Important Dates

May 3 - PTA Disco Dance Party, Multipurpose Room, 6:00 pm

May 4 - Earth Day Celebration @ Vassallo Park

May 9 - Broadway Kids Show, 7:00 pm

May 13-15 - CET Incoming Kindergarten Screening, by appointment

May  17 - Croton Recreation Dept. - 4th Grade Moving-Up Celebration! - Croton Municipal Building, 5-7 pm

May 21-23 - District Wide Art Show, CHHS, 9-3 pm

May 23 -  District Wide Orchestra Concert, CHHS, 7 pm

May 27 - Memorial Day,  school closed

June 12 -  School Spring Concert, 7:00 pm

June 24-26 - CET Early Dismissal, 11:45 am

June 25 - 4th Grade Moving-Up Ceremony, 9:30 am, Multipurpose Room

June 26 - Report Cards 

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CET Newsletter May 3, 2019

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

Message from the Principal, Mrs. Kelly Maloney

Dear CET Families,

It is hard to believe that it is May! What happened to April?  Before you know it, it will be June 26!

We have a very busy month that was kicked off last night with our district-wide Experience Science, Innovation and Technology Fair!  I am always so impressed with the projects and demonstrations, and the knowledge that our students possess!

In preparation for the upcoming district-wide Art Show, all of our students have been busy selecting one piece of artwork to be displayed. That is 569 pieces of art just from CET!  Ask your child what piece they have selected. The Art Show is May 21-23 at the high school; I highly encourage you to attend this event. We have very talented students. Kudos to all of our art teachers for promoting and nurturing creativity!

Speaking of creativity, the faculty and I just engaged in a conversation around an article titled, “The Gift of Boredom” .  The author referenced two types of boredom: mind-wandering and tedious boredom.  Mind-wandering is just that - letting your mind wander. Tedious boredom is when you are required to cognitively focus on tasks that you perceive as tedious or meaningless such as copying names from a phonebook!  Both can spark creativity. “Out of boredom comes creativity”. When was the last time you were bored? How do you respond when your child says “I’m bored?”

Many of our students have been busy preparing for upcoming performances and concerts. Fourth graders will be performing Broadway Kids next week, the following week we have a district-wide Orchestra Concert, and then in June, our Spring concert that will highlight our fourth-grade chorus and band.  

The arts are just everywhere!

On a completely different topic, I want to let you know that our school psychologist, Mrs. Lauren Fitzgerald is currently out on a leave. We are not sure when she will return however, we are working to fill her shoes in her absence. For those of you who have children that work with Mrs. Fitzgerald, we will be in touch with you next week as to the plan.

Tonight is Dino Disco Dance Party Night! Party starts at 6:00 pm. Hope to see you in your dancin’ shoes!  The unveiling of the Raffle Baskets will take place tonight as well. Don’t forget to bring some money!

Warmly, (I wish it was warm outside!)

Kelly

News from the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kerri Bianchi 

We have arrived at the time of year when our students are growing excited for summer and, believe it or not, are getting ready to move on to the next grade. They are feeling very comfortable with their teachers and their peers.  Unfortunately, this is also the time of year when some of our students need to be reminded about our CET expectations.   We would like to spend some time reviewing appropriate recess behavior to help ensure safety and fun for everyone. I would like to share the expectations with you in the same language we use here at CET so that you can feel comfortable reinforcing these expectations at home.  Students show respect at recess by listening and following the directions of the lunch monitors, using kind words, using equipment and materials correctly and asking permission to use the bathroom or go to the nurse.  Students show effort by, responding quickly to the whistle and doing their best to follow the recess rules.  They demonstrate acceptance by taking responsibility for themselves and their actions.  They can’t say “You can’t play”, which means including everyone.  Our students show cooperation by taking turns, being a team player, putting away the recess equipment, lining up safely and quietly at the end of recess and working with others to follow the recess rules. Finally, CET students demonstrate honesty by being truthful, playing by the rules and showing good sportsmanship.  We have been encouraging activities such as wall-ball, dodge ball, kickball and 4-square as opposed to unorganized games of tag that can sometimes lead to accidents.  Your support in reinforcing these ideas and expectations is always appreciated.  We believe that recess should serve as an important and beneficial part of the school day at CET.  

News from Robin Woolley, School Counselor

Have you heard of PANS or PANDAS?  No - not what you cook in or those cute black and white bears. PANS is an abbreviation for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome  PANDAS is a subset of PANS and is an abbreviation for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections.  I wanted to take a moment to share some information about these pediatric illnesses as we have seen them become more prevalent in the last few years.  In my 20 years as a school counselor, I had never heard of either of these until a family member was diagnosed with PANS a few years ago.  Since that time I have become aware of several more children that I know who have been diagnosed and are dealing with symptoms of one of these disorders.   In all the cases, children started exhibiting sudden onset neurological, behavioral or anxiety related symptoms such as tics, extreme mood changes, obsessive or compulsive behaviors or thoughts and separation anxiety to name a few.  In all cases, these symptoms appeared after a recent illness - most often strep throat.  In some cases, the strep throat was un-diagnosed or treated but never resolved.  Symptoms of strep in children can vary and some children may have it but are appear asymptomatic. 

