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VAN CORTLANDTVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Van Cortlandtville PTA
PRESIDENT’S NOTES
We would like to give you all a big warm WELCOME to our new school year. We are looking forward to a great year ahead together with all of our new and returning students, families, and the school administration and staff.
I would like to take a quick moment to thank our previous board members Rose Candido, Marigo Rizzo, Judy McLaughlin, and our still current board members Carole Henkin and Karen Vega for all of their hard work and support on behalf of the PTA and our school. We would also like to thank all of our members and volunteers that made it possible for us to have a successful year.
Please allow me to personally encourage you to become a member of the VCES PTA. We are always in need of new members and volunteers. As a busy working parent, I can attest that it is hard to find time to volunteer, but please know that every little bit helps. For a small fee, not only will you enjoy substantial benefits, but you will also be connected to other parents who share similar goals and you will help make positive changes that benefit our school community. There are many rewarding opportunities in being part of your child's school experience, and we invite you to take advantage of what the VCES PTA has to offer. Please visit the VCES PTA website at http://www.lakelandschools.org/Cortland.cfm?subpage=85 for activities, events and any other information, or reach out to any board member with questions.
Please stay tuned for announcements and feel free to browse through our upcoming events section of this newsletter. We invite you to attend our monthly PTA meetings, which take place 8 times a year usually on the second Wednesday of each month. We are looking forward to a fantastic school year!
Respectfully yours, Romina Gannon
NOTE: VCES PTA MEETING MINUTES are uploaded monthly on the website in the “News & Forms” Section of “Parent Organizations” tabs www.lakelandschools.org/Cortland.cfm?subpage=672 They are also posted on the VCES PTA bulletin board in the school’s main lobby.
Chairs: Rose Candido
& Carole Henkin
It’s with great pleasure that we will continue to maintain our National PTA School of Excellence designation for 2016-2018. This award honors our strong family-school partnership and years of dedication and collaboration within and outside of our school walls. Over 170 schools applied and VCES is one of 15 in NY State. Our combined efforts have exemplified our commitment to National PTA Standards and our shared objectives focus on safety and supporting arts in education. Thank you to all our families, community businesses, staff, faculty and our Administration whose efforts ensure our continued success. More information will follow regarding our school-wide celebration.
Membership will be handled electronically; however, all applications must still be submitted in writing to be processed by the PTA. You will then receive an email containing your electronic membership card, which you can save or print out. Please make sure to provide a legible valid email address. If you do not have an email, indicate that on the form and your membership card will be printed out for you to be sent home. We look forward to having you join our wonderful PTA. For assistance or more information please contact Sorina Kyriazis at [email protected]
Romina Gannon, President Maritza Fugaro, Corresponding Secretary Keri Fiore, Vice President Jennifer Hayes, Recording Secretary Carole Henkin, Vice President Karen Vega, Treasurer
PLEASE:
LABEL all clothing, lunch boxes, and water bottles with your child’s names. This will help keep our Lost and Found (located outside the cafeteria) area to a minimum! SAVE Box Tops, Labels for Education and register your ShopRite and Stop N’ Shop Grocery Cards. REMIND your children not to remove labels from water bottles or mark the UPC code so that they can be recycled. Bottle redemptions are donated to the Garden. MARK your calendar for Wednesday, October 19th for the next PTA meeting!
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"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect
for others guides our manners." ~ Laurence Sterne
VCES PTA Respect
SEPTEMBER 2016
CONGRATULATIONS!
MEMBERSHIP
Advocacy Chair: Keri Fiore For more info and local PTA events log onto the Westchester East Putnam Region-PTA at www.wepr-pta.org If your child is in a special education class, we encourage you to also join SEPTA (Special Education Parent Teacher Association). Contact SEPTA President for Lakeland Central School District at [email protected] for more information. NYS PTA Advocacy Team is pleased to release this month's Advocacy Newsbriefs, which can be read here.
Bill Testing Drinking Water for Lead Contamination in NY Schools Signed: here for more information.
News and Notes from NYSED Office of Special Education: New York State Ed publishes a monthly newsletter with information for parents and educators about special education issues. The latest edition is
August 2016. Check the link by clicking here. Also, check out this year-round Advocacy Calendar with suggested action items members and units can take! Other Advocacy Newsbriefs highlights include: Information on the Every Student Succeeds Acts and release of questions from the grades 3-8 Math/ELA state assessments
Register now! Join NYS PTA at the 120th New York State PTA Annual Convention in Saratoga Springs, New York, November 11-13, 2016. NYS PTA Convention Resolutions are posted. PTA representatives from all over the state join together to focus on improving the education, health and well-being of children. Click here for more info.
Make sure you are following @NYSPTA on Twitter and like the NYS PTA Facebook Page.
