March Parent Newsletter
Principal, Gina DiTullio, Ed.D.
Principal's Corner
As usual, February flew right by! It was a busy month of learning and celebration. The theme of Black History Month was African Americans and the Arts. We learned about many different African-American figures in history who shaped our country and history with their important contributions. Students had a door decorating contest, wrote research reports on historically significant Black figures in history, and continued to engage in African dance and drumming arts enrichment all month long. To wrap up our celebration, we had a wonderful school assembly which included three special guests: Delores Jackson-Radney, Adrianna Santucci, and Jimmie Highsmith, Jr. Please make sure to scroll down so you can take a look at the pictures. Our students had an opportunity to perform during the celebration. It was so special!
Testing is right around the corner. Due to a change in our status to TSI, which stands for targeted school improvement, we are really focusing on preparing all students for the upcoming NYS tests in ELA and Mathematics. Grades 3-6 are preparing to test, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that they are comfortable with the testing format and have the skills and content knowledge to be successful. You can help us by ensuring that students complete any homework they bring home, and that they are reading daily outside of school. In order to get better at anything, we have to do it. If we want our kids to become better readers, they have to read. A lot. And that includes reading for pleasure outside of the classroom. No books at home? Visit your local library, or pick up one of the free books from our little libraries outside of school. Students are able to check out books from our school library weekly. Ask your kids what they are reading.
School name change
The Board of Education approved the request to change our school's name. We will be Austin Steward Elementary School 46. At some point in the spring, there will be a renaming ceremony. I will make sure that I share that information with you when it becomes available.
March is Women's History Month!
March 8 is International Women's Day. The whole month of March we will be learning a little bit about different women in history who made considerable contributions to our local community as well as our nation's history. Did you know that a woman could not have her own bank account without her father or husband's permission until 1975? Even after women got the right to vote, they were still not able to function in our society as equals to men for many years. Women's history month celebrates the social, economic, political, and cultural achievements of women in history. Rochester played a very important part in that history with the work of Susan B. Anthony and many others. Your local library and the Rochester Historical Society will have information that your children may find interesting. Take some time to explore our local resources!
Washington DC Trip
Our sixth grade trip to Washington, D.C. was approved. Last week, we invited the families of our sixth grade students to attend a general informational meeting about the trip. We will be sending the itinerary as well as the specific dates for this year's trip as soon as we have them. For now, know that we will leave on a Wednesday in June, and return late on Friday. The trip will be 3 days total. The cost is $150 per student and per chaperone. We need to get a headcount as soon as possible. There will be a form going home with students next week asking simple questions: 1. Will your child be attending the trip? Yes/No 2. Are you interested in chaperoning the trip? Yes/No. Please answer the questions and return that slip as soon as possible. We cannot plan the itinerary with the travel agent until we get a reasonably close head count. Our hope is to have a fairly accurate headcount by the end of next week. We do not expect that every student will attend, or that every parent will attend. If you have questions or concerns, please call the main office and ask to speak to Mrs. Garcia.
Upcoming After School Clubs
Our Spring Club offerings are up and ready for registration. You can follow the LINK to find the registration form and sign up. This information is also posted on our School 46 Dojo page.
PTA updates
Our School 46 PTA is up and running, and they are planning some wonderful activities for the building. You can read the meeting minutes HERE. Also, please take a moment to join the RCSD School #46 PTA Facebook page. There is still time to become a member of the School 46 PTA. Memberships are only about $5, so please consider joining.
Healthy Kids Camp
The Healthy Kids Program is back this year! The link to register is HERE. The camp is held at MCC each summer. Follow the link to register your child if you are interested.
As always, thank you for your partnership with us! We appreciate you!
Important Dates/Events to Remember
March 1: Half day for students/ 12:30 dismissal
March 5: Parent/teacher conferences begin
March 8: International Women's Day
March: 29 Good Friday/ ALL FACILITIES CLOSED
April 1-7: Spring Recess/ No school
April 8: Solar Eclipse Recess day/ NO SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL'S MARCH BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Worst Princess, by Anna Kemp
Summary: Princess Sue dreams of finding her Prince Charming. But when that Prince proves to be a bit more traditional than what she had hoped for, Princess Sue—along with the help of fiery dragon—becomes determined to find a way to get the fairy-tale ending that she always envisioned for herself.
Resources: https://andreahillbrick.com.au/take-away-teaching-ideas-35-the-worst-princess/