08/27/2024 Letter to the Community

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August 27, 2024

Dear TUFSD Families and Staff,

With one week left until the start of the new school year, I want to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to all our students, staff, and families.

The start of a new school year is a time filled with anticipation, excitement, and possibilities. I encourage you to use this final week to prepare and connect with your children about their goals for the year ahead. Together, we can help them achieve their full potential and I look forward to partnering with you to make this school year the best one yet.

See you on the first day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Raymond Sanchez

Next week marks the return of our students to school on September 3, 2024.

We’d love to see your child’s excitement on the first day of school! Please send your first day photos to pr@tufsd.org, and we’ll feature them on our social media pages.

We are rolling out a new six-day rotating schedule for specials across our elementary schools. Benefits include enhanced instructional time, increased programming for self-contained special education classes, and the addition of STEM programming to the specials rotation. This schedule will be aligned with the day rotations of our MS/HS schedules (135 are even, 246 are odd) to ensure consistency for families. The September schedule is attached.

The UFSD of the Tarrytowns is offering free school meals to all students this school year! Our goal is to continue providing free meals to all students beyond the upcoming school year, but we need your help!

All families need to submit a Household Income Form application, which is being sent home to all families. The form can also be found here: (English & Spanish). By applying you also help your child's school qualify for additional funding that directly benefits their classroom!

Based on the information provided on the Household Income Form, if your family qualifies, your child may be eligible for:

• Fee waiver for college applications and exam fees (SAT, ACT and AP)

• Summer EBT Food Benefits

• Discount on district activities

As we begin another exciting school year, I want to take a moment to share with you our current approach to cell phones and personal computers:

Elementary School

• Phones and smartwatches are not allowed in school and must be kept in the child's backpack and turned off for the entire school day.

Sleepy Hollow Middle School

• Only district-issued Chromebooks may be used by students during the school day. Personal devices of any type that are brought to school must be kept in student lockers.

• Mobile Phones must be kept in lockers and turned off for the entire school day.

Sleepy Hollow High School

• Mobile phones must be stored. They are not to be used by students during class periods unless directed to do so by the teacher.

Please take some time to review these guidelines with your child.

The Family YMCA at Tarrytown is offering an early morning care program at JP, Morse and WI. Care will be provided onsite starting 1 1⁄2 hours before the normally scheduled arrival time, breakfast will be provided during this time.

Program runs Mondays – Fridays when school is in session. Fee: $189 per month

$50 deposit required to reserve your spot. Send your completed form with payment to Gabriela Rivas, Billing Administrator gabrielar@ymcatarrytown.org 914 631-4807 ext. 100.

A big thank you to Good for Girls for their partnership in making the Financially Intelligent Teens (FIT) Summer Academy a success. The program received great feedback from everyone involved.
Check out this video by George McClendon to learn more about the program.

Newly hired staff took part in an Amazing R.A.C.E. challenge as part of their New Educator Orientation.

Read about here: The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns Welcomes New Professionals

I am pleased to announce that our school district has been accepted into the Tri-State Consortium. “The Tri-State Consortium is an alliance of public school districts committed to systems thinking and collaborative inquiry as pathways toward continuous improvement. Consortium members support each other through external peer review of programs and practices, study groups, conferences and topic-based seminars designed to deepen professional learning.” We are excited to be part of this select group of school districts.

If you wish to learn more about the consortium please click here: https://www.tristateconsortium.org/

As we head into the new school year, I want to share the process for communicating changes to the daily school schedule due to inclement weather. Adverse weather conditions involve more than just ice and snow concern; our protocol is designed to address all problematic weather events quickly and effectively.

Decisions for school delays, early dismissals, or cancellations are announced promptly. We closely monitor weather patterns to anticipate days when inclement weather may be a concern. In most cases, final decisions are made early in the morning of the affected school day when the situation is best understood.

The timeframe for decisions to delay or cancel school is as follows:

• 4:00 a.m. - 5:15 a.m. – Road and campus conditions are checked from various sources. I consult with the Director of Facilities, Director of Transportation, the local Police Departments, a regional Meteorologist and local superintendents.

• by 5:30 a.m. – I decide on a school delay or cancellation. Communications to staff and families commence immediately. Staff/Parents/families are notified by approximately 6:00 a.m.

• Under extraordinary circumstances (i.e., rapidly changing weather), a decision to delay or cancel school may be made later than 5:30 a.m., resulting in a slight lag in our notifications.

We communicate decisions in multiple ways:

• Emails and text messages will be sent to all families and staff

• Our robo-call system will send a message

• Our district social media pages will have a message posted

• Local news outlets will be informed - Channel 12, LoHud

Please Note: We will only communicate when the school schedule has changed. We will not communicate when school is in session as scheduled.

Dive into the ultimate school experience with our TUFSD app! Stay connected with school news and calendars effortlessly. Search "Tarrytown Public Schools" on the App Store or Google Play to download and have the most important school information right at your fingertips!

