PTA By George
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Principally Speaking...
McVey students continue to “Get Smart”. March is
Mighty Mind Month and each day this month,
Mighty Mind has challenged the students to “get
smart” in a fun fashion. Challenges have included
noticing something in nature and researching it to
find out more about it, teaching something to a parent
or sibling, finding synonyms for words and using alliteration. The children have been writing about their
challenges and several students have been highlighted
on the morning announcements for their efforts.
Next month, our Earth Savers Club in conjunction
with our Human Dignity Committee will be celebrat-
ing Earth Month. We look forward to increasing our
awareness of the environment and our annual Earth
Week.
The New York State Assessments
The students in grades 3, 4 and 5 have been preparing
for the New York State Assessments and they are just
around the corner. The ELA assessment will be administered on April 16th, 17th and 18th while the Math assessment will take place on April 24th, 25th and 26th.
The Science assessment for grade 4 will begin on May
22nd. We look forward to a testing season filled with
proper nutrition, adequate sleep, healthy exercise and
From the Desk of Mrs. Alfano
It has been a very long and harsh winter, but our
students and staff have persevered! We are so fortunate to have such a strong school to home connection. Teachers and administration know that they can
count on the support of parents to help our children
reach their full potential, both academically and
socially. It is important we continue to work together
to promote a positive learning environment. The
Human Dignity Team strives to integrate meaningful
messages and lessons into the students’ daily
learning.
McVey’s Theatre Production of “Bye Bye Birdie”
was outstanding. It was a thrill for some of the
younger students to see their older siblings on stage
singing and dancing. The entire cast worked so hard,
on stage and behind the curtain. The boys and girls
were extremely excited to perform for their family
members. Parents were filled with pride during the
evening performance. As always, watching the children on stage was a very heartwarming and entertaining experience.
The Winter Concert, once again, packed a full house at
the East Meadow High School. The children and the
music department turned out a stellar performance for
all to enjoy. The audience was treated to a surprise
treat by McVey’s band, which performed some
“spooky” songs that were originally planned for Halloween. Due to “Super Storm Sandy” the performance
was delayed. The auditorium was filled with proud
family members. It was a delightful evening!
McVey’s kindergarten students are thrilled with the
new Smart Boards in the classrooms. It was great to
hear the boys and girls exclaim, “Wow! Learning is fun
and cool!”
Spring Break is rapidly approaching! I hope everyone
takes this time to rejuvenate and come back refreshed,
and ready to tackle the last leg of the school
year. There is still so much to do, but together we can
move mountains! Our staff, students and parents are
second to none!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Alfano
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 1
Principally Speaking...
great academic performance. McVey will be holding
“Brain Gym” on the mornings of each of the assessment dates starting at 8:30 as we have done in the past.
All students in grades 3, 4 and 5 are invited to attend.
Traffic Update:
Although the traffic situation at dismissal has
improved, we have not achieved our goal of complete
safety for our children. As such, please be reminded of
the following:
U-Turns are prohibited on Franklin Avenue
between Devon and 6th Street
Double-parking is prohibited
Students are not permitted to get into a car unless
the car is next to the curb (students cannot enter
the street to enter a car that is in a “doubleparked” position)
If crossing the street is necessary to enter a vehicle,
your child must be walked across the street –
not called across.
In addition, drop-off for early morning clubs and
academies has become a concern. When dropping
off your child for a club or academy, please park on
the proper side of Franklin and walk your child
across the street to the school side of the street or
make sure that they get out on the curb side of the car
if you are parked on the school side of Franklin.
Children should not be dropped off in the parking lot.
The safety of our students is of paramount importance. It is imperative that all drivers comply with
traffic safety laws so that our children are not put in
danger.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to a beautiful and safe spring. Please enjoy the
spring break and helping your children “stay smart”
during such! :)
Very truly yours,
Mrs. Dunne
Bye, Bye, Birdie
interference from Albert’s mother (Shayanne Stergis).
