1. No category

ool PTA
h
c
S
e
id
Norths
tter
e
l
s
w
e
N
The Pelican
From Mr. Mortillaro’s
Desk...
ber. Once again, the students will
receive “Pelican Bills” as positive
character is displayed. The chilI would like to take this time
dren love to collect their “bills”
to welcome back students and and shop at The Pelican’s Nestfamilies to Northside School!
our school store!
We hope that you had a wonAs you also know, Halloween is
derful summer and were able
around the corner! We look forto spend quality family time
ward to our annual parade
with your loved ones.
(weather permitting) and hope to
We are ready for another fun, see you there. You will receive a
exciting, and demanding new
memo regarding details and all
year. The Northside staff has the information to make it a fun,
been working diligently to adsafe day.
just our teaching practices accordingly to provide the high- In closing, I would like to extend
my gratitude to all on a very sucest quality education for our
children. Please take the time cessful opening to the new school
year. Northside School will conto work with your children.
Look through their backpacks, tinue to create an atmosphere
that fosters safety, happiness,
and review the work that is
and a comfort level that allows
sent home. It is so important
them to strive for excellence.
for the children to see an imThank you for being such an importance placed on their eduportant part of that equation.
cation. We thank you for the
time you spend reinforcing
what we do; and appreciate the With Warm Regards,
excellent teacher/parent/
bond we have established as a Frank Mortillaro, Principal
learning community .
We will be kicking off our “Get
-A-Voice” program during the
month of October continuing
to educate the students about
the importance of character
education. The character trait,
Courage will be our focal point
for the month of OctoDear Northside Families,
Next PTA MEETING…
October 21st at 10am in the
Northside library. Looking
forward to seeing you there!
October, 2014
Inside this issue:
PTA Presidents’ Message
2
GUESS WHO BABY?
3
Target/Stop & Shop A+
4
PTA Membership Form
4
PTA Halloween Fun &
PTA Fundraiser
5
THE NURSE KNOWS
6
BITS & PIECES
7
Letter of Thanks
8
The Children NEED YOU!
8
THE PELICAN’s NEST
9
PTA Crossword
10
LEADD
11
UPDATES & CALENDAR
11
MESSAGE FROM THE PTA CO-PRESIDENTS...
Dear Northside Families,
We would like to welcome back all
the returning families and a big
welcome to all the new families.
Whether this is your first year at
Northside, your last, or somewhere
in the middle - we are committed to
making it your best! Your PTA has
been working throughout the summer to bring Northside students
and families amazing programming
and events to make memories that
will last a lifetime.
We are so fortunate to have a wonderful principal, staff and families
all committed to the success, happiness and well-being of our children.
Northside's PTA contributes to
these efforts year round, by
providing important events like Anti
- Bullying Assemblies, Healthy
Snack Day, PARP (Parents as Reading Partners), and Family Fun
Events to name a few. All these
events have been huge successes in
the past, and promise to be great
this year as well!
Please remember to fill out and
send in your membership form.
Your participation is vital to the
success of all our wonderful programs. Committee sign-up sheets
will be available at our first PTA
Meeting on Tuesday, September
23rd at 7:30 PM. We appreciate
any time you are able to donate to
PTA. Again, this is what makes our
events such a huge success.
The PTA welcomes you to attend
our meetings to raise your concerns
and contribute your ideas and talents to better our school. We have
regular PTA meetings throughout
Page 2
the year that alternate between
mornings and evenings to accommodate as many schedules as possible.
We look forward to seeing you
there!
Co-Presidents
Kristine Ekberg & Krista Hill
The following is a list of the
2013/14 PTA Executive Board
Members and all of the committees
for your review:
willingness to give of themselves.
The following is a list of committees:
Standing Committees:
Cultural Arts
Council Budget
Pelican
Showcase
Family Fun
Elementary Curriculum
Food Service
Health & Safety
Hospitality
Legislation/Advocacy
SEPTA
Pelican Supply Cart
Secondary Curriculum Historian
Co-Presidents - Kristine Ekberg &
Krista Hill
Special Committees:
1st VP -
Jennifer Lambert
Audit
Bake Sale
Blood Drive
2nd VP -
Susan Massoni
Budget
By Laws
Giving Tree
3d VP -
Debbie Yovino
LEADD
Gloria Bell
PARP
4th VP’s -
Tracy Alber &
Allison Fleigner
Pictures
Tribune
Recording -
Elaine DeBono
Secretary
Corresponding - Dayna Ferreiro
Secretary
Treasurer -
Jennifer Sampugnaro
Delegates -
Kathy Choy
Heidi Finn
Jeanette Badger
Nominating
Reflections
Product Labels LSCS Inc.
Holiday Boutique
Honorary Life
Student Council
Spirit Wear
HS Liaison
Spring Boutique
Staff Recognition
Healthy Snack
Middle School Liaison
5th Grade Activities
5th Grade Yearbook
5th Grade T-shirts
Tina Adamo
Debe Howe
Shari Nocera
Laura Miller
*******************************
The PTA is always seeking volunteers interested in chairing/
volunteering for any of the many
PTA committees. Volunteers are
the life line of the PTA, and we are
always looking for people with a
If you are interested in participating in or chairing any of the aforementioned committees, please contact Jennifer Lambert at [email protected]. If you have
any questions or concerns regarding
the Northside PTA please feel free
to contact our co-presidents at
[email protected]
The Pelican
I bet it is hard to imagine your teachers as
children, but they were! Lets see if you can
tell who these cute babies are. You see
them every day. One of them might be
your classroom teacher, your special subject teacher, your principal, your speech or
reading teacher, office staff etc.. See how
many “baby Northside staff” you can identify. When you are stumped, their names
can be found on the Bits & Pieces page (7)!
Thank you Mari Ganga for suggesting this
fun idea for the Pelican!
9
GUESS WHO BABY?
