Important Dates

March 28-30 - Spring Recess, School closed

April 11 & 12 -  NYS ELA Tests, Grades 3 & 4

April 18 - PTA Principal's Coffee, 9:30 am

April 19 - 1st Grade Concert Parent Performance, 8:45 am

April 20 - CET Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, 10:45 am

April 26 - CET Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, 10:45 am & evening, 5:00-8:00 pm

May 1 & 2 - NYS Math Testing, Grade 3 & 4

May 3 - Experience Science Fair, 5:30-7:30 pm

May 4 - PTA Dance Party, 6:00 pm

May 10 - 4th Grade "Broadway Kids" Parent Performance, 7:00 pm

May 14-16 - CET Incoming Kindergarten Screening by appointment only

May 18 - Around the World w/CET Cultural Night, 6:30 pm, Multipurpose Room

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CET Newsletter March 23, 2018

https://www.chufsd.org/Domain/10 

Message from the Principal, Mrs. Kelly Maloney

Dear CET Families,

Happy Spring! I am hopeful that we are done with Nor’easters for the rest of this year! As I am sure you will agree it has been difficult to maintain order and routines this month! However, as they say, “the show must go on!” And it did. Our kindergarten students did a wonderful job last week performing their rendition of “Around the World with CET: North and South America”. We look forward to seeing our first graders perform in a few weeks; their performance will feature European songs and dances.   

Second grade students have been studying the features of non-fiction text such as the use of captions, diagrams, and glossaries. Some classes practiced their non-fiction reading skills through the study of the solar system while others selected a topic of interest  to research. Students demonstrated their learning by creating a poster using various non-fiction text features. No matter the topic researched, the posters were chock full of interesting and relevant information and were visually appealing! Students used databases, books, and the internet to gather their information and images to support their topic. Well-done, second grade!  (Interested in seeing their work? Check out #CETElementary on Twitter)

Third graders just finished following the Iditarod.  As a way to motivate students to read at home, third graders were presented with IditaREAD!  Like the mushers who travel x amount of miles per day, third graders recorded the number of minutes they read at home and recorded their distance traveled on the Iditarod Trail. One minute of reading= one mile. What a creative way to motivate kids to read while learning about the Iditarod!

First grade students have been busy collecting data through surveys!  Each student created a survey question such as “What is your favorite dessert?” or “Which do you like better: Nintendo Switch, X Box, or Play Station?” and surveyed their classmates.   They used tally marks to collect their data, and then analyzed the results. One class took their data and graphed it using a program called Graph Club.

So... my survey question is “Will your child be in school on Monday and Tuesday of next week?” If not, please be sure that you contact our Health Office to let them know your child will be absent. Whatever your plans, enjoy!

Warmly,

Kelly

News from the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kerri Bianchi

A Close look at the NYS ELA Exam

This year the 3 ^rd and 4 ^th grade NYS ELA (English Language Arts) tests will be administered on Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12.  The tests will take place each morning over the 2 days.  Day 1 is comprised of 24 multiple-choice questions based on 4 reading passages, Day 2 consists of 6 short response questions and 1 extended response question based on 3 passages. The 2017-2018 ELA test is untimed again this year.  Below are some of the skills that students have acquired in order to successfully answer questions.

In answering short responses, students need to…

• Read the question carefully and in their minds, rephrase the question and put it in their own words what the question is asking them.
• Know how to give specific and relevant examples and a lot of details from text.
• Identify the genre and think about possible questions. For example if the text is informational, look for the main idea, argument and supporting details. If the text is narrative, pay attention to characters, setting and plot.
• Make sure their response matches the question. Look for clues to help answer the question, if the question is inferential.
• Identify the question and determine what they need to do to answer it. Students should restate the prompt and need to answer the question with text based details.

In answering extended responses, students need to…

• Clearly introduce a topic
• Develop the topic with relevant details throughout the essay
• Group related information together
• Connect ideas with linking words and phrases
• Make inferences based on evidence from the text
• Provide concluding statements
• Demonstrate grade appropriate command of conventions

Parents can help their child succeed by providing time for your child to read every day (increase the volume of their reading), reading Time for Kids or any other age appropriate articles.  Give your child time to think out loud about these articles. Provide discussion time and encourage your child to read all different types of genres. Read aloud short stories, letters, interviews non-fiction articles. The reading strategies your child is learning can be applied to most genres.

Actual sample questions from last year’s test can be found on www.EngageNY.org   

Message from Lauren Fitzgerald, School Psychologist

Learning to Play and Playing to Learn

When faced with the demandingness of everyday life, we often forget how important it is to allow our children time to engage in free play. Some of the factors that limit free play include:

• Scheduling lessons, supervised sports, and other structured activities that consume a large chunk of a child’s non-school hours.
• More hours per week spent by children watching television, playing video games, and using other electronic devices.
• More emphasis on formal learning in preschool and more pressure from parents on young children to quickly acquire academic skills.

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. Some benefits to engaging in free play include:

• 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 , including anger and fear, during play.

Next time your child wants to have a play date or some time to go to the park, think about ways he or she can play in an unstructured environment to help foster the benefits of free play.

  Croton-Harmon Education Foundation

CET PTA

Would you like to get more involved in your child's education? The PTA has many opportunities in all shapes and sizes, such as:

• Joining the Executive Committee
• Planning an event
• Coordinating a fundraising program
• Designing and/or maintaining the website

Whether you would like to be an active part of planning the programs and activities that enable the PTA to fill its mission, have just a sliver of time to do something behind the scenes, or possess a particular skill or talent, there's a role that's right for you! Please reach out to us at CETPTA@gmail.com, come to our next General Meeting the evening of April 19, or stop to chat anytime about helping enhance the experience of every CET student.

Ordering Mother's/Father's Day gifts, Teacher Appreciation Day (May 7-11) or end of year gifts?  Our SHUTTERFLY fundraiser is still up and running.   Thirteen percent of purchases made are given back to CET. All you have to do is click through our specific link http://cet.shutterflystorefront.com/ and shop as usual!

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Students who reside in Croton and will be 5 years old before December 1, 2018 are eligible to attend kindergarten, If you are in need of a kindergarten registration packet and/or an appointment, please contact:

Gail Anzovino, Secretary to the Principal

914-271-5184 ext.3212

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UPDATING YOU AND YOUR CHILD'S INFORMATION IN THE K-12 SYSTEM

Change your phone number recently? Have a new emergency contact?

To be sure we have the most up-to-date information for you and your child, you may access K-12 Alerts by either logging on to the CET Homepage where you will find "Parent Portal/K-12 Alerts" or by accessing the Croton-Harmon School District's Homepage and clicking on "Parent and Resident Portal/K-12 Alerts". Once you log in to the K-12 Alert System, you will be able to make any necessary changes to your or your child's information.

If you have any questions, please contact Denise Cuomo, 914-271-4793, ext. 4200.

2018 Experience Science, Technology & Innovation Annual Fair

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Croton Harmon High School

5:30 - 7:30 pm

All K-12 students are eligible to participate in many different ways. You can create a project or just come to the fair and share your curiosity with friends and family. Students can sign up by using our simple student sign up form at https://sites.google.com/chufsd.org/experiencescience/home 

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LOST AND FOUND

Please check our “Lost and Found” for your belongings. They miss you and their home! All items will be donated on April 6, 2018. Please consider purchasing personalized labels at Olivers Labels, a PTA fundraiser. They are great for clothing, water bottles, and lunch boxes!