The Berry Hill Buzz

Dear Berry Hill Families,

As we approach the Winter Recess, I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting updates and reflect on the wonderful happenings at our school this month.

While our students are always doing kind things, our staff was busy "catching" students being kind and caring community members this month. Our baseball stadium wall is now almost completely covered with baseballs featuring students' names. We are so proud of the PRIDE they continue to show each day.

Our "No Place for Hate" activity had students from different grade levels working together to think about their wishes for peace and kindness in our community and world. It was heartwarming to see their collaborative efforts and thoughtful ideas. Please see below for pictures of our Wishes for Kindness Trees that are bringing our main lobby to life.

A huge thank you to our PTA for providing us with the opportunity to shop at our winter boutique. It was delightful to see our students' math skills come into play as they paid for their items, and even more wonderful to witness their joy and excitement. We are also immensely grateful for the overwhelming number of donations for our coat, toy, and LI Harvest drives. Your generosity demonstrates the importance of giving to others, and we cannot thank our amazing families enough for their contributions.

Our Peer Helpers from Syosset High School visited our 1st graders this month. We always love spending time with our high school role models, and it’s a pleasure to see the positive impact they have on our younger students.

Lastly, our 4th and 5th grade students showcased their musical talents at our annual winter concert. The music that filled our gymnasium was nothing short of amazing, and we couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and dedication.

December has flown by in the blink of an eye. As we head into the Winter Recess, I want to wish those who celebrate a happy holiday season and a happy new year to all of our wonderful Berry Hill families. It has been an honor to serve this community, and I am excited to see what 2025 has in store for us!

Here are some questions to ask your child about Berry Hill this month:

• We celebrated the word respect this month. What does it mean to be respectful? How can you show someone respect? What book did you read in your classroom that helped you understand the word respect?
• What was your favorite song at the Winter Concert? Which musical group did you enjoy the most and why?
• What games have you been learning in Physical Education? Can you teach me what you learned?

Here are our "Wear It Wednesdays" for January. Students are invited to wear:

• 1/8: Cozy clothes or Pajamas
• 1/15: Favorite Snow Hat
• 1/22: Clothing with Polka Dots (It's National Polka Dot Day!)

Our next PRIDE Day will be on Friday, January 31st. We encourage our students to wear their PRIDE shirts this day as we learn about integrity.

Warm Regards,

Mrs. Wasserman

1/1/25: Schools Closed, New Year's Day

1/2: Welcome Back to School!

1/6: Picture Retake Day and 5th Grade Picture

1/6: BOE Meeting @ 8:00 PM @ South Woods

1/8: Wear cozy clothes or pajamas today!

1/9: 3rd Grade Trip to United Skates of America

1/15: Meteorologist Assembly for Kindergarten and 3rd Grade Students

1/15: Wear your favorite snow hat to school today!

1/15: PTA Reflections Presentation and Meeting starting at 7:00 PM

1/16: 5th Grade Curriculum Celebration

1/16: SEPTA Meeting (virtual) @ 7:45 PM

1/17: 4th Grade Trip to Long Island Children's Museum

1/20: Schools Closed, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/22: It's National Polka Dot Day! We're clothing with polka dots!

1/24: End of Second Marking Period

1/27-1/31: Great Kindness Challenge Week

1/27: SkyDome Planetarium Assembly for 1st and 5th Grade Students

1/29: Schools Closed, Lunar New Year

1/31: PRIDE Day (Wear your PRIDE shirt today!), Jared Campbell Assembly for all students

2/4: Mulitcultural Night

2/7: Report Card Portal Opens

We are thrilled to share the results of our exciting newsletter name contest! Our students showed remarkable creativity and enthusiasm, submitting a wide range of fantastic names. After much deliberation and a round of voting by our students, we are delighted to announce that the winning name is **"The Berry Hill Buzz"**! A huge thank you to everyone who participated and made this contest a success. We loved seeing the innovative and thoughtful ideas from our students.

For our recent No Place for Hate activity, all of our classes read the book I Am Peace by Susan Verde, which emphasizes the importance of mindfulness—being fully present in the moment. Through mindfulness, children can manage their emotions, make good choices, and balance their busy lives by learning to express emotions through speech, find empathy through imagination, and marvel at the beauty of the natural world. After reading the book, students met with peers from other classes to discuss the positive changes they wished to see in our school, community, and world. Each pair decorated a tag and wrote their wish on it before placing it on one of our two Kindness Trees displayed in the main lobby. The students loved collaborating and thoughtfully considered how to enhance our school environment for everyone, demonstrating their commitment to creating a kind and caring community.

Please check out the presentation linked here to learn about how you can access your student's account at home. Once you are logged into Class Link, you can see your child's math workbook, Google Classroom, apps they are using in school, and much, much more.

In December, Berry Hill's first graders had an exciting visit from the Syosset High School Peers as Leaders! These high school role models came to help our young learners understand their emotions better. The students had a blast playing an emotions game, which made learning about feelings both fun and interactive. They also enjoyed working in small groups, allowing them to get to know the high schoolers and learn from their experiences. It was a heartwarming and educational experience for everyone involved, fostering a sense of community and support between our elementary and high school students. The first graders can't wait for their new friends to visit again! 😊

It was a musical extravaganza from morning to night! During the day, our students had a fantastic time listening to their peers perform, creating a vibrant and supportive atmosphere. The excitement continued into the evening as we welcomed parents to our incredible concert. We were treated to performances by our Senior Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, 4th and 5th Grade Chorus, and Senior Band. Each group was remarkable, showcasing their hard work and immense talent. We are so proud of our students for their dedication and enthusiasm. It was a night to remember, celebrating the musical achievements of our amazing students! 🎵🌟

SEPTA is Syosset's Special Education PTA. SEPTA is proud to serve and represent every school in the Syosset Central School District. Membership is open to everyone. Please see the link attached here to join!

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Berry Hill Elementary School

Main Office: Mrs. Martinez and Mrs. Cohan

Website: www.syossetschools.org
Phone: (516) 364-5790