June 21, 2024
Friday, June 21, 2024
As we close yet another year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing partnership, support and understanding. As they say, it takes a village, and I happen to think we have a great one!
My pro-tip for you heading into the summer: get your kids outside! Screens are having a negative impact on every facet of child development, including social skills! As a parent of a 13 year old and 11 year old, I am constantly fighting this battle with them, but as an educator, I know that the best thing I can do for my kids is to make sure they’re being kids! Get them outside, have them playing with friends and keep them off of those screens this summer!
A reminder that report cards go live in the parent portal today at noon! Please make sure you know how to log into your child’s Infinite Campus backpack, which is found within the Infinite Campus parent portal, accessible at this link: https://ic.spencerportschools.org/campus/portal/parents/spencerport.jsp If you have any questions about your Infinite Campus account, please contact Mr. Phil Koyoumjian at 349-5152.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer and I look forward to another great year ahead!
Summer CIP work continues
A reminder that many projects within our current Capital Improvement Project will continue into the summer months ahead. This includes ongoing work at Bernabi’s main entrance in support of completing our new secured vestibule, and as we shared earlier this year, Bernabi Road, from the temporary entrance to the tennis courts, and the entire front parking lot will be closed for sitework.
Bernabi Farewells
As you may already know, and as much as it pains me to accept, the following individuals are not returning to Bernabi next year. Please join me in wishing them all a fond farewell!
- Mrs. Lindsay Dunn: Second grade will never be the same as Lindsay steps into the next chapter of her career and life! While her time at Bernabi was brief, she made a big impact on her students and families!
- Ms. Emma Everett: A lifelong Spencerport resident and graduate, Emma will be busy wedding planning as she and her fiancé head west to start their new life in the state of Washington! Emma is another short-timer at Bernabi whose hard work impacted so many kids and families!
- Mrs. Tina Brien: As she retires from Spencerport after 21 years in our district, our outstanding school psychologist would like to express her gratitude to Bernabi parents for their willingness to partner with the school in supporting their children’s success, both academically and socially. Tina has been an essential part of student supports here at Bernabi and her impact will live on!
- Mrs. Cindy Vissa: Another retiree, Cindy asked that I share that she is forever grateful for the privilege of teaching at Bernabi for the last 21 years. So many students and so many amazing families are part of the life-long memories she will hold in her heart of her teaching career. “Never forget that you are ALWAYS your child's first and best teacher. Thank you for all you do and for sharing them with me!” Cindy is the ultimate professional and defines "student-centered" teaching and learning, and she will be sorely missed!
Looking Ahead to Next Year
Our annual summer mailing (teacher assignments) will leave the district on Friday, August 23, which means depending on zip code, you'll receive your "golden envelope" the following Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Please note that this date is a few days later than years past, but as always, we will not be able to provide this information over the phone, so we thank you months in advance for your patience.
Also, as you can see above, teacher departures mean that for next school year we will have a combination of new teacher grade-level assignments and new hires (as we do each year). No matter which of my amazing teachers your child is assigned to, we will all work together to ensure yet another amazing year, and I would like to take this opportunity to provide one final reminder that I am unable to accept specific teacher requests, and will not be changing students' assigned teachers at any point.
Speaking of next year:
- We are on schedule to re-open our main entrance in the fall which will feature our new secured vestibule! Be prepared for a new, safer experience at Bernabi, and while limiting access to the inside of the building during the instructional day will feel different for you as Bernabi families, that’s what makes it secure! Don’t worry, our greeter Mrs. Wheeler will be on her A-game in ensuring you feel welcomed each time you stop by!
- Parent pick-up at dismissal may look different. In full transparency, I don’t know what this will look like just yet, but I am working closely with a district team on exploring operations relative to this important daily aspect of our school day. I will communicate details prior to the start of next school year.
- If you’re interested in getting a head start on school supplies, you can find all grade level supply lists on our website under “Parent/Student Resources” here: https://bernabi.spencerportschools.org/ We will also send supply lists home in our summer mailing, which again, is scheduled to leave all elementary buildings on Friday, August 23.
Summer Reading - A Note from our New Librarian, Mrs. Heather Manns!
As we approach the summer break, I wanted to share some fun ideas to keep your children engaged with reading. Here are some suggestions to make reading a special and enjoyable experience for your family:
- Read to and with your children: Spend time reading aloud to your kids, even if they can read on their own.
- Bedtime read-alouds: Establish a bedtime routine that includes reading a story together.
- Pass-the-book shared reading: Have each family member take turns reading a page or chapter of a book.
- Visit your local public library: Explore new books and participate in library programs.
- Participate in summer reading challenges: Set reading goals and celebrate achievements together.
Remember, letting your children choose what they want to read can make a big difference in their engagement. If they need some inspiration, our elementary librarians have created printable lists of books for each grade level.
You can access these lists: Summer Reading - Bernabi Elementary School - LibGuides at Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES (monroe2boces.org)
Happy reading and have a wonderful summer!
A Note from our Health Office
If you have medications to pick up at the end of the year, Mr. Steinman will be available Monday, 6/24 from 1-3 and Tuesday, 6/25 from 10-12 for pick up. If you are unavailable to pick up during these times, please call the health office (349-5451) and make arrangements to pick up. Any medication not picked up by close of business on 6/26 with be destroyed in accordance with district policy.
A Message from the Bernabi Parents Association
We plan to start the spirit apparel sale in August to allow time for orders to be received around homecoming week. Be on the lookout for more information about this sale on our Facebook page. If you do not use Facebook and would like to be added to an email list, please send an email to let us know at bernabiparents@gmail.com
We have enjoyed hosting events and fundraisers this school year. We are very grateful for the support from the Bernabi community and appreciate all of the volunteers and event coordinators that helped make the events successful! We look forward to working together next school year!