Rosie comes up with a plan to have Conrad kiss one
of his fans goodbye on national television before he
leaves for the army. She chooses Kim MacAfee
(Daisy Delgado) and Kim is thrilled! Unfortunately,
Kim’s boyfriend Hugo (Josh Wax) and her father
(Gabriel Suarez) aren’t happy about this at all. As
This year, the McVey Players performed the musical
“Bye, Bye, Birdie”. It was a smashing success! The
students worked hard from the auditions in October all
the way through the performances the week of February 4th. The rock and roll story of Conrad Birdie
(played by Casseus Felton) being drafted into the army was full of energy and excitement! As Conrad is
drafted, his manager Albert (Ryan Polehinke) is
desperately trying to save his music company and
keep his girlfriend Rosie Alvarez happy. Rosie
(Jordan Casey) wants Albert to leave the music
business so they can be happy together, without
everything falls apart, Albert finds a way to take care
of business one last time before he goes off to live
with Rosie happily ever after. Each and every student
did a fantastic job and we congratulate them on their
wonderful performances!
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 2
PTA Presidents’ Message
Spring is calling at McVey!
Winter is winding down and signs of spring are popping up all over! Our cultural arts committee has
brought us wonderful shows and more is yet to come.
Thank you to Heather Parker for broadening our children’s horizons with all these wonderful assemblies
she has scheduled for the McVey children! She has
brought them wonderful combinations of entertainment and education which makes for an outstanding
combination.
Thank you to Rachelle Cavanaugh for an exciting
Family Bingo Night. Prizes and fun galore who can
ask for more!
PARP was a huge success! Thanks to Kathleen Reynolds for providing all the exciting reading activities
such as pajama day and Library Lotto. If you were
lucky to pass by our PTA bulletin board you have seen
the spectacular display of this year’s PARP theme
“Exercise Your Mind…. Read! A giant thank you and
a WOW go out to Annette Maldonado on an amazing
job on creating this stunning display. On Friday March
15th we were able to have many distinguished readers
for Guest Reader Day.
Thank you to Danielle Sjoholm for once again organizing the Barnes and Noble fundraising night. The
children listened to many different guest readers, received tattoos from Annabelle the Clown and prizes
were handed out to all. We also got to listen to music
from our wonderful band and orchestra. I cannot say
thank you enough to Danielle who year after year has
made this such a wonderful fun event. She works tirelessly to create a fun filled exciting evening and if I’m
not mistaken has probably already started planning for
next year’s event!
Thank you to Dawn Patterson for providing the children with Movie Night. This year Pre-K -2nd grade got
to see Madagascar 3 and grades 3-5 saw Wreck-ItRalph. All children were provided with fresh popcorn,
juice and water. All the children received a raffle ticket for a chance to win the movie or a movie themed
gift basket. The children had a fun night watching the
movie with their friends nice and comfy in their PJ’s.
Our next blood drive will be April 22nd. Please give
hope to others by donating some blood on this day.
Blood donors are true heroes. In fact your one blood
donation will be broken down into several components, enabling you, with just one donation, to save up
to three lives! Thank you to Maria Abels for running
this program.
Staff Recognition day is on its way. Flyers have gone
out asking for donations of food, paper goods, drinks
and volunteers to help out at the event. Please consider helping out in any way you can. Thank you once
again to Donna Doran for running this event.
Once again we would like to thank:
Michelle Gentile, for providing the children with the
used book sale. And an outstanding job with the
McVey PTA Scrapbook.
Lisa Amblo, for keeping track of our members.
Kathleen Walker, for giving the children an opportunity to express themselves through Reflections.
And of course, Kathleen Reynolds for publishing this
wonderful issue of By-George.
Thank you to all of our Volunteers who make all of
our fundraisers and givebacks possible.
McVey PTA would also like to extend a warm welcome to all of our Pre-K students and their families.
