COLEBROOK SCHOOL
APRIL NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Colebrook Families,
It is hard to believe that we are heading into the last quarter of the school year! It is a great time to remind our students, staff and families of our safety practice drills since we will conduct our end-of-the-year drills soon. As part of the requirements through the State Education Department, we complete 12 drills throughout the school year. Eight happen each fall and the rest occur in the spring. While most are fire drills, we also practice lockdown drills and other safety drills, such as Hold-in-Place and Shelter-in-Place. As a K-3 building, all lockdown drills are announced so that students remain calm and safe.
K-3 SAFETY PRESENTATION BY IPD
At West Irondequoit, we value safety and security. On top of our required live drills with students, we also practice reviewing drills with our school’s Health & Safety Teams in what we call “tabletop experiences.” Through this teaming structure, one drill we prepare for is the Reunification Plan, which we would enact if we needed to leave campus for a safety reason and reunite families with their children at an alternate location. Examples when a Reunification Plan would be enacted include a flood or a gas leak. In both events, the building would not be safe until the flood or gas leak was fixed. If either of these scenarios were to happen, we’d safely move students to the school’s relocation site. Those sites for many of our K-3 buildings include local churches and other school buildings in our District.
If we needed to relocate, families would be contacted via our district’s mass notification system with details regarding why the school needed to be evacuated and directions on where to pick up your child. Students would take a short walk to these locations with their teachers and support staff. Our plan is well-designed to ensure that students are safe and calm when moved to the alternate location. Additionally, the plan is designed with the purpose of reuniting students with their families in a smooth and efficient manner.
As part of West Irondequoit’s commitment to safety and security, our Leadership Team continues to collaborate with experts in the field to strengthen protocols in an emergency response. To this end, we have installed a new Lockdown system that will automatically lock doors, alert emergency services, and activate blue lights on the outside of the school building to indicate that the building is in lockdown.
Furthermore, we continue to work with our faculty and staff to consider various perspectives. As always, we hope that we never have to utilize our emergency response plans, but we continue to emphasize the planning process so that we are prepared. Please know that the safety of your children continues to be our top priority.
Thank you for your partnership,
Dr. Brenna Farrell
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: 210 Colebrook Dr.
Principal: Brenna Farrell | brenna_farrell@westiron.monroe.edu
Main office: 585-336-1600
Fax: 585-336-0866
Secretary: Melanie Maloney | Melanie_Maloney@westiron.monroe.edu
Website: Click here
Health Office: 585-336-1608
· Nurse: Lona Cornell
Transportation: 585-336-2992 | Web page
District Office: 585-342-5500 | District website: westirondequoit.org
Social media: Follow @BrennaFarrell9 on X/Twitter and @WestIrondequoit
UPCOMING EVENTS
April
4/1-4/8 NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess
4/8- Helmer Nature Center Eclipse Day Festival 1-5 pm Total Solar Eclipse Day
4/9- School Resumes
4/26 K-4 Half-Day of School (Parent Teacher Conferences)
May
5/5-5/10- Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
5/7-5/9- NYS Grade 3 Math Assessment
5/10- Helmer Nature Center Bloomin' Baskets
5/13- Canidates' Night for BOE Election
5/21- District Vote/BOE Election
5/22- INCOMING 4th Gr PARENT ORIENTATION - IROQUOIS - 6:15 p.m.
5/24- NO SCHOOL- Extra Recess Day
5/27- NO SCHOOL- Memorial Day
5/29- Colebrook Sports Day
5/31- Principal Coffee Hour 5:30 p.m./Colebrook PTSA Family Playground Night 6:30 p.m.
June
6/14- Flag Day
6/19- NO SCHOOL- Juneteenth
6/20- Grade 3 Recognition 9:00am
6/20- Kindergarten Celebration- 12:30 p.m.
6/24- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Link to full Colebrook calendar
Link to 2023-24 District calendar
Three Board of Education seats available
Have you ever thought about running for the Board of Education? West Irondequoit will have three seats available in this year’s election, which runs alongside our annual Budget Vote on Tuesday, May 21 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the St. Paul Fire Blvd. Fire Dept. To learn more about how to become a Board candidate, including qualifications and what the position entails, click THIS LINK. Petitions are due April 22nd. Be sure to visit our District Vote page as we march toward May 21 for more information 21.
SEL to Support the Whole Child
Research shows that when students participate in high-quality SEL programs, they not only improve academically but also exhibit better behavior and develop stronger social skills. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others and establish positive relationships. Equipping our students with SEL skills is like providing them with a toolkit for navigating life's ups and downs.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, has developed five core competencies for SEL. They are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The “CASEL wheel,” helps show how cultivating SEL skills and environments can advance students’ learning and development.
As a district, we are committed to assessing and developing SEL skills among students and staff. This year we have increased our efforts in providing a comprehensive approach to SEL, including:
Explicit SEL instruction through the use of resources like the Caring School Communities curriculum
Ongoing professional learning opportunities that focus on SEL, Culturally Responsive Education, and Restorative Practices
Partnerships with organizations like the Children’s Institute Whole Child Connection and the Collaborative Classroom
Panorama SEL surveys and benchmark data in grades 3-12 to inform SEL progress and interventions
By continuing to integrate SEL into our curriculum and engaging in collaborative partnerships to bolster adult SEL, we are helping to empower our students to develop the essential skills needed for success in school and in life.
