May 29, 2012

Dear Families, I hope you enjoyed a pleasant Memorial Day break. This day of commemoration means so much to all of us because of our military students and families and their service to all of us. I always feel that the faith they inspire in us matches the hope and desire to look forward that summer always brings.

And the beginning of summer weather means it’s time to prepare for our last days of school.

May 30               District Elementary Chorus and Orchestra Concert
May 31               Science Lab Assessments, Grade 4
June 1                 3rd Grade Field Trip
June 4                 Science Written Performance Assessments, Grade 4
June 5                 Elementary Track Meet(Grade 5 Students)
June 6                 Head Start Visits Kindergarten
June 7                 Kindergarten Field Trip
                           NYS Field Tests, Grade 3, Writing
                           West Side Art Show
June 8                 4th Grade Field Trip
                           Gingerbread Students Visit Kindergarten
June 11and 14    Kindergarten Registration, WS Auxiliary Gym
June 12               Field Trips for Grades 1 and 5
June 14               National Pride Day:Flag Day – Wear Red, White and Blue
                           Morning Program for Flag Day
                           End of the Year Ceremony for Kindergarten
                           Orientation Day for Parents of Incoming Students, Grades 1-5
June 15               Fifth Grade Farewell
June 17               Second Grade Field Trip
June 18               5th Grade Visits the Middle School for Orientation
June 20               OPT Fun Day
June 21               Final Awards Assembly and Last Day for Students

Of special interest to parents is our Parent Orientation Day, Thursday, June 14. This is a date we set aside for parents to come to school and meet the grade level teams for their children. This has been very successful event and gives parents a better idea of the expectations of these grade levels. You will receive a flyer before that date to give you the specific times for each grade level.

You may also notice that there are several field trips in the next two weeks. Field trips are considered to be a part of the regular school day and are not open to parents who have not been designated as chaperones or to other siblings at home or in other grade levels. We therefore ask that you do not plan to attend field trips or meet the group at the field trip site unless you have been identified and confirmed as a chaperone or assigned some other role by the principal or teacher. These guidelines also apply to events such as Fun Day where volunteer workers help conduct activities for the children.

Our final Awards Assembly for school year is scheduled for June 21. This is the final day pupils report to school and it is a full day of instructional time. I hope you will be able to attend this important event. Our main office will then be open the week after the students finish and will close for the summer on June 29. The office will open again on August 20, two weeks before school begins. Please make certain that you have everything you need for the summer, particularly medications stored in the nurse’s office since the office staff will not be available to help you.

This will be my last correspondence with all of you. I’m certain that many of you are aware that I will be retiring at the end of this year, my 37th in education. There has never been a job that I’ve wanted more or enjoyed to the fullest in my career than serving you as principal at West Side. I have seen a whole group of children move with me from beginning to end, and the Kindergarten class from my first year here will be walking across the stage to receive diplomas as graduating seniors. We have shared celebrations, joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams for all of them. Thank you for sharing their lives – and yours – with me. My best wishes go of you and your new, wonderful principal, Ms. Charity Zawatski. Have a fantastic summer and many successful years to come.

March Madness at West Side

And it is a mad, mad month of activities at school! We have some wonderful things planned for the month of March!

First of all, it’s time for our annual Parents as Reading Partners (PARP). Our theme this year is the Wilderness and we are pleased to have author James Bruchac with us to talk about our selected topic on March 29. We kicked off our reading celebration last Thursday with a presentation on trapping and furs by Mr. Matthis. Friday was the judging of our door decorating contest for each of the classrooms. Congratulations to Mrs. McAllister’s and Miss Chapman’s students. Their doors best reflected the theme of wilderness and reading.

Students have brought home information about our PARP events, including the reading documentation sheet. If you or someone else in the household reads five days a week with your child and he or she returns the signed sheet, they will receive a prize for the week. Students successfully completing all four weeks of PARP will receive a book at the conclusion of the program. Other special reading activities this month will take place March 14. That morning our Parent-Child Read-Aloud will take place in the Library. That evening we’ll celebrate with
our OPT Book Night and Title I meeting. This is the highlight of our Spring Book Fair. You will be able to purchase books before and after each event. At Book Night our reading teachers, Mrs. Tuttle, and Mrs. McMahon, will have special computer and reading activities in the computer lab as part of their Title I meetings for parents.

