler, who has been student teaching in Mrs. Cromer's physical education classes. As you can see in these photos, we sure had fun playing with the parachute and participating in winter relays with her. She also taught us how to play Kin Ball, dance the Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide. We will miss her and wish her luck with her teaching career.
 

Santa's Workshop
'Tis the season to be jolly! This time of year is magical for children, and not just because of the gifts they receive, but also for the gifts they themselves can learn to give. On December 11, the students and families of Glebe Street Elementary came together for Santa's Workshop and had a merry time.
The event was sponsored, organized and orchestrated by the much appreciated PTA. Children and parents could pay $1 to make a homemade gift and the many crafts (ornaments, wreaths, welcome signs, tote bags, frames, etc.) were beautiful. Also available, a free gift wrapping table and access to the book fair. Donations for the food drive were collected (and will continue to be collected through December 21). The PTA thanks Santa for stopping in to visit and also sends an extra special and sincere thank you to Mr. Carm D'Amore for giving the children his time and the gift of his photographic skills. His generosity is truly wonderful. Enjoy this season, stay warm, and remember PANTHERS (jingle bell) ROCK!

Peer Science
Teamwork is alive and well here at Glebe Street. The sixth graders have paired up with the third graders to explore some interesting areas of science. Their first activity was working with toothpicks and clay to make cantilevers. A cantilever is a projecting structure, such as a beam, that is supported at one end and carries a load at the other end or along its length. It was so much fun to see the teamwork and cooperation between the two grades. The students had a great time working with each other and wonderful discussion ensued from the activity. Mrs. Park and Mrs. Jones were greatly impressed with the level of vocabulary spoken and the cooperation between teammates. We are looking forward to meeting again. See additional photos.

Garden Harvest
Back for a second year is Glebe’s magnificent garden, thanks to our students who prepared the soil and planted seeds and seedlings in the spring. What is growing there? The “three-sisters” of corn, beans and squash for social studies relevance; lettuce so we might have a salad day for all students; other vegetables, sunflowers, perennial flowers, and beautiful ornamental trees. The students in these pictures took part in some of the harvesting of ornamental corn and gourds on a sunny day in the garden this fall.

Fifth Graders Have Lost Their Marbles
Anyone passing by Mrs. Kollar’s fifth grade classroom recently might have noticed quite a bit of commotion. It was the day of the Marbles tournaments! Our reading series, Open Court, contains a terrific story about a girl who found her calling to be an expert marble player, even though she was not able to perform well in traditional sports. It is a story of overcoming obstacles and creative paths to success for students. Mrs. Kollar made the story real for her students by letting them experience, first hand, what a great activity marbles can really be! Pictured is the student winner of the tournament. See other photos here.

In the Pink
Friday, October 16, was Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Glebe. Our staff and students were “in the pink” in recognition of all people battling the disease. Also remembered were those who have battled cancers of all types, as well as their families and friends, for their courage in the face of very tough odds. Thanks to a terrific staff for remembering the importance of celebrating people and their qualities of perseverance and courage, and for allowing our students to play a part in a meaningful way.

Student Council Encourages School Spirit
Our student council, comprised of fifth and sixth graders, is over 80 strong this year. Mrs. Kollar, Mr. Frenyea, Mrs. Flanders and Mrs. Jones serve as advisors for this active organization of kids who care. Look for postings of our student council’s activities, from food drives to spirit days to environmental clean-up days. Here students celebrate Panther Pride with a school spirit day that gave all students and staff the chance to wear their favorite jersey to school! It’s all about PRIDE!

Transportation Day
On Monday, October 5, Glebe Street Elementary School hosted Transportation Day for the first time since 2006. A variety of vehicles lined both the front and side parking lots for a great portion of the day, giving students the opportunity to get up close and become more familiar with their functions and how they serve our community. Police cars, a fire truck, an ambulance, and the very popular "PPV" (People Powered Vehicle) were just a few of those present. This hands-on learning experience was made possible through the coordination of appreciated PTA members, valued faculty support and local community members. The children were excited and enthusiastic about this educational opportunity, and many said they hoped to do it again next year!

Hot Dog/Chili Night
HOT DOG! What a great event! Family, fun, food, and fundraising, could it get any better? At 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, Glebe Street students and families began to arrive for Hot Dog/Chili Night. Moving through the cafeteria line, people could choose from a variety of homemade chilis donated by Glebe families and friends. Diners could also purchase a hot dog and chips. But wait, save room for dessert! Baked goods and coffee were available and amazing! A special thanks to all of our PTA volunteers for cooking, baking, and working to make this a successful event!

Atoms, Atoms Everywhere
Our sixth graders have been learning about atoms, elements, the periodic table and states of matter. One of the project choices accompanying this science unit was to create a model of an atom. Students used the periodic table to pick a type of atom and also to gain information about that particular atom. The periodic table is organized according to atomic number, with an atomic number also representing how many protons there are in a particular atom. For example, the atomic number of oxygen is eight, so the number of protons in an oxygen atom is also eight. An atom should have the protons and neutrons bunched together in the nucleus (the center of the atom) with the electrons hovering around the nucleus. It was exciting to see the many ways students presented their atoms and the different materials used. For atom photos, click here.

Open House 2009-2010
What an evening! On Tuesday, September 29, Glebe Street Elementary School held its annual Open House. The night began in the gymnasium at 6:30 p.m. with a welcoming address from Principal William Crankshaw. After an introduction of the wonderful faculty and staff, students were encouraged to show off their school to their supportive families and friends. The PTA and the Boy Scouts set up information tables in the entry of the school, student works were on display in classrooms and hallways, while sunflowers and mums planted by students, faculty and staff were a lovely sight in the garden. We are most appreciative of the members of the Warren Street and Pleasant Avenue PTAs who graciously supervised our refreshment tables, although there were so many supporters in attendance that we actually ran out of refreshments! While cupcakes and cookies may have been in short supply, the Panther Pride in the house ROCKED!

Enjoying the Playground
Over the past three years our PTA Playground Committee worked tirelessly, creatively, and cooperatively to furnish our great school with a beautiful and functional new playground to serve the free play needs of our children. Take a look at these snapshots of students enjoying the new playground on a fine autumn day at recess, and remember to play safely, observing the following rules:

• Walk on the playground surface and on the equipment
• Wear enclosed shoes with rubber soles on the playground at all times
• Take turns (practice the good character traits that we teach each day)
• Be kind to others and look out for each other
• Nine kids on the Wave at any one time
• Slide down on the slides and never jump from them

Forever May She Wave!
Each year our young scouts and interested students perform the ritual of lowering the flag on the flag pole on the school grounds. The flag, as it is explained in our first-day student assemblies, stands for freedom. When we learn to respect the flag we learn to respect this freedom. The flag lowering ritual is one of the first leadership roles that students fulfill at the beginning of the school year. Our custodian, Mr. Henry, along with parent leaders, helps our students to keep the traditional responsibility of caring for our precious flag alive.

The Importance of Music Education
For decades, music was an important part of the school day for each and every child in America. Nearly every classroom in the nation’s elementary schools had a piano and most teachers were able to play simple songs so that the students could sing along to their favorites. Learning particular songs that everyone knows is still important. That’s why I’d like to have you stand to sing America! Click here to read more and see photos.