Principal's Message

Hello Mackay Families!

I hope your fall is off to a great start! As the temperatures drop outside, things are really warming up here at Mackay. Both students and teachers are settling into their routines, diving into new subjects, and building strong connections.

We’re gearing up for The Week of Respect from October 5-9! Please encourage your child to participate in the Week of Respect Dress Up Days by showing their school spirit! Details on the themed days are below.

Looking ahead, we have lots of fun activities planned this month, including our Halloween Parade on October 30 and the HSA-sponsored Trunk or Treat event on October 31.

Please note that all of our elementary schools will be celebrating Halloween a little differently this year. Based on feedback and our goal of creating a smoother, more enjoyable experience for students and families, we have made a few adjustments to our schedule.

Our Halloween Parade will take place on Friday, October 30, beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting. Instead of changing into costumes at lunchtime as we have done in previous years, students should arrive at school already dressed in their costumes and ready for the parade.

Following the parade, students will return to their classrooms and continue with a regular school day. Lunch will be held at the usual times, and all students will remain at school for lunch. Students who feel their costume may be uncomfortable for learning, is inflatable, or makes it difficult to use the restroom independently are encouraged to bring a change of clothes to wear after the parade and classroom festivities. As a reminder all costumes must be school-appropriate and weapons of any kind are prohibited.

Parents and family members are warmly invited to join us for the parade. Students will exit through the main entrance and circle the outside of the school two times before returning to their classrooms. We kindly ask that you be mindful of student privacy and refrain from posting photos or videos of other children on social media.

Thank you for your partnership and cooperation in helping us create a safe, inclusive, and memorable Halloween celebration for all of our students. We look forward to a wonderful day filled with smiles and school spirit!

As the weather changes, please make sure your child dresses suitably for the day. Don’t forget to check our social media pages and website for ongoing updates and reminders!

Wishing the entire Mackay community a joyful October, a fun-filled Halloween, and a smooth transition into fall! Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Heidi Chizzik

Principal

Recaps & Reminders from Back to School Night

We are working hard to begin the day here at Mackay at 8:30. The late bell rings at 8:40 but the expectation is that students are ready to go at that time.
Please put all absences and tardies into Genesis.
If you are picking up your child early for any reason, we ask that it be no later than 2:45.
No lunch drop offs. We will not accept food, water bottles, or instruments. We are trying to “keep the traffic light.”
No dogs allowed on school grounds at all.
Please remain off school grounds throughout the school day until dismissal time.

Upcoming Events

Custodial Worker Recognition Day

Thursday, October 2nd

School Picture Day

Tuesday, October 6th

HSA Meeting

Tuesday, October 6th

7pm

Walk or Bike to School Day

Wednesday, October 7th

Professional Day (Schools Closed)

Monday, October 12th

Halloween Parade

Outside Mackay School

9:00am

Halloween Trunk or Treat

October 31th

11-1pm

Board of Education Parking Lot

Counselor's Corner

WEEK OF RESPECT

Dear Mackay Families,

October is a wonderful time to focus on respect, kindness, and the choices we make each day! In New Jersey, the first full week of October is recognized as the Week of Respect. This year, we will celebrate October 5–9 with special theme days and activities that remind us that respect means taking care of ourselves, each other, and our school community.

Throughout the week, faculty and students will celebrate by dressing up each day to match our theme:

Monday – Be a TEAM Player! Wear your favorite team gear and celebrate how respect helps us work together.
Tuesday – Dress for Success! It’s Picture Day! Let’s show that we care about ourselves and others.
Wednesday – Kindness is Golden! Wear yellow and help spread kindness throughout our school and community.
Thursday – Pajama Day! Wear your pajamas and dream of a world filled with kindness and respect.
Friday – Tiger Pride & Respect Day! Show your spirit and pride by wearing Mackay/Tenafly gear!

This is the time of year when I begin visiting every K–5 classroom for our Character Education lessons. Lessons will be differentiated by age and developmental level. Our younger students will focus on the simple but powerful idea: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

With our older students, we will build on this foundation through age-appropriate anti-bullying lessons, helping students understand respectful behavior, recognize when their choices affect others, and make informed decisions.