Look for information about these March events, too:

9: OPT Meets, 6:30 p.m.
10: Progress Reports to office
11: Progress Reports are sent home
Volunteer Training at 1:30 p.m.
12: Scholastic Book Fair begins
13: Grades 4-8 Field Trip to the High School: Ogdensburg Command Performance
“The Color of Justice”
14: Morning: Come and read with your child in our library media center
Evening: OPT Book Night and Title 1 Meeting
15: Teacher Switch Day!
16: Staff Development Day – No School for Students
21: Morning: Freddie the FireTruck visits our Kindergarten Students
Student of the Month Assembly, Celebrating Career Month – 1:15 pm.
23: ½ Day for Students - Staff Development. Students leave West Side at
11:35 a.m.
29: Author James Bruchac visits
30: PARP ends

We hope you will consider attending as many of our events as possible. An extra reminder that there will be no school for students on Friday, March 16. Have a great month!

February News

Dear Families,

February is always my favorite winter month. Days are usually a bit warmer, there’s more daylight and we all look forward to the special celebrations that come with it. And the year is half over! Our first semester ended the last full week of January and report cards will be coming home this Friday. I’ve attached an updated second semester calendar of events for you. Please note these activities that are coming up quickly:

• OPT Meeting - Thursday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m.
• Report Cards Go Home – Friday, February 3
• District Spelling Bee – Tuesday, February 7 at 9:00 a.m. at the High School
• Valentine’s Day and Winter Celebration Parties – Tuesday, February 14
• Ogdensburg Command Performance for Grades K-3 at the HS, “Skippy Jon Jones”.
• Student of the Month Assembly – Friday, February 17 at 8:45 a.m. Program on Cooperation by Grade 4; Wear Red, White and Blue in honor of Presidents’ Day.
• Mid-Winter Break- February 20-24


District Spelling Bee. A reminder to all families that our students will travel to the high school on Tuesday, February 7 for our second district wide spelling bee for elementary students. The winner of the district competition will then compete in the Regional Spelling Bee on March 14 at LaFargeville Central School. Good luck to our West Side competitors: Catherine Leonard, Ember Lantz, Jaelyn Stevens, Peyton Mussaw, Justin Jares, Gavin Nichols, Haydn House-Hall Emily Geer, Nevaeh House-Hall and Melody Webster. Alternates are Niciara House-Bowman, Deseree Miller, Riley Lamanteer, Mason Witherell, Thomas Espinoza, Corryn Canell, Camila Marquez, Jordan Van Cort, Jacob Link, and Keegan Matthews. Good luck to everyone!

Mid-winter Celebrations. February is the month for Hundred Days Celebrations, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. The Hundredth Day of School has been slightly amended due to our recent snow days. Teachers will send home information in their weekly newsletters of the specific day that marks the event. Most of our Valentine’s Day parties will take place on Tuesday the 14th. Some classes opt for a general mid-winter party and may celebrate on a different day. Again, please look for information to come home with your child’s teacher.

Since President’s Day occurs during our mid-winter break, we will wear red, white and blue for our monthly assembly on Friday, February 17. We will recognize students who have demonstrated the character trait of Cooperation. This will also be our academic awards celebration for students in Grades 3-5. The program is set for 8:45 on February 17. Our program will be offered by Grade 4. Mrs. Lauren French, our new Superintendent, will be present for the ceremonies.

Ogdensburg Command Performance. This year’s program for Grades K-3 is entitled “Skippy Jon Jones” and is based on the popular children’s book. The program will be offered at the high school the morning of Wednesday, February 15. We travel to the high school for this program on that morning. Please keep this in mind if your child is to be dismissed from school or returning from an appointment.

