To the Entire Woodglen Community,

We have certainly had a fantastic month here…it’s been incredibly busy, but the progress the students have made in just a few short weeks has been astounding! By now, everyone is settling in well to their new classrooms, their new routines and getting down to the business of learning.  We anticipate a wonderful learning experience for all our students and embrace the initiatives that our District has embarked upon.

October is always a fun month at school…we’ll be diving in to all things Fall as we gear up to the busy holiday season.

October is a time of change and anticipation.  We welcome the change in seasons and the start up of the school year.  

October is also Red Ribbon month.  The end of October (October 22-26) became formalized as Red Ribbon Week in 1988 by a proclamation of the United States Congress.  It was inspired by the tragic death in 1985 of an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration Agent at the hands of Mexican drug traffickers.  Red Ribbon Week activities are organized each October by ten of thousands of schools, government agencies, and social service organizations. The main purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to celebrate and promote positive choices and healthy, drug free lifestyles for young people and adults in the United States.  Woodglen will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week this year in late October. Details will follow.

In addition, October is National Fire Prevention month, a time when we should all be aware of ways to help learn fire safety and prevention.  According to the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), most Americans underestimate their risk for fire, and many either lack emergency response plans or fail to practice them with fire drills. FEMA cautions against complacency and encourages everyone to take the next step.  Annual observances like National Fire Prevention Week and National Fire Prevention Month are excellent opportunities to focus on fire hazards, but we should all practice fire safety every day at home, work, school, and play.

Shine your salad bars and polish your pumpkins – October is National Farm to School Month, and the National Farm to School Network has a whole host of resources to help you celebrate!  Check out this link for resources. We celebrate in school using our greenhouse, composting area, and outdoor classroom.  http://www.farmtoschoolmonth.org

Early Release Days:

• Please also note that Wednesday, October 24 is an Early Release Days (11:00 dismissal).

No School Days:

• There is no school on October 8.

Students will be celebrating Halloween this month.  Students in all grades, K-5, may choose to wear costumes to school.  Each classroom will be hosting a class celebration, which may include games, special read-alouds, and crafts.  Further information regarding the specific class festivities will be disseminated through the individual classes.  Please keep in mind Woodglen will be adhering to the Wellness policy during these festivities. Please limit any goodie bags to include ingredients such as pencils, stickers, and erasers.  Please note that children are not permitted to wear scary costumes or masks, bring sharp edged props such as sticks, swords, knives, weapons, have bare midriffs, feature blood and gore, etc.

With Great Excitement,

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!  I surely hope you found your summer to be relaxing, reenergizing and enjoyable.  

The beginning of a new school year has always had a special meaning and a sense of excitement.  It is a time that marks a fresh start, exciting possibilities, and great promise. For children, it means new friends and teachers, new learning, discovery, and growth.  I look forward to working with you as we educate your children in these elementary years of school. These years are the most important because they lay the foundation for your child’s total school experience.

I appreciate that you recognize your child’s academic progress and enthusiasm for learning at this exciting time and know you will encourage it to continue throughout the academic year.  

In addition to engaging in an enriching curriculum, I expect your children will experience inner growth, with more self-direction, and greater understanding.  Nothing could be more precious or more worthy than our collective attention to your children.

This school year will be an opportunity again for students at Woodglen to participate in our theme ~ BE A HERO!

Be a “HERO!”  You can save someone’s day by performing a small act of service.  Not everyone can fly or bend a rod of steel; to find your superpower you only need to help.  Look to find a way to help someone in need. Open a door, clean up, or help a friend read or do math.  You can help turn someone’s day from the worst into the best. You can be a SUPERHERO even without an “S” on your chest.  A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his/her strength, but by the strength in his/her heart.

I challenge the Woodglen students to work on being a HERO to others this school year.  What can you do? How will you make an impact? Who will you help?

Our greatest heroes are ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things for others.  A HERO is any person really intent on making Woodglen, the community, the world, a better place for all people.  Woodglen students can be heroes one day at a time.

The home-school relationship is important to maintain.  The foundation of this relationship is paramount and keeping those lines of communication open is essential.  The use of e-mail, notes, and phone calls are welcomed and encouraged throughout the year. I look forward to a working partnership and a successful year.  

Our Meet the Teacher Evenings are:

September 12 for grades 3-5

September 13 for grades K-2

Both evenings start at 6:30 PM and end at 7:30 PM.

Parents whose students have Ms. Levitas, Ms. Mahoney, Ms. Kalter, Ms. Holland, and Ms. Hollander, please come at 6:00 PM and proceed to the classroom.

