Dear Strawtown Families,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Halloween! As we enter the month of November and season of thanks and gratitude it is always important to stop and take stock for all that we have in our lives. Sometimes it is easy to get lost in the shuffle of life and in our daily routines, but taking the time to appreciate those small moments promotes better mental and physical health. To that end, I am very grateful to the community with all the support I've seen for Slimesgiving(open until November 7th)! The students are very excited about the campaign and it is something that helps out the local community!
This month, we will also be celebrating Kindness Week November 12th-15th. Please see this flyer for all the daily activities. In addition here is a link to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation which has great resources for ways to incorporate kindness at home and in the community. Similarly, just like gratitude, kindness is equally impactful on our health!
Thank you for all you do for your children and in partnering with us to make a strong community dedicated to helping all of our students thrive!
In Partnership,
Colin Andersen
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Evacuation Drill:
This month in conjunction with the Clarkstown Police Department and the Transportation Department, we will be conducting an Off-Site Evacuation Drill for all students as part of the New York State regulations and district-wide safety plan. We anticipate the process running smoothly with only a small impact on the instructional day. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Screenagers Documentary:
As many of you know, I am a parent of an Upper Elementary Aged student. My daughter is in 4th grade, and we often have the "screens" conversation at home about access to what devices she has and when she can use them. These conversations are complex and can be stress-inducing. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of a film called Screenagers. Years ago, I saw this film when it was geared more towards middle school kids, but as technology has become more native in our lives, the makers of the film have made a new version geared towards elementary students and their families. I would like to host a screening of this film here at Strawtown followed by a Q&A session in the next few months, but want to make sure there is community interest first. Please take a few minutes to complete this Google Form so we can assess if purchasing the film would be worth while investment.
Lighthouse Committee-Last Call
Each school year, we form a Lighthouse Committee comprising of 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.
Trivia Tuesdays:
Each Tuesday as part of the morning announcements, I ask a trivia question. If your child would like to would add a trivia question to my list, please email me with the question, answer, and source of the information. It is a fun way to start the day off!
Veteran's Day Assembly:
On November 7th, we will be having a Veteran's Day Assembly. We are fortunate to work with a great Veteran's Organization who is helping us bring Veterans from several different eras in U.S. history to us. We will even have the opportunity to Zoom with a 101-year-old World War II veteran.
Family Fitness:
Movement is an incredibly important part of the day and here are some fun and interesting ways to get your child beyond the step counting moving during the month of November from our P.E. teacher Mr. Fitz.
Picture Day Retakes:
Picture Day retakes are set for November 22nd. If you need a retake for your child, please reach out to your child's teacher and the main office so we can coordinate for that day.
November Closings:
Remember that November 5th is a Superintendent's Conference Day and schools are closed! In addition, we are also off on November 11th, 28th and 29th. Please be advised that we have an early release day on November 27th with a 10:30 dismissal time.
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.
November Calendars:
Please use this link to access the November calendar for the events happening at Strawtown this month. You can also use this link to see the November school lunch menu.