A Safety Note. If you’re on our parents' email link, you’re already aware of this, but I would like state it again for everyone. If you are dropping off your children in the parking circle in the morning and wish to park and watch your child enter the building, please keep the handicapped spaces open for those who need the space. I would also like to remind you that the fire lane, the paved area closest to the school, is not open to visitors. Please do not drop off students or visitors in this area. Thank you for helping us make room for everyone in a safe, respectful manner.

Autumn Greetings from West Side

Welcome to the beginning of our 2011-2012 school year. We have had the best opening of school ever. Thanks to all of you for the support and help you give as we have spent the month preparing our students for the routines and the year ahead.
By now most of your have returned the many forms we need to update information and assist your families transitioning between home and school. If you haven’t yet done so, please review them and sign whatever is necessary. They include:

 Emergency Contact form from our office
 Parental Authorization form
 Medical updates from our school nurse you’ll need to sign.
 Signature confirming you have reviewed the Code of Conduct,
Student Handbook and Student Planners(Grades 2-5)

I’d also like to take the opportunity to welcome our new teachers and staff at West Side. Mrs. Christine McMahon has joined us as a reading teacher after several years in that position at Fowler. We also have a new psychology intern, Mrs. Jessica Anderson who is assigned to our building due to the departure of Ms. Morgan Fee. We also start the year with a student teacher, Mr. Andrew Waldroff , who is working in Kindergarten with Mrs. Barbara Sadue. West Side is also now the home of the Community Based Transitions Program. These high school students work each Friday as part of their career planning for their senior program.

This will be a transitional year of many changes for West Side. We are all of aware of the changes in K-12 education that started last year. They involve a more rigorous system of assessments for students and evaluations of teachers and principals based on the degree of success the children display. Last year we started to put together the framework to meet these new expectations. This year we’ll start implementing some of the changes and put the remaining pieces in place by the end of the school year.

It will also be a transitional year for me personally. This will be my last year as your principal. I will retire at the end of the school year. My goals this year are to prepare the teachers and students for the new core standards and challenges ahead, and to celebrate every minute leading this wonderful school and the people who make it such an educational gem.

Our first chance to celebrate together is coming this week! Please join us for Open House on Thursday, September 29, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., followed by our first volunteer training for parents at 6:30. Each classroom has prepared a special opportunity for you to work with your child and explore his or her program in some way. Our teachers in Grades K-2 have all been working with a new program called Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom strives to create a community of learners that includes students, teachers, parents, and the principal! You’ll see a message from me each Monday that helps us all share the week ahead. Part of Responsive Classroom is for you and your child to share your hopes and dreams for the year with the teacher and the teachers are preparing special activities for you to do so.

We are also pleased to provide information about public agencies related to helping your child be successful and safe in school. A welcome addition to our displays is the Masonic Child Safety Identification program for all families who wish to participate.

We hope that all of you will be able to attend Open House. Until then, please stop by any time or call to say hello or express any questions or concerns. Have a great year with us at West Side!

End of the Year Details

June 9, 2010

Dear Families,

Can you believe it - only a few weeks left of school!!! However, it’s absolutely PACKED with different events and activities. Here’s a quick list:

June 8 3rd Grade Field Trip
June 9 Grade1 Field Trip
Lifeskills Field Trip
June 10 Kindergarten and Grade 4 Field Trips
June 14 Flag Day – Wear Red, White and Blue
$.10 raffle during lunch
5th Grade Field Trip
June 15 Special Education Classes Field Trip
Second Grade Field Trip
June 16 Orientation Day for Parents of Incoming Students to Grades 3-5
9:00 a.m.
Coffee with the Principal 9:30 a.m.
Career Day Program for Students 1:00 p.m.
June 17 5th Grade Farewell
June 20 Grade 5 Students Visit the Middle School
June 21 OPT Fun Day
June 22 Kindergarten Celebration
Orientation for Parents of Incoming Student to Grades 1-2
Grade 2 - 8:30 a.m. Grade 1 - 9:30 a.m.
June 23 Moving Up Day and Final Awards Assembly 9:30 a.m.
Last Day of School for Students
Report Cards Go Home

