Columbus Connections

Welcome to our weekly newsletter for Columbus Elementary families! Every Friday we will share good news, important information, and of course our STAR STUDENTS with you.

September 29th

• Spirit Day at WHS

October 3rd & 4th

• SCHOOL CLOSED -Rosh Hashanah

October 8th

• CES Picture Day

October 14th

• SCHOOL CLOSED-Columbus Day

It has been a great start to fall this week at Columbus. Some of our fifth-grade classes visited the Putnam Northern BOCES campus in Yorktown, for outdoor education. The day’s activities focused on collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Some of our third graders had fun decorating their writer’s notebooks. We held our STAR student assemblies for all of the children this week. Please see the information below. We ended the week with Spirit Day. Many staff and students wore their shirts to show support for The Ty Louis Campbell (TLC) Foundation which raises awareness for pediatric cancer. Please make sure you scroll to the bottom of the newsletter each week for important announcements and pictures in the Around Columbus section.

Columbus emphasizes the importance of being STARS (Students That Are Responsible, Respectful and Safe) through established behavior expectations that align with our Profile of a Learner. Students are recognized when they demonstrate responsible, respectful and safe behaviors in their classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground and on the bus. If students are caught being STARS, they will receive a STARS ticket to keep that indicates which quality of a learner they demonstrated. Students also receive a reward, are recognized in Columbus Connections, on the PA announcements and receive a STAR on the Columbus Wall of Fame. Students attended an assembly this week to learn about STAR behavior expectations and posters are hung as visual reminders throughout the school. Students take great pride in being STARS at Columbus.

We are looking for 5th-grade students to be part of a peer buddy program at Columbus Elementary. This exciting leadership opportunity aligns with our district’s Portrait of a Learner, focusing on open-mindedness, collaboration, empathy, and communication. A peer buddy is a model for acceptance, leadership, inclusion, and responsible decision-making. Selected students will meet with their buddies during lunch, recess, or non-instructional time to engage in social activities and will participate in a training session led by Mrs. Cotrone, the school counselor, and Mrs. Cohen, the school psychologist. Students interested in this opportunity should complete the Google Form Application on their class page by October 4th.

School Calendar

Transportation

Food Service

Curriculum and Instruction

Columbus Elementary School Homepage

Cell Phones and Wearable Smart Devices

Please be advised Columbus students should not have personal communication devices with them during the school day. If they choose to bring a device to school, it should remain in their backpack. They are responsible for the device. If a child is wearing a GPS tracking device for safety purposes, we ask that it be placed on the teacher's desk during instructional time. They will be allowed to wear it during lunch and recess.

Such devices include, but are not limited to:

• Cell phones

• Wearable devices/smart wearables/tablets that are capable of recording/viewing audio, photographic, or video content

• Wearable devices/smartwatches/tablets that are capable of sending/receiving text, audio, or video messages