Dear PVES Families,

And summer has arrived!  I want to thank you all so very much for all of your support and cooperation during this unique time in our schools.  Over the past few months, we have worked together as a learning community, modeled creativity and resilience for the children, and used our problem-solving skills and increased communication to learn and grow.  Thank you for playing such an integral part in your child’s learning over these past few months.  It’s now time to relax and enjoy the summer break!

Thank you to all of the families who were able to participate in the Student Supply days this past week, and thank you also to the staff members who made them possible.  If you were not able to get to the school on your student’s grade level days, please email or call us sometime in July to arrange for pick-up.  We have ELA and Math Review Packets for each student (completing grades K-4) to work on over the summer.  Packet completion is not required of the students, but we do encourage the children to complete these review materials gradually over the summer break and hand them into the school office in September for a small prize.  (Fourth graders can bring packets to the middle school office in the fall). This review will help to keep the children’s learning skills fresh, and they will provide a little academic boost for the new school year.  Thank you so much for your support!

More information on yearbook orders will be coming soon.  These deliveries were delayed due to the pandemic.

Our virtual Field Day Week was a big success. Thank you to our Physical Education teachers for organizing these wonderful activities, and thank you to all of the families who were able to send in photos and videos of your field day events at home!  Please see the link https://youtu.be/qRYelJuRZ2E to view the Field Day slideshow created with parent-submitted photos.  We hope that the children take a big break from electronics and stay physically active throughout the summer!  It’s so very important!

Thank you to Miss Castellanos and the Kids of Character Club who collected the recycled bottles in the school and returned them for cash to be able to make a donation to the Maria Ferrari Children’s Hospital.  The club chose this organization because of their “family-centered care” and the KCNB1 Research they do at Northwestern University. The research that this hospital is doing will hopefully help the children who suffer from this disease.  The Kids of Character Club could not have made this donation without the help of the PVES staff and students who took the time to deposit their recyclables responsibly. Thank you!

As we await more guidance from the state in regard to schools re-opening in September, we will certainly keep you updated on a regular basis.  Our district Re-entry Task Force is busy meeting and discussing the many factors that must be considered, always putting safety first.  Please continue to do all you can to keep your families safe and healthy throughout these summer months.  I will be sending these Weekly Word messages sporadically throughout July and August, so that when any news comes up pertaining to our elementary building, you are informed immediately.

As I complete my seventh year as principal of Putnam Valley Elementary School, I am filled with pride in PVES and the student-centered learning environment we create each day for our children.  I am beyond proud of our amazing staff, our supportive parent community, and the wonderfully creative, compassionate, and hard-working children with whom we have the honor of working each day.  Thank you for being an active part of our school community.  It is certainly a very special place!

Good luck to our fourth graders who are moving to the middle school!  We will miss you!  And we are so excited to be welcoming our new Kindergarten students to PVES in September!  Cherish every day, as the years go by so quickly!

I will be in touch soon.  In the meantime, keep making beautiful memories, and enjoy the small summer moments.  They can be highlights of a childhood!

Take good care.

Warmly,
Dr. Margaret Podesta
Principal