- Leah Daniels-Farren, Asst. Director of Counseling, Student Equity & Wellness
Become an Active Participant in your Child's School!
As we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, please consider joining our school’s Shared Decision-Making Team (SDMT - formerly known as the School-Based Planning Team). Please see below for requirements and responsibilities. If you are interested, please contact your Principal ASAP. Parents/Guardians serving on the SDMT shall:
Have at least one child attending representative school during their term
Serve a two-year term (this may flex depending on need)
Help to balance representation from different grade levels and programs within the school
Parent/Guardian Member Job Description
Serve for two years as a fully participating voting member
Attend at least 75% of the scheduled SDMT meetings
Serve as a liaison to parents/guardians and the community, carrying their questions, comments and concerns back to the SDMT, even if these things do not reflect your personal opinion.
If applicable, attend School events related to the work of the SDMT
Eclipse Fest is almost here! (and FREE)
It’s almost here! “Irondequoit Eclipse Fest – Together in Totality” at Helmer Nature Center on Monday, April 8th from 1-5 p.m. is FREE and will have a lot of fun activities for children! Only a handful of area sites will host on-site activities April 8th – the day of the total solar eclipse (no school that day)! The event is presented with Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Town of Irondequoit Recreation.
For all HNC Eclipse information, go to the Eclipse page at this link.
There is no on-site parking at HNC on April 8th, but free shuttles run every 15 minutes from the Town of Irondequoit Rec Center (former Medley Centre), 450 Skyview Centre Parkway. Students should bring their eclipse glasses (sent home the week of March 25th). Glasses are available to purchase for $2 at HNC during regular business hours – just email helmernaturecenter@gmail.com for details – and at the event.
There will be hands-on activities, information stations, presentations, a bounce house and more!
KIDS HEART CHALLENGE
Students in all six elementary schools participated in the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge. We raised $9,984.86, bringing our three-year total to $39,054.41! Thanks to our students, physical education teachers and our generous community! Top student fundraisers by school were: Madigan Nevins at Briarwood, Haleigh Wright at Colebrook, Anthony Puccia at Brookview, Kayden Spartano at Seneca, Henry Lougheed at Listwood and Finn Reddy at Southlawn.
Food Services Update
Our Food Services Department is changing its Point-of-Sale system for all cafeterias starting Monday, April 15th. The new system will assist us in increasing the level of service we provide, as well as generating accurate school meal counts. Students will continue to use their current ID number or Student ID card, so no action is required by parents/guardians. The district sent an email home about this on March 26.
Though our cashiers will be trained, we wanted to let you know the switch may cause some initial delays in cafeteria serving lines for a few days. We ask that you please share that with your children. Note that MySchoolBucks will be unavailable from Thursday, April 11 through Sunday, April 14th while information is transferred to the new POS system. If you have any questions, please call or email School Lunch Director, Betsy LoGiudice at (585) 336-2953 or betsy_logiudice@westiron.monroe.edu
PASSN: Learn more, get involved with PASSN
Please read the graphic above to learn more about PASSN, a WICPTSA sub-committee for parent advocates of students who receive specialized support/services and who qualify for either a 504 or IEP. Upcoming meetings are Monday, April 15 and Monday, May 20. Learn more at PASSN’s Facebook page at this link: facebook.com/westirondequoitpassn
Reading Block Party to Celebrate National Reading Month!
Congratulations Coen!
Third grader, Coen, received the Triple "C" Award! This award recognizes his commitment, character and courage. He is a positive role model, a great friend and a student who genuinely cares about others. Congratulations Coen!
Fun in First Grade!
Check Out What's Happening in Third Grade!
Colebrook Kids!
Kindergarten Adventures!
Kindergarten Art Class
Kindergarteners just finished working on self-portraits. They looked in mirrors and studied all the things that make them unique (birth marks, hair, skin color etc). We also watched a read aloud "What I like about me". A story that shows kids that, in a world where fitting in is the norm, being different makes us special.
Friday Vibes
DRESS WARMLY FOR RECESS!
Parents/guardians: Please note that all students will go outdoors for recess as long as the temperature and wind-chill are 20 degrees or warmer. Students will need to wear hats, mittens or gloves, boots and snow pants to play in the snow. Students lacking proper clothing will still go outdoors but will remain on the sidewalk with limited play. Please remember to send appropriate outside play clothing in everyday! Due to COVID, we will not be able to lend outdoor clothes on the days students forget. Let us know if you need any help with cold weather clothing.
UPDATE YOUR INFO IN PARENT PORTAL, PLEASE
Do you:
Have a new cell phone number or switch carriers recently?
Have a new email address or new work phone number?
Need to update your emergency contacts?
Be sure to keep us informed of any changes to your numbers or emergency contact information. Update it directly on the Infinite Campus Portal, or send in a note with your child.
TO REACH THE PORTAL, Click here
WHY YOUR MOBILE NUMBER IS CRITICAL
You must have your mobile number in the MOBILE NUMBER field. Our system does NOT default even if you have just one field filled out (Home/Work/Mobile). If your mobile number is not in the correct field, you will NOT receive text messages from our school/district for emergencies (such as school closings in winter months).