18
19
10
12
11
2
20
1
13
4
3
21
14
15
16
5
6
8
7
October, 2014
22
1617
23
24
Page 3
Stop & Shop ‘A+’ and Target ‘Take
Charge of Education’ Programs
What better way is there to raise
money for your children’s school than
to shop for yourself and your family?
Yes, that’s all there is to it! Shop as
usual and Northside gets CASH!
Target REDcard Customers:
Go to target.com, click on REDcard and
‘Take Charge of Education’ to enroll your
credit card. Choose school ID:76610
and Target will donate 1% of all your
REDcard purchases. It's that simple!
The total amount of money Northside
has been awarded to date is $8508!
There are currently only 46 cards registered, designating Northside for donation. Lets get those numbers up!
Stop & Shop Customers:
October 3, 2014 through March 19,
2015 Northside School will have the
opportunity to earn cash through Stop
& Shop A+ School Rewards Program.
If you did not register last year, all you
have to do is log on to
www.stopandshop.com/aplus to register
online using your Stop & Shop Card #.
Northside School, ID# 08642
New this year: You will NOT have to reregister your Stop & Shop Card to support the same schools as last year. But,
be sure to check back to verify your
information!
After you register your card, each
shopping trip (from 10/3/14 – 3/19/15)
at Stop & Shop using your Stop & Shop
Card earns CASH for our school! Our
school will receive a check at the end
of the program. The money can be used
for any of our school’s educational
needs. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must reregister this year. Over the past two
years your participation in the A+ Program has resulted in over $3,000 for
Northside School.
So register (or check your information)
today and support Northside School!
MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERSHIPISISONLY
ONLY$10
$10 PER PERSON
PER PERSON
Page 4
The Pelican
Let the PTA FUN begin!
What better day than Halloween to get the PTA fun started?
This year the PTA will be organizing a school wide Halloween bash.
After the parade, the students will enjoy a party in the gym, with
activities and snacks. The whole school will attend the party, with
each half of the student body attending one of the two party sessions. There will NOT be any class parties as a result. This PTA
activity will replace the classroom parties this year. So be on the
look out for more info about the Halloween festivities. Please
know the class parents will coordinate ‘class by class’ snack donations (please be allergy aware). Don’t forget there is more FUN to
come in the future. SLINGO Night and Snowball are just a couple
of the GREAT PTA activities Family Fun will offer to the students
and their families in the coming months. Remember, if you are
interested in helping to make
the FUN happen, just contact
1st VP Jennifer Lambert at
[email protected].
$$$ PTA FUNDRAISER $$$
Don’t forget to submit your Prestige/David’s Cookies & Cheesecake orders, ASAP! Purchases can be made online
as well at:
www.prestigefundraisinginc.com
Remember… the more you sell, the more
money the PTA receives! That money allows the Northside PTA to provide all the
wonderful free or low cost activities and
events to students and their families.
Should you have any questions, or you are
available to help distribute orders (dates
to follow), please contact Debbie Yovino.
Thank you for your continued support!
NORTHSIDE BRINGS MUSIC TO YOUR EARS...
We are looking forward to a musical
year. The Chorus, Band, Orchestra
and Ensemble will all start rehearsing in the month of October from
8:15 to 9:00 a.m. Band rehearsals
will be on Mondays. Ensemble will be
on Tuesdays. 3rd Grade Chorus will
be on Wednesdays. 4th and 5th
Grade Chorus will be on Thursdays,
and Orchestra will be on Fridays.
We are looking forward to a great
year with our young music students. We will share many exciting
upcoming events together.
Mrs. Castillo and Mrs. McClancy
Northside Parents Music Club
The NPMC is excited about the start
of another ‘melodic’ year! The NPMC
is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to supporting music
education at Northside. We rely on
you, the parents, families and comPage 5
munity members, to join us in our
effort to subsidize the Music Department at Northside and enhance
the music education provided to
EVERY student. At the most basic
level you can do so by simply becoming a member. A family membership is just $8.00 and gives the
Northside Parents Music Club some
of the funds needed to purchase,
and then donate to the music department, supplies needed that the
department budget does not cover.
In addition to membership, we engage in on-going fundraising efforts throughout the year. In the
past 4 years, with your generous
support, we have been able to donate items and sponsor events for
the students valuing more than
$12,000! We would like to continue to support Northside music education in this fashion, so BECOME
A MEMBER TODAY!
Co-Presidents Susan Massoni &
Marie Reid
“Music
gives a soul to the
universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination and
life to everything.”
― Plato
Please send $8.00, your name, your
child’s name/teacher’s name and an
e-mail address to school in an envelope labeled Northside Parents
Music Club TODAY!
Any questions? Contact us at
[email protected]
The Pelican
NORTHSIDE’S NURSE KNOWS!
With a new school year underway and the changes of seasons upon us we find we also have to deal with a variety of colds, flu and
other illnesses. While you don’t want your child to be absent, neither do you want to send a sick child to school and endanger
him/her and the other children as well. The current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and
the New York State Department of Health advise that children continue to attend school as long as they are not sick and do not
have flu symptoms. Symptoms of flu to watch for are sore throat, bad cough or runny nose, body aches or chills, and fever. Here
are a few guidelines you should follow.
If you think your child is getting a virus, cold or the flu:

