Important Dates

January 27 - CET report cards are available on the parent portal at 3:00 pm

January 31 - Principal's Coffee, 9:30 am

February 6 - Spring Afterschool Programs begin

February 10 - PTA Family Fun Night, 6-8:30 pm

February 13-17 - Kdgtn Registration by appointment.

February 16 - 3rd Grade Concert-Parent Performance 8:45 am

February 20-24 - Winter Recess,  School Closed

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CET Newsletter January 27, 2017

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

Message from the Principal, Mrs. Kelly Maloney

Dear CET Families,

Your child’s report card is now available on the eSchool Parent Portal. The Parent Portal can be accessed from our district or school website under the Student/Parent Resources tab. You will need your child’s student ID number. If you need your child’s ID number, please email  parents@chufsd.org  

The Parent Portal also contains the results of your child’s STAR assessments. All students in grades K-8 take the STAR Enterprise assessments, a computer-adaptive test that adjusts to each student’s response. STAR assessments measure specific skills as well as overall early literacy, reading, and mathematics ability.  The STAR assessments are administered three times a year to all students. In the portal, you will find this year’s STAR assessment results in the form of a scale score under Fall 2016 and Winter 2017. You also have access to the STAR results from prior years. All students in kindergarten take the STAR Early Literacy test, students in first grade take the Early Literacy test and depending on their score, they make also take the STAR Reading test. This month we also administered the STAR Math to all first grade students.  Students in grades 2-4 take the STAR Reading and the STAR Math.  The data from the STAR assessments assist us in a variety of ways including identifying students who are in need of intervention, to track progress, and to identify the core skills that the student likely already knows as well as suggestions for skills that could be worked on next.  The STAR data along with other classroom assessments will be used to determine which students will receive Academic Intervention Services (AIS) and which students can be discontinued from services. It is important to note that the STAR testing scores give only one picture of how well a student is doing in school.  Your child’s teacher is a better source of information regarding your child’s abilities.

If you are unable to access your child’s report card and would like a hard copy, please contact Jean Flandreau in the Main Office. Her contact information is Jean.Flandreau@chufsd.org or 271-5184 x3215.

If your child will be attending the YMCA afterschool program, please be sure to send in a note regarding their dismissal change.

Also, remember February 8 is the last day to order food service for the spring semester. I suggest before you place your child’s lunch order that you ask your child for their input. At our Stop Food Waste Task Force meeting, a student shared that he gets three chicken fingers which he said was too much for him, and another student said that he gets 2 pieces of pizza but he is still hungry! I don’t recommend ordering three slices of pizza however this student may need an extra snack!  The task force will be meeting again next week. I will keep you posted on our future plans.  

I hope to see you and your family at the PTA Family Fun Night on February 10!

Warmly,

Kelly

News from the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kerri Bianchi  

CET is very excited about participating in the Global School Play Day on Wednesday, February 1 2017.  This will be our second year of participation but the first time that we are dedicating an entire day to unstructured playtime.  We wanted to take this opportunity to share the benefits of unstructured play so that you too could see the value in our school wide participation.  Research has shown that providing children with free play builds creativity and the ability for children to come up with unique ideas.  It fosters the development of motor planning skills by helping children create and carry out ideas.  Unstructured playtime also helps develop decision-making skills.  It also fosters social skill development and collaborative play skills.  Free play allows children to develop conflict resolution skills and learn to take turns.  Additionally unstructured playtime provides students with opportunities to discover their own individual interests and skills.  It is also important to note that free play does not include time with electronics, video games or TV.  True free play is child initiated, creative and does not include direction from an adult.  Structured activities do play a very important role in our children’s development; they teach children how to follow rules and routines and provide structure in their daily lives.  However, we do not want to miss opportunities to teach our children other valuable life lessons.  Please join us in promoting our participation in the Global School Play Day along with over 177,500 other student’s worldwide!

Message from Vilma Torres-Pagan, School Counselor

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

When faced with the demands of everyday life, we often forget how important it is to allow our children time to engage in free play. Play gives children a chance to find and develop a connection to their own self-identified and self-guided interests. It is through play that children first learn how to make decisions, problem solve, use self- control, and follow rules. Children learn to handle their emotions during play.

