Dear PVES Families,
October is here, and we are already making the most of this busy month! Our Character Education theme for this month focuses on “Kindness, Friendship, and Bullying Prevention.” Mrs. Robey and I enjoyed meeting with each of the grade levels this past week to discuss these very important themes in our school. On Wednesday, October 22nd, all staff and students are invited to wear the color “orange” in recognition of “Unity Day.” On this day and every day, we focus on kindness, acceptance, and respect. We learn how to recognize, stop, and report bullying behaviors. Each class will be reading a school-wide book focusing on this Character Education theme this month. At home, students are welcome to draw a picture of themselves being a good friend. We look forward to the learning ahead.
On this Friday, all Putnam Valley Schools will dismiss 15 minutes early, as part of a mandated “Evacuation Drill.” Please be sure to be at your child’s bus stop 15 minutes early on this Friday. There will be no school on Monday, October 13th, in recognition of Columbus Day.
We are still welcoming First Responders to meet with our classes on the morning of Wednesday, October 29th, after 9:10 AM. We welcome you and your family members, neighbors, and friends, who work as fire fighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, emergency workers and more. We are looking forward to having our First Responder guests visit with our classes. You can talk about your work, read a story, or just visit with the young children. If interested, please email me at mpodesta@pvcsd.org. The children will welcome you warmly. We appreciate all that you do!
In just one week, a very special new worker at Putnam Valley Elementary School will be joining us each day to visit with the children and help us through our busy days. We are so proud and grateful to be getting a new facility dog, a 20-month-old Golden Retriever named Mason, who will become a loved and valuable part of our Putnam Valley Elementary learning community. Thank you so much to the Putnam Valley Education Foundation for making this opportunity possible for our school, thank you to BluePath Service Dogs, and thank you to our district administrators, especially Mrs. Jackie Levine and Dr. Jeremy Luft, and to the Board of Education, for supporting this amazing initiative. Mason is already bonding with his primary handler, Mr. Alex Gofman, and his family, while he completes his formal training. We look forward to welcoming Mason each and every school day beginning next week. We are so very lucky!
Our classroom teachers will soon be reaching out to all parents and guardians to schedule appointment times for our November parent/teacher conferences. These in-person conferences take place at the end of the First Quarter of the school year, and brief Progress Reports will be shared at that time. Our first formal Report Cards will be mailed (and available online) at the end of January, at the midpoint of the school year. Our teachers look forward to these important November meetings to support student progress in the months ahead.
As the weather becomes cooler, please remember that our elementary students go outside for recess almost every day throughout the school year. Please be sure that your child has appropriate clothing for the fall and winter temperatures, with jackets, hats, and gloves labeled on the inside layers. Our Lost & Found collection can always be checked in the front lobby of our building, and it is already starting to grow.
Have a great week ahead. Don’t forget about the earlier dismissal on Friday, and the three-day weekend on the way.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Dr. Margaret Podesta
Principal