Linda Giblin
PTA President
Inside This Issue
PTA President’s Message
p3
PTA Committee Reports
p 8-10
Bye, Bye Birdie
p2
Student Reporters
p 4-6
K-Kids
p7
Read Across the Gym
p7
Science Lab News
p7
From the Kids’ Point of View
p 11-12
Important Reminders
p6
Upcoming Events
p 10
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 3
Student Reporters
McVey Presents for Pennies Patients by Allison Obiem
Pennies for Patients comes back to McVey this year. This is a fun fundraising program because you get to fill
someone’s bucket which fills yours too. And to make things more exciting, the McVey Student Council might
give a surprise to the whole school, but only if the school can fill the jugs.
Pennies for Patients is raising money for people in need. Jugs are placed at the
cafeterias for students to fill with their spare change. The money will be going to
Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Donations can be giving from now to March
15th. Hopefully, we students will raise more money than we did last year.
Pennies for Patients is a program that should be in more schools. It is a program
that doesn’t only apply to one sickness, but it helps almost all kinds of sicknesses.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma society did a great thing by starting pennies for
patients.
Maybe more societies will do things like this to make our communities a better
place to live. This year I hope McVey is determined to raise more money than
they did last year.
Lisa McMann Comes to McVey by Mary Donnelly
Lisa McMann, an author, came to McVey to talk about her writing process and many of her books. Some books she has written are the
Infinity Rings series and the UNWANTEDS.
Her amazing books made everyone in the room want to read them in
seconds. Lisa McMann writes children, young adult, and adult books.
Lisa McMann talked about her children books. One that I think everyone
loves is Infinity Rings. I am currently reading one of books from the
Infinity Rings series and it is amazing. I am reading the first one and it
is about time travel to “Fix the past and save the future”.
McVey Loves Bingo!!!! by Zahra Lakhani
On February 1, the McVey PTA hosted the McVey Family Bingo Night. The caller, Mr. Targove, made
everyone laugh. There were raffles, friends, and of course bingo!
When you walked into McVey, you signed your name and had to take a raffle ticket. The other ticket went
into a bin that Mr. Targove picked out of. If your number was picked, you got to go to the raffle table and
pick a prize.
Of course at the door you also received a pack of bingo cards and a crayon to mark the bingo card!
Mr. Targove used all sorts of ways to play bingo, including regular, boxes, 4 corners, and blackout. Blackout
is the way of playing that requires you to get the entire board colored in to win. If you won, you get to go to
another table of prizes (not the raffle table) and pick another prize!
Everyone had a ball at the McVey Family Bingo Night. If only we could have McVey PTA’s family bingo
night every night!!!
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 4
Student Reporters
McVey School Hosted Anti Bullying Program by Jordan Casey
The Power of One came to McVey with Moony and Monica to share something about bullying. These
actresses came to McVey to teach children that they have the power of one, to stop bullying. Moony and
Monica acted out scenes that included cyber bullying ,physical bullying, and verbal bullying. They had three
masks the bully, the target and the bystander. Each mask had a color, the color showed the roles emotion. The
target was purple, the bully was green, and the bystander was yellow. Moonie and Monica chose children to
play those roles, and feel the emotions of the character. Just by watching it I can see and feel how bad the
target feels. At the end of the show they revealed the “power of one”. It was a mirror to show that you have
the power of one.
Performing In Bye Bye Birdie by Sarena Sahadeo
I played Mrs. MacAfee in the musical, Bye, Bye Birdie, which was performed this
past February. It was so exciting to be on stage performing for the whole school and
my parents. I was also very nervous being on stage in front of all those people. The
auditions were way back in the Fall and you had to perform in front of all your friends
in fourth and fifth grade. When I was on stage performing, I had to remember so many
lines and was hoping that I wouldn't forget anything! I also had to remember my stage
directions. Stage directions is the name for where you move on stage. I had to keep
going left, then right, then up stage, then downstage again! It was very tiring to keep
moving everywhere! Since the stage is so much bigger now, the cast of next year’s
musical will have more room to move around.
We’d like to thank Mr. Angeli for directing a wonderful performance and the PTA for throwing an amazing
after-party for the Cast and Crew. From the rehearsals to the performances, We had so much fun!
Lights, Camera, Action!!! by Marabelle DeLaurentis
You see all eyes on you as you walk onto a stage , the lights go on you, you get a little nervous but say your
line proudly. Everyone claps and you smile. Now you walk off the stage to get ready for the next scene!
