Cayuga News
October, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope this newsletter finds you well as we transition into the beautiful season of autumn. October was a month filled with exciting activities at Cayuga!
- Our Halloween Parade was a tremendous success. I'd like to thank the students and their family members for helping to maintain a safe and enjoyable event.
- Many grades have embarked on field trips with many more to come. We look forward to creating exciting memories as the year goes on!
- School will be closed for students on Election Day (11/7), on Veterans' Day (11/10), and on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (11/22). Additionally, we will be having a half-day on Wednesday, 11/15 for conferences.
- Please be sure to check CayugaMail for important information such as our Thanksgiving Food Drive.
I would also like to take this opportunity to point out that an elementary school is no place for cell phones or smart watches. If you feel strongly about this, your child can leave it in their backpack and powered off during the school day until they get off the school bus. Since many of these devices have "listen in" functions available, a judge has recently ruled that they violate the privacy of other students. I appreciate your cooperation in this regard.
I am looking forward to a wonderful upcoming Holiday Season as I hope you all are as well. The school year is off to a great start and it is wonderful to see the progress so many of our students have made in just a short period of time.
We encourage all parents to get involved in our school community. If you are interested in volunteering, have ideas for school events, or would like to be part of the PTA