Park Avenue Post

CLICK HERE FOR THE FLYER IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

Thank you to Rachel Brown and our 5th grade Peer Leaders for creating this spirit week.

Of special note here is Friday, March 21 which is WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY. On Friday, our school community will ROCK OUR SOCKS for World Down Syndrome Day. Please join us in celebrating by having your children wear crazy, mismatched socks!

PLEASE CLICK HERE for our next spirit week in honor of AUTISM ACCEPTANCE...

We have many students in our school community with autism.

During this week our teachers will be educating our students about autism.

A special thanks goes out to Ms. Miandoabi for her leadership on creating this spirit week in support of our neurodivergent students.

Please help us spread the word about our UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE for INCOMING Kindergarten families that will be joining us in the 2025-2026 school year.

Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2026

Time: 6:30-7:30pm

This evening will include a building tour, meet the kindergarten teachers, station activities and community partners. Flyers will be coming soon. ALL INCOMING KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES THAT WILL BE ATTENDING PARK AVENUE NEXT YEAR ARE WELCOME! Please help us spread the word.

Thanks to AP Elsy for her leadership and to our kindergarten teachers for planning and contributing to this project.

On April 25 - we will be inviting lots of special people to come to Park to read to our students as we wrap up our Reading Challenge with SPRING INTO READING!

In the afternoon, we're planning to bring the entire school over to the PCHS track and stands to enjoy a celebratory READING RACE on the field. Assuming we hit 10,000 books (and we're well on our way), AP Elsy and I, along with some teachers, will be running a relay race in Inflatable Costumes for a fun way to celebrate the students' efforts.

This event, while sure to be fun, is not open to families due to security reasons, but we'll be sure to share out photos and videos of the fun.

Also, the highest 3 readers in the school, will be invited down onto the field to PIE ME IN THE FACE and they may be invited to run the race with us...

Mark your Calendars for the following PTO meetings:

April 8, 2025 – Founder’s night

May 13, 2025

I'm pleased to see that parents and caregivers are respecting my request to not do U-TURNS in front of Park Avenue. I've noted a great improvement on this.

However, I still see many families dropping of their children between 7:30-8:00am FROM THE MIDDLE LANE. Please be aware that our drop off lane is only the ONE LANE NEAREST TO THE CURB. The other lane is a through lane for passing cars. It is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to drop your child from the middle lane and ask them to pass through a lane of cars that could move at any moment. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF YOUR CHILD FROM THE MIDDLE LANE. If you can't wait in the normal drop off line, then drive past the cars and pull over to the curb where you can drop off safely.

Additionally, it is NEVER ok to park your car in the middle lane, leave it running, and walk over to pick up your child at dismissal. It is literally AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. Please remain with your cars at dismissal at all times.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for the Virtual Principal Coffee schedule and link. AP Elsy Gonzalez will be joining us to conduct a coffee chat in Spanish while I conduct the conversation in English. All are welcome!

Our wonderful music team (Kristin Fleming, Mike Johnson and Mike Caprino) have been working hard on their district concerts! The chorus and band concerts were really wonderful and this week on Wednesday, March 19, is the district orchestra concert.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DISTRICT CHORUS CONCERT

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DISTRICT BAND CONCERT

Soon, we will be administering the NYS ELA / MATH / SCIENCE / NYSESLAT EXAMS. The dates are copied below.

• Mon/Tues, April 7&8 - NYS ELA EXAM FOR GRADES 4&5
• Wed/Thurs, April 9&10 - NYS ELA EXAM FOR GRADE 3

• Tues/Wed, April 29&30 - NYS MATH EXAM FOR GRADES 4&5
• Thurs/Fri, May 1&2 - NYS MATH EXAM FOR GRADE 3
• Thursday, May 8 - NYS SCIENCE EXAM FOR GRADE 5 ONLY
• NYSESLAT SPEAKING - April 14-May 23
• NYSESLAT LRW - May 12-May 23

State exams can feel stressful, but with the right support, your child can feel confident and ready! Here’s how you can help:

✅ Ensure a Good Night’s Sleep – Aim for at least 8-10 hours of rest the night before the test.
✅ Provide a Healthy Breakfast – A nutritious meal with protein and whole grains helps with focus.
✅ Arrive on Time – Being early reduces anxiety and ensures a smooth start.
✅ Encourage a Positive Mindset – Remind your child to do their best and stay calm.
✅ Avoid Pressure – Offer reassurance and celebrate their effort, not just the results.

Your support makes a big difference—thank you for being a partner in your child’s success! 🎉

Please be aware that our 5th grade graduation ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 at 9:30am.

It will be held on the grass and road in front of the school as long as it's not raining. Each child will get TWO tickets to the ceremony. IF the ceremony is held outside, the two tickets will give each family the right to 2 seats, but you are welcome to invite other family members as long as they understand that it will be standing room only for them. IF THE CEREMONY MUST BE MOVED INDOORS TO THE GYM DUE TO BAD WEATHER, THEN ONLY 2 PEOPLE PER STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND. No rain date will be utilized.

The Kindergarten graduation ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 24 at 9:30am on the back playground.

It will be held outside on the back playground as long as it is not raining. Each child will get TWO tickets to the ceremony. IF the ceremony is held outside, the two tickets will give each family the right to 2 seats on the back playground, but you are welcome to invite other family members as long as they understand that it will be standing room only for them. IF THE CEREMONY MUST BE MOVED INDOORS TO THE GYM DUE TO BAD WEATHER, THEN ONLY 2 PEOPLE PER STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND. No rain date will be utilized.

There are a lot of great things coming up! Please mark your calendars:

Here are some upcoming highlights:

• Monday, March 17-Friday March 21 - SPRING SPIRIT WEEK
• Wednesday, March 19 - District Orchestra Concert at PCMS
• Wednesday, March 26 - District Wide Elementary Art Show & Early Dismissal / P/T Conferences
• Friday, March 28 - PTO Variety Show
• Monday, March 31 - Supt. Conference Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• Monday, April 7-Friday, April 11 - Autism Acceptance Spirit Week
• Mon/Tues, April 7&8 - NYS ELA EXAM FOR GRADES 4&5
• Wed/Thurs, April 9&10 - NYS ELA EXAM FOR GRADE 3
• Tuesday, April 8 - PTO Founder's Night
• Monday-Friday, April 14-18 - SPRING RECESS - NO SCHOOL
• Friday, April 25 - Spring Into Reading Celebration
• Tues/Wed, April 29&30 - NYS MATH EXAM FOR GRADES 4&5
• Thurs/Fri, May 1&2 - NYS MATH EXAM FOR GRADE 3

The Port Chester School District's mission is to develop responsible and self-sufficient citizens who value cultural diversity, are creative and adaptable, and have the skills to think critically, communicate effectively, and continue growing individually.

The district's vision is "SUCCESS FOR EVERY STUDENT".

• Email: cdreves@portchesterschools.org
• Website: https://www.portchesterschools.org/pas/home
• Location: Park Avenue, Port Chester, NY 10573
• Phone: 914-934-7895
• Twitter: @craigdreves