We are happy to welcome you to all events open to the public, but I want to extend a special invitation to our parents to Parent Orientations on Thursday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 22. Each year we set aside time for parents to come to school and meet the grade level teams for their children. This has been very successful event and gives parents a better idea of the expectations of these grade levels. You should receive a flyer sometime this week to give you the specific times for each grade level. I will hold the monthly Coffee with the Principal immediately after the orientation for Grades 3-5 on June 16. Our Grades 1 and 2 coincide with our Kindergarten Celebration on the 22nd. You should receive additional information in the weekly newsletter your child’s teacher sends.

You may also notice that there are several field trips in the next two weeks. I would like to thank all the parents who have taken the time to complete the required volunteer training and will serve as chaperones for these events. Last week I sent home a letter outlining the procedures for parent participation in field trips or activities. For the past two years the district has required volunteer training for parents before taking on the responsibilities of such events off campus. Field trips are considered to be a part of the regular school day and are not open to parents who have not been designated as chaperones, or to other siblings at home or in other grade levels. We therefore ask that you do not plan to attend field trips or meet the group at the field trip site unless you have been identified and confirmed as a chaperone or assigned some other role by the principal or teacher. Volunteer training and approval procedures also apply to events such as Fun Day where volunteer workers help conduct activities for the children.

Our final Awards Assembly for school year is scheduled for June 23 at 10:10 a.m. This is the final day pupils report to school and it is a full day of instructional time. I hope you will be able to attend this important event. Our main office will then be open the week after the students finish and will close for the summer on June 30. The office will open again on August 23, two weeks before school begins. Please make certain that you have everything you need for the summer, particularly medications stored in the nurse’s office since the office staff will not be available to help you.

This will be my last entry for the school year. I would like to thank all of you for making this year such a pleasant and successful one. The joys our children experience as they learn with us are due to you and our teachers who, without exception, put kids first in everything they do. Their successes, however, only happen because of your willingness to continue teaching at home, and communicate with them. The children have benefited so much because you’ve all worked together. Thank you for all the good work! Have a wonderful, relaxing summer and we’ll see you in the fall.

May Activities

The school year is flying by and fast coming to a close! I’d like to give you a little head start in preparing for the end of the year. Please note the following calendar dates and a few notes about them:


May 24 Talent Show Auditions
May 26 West Side Talent Show(1 p.m.)
May 27 Progress Reports Go Home
Student of the Month Assembly – Patriotism
May 30 NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS –
Memorial Day Vacation

June 1 Grade 4 Science Lab Assessments
June 2 West Side Cultural Night
June 6 Grade 4 Science Written Assessments
June 7 Upper Elementary Track Meet
June 8 OPT Meets 6:30 p.m.
June 10 Career Day
June 16 Parent Orientation, Coffee with the Principal
June 17 Fifth Grade Farewell
June 21 OPT Fun Day
June 23 Final Awards Assembly for the Year
June 24 Last Day of School


We’re having a Talent Show! Next Tuesday, May 24 we will hold auditions for our yearly talent show after school. You will need to sign consent for your child to stay if he or she wishes to participate. We’ll hold the show next Thursday afternoon, May 26 at 1:00 p.m. This is always a favorite event for our students and we’re all looking forward to it. Parents of performing students are invited to attend.

Military Connections. Our May assembly will again recognize the contributions of those who demonstrate patriotism and service to country. Special invitations will be extended to our military families to participate. We will also be working with Fort Drum to organize programs for students during that month. Fort Drum offers other services to military families and their communities. A flyer listing some of these services is attached.

We also are proud to again have adopted our bulldog platoon. Several parents of West Side students are members of the platoon, which makes their adoption very special to us. We are collecting items to send our soldiers which are favorite snacks or things that make life a little more comfortable. We have sent home lists with the children of the things we are collecting for the platoon. We invite you to donate.

