Dear PVES Families,
I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying the beautiful sunshine today. I know that we are all ready for some fresh air and sunny skies, and the week ahead is looking good! Staying active is certainly an important component to a healthy life and positive mindset, so please make sure that exercise and time outside is part of your child’s schedule every day.
As you know, Dr. Luft let our community know yesterday that Governor Cuomo has announced that all New York State schools will continue with distance learning for the remainder of this school year. Although this was to be expected, it is still difficult to process for students, parents, and staff. Although safety must be our primary concern, there is a great amount of disappointment that comes with this news. The spring season is typically filled with wonderful assemblies, field trips, big school events, concerts, shows, and most importantly, opportunities for good-byes, celebrations, and closures. Please acknowledge this disappointment that you and your children are feeling. We are all making meaning of this together, and the feelings are real. As a school district, we are working to do as much as we can to stay connected, celebrate our students, and look ahead toward easier days. Thank you for your support and cooperation during this unprecedented time. As I tell my own children, “Just bring your best self to every day.” I know we will all continue to do just that.
Now that we have more information about the school closure extension, our PVES staff will continue to plan the revised details of our end-of-year items. Our June report cards will be narrative in style, and they will be emailed to you at the end of the school year. Parent Input Student Information Sheets will be emailed to families of students in Grades K-3 this week, in order to help us collect important details regarding next year’s placement. When we receive further guidance from the state, we will then reschedule our Kindergarten Screening dates for our new incoming K students. We will also continue to work closely with the PTA in order to manage details of yearbook and t-shirt distribution and celebratory videos. We will also keep all families posted on any available dates and times for students to pick up personal belongings from their classrooms. At this point, we know we have more questions than answers, but please know how hard we are working on these details for the sake of your children and our school. Thank you for your patience.
As always, please email me if you have immediate questions or concerns. I know that your teachers are in touch with you on all school days, and I thank you for the wonderful emails you have sent in appreciation of their great efforts with distance learning and family communication. Our PVES staff members certainly miss the students, and I thank them for the amazing teaching they are doing from home right now! We have all learned so much in such a short time!
Our talented PVCSD Music Department sent out a creative and uplifting performance this week. If you did not get to hear it yet, you can listen by clicking this link. Enjoy!
Just a little reminder to all of our PVES students: It’s time to make those Mother’s Day gifts for those special moms, grandmothers, and aunts in your life! Mother’s Day is only 8 days away, and maybe your teachers will send you some neat ideas this week! It feels good to show your love!
Enjoy the week ahead. Thank you for bringing your best self, each and every day.
Warmly,
Dr. Margaret Podesta
Principal