The Class of 2008-2009 welcomes you to our class website. Our website includes class activities, projects, class news, and online resources for students and parents, as well as links to educational games and websites of interest. We will be adding new and interesting things to our site so please visit us again. Thanks for taking the time to visit. Drop us an e-mail.
Parents: If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at rszuszkowski@rtnj.org. or by clicking the link at the bottom of this homepage. I find e-mail a much better way of communicating in that it offers a greater ability of instant communication while allowing you to reach me any time of day or night and on weekends.I truly believe this will be a memorable as well as a positive year in your child’s education.
Peace Like a River of Monarchs,
Mr. Szuszkowski
Congratulations to our winners of the
Student of the Week for June 19, 2009
This is the Final Student of the Week Award for the
2008-2009 Schoolyear
The following two students were chosen by their peers to receive the Award
A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show our U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present, our appreciation for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country through our letters, emails, cards, prayers, and thoughts.
You want to help the troops but don't know how or where to send letters and care packages. This website www.anysoldier.com will explain how you can help the troops get what they need to help bring a little home to them, as they serve over seas, in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, especially now as the holiday season rapidly approaches and many of our troops spend the holidays far away from their families. Watch this CNN newsclip about anysoldier.com
Track the exciting 2009 Alaska Iditarod Sled Dog Race with us.
In February of 2008 I had the wonderful opportunity to share my Mexico trip with Ohio teacher Cindy Morehart. This April Ms. Morehart begins a new adventure as she hikes the entire length of the Pacific Coast Trail as from Mexico to Canada through the U.S. States of California, Oregon and Washington, a journey that will take her 6 months. As she hikes the 2,664 miles Ms. Morehart will communicate with her students and the world via a satellite phone that uses a solar charger that she could use while on the trail. She will also post periodic updates on her website. Ms. Morehart begins her journey on April 19, 2009 so stay tuned.
Students in Eva Sue Reed's fourth-grade class at Herbert Mills Elementary watch with rapt attention Thursday, March 12, as reading intervention teacher Cindy Morehart displays the gear she will be carrying on her five-month, 2,664-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.
During the 2007-2008 school year our school received a grant to participate in a very special Monarch Teacher Network project called "Voices from the Land". This is a project that is based on the eco-art of Andy Goldsworthy.
Our Classroom Voices Project is available to be viewed on-line and be purchased from Shutterfly.com as a keepsake book for anyone who would like to purchase one. Click on the picture of the books above to link to the correct year book and preview it. You do not need to join Shutterfly to preview the book but will need to join if you intend to purchase it.
As part of the Voices From The Land project we also receive a Voices book from a school that did the project in Mexico. When I spent a week with my Mexican friend and guide Marcos Garcia in August at a Monarch Teacher Workshop, he showed me the book that he completed with a MayanSchool in the state of ChiapasMexico. It is a beautiful book. The color in the artwork is spectacular and the poetry is in Spanish and in Mayan. You can click the book below to view it on line or purchase it or stop in our class at IroniaSchool to see it. It is truly a work of art and shows the connection the Mayan people still have to Mother Earth.
National Wildlife Federation is teaming up with the movie Where The Wild Things Are to launch the national Be Out There campaign to connect kids and families with nature at home, at schools, and in their communities.
"Outdoor time helps kids get exercise, stimulates their senses, and promotes cognitive development."
Between February 14th and February 20th 2009Mr. Szuszkowski traveled to Mexico to the North American overwintering sites of the Monarch Butterfly, to Mexico City, Mexico where he visited many places of historic and cultural importance to the Mexican people and to North American history, and to the island of Pacanda on Lake Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan where he visited a school where the students learn both their native language of Purepecha and as well as Spanish. Follow his journey, read his daily blog, and view the incredible pictures that help tell astory of the beautiful people of Mexico,their culture, their history and their struggle to protect the Monarch butterflies while helping their own families survive the poverty that consumes so much of the Monarch butterfly overwintering region.
Check out the new Monarch News Link.Here you will find news about Monarch Butterflies from around the world and the status of the North American Monarch population as it migrates in the Spring, between Mexico, through the United States to the northern Provinces of Canada, then in the Fall as the Monarchs migrate down the east coast, through the Mid-Atlantic States, and the Gulf States on their way to their final over wintering destination in the Trans-Volcanic Range in Michoacan, Mexico.
PBS Channel 13 will once again air NOVA : The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies on Saturday January 31st at 3:00pm. If you missed it when it originally aired on PBS Channel 13 you have one more chance to catch it on television. This NOVA episode is breathtaking as it tracks the perilous Monarch migration from southern Canada, across the United States down into central Mexico. The program really puts into perspective the threats that the Monarchs face along their journey and the loss of their overwintering habitats in Mexico that threaten their very existence. The up close film footage of the Monarchs and the amazing scenery coupled with the heartfelt narration as close as one can get without actually traveling to Mexico to see this magnificence first hand. You can also view the video in its entirety by clicking here. The entire one hour program is available on-line where it is divided into 6 chapters for easy viewing.
Click the trout below for more information and driving directions
Our Brook Trout eggs arrived from the Pequest Trout Hatchery on Thursday October 16th. Click to see pictures. Stay tuned as we report on their hatching and the status of our eggs and fry.
On FridayJanuary 4th 2007 the Daily Record paid us a visit to do a story on our "Trout in the Classroom Project" We were all excited to have the opportunity to share what we are learning about our Trout with the entire community and the rest of Morris County.
To learn more about the Monarch Teacher Network, the Monarchs' incredible connection to North America and Global Connections, "The Voices From the Land" project, how to start your very own Monarch Project in your classroom, Mexico fellowship opportunities, New Jersey Teachers for Biodiversity and more, please click here or the picture of the flower below.
Congratulations to our winners of the
Where's Rocky?
ere you will find news about Monarch Butterflies from around the world and the status of the North American Monarch population as it migrates in the Spring, between Mexico, through the United States to the northern Provinces of Canada, then in the Fall as the Monarchs migrate down the east coast, through the Mid-Atlantic States, and the Gulf States on their way to their final over wintering destination in the Trans-Volcanic Range in Michoacan, Mexico. 