New City Library Help:

New City Library will be providing Homework Help on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 pm when school is in session beginning September 13th.  The library is hoping to help more students this year! High School students will be ready to help as well as part of the program.

Early Release Days:

Please also note that Wednesday, October 24 is an Early Release Days (11:00 dismissal).

No School Days:

There is no school on September 10, 11, and 19.

Please visit our webpage to see our parent communication.

https://www.ccsd.edu/Domain/16

My door is always open; I welcome your visits.

With Great Excitement,

Dear Woodglen Families,

Welcome to August!  I hope this newsletter finds you relishing in the lazy days of summer and creating wonderful memories with family and friends.

Gazing outside at the beautiful, warm, hot, sunny summer days, I find it difficult to believe that school begins in a little over a month.  Hopefully, summer has rejuvenated everyone. With a new school year, comes the growing sense of excitement and anticipation that a new year brings.  

Our entire educational community pursues excellence with such passion it is truly contagious and exciting to be a Clarkstown Central School District and Woodglen student.  In Clarkstown, we offer a comprehensive educational experience with enormous opportunities for success.. We are fortunate enough to be working together for the common good of all of our students.  The collective efforts of an involved community, staff, and talented teachers make a significant impact each and every day in the lives of our students. Our focus on educational excellence will continue to guide our path to greatness.

I am getting excited for a new school year.  Enjoy the last few weeks.

Warmly,

Dear Woodglen Families,

As we start to enjoy our summer days, we extend our good-byes to teachers and students.

It is our hope that while you have fun this summer, you include "reading" in your daily fun activities.  It is important to practice new skills on a daily basis to develop proficiency. While reading instruction is emphasized all year in school, children need to practice reading over the summer to maintain and strengthen these skills.

To encourage your children to continue reading during the summer, the district has posted an extensive list of suggested summer reading books on our Woodglen Homepage.  

On behalf of the faculty and staff, I wish you a safe, healthy, and restful summer vacation.   It is with much appreciation that I acknowledge the support, dedication and commitment of time, you so generously give to the Woodglen School.

As parents, you have sent your children to Woodglen with a rich foundation of values, character, respect and love of learning.  In partnership with a dedicated staff, we joined to nurture and develop our children’s talents and skills.

Our children have worked hard all year; it shows in their progress and achievements.  It is now time to relax and have a summer of family fun!

Fondly,

Dear Woodglen Community,

It’s June and the end of the school year.  June is always a wonderful month at school as students celebrate with their classes and all that they have accomplished during the year.

On June 5 (rain date of June 7), we are all looking forward to a school-wide Field Day, which has been organized by our PTA and parent volunteers.  With our fifth grade Moving Up ceremony on June 13 at South High School, fifth graders are becoming really enthusiastic about the end of the year activities.

This school year has been an exciting and productive time for our students, staff, and families at Woodglen.  School life is more than “learning” for your children. It is the building of a “learning community” that extends beyond the curriculum and classroom.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Woodglen teachers, parents and community members for helping us continue to create an educationally enriched and safe environment for Woodglen students.  Your support and dedication to Woodglen Elementary School is greatly appreciated.

Finally, I want to say thank you for the privilege of being the Principal at Woodglen Elementary School during this school year.  I look forward to next year and the many more accomplishments to come for the Woodglen community.

As you rest and enjoy the summer, please remember to help your children continue to learn, grow, imagine, wonder, and discover the power of education!

Warmly,

Dear Woodglen Community,

This school year has been an exciting and productive time for our students, staff, and families at Woodglen.  I encourage you to continue to frequently visit our Woodglen Webpage to see the many enriching activities and events your children experience! School Life is more than “learning” for your children.  It is the building of a “learning community” that extends beyond the curriculum and classroom.

Spring (April and May) also heralds the end to the New York State assessment season for our third, fourth and fifth grade students.  All of our students continue to work very hard and we congratulate the third through fifth grade students for doing their best on the New York State English language arts and Mathematics assessments. Our fourth graders will take one final state assessment, the New York State Science assessment, which is being administered in late May and early June.  Please remember that results will be shared with parents as soon as they are made available to us by New York State.

The OLWEUS program is a school wide program that addresses bullying and focuses on the prevention of it.  Through this program, students receive a consistent, reinforced message about bullying over an extended period of time.  The program is embedded throughout the school and involves all staff members. A very special thank you goes out to the entire OLWEUS committee for doing a spectacular job as they lead our building in the right direction.  In addition, the committee is busy training the staff so effectively!

We are looking forward to marching in the Memorial Day parade alongside Mr. Andert.

