Mackay Newsletter

Dear Mackay Families,

Welcome back, and best wishes for a happy New Year! I hope your winter break was restful and filled with special moments spent with loved ones. Thank you so much for the thoughtful holiday messages shared before the break—your generosity and kindness mean a great deal to our staff. We truly value being part of such a supportive school community. We are also grateful to everyone who contributed to our Mackay Gives Back initiative by donating warm clothing. It is important for us to help students see the impact of giving and the joy that comes from helping others.

As colder temperatures settle in, please be sure your children come to school dressed appropriately for outdoor recess. Students will continue to go outside whenever the real-feel temperature is above 28 degrees. If snow is present, recess will be held indoors, and we will communicate any changes to arrival or dismissal procedures, including courtyard access, via Blackboard messages.

The start of a new year offers a meaningful opportunity to pause, reflect, and look ahead. It’s a chance to set intentions, dream big, and approach each day with renewed purpose. There is a strong sense of optimism as we move forward together. Please remember that we are here to support you and your child in any way needed. As you reflect on the first half of the year, if there are areas where you feel your child could benefit from additional support or new learning strategies, we welcome that conversation and are always happy to partner with you.

Wishing you and your family a joyful, healthy, and successful 2026. Here’s to making each day a positive one! It’s a GREAT day to have a GREAT day!

Warmest Wishes,

Heidi Chizzik

Principal

Hello and welcome to 2026! I hope you and your family enjoyed a happy, healthy holiday season and a wonderful start to the New Year.

As I begin visiting classrooms for character education lessons, our focus will be on building the important skill of communication. In working with many different groups of students, I have noticed that conflicts often stem from misunderstandings. For example, a student may feel upset with a friend who “yelled” during a recess game, when in reality the friend was simply expressing excitement, not frustration. When students are able to talk things through, they often discover that the situation wasn’t what it seemed.

Throughout these lessons, students will learn how to better understand their feelings, identify why they feel that way, and communicate those feelings respectfully to others. One strategy we will practice is using I-Statements, such as: “I felt ________ when you ___________ because__________.”

Equally important is learning how to be a good listener. Listening carefully to others helps us truly understand another person’s perspective. While it can sometimes be difficult to hear that we may have hurt someone’s feelings, learning to be reflective and accountable is an empowering life skill.

As I visit each classroom, we will continue building these “people skills” that help students navigate friendships, communicate effectively, and use positive problem-solving strategies.

How Families Can Practice This at Home:

• Encourage your child to talk about their feelings using I-Statements

• Model respectful communication during everyday conversations

• Practice active listening by giving your child your full attention

• Validate feelings by reflecting back what you hear (“It sounds like you felt frustrated when that happened because…”)

• Use conflicts as teachable moments to problem-solve together
  
  

I look forward to supporting our students as they continue to build strong communication skills, empathy, and positive relationships throughout the year!

—Mrs. Angerson

In January, students will continue their learning in computer science and coding. Kindergarten students will participate in an author study. Kindergarten, first, and second graders will create projects using Scratch Jr, while third, fourth, and fifth graders will work in Scratch. Fifth graders will also focus on fair use and understanding their digital footprints. All students will learn about computer hardware and software.

When we return from break, students will participate in a special assembly hosted by the American Heart Association. During this assembly, students will be introduced to the Kids Heart Challenge, where they will learn about healthy heart and brain habits, as well as important life-saving skills such as hands-only CPR and recognizing the signs of a stroke.

In physical education, students in grades K–2 will begin working on volleying and striking skills. Students in grades 3–5 will build on these skills as they are introduced to volleyball.

I hope you enjoyed the holiday break and I can’t wait to see everyone in the new year!

As we begin the new year, we want to recognize our students for an outstanding job at their Winter Concert. Their preparation, focus, and musical growth were evident in every performance, and we are proud of the effort they put into sharing their music with our school community.

We also commend all students for their enthusiastic participation in the school-wide sing-along. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together through music and celebrate the joy of singing as a community.

January is a time for fresh starts and continued growth. We look forward to building on this momentum as students develop new skills and explore new repertoire in the weeks ahead. Early morning rehearsals for Mackay School will begin the week of January 12.

Thank you for your continued support of our music program.

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

¡Hola a todos y un feliz Año Nuevo!

During January, all grade levels will keep practicing weather vocabulary, adjusted to their developmental level.

• Fifth Grade: Students will be finishing descriptive language activities and will begin the “En la escuela” unit.

• Fourth Grade: Students will present their “Fiestas de Cumpleaños” projects and will start the “La comida / Food” unit.

• Third Grade: Students will be working on the unit “El Clima.”

• Second Grade: Students will learn about animals and their habitats.

• First Grade: Students will be learning vocabulary related to “La familia.”

• Kindergarten: Students will learn shapes, review colors, and practice writing basic sentences.

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We are excited for a fun and engaging month of learning Spanish across all grade levels!

If you are looking for info related to Nurse Helen's office, please click the link below for the Health Office section of our Mackay website. Here you can find necessary forms, health guidelines and more.

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