This just happened to me and most of my friends. “How?”, you might ask? Well, 4th and 5th graders at
McVey school got to be in a play, called Bye, Bye Birdie. It was directed by Mr. Angeli, a math teacher, who
has done an amazing job!
In the play, Daisy Delgado played Kim MacAfee, one of our stars in the play. Joshua Wax, also one of the
stars in the play, was Hugo, Kim's boyfriend who has just gone steady with her. The star, Conrad Birdie, was
played by 4th grader Casseus Felton. Mr. and Mrs. MacAfee, Kim's parents, were played by Gabriel Suarez
and Sarena Sahadeo, Arial and Ursula was played by Allyson and Anna Hollywood. I was in the teen quartet,
or in our case , the teen quintet. It was me, Marabelle DeLaurentis, Madison Muggeo, Madison Miranda, Carolyn Romeo, and later on we were joined by sad face girl, Emily Incammicia.
Playing as the teen quintet was fun. The one bad thing about it is that now I have nightmares of the song we
sang! :) We even had a dance to go with it and matching t-shirts!
We had some rough times during our practice, but in the end it was great! It was also really fun doing it
because I love to be on stage and say my lines. I love seeing my friends, teachers, and parents out there. This
showed everyone what me ,and my friends, are capable of.
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 5
Student Reporters
McVey School Jump Ropes For Heart by Madison Muggeo
Students at McVey Elementary School jump roped to help the American Heart
Association. Grades 1-5 jump roped in the gym on Valentines Day! According
to some students that I talked to, they said “It was the best event all year!” The
4th and 5th graders made posters for the event to represent their “jumping
team”.
McVey School raised a lot of money for the American Heart Association.
Together we raised over $10,500.00 in donations.
Not only did the students jump rope, some teachers did also. For example,
Mrs. Cirillo, Mrs. O'Neill Mrs. Conklin, and even Mrs. Dunne, all enjoyed a
little jump-roping for a good cause.
McVey shows their love with the Show of Love! by Brianna Bourne
Joe Trionfero who is a professional entertainer and motivational speaker came to McVey on Friday March
1st. He taught students how to listen not only with their ears, but to listen with their
minds.
He did this by playing parts of a song and asking, not only the students, but the
teachers to name the song title or the person who sung the song. The students that
answered correctly got a chance to go up in the front of the gym and play again. But,
this time he played music clips from movies and asked what the character that was
speaking was feeling. This second round was a big hit!
The students that won the second round got to participate in the grand finale.
Students were very very enthusiastic about that. Student Emma Ryall ,who never
stopped trying in the second round, was rewarded for her persistence by getting a
chance in the final round! Joe recognized that she showed great potential.
In the final round, there was one question that student Zahara Lakani had to answer
in order to win. The question was, “If kids are sitting in a circle and someone is
getting bullied, who is more popular in that circle? Is it the bully or the person that
stands up to the bully?” Joe turned to the crowd for their answer. The McVey
students were not puzzled. They knew that the person who was more popular to them was the person who
stood up to the bully. That answer showed that McVey really learned a lot from that assembly. Way to go
McVey and remember to continue to Show Your Love!
Important Reminders
*Physical Education—Please remember that students must wear either velcro or sneakers with shoelaces on
gym days in order to participate. Also, jewelry is not permitted during class, please remove before school.
*Box Tops—Please continue to save these for our school. Bonus Box Top Coupons need to be submitted separately from the sheets, please do not attach them. Thank You!
*Labels for Education & Coke Rewards - Please continue to save these for our school.
*PTA Membership—If you have not already done so, please consider joining the McVey PTA. In order to
volunteer for our many events, you must be a PTA member.
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 6
K-Kids
The McVey K-Kids have been working hard on their
service projects. Students collected for UNICEF in
late October and early November. In November, we
collaborated with the Student Council in the food
drive. Food was collected, sorted and then separated
into family packages to be distributed by Kiwanis.
December brought our “Snowing Kindness” project.