At this time of year, parents begin to wonder how class re-organization is handled for the coming school year.  Our goals are: To create heterogeneous classes (academic, social and emotional); to maintain gender and class size balance; to provide for the unique needs of all children.  Unless parents have worked with a specific teacher in the past, they only know teachers by reputation; therefore, requests for specific teachers cannot be honored.  In each year, there are likely to be staff changes on one or more grade levels. Please remember your child’s current teacher and school staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our children’s education. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me if we can be of any assistance.

Warmly,

Dear Woodglen Families,

This school year has been an exciting and productive time for our students, staff, and families at Woodglen.  I encourage you to continue to frequently visit our Woodglen Webpage to see the many enriching activities and events your children experience!

School Life is more than “learning” for your children.  It is the building of a “learning community” that extends beyond the curriculum and classroom.  

Spring (April) also heralds the New York State assessment season for our third, fourth and fifth grade students.  All of our students continue to work very hard. Our fourth graders will take one final state assessment, the New York State Science assessment, which is being administered in late May and early June.  Please remember that results will be shared with parents as soon as they are made available to us by New York State.

The OLWEUS program is a school wide program that addresses bullying and focuses on the prevention of it.  Through this program, students receive a consistent, reinforced message about bullying over an extended period of time.  The program is embedded throughout the school and involves all staff members.  

We continue with our PBIS model at Woodglen this year.  Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a process for creating school environments that are more predictable and effective for achieving academic and social goals.  PBIS will enhance our current systems and practices, and change the culture for the better. Please review and reference our PBIS matrix with your child.

Woodglen continues to enforce the Dignity for All Students Act.  The main concept of the Dignity for All Students Act is that children have the right to attend school in a safe, welcoming, and caring environment.  It also promotes a school environment free of discrimination and harassment.

We are looking forward to marching in the Memorial Day parade alongside Mr. Andert and Ms. Gambuzza.  

At this time of year, parents begin to wonder how class re-organization is handled for the coming school year.  Our goals are: To create heterogeneous classes (academic, social and emotional); to maintain gender and class size balance; to provide for the unique needs of all children.  Unless parents have worked with a specific teacher in the past, they only know teachers by perceived reputation; therefore, requests for specific teachers cannot be honored.  In each year, there are likely to be staff changes on one or more grade levels. Please remember your child’s current teacher and school staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs.  

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our children’s education. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me if we can be of any assistance.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Warmly,

Dear Woodglen Families,

Welcome to the festive month of December.  The holiday season is upon us and creates a perfect time to teach young children important life lessons about gratitude that may extend throughout the year. Understanding gratitude can be tricky for children, who by their nature, tend to be self-focused. Talking with children about being thankful for not only material things, but for acts of kindness from others, is one way to help children develop the skill of being grateful. As children grow with gratitude, they become more understanding of the needs and feelings of others.

Thanks to all of you for supporting American Education Week, PTA events, workshops, and school wide drives that took place this past month.  They were all incredibly successful.  These special events are never possible without the hard work of many individuals.

Report Cards

Our first trimester is completed, and on December 15th, first trimester report cards will be sent home.  Please remember that the report cards are aligned with New York State standards, and as the standards evolve, so do our teaching practices.  

Arrival and Dismissal

With this busy time of year, please make sure that all notes sent in for pick up, childcare changes, or after school activities are dated.  A note must accompany any change in your child’s afternoon arrangements.  The notes should include the student’s full name, parent’s name, parent’s last name, teacher’s name and street address/bus color.  If a child will be going to a different location or is being picked up by another person due to childcare needs, both parties must send in a note to confirm arrangements.  

Please also note, students should not be picked up prior to 2:55.  This disturbs instruction for the entire class.

Children who are driven to school should exit from the car on the passenger side only.  Staff will assist them getting out of the car and with their belongings.  Drivers should not get out of their cars.  If a driver chooses to get out of the car, please park in a visitor spot and walk in with your child.

Please abide by traffic regulations.  Please do not pass a bus when the stop sign is out.  Please do not pass other cars.  Please keep a very slow speed throughout the parking lot.

New City Library

The New City Library Children's Department will be hosting Homework Help for students in grades K-6.  The program will begin with a trial run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, starting on January 4th and running when schools are open, until the end of February.  Students can drop in as necessary.  Local teen volunteers, will help interpret instructions, guide students and assist in keeping the students on task.  

Winter Concert

Please come and enjoy our fifth grade winter concert planned for the evening of December 6th. Our K-5 Glee Club will be a short, opening act for the fifth grade. The students have been working hard with our music teachers.

