Students in Livingston Public Schools celebrated their 100th day of school, though you’re never too sure exactly when that day will fall, especially with unexpected days off for snow or – like this year – a hurricane.
Luckily, we have kindergarten students keeping track, counting off by ones from the first day of school when 100 days seems a long way off, then learning to count by fives, and then as the weeks slip by, ones, and fives and tens.
“To a kindergartner, 100 is the biggest number in the world,” said Julie Bachrach, a teacher at Burnet Hill, who celebrated the 100th day milestone as Burnet Hill’s Teacher of the Year.
It was the same cross town, where Jeannie Murray-Connell at Harrison strummed her guitar along with the “100 Day Song” she wrote 15 years ago. Altogether, Mrs. Connell, another Teacher of the Year, has celebrated 100 Days with 29 different classes.
Thanks to our kindergarteners, we know the 100th day fell on the day we returned to school from Winter Break. "You're one hundred days smarter!" my friend's daughter Grace told her sister. Or as my niece Natalie at Hillside reported, “100 days mean school is almost over and summer is almost here. Only 80 more to go!”
Back in September, 100 days seemed very far away. “The kindergarteners automatically see 100 as a landmark and start figuring out how many days until they reach that goal,” Ms. Bachrach said.
In the iconic children’s book about Miss Bindergarten’s Kindergarten class, students bring in “100 of some wonderful, one-hundred-full thing!” And boy did they ever here in Livingston. At Burnet Hill, we saw children share a rainbow fish with 100 scales, a hat with 100 puzzle pieces, and a necklace strung with 100 ladybug beads, and a piece of art museum-worthy with 100 melting crayons mixing into a cacophony of colors. (See a slide show of photos by clicking here).
At Hillside, kindergarteners wore crowns made with 100 fingerprints and worked with their fifth grade buddies on beading necklaces using 100 pieces of cereal.
At Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, students ran in place for 100 seconds. Riker Hill students got physical as well, with 100 exercises, jumping jacks and toe touches crunched in groups of ten.
Zero the Hero, a kindergarten teachers’ favorite superhero, helps introduce the idea of place value and a visit from the celebrity is a highlight of the celebrations. The persona makes math tasks more exciting, inspiring young students to learn the function of zero as a numerical placeholder.
Just don’t tell the kids at Collins that the masked superhero is married to librarian and media specialist Sheila H. Stafford. “It works like a charm, as none of the kids know him and no one thinks he is someone's dad,” Stafford said. “I think he enjoys it more than the kids.”
After his visit, the Collins students completed their "Zero Hero" books by writing about what they think his next adventure will be.
We’re not sure if it’s the same masked math hero, but at Harrison we heard reports of every student wearing the trademark Zero the Hero glasses.
Getting to 100 was so much fun at Riker Hill, that they decided to go one more with 101 Dalmation Day. And like all the celebrations, that one was spot on!
Parents of incoming kindergarteners can learn the ABCs of what to expect at Livingston Public Schools at an orientation meeting for parents at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, at the Heritage Middle School auditorium.
Parents have been registering students into the LHS Class of 2026 (can you believe?) at the Central Office of Livingston Public Schools. Call our Registrar Amy Ennis to schedule an appointment at 973-535-8000, ext. 8002.
Read more news from Livingston Public Schools on the District's website @ www.livingston.org