Office Notes. A reminder that there will be no school on Monday, May 30 in celebration of Memorial Day. Classes will resume Tuesday, May 31st. Look for our next memo of the year with more details about the last month of school.

Starting a New Semester

Welcome to Spring! I know it doesn’t seem that way and we’ve had more than our share of snow this winter but the days are now getting longer and it feels like we’ve started to turn the corner. February seemed to pass as quickly as it arrived, due to the snow days and mid-winter vacation, and we are now into our second month of the new semester. We’re ready to start our extra activities in earnest and you should receive a copy of our second semester calendar of events this week. We have some wonderful things planned for the month of March!

Our annual Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) began this week. We kicked off on Monday with a door decorating contest for each of the classrooms. Judging will take place on March 11. Students have brought home information about our PARP events, including the reading documentation sheet. If you or someone else in the household reads five days a week with your child and he or she returns the signed sheet, they will receive a prize for the week. Students successfully completing all four weeks of PARP will receive a book at the conclusion of the program.

We encourage you to join us at school for special programs that provide opportunities for you to read with your child or help your child learn. This includes the parent child read aloud on March 10 and our OPT Book Night and Title I meeting on March 17. On that evening you will be able to purchase books and our reading teachers, Mrs. Tuttle, Miss Wheater and Miss Shatraw, will have special computer and reading activities in the computer lab.

Coffee with the Principal and CyberU for Parents. Each month I focus on one issue or concern that parents have brought to my attention. For the past two months we’ve done a review of the school to try to make it more welcoming for our visitors. You may have noticed the new Bear Paw rug in the main lobby. We also have plans for “paws” in other areas of the building and we are looking into purchasing new curtains for the cafeteria stage. This month we’ll address a request by parents for information about cybersafety. Mrs. Scott will join us to give some information to help you make certain the websites your child visits are secure. This will be the first part of our CyberU for Parents this spring. We’ll have more cyberstuff for parents at our Family Book Night on March 17. This is also our annual Title I Meeting where we explain our programs and offer some computer time for families. A third event will be offered by Miss Chapman and Mrs. Crump with some interesting websites for parents on another evening in the near future.

We would like to offer these events at times when it is most convenient for parents. We are also ready to offer workshops on tips for reading with parents. Please help us schedule these events by responding to an online survey. If you’re on the internet, just paste this address into the browser and click enter:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGZseHd4UGp1UDFmMk9DNTVuZXJxQVE6MQ

Parent Breakfast Meeting. Our annual Parent Breakfast for the parents of all students in Grades 3 through 5 will take place on the morning of Tuesday, March 22. The breakfast meeting is sponsored by our OPT and its goal to provide an opportunity for parents to become better informed of the high challenges and expectations of these grade levels. It also serves as one of our Title I Parent Involvement meetings for the year.

This year New York State has made radical changes in the format of the exam and the level of achievement students are expected to reach before they are considered to be proficient. We hope you will take this opportunity to join us for breakfast, then meet with me and your child to get an overview of the changes for students in those three grades and the support programs we offer to help them. Usually the students do not join us, but I am inviting them this year because they have already seen some of this information and should be able to share their feelings and comments with you. You will receive a letter and sign-up form later in the week. If you plan to attend, return it to the West Side office or notify us no later than Friday, March 11.

Here is a complete list of events this month that you should be aware of:

2 Classes read together to celebrate “Read Across America”
(Dr. Seuss’sbirthday)
9 Volunteer Training at 5:30 p.m.
OPT Meets, 6:30 p.m.
10 Come and read with your child in our library media center
11 Progress Reports are sent home
Coffee with the Principal – Topic: Cyberbullying
15 Scholastic Book Fair begins
17 OPT Book Night and Title 1 Meeting
21 Staff Development Day – No School for Students
22 Breakfast Meeting for Parents of Students in Grades 3-5
23 Hampstead Players performance of Aladdin
28 PARP ends
31 Student of the Month Assembly – 1:15 pm.

We hope you will consider attending as many of our events as possible. An extra reminder that there will be no school for students on Monday, March 21. Have a great month!