Dr. Marc Biunno
STEM Night 2020
STEM Night 2020 Program
Thank you, PTO!

Data:

Halloween means we can all be kids for a day!



Our Gym is Almost Ready!






We are back and loving life at McK!
Summer Assignments for Students and Parents!

Parents -- summer break is a crucial time for youngsters to learn, though that learning might not have much to do with school itself. Yes, we want our students to keep reading all summer. We want them to read books they’ve chosen and books they love. If you don’t have any of those, give us a call and tell us you’d like to visit the MCK library to check out a few books – we’ll be open for our students almost all summer! You can also visit this site to find the district’s book recommendations.
Beyond that, I have some other learning goals and objectives for students over the summer. I’ve sent these in the past, but I think they should be repeated. Sometime in summer, I hope students will:
- be bored and figure out a way to not be bored, or to love being bored
- spend inordinate amounts of time with their loved ones
- play outside until it’s dark, and maybe even after, to chase after the fireflies
- have unstructured time
- learn to ride a bike
- apply those new bike skills and go on bike rides
- experience new environments, social circles, and be uncomfortable
- experience conflict or trouble and work it out themselves (really, by themselves)
- wake up with no plans and to have to figure out how to spend their day
- eat meals with you, regularly
- invent a game
Finally, parents, I do have an article suggestion for you which does a good job of summarizing recent research on parenting and the idea of "overinvolvement."
Take a look and let me know what you think: https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/psychology/science-suggests-parents-are-taking-parenting-too-far/
MCK's Kindness Challenge Video!
Fun and educational projects at MCK!








One great part of being an elementary principal...

Social Emotional Learning at MCK and in Westfield Schools...
The Westfield Public School District has created a series of short TED-style Talks to explain Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and each of its five core competencies, with examples of how they are being used in our district and the research that tells us why they work. We hope this series helps you to better understand the tremendous benefits of social and emotional learning. Beginning this week and for the next five weeks, a new TED-style Talk will be released. We begin with this introductory overview by Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan.
On the evening of 2/6/19, MCK welcomes Mrs. Herits (Student Assistance Counselor) and Mrs. Mazzarese (Director of Guidance) to teach parents about the 5 SEL competencies and how they can help us speak to kids in a way that helps them grow to be resilient and emotionally intelligent young adults.
Westfield's TED-Style Talks on SEL:
The first of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies is Self-Awareness. Self-awareness is crucial to all levels of success. When we are self-aware, we are able to recognize our emotions and how we respond to them, identify our strengths and weaknesses, and appreciate our self-worth and capabilities. As part of a series of TED-style Talks produced by the Westfield Public School District to explain SEL and how it is being used in our district, K-12 Director of Guidance Maureen Mazzarese focuses on the Self-Awareness competency of SEL, which allows us to live courageously, pursue our individual goals and dreams, and be our true selves.
Self-Management is the second of five core competencies of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). It is the ability to successfully regulate your emotions, thoughts and behaviors in different situations, to effectively manage stress, control impulses and to set and work toward personal and academic goals. In this third segment of the district's series of TED-style Talks on SEL, Westfield High School principal Dr. Derrick Nelson outlines the critical importance of self-management in our schools and in our lives.
Empathy and respect for different backgrounds and viewpoints are themes that appear throughout Social and Emotional Learning. But nowhere are they more prominent than in the third SEL competency, Social Awareness. As Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Programs Paul Pineiro explains in this segment of our TED-style Talks on SEL, developing social awareness among our students begins the moment teachers greet students on the first day of school for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
SEL Competencies
MCK Donates 3,465 Non-Perishable Food Items!


MCK's Great Kindness Challenge Continues!





The Great Kindness Challenge Starts 1/28/19!
Checklist
MCK's STEM Night is 1/24/19 at 6:00 p.m.!
MCK's STEM Night is 1/24/19 at 6:00 p.m.!
Program