March was a busy month, and we had a lot of great things happening in the building! Several of our classes went to the Genesee Country Village & Museum to experience the maple sugaring. The kids really enjoyed the activities and learned a lot about how maple syrup is made. Our first graders took a trip to the Strong Museum of Play. Everyone loves the Strong Museum of Play, and our students had a wonderful time. In addition, we celebrated National Women's History Month, National Reading Month, and had an absolutely fabulous instrumental music concert! We are working hard to create a school community that is supportive and provides a wealth of opportunities for our students. Don't forget that in May, our students will be performing the musical Aladdin. You may have noticed the backdrop during the instrumental music concert. The kids are so excited, and really sounding great. I can't wait for the show!
Assistant Principal Announcement
Dr. Waters has taken an extended leave through the end of the school year. I am excited to announce that I have appointed an interim assistant principal. Mrs. Katelyn Clark will be joining us on April 10th when we return from break. She will be filling in for Dr. Waters for the duration of the school year. Katelyn has a degree in special education, and worked as a special education teacher at Monroe One BOCES for several years, before earning her administrative degree. She left BOCES to join the RCSD special education department, where she has worked as a TCOSE, supporting the associate directors of special education. She is excited to be joining our School 46 family, and I hope that you will join me in welcoming her. She will be an excellent addition to our team!
Uniforms
I have noticed that our students are coming without uniforms more often. Please let us know if you are in need of new uniforms as we still have many that we can provide to any student in need. We are a uniform school, so please ensure that your child or children do come to school in uniform. Reach out to the classroom teacher or Mr. McCloud with sizes and quantities if your child has outgrown their uniforms and you need some new ones. We are always happy to help.
NYS ELA & Math Testing
As you are aware, the NYS ELA and Math tests are coming. The ELA test will be administered at the end of this month on April 19 and 20. It is a two day test comprised of multiple choice questions, short responses, and extended responses. In order for us to maintain our status as a school in good standing, we need to reach 95% participation. This participation criteria is critical to maintaining that good standing, in addition to our performance. Please ensure that all students sit for the exams so that we can reach that participation threshold. Thank you for your help with this.
Clubs starting in the Spring
We have some exciting new clubs starting in the spring! When Dr. Rice returns, she will be running an ESports gaming club for both primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-6) students. She will also be running a Girls Who Code Club for girls in grades 3-5. In addition, we will be starting a soccer club in May, made possible through a partnership with the New York State Youth Soccer Association. I am very excited to be able to offer so many enriching activities for our students after school! Information about the clubs will be coming home in backpacks, and will be posted on the School 46 dojo page. Please check your child's backpack for the paper, or ask them about it.
Reflex & Frax
This year, we have had access to two wonderful programs for students in grades 2-6, Reflex Math and Frax Math. Reflex math is a gamified program that helps students gain automaticity with math facts and increase fluency. This is SO important for students to be successful with their math, because being able to automatically access addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts frees up working memory so our students can grapple with more sophisticated mathematics. The program is a lot of fun, and is web-based, so students can access it from anywhere with their login information. Frax is a partner program that helps students to develop a conceptual understanding of fractions. It is also a favorite among students. Please have them spend some time on both programs during the break. It never hurts to get more practice with their facts, and with fractions!
PTA Update
The Read-a-thon fundraiser was a huge hit! And honestly, a win-win for our students. They all need to read more outside of school, and we were able to raise a considerable amount of money for the PTA. That money is used to support popular school events, like the June picnic and our fall meet and greet. Thank you to everyone who participated. And don't forget that you can still order Square One Artwork for the other PTA fundraiser. You should have received paperwork with your child's artwork and a catalog of items you can purchase with the artwork on it, such as tote bags, key chains, mugs, or a matted print. Make sure you get those orders in. Again, all of the money raised goes to supporting whole-school events that help us build a strong school community.
I hope that you all have a wonderful spring break, and want to say thank you again for your partnership and support.
