Strawtown Family Newsletter

Dear Strawtown Families,

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." This quote resonates with me as we settle into the new school year because, in a new school year, the children and staff begin a new adventure that will bring new learning, relationships, challenges, and opportunities to grow. The new sense of this adventure is one of the great things about working in an elementary school because a sense of wonderment returns to the hallways. Still, there is comfort in seeing the established routines and structures that help each student grow and thrive unfolding each week. I know that the professional staff here at Strawtown is working hard to ensure that this growth happens, and just like the beauty of the leaves changing color each fall, when we see student growth, whether academic or from a social-emotional standpoint, it is always an incredible sight!

As I stated on both "Meet the Teacher" nights, families are a very important part of each child's success formula. Children thrive when they feel supported, so we value you as partners in education. There will be ups and downs throughout the year, and helping the children navigate highs and lows is incredibly important. If you have any questions or need support, please let me know, and I will always be happy to engage in dialogue, as we all want students/children to have the best year possible.

In Partnership,

Colin Andersen

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Picture Day:

Remember, this Wednesday, October 2nd, is Picture Day! Please send your child in the outfit that you wish them to be photographed in. Students will not be allowed to change before their picture time slot.

Tech-Loaner Program:

Through our Tech-Loaner program, each Clarkstown child receives a Chromebook. To take those devices home each school year, each household must complete the Tech-Loaner Form. We still need many responses for this form, so if you have not finished it yet, please do so in the next few days!

Arrival and Dismissal:

Please try to build consistency with your child's arrival and dismissal routines. Frequent changes are complex for the kids to navigate and may cause confusion for us here at the building level or on buses. We want to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal at all times. At the same time, I understand life happens, so if a necessary change occurs, please make sure to email your child's teacher and the main office at strawtownoffice@ccsd.edu no more than 24 hours before the dismissal change and please not after 12:30 on a school day unless it is an emergency. This communication is essential to accuracy when there are dismissal changes. In addition, for car pickups/drop-offs, please ensure not to pass anyone in the parking lot, even if you offload your child faster than the person in front of you.

Elementary School Referendum Bond:

On October 8th, a community-wide bond referendum will be held for essential upgrades to the elementary school infrastructure. Please make your voice heard by voting on this date.

Lunch Reminders

Please try to review the school lunch menu with your child if they are planning to buy lunch. Helping your child know what they plan to order for lunch helps expedite our lunchtime processes. In addition, the more familiar they are with their PINs, the faster the lunch line moves. Please remember that while lunch and breakfast are offered this year at no charge, students require funds to purchase snacks using their school bucks account.

Assemblies this Month:

This month, we will welcome former NFL player Steve Grant to discuss pursuing their dreams with our Grades 3-5 students. As a huge football fan, I think it will be an exciting talk for the kids. Our K-2 students will have their first Cultural Arts Assembly as we welcome The Great and Powerful Dave, who will perform a show centered around many of our new community values! In addition, we had a welcome-back assembly last month, which I co-led with several of our 5th graders about our new community motto. One of my goals this year is to enhance student leadership in the building, and throughout the year, our 5th graders will help me host even more assemblies as our "elementary" seniors.

Halloween Parade:

Our annual Halloween Parade will take place on October 31st at 1:30 p.m. We will walk around the Strawtown Circle three times with the students in Grades K-5. Later this month, I will send more detailed information about this fun event!

Cellphones, SMART Watches, Gum:

As a reminder, students should not have cellphones or Smartwatches on during the day. They should remain off and placed in the bottom of the backpack. If a device goes off during the day, the teachers will remind each student to turn it off. If a student misuses the device repeatedly, it may be taken away and must be picked up by an adult. In addition, as a reminder, gum is not allowed during the school day. I appreciate your cooperation with this guideline.

Lighthouse Committee:

Each school year, we form a Lighthouse Committee comprising Strawtown educators and parents/guardians from the school community. The committee's purpose is to act as a thought exchange to help develop new initiatives for Strawtown in the years to come. We will meet three times this year, approximately once a trimester. The meetings are typically about 45 minutes and are hosted on Zoom. I am looking for 4-5 parents/guardians to join the group this year. Please use this form to sign up for the committee. If there are more than five volunteers, I will draw randomly.

Daily Reflections:

My wife and I are at the elementary level as an educator and administrator, and it is still hard to get details about our kids' school day beyond the basics of whether it was good or bad. I started looking into how to get more information and compile different resources. One technique is to ask open but focused questions. Please see this resource that has 25 questions to try to ask your child about their school day. I hope you find this information helpful!

October Calendars:

Please use this link to access the October calendar for the events happening at Strawtown this month. You can also use this link to see the October school lunch menu.

Principal

Strawtown Elementary

Email: candersen@ccsd.edu
Website: https://www.ccsd.edu/Page/21
Location: Strawtown Elementary School, Strawtown Road, West Nyack, NY, USA
Phone: 845-624-3473