Families chose a snowman with a particular item on
it. After purchasing the item, it was returned with the
snowman and included with items for that family. We
were happy to be able to help a number of families in
our community. In February, we made Valentines to
be given at a Veteran’s hospital. At our last meeting,
the students decorated and stuffed lunch bags with
snacks to be given out at Bethany House. Bethany
House helps numerous mothers and children have a
safe place to stay. Some messages included “Enjoy
the snacks”, “Have a nice day”, and “You are great!”
The students are looking forward to spring and many
more projects to come.
Mrs. O’Regan
Read Across the Gym
In honor of the great Theodor Seuss Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss), birthday
and to help prompt PARP week, we have turned the
gymnasium into the wonderful world of Seuss. We have created
twelve different physical activities based on Dr. Seuss books.
We’ve discussed with the students that, because of Dr. Seuss’ use of
rhyming and sight words, these books are beneficial to early readers.
At each station we keep a copy of the book that inspired the station so
the students can flip through and read a few pages as they are waiting
their turn.
We collaborated with Ms. O’Neil, the school librarian, on this
lesson so she could incorporate Dr. Seuss books in her lessons with the
1st grade classes.
Mrs. O’Regan & Mr. Simone
Physical Education
Science Lab News
How big is a meter? How small is a centimeter? If
you have a second grader they should be able to answer these questions in an instant. The students spent
the months of December and January being introduced
to the Metric System, with each student getting the
opportunity to measure solids, liquids and gases using
real science tools and equipment. They were followed
by third graders learning all about Buoyancy and the
properties that give objects the ability to sink or
float. How many of them went home to say they
needed to take a bath to see how much water they
displaced?
The McVey Science Lab is always an exciting place to
visit and learn about science and its relationship to our
world. We look forward to the spring and our annual
Kindergarten Dinosaur and First Grade Flower Power
Days and to spending time outdoors at Harmony Pond.
Mrs. Volpe & Mrs. Sambar
Science Department
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 7
PTA Committee Reports
SEPTA
East Meadow SEPTA (Special Education Parent Teachers Association) is an integral part of the East Meadow
PTA community. They are a district-wide PTA whose
primary function is to act both as an advocacy and support group for children, teachers and families of special
needs students. As the school year moves on the SEPTA committee continues to put forth fun activities for
students and enlightening and educational programs for
parents. We hope you come out and join us. All are
welcome to attend the general meetings or events which
are listed on the school calendar. They are open to anyone who would like to come down. You do not have to
have a special needs child to attend one of the workshops or guest speakers’ presentations.
This winter the SEPTA committee along with the East
Meadow School District helped sponsor the Regional
Braille Challenge. They also had a fun night with a hilarious juggling performance by Jester Jim and raffled
off baskets for free for all that attended. Snacks were
also provided by the SEPTA committee. They also held
their annual recreation fair where vendors from schools,
to camps, to sports clubs, to other activities were present to tell you all the wonderful things around Long
Island that a special needs child could attend or participate in. They had a nice turnout for parents to gather
information all in one setting and refreshments were
served. This was another free event they provided
for the special needs community of East Meadow.
On Tuesday March 12th they had their annual PARP
event and magic performance show and much more
events are planned throughout the year. Be on the
look out for their carnival family fun night it’s an
event you won’t want to miss.
Also for many of you that do not know EM School
district has a Special Education Resource Center
and Library (SERCL). It is located at the Salisbury
Central Administration Building, 718 The Plain
Road in Westbury. The goal is to provide resources
to parents, educators and the school community at
large regarding issues affecting our special education population. It is there to educate parents, teachers and members of our community to familiarize
themselves with legislation, regulations and policies. In this Resource Center they offer professionally run workshops. As a lending library, they provide reference books, magazines, periodicals, video
tapes and CD's which reflect the special education
spectrum of disabilities.
Please contact Marcee Rubinstein at 486-8540 for
more information.