It’s very important that he or she does not report to school or other places where he or she might make other people sick,
such as after-school programs, group events or public places like stores or malls.

Call your health care provider to talk about your child’s symptoms and history. Your health care provider will advise you if you
need to bring your child in. It’s important to call first.

Have a thermometer in the house and use it if you think your child has a fever. Do Not medicate your child with Tylenol or
Motrin and send the child to school.

With a temperature of 100 degrees or over, the child MUST stay home; returning to school only after one full day (24
HOURS) without fever and without using Tylenol or Motrin to keep the fever down.

Vomiting and/or diarrhea are two symptoms that may indicate a viral infection and the child should be kept home until free of
symptoms.

Coughing, sneezing and runny noses can make learning very difficult. A bad cough, or cold symptoms can indicate allergies, a
severe cold, bronchitis, flu or even pneumonia.

With a diagnosis of Strep throat, the child must be on the medication a minimum of 24 hours, and then be fever free and
feeling better. Please inform the nurse of any infectious disease such as Strep, Conjunctivitis, Fifth’s Disease, Chicken Pox or
Lice.
What should I do to help prevent the spread of cold or flu?

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep
from infecting them.

When your child will be late or absent, please call the health office with the reason for his/her absence. The health office
phone number is 516-434-7505 or 516-434-7506. Messages may be left on the answering machine 24 hrs. per day.

Be sure to send an absent note to the teacher upon your child’s return to school.

