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The Lafayette Gazette
Spring 2003, 2nd edition
News

In this issue:
    Pen Pal Picnic
    Weaving Worlds Together
    Second Grade Visits the Staten Island Zoo
    Mrs. Dwyer's PreSchool Loves Eric Carle
    We Learned About Oil Spills
    A Trip Around the World
    Field Day 2003
    Governor's Teacher Recognition Award
     

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Pen Pal Picnic
by Mrs. Rothschild's First Graders

Starting in January Mrs. Beckman's class, Ms. Vescovi's class, and our class began writing to first graders from Freehold, NJ.  We learned a lot of interesting things about our pen pals.  Every month we would send a letter to our pen pals and they would write back. In June we got to meet our pen pals!  We went to a park that was almost

half-way between Bound Brook   and Freehold.  We had relay races, heard the story Bubble Gum by Gail Jorgensen and then had a bubble gum blowing contest, cooled off by tossing water balloons, and decorated bracelets to give to our pen pals.  Everyone had a great time!  We were sad when we had to leave but we hope to keep in touch with our new friends

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Weaving Worlds Together

A beautiful quilt is now being displayed at Lafayette School in Bound Brook, thanks to the hard work of some of the school's students.  Using grant money awarded by the Bound Brook Education Foundation, supplies were ordered to do a weaving project.  First and second grade students in Mrs. Dominguez' bi-lingual class, along with first graders in Mrs. Beckman's class, learned how to weave yarn on a loom.  Each child worked for many weeks to complete individual squares.  The squares were then sewn together to make a quilt. The completed quilt will be raffled off at the end-of-year Sing-Along in the school gymnasium.  Tickets may be purchased by contracting Mrs. Dominguez.  The cost of each raffle

ticket is $2.00.  Proceeds from the raffle will go back to the Bound Brook Education Foundation. in order for more children to benefit from grants. The students are extremely proud of their accomplishment.  Please show your support by purchasing a ticket. Both Mrs. Dominguez and Mrs. Beckman, as well as their students, would like to thank the Bound Brook Education Foundation for supporting this wonderful program.  The children thoroughly enjoyed making the quilt along with all of the other unique craft projects that were completed throughout the year.  As a result of this endeavor, not only were projects created, but long-lasting friendships as well!

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Second Grade Visits the Staten Island Zoo
by Mrs. Baloy's Second Graders

On June 3rd, the second graders went on a field trip to the Staten Island Zoo.  We traveled on three big, wide, yellow buses.  Our class chaperones followed the buses in their own cars.  The ride there was bumpy, but fun.  Some people felt a little sick from being bounced around.  The bus got a little lost getting there, but finally we arrived.  At the zoo we saw many different animals.  There were horses, sea otters, prairie dogs, llamas, a hairy cow, peacocks, goats, pigs, ducks, deer, snowy owls and wallabies.  There were four special rooms where most of the animals were behind glass, because they were too dangerous to touch.  In the snake room we saw a huge boa constrictor, a red spitting cobra, three alligators, a sleeping rattlesnake, a crocodile lizard and an iguana.

The Tropical Forest room had vampire bats, three baboons, cute little lemurs, tiny bush babies, scorpions, an insect called a walking stick, frogs, exotic spiders and turtles.  In the African Savannah room there were two leopards, a colorful mandrill, a giant cockroach, d dik-dik and hyrax. The aquarium had colorful tropical fish, seahorses, a puffer fish, a lion fish and a fish that had a nose like Pinocchio. We were able to eat our lunch in a big white tent with kids from other schools.  At 1:00 we got back on the buses.  It was time to return to Lafayette School.  The ride back was noisy, fun and even bumpier.  We even got some truck drivers to blow their horns.  Everyone had a terrific time, and said that they would like to go back again with their families.

