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Cooke field day 2007 a fun-filled event

Students played games like "Clean The Yard," "Builders and Bulldozers," "Simon Says," "Twizzle," "Grab The Apple," and "Pantry Raid." They also practiced skills needed to participate in the "Obstacle Course" and "Cup Stacking" relays and the "Parachute." These activities promote the development of listening, cognitive, gross and fine motor skills, coordination, kindness, teamwork and good nutrition.

Cooke Elementary School students know fitness can be fun! Thanks to every supporting participant for promoting healthy habits and fitness for a lifetime.
Special thanks to field day committee members Gena Frey, Jason Catanzariti, Patty Whipple and Roe Romano.

A warm welcome for incoming third-graders

After the orientation, the students were treated to an ice cream sundae party which was sponsored by the Cooke/Rutherford PTA.

Photo: Cooke/Rutherford PTA President Cindy Deitchman helps students find their way to the gummy worm bowl!

On May 30, students from the Cooke Elementary School spent the day planting trees in the Little Sprouts Garden located at the school. The planting included two Pin Oak trees, two Weeping Cherry trees and one Winter King Hawthorne tree. Students also fertilized and watered the garden with the help of parent volunteers.

The garden, founded by first grade teacher Cherise Barasch, was awarded a $1,000 grant from Sullivan County Renaissance. The award was given to the Cooke School as part of an ongoing project to beautify the landscape and to provide food and habitat for local wildlife.

The project will be judged in August by the Renaissance committee, and if the school is chosen as a winner, the Little Sprouts garden project could win an additional $2,000.

Volunteers are needed to help with summer maintenance. If interested, please call Cherise Barasch at 794-8830, ext. 40813.

On May 23, Cooke Elementary School first-graders from Connie Ast's and Lucretia Gilles' classes visited the Wurtsboro Airport. They were accompanied by physical education teacher Jason Catanzariti, who is also a licensed flight instructor.

As part of the day's event, students were able to examine small airplanes up close and meet local pilots. They also got to watch an airplane tow a glider into the air for a short demonstration flight.

Cooke Elementary School second-grade students performed their annual Spring Music Festival on May 22, under the direction of music teachers Peri Berman and Ellen Alewitz, with music teacher Joyce Wells as accompanist.

The festival was titled "Hello To All The Children of the World." The second-graders were pleased to demonstrate the music concepts and skills they have learned this year, and concert goers were delighted with the performance.

Cooke School's Spring Open House filled with fun
On April 26, Cooke Elementary School was overflowing with parents and students for its annual Spring Open House event. With student artwork adorning the walls of the halls, attendees got to partake in the Cooke/Rutherford PTA book fair which featured dramatic readings of story favorites by teachers, some even dressed in costume! 
As an added perk, Clifford, the big red dog was on hand to greet visitors.

Cooke School celebrates literacy and Dr. Seuss
As part of the Read Across America celebration and Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat 50th anniversary, Cooke Elementary School invited local politicians and public figures to guest-read to students.

The weeklong event hosted almost two dozen readers and various other celebratory activities, including a Cat in the Hat crazy hat day, Fox in Sox silly sock day, a One Fish Two Fish bean bag toss and a Grinch-style bowling game.
To top off the week, students, faculty and staff dressed up as Dr. Seuss characters, got to snack on PTA-donated treats and enjoyed musical entertainment by performers, “Beth and Scott.”

A special thanks to all the guest readers: Melanie Olson, Aileen Gunther, Linda Cellini, Judge Mark Meddaugh, Chris Cunningham, Kathleen Pagano-Fuller, Sam Whol, Cindy Osborne, Janet Newberg, Cheryl Sheerer, Ron Hiatt, Jim Gerrard, Luis Velasco, Randy Costa, Carmen Rue, Alan Scott and Dr. Patrick Michel.

Space exploration expert speaks to students
Well known science journalist, author, speaker and internationally-renowned authority on space exploration, Andrew Chaikin, visited the Cooke Elementary School on March 29.

Chaikin, the author of the best-selling chronicle of the Apollo Moon Mission, A Man On The Moon and other space-related books, presented two assemblies to the students, and then visited some classrooms to answer questions.

