Cayuga School

Dear Cayuga Families,

Happy spring!!!! I hope this edition of Cayuga's newsletter finds you all well. If attendance is any indication, our community is well because we are more healthy that we have been in a long time which is great news! Simply stated, students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. With the assistance of our secretary Mrs. Nickel, I review our absences each day and have been happy to see the decreasing trend!

State testing season will soon be upon us for our 3rd-5th grade students in English Language Arts and Mathematics. We ask ALL parents with children of this age to fill out the form at this link: Parent Assessment Response Form

The responses in this form will let us know whether or not you want us to test your child, which will help tremendously in planning this annual cumbersome task!

Believe it or not, the second trimester ended on March 22nd and report cards will be posted to the eSchool Parent Portal on April 5th. I would like to thank you for your continued support throughout the school year so far and am looking forward to a strong finish for all!

Sincerely,

Matthew Wells

Principal

Spring is finally here and we cannot wait for all that we have in store. Most recently we had our Cayuga Cougar's Night Out that was filled with friends, fun, laughter, and of course PRIZES! Thank you to our amazing team that worked tirelessly for months as well as everyone that came out and supported us. Every penny earned will be used to fund field trips and assemblies next year. A special thanks to our amazing sponsors, Embrace Home Loans, Chris Prentiss Physical Therapy, and Fortress Contracting for their generosity. Looking forward, April is filled with many exciting things, including Spring Pictures, Plant Sale, the kick off or PARP and of course SPRING RECESS. Be sure to follow our Facebook Page and Instagram for details.

In science, we have been working on the unit Push, Pull and Go. Students have been experimenting with different forces to put things in motion. They enjoyed building ramps, swings and tops and were eager to create their own inventions to topple dominoes. To wrap up the unit, the kindergarten students attended a virtual field trip, Shamrock Physics. During this interactive presentation, students performed several activities using a shamrock and different methods of force and explored gravity.

Everyone was feeling extra lucky when a leprechaun found his way into our Kindergarten classrooms. We followed his little green footprints right into a green bagel breakfast. The children enjoyed stories about leprechauns and St. Patrick’s Day!

First Grade classes continue to work hard each day. The students loved working through our Living Organisms unit in Science. We learned about what living things need to survive. Each student planted a bean seed. We sorted pictures of animal babies and parents to notice similarities. In math, we began learning about shapes. The students love using pattern blocks to create design. In writing, the classes created All About books that they are very proud of. Finally, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green, having class parties and making fun crafts.

Our second graders have been participating in a wonderful “Book Buddy” program here at Cayuga. All second grade students have been paired up with a 5th grade buddy. The program allows 5th graders to act as mentors and role models for our 2nd graders. The 5th grade buddies read with them, help them with their writing, teach them how to use technology, and develop friendships with their little buddies. They meet once a month and very much look forward to it.

This buddy program has benefited the little and big buddies in so many ways, both socially and academically. The younger children get the experience of hearing a fluent, more advanced reader. They also experience the patience, kindness, and advice from an older student. The older children benefit by building their leadership skills and confidence. However, the reward of having someone look up to you, is the best part!

Third grade has been moving right along as we enter the last trimester of the school year! We are welcoming in spring with lots of poetry and paragraph writing. We had fun creating our own zoo as we finished up learning about area! We are jumping straight into geometry and our last unit of science, Life and Ecosystems.

It was a busy month in fourth grade. We wrapped up our fraction unit by using various strategies from our learning to solve problems containing mixed numbers. Using number bonds and the arrow-way method were among the favored strategies. Students applied their learning when solving word problems involving fractions. We continue to stress the importance of drawing a tape diagram or model, when solving a word problem. We have begun our work with geometry. In Social Studies, we made many discoveries about explorers that journeyed to the “New World” and explored areas in and around present day New York. During Reading and Writing Workshop, we perused various literary biographies to discover the characteristics of this genre and the author’s writing craft. The children are excited to be researching an explorer and writing their own literary biography. They are also looking forward to sharing their stories with their peers.

It’s been “full steam ahead” during the month of March! The 5th graders continue to work hard while having fun and making memories.

Some 5th graders showcased their school spirit for Cayuga’s “Wearing of the Green” Spirit Day. We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, on Friday March 17th with a GREEN bagel breakfast thanks to Mrs. Scanlon (our 5th Grade Coordinator) & several parent volunteers. It was evident that fun was had by all!

We also went to Samoset to see their theater production of “Into the Woods”. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance and loved having the opportunity to get a glimpse inside their upcoming middle school. Many children were eager to learn about the various components that encompass the Drama Club (i.e. actors, set designers, lighting & sound technicians, etc.). But the kiddos were especially excited to watch their peers entertain.

The 5th Grade is looking forward to what April has in store! 🙂

Music in our Schools month (MIOSM) is here! Our Cayuga musicians have been sharing information about music through facts and morning announcement performances. We are enjoying our Music Spirit Week, March 20-24!

March 27th through March 31st Spring Boutique

March 30th Lego Robotics Club 8am Mr. Sussman’s Classroom

March 30th Pre-K Hearing/Vision Screening

March 30th Classes 4-2 and 4-3 Field Trip to Blydenburgh Park

March 31st Class 4-4 Field Trip to Blydenburgh Park

April 3rd Spring Pictures MPR

April 4th Spring Pictures MPR

April 5th Fifth Grade Spelling Bee 2:00PM Cafeteria

April 6th through April 14th SCHOOL CLOSED SPRING RECESS

Email: mwells@sachem.edu
Website: https://sachem.edu/schools/cayuga
Location: 865 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Grove, NY, USA
Phone: (631)471-1800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057156832506
Twitter: @cayuga_school