We Appreciate our HSA
     
 

  • You've become a member.
  • You've purchased items through fundraiser initiatives.
  • You've supported the HSA through financial contribution
  • But where does the money go?

Our staff and students at Kirby's Mill appreciate our parents very much.  The home-school partnership in education is invaluable to the success of the children; not just from a financial standpoint, but the enormous amount of volunteer work parents do every day in and around our school and the academic support parents give their children every day, helping them with their homework, talking with them about their school day, and communicating with teachers regarding their child's progress and areas for support.

This section of our website is designed to focus on reporting the use of financial support offered through our district's Home and School Association.  Medford schools are given financial support periodically throughout the year to be used towards programs, initiatives and projects that benefit the entire school and student body.  Below, you will find the most recent purchases utilizing this money, and a brief description of each.  Please know that we truly appreciate the support and thank you for continuing your dedication to the schools and children of the Medford Township School District.
 

Premier Agendas & Student Planners  
  Student at Kirby's Mill receive student planners to record homework, home-school communication logs, and useful reference pages to help them stay organized and informed.
 
School Decoration - Flags for Entrance  
  To make our front entrance more seasonal, kid-friendly and welcoming, several garden and house flags were purchased.  We now have flags we can rotate out for each season of the year, and several education based flags to display.
 
Music in the Halls  
 

Can listening to music actually make smarter adults of the future? Recent data from the University of Texas indicated that those students who received an arts education that included music received higher SAT scores. Many studies have shown that music can benefit cognitive abilities, particularly spatial abilities, higher reasoning and motor skills, and higher achievements in language and math. And, there’s been a lot of media coverage in recent years about the Mozart Effect: the effect that passive listening to the music of certain classical composers has on a child’s intelligence.  Spatial-temporal reasoning involves comparing, transforming and relating mental images in time and space -- crucial skills needed in the areas of math and science. Increasing spatial reasoning skills will subsequently increase math and science skills and strengthen overall problem solving.  For example, chess is a demonstration of spatial-temporal reasoning skills since players have to think ahead several moves and anticipate various outcomes.  (http://www.raise-a-genius.com/pregnancy.html#music) 

There are certainly other measures of smartness in addition to a person’s brain intelligence. For example, music has also shown to increase overall intelligence by shaping the types of attitudes, interests and discipline within children. Many types of music can be inspiring and incredibly motivational, thereby helping children focus and improve their listening skills. Music can give children the self-confidence and self-esteem they need to succeed in many academic areas or in defining personality traits as they grow older.

Many researchers believe that the earlier a child is exposed to music, the more the brain responds to different music tones. We know that children are easily able to imitate musical phrases and songs. As toddlers, they love to bang on pots and pans, searching for that certain beat that they play over and over again – it’s their way of expressing their feelings and emotions. (http://www.more4kids.com/Articles/article1009.htm)

Thanks to funds from HSA, our school has been able to purchase an iPod and necessary wiring to play classical music through our halls.  During other events and holidays, we will be able to play music pertaining to those days to raise cultural awareness and continue to promote fun and learning at Kirby's Mill.
 
Welcome Banner  
 

A sincere welcome at our entrance as students, staff and visitors see a colorful banner the length of the building as they come to Kirby's Mill.  Thanks to HSA funds, we were able to create an even more welcoming entrance for our children.
 


 
Promethean Boards  
 

Two great additions to our Media Center and one of our 5th Grade Classrooms are Promethean "Active" Boards.  These interactive white boards, with built in surround sound and projectors, bring interactive learning to a new level.  Students and teachers can write on the board using their fingers or markers.  Websites, presentations and programs can be projected onto the board and manipulated by touching the board.  Students love the interaction they have with the lessons being delivered as this technological tool gets them up and involved.