Danielle Sjoholm—McVey SEPTA Chairperson
Holiday Boutique
We had our Holiday boutique on December 6 and 7, 2012. The children were so happy to buy gifts for their
loved ones. We could see the smiles on their faces as they picked their special gifts. Also this year, we decided
to extend the shopping hours on that Friday. We called the event Black Friday and parents were able to come
to purchase gifts. We want to thank everyone who helped make this event a success: Lougene Kennedy, Dawn
Puma, Vicky Lodise, Cindy Rein, Jackie Maltz, Robyn Walsh, Robyn Kessler, Doreen Incammicia,
Lisa Dosil, Michi Masaoka, Justin Weiss, Fran Wax, Anthony Cardone, Donna Doran, Jen Collema, Jeannine
Luisi, Fran Vespoli, Debbie Abrans, Heidi D’Amico, Kathleen Reynolds, Jen Collura, Michelle Gentile,
Heather LoNigro, Nicole Kanas, Ashley Kanas, Emily Jackson, Dakota Jackson, Nick Amedeo, Christopher
DaSilva, Daniel Miranda, Matt Fretitta, and Anna Viteri. I apologize if I forgot to mention anyone.
Thank you so much, - Maria Kanas and Ann Jackson, Committee Chairpeople
Used Book Sale
We had our used book sale on February 21st, we raised $76. Thanks to Lougene Kennedy, Lori Van Houton,
Donna Doran, Vicky Lodise. We do not have enough books to have another used book sale until we replenish
stock, so please continue to send in your gently used books.
Michelle Gentile—Chairperson
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 8
Barnes and Noble Family Night
Our Barnes and Noble Family Literacy and Fun Fundraiser night was a big hit. We had an amazing turnout of
supportive families and McVey staff. This was an evening of lots of fun from storytelling, to musical performances, to our craft table where you could make bookmarks, to the book scavenger hunt and raffles, and prizes galore. All that attended was a winner. The chamber orchestra and our Flute band played music that
sounded from the heavens. Many gathered around to see the McVey musicians showcase their talents and
hard work. Bravo to Miss Finello and Miss Bessel who worked very hard to get the students ready for their
debut. We were also blessed to hear stories being read by our very own Mrs. DeMarco, Mrs. Alfano, and Mrs.
Dunne as well as our recent graduate Angela Moresky “aka little red riding hood”. One could not forget the
funny clown antics show by Annabel the Clown (A McVey Favorite) and her two trusty clown sidekicks (her
daughters Skyler and Alexis). These three worked very hard to make the evening a night to remember for everyone. We are truly blessed to have them as a part of the McVey family.
Upon arriving into the children’s section of Barnes & Noble where our event took place; the Girls from Girl
scout Troops 1073: Skylar Caruso, Cana Brunson, Sophia Armas, Sofie Ramirez, Leila Osman, Amanda
Joglar, Audrey Heyden, and the girls from Troop 3674 Alexis Caruso, Angela Moresky, and Gillian Ramirez,
all of whom are East Meadow Students, and led by Terry Soto, helped all the kids make bookmarks to kick off
the theme of our night. These wonderful girls not only designed the craft, supplied the material, and donated
their time to this event but also came dressed in theme as the favorite book characters. They were outstanding
and a special thank you goes out to all of them. This is a true give back and shows what outstanding kids we
have in East Meadow. The children also got to run through the store and participate in a store wide book hunt
which brought many smiles to their faces and got them intrigued in books. This night also brought much
McVey school spirit out in full force with a wide support of the McVey teaching staff who came out to participate and went above and beyond to show our kids how much reading really matters to them also so thank you
to: Mrs. Dunne, Mrs. Alfano, Mrs. DeMarco, Ms. Kay, Mrs. O”Keefe, Mrs. Hagarty, Mrs. Davico, Mrs. Hackett, Mrs. Berardi, Mrs. Ryder, Mrs. Napolitano, Mrs. McCready, Mrs. Kuzniar, Mrs. Ricci, Mrs. Frances, Mrs.
Gelleri, Mrs. Safren, Mrs. Scala, Miss Champan, Mrs. Suwalski, Mrs. Lombardo and Mr. Fosso. The kids
really enjoyed seeing them there. It was very much appreciated that they took the time out of their busy day to
come.
