Chenango Bridge Elementary Newsletter

October 2014

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that the month of September is already finished. We are now in the month of October and there are many events and activities to make note of:

·  Capital Project Meeting (CVHS Auditorium) Tuesday, October 7 at 5:30pm

·  Picture Day Wednesday, October 8

·  Early Dismissal Drill Thursday, October 9

·  Half Day of School Friday, October 10

·  No School: Columbus Day Monday, October 13

·  Board of Education Meeting Wednesday, October 15 at 7:00pm

·  Halloween Friday, October 31

Please know that the following important information is important to support the learning and safety at Chenango Bridge Elementary:

·  Early Dismissal Drill: Students will be dismissed from school at 2:40pm, instead of the regular dismissal time of 2:55pm. This is an annual drill for our district.

·  Student Drop Off and Pick Up: Please be very careful as you drop off your child in the morning and/or pick up your child in the afternoon. If you are planning to drop off your child to school in the morning, it can be no earlier than 8:10am as there is no one on duty to monitor the children. There should be no parking along the fence (near the sidewalk). Park in designated parking spaces to ensure everyone’s safety.

·  Safety/Security: All perimeter doors in our school will be locked at all times. Please send in a note to your child’s teacher if you are picking your child up during the school day or after school. You will need to come into school through the Security office; sign in, pick up your child, and sign out. Students are not allowed to be outside of the building, waiting to be picked up, at any time during the school day.

·  Picture Day at Chenango Bridge Elementary: Flyers went home to students/families on Tuesday, September 30, 2014. All staff and students will have their pictures taken on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. Remember to send in your order form and money if you wish to purchase pictures.

·  Chenango Bridge PTA: Please join us in making this a fantastic year for our students. Consider joining this organization and help us provide countless, positive opportunities for all.

·  Transportation Changes: Any changes to your child’s transportation on any given day will not be accepted after 1PM (unless it is an emergency). To contact the bus garage, please call 607-762-6850.

·  Late Buses/Clubs: We are in the process of organizing our schedule for late buses at Chenango Bridge Elementary. Our late bus days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, with buses leaving at 4:00pm sharp. Students will be able to stay after school only if he/she is part of a club, an activity, or at the request of a teacher (to work on school related assignments or review). Our clubs/activities include Art Club, Chess Club, Math Club, Book Club, Student Government, Mentoring, and Ski Club. You will be informed soon the specific date that we will begin our late buses.

·  Homework: This is an important part of a student’s educational experience. Homework is meant to provide students with practice/review opportunities based on that day’s learning. We ask that you work with your children positively and encourage them to do their work nightly.

·  Band (Grades 5 & 6) and Chorus (Grades 4-6): Both Chorus and Band lessons/rehearsals have started. This is an excellent opportunity to enrich your child’s overall school experience. Please remind them that they are responsible to get and complete any work that is missed while at a lesson or rehearsal. Students can contact their teachers during playground or study hall to get any missed work.

·  Olweus: We had a very successful beginning of our Olweus program on Friday, September 26, 2014. It is exciting to see and hear how all of us (students, staff, and families) can work together to have a positive, conducive school environment.

Our 4 Main Olweus Rules at Chenango Bridge Elementary are:

1)  We will not bully others.

2)  We will try to help students who are bullied.

3)  We will try to include students who are left out.

4)  If we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and at home.

Autumn is a magical time of the year, full of colorful changing leaves, apple cider, pumpkins, and sunny days/cool nights. Our goal at Chenango Bridge Elementary is to “engage, inspire, and empower” our students. Together, we can successfully educate our students well, promote respect and responsibility, and have fun, too.

Best wishes for a wonderful month ahead!

Mary Beth Hammond

Principal

Looking ahead to November 2014…………..

·  Chenango Bridge PTA meets on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 6:00pm in the Library.

·  Chenango Valley’s Annual Literacy Night will take place on Thursday, November 6, 2014 from 6:30-8:00pm in the CV Middle School Gym. This event is awesome for students to work on their ELA skills, families to get information for work at home, and each child will get a free book.