Malta Ave August Newsletter

I hope this newsletter finds you well and you are enjoying this beautiful summer weather! I wanted to take a moment to send out a few updates and announcements.

Wednesday, September 6th: Kindergarten Orientation; 10:00-11:00 a.m. (more information to follow)

Wednesday, September 6th: Grades 1-5 School Walk Through; 3:00-3:30 p.m. (more information to follow)

Wednesday, September 6th: Welcome Back Block Party; 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 7th: First Day of School!

Tuesday, September 12th: PTA Meeting; 6:30-7:30 p.m. via Google Meet

Thursday, September 21st: Meet the Teacher Night; 6:30-7:30

Friday, September 22nd: Staff Development Day-½ day of classes in the morning

Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Wednesday, September 6th. The program will run from approximately 10:00-11:00 a.m. This is an opportunity for incoming kindergartners and their parents/caretakers to meet the kindergarten staff and see their classrooms. Students will spend some time with their teacher and will also have a short bus ride to learn the rules of the bus.

We want to make your child feel comfortable with the transition and to offer a fun, positive experience welcoming him/her to kindergarten.

Students in grades 1-5 are invited to take part in our school walk through on Wednesday, September 6th from 3:00-3:30 p.m. Feel free to come in and locate your new room. You can bring in your class supplies that day as well. Don’t forget to stick around for our Welcome Back Block Party.

On Wednesday, September 6th, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. we will hold our annual Malta Avenue Block Party. This event will allow students and families to spend time on our beautiful Malta Avenue campus. Students, family members, caretakers, and staff will have time to enjoy our playground, meet and play with their classmates, enjoy a hamburger or hot dog and have some sweet treats. One of our core values at Malta Avenue is community, so this will be our first event of the 2023-2024 school year to spend time building community with one another.

Our back to school supply lists are now posted on our website. Please click on the link below to review supplies:

2023-2024 Supply List

For any families who are unable to acquire the items on the supply list, please contact Malta Avenue via phone call or email, and we will ensure that your child(ren) receives all needed supplies.

During the summer there are many wonderful resources available to keep our students learning and spark their curiosity. Check out the incredible resources below:

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program- Barnes and Noble has a reading program where students can earn a free book! Simply read a set number of books, complete a quick reading journal and bring the journal to a local store. Details and the journal can be found here.

Ballston Spa Public Library- Don’t forget about the wonderful summer reading program at the Ballston Spa Public Library - students can earn prizes. There is still time to participate! For more information, click here.

The Family Literacy Calendar- The Family Literacy Calendar has a monthly theme, songs and activities, and links to many different activities for children and families to explore. This resource is provided by the New York State Library. For more information, click here.

OneMoreStory Website- This website, also provided by the New York State Library, has two new ebooks each day, along with daily fun activities. For more information, click here.

The New York State Museum in Albany- The New York State Museum in Albany is always free and is a great place to visit to learn more about our state! For more information, click here.

We hope that all of you have continued to read over the summer. Mrs. Rudolph, our amazing school librarian, has been reading a lot this summer. Check out her book recommendations below.

Kindergarten

Big Brother, Peanut Butter, by Terry Border: When Peanut Butter learns that his parents are expecting a baby, he begins asking his friends and neighbors how to be the perfect big brother.

The Couch Potato, by John Jory: The couch potato has everything he needs within reach, just sitting on his couch cushion. He never has to move! But when the electricity goes out, he is forced to get up and venture outside. WHat will he think about the fresh air and sunshine?

Grades 1-2

Grumpy Monkey:Freshly Squeezed, by Suzanne Lang: (Graphic Novel) Jim is going on a Wednesday walk and squeezing his stress orange, trying to stay calm. During his walk, he runs into other animals who want to walk with him. He tries to be OK with the company but he is a little stressed! “Squeeze, squeeze, mind at ease!” But….something bad happens to his stress orange! The other animals TRY to make it better, but will it work?

Doggo and Pupper, by Kristina Applegate: Doggo is an older dog and he misses “the good old days” of being young, but he is okay with his life and routines. But, his humans get a great idea to bring home Pupper. Pupper is a pest! He drives Doggo crazy and makes Doggo mad. But, when the humans finally bring Pupper to charm school and he comes home quieter, Doggo finds he misses the adventure Pupper brought to his life! Can Doggo be the one now to help bring back the fun?

Grades 3-5

Shine, by J. J. and Chris Grabenstein: Piper’s dad gets a new job at a fancy private school, which means that Piper has to go to that school too. Most of the kids are rich and talented - she is not. When everyone tries really hard to win the first “Excelsior Award,” Piper realizes that she just can’t compete, especially when one bully makes her look bad in front of EVERYONE. Maybe she should just “blend in” and not even try? But, for how long can she do that?

Squished, by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter: (Graphic Novel) Avery is the second of 7 kids and feels “squished” by her family. Sharing a room with two siblings is NOT fun. So, she hatches a plan to get her own room. While working on her plan, changes happen with her friendships, and her older brother ends up not talking to her. And then she finds out that the family might be moving! How can she help feeling sad and angry? What will she do with all of these emotions? By the way, she still wants her own room!!

We love to read at Malta Ave and we are always looking for book recommendations! If you have a book recommendation, please email Mrs. Johnson (sjohnson@bscsd.org) pictures of you and your child(ren) reading each night. We will post pictures on our Malta Avenue Twitter feed- @MaltaAveElem