A special thanks to all of the above volunteers mentioned as well as Sarah Sjoholm, Ashlee Sjoholm, Michael
Sjoholm, Linda Giblin and Dorine Incammicia for helping make the night so much fun. The Barnes and Noble Staff were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with and so I would personally like to thank them especially Cristin Brincat. Also thank you to the East Meadow Herald for the wonderful coverage they gave our
event . If I left anyone out I apologize.
This evening was made possible by the efforts and funds from the McVey PTA I can’t begin to express my
gratitude for everyone’s enthusiasm, support and hard work I hope all that attended had a lot of fun.
Sincerely—Danielle Sjoholm
Bingo night has come and gone. The kids had a blast and so did we. We had a lot of really great prizes to
hand out. I'd really like to thank Mr. Targove and all the parents who volunteered, without it would not have
been a success. We're going to change it up a bit next year and have one for the older kids and one for the
younger ones that way we can have more of you join us. Looking forward to next year!
Rachelle Cavanaugh—Chairperson
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 9
Cultural Arts
The Cultural Arts committee presented several programs to the students of McVey recently. The entire school
had the opportunity to attend The Power of One which had an anti-bullying theme; following that they were
invited to see The Show of Love which also dealt with anti-bullying but incorporated a theme of empathy. In
March the younger students enjoyed a visit from Storycrafters who performed some of their favorite fairy tales
with a modern twist. The fourth graders were presented with a special assembly Journeys into American
Indian Territory—The Woodlands Indian Experience: Native Americans of our Region and Their Lifeways.
Finally, the Kindergarten children were thrilled to see Dr. Seuss story time. All students enjoyed the presentations.
Heather Parker & Erin Olson , Co-Chairpeople
Upcoming Events
We are Going Green! We will not be sending out monthly reminders for upcoming events. They will be
listed in the By-George and they will also be posted on the McVey PTA website which can be accessed by
going to http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/mcveypta or you can go to the East Meadow School Districts website. Click on ‘Our Schools’ then click on ‘George McVey’. Scroll down and click on McVey PTA.
To never miss another PTA announcement or event please sign up for email reminders.
*Staff Appreciation Day—March 21st
*School Spirit Days—March 22nd, April 26th, May 31st
*Spring Recess March 25th—April 2nd School Closed
*PTA Meetings- April 9th – 1pm in the APR
May 14th—7pm in the APR
*Memorial Day - May 27th School Closed
*Blood Drive—The spring blood drive will take place on Monday April 22 from 3:30pm—8pm. Please consider giving the gift of life—one donation can save up to three lives. A flyer will be coming home with more
information. If you are able to volunteer for this event or would like to schedule a priority appointment, please
contact Maria Abels at mariacabels@gmail.com or 917-604-8310.
*Spring Boutique—The students will have a chance to do some shopping on May 9th & 10th. A flyer will
follow with the class schedules.
*Plant Sale—We will have the opportunity to shop for our gardens on May 9th & 10th (Preorder Plant Pickup
on May 8th). A flyer will follow for orders.
*Scholastic Book Fair—Once again, the children will have the opportunity to purchase books at the fair from
May 21-23. This will be a BOGO event so you can stock up your home library! If you can lend a hand please
contact Jill Mallilo or Lauren Nicholson.
*Field Day– Get your sneakers ready for fun at the annual Field Day on May 30th (Rain Date May 31st).
Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. This year the theme for Field Day is “Lets Go To The Movies” with all events based on great movies. This time around I am looking for events to add to the ones already
planned. If you would like to submit an idea for a POSSIBLE field day event that the McVey students may
participate at please email me. Please note that not all submissions will be used. Please contact Danielle Sjoholm if you are available or for event ideas (d.sjoh4@gmail.com) A flyer with more information will follow.
*BBQ—The school wide BBQ will be held on June 6th. If you are able to lend a hand at this fun event please
contact Maria Kanas (mariakanas@yahoo.com). A flyer with more information will follow.