This was the perfect time for Mr. Chaikin to visit the school, since the students have recently had the opportunity to visit “Star Lab” where they learned about the stars, planets and galaxies. Children and families who are interested in the study of space may visit Mr. Chaikin’s web site at www.andrewchaikin.com.

Cooke School hosts special guest readers
As part of the Read Across America celebration, Sullivan County Family Court Judge Mark Meddaugh visited the Cooke Elementary School to read Dr. Seuss' "The Sneeches" to Nicki Wells and Christine Cavello's second-grade class.

The judge came dressed in his court robes and wowed the kids with his dramatic rendition of the story.

Cooke School students learn about birds of prey
Marjorie Sweet's 2nd grade ESL class has been studying about birds of prey. To culminate the lesson, Mrs. Sweet invited master falconer Brian Bunce to visit the class for a question-and-answer session with the students.

Mr. Bunce brought his 11-year-old screech owl, Hoot and invited other bird specialists, Peter Gross and John White, who brought along two Hagger Red Tailed Hawks named Delia and Kenny.

Students were amazed at the size and beauty of the birds. They asked many interesting questions and learned a great deal about these and other birds of prey.

Sweet fundraising endeavor
Cooke and Rutherford Elementary School students are involved in a yummy, candy fundraiser. They are selling chocolate lollipops to raise money to purchase much needed books for their classrooms and libraries.

Cindy Deitchman, president of the Cooke-Rutherford PTA and Judy Pugh, a teacher's assistant, (pictured) volunteered their time to help sort the lollipops.

Anyone interested in purchasing a chocolate lolli can find them at the Monticello Trading Post or by calling Cindy Deitchman at 794-3075.

Cooke School teaching about MLK’s life and work
During the month of January, Cheryl Hughes and Patricia Segar’s first grade class studied facts about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. Students learned what a timeline is and how it’s used to chart information.

They read several books about Dr. King and worked in groups to identify and highlight the important milestones in his life. The class then drew pictures and wrote captions about Dr. King and placed them on a timeline.

Congratulations to Thomas Griffin, this year's winner of the "Readers Digest Magnet Program" at the Cooke School. Thomas is in Mrs. Perlman's kindergarten class.

BINGO! brings fun and games to school
Recently the Cooke/Rutherford PTA sponsored a bingo night at the Cooke School. Children were asked to bring in a used book to trade for a bingo card, the more books, the more cards!

Refreshments were available for purchase, and prizes were donated by the Monticello Trading Post. The books were given to the school library system, so in the end, every child was a winner!

December full of fun and learning at Cooke
The Cooke School was a busy place during the month of December. Students were hard at work reading and writing about the various holidays and customs that different people observe at this time of year. They were also busy creating wonderful crafts for their families.

In many classes, the children made gingerbread houses out of cookies and candies. Mrs. Somers' class made a piñata with ESL teacher Mrs. DiLeo as part of a study about customs in other countries. The PTA sponsored a craft fair where students, parents and teachers made beautiful ornaments and gifts for family and friends. Some students took an imaginary ride on the Polar Express.

All in all, the wonderful aromas of latkas, gingerbread, cocoa, popcorn and cinnamon wafted throughout the school’s corridors giving a special added touch to the atmosphere of learning.

Jane Sorensen awarded the position as Cooke's EPIC ambassador for December 2006
 

Organizing parent workshops, parent volunteers, and a "Mommy & Me" program are just a few of her responsibilities.

Thanks to her hard work and dedication, these are all a part of what makes Cooke School a great place to be!

Celebrating Values at Cooke Elementary School
In order to help Cooke Elementary School students learn and practice our core values, Learning, Effort and Kindness, the Cooke Elementary Staff has implemented a consistent, school-wide values instruction and recognition program. The Celebrate Cooke Elementary School Values program is based on the concept that students will learn new habits if we recognize positive behaviors as soon as they happen. A school-wide award system has been created to help make this recognition public and visible to all.

All of the schools in Monticello are working on various means of recognizing good behaviors. This initiative is part of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) that was brought to Monticello by a grant from the NY State PBIS initiative. Mr. Scott Palermo, Director of Pupil Personnel Services is the district’s PBIS coordinator.

