Strawtown Family Newsletter

Dear Strawtown Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! As I said in my previous letter this summer, I hope you had a fantastic summer, but I am eager to welcome you to the new school year on Tuesday morning. Our dedicated custodial staff has meticulously prepared the building, and our educators have been setting up their classrooms for the big day for weeks. They are equally eager to see the smiling faces of our students and facilitate another year of great learning here at Strawtown Elementary!

Each year will present joys and challenges regardless of where you are in your elementary journey: first-child, last-child, primary grades, elementary grades, or upper grades. It is important to remember that learning for children is not always linear, and each child has unique strengths and needs. We will work diligently to create a learning environment where your child can find their own personal best. I am also excited to roll out our new school motto this year, Harnessing Confidence, Compassion, and Curiosity, to inspire our students to become Kind and Responsible citizens! We will integrate our new motto into daily school life throughout the school year.

Our community is strong, and I want to welcome in all of our new members who have joined us this year! On Tuesday, your child will bring home the Strawtown Family Handbook and other important paperwork for the upcoming school year. Please take a look at the documents carefully. I value a strong home-to-school link, so please know my door is always open. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at candersen@ccsd.edu

I wish you a restful Labor Day weekend. I will see everyone here on Tuesday morning, beginning at 7:52!

In Partnership,

Colin Andersen

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Back to School Routines:

Returning to school routines can be one of the biggest challenges to the school year. I am going through that process at home right now, but as we all establish our new routines for the school year, this article from Healthline might be helpful in your home in the first few weeks of the school year!

Emergency Drills:

As part of New York State's new regulations, I will notify the community of a timeframe in which emergency drills will occur. If the drill did not occur for an unforeseen reason, I will email the rescheduled time frame, so please be on the lookout for those notification emails. Our first fire drill will be conducted the week of September 9th.

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. Please complete this form as soon as possible to expedite the Chromebook distribution process. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Arrival and Dismissal:

Please have a look at the Family Handbook for more specific arrival and dismissal procedures. All processes remain the same from last year. Adhering to these protocols will help expedite the process and ensure all students get home safely. For any dismissal change from the regular routine, please email your child's teacher and the main office at strawtownoffice@ccsd.edu. Also, during the first few days of the school year, there may be some busing delays, so please be patient as the drivers acclimate themselves to the new routes for the upcoming school year.

Meet the Teacher Nights:

Our "Meet the Teacher" Nights will be held in September. Our K-2 night will be on September 17th, and our 3-5 evening will be on September 24th. Each evening will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude promptly at 8:30.

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 attention to these matters.

Elementary School Referendum Bond:

On October 8th, there will be a community-wide bond referendum vote for essential upgrades to the elementary school infrastructure. Please see this video from Dr. Baiocco for more information on the bond and voting times.

September Calendars:

Please use this link to access the September calendar for the events happening at Strawtown this month. If you would like to see the September school lunch menu, you can use this link.

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