Lost and Found

Please label everything.  If your child is missing anything, have them check the lost and found located in the cafeteria.  A table is set up in the foyer as well.

The New York State Department of Education

The New York State Department of Education continues to establish new levels for students to meet and/or exceed proficiency on the New York State English language arts and mathematics assessments.  As student expectations rise, so do our practices in ensuring our students continue to work at high levels to meet and/or exceed these new expectations set forth by the State Education Department.

May your holidays be happy, healthy, and restful.  May your New Year be joyous.

Warmly,

November 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving and a terrific holiday season. Over the next six weeks, I am sure many of you will be busy preparing for family and friends to visit.  As this holiday season progresses, it is important to keep in mind how the interruptions of the holidays impact the students.  We would ask that you take an extra moment to help your child focus and stay on task with schoolwork while enjoying this time of year.

It doesn’t take scientific research to convince us that an attitude of gratitude is a powerful contributor to a happy life. Some believe that it may be the single most effective way to increase happiness in life. I asked myself the question, what is gratitude?  Gratitude is expressing thanks for anything we have received. The word gratitude comes from the Latin words: Gratia, meaning favor, charm, and thanks, and Gratus, meaning pleasing and grateful.  The Power of Gratitude is undeniable. People who take the time to notice and appreciate the good things that come their way through grace, or luck, or the goodness of others are happier and more peaceful. There is research consistent with the thought that people who demonstrate high levels of gratitude do better on cognitive tests and tests of problem solving skills. They practice healthier habits, have better relationships, are more optimistic and live longer. Gratitude is one powerful emotion. How do we cultivating gratitude in ourselves and our children? If you are worried that a substantial level of gratitude must come with a high price, fear not. Developing gratitude is surprisingly easy.

Here are 4 solid methods: 1. Keep a gratitude Journal. Every day or so, write about the good things that happened to you that day. Try writing in a journal daily for three weeks and see the results! Stop in the office and write in our school gratitude journal  2. Write a letter of appreciation. Express your gratitude to people who have helped you, particularly those who have helped you without special reward. We are touched by others everyday. 3. Make a gratitude list. This can often be a quick pick-me-up. Set a goal of listing 100 things you have to be grateful for, and then keep adding to your list until you reach that number. Some days it is hard to get started, but persistence pays as the longer list pushes us to examine our blessings more deeply 4. Take a gratitude walk. This method works a little like the list in that you have a set time period of the walk to focus on deepening your gratitude. The movement of a walk can help the brain and heart to work better. Each day the transition from work & school to home can be a good transition time to, for example, take a deep breath, look up to the sky, and commit to thinking of something in your life deserving of gratitude. Ask your children each day, as you are going through these transitions times, to also take a deep breath, look up to the beautiful sky, and state what in their day is deserving of gratitude. Whatever method you choose to incorporate into your child’s day, there are quick and easy ways to develop gratitude. How fortunate for us that this powerhouse of happiness and success is so easy to get. So take the time to help children develop an attitude of gratitude and we can all enjoy a happier life.

Some notes:

Parent Visitation:  We will be celebrating American Education Week on November 7th by inviting parents into our school for a museum-like experience.  We hope you will be able to join us!

Illnesses and School:  We are always looking to keep our students safe and healthy in school.  Please note that children must remain home until they are fever free for a full 24 hours without medication for any illness.  Please check your children before they leave for school in the morning and keep them home if they are ill, especially with fever. Please be reminded not give them medication for fever and send them to school, as fever can indicate a contagious stage, potentially affecting others.

Winter Music Concert:  On Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30 PM our fifth graders will be putting on a Winter Music Concert – a show that is not to be missed.   Our Glee Club will be our opening act.

All School Spirit Days:  Just a reminder that Woodglen holds spirit days each month.  Feel free to dress your children in either our school colors (green and yellow) or spirit wear!

OLWEUS Program:  Each year, Woodglen holds a new theme usually focused around Olweus and character.  For those of you new to our anti-bullying program, be sure to ask your children about our four anti-bullying rules; 1) We will not bully others!  2) If someone is being bullied we will tell an adult at home and at school.  3) Everyone can play!  4) We will help others if they are bullied.

Attendance:  Your help is needed in making sure that your child is in school on time. The first bell rings at 8:22 and students are expected to be in class by 8:24. The class activities start promptly with the morning announcements at 8:30. This morning class time is one of the most important times of the day. When a child comes in late, not only have they missed valuable class time, it is disruptive to his or her classmates. We understand that mornings can be hectic, but it is important to stress the need to be to school on time.

Thank you to the Woodglen school community and the PTA for their unending support with school initiatives such as technology to cultural arts programs to wonderful events.  It is always appreciated.

