CMS IN THE NEWS

Matthew Mangione stands by his front door which is decorated with the kindness signs he made

Spreading kindness from their doorsteps

The closing of the district has disrupted more than just the way students work and learn. In every school, students have been faced with the disappointment of canceled spring activities and rites of passage.

At CMS, one of the most anticipated milestones, the second grade Kindness Tour, was a victim of the health closure. The annual journey into the community to spread good cheer has been a CMS tradition since it was launched 11 years ago.

“I remember going into second grade being so excited to participate in the Kindness Tour because it was one of the key moments that made second grade so special,” recalled Shannon Meisel, a senior at Mount Olive High School. “It was fun and exciting to go to various places to help them and show how much we care.”

The Kindness Tour typically includes a stop at Warren Haven Nursing Home in Oxford to sing kindness-themed songs to residents and a visit to deliver canned goods to the food pantry at Trinity Church in Hackettstown. This year, students were challenged to spread kindness from their own homes over the course of several days.

The second-graders used some old-fashioned mass communication techniques to deliver messages of hope and kindness. They created lawn signs and posters for their windows, and they also wrote inspirational messages in chalk for their sidewalks and driveways.

Kindness took a more personal turn this year, too. Students made cards for family and friends, offered snacks to their mail carriers, helped siblings with their household chores and schoolwork, and made special treats for their parents and neighbors.

“The world needs kindness right now more than ever before,” said teacher Ann Scotland. “The boys and girls were able to see that they could help connect us all with messages of caring and hope.”

Anvi Luthra, Aisha Khalid, and Tanvee Chebrula work on a Seuss-inspired STEAM project

Celebrating reading

CMS recognized Read Across America Day with activities designed to inspire creativity, engender a lifetime love of reading, and celebrate all things Dr. Seuss.  

The Seuss-related STEAM projects were the highlight of the grade-appropriate activities. First- and second-graders worked in small groups in the Cube to complete a “Cat in the Hat” stacking challenge, a “Lorax” tie-dye art project, and a “Ten Apples on Top” tower-building challenge, among others. 

“Anytime children can see how a book connects to other subjects makes their learning more authentic,” said reading specialist Journie Cifelli, who coordinated most of the day’s activities. “The students had fun challenging themselves and working together.”

Fifth-graders helped their younger schoolmates with the STEAM activities. 

The popular Seuss book “If I Ran the Zoo” was the inspiration for a research project completed by third and fourth grade classes. The students researched the various ways that escaped zoo animals are captured and then designed new homes for the animals. Using Flipgrid, the students made videos to share what they had learned with their classmates.

Nicole Musarra, school principal, kicked off the day’s celebration with a reading of “The Cat in the Hat.” Other guests visited to read to classes including Dr. Rob Zywicki, superintendent of schools, and Matthew Robinson, the district’s director of elementary education.