Putnam Valley Elementary School

Dear PVES Parents,

As we head into our first full week of Remote Learning for all, I hope that I can answer any questions you may have for tomorrow and up through Friday, January 8th.  Unfortunately, all of our students must learn from home during this time period, and we truly appreciate your help and cooperation.  If your K-4 child is still in need of a school laptop for learning, please call our main office at 845-528-8092, or email Mrs. DeRubeis at cderubeis@pvcsd.org.  We will make sure that the student laptop is ready for pick-up.

Firstly, all Remote Learning Schedules are posted on our Elementary website.  Please visit www.pvcsd.org, and click on the Elementary tab.  The schedules can be located by clicking on the red link.  Classroom teachers, Special Area teachers, and Support staff have all emailed the student learning schedules, and they can be contacted with questions by emailing first initial last name @pvcsd.org.  It is important to note that our students who are currently “regular” Remote Learners should continue to log onto their Specials Window between 9:00 and 9:40 each school day.  This is true for their Science classes as well, if they are scheduled for particular days and times.

It is extremely important to note that these upcoming Remote Instruction days are SCHOOL days.  Attendance will be taken, and logging onto all scheduled Google Meets is NOT optional.  We care very much about the continuity of instruction throughout this challenging time, and our teachers are prepared to teach well-planned lessons, provide meaningful feedback, and support the learning of your children in all content areas.  Please support your child’s learning and engagement by reviewing and posting the daily lesson schedule (including specials and support classes), having a well-organized space for your child to work and learn (free from distractions in the home), and helping your child to organize materials needed for each class (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, P.E., etc.).  Children should work independently during their lessons, and parents and siblings should not be seen or heard on the Google Meetings.  (I know this is challenging, but we all need to work together to make our remote learning a success for all).

Parents, please keep in mind that our District Policy does not allow recording, screenshotting, or videotaping any part of our class instruction.  Parents are not to speak on camera during the remote lessons, as we must be free from distraction during this focused learning time.  Thank you for being our partners in this unique educational journey. I am so proud of how hard our teachers have worked to make remote learning a successful initiative for all.

If, at any time this week, you cannot locate your child’s Google Meet lesson, you are welcome to call my office at 845-528-8092, or email me at mpodesta@pvcsd.org.  Mr. Chickery (tchickery@pvcsd.org) and I will provide assistance.  We want learning to continue, and we are here to help.

With all of our preparation in place, please know that sometimes there are glitches that delay or interrupt lessons.  Thank you for your patience and your consistent support “behind the scenes.” We cannot do this without you.

It looks like we have a busy week ahead, with a little snow mixed in.  Thank you for setting your child up for success throughout this remote instruction time.

I hope that you are all healthy.  We will certainly miss seeing the students in person throughout these weeks.

Fondly,
Dr. Podesta
Principal