STILLWATER TWP SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

President's Day - School Closed 2/16/26

Special Board of Education Meeting 2/18/26 5:30 PM

PTA Snowball Dance 2/20/26

Board of Education Meeting 2/23/26 7:00 PM

SEPAG Meeting 2/24/26 7:00 PM Room A112 (STEAM Classroom)

PTA Snowball Dance Snow Date 2/27/26

Board of Education Meeting 3/16/26 7:00 PM

Makerspace students teamed up this week for a special Valentine's Day engineering challenge to build a massive heart-shaped cup tower. After thinking it was an impossible feat, students realized that it wasn’t just about the architecture. It was about the collaboration. From steadying the base to strategizing how to make the sides, our makers showed that we’re always stronger when we build and persevere together.

Our preschoolers have officially embarked on a brand-new Pet Study, and it is already a classroom favorite! Students are exploring different types of pets and learning about their unique characteristics, where they live, and how to care for them responsibly.

The addition of veterinarian and grooming tools in our dramatic play area has sparked incredible imagination and engagement. Our little learners are eagerly role-playing as caring pet owners and future veterinarians, practicing how to feed, groom, and help their pretend animals. We may have some future veterinarians in the making!

We are excited to see where this paws-itively wonderful study takes us!

Mrs. Bradley

Second graders have been diving deep into nonfiction books! We have been reading many books, sometimes enjoying them with reading partners, and collecting facts that help us to grow our knowledge about informational topics. Both second grade classes gathered to share some of the awesome facts that we are learning during a nonfiction reading celebration. Some of the topics the second graders are enjoying are outer space, sharks, snakes, habitats, weather, and more! We are so proud of our growing readers!

Mrs. Bird

Our second graders have been hard at work! We have been learning all about kindness and practicing showing our school community, classmates and peers kindness. We are currently learning about American landmarks and symbols. It ties in perfectly with the upcoming Presidents Day! Second graders have been reading a Magic Treehouse chapter book called Abe Lincoln at Last. We are very interested in this topic! Happy Valentine's Day!

Mrs. Fedorczyk

The 5th grade students have been hard at work strengthening their writing and speaking skills through an exciting unit focused on five-paragraph essays and classroom debates that we like to call BING, BANG, BONGO!

To begin the unit, students learned how to properly structure a five-paragraph essay. They practiced writing strong introductions with clear thesis statements, three detailed body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and thoughtful conclusions that restated their main ideas. They kept track of their writing and organization through color coding their reasons. Through brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing, students developed essays on a variety of engaging topics. Their hard work showed in their organized writing, clear arguments, and creative examples.

After completing their essays, students took their learning a step further by participating in classroom debates! Each student was assigned or chose a side on a topic and worked to prepare convincing arguments to support their position. While listening to the debates, students were able to physically move to the side of the room that said, “Agree” or “Disagree”. Each speaker tried to “sway their audience” to their side of the argument. They practiced speaking clearly, using evidence from their essays, and responding respectfully to opposing viewpoints.

We had a great time!

Mrs. Steffens

The preschoolers have been very busy during Gross Motor time! Lately, they’ve been enjoying a variety of fun indoor activities designed to keep them moving and learning. The classroom has been set up with several exciting stations that help develop important skills. Some of these include balancing on River Rocks, jumping over hurdles, rolling on a mat, traveling through a tunnel on a scooter, and practicing their basketball skills. The children are building strength, coordination, balance, and confidence—all while having a fantastic time!

Mrs. Green

Graphic novels are a popular choice for students during Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), and they offer a number of important benefits. For students who struggle with reading, the illustrations can reduce cognitive load (the amount of information the brain must process) allowing them to immerse themselves in a story that might otherwise feel overwhelming in a traditional chapter book format. Students who claim to hate reading are often willing to engage with a graphic novel, and that engagement matters. Fiction graphic novels still support learning about plot, theme, character development, and other narrative elements, while nonfiction graphic novels present information in an accessible way.

At the same time, there are clear benefits to encouraging students to transition to chapter books when they are ready. Without visual supports, students must create mental imagery, strengthening comprehension and critical thinking skills. More complex and sustained text builds vocabulary and often conveys deeper levels of detail and nuance. Additionally, as students move from elementary to secondary school, academic texts contain fewer visual supports. Developing the stamina and focus required for these texts now will support their long-term academic success.

Mrs. Russ

Yearbooks will go on sale Monday February 16, 2026 through April 24, 2026. The price for a yearbook is $27.00 and will be FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. The link to order your yearbook is https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09873794 . You can order your yearbook online or you can send in payment to the school with your child. Please note that payments made through the school will require exact change. No change can be given. Payment envelopes will be going home with the students as soon as they come in. Please feel free to reach out to me either via email at kimberly.williams@stillwaterschool.net or by telephone 973-383-6635 with any questions.

Mrs. Williams

Yearbook News: ATTENTION 6th Grade Parents

6th Grade Parents it is that time of the year for you to submit your child's baby picture for the yearbook. You may email the baby photo to meghan.earley@stillwaterschool.net or you may send in a copy and we will scan the photo and get it back to you! We would like to have them all by the end of January!
Thank you!
Mrs. Earley & Mrs. Green