Email Listserv from the State Education Department
(SED) has begun a new parent email listserve. To sign up, send an email message to: [email protected] For National PTA news: http://www.pta.org/
Keep Up to Date with Legislation LegiScan is a website with free and paid options to track legislation. The OneVote option provides the ability to track both state and national legislation. Every Child Matters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to make children a national political priority. For more info: http://www.everychildmatters.org
BUILDING UPDATE: Welcome to a new school year
and welcome to new Asst. Principal Jessica DiPietro. We look forward to a fantastic school year, with a continued focus on academics, and an emphasis on student wellness, using technology in more interesting ways, and making our schools even more safe and secure. We are happy to announce the continuation of some excellent site-based team goals: This year’s “One Book, One School” will be devoted to “Charlotte’s Web”; PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program, which highlights and celebrates positive behavior through our reward system; Reading Week, entering its 12th year; and Hallway themes, painted murals & tiles, giving Van Cort a fun & personal feel. Our Maker’s Space, which is the first in the LCSD, is expected to be unveiled in January. VCES is also leading a new Dog Therapy Initiative. It
has been proven that working with dogs or around dogs can help children with anxieties, fear, and socializing with others. If anyone has any connections to a group that has therapy dogs please let us know.
VCES will soon have two playgrounds! Senator Murphy’s office secured $40K for a new playground, to be installed by mid-October. Your children’s safety is the priority. A new security office is located in the vestibule. Visitors will initially be buzzed into the vestibule, and after checking in will then be buzzed through the second set of doors. Additional cameras are being added to the grounds & facility.
Construction of stores will begin on Rt. 6 east of VCES. Be assured that VCES will remain safe and secure during this 2-year project. A 16’ fence will be built between the school and the lot to prevent entry to our grounds. VCES will be notified before any construction blasting so that students are not
frightened.
We are excited to introduce “Van Cort Celebrates Community”. This initiative enables anyone to give a shout-out for a special adult community member who has gone above and beyond. Shout-outs will be posted on our Facebook page each month. All requests must come from adults and can be emailed to [email protected]
Congratulations to VCES and the VCES PTA for again receiving the National PTA School of Excellence Award for 2016-2018. And congratulations and welcome to our new 2016-2017 PTA Board. Remember, our door is always open. “Together We are Better!” Jacqueline Woodruff, Principal and Jessica DiPietro, Interim Assistant Principal
VCES SPIRIT VCES SPIRIT ON THE SCHOOL FRONT
Spirit Wear: Order online all year long. www.shop.mylocker.net VCES locker number: BO149 http://mylocker.net/new-york/ mohegan-lake/van-cortlandtville-elementary-school/index.html Free Shirt on Every Order Over $85! Save $10! Use Promo Code: Q9egj5gc BoxTops: The October Contest is on! The class who wins receives Ices. Each boxtop earns VCES 10 cents.
Register your ShopRite Plus Card to earn Box Tops & Labels for Education http://shopriteformyschool.com/
Stop N Shop A+ School Rewards Program: Dates run October 7th, 2016 to March 16th, 2017. To register your & Shop Card please go online to www.stopandshop.com/aplus our school ID is 8771. Every purchase earns our school money. Labels for Education – Collect and save all year long. For a product list: www.labelsforeducation.com
YEARBOOK: The yearbook has something for all grades. Please take pictures at all school events and email to [email protected] . Office Depot Office Max: Gives Back to Schools. Bring your coupon in or mention VCES id: 700073623 and VCES receives 5% back in credits for free school supplies. Save the date for the VCES Play: Saturday, October 29th
Thank you for supporting the Van Cort. PTA’s efforts so that we can support our children!!
NATIONAL & REGIONAL PTA NEWS
D TOWN
REGIONAL & NATIONAL
PTA INFORMATION
COMMUNITY
Lakeland Central School District (LCSD) now gives residents easier access to legislation affecting schools. This site also includes contact information for local, state, and federal legislators: www.lakelandschools.org/boe.cfm?subpage=32838&adminActivate=1
LCSD Board Of Education: for more information and to reach Board members please contact Lynn Cosenza at [email protected]. Many meetings are public and there are opportunities for public comment. Go to the public comment guidelines. We encourage you to attend to find out what is happening in our district. For meeting dates:
http://lakelandschools.org/boe.cfm?subpage=118 Lakeland Education Foundation (LEF) Events: Unfunded Mandate 5-10 pm, The Indoor Back 9, 2060 E Main St, Cortlandt Manor. Music for a cause --all donations go to the LEF. LEF Ladies Brunch Boutique. Saturday, November 5th, 11-2 pm. Adults only. Vendors needed and for more information contact: Samantha Healy at [email protected] Cub Scouts: Pack 45 Van Cortlandtville invite all parents of boys to join us during the October Thunderbird Games. Come and see if scouting is right for your family. For more info: Raphael Henkin, [email protected]. Pack 45’s winter Holiday Wreath and Candle drive is open for anyone who is interested. Girl Scouts: Girl Scouting opens up a world of opportunities to girls K-12, helping them be more solution-oriented, be more skilled at team-building and conflict resolution, and have a more optimistic "can-do" attitude. For more info please contact Jen Hayes at [email protected]. Any girl K-12 is invited to join us Monday night, Nov. 7th at our Girl Scout Camp in Mahopac for our Annual Bonfire and
sing along! Lakeland Cooper Beech Middle School: Blood Drive, Thursday, October 20th, 3:30 – 8 pm. For any questions and to rsvp please email: [email protected] John C Hart Memorial Library 1130 E. Main S., Shrub Oak. TEACHER-IN-THE-LIBRARY Homework help for elementary school children is available Mon., Tues., and Thurs. (4:45-7:45 pm). No appointment is needed. There is no help when schools are closed. For more info http://www.yorktownlibrary.org/kidspace/programs.htm
Town of Cortlandt: For more information for events and community opportunities please go
to: www.townofcortlandt.com
Many thanks to our Administration and those parents & teachers who helped make the Kindergarten “Pete the Cat-Wheels on the Bus” Event a success. Especially Naiya Rawlins, Jamie Kyriazis, Elizabeth Vogelsberg, Sorina Kyriazis, Carole Henkin, Karen Vega, Mrs. Higgins, Mrs. Lisi, and Mr. Lisi. Welcome to all of our new and returning Van Cort families!
