School News, October 3, Sag Harbor & East Hampton Town

Curriculum Night at Sag Harbor Elementary

Families were invited to Sag Harbor Elementary on September 19 to learn more about class curricula and schedules. With a list of room numbers and classroom teachers in hand, parents were directed to the classroom to meet faculty and navigate the same halls as their children.

In Ms. Driver’s kindergarten classroom, parents were invited to write a note or draw a picture for their child to see the next morning. Ms. Driver, who started her 30-year career teaching first grade, explained that moving to kindergarten has helped her ensure students are ready to advance to first grade by the end of the year. By teaching them about routine, rotating the line leader and reinforcing positive behavior, Ms. Driver encourages independence in her students.

In first grade, Ms. Berkoski discussed her students’ writing progression. By first focusing on sentence structure, they then progress to opinion writing and personal narratives. A final writing project incorporating research invites students to watch videos, take notes and organize learned facts into a nonfiction book.

In Ms. Turbush’s and Ms. DiSunno’s first grade classroom, parents were informed about homework. Fun activities to help students read, such as note cards or sticky notes with trick words, will be sent home for families to complete on their own time. Teachers also offered helpful suggestions to parents such as setting a timer to define the concept of time, designating a special place that students can feel is theirs and doing homework at the same time every day.

Elementary science teacher Ms. Drake discussed the fourth grade science curriculum. From life and physical science to Earth and space explorations, students will engage in hands-on and discussion-based learning. They will learn about water waves, germination and the formation of Long Island, to name a few.

Sag Harbor Elementary Students Enjoy Back-to-School Picnic

In celebration of the new academic year, Sag Harbor Elementary School students had their traditional back-to-school picnic, which included grilling and a local band performance. Due to weather conditions, the picnic and concert were held indoors in the school’s gymnasium.

The classes mingled with new and returning friends during their picnic lunch and then came together with the entire elementary school for the concert. This year, local band “Mamalee Rose and Friends” held a soulful performance for the students. Songs included “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles for some rhythm and movement, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King as a reminder to students to help each other, and as requested by the students, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley and the Wailers which brought collective singing. Other songs performed encouraged the students to count, recite the alphabet and spell, such as “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. “Respect” was performed as a tribute to Mrs. Reyers in prekindergarten, who teaches students the value of respecting one another in the classroom as they move up to elementary school.