There are factors that may limit a child’s ability to play, such as supervised sports, scheduled lessons, and other structured activities that consume a large chunk of a child’s non-school hours. More hours per week are spent by children watching television, playing video games, and using other electronic devices.  Greater emphasis on formal learning in preschool and more pressure from parents on young children to quickly acquire academic skills contribute to limiting their ability to engage in free play.

Articles on this topic indicate that limiting free play may actually be producing a generation of young people who lack social skills, have poor eating habits, and are more anxious than typical. February 1, 2017, CET will engage in Global School Play Day. All students will have the opportunity to engage in unstructured play time in addition to recess.  Encourage and allow your child to have more play dates, time to go to the park, and other forms of free play as this will help foster the benefits of free play.

For more information, feel free to visit www.naeyc.org/play

  Message from Kaylynn Hayes, School Nurse

CLOTHING DONATIONS NEEDED

From time to time children need to change their clothes during school hours.  In an effort to keep the children from missing as little time in the classroom as possible, we prefer to have them borrow clothing from the school.  Sometimes clothes do not come back or they become worn out and for these reasons I am seeking the following items to be donated to the Health Office:

• Old or new girls Leggings 
• Old or new Unisex sweatpants (gray, blue, black, brown, white) sizes: 4-12 
• Old or new Unisex sweatshirts and t-shirts (gray, blue, black, brown, white) sizes: 4-12
• Old coat or jackets
• Unused boys underpants 

There is no time limit for making donations for clothing and it can be anytime during the school year.  The sweatpants are the first to go and needed the most.  

All donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Message from Suzanne Leslie & Justin Duchin, PE Teachers

This year at CET, all students will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart within their physical education classes during the week of February 13-17!Jump Rope for Heart is a program of the American Heart Association, which teaches students the importance of developing heart-healthy habits, that being physically active can be fun, and that raising funds to support cardiovascular research and education helps save lives in their community and across the country.

We would appreciate your support in raising funds for such an important effort! All it takes is to sign up online by following the directions below: 

Step 1: Go to http://www.kintera.org/site/c.dkLRKbOWLjK4E/b.9387231/k.38A9/Home_NEW_2017.htm

Step 2: Select State: NY and City: CROTON ON HUDSON

Step 3: Scroll down to find CARRIE E. TOMPKINS ELEMENTARY (make sure you see MS. LESLIE under the “Leader Name” and CROTON ON HUDSON as the City) and click JOIN TEAM (to the right)

Step 4: Follow the directions to create a username, password and security question/answer. Click NEXT.

Step 5: Fill in the information for the next steps: Complete Your Profile, Set Your Goal and Finish Your Registration.

Step 6: Personalize your webpage and send out emails! TIP: Share emails with family, friends, coworkers, etc.

By contributing to this important effort, you will be increasing students’ knowledge of how their hearts work and the best way to take care of it, honoring those in your community who have been affected by heart disease and stroke, and supporting the American Heart Association’s efforts to build healthier lives.

Thank you so much for your time and support!

Sincerely,

Suzanne Leslie and Justin Duchin

CET Physical Education Teachers

CET PTA

Many things are happening in the PTA in February!  February 8th is the last day to order lunch for the Spring Semester.  Food Service for the Spring will start on February 27th and run until June 15th.  Please use the following link to order lunch for your child.   http://tinyurl.com/CETSpring2017 

PARP (Parents as Reading Partners) kicks off the week of January 29th with a reading contest.  The lucky winners of this contest will win lunch with popular author Sara Pennypacker.  She will be presenting to students in Grades 1-4 on February 29th.  Autographed books from Ms. Pennypacker are available to order.  Order forms are due on January 30th and can be found on our website at cetpta.com.

Family Fun night is happening on Friday, February 10th from 6:30-8:30 pm.  This year, in addition to BINGO, there will be miniature golf and a life size angry bird sling shot game.  More information will be coming home soon!

We are actively searching for parents to join the PTA board for the 2017/2018 school year.  If you or anyone you know may be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please send us an email at cetpta@gmail.com.

Enjoy the weekend!

  KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Students who reside in Croton and will be 5 years old before December 1, 2017 are eligible to attend kindergarten. If you are in need of a kindergarten registration packet and/or appointment please contact:

Gail Anzovino
914-271-5184 ext. 3212

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DENTAL CONTEST

This contest is open to students in grades K-12. Create a dental poster depicting good and bad oral health. The paper or poster board should be no larger that 11x17. Entries are due by March 10, 2017. Have your child see Mrs. Maloney, Principal for more information.