Important Dates

September 10  - "Hudson River Day" @ The Croton Yacht Club, 11 AM - 4 PM.

September 13 - Grades 1 & 2 Back-to-School Night at 7 PM.

September 16 - PTA Movie Night, Spencer Field, 7 PM

September 19 - Kindergarten  Back-to-School Night at 7 PM.

September 22 - Grades 3 & 4 Back-to-School Night at 7 PM.

September 24 - PTA Annual Fall Festival, Spencer Field, 10:30 AM.

September 26 - PTA Lunch Service begins.

October 3-4-School Closed

October 7 - CET Picture Day   

October 7 - Emergency Management Plan Drill, 15 Minute Early Dismissal

October 10 - Columbus Day - School Closed. 

October 12- School Closed  

October 24 - YMCA programs begin.

*****

CET Newsletter September 9, 2016

http://www.chufsd.org/schools/carrie_e_tompkins_es

Message from the Principal, Mrs. Kelly Maloney

Dear CET Families,

I hope that everyone is settling in nicely to the new school year, parents included!  We had a number of new students register this summer. Please join me in welcoming those new families to Croton!  It has been fun to greet our returning students and to meet our new kindergarten students. I am so proud of the care and attention our older students give to the kindergarteners. It is touching to see the kindergarten children being walked to class by an older sibling or friend.

Teachers have spent the past six days getting to know their students and establishing classroom rules and routines. As part of getting to know their students, teachers are assessing students to determine what skills and knowledge they already possess.  Over the next few weeks, teachers will be administering the Next Step Guided Reading Assessment to get a comprehensive picture of each student’s reading strengths, areas of need, and instructional reading level. The purpose of identifying students’ reading levels is to make sure that students are selecting and reading texts at their level and that appropriate reading instruction is provided.   Over the next few weeks, all students will be taking the Renaissance STAR test(s). This is a computer adaptive program that we administer three times a year to assess student’s skills in literacy and mathematics. We will use the results of this assessment along with other assessment data to determine which students would benefit from academic support or enrichment. 

I hope to see you at the upcoming Back to School Nights!    The format for that evening will begin with an informational session held in the Multipurpose room which will cover topics such as before and after school programs, district policies, safety, and communication.  Following this presentation, you will go to your child’s classroom where you will meet your child’s teacher and learn about the curriculum, classroom expectations, and special events.

Please remember to check out our CET website where you will find the school calendar, health information, school forms, and links to teacher pages (staff directory). You can also access the PTA website via our homepage. You may also want to follow us on Twitter! 

Once again, welcome back. I am looking forward to a great year. 

Warmly,

Kelly 

News from the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kerri Bianchi

Well, fall is here and the school year is in full swing.  It is great to see everyone back!  I wanted to take this opportunity to focus my article on some basic safety issues.  As you may know, our 3 ^rd and 4 ^th graders are offered the privilege of walking or riding their bikes to school.  Students are reminded about the safety precautions that they should take while coming and going from school.  They are encouraged to stay together, use the sidewalks, and not to fool around near the road.  We want to reinforce that they stay focused on safety so that drivers on the road can focus on their driving.   I would like to ask parents to reinforce these rules with children at home to help ensure their safety.

I would also like to give all parents a reminder about the drop off and pick-up procedures here at CET.   It is very important that parents remember to use extreme caution when dropping off/picking up children from school.  The parking lots may be congested and busy in the morning.  It is not always easy to see other cars or people while you are driving through the parking lot.   It is imperative if you drop your child off in the morning that you come to a complete stop at the stop signs as you enter and exit.  Please leave yourselves a few extra minutes to arrive safely at school.  Please remember that no cars should enter the front loop between 7:50-8:30 am and 2:00-2:45 pm due to buses being in the loop.  As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  Please join us in ensuring their safety during the school year. 

Finally, I would like to make you aware of “Slow Down Croton”, the community’s new awareness program to promote traffic and pedestrian safety throughout the village.  The purpose is to encourage safe driving behavior and preserve the community’s quality of life for everyone who drives, bikes and walks.  Please join the school and village in this safety initiative by setting a positive example.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Message from Lauren Fitzgerald, School Psychologist 

The Role of the School Psychologist

Beginning my fourth full year at CET, my role as the school psychologist has evolved based on the needs of the students and teachers with whom I work. My role really focuses on making sure your child is provided with his or her best learning environment while in school. Some ways in which I help that to occur may be:  

1. Counseling sessions (both group and individual services)- these help to strengthen friendship skills, increase social/coping skills, and build self-esteem
2. Behavioral interventions- assist in designing interventions within the classroom with teachers and other related service professionals to help maximize academic potential and to teach skills such as impulse control, listening skills, and increase executive functioning abilities
3. Crisis intervention- assist students during a time of crisis, which may either occur within their school day or home environment  

At CET, I also coordinate our Tier Three Response to Intervention Team meetings. These meetings involve a team of school professionals who serve to create different academic and behavioral interventions to help increase different skillsets of which a student is lacking.  

Lastly, I serve as part of the Committee on Special Education (CSE). I either attend or chair most CSE meetings that occur in CET. I also conduct psychological evaluations as part of this committee to determine if a child is in need of special education services.  

Please feel free contact me via phone or email as listed on the school website. I am always available to speak with any parents who have questions about their child’s social/emotional development.   

Message from Kaylynn Hayes, Nurse    

  Head lice (pediculosis) is an annoying, year round problem especially with school-aged children. While it is not a significant problem at our school, I think it is important to supply the community with more information for awareness and prevention. Anyone can get head lice. They are spread mainly by head-to-head contact. Having head lice is not a commentary on your cleanliness or the cleanliness of your home. While lice cannot be eradicated from society, they can be managed — getting rid of these persistent pests can cause frustration and upset for families. Head lice are not considered to be a health hazard. Coordinated efforts between parents/caregivers, students, school staff, health professionals and the community are necessary to help families eliminate head lice and bring their spread under control. The best plan of action needs to include early detection, prompt management, effective education and prevention strategies.  This is why we need everyone’s participation to be sure we keep outbreaks to a minimum. Please check your children regular and notify the school nurse if your child is found to have nits or an active lice infection.  Also, please treat your child prior to returning to school.  If nits are found at school, you will be notified however your child will not be sent home.  If live lice are found, then we ask kindly you pick your child up so that treatment can begin.  Always call the health office with questions or concerns.  

Message from Vilma Torres-Pagan, School Counselor     

Hello CET family!!

My name is Vilma Torres-Pagán and I am the School Counselor at CET. CET has never had a School Counselor before this current school year. I am honored to have been chosen among many candidates to serve as your child's School Counselor!

My responsibilities at CET include providing discretionary school counseling services at CET for both students who have an IEP and for those referred to me by school staff. Some of the topics we will cover include "How to Make and Keep Friends, How to Speak with Adults, Managing My Behaviors, Identifying My Feelings, Appropriate Ways to Express My Feelings, How to Advocate for Myself", and other topics as needed. If a student is presenting issues that are far beyond the scope of School Counseling Services, I will make referrals to outside agencies (including but not limited to mental health therapists) as requested or as needed. I will work on community service initiatives with individual grades and on a school-level throughout the school year.

I have had the pleasure of meeting several families and look forward to meeting you all in the near future. If you need to reach me, feel free to do so at (914) 271-5184 x 3217. Due to my busy schedule, I ask that you make an appointment should you wish to meet with me. I'm looking forward to a fantastic year!"

  CET PTA