The Briarwood Buzz By Mrs. Felt From the principal Our second grade Chorus and Orff Ensemble performers did an amazing job during our Winter Concert! It was such a delight to watch and listen to the show, putting us all in the holiday spirit!! As many of your know, our school secretary, Mrs. Rinaldi will be retiring at the end of the month, after 31 years of service! We wish Mrs. Rinaldi a wonderful retirement and thank her for her many years of service at Briarwood School! She has been our conscientious secretary and welcoming face to our staff, students, and families. All at Briarwood School will certainly miss her! Mrs. Rinaldi, we love you, will miss you and hope you enjoy your well-deserved retirement!! We honor you for a job well
done!! Mrs. Rinaldi is working very closely with Mrs. Alyssa Christopher who is currently transitioning into our school secretary position. Mrs. Christopher wanted to share the following to our staff and families: I would first like to express how grateful and excited I am to be welcomed into the Briarwood School Family. My name is Alyssa Christopher and I reside in Wayne, NJ, and have been happily married for 4 years. My husband is also in the school system and is a Mathematics Teacher at Passaic County Technical Institute. Over the past 10 years, I have been working as an Office Manager in the private sector. Although I am new to the school system, I know my work background will help me succeed and I am looking forward to this change in paths. I am the oldest of five siblings, so nothing excites me more to have the opportunity to be around children again! I enjoy vacationing in Aruba, staying fit, and most of all spending time with my two dogs. My love for animals goes above and beyond the call of duty; to date, my husband and I have fostered 11 dogs...and counting! Once again I cannot express my excitement to begin this journey with all of you! Wishing each of our BWD families a happy and healthy holiday season! Happy New Year Mrs. Glaab
What s happening in Pre K In Mrs. Scorsone s Preschool class we read the book Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner. We made snow paint by mixing paint, glue and shaving cream. The paint was fluffy like snow! We painted our own snowmen. After we read the story, we talked about all of the different and fun things that the snowmen did at nighttime. Mrs. Scorsone asked the preschoolers if they made a snowman, what would they do at night? Here s what the preschooler s said: Lucas- throw snowballs at my window Sarah-walk into Mommy and Daddy s room Kelly- stay there forever Corina-throw snowballs Lilly- be magic Reis- fly Mariella-go for a walk Izabella- walk in the streets Nick-eat Sterling- play the cello Evan- go to bed Ethan- sing and dance Hunter- walk on the street and bump into a zombie
Winter Concert On Wednesday, December 13, 2017, the Briarwood Chorus and Orff Ensemble performed in concert for everyone to enjoy! The students in the music ensembles worked very hard and put on a fantastic show. The evening began the Orff Ensemble playing on hand bells. They played Jingle Bells and Ode to Joy from Beethoven s Ninth Symphony. The Orff Ensemble was then joined by the Briarwood Chorus to sing Play the Bells to Celebrate." As the Orff ensemble switched to their instruments of xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels, the children continued with the concert. The next song was a real Kodak moment as the chorus performed Dancing Snowflakes and threw snow in the air during the performance. The concert also displayed the creativity of the chorus in the song, Wintery, Wintery Day. The song was partially composed by the Briarwood Chorus! Also on display was the fabulous accompaniment skills of the Orff group as they performed more songs about snow, winter, Christmas, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice. The evening culminated in fun version of Dominick the Donkey with the Orff Ensemble playing the part of Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey. The song was also dedicated to our secretary, Mrs. Rinaldi. It was a fantastic ending to a fantastic evening. We hope you enjoyed concert. Best wishes and peace be with you through the holiday season.
Concert pictures
Flu Season Facts From Nurse Seery The CDC states that the Flu is more dangerous than the common cold for children. Each year flu affects numerous children and their families. An influenza vaccine (flu) is the best method for preventing the flu and its potentially severe complications. The CDC recommends all children 6 months and older get a flu vaccine. State law requires all children who attend preschool to receive the flu vaccine between September and December in order to remain in school). Mainly coughing, sneezing or talking spreads flu. Children can pass the flu virus to others for a period of more than seven days after symptoms begin. The difference between cold and flu is that they are caused by different viruses. Cold symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, cough, congestion, sneezing, watery eyes and sore throat. Schools are a prime location for the flu virus to spread. Here are some things you can do to prevent the spread of flu and germs. 1. Vaccinate your child. 2. Practice good hygiene to control the spread of the virus. Teach your children the following: ϖcover your coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow or a tissue.
ϖ Wash your hands with soap and water. ϖavoid touching your face- especially your eyes, mouth, and nose- as it spreads germs. 3. Stay home if you have the following flu symptoms- Fever, Aches, Chills, Tiredness and Sudden onset. (FACTS) 4 See your doctor. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and get rest with either cold or flu symptoms. Children should remain home from school if diagnosed with the flu oe fever over 100 and should remain home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms subside or cleared by the physician. For more information go to www.cdc.gov/flu Physical Education The December muscle of the month is the Bicep. Ask your child to flex their bicep for you! Please remember to send your child to school with sneakers on gym days. Boots of any kind are not safe for play.
Important Dates: January 2- Back to School January 12- Early Dismissal (12:50) Professional Development Teachers January 15- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (School Closed) January 17-Grade 1 Fun Night