Below are a few websites that I found helpful in understanding these disorders.  If you’re concerned about your child’s health, please contact your pediatrician. 

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/research-areas/clinics-and-labs/sbp/information-about-pans-pandas.shtml

http://med.stanford.edu/pans.html

https://www.moleculeralabs.com/pans-and-pandas-overview/

 News from Patricia Lynch, Math Teacher

C.E.T. Loves Math!

Mathematical Reasoning 

What kind of reasoning goes on in a child’s head when they are problem-solving in Math? 

Children reason in increasingly sophisticated ways.  Too often well-meaning parents help students get to the answer with a simplistic strategy in order to get the answer done quickly.  For example, when solving 58 + 5, a parent may say, “Start at 58 and count up 5.”  This is called ‘counting on’ and is a great way to add however, using jumps bigger than 1’s is a more sophisticated way to count on.  Think:  From 58, add 2 to get to 60.  Add the remaining 3 to get to 63.     

Solving 16 x 9 could involve making 16 groups of 9 objects or drawing 16 groups of 9 tallies and then counting the whole set.   This is a  counting strategy.  An  additive strategy would be to skip count by 16’s or 9’s (16, 32, 38, … 144 or 9, 18, 27, …144).   

Better yet, when solving 16 x 9, use  multiplicative reasoning with bigger chinks than one group at a time.  Think about 16 9’s as …. 10 9’s and 6 more 9’s (10 x 9 + 6 x 9 = 90 + 54 = 144).  OR …..Think about 9 16’s as 10 16’s subtract one 16. (10 x 16 – 1 x 16 = 160 – 16 = 144).  

Help your child to strengthen their mathematical reasoning through increasingly sophisticated strategies.  Using opportunities that arise in your daily routine, homework help or just solving something together, uncover the reasoning strategies your child does well and build upon those strengths.  C.E.T. loves Math and we love that you are our partners in your child’s math success!  

News from Christine Martins, School Nurse

New York State Car Seat Safety 

Why am I writing about car seat safety?  The answer is simple:  As your child’s school nurse, I am always concerned about their health and safety.  Whether they are in school or out; including when they are in a car. 

Many of our students here at CET are driven in to school.  From time to time, on my drive in to work, I notice that kids are sitting in the front seat by their parents.  Now, while there is no law per se against children riding in the front, it is strongly recommended that all children 12 years and younger ride in the back seat.  According to New York State’s SafeNY website, passenger seat air bags “can cause serious or fatal injuries to infants, children or small adults”.  It simply is not safe for anybody shorter than 4 feet 9 inches (the average height of a 6 ^th grader or 12 year old) to ride in the front passenger seat.   

Seatbelts can also pose a threat; they, too are not designed for people shorter than 4’9”.  This brings us to the topic of car seats and booster seats.  It is New York State law for all children 16 years and younger to be properly restrained, be it with a seat belt or a child restraint device (a booster seat).  It is also New York State law for children 7 years old and younger (up to their 8 ^th birthday) to use a booster seat (although it is strongly advised to keep your child in their booster seat until they reach 4’9”).  Violating these laws could cost you a $100 fine and/or 3 driver violation points on your record!  

Why use a child restraint device/booster seat?   It ensures that the seatbelt is being positioned properly across your child’s body.  The lap part of the seat belt should stretch across the upper thighs (not the stomach); the top strap should stretch across the shoulder and down the chest (not the neck).  Do not tuck the top strap behind your child or under their arms as this could cause even more damage/injury during an accident.  

Ultimately, when it comes to choosing a booster seat, the “right” booster seat is the one that fits your child and your car properly.  It doesn’t matter how “high-end” your booster seat is if it doesn’t fit in your car right…  Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing a booster seat.  

Going back to the topic of allowing our children to ride in the front-  I totally get it!  My boys are CET-aged.  They are always asking to ride in the front.  They think it’s the coolest thing!  They are also always complaining about their booster seats, claiming that they are “for babies” and they are “big boys”.  But as persuasive (and whiney!) as our children may get, the best decision is always the one that will provide the safest option.  Hence:  Booster seat until 8 years old.  Back seat until 12 years old.  Seat belt until 16 years old (when riding in the back seat).  And, of course, seatbelts for all front seat riders and drivers (regardless of age).  

Remember, Safety First!  

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/car-safety.html?WT.ac=ctg#catout  

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx  

http://www.safeny.ny.gov/media/booster-broch.htm

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CET PTA

Updating You and Your Child’s Information in the K12 Alerts System 

To be sure we have the most up-to-date information for you and your child, you may access K12 Alerts by either logging on to the CET Homepage where you will find “Parent Portal/K12Alerts” or by accessing the Croton-Harmon School District’s Homepage and clicking on “Parent and Resident Portal/K12Alerts”. 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

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High School Homework Help

for Grades 1-6

Drop into the Croton Library on Wednesdays for homework help, run by high school students who want to help younger friends. It takes place from 3:15-5:00 pm in the Small Program Room.

For more information, contact criedel@wlsmail.org