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Mrs. Dwyer's Preschool Loves Eric Carle
by Mrs. Dwyer's Preschoolers

We read 11 books by Eric Carle.  He draws colorful pictures.  We like his stories about insects, spiders, and animals.  He writes good stories.  he makes suns in his books.  There are also rainbows, moons, and stars.  he has gold medals on his books.  Ginny brought in a video tape of his books.  Some of the words he uses are:	clumsy, lonely, hungry, grouchy, mixed-up, busy, and secret. He drew the pictures in Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear. You can find Eric Carle's books in the library or in the book store.

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We Learned About Oil Spills
by Kimberly

We learned that oil spills happen when boats holding oil break.  The oil gets into the water and the fish and other sea creatures get oil in their bodies.  The fish and other animals can die.  This is very bad.  We need new laws to help sea creatures from oil spills.  Children can send letters to our senators so that the senators can change laws to help prevent oils spills. One law that needs to be changed is that all oil tankers need to have two hulls, so if one hull breaks in an accident, then the other one can	still hold the oil from spilling. Mrs. Beckman's class wrote letters to  Senator Jon Corzine of  New Jersey.  He helped to pass new laws.  You can help by writing letters to Senator Corzine.  The address is:           U.S. Senator Jon S. Corzine         Washington, DC 20510 or visit his website for kids at: http://corzine.senate.gov/kids/index.html We need to stop oil spills!
May 28, 2003 Dear Senator Corzine,    I am worried about oil spills.  We need new laws to help prevent oil spills.  I don't want to see dolphins and otters and other animals get killed by the oil.  We need more people to care about this.  If you can make a law so that oil tankers need two hulls, there would not be as many accidents. Thank you.                                  From,                                  Alyssa	May 28, 2003 Dear Senator Corzine,    I am worried about oil spills.  We must protect our Earth.  The animals are in danger.  We must help the seals and whales.  I feel sad that oil is coming in to the water.                               From,                               Stephanie

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A Trip Around the World Ms. Vescovi's first-grade class has been learning about the continents and the oceans.  See what you know about the continents and the oceans.  Can you answer these questions?

1.  How many oceans are there? 2.  Which ocean is the biggest? 3.  How many continents are there? 4.  Which continent is the biggest? 5.  Which continent is also a country? 6.  On which continent is the world's longest river, the Nile? 7.  On which continent do you live? 8.  What are the three biggest countries on the continent of North America? 9.  On which continent can you find the Amazon rain forest? 10. On which continent can you find elephants and giraffes in the wild?

Answers:  DON"T peek until you've answered all the questions!                    1. Four         2. the Pacific Ocean 3. Seven 4. Asia 5. Australia 6. Africa 7. North America 8. Canada, the United States, and Mexico 9. Asia 10. Africa

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Field Day 2003
by John

Hi! My name is John.  I am in Mrs. Dominguez's second-grade.  Mrs. Kaplan is my ESL teacher.  I am reporting the field day. The weather was finally nice on Thrusday, June 12, so we caould have our field day.  Mrs. Kozak did a great job.  The games were soccer, basketball, relay races, and parachute.  There was also free play. I had broken my arm so Ionly played two games: free play and relay races.  The kids had fun.  The weather was nice.  We ate ice cream after the games.  It was delicious.  The

teachers gave us stickers when we did a great job. I talked with some kids.  I asked some questions to the kids.  They said field day was nice.  One kid said the weather was so-so but he had fun.  One kid said it was nice making a goal in soccer. When I went to sleep that night, I dreamed that I played soccer in that gym.  It was nice to remember Field Day 2003! Thank you Mrs. Kozak!

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Governor's Teacher Recognition Award

Mrs. Nancy Beckman received the Governor's Teacher Recognition Award this year for Lafayette School.  She has been teaching first grade in Bound Brook since 1986.  On June 5, she attended a luncheon for the Somerset County teachers who were recipients of this award.  Dr. Deborah Alexander, Superintendent of Schools, was also in attendance. Mrs. Beckman states, "I was happy to receive this award and I am proud to be a teacher in the Bound Brook School District.  My goal each year is to bring out the best in every child and to foster and nurture their differences.  As a first-grade teacher, I try to instill a love of books and reading in my students that hopefully will last a lifetime."

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