Physicals and dentals are due October 1, 2014 for grades K, 2 and 4 and all new students. Please get them to my office as
soon as possible. Those children without a documented physical will be seen by the school doctor.
I would also remind you that in order for the school nurse to give any medication (even over the counter medicine, i.e., Tylenol or
cough drops) the medication must be in its original container or the prescription bottle with the child’s name on it and may only be
transported to the school by an adult. Children are not permitted to bring any kind of medication to school. The medication must
include a prescription for in school administration from the physician and written parental permission. The medication will remain
in school for the duration the child requires it and/or the parent picks it up.
We appreciate your cooperation and support as we all try to keep the school environment healthy and as germ free as possible.
Cara Rutzel, RN
School Nurse
Page 6
The Pelican
The Pelican is committ
ed to being ‘GREEN’!
Please look for
the Pelican on the Le
vittown Public School
s Northside web
site, as ALL future iss
ues will ONLY be avail
able there!
to
ally want
tter. We re
e
sl
isw
n
e
N
ca
li
A
e
ture P
side PT
the North
to see in fu
is
e
to
n
k
t
li
ca
n
u
li
a
e
o
w
y
P
The
ight
t would
ing they m
you! Wha
ave anyth
h
y
hear from
ht want to
e
ig
th
m
if
t
the kids
a studen
e
sk
b
A
y
a
. Have any
s?
m
e
su
elican…
y enjoyed
P
e
e
th
t
th
a
in
th
t
t
even
is issued
read abou
bout a PTA
he Pelican
a
T
!
le
t
w
ic
o
rt
n
a
k
r. The nex
let us
write an
school yea
as? Pease
r
e
e
e
id
p
th
n
s
e
e
fu
k
,
su
a
e
1st. M
ling 6 is
creativ
December
onth, tota
t
m
t
u
r
a
o
e
b
e
a
ri
th
r
a
o
o
ail M
every
on-line on
er, just e-m
be issued
l newslett
o
o
h
issue will
.
sc
s
a
e
e
d
or id
UR Northsi
ny articles
Pelican YO
om with a
.c
il
a
m
g
@
mariefreid
The Food
Pantry a
t Wisdom
Lane Nee
ds Your
Help!
Please br
in
g donatio
ns of NON
per good
-PERISHAB
s, cleanin
LES (food
g
supplies,
office at
, patoiletries
Wisdom
) to the m
Lane Mid
bins at 4
d
ain
le
0 Meande
School, o
r Lane or
r
t
o
la
b
e
any ques
led
276 Gard
tions abo
iners Ave
ut how y
.. Direct
ou can h
Nina Glen
elp to:
n, SW at
520-8370
.
PTA
the
…
s
ll
labe ill be co
t
c
e w
ing
rodu
ur p ommitte generat
o
y
ct
l c
nd
A!
Colle t Labe
els a
l PT
b
o
a
c
o
l
u
h
Sc
Prod g those
side
h
n
i
t
t
r
lec
r No
$ fo
NORTHSIDE BABY STAFF MEMBERS
1. Ms. Kirk 2. Mrs. Pappa 3. Mr. Lapp 4. Mrs.
McClancy 5. Mrs. Rutzel 6. Mrs. Shuman 7.
Mrs. Downing 8. Mrs. Hekimian 9. Mrs. Bamberger 10. Mrs. Higgens 11. Mr. Mortillaro 12.
Mrs. Peters 13. Miss Cosentine 14. Mrs.
Mongiello 15. Mrs. Meehan 16. Ms. Richuisa
17. Mrs. Nyquist 18. Ms. Ewald 19. Mrs. Unger
20. Mrs. Conrad 21. Ms. Capizzano 22. Mrs.
Basile 23. Mrs. Alber 24. Ms. Kushner
October, 2014
PTA ‘B
I
& PIE TS
CES’
The Northside PTA is on
Facebook… check it out and
”LIKE” us!
Northside will
be participating in the
National PTA Reflections Art Program
which encourages students to create works
of art for fun and positive recognition
in dance choreography, film production,
literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Since 1969, the
Reflections Program has been bringing
families, schools and communities together in support of student success
through the arts. This years theme
is “The World Would Be A Better Place
If…” The program will take place in
November. Parents are urged
to encourage their child to submit an
entry. More details will be available on
the Northside PTA Facebook page for
more details.
Levittown SEPTA (Special Education Parent Teacher Association)
WHAT IS SEPTA?
SEPTA - a PTA within a school district bringing together people interested
in children with educational needs that cannot be met in the regular classroom setting.
Organized to support, strengthen and promote a greater awareness of special education.
Encourage and promote an understanding of students' needs, while striving