Our goal is to empower students. We want every child to understand that their words, actions, and choices matter. Sometimes the best road to a positive outcome begins with simply pausing and asking:

“Should I say it? Should I do it? How might this make someone else feel?”

Together, we can help our students learn that the Road to Respect starts with us!

In Kindness & Respect,

Mrs. Angerson

Notes from Nurse Helen

Hello October!

As we welcome October, we also welcome cooler outdoor air, seasonal allergies, and the start of cold and flu season. With all these changes, children may experience runny noses, coughs, sneezing, and congestion. It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether these symptoms are caused by allergies or an illness.

Here are a few helpful reminders to keep our students healthy and ready to learn!

Seasonal Allergies:

If your child has known seasonal allergies, early prevention can help. If your child has a physician-recommended allergy medication, starting it in the morning before they come to school may help manage the allergy symptoms.

IF your child requires medication during the school day, please make sure to give the school nurse the appropriate doctor’s order, medication, and Medication Administration Form.

Cold and Flu Season

Flu symptoms can include fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, cough, and other respiratory symptoms. Symptoms can vary from child to child.

Please keep your child at home when they are sick and allow them time to recover.

Please keep your child home if they:

Have a fever of 100.4 F or higher.
Have been vomiting or have diarrhea
Are experiencing significant or worsening respiratory symptoms
Are too tired or unwell to comfortably participate in school day
Have a contagious illness and have not yet met the recommended return-to-school guidelines.

Fever reminder; Please keep your child home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

*Halloween Safety and Food Allergies

Halloween is an exciting time for our students and we want everyone to enjoy the celebration while keeping our school community safe!

Many of our students have severe, potentially life-threatening food allergies, including nut allergies.

When sending Halloween treats or food to school, please:

Choose Nut-free products
Check ingredient labels carefully
Avoid products containing nuts or have allergen warnings
Follow your child’s classroom regarding treats and celebrations

Thank you for helping us maintain a healthy and safe environment!

Nurse Helen

In The Gym

In October, we will be starting our soccer unit. During this unit, students in grades K–2 will be introduced to the manipulative skill of dribbling. Lessons will focus on developing fundamental dribbling and shooting techniques, with students practicing these skills through a variety of fun, engaging, soccer-themed activities designed to build coordination and confidence with these new skills. Students in grades 3–5 will work to strengthen and refine their soccer skills while focusing on offensive and defensive principles. Students will have the opportunity to utilize these skills by participating in both competitive and non-competitive small-sided games. Through these activities, students will build teamwork, cooperation, and communication, while also developing strategic thinking and decision-making skills in game situations.

Spanish

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Spanish class! I am very excited about the wonderful learning we have planned for October.

This year, our focus country for Hispanic Heritage Month is Mexico! During September and October, all grades, Kindergarten through 5th grade, will explore Mexico through Spanish.

My goal is for children to learn Spanish through Mexico, rather than simply learning facts about the country. Throughout this unit, students will discover Mexico's culture, traditions, music, food, geography, history, and contributions to the world while building their Spanish language skills. Each lesson includes a small amount of practical Spanish appropriate to each grade level and our curriculum.

¡Que viva México!

Art in Action!

Hello everyone and welcome back to another great year in the art room!

This year marks my 10th year of teaching and my 10th year at Mackay! I am excited for a year full of creativity, exploration, and watching students’ artistic expressions grow throughout the year.

As a reminder, I do not send any of our major artworks home until the end of the school year as I keep everything for our end of the year Art Show, where over 1,500 art pieces from all students and all grade levels are displayed throughout the halls of Mackay for all to come and enjoy!

This month we start with an all school project focused on Mrs. Chizzik’s theme this year about our journey together and how our road can lead us into all the possibilities for a great school year. Students will create their own custom license plate design using their grade appropriate art curriculum we are learning about. In kindergarten and 1st grade we are designing our license plates using Lines. In 2nd grade we are using Organic and Geometric Shapes. In 3rd grade we are using Balance in our designs. In 4th and 5th grade we are using our knowledge of Value in our creations.

I look forward to the road ahead!

Until next month,

Ms. Bracero

Musically Speaking!!

