Elementary School Newsbite: February 24th, 2025

Posted Date: 2/24/25 (11:06 PM)

New Jersey Greats

Bringing NJ History to Life! Mrs. Voss’s 4th graders, along with Mrs. Andraos, have been diving into New Jersey’s past, with each student choosing a 'NJ Great' to research. From writing reports on their contributions to crafting creative bottle head figures, these young historians are blending English and history in a fun and meaningful way!

Cereal Box Challenge

Mrs. Cortina and Ms. Arceri are elated to announce “The Cereal Box Kindness Challenge” was a HUGE success! This activity engaged our school community in a creative project, but also served as a reminder of how kindness can spread like a chain reaction. As a final culmination of this special week, we gathered at South Elementary on February 19th with South Middle School to have a large "all school" meeting and buddy activity.

During this time, we lined up all the donated cereal boxes in a domino pattern, setting them up so that they topple one after the other. The goal was to visually demonstrate how one small action can have a big impact, just like kindness. When one box falls, it triggers the next — a powerful reminder that one act of kindness can inspire many more. A BIG Thank you to Taylor LaBau, Alexa Kinney, and Dawn Rhodes for their assistance with this special activity!

After, SHRES students welcomed our preschool and Middle School On Location students back to their classrooms. As students returned to their classrooms, they had the opportunity to participate in a special activity in partnership with Union Coffee Shop. In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Week (2/10/25-2/14/25), students decorated coffee sleeves with uplifting messages and creative designs. These thoughtfully crafted sleeves will be handed out randomly to customers at the coffee shop, spreading positivity with every cup. It was a wonderful way for students to contribute to the community and share kindness with others. So, next time you grab a coffee, you might just receive a little surprise and enjoy a random act of kindness!

Mrs.Cortina and Ms.Arcieri would like to thank all of our students and staff who donated cereal to help make this special event happen. PTO generously provided snacks for all the students to enjoy while building new friendships during our buddy activities, which was much appreciated! It was truly a joy to see staff and students with smilies on their faces!

Sneak Peek of Matilda!

On Tuesday, February 18th, the cast of Matilda visited SHRES (and The Middle School On Location) to perform a preview of the upcoming musical. We caught up with a few members of the cast to learn about how it went.

What was it like performing at the elementary school(s)?

"I absolutely adore performing for the elementary schools, it highlights South's theater program and inspires young kids to be in the performing arts. This year in particular was exciting because the kids were super excited knowing that Matilda (a very popular story) was going to be on stage!

I remember when I was younger and at my elementary school the performing arts programs from the high school and middle school would perform for us and it inspired me greatly to perform!

11th Grader Maddie Groves, who plays Mrs. Wormwood in the show.

"Performing at the elementary schools was just so fun! Especially performing for a wide variety of grades! Even though we only got to show them a tiny peek, we still got to hopefully show them how fun theater can be!"

8th Grader Zin Kassel, who plays Bruce in the show

"It was so much fun to see the kids enjoying the show and hoping to be up there one day! It was a perk that we got to miss a tiny bit of school and it is so much fun to spark some creativity into these kids' lives."

9th Grader Annabel Billman, who plays Lavender in the show.

Matilda debuts Thursday, February 27th. Get your tickets today!

What's Coming Up?

Check out Counselor Cortina's March Newsletter HERE.

03.05.25 Early Dismissal - Parent Teacher Conferences
03.06.25 Early Dismissal - Parent Teacher Conferences

The Harvest Family Success Center is a community gathering place meant for Hunterdon families to come and relax, enjoy each other's company, receive and give individual help. Their mission is to provide a welcoming environment to strengthen and empower individuals and families through family-centered activities, educational workshops, and access to resources needed to maintain healthy relationships. All of the programs at Harvest are completely free of charge, and there are no income requirements for participation.