March 2025 News to Know

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We officially passed the 100th day of school mark and we are less than 20 days away from the official start of spring! The school year continues to fly by quickly!

Our students learned a great deal during our celebration of Black History Month in February. From daily announcements with notable Black artists, to classroom lessons on Black Joy and our 5th Annual Career Night, it was wonderful to come together to learn and listen as we took time to highlight the contributions of Black Americans- both past and present. If you haven't had a chance to check out our special 2025 Black History Month Read Alouds I encourage you to do so! There are some amazing stories read by our Indian Landing and district staff. The link will be active until later this month. While celebrating Black history in February is important, it is critical to remember that Black history IS American history. At Indian Landing we are committed to equity and the sharing of diverse perspectives in all that we do each and every day.

During the month of March our classroom lessons will focus on Disability Awareness Month and Women's History Month during morning announcements. Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when the President proclaimed the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” We celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. To learn along with us, check out our March Morning Announcements.pptx

More detailed information about Disability Awareness Month can be found below.

As always, thank you for your support! We look forward to seeing you at parent-teacher conferences!

Sincerely,

Marcie Ware

Principal

Eric Traugott

Assistant Principal

• Thursday, March 13th — PTO Meeting; 7 p.m. IL library
• Friday, March 14th — Red & White student-staff basketball game at PHS; 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, March 20th— World Down Syndrome Day is on 3/21 Wear mismatched socks!
• Friday, March 21st — NO SCHOOL; Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Tuesday, March 25th— Partner's Pride Assembly; 9:20 AM; gym
• Friday, March 28th — Indian Landing Talent Show; 7 PM; cafeteria; Sponsored by the Indian Landing PTO

The 15th Annual Red & White basketball game place will take place on Friday, March 14th at 6:00 PM in the Penfield High School West Gym. This annual event is a community service project for our school and it has become a favorite IL tradition as we watch our 5th grade students and staff members play each other in a friendly basketball game. Other 5th grade students are involved with announcing and selling concessions. For the safety of all children, students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Unaccompanied students will not be granted admission.

Admission is free, but we will be accepting donations at the door. This year, our funds will be donated to the organization Building Minds in South Sudan. After fleeing a war-torn region years ago as “lost boys”, the founders Sebastian and Mathon, decided to return to their homeland — a newly-formed country — to improve literacy, equality and economic opportunity. The goal of Building Minds in South Sudan is to enhance the lives of South Sudanese families through community-based educational programs and facilities. The organization serves local communities by constructing schools and creating programs that lift up African children and provide incentives for small businesses.

To learn more about Building Minds in South Sudan, please check out their website: https://www.bmiss.org

If anyone in your family requires special accommodations for this event, please contact Marcie Ware at 249-6905.

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! This class of disabilities can refer to impairments in learning and behavior, such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and impairments in physical and/or intellectual functioning such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down syndrome. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about including people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life. It also creates awareness of the difficulties that people with disabilities still face in fitting into the communities in which they live. To learn more: Disability Awareness Month

During the month of March we will be focused on both Women’s History Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM) was recognized in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan to increase public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities and to provide encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive and fulfilling lives. This month focuses on the importance of understanding and celebrating differences, promoting inclusivity and providing opportunities to learn about various disabilities while emphasizing “people first” language. An example of people first language would be to say “A person with a disability” versus “a disabled person.”

Everyone wants, and deserves, to enjoy life, feel productive and secure each and every day. That is why during this month we are taking extra steps to raise awareness about the supports and rights of the people with disabilities and to celebrate their contributions to our communities and society as a whole!

Here at Indian Landing, we will be celebrating and learning together through shared stories, Community Circles, and much more. All students will be working with the text, Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor and working with their buddy classrooms to build awareness of visible and invisible obstacles for some people.

For additional books, videos and strategies for talking with children about disabilities please click here.

MTSS is designed to provide a framework that ensures every child receives the necessary supports to thrive academically, socially/emotionally, and behaviorally. It recognizes that each student is unique, with varying needs, and enables us to meet these needs effectively. Information was sent home to families via a district-wide letter earlier this year, but I wanted to take a few moments to review MTSS and how it can support students.

The primary goals of MTSS:

• Early Intervention – Identifying and addressing academic, social/emotional, and behavioral needs of students as soon as they start impacting educational progress.