It’s been a great start to the year in music! In general music classes, we are diving into the elements of music, establishing our classroom routines, and enjoying music as a new creative outlet. There is lots of listening, singing, moving, creating, and, of course, making music together!

A special reminder for our band, chorus, and orchestra families: please help your musicians arrive on time for before-school rehearsals and make time for regular practice at home. A little practice goes a long way! Those few extra minutes with their music each week help students build confidence, strengthen their skills, and get even more enjoyment out of making music.

Musically,
Mr. Fugaban, General/Vocal Music (Gr. 2-5)
Mrs. DeJoseph, Instrumental Music (Gr. 3-5)

Library Lookout

Students have been busy exploring the library, learning routines, and how to care for books! They are becoming familiar with the library’s organizational system and using call numbers to find books independently.

In October, students will listen to books that celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and enjoy seasonal stories and activities. Kindergarten students will learn the features of fiction and nonfiction books. They will practice careful listening and share their ideas during class discussions. First and second grade students will review fiction and nonfiction and learn how stories can help us understand different perspectives. Third and fourth grade students will engage in an author study. Students will continue practicing using the Dewey Decimal System to locate books in our library. Fifth grade students will examine picture books, focusing on how illustrations can enhance mood, meaning, and tone of a story.

We are also getting excited for Mackay’s annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest! We can’t wait to see our school filled with pumpkins inspired by favorite book characters, so keep an eye out for flyers coming home with more details!

Ms. Brenzel - Mackay School Librarian

Student Council!!

Welcome to Our New 2026-2027 Student Council Members

4th Grade: Ryan, Lia, Mia, Theo, George, William, Romi, Nate, Abby, Sol, Nayoon, Geva, Bar, Ruka, Shira

5th Grade: Emanuelle, Angela, Isabelle, Neda, Makayla, Daniel, Felipe, Gal, Eitan, Jenna

Led By: Ms. Bracero & Ms. Mui

We are looking forward to a great year of hosting events that build Mackay School Spirit and help our community. Our first meeting will be held this month. Our group of student council members are ready to exemplify the qualities and characteristics of leadership and responsibility. Our first event is Walk to School Day.

We can't wait for a great year!

Got Milk??

Tenafly Public Schools offers a milk program for our elementary schools to be provided during lunchtime. If you are interested in ordering milk for your child(ren), fill out this form.

The due date for submission is Tuesday October 6th.

Let's Get Social!

Follow Mackay's social media platforms to keep up-to-date with upcoming events and happenings in our school and community.

Instagram - @tenaflyschools_mackay

Mackay Newsletter

Malcolm S. Mackay Elementary School - October 2026

Principal's Message

Recaps & Reminders from Back to School Night

Upcoming Events

Custodial Worker Recognition Day

School Picture Day

HSA Meeting

Walk or Bike to School Day

Professional Day (Schools Closed)

Halloween Parade

Halloween Trunk or Treat

Counselor's Corner

WEEK OF RESPECT

Notes from Nurse Helen

In The Gym

Spanish

Art in Action!

Musically Speaking!!

Library Lookout

Student Council!!

Welcome to Our New 2026-2027 Student Council Members

Got Milk??

Let's Get Social!

Principal's Message Principal's Message

Recaps & Reminders from Back to School Night Recaps & Reminders from Back to School Night

Upcoming Events Upcoming Events

Custodial Worker Recognition Day

School Picture Day

HSA Meeting

Walk or Bike to School Day

Professional Day (Schools Closed)

Halloween Parade

Halloween Trunk or Treat

Counselor's Corner Counselor's Corner

WEEK OF RESPECT

Notes from Nurse Helen Notes from Nurse Helen

In The Gym In The Gym

Spanish Spanish

Art in Action! Art in Action!

Musically Speaking!! Musically Speaking!!

Library Lookout Library Lookout

Student Council!! Student Council!!

Welcome to Our New 2026-2027 Student Council Members

Got Milk?? Got Milk??

Let's Get Social! Let's Get Social!

Principal's Message

Recaps & Reminders from Back to School Night

Upcoming Events

Counselor's Corner

Notes from Nurse Helen

In The Gym

Spanish

Art in Action!

Musically Speaking!!

Library Lookout

Student Council!!

Got Milk??

Let's Get Social!