Kindergarteners enjoy Autumn fun!
Cooke School kindergarten students recently “scared up” some Autumn fun when Mrs. Somers, Mrs. Schwarz and Mrs. Escobar decided to have the entire kindergarten get together to do a group activity. Teachers, administrators, teacher aides, teaching assistants, and parent volunteers gathered to help the students create paper bag scarecrows. The children were practicing their fine motor skills, shape and color recognition as well as learning about cooperation. The result: a fun time and a friendly scarecrow buddy to take home!

Fall Festival brings joy and educational fun to students
Cooke School faculty and staff wanted to make October 31, a very exciting day for students, so they spent hours preparing and creating a fall festival environment. 

When students arrived on Halloween morning, they were surprised to find a makeshift pumpkin patch in the little sprouts garden, a haunted trail on the stage, a game room, and a visiting area filled with exotic animals.  The day's event was highlighted by a performance by "The Story Crafters" and a costume parade.

Some teachers created costumes for the students in their classes that were based on topics that they are studying, such as shape and alphabet recognition, the life cycle of bats, and the story of the gingerbread man.

ESL (English as a second language) students from Chase and Cooke Schools celebrated
with pizza and bingo at their recent Annual Open House.

Teachers, administrators and Community Advocate Mara Mangual, participated in the fun with the students, making it a very special event.
 

One of Monticello's educational initiatives is to help second language learners become more successful in school.

 

Fire Safety Month included a trip to the new Monticello Fire House for students from Cooke Elementary School. 

Firefighter Jim Gerard was proud to show the children the museum where a 1929 fire truck and many award trophies are housed.  The students also got to see the new fire trucks, the ladder truck and various equipment used by the firefighters. Because of the close proximity of the new fire house to the school, students were able to walk to the visit with help from faculty, staff, and parent volunteers who helped direct traffic and ensure the safety of the children.  
The firefighters had visited the Cooke School earlier in the month to discuss fire safety and to demonstrate the "Stop, Drop and Roll" technique. Students got to see the firefighters in their full turn-out gear as they tried to ease the fears that young children often have when they see the masked and uniformed individuals who come to help in times of emergencies.

Thanks to the Monticello Fire Department and their firefighters for all that they do and for making such a great day of excitement,
fun and learning for our students. 

"Officer Phil" safety program featured at district elementary schools 
The Monticello Police Department, with support from local businesses, presented a safety assembly called "Officer Phil". The new concept, that illustrates the necessity of obeying rules set by parents and society, provides students with positive solutions to problems encountered within today's society. The program included magic tricks, humor, and an animated program with a mouse puppet named Mack. 

Mack discussed 'stranger danger', bus safety, how to cross streets safely, and how to answer a phone when an adult is not present. A game show activity allowed two students to face off each other in answering questions about being a bully or a buddy.

District officials are extremely thankful for the businesses that supported this program, as well as the Monticello Police Department's dedication to protect and communicate the importance of being responsible citizens and members of the community.

Kindergarten winners.

The Cooke School ended the school year by honoring students who earned 100 percent attendance. Principal Dr. William Greene, Assistant Principal Paulette Scheuer, and attendance officer/secretary Cindy Schurr presented each of the students with a t-shirt and pencil.
 

First grade winners

Second grade winners

Cooke School students and teachers recently released over 100 Painted Lady butterflies into their Little Sprouts Community Garden as a birthday gift for the planet. This activity began as a study of the insect’s life cycle and ended with this release as a gift back to the planet.

The children raised beautiful, colorful, symmetrical insects from larva through adult "butterflyhood." They learned how to care for them, to provide a habitat that would allow the insects to thrive, and finally how to set something that they love free for the good of the whole.

The project is funded by the EACH (Environmentally Aware Children’s Habitat) Club at the school. The club was started 10 years ago by school science monitor Cherise Barasch-Garcia. “We do this in hopes of raising the children’s awareness about our planet and their place in it! It's always exciting to watch our 5, 6, 7 and 8-year-old students wave goodbye to the butterflies that they raised," says Barasch-Garcia.