•Data-Driven Decision Making – Analyzing student data from district assessments and benchmarks.

•Customized Support – Designing interventions and support systems, i.e., RtI, ASC, SEL, etc., to meet the specific needs of each student.

One advantage of utilizing the MTSS process, is that specific goals are created for students’ area(s) of need and progress towards meeting these specific goals is then monitored on a frequent basis with follow-up meetings every 6-8 weeks as necessary. In order to accommodate more meetings, the length of these meetings has been shortened and will only include the school’s MTSS team, the classroom teacher, and any specialists working with the students, Although parents/guardians will no longer directly participate in MTSS meetings, we believe that family involvement is crucial to the success of students, therefore we will communicate and partner with parents/guardians/caretakers throughout the entire MTSS process. With your collaboration and the MTSS continuum of support and intervention, we are confident that your student will achieve their full potential.

Principal Marcie Ware is the MTSS Coordinator for Indian Landing. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher or Mrs. Ware with any questions you might have.

Yearbooks orders are now being accepted! The 2024-2025 yearbook includes all Indian Landing students in grades K-5. All orders will be completed online this year. The deadline for ordering is Friday, April 10th. No late orders will be accepted. Cost is $15 each.

YEARBOOK ORDERING LINK

Please note that this link is not supported by Safari. For best results, please use Chrome as your browser.

If you have questions, please contact our Yearbook advisors Amber Diaz at adiaz@penfield.edu or Jaelyn Green at jgreen@penfield.edu.

Registration for incoming Indian Landing kindergarten students is currently underway! Parents of eligible children should have received registration materials electronically

If you have a child who will be turning 5 by Dec. 1, 2025 and did not receive materials, please call 249-5729. Registration forms are also available by clicking here.

The Indian Landing (IL) Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a partnership of parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators committed to supporting and enhancing the educational and social growth of all students at Indian Landing Elementary School.

Now that we are into the second half of the school year the PTO is hard at work planning fundraisers and several events such as Bingo Night, Talent Show, the Ice Cream Social, our Square One art fundraiser, and our legendary IL Carnival. We are in need of volunteers and coordinators... please consider becoming involved!

Want to learn more? You are welcome to join us at our next meeting! Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Indian Landing Library. Please check out the PTO website for more information.

Website: indianlandingpto.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianLandingPTO

Our district's goals continue to focus on developing and supporting the whole student. Our approach to positive behavior support will emphasize the idea of Be a Partner! Students will learn specific expectations focused on these key concepts- Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be Safe. Be Kind.

These ideas are a part of what we do each and every day, and our staff will continually be looking for ways to acknowledge students who are respectful, responsible, safe and kind. Students will receive Partner's Pride stickers as recognition from adults in the building and on the bus. Students who receive stickers will be eligible for random prizes such as bracelets and t-shirts. Once a month, we will be recognizing "Partners Proud Moments". Students selected for this honor can be selected by their teacher for any reason- a positive attitude, responsible behavior, overcoming a difficulty, or meeting a personal goal are just a few examples of reasons why a student may be selected for a Partner's Proud Moment. These students receive an Outstanding Student certificate, as well as a special star pin.

Indian Landing has Twitter and Facebook accounts! Please follow us on Twitter at @ILPrincipal or on Facebook at Indian Landing Elementary School as we share important updates and celebrate the amazing learning that is taking place each and every day! *Please note that these accounts are not intended to be a form of two-way communication. If you have a specific question or concern, please email or call the teacher or principal directly.

The Principal’s News to Know newsletter will be sent each month by email. To ensure that you receive the newsletter, please make sure that you have a working email address on file with the district. The newsletter will also be posted to the Indian Landing School page on the district website under the “Principal’s Page” tab. If you would like to request a paper copy, please submit a note to the Main Office and we will be sure to get one to you.

Email: Principal Marcie Ware mware@penfield.edu

Assistant Principal Eric Traugott etraugott@penfield.edu
Website: http://www.penfield.edu/IndianLanding.cfm?subpage=30142
Location: 702 North Landing Road, Rochester, NY, United States
Phone: 585-249-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianLandingElementarySchool/
Instagram: @indianlandingelementary