*Garment Sale—due to Sandy, we will reschedule the sale for the spring—more information to follow.
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 10
From the Kids’ Point of View
This spring I am going to play outside.
Jacob Maltz K-201
Spring is a beautiful time of year because all the
flowers bloom.
William Maltz K-202
This spring I am going to the park to play soccer with
my friend and I like taking care of flowers.
Ricardo Palacio K-202
Swimming starts!
Pretty weather comes!
Eli Barrera K-201
Running outside!
Spring is a beautiful season because there are beautiful I have fun playing outside with dad!
flowers. There are butterflies and sometimes you get Nice time to play softball!
to go outside without a heavy coat.
Golf comes back!
Charlotte McKelvey 1-121
Lila Pannacciulli 1-118
Spring is a beautiful time of year because it is my 7th
birthday on May 9th. I love the spring breeze because
it smells like roses.
Jolie Jasmin 1-119
This spring I am going to take swimming lessons.
Spring is a beautiful time of year because flowers start
blooming.
Tyler 1-123
Spring is nice because the flowers bloom and you can
wear short sleeve shirts and you can wear shorts.
Eric Mallilo 2-223
Spring is a beautiful time of year because the flowers
bloom and the weather is great and you get to plant
flowers and go to the park. Spring is a wonderful
season!
Mir Syed 2-224
My favorite thing of spring is to go in the backyard
and play. I like the sun to be out. I think it is fun to be
outside with my family. When the sun is out I feel
good and happy.
Kiran Maharaj 1-126
Roses are Red,
Violets are blue,
I wish Spring was here,
Don’t you?
Jack Olson 2-227
Madison Gerstein 2-226
This spring I am going to a tropical island in May. We
are all going for a wedding.
Stefano Linardi 2-225
My favorite part of spring is you get to go outdoors
and play more. This spring I am going to Washington
D.C. because in spring it’s not too hot or too cold, it’s
perfect weather for sight seeing.
Krista Gigi 3-217
I am looking forward for spring. I am going to Disney
World and visit my grandpa in Florida. We will be
celebrating Easter with him at his condo. We will
swim in his pool and make sand castles on his beach.
Gianna Melanson 3-218
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 11
From the Kids’ Point of View
Spring is a beautiful time of year because the flowers
are blooming and the animals come out to play. Life
gets to begin again with the warmth of the sun and the
change of the leaves colors.
Kenai Febo 3-219
Spring is a beautiful time of year because I love to see
all new flowers and trees blooming. I love when I can
go play outside with my friends. I also love spring
because my birthday is in spring.
Hayley Lenz 3-220
Spring is beautiful
Plants grow and thrive
Recall the spring last year
It is a wonderful time of year
Need to take care of the plants
Glorious flowers bloom
Nishanth C 4-203
Spring Time
Spring is a wonderful time of year,
When all the flowers start to cheer.
Birds and butterflies fly in the sky,
Oh it is so beautiful you’d almost want to cry.
And the gardens and plants we can’t forget them,
With their beautiful petals and tiny green stems.
Dragonflies, of course, they fly high with wings,
Oh, how wonderful is spring!
Sophia Alagna 4-206
Saliha Demir 4-207
Spring Poem
The grass is growing
The flowers are blooming
The faces are cheering
Spring is a wonderful thing!
Matthew Yaill 5-109
Evan Hart 4-205
This spring I am staying home with my family. Spring
is a beautiful time of year because the sun is out, I am
with my family, and flowers are blooming!
Abby Volpe 4-209
My favorite part of spring is to play in the beautiful
grass with the growing flowers. I LOVE SPRING!
Kelsey Vasquez 5-103
Spring is special
Perhaps it is because there are
Rainbows
In the sky, but
Nothing beats
Going outside and seeing all of the beautiful flowers!
Spring has finally sprung!
Marabelle DeLaurentis 5-104
Shining sun
Pretty butterflies
Red roses
Inside is never a choice!
Never gloom
Green grass
Kerry Clark 5-106
March 2013 Kerry Dunne, Principal  Harriet Alfano, Assistant Principal
Page 12