Huge thanks to Marissa Tarkington who kindly agreed to join the Beautification Committee and took time this summer to make our entrance lobby look lovely.
Thank you to Leapfrog for the donation of LeapStart Interactive Learning Systems and congrats to our lucky winners.
Thank you to all the volunteers that helped make ASA registration run efficiently and smoothly. Your time and assistance are invaluable to the success of our program. With gratitude to Robin Lema and Karen Vega who are ensuring the continuation of ASA.
We kicked off the year with our Fall book fair and it certainly was a successful celebration of literacy. Our fair sold over $9,000 worth of books. Family night was well attended with many raffles and giveaways. Thank you to all of the families that donated books to their child's teacher and to All for Books. A huge thank you goes out to everyone that volunteered their valuable time. Thank you to Karen Vega, Kendra Parker, Carole Henkin, Gene Riggio, Ruth Caragine, Sharon N’Diaye, Maritza Fugaro, Barbara Gallo, Lisa Hyde, Heather Iannucci, Jennifer Rowe, Victoria Angerthal, Romina Gannon, Kelly Sorrentino, Robin Lema, Serena Braham, Krista Birenkrant, Kelly Banas, Sylvie Maddalena, Danielle Attinelly, Judith Guglielmo, Judy McLaughlin, Elizabeth Vogelsburg, Christina Scozzafava, Elizabeth Kane, Christine Tetro, Jennifer Hayes, Patti Kummer, and Joan Clemen. Thank you to the faculty, staff, administration and custodians for the continued support of the VanCortlandtville Book Fair. We are looking forward to our “Buy One Get One Free” Spring Book Fair 2017! A tremendous thank you to our fearless chair Denise Riggio. We appreciate her drive and passion for literacy. This event would not happen if it weren’t for her efforts.
Thank you to Kohls Care Corp for the donation of Disney books for our students and for
helping break down our Scholastic Book Fair.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS & VOLUNTEER NEEDS
September 27th: Meet the Teacher Night for Grades K-2, 6:30-7:30 pm (Bake Sale).
September 28th: Meet the Teacher Night for Grades 3-5, 6:30-7:30 pm (Bake Sale). Volunteers and baked goods needed for both nights. Please contact Bake Sale Coordinator, Keri Fiore at [email protected] for more information and to participate.
October 7th: Grade 4 Activity Night. Please contact Carole Henkin at [email protected] if you would like to help.
October 13h: After School Activities begins (with the Play Rehearsals)
October 19th: School Pictures. Contact Christina Scozzafava at [email protected] to volunteer throughout the day—it’s a great way to make sure your child’s hair is perfect.
October 19th PTA Meeting 7 pm Van Cort Cafeteria.
October 19th: Class Parent and Grade Rep Meeting Contact Maritza Fugaro at [email protected] for more info.
October 29th: PTA “Willy Wonka Jr” Theater Production, shows at 11 am and 2 pm.
November 2nd: ASA classes begin. Volunteers are desperately needed in order for classes to run. If you can volunteer or help in anyway please contact Robin Lema at [email protected] and Karen Vega at [email protected]
November 8th: Election Day Bake Sale. . Please contact Bake Sale Coordinator, Keri Fiore at [email protected] for more information and to participate
November 18th: 6 th Annual Holiday Shop Vendors and Volunteers Needed! Contact Carole Henkin [email protected]
Yearbook Committee: Now forming, Volunteers needed. Please contact Kellly Sorrentino at [email protected] to participate.
5th Grade Committee: Now forming, Volunteers needed. Please contact Barbara Gallo [email protected] and Christine Tetro at
HIGHLIGHTS