to discover and implement ways of best meeting them.
SEPTA MEMBERSHIP
Your SEPTA membership of $8.00 per person helps to provide programming
for parents and teachers. Help us help you and join today by filling out our
membership form and return it to your child's teacher or mail it to:
Levittown SEPTA, LMEC, 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown, NY 11756
Special Education Dept. - Membership
Page 7
We love to hear from you! A letter to the PTA...
At the end of the 2013/14 school year the Northside PTA received this letter. We wanted to share it…
Dear Northside School PTA,
I have been a parent at Northside since 2006. My son has since moved on to middle school and my
daughter just completed the 3’d grade. Over the years I have read about various PTA functions and
heard about them from my children. During the past 2 years I have had the good fortune to see more
of the goings-on first hand. I saw all the hard working, dedicated members of the PTA, and the extent of their efforts to make each event/activity possible. I think I never really understood that the
PTA is responsible for so much! Boutiques, Slingo, healthy snack, family movie night, P.A.R.P., Reflections, book fairs, LEADD, and of course all the special assemblies (Cultural Arts), are all provided by
the PTA. These volunteer parents/family members, who donate their efforts, skills, creativity and often large amounts of time, do so to the benefit of ALL the students, not just their own children. So I
am writing to thank you all! Thank you for making my children’s experience of elementary school better.
Thank you for working so hard, often thanklessly, to make the school and my community better! Your
efforts are often unsung, but know that I will always sing the Northside PTA’s praises!
With Gratitude,
S.A.
YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU!
The key to the success of any PTA unit is, of course...its members! The Northside PTA is proud to
have so many dedicated parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers, staff, etc. participate in our efforts to
provide the students at Northside School with the best possible experience of elementary school. So now is
the time to become a PTA member for the 2014/2015 school year!
As it is any strong PTA unit’s goal to have a diverse membership, we would like to reach out to new
kindergarten parents and parents unfamiliar with the Northside PTA. It is our hope that the entire
Northside community: will be made aware of the PTA’s purpose and efforts, get to know each other, has
questions answered, and feels comfortable enough to get involved in the future.
In order for the PTA at Northside to grow and improve, new members are needed to participate in
the PTA. In doing so they bring new ideas and energy to the unit, while learning PTA structure and procedures. In time, as more seasoned members move on with their children, the natural progression of the younger grade members taking on greater roles in the PTA can happen in an efficient manner. This keeps the PTA
unit strong and ever evolving rather than “starting over” with each new group pf PTA leaders.
So we are excited with each new school year to meet new people and watch them become a part of
the PTA ‘culture’. This culture develops relationships between families, children, teachers/staff and parents,
and makes our community stronger. This time in the lives of our children is so brief. Elementary school is
the fastest 6 years of YOUR life! They enter Northside ’babies’, and leave pre-teens! Take full advantage of
this time… the time when they are still genuinely excited to see you at school, on trips, and participating in
events. Your involvement in the PTA on any level, allows for you to be a part of this… the best time in your
child’s life… and your child will remember it as such… because of your participation in the Northside PTA!
Page 8
The Pelican
The pelican nest… Where good
character is rewarded!
The transformation in the 500 hallway is nothing