Fondly,

To the Entire Woodglen Community,

October is a time of change and anticipation.  We welcome the change in seasons and the start up of the school year.  We anticipate a wonderful learning experience for all our students and embrace the initiatives that our District has embarked upon.

The beginning of a new school year has always had a special meaning and a sense of excitement.  It is a time that marks a fresh start, exciting possibilities, and great promise.  For children, it means new friends and teachers, new learning, discovery, and growth.  I look forward to working with you as we educate your children in these elementary years of school.  These years are the most important because they lay the foundation for your child’s total school experience.

I appreciate that you recognize your child’s academic progress and enthusiasm for learning at this exciting time and know you will encourage it to continue throughout the academic year.  In addition to engaging in an enriching curriculum, I expect your children will experience inner growth, with more self-direction, and greater understanding.  Nothing could be more precious or more worthy than our collective attention to your children.

The home-school relationship is important to maintain.  The foundation of this relationship is paramount and keeping those lines of communication open is essential.  The use of e-mail, notes, and phone calls are welcomed and encouraged throughout the year.  I look forward to a working partnership and a successful year.  My door is always open; I welcome your visits.

I am a firm believer in the power of the growth mindset, and approach each year with the belief that all my students are capable of learning and growth.  What is growth mindset?  Simply put, it is the belief that intelligence and ability are not fixed traits or that we are born with only so much of them.  Rather, with effort and perseverance all students are capable of academic achievement.

Every day, we want to immerse our students in a growth mindset in my classroom.  Woodglen students will be asked to take education risks.  They will be praised  for approaching the process of learning with grit and determination.  And they will grow in ways they never thought possible.

These messages cannot only come from the school; and so I am writing this letter to ask for your help.  How can you help?  You can value growth and improvement in your home.    I am asking families to be mindful of where your students start and how they progress over time.  In our estimation, continual progress, however incremental, is to be valued.

Here are some things you can do to extend and promote growth mindset in your home:

• Encourage your child to take risks and tackle new challenges at school.
• Praise your child not for the ease with which he or she learns a concept but for the amount of effort put into learning it.
• Communicate with the teacher if the material is too easy for your child, so we can offer him or her sufficiently difficult learning challenges.
• Emphasize perseverance and effort in extracurricular activities.  For example, “I’m proud of how much effort you put into that basketball game” instead of “I’m proud of how many points you scored in that basketball game.”

I hope you’ll commit to joining us on this growth-mindset journey. We cannot do it without parent support.  Please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns.

October Events:

October is also Red Ribbon month.  The end of October became formalized as Red Ribbon Week in 1988 by a proclamation of the United States Congress.  It was inspired by the tragic death in 1985 of an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration Agent at the hands of Mexican drug traffickers.  Red Ribbon Week activities are organized each October by ten of thousands of schools, government agencies, and social service organizations.  The main purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to celebrate and promote positive choices and healthy, drug free lifestyles for young people and adults in the Unites States.  Woodglen will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week this year in late October.  Details will follow.

In addition, October is National Fire Prevention month, a time when we should all be aware of ways to help learn fire safety and prevention.  According to the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), most Americans underestimate their risk for fire, and many either lack emergency response plans or fail to practice them with fire drills. FEMA cautions against complacency and encourages everyone to take the next step.  Annual observances like National Fire Prevention Week and National Fire Prevention Month are excellent opportunities to focus on fire hazards, but we should all practice fire safety every day at home, work, school, and play.  

Shine your salad bars and polish your pumpkins – October is National Farm to School Month, and the National Farm to School Network has a whole host of resources to help you celebrate!  Check out this link for resources.  We celebrate in school using our greenhouse, composting area, and outdoor classroom.  http://www.farmtoschoolmonth.org

Held during the third full week of October each year, National School Bus Safety Week is an active and evolving public education program and an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and other interested parties - to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety. Designed to promote school bus safety, school districts throughout the country observe School Bus Safety Week.  The theme is  "# STOP ON RED!"

Students will be celebrating Halloween this month.  Students in all grades, K-5, may choose to wear costumes to school.  Each classroom will be hosting a class celebration, which may include games, special read-alouds, and crafts.  Further information regarding the specific class festivities will be disseminated through the individual classes.  Please keep in mind Woodglen will be adhering to the Wellness policy during these festivities.  Please limit any goodie bags to include ingredients such as pencils, stickers, and erasers.  Please note that children are not permitted to wear scary costumes or masks, bring sharp edged props such as sticks, swords, knives, weapons, have bare midriffs, feature blood and gore, etc.

With Great Excitement,