Kindergartners at Northeast Elementary School reached a milestone on Feb. 13 when they attended school for the 100th day. Upon hitting triple digits for the 2018-19 school year, students participated in a variety of 100-themed literacy and math activities.

Many children envisioned themselves about 95 years into the future by dressing up as 100-year-olds. They saw pictures of centenarians — people who have reached the age of 100 — and wrote about all they want to accomplish before turning 100.

Students colored 100-day crowns which they then wore with pride, counted 100 of different objects and imagined how they would spend $100. They practiced their math skills by counting to 100 by fives and tens.   

“Llama Llama Red Pajama” was the selection for World Read Aloud Day at Northeast Elementary School. Kindergarten and pre-K classes gathered together throughout the day on Feb. 1 as teachers read the book aloud.

Kindergarten teacher Maria Lievano said that the book was chosen off of the World Read Aloud Day’s suggested list because it supports early literacy skills such as rhyming and making predictions. It also sparked discussions between students and their teachers about the difference between fiction and non-fiction texts. 

Children participated in turn and talk discussions about different vocabulary words in the book, along with various writing and craft activities. Ms. Lievano said the because there are many books in the “Llama Llama” series, hopefully students would be inspired to follow the adventures of the character and keep reading. 

Pre-K and kindergarten students came together to celebrate renowned Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during an assembly on Jan. 18 at Northeast Elementary School.

Students studied Dr. King’s life and his contributions to the United States and the world in their classes. When they gathered for the schoolwide celebration, Principal Dr. Pauline Collins asked several students to share what they learned. The youngsters cited Dr. King’s commitments to kindness and peace, and how he fought hard to ensure that all students could attend school together regardless of race.

Led by music teacher Nicole Altamura, students joined hands for a vocal performance of “Sing About Martin.” They concluded the assembly by singing “This Little Light of Mine.” In between, they heard an excerpt of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Dr. Collins said it is important for students to understand why they have a day off from school each January — to celebrate Dr. King’s efforts toward peace and equality. She also reminded them to incorporate the values he preached into their everyday lives.

“We should have respect for each other regardless of our differences,” she said. “We actually share a lot more in common.”