short of remarkable! As if the character building
program at Northside was not enough, now the students have this special place dedicated to their
achievements! Mr. Mortillaro worked tirelessly to
have this space renovated, resulting in the perfect
space for the students to exchange their earned
‘Pelican Bills’. The gorgeous art work was completed
this summer by the talented students of Levittown’s
MacArthur HS Art Program. Who wouldn’t be excited by this colorful, spirited, Northside scene, greeting them as they so proudly select the rewards that
they have earned?
Each month the school features a different character trait which is presented to, discussed with, and
encouraged in the students. ‘Family Reflection Night’
consists of the student, at home, engaging in a discussion about the featured character trait, then
writing a description of someone they know who personifies the trait. The students are then asked to put
into practice these character traits in their daily
lives, at school and at home. October will feature
“Courage”. When observed by their teachers and
staff engaging in acts of good character, the stuOctober, 2014
dents’ behavior is rewarded with ‘Pelican Bills’. This
Northside themed behavioral modification program,
with Northside themed currency, allows the students
the opportunity to periodically use their bills to “buy”
prizes at the newly completed Pelican’s Nest store. As
if this was not enough, the children have the option to
delay their gratification and save their bills until they
have enough for a larger more costly item in the store
or plan for longer term savings. Some students save to
be an assistant teacher for the day or to have lunch
with the principal! So be sure to ask your children
about their efforts to earn Pelican Bills and encourage
them to be the best people they can be, in and out of
school!
Page 9
What The PTA Brings Your
Way...Crossword Puzzle
Can you figure out all the clues?
All the clues are for PTA involved activities.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
ACROSS
DOWN
3
PTA reading program
1
Northside clothes
5
Levittown Educators Against Destructive Decisions
2
School government
6
Buy gifts for Christmas/Hanukkah/Quanza here
4
School mascot, and
7
A family fun night with raffles and games
the name of this
8
A day yummy healthy foods are brought to class
newsletter
9
Winter dance
The following is the 14/15
school year schedule for
the Northside School PTA
meetings. Meetings are held
in the school library.
Please join us. Meetings are
a great forum for discussions, information, and an
exchange of ideas that
bring a community together
and make it better!
October 21st at 10am
November 18th at 10am
January 13th at 10 am
February 10th at 10am
March 24th at 7:30pm
April 28th at 7:30pm
May 26th at 10am
LEADD
LEADD (Levittown Education Against
Destructive
Decisions) week starts on October
26th. Drug
awareness education continues throug
hout the year
as an integral part of the health cur
riculum.
Teachers and students discuss hea
lth issues, drug
abuse and their right to be safe and
say "NO".
The PTA adorns trees and fences
around the
school with large red ribbons as cle
ar declarations
to the community that Northside is
a drug free
school. This will be the 17th annual
LEADD Family
Walk and Fair at Levittown Memoria
l Education
Center.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
10/6
SEPTA Meeting
7:30 LMEC
11/20
PTA Council Meeting 7:30 LMEC
10/8
Regular BOE Meeting
7:30 LMEC
11/20
Parent/Teacher Conferences
10/13
Columbus Day
10/16
PTA Nassau Region Fall Conference
10/16
Picture Day
10/21
Northside PTA Meeting
10am
10/26
LEADD Walk 10:30am
Fair 11am
10/27
SEPTA Meeting
10/31
NO SCHOOL
11/21
Parent/Teacher Conferences
1/2 DAY
7:30 LMEC
HALLOWEEN
11/4
Election Day
NO SCHOOL
11/11
Veterans Day
NO SCHOOL
11/12
Regular BOE Meeting
11/14– 11/16
NO SCHOOL
7:30 LMEC
NYS PTA Convention
11/17
SEPTA Meeting
7:30 LMEC
11/18
Northside PTA Meeting 10 am
11/19 BOE Planning Session 7:30 LMEC
11/27
Thanksgiving