Save the dates for our Back to School Nights!

• John Paulding (Pre-K & Kinder): Sept 5 at 6:00 p.m.
• WL Morse (1st-2nd): Sept 4 at 6:30 p.m.
• Washington Irving (3rd): Sept 11 at 6:00 p.m.; (4th-5th): Sept 18 at 6:00 p.m.
• SHMS (6th-8th): Sept 17 at 6:00 p.m.
• SHHS (9th-12th): Sept 19 at 6:00 p.m.

The Board of Education continues to meet during the summer. On August 29 at 7pm, the Board of Education will be provided an update on our bond project, energy performance project, NY Forward grant, and all summer maintenance efforts. All community members are invited to attend.

Save the Date: Join us on October 15 at 6 p.m. in the MS/HS auditorium for an in-person session on the latest updates to our Capital Bond Project.

Westchester County is declaring August 26-30, 2024 as SMART Week. The Be SMART campaign was launched to raise awareness that secure gun storage—storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition—can save children’s lives. Be SMART emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep kids from accessing guns, and that every adult can play a role in keeping kids and communities safer. There are thousands of Be SMART volunteers in your communities and neighborhoods that are delivering the Be SMART message across the country in all 50 states. School shooters are often current or former students, and the guns they use are most often obtained from their home or the homes of relatives.

As we start a new school year, one of the smartest things adults can do to keep kids, classrooms, and communities safe from gun violence is to raise awareness about secure gun storage.
Unintentional shootings by children and teens can be prevented by taking a few simple steps to secure guns in homes and vehicles—stored locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.
This SMART Week, tell your family and friends to #BeSMART. Text SMART to 644-33. Learn more at http://besmartforkids.org.

View the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns calendars at: tufsd.org/calendar

And check out these quick links:

One-page Calendar

Digital Copy of the Wall Calendar

Beginning this September, Morse and WI will have new start times:

• Morse: Students at Morse will begin instructional learning at 8:25 a.m. Students will now end their day at 3:10 p.m. (15 minutes later than previous years)
• Washington Irving: Students at WI will begin instructional learning at 8 a.m., with dismissal shifting to 2:45 p.m. (30 minutes later than previous years)

To view all school start times see the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns School Schedules.

The new school year will be here before you know it! Get ready by checking out our school supply lists at tufsd.org/supplies. Make sure your child has all of the supplies they need for a successful year!

The Horsemen PTA has the easiest way to school supply shop. Just click the link, search your child’s school and order a district approved box shipped right to home. You can remove any items you don’t need, as well as add to your box anything. Choose from their thousands of school supplies.

www.schooltoolbox.com

Registration is now open for the Education United Afterschool Academic & Enrichment Program! This free program runs from October through May, offering students academic support and engaging activities that spark creativity. Join us Monday through Thursday for a fun and enriching experience.

To learn more call or text 914-214-7086 or email morse@unitedwaywp.org

Sleepy Hollow Middle School (in collaboration with FSW)

Grades: 5-7

Description: The program offers FREE age-appropriate after-school activities to improve the social, emotional, and academic competencies of participating youth in grades 5 – 7 at SHMS. We will also offer homework help for the ENL students in grades 5 - 7. We are looking to help the 5th graders transition to Middle School and there will be transportation provided from Washington Irving Intermediate School to Sleepy Hollow Middle School.

Schedule: Monday - Friday 3 PM - 6PM

Cost: Free

As we continue striving for excellence in our schools, we are forming a task force to review the district's personal electronic device policy (e.g., cell phones and smartwatches). We believe that a collaborative approach will lead to the best possible outcomes for our students and school community.

This Electronic Device Task Force Memo provides additional info on the purpose of the task force and who can join. Please note that space is limited.

If you are interested, please contact Nelly Valentin at: nvalentin@tufsd.org by September 6, 2024, and share why you are interested in joining the task force.

We have updated our Safety Plan: Tarrytown UFSD: District-wide Safety Plan 2024-25. As a result of the new requirements, we are reopening the public comment period for the 2024-2025 district plan. If you have any comments regarding the plan, please contact my office.

As we get ready to welcome our students back to school I want to share our commitment to improving school attendance as a district. Every day of school is an opportunity for learning, social interactions and personal growth. When our students miss school, they miss out on these vital experiences which impacts their academic performance and overall development. By ensuring your child attends school regularly, you are helping them stay on track, stay connected and achieve their potential.

We as a district are committed to helping support getting our scholars to school every day. Should you find yourself in need of support to get your child to school on time or consistently, please feel free to reach out to us as we have staff to support you.

When you call our school, you'll soon hear an automated system to guide you to the right department (e.g., For the Main Office, press 1. For the Nurse, press 2.). Options will be available in both English and Spanish. This new system will help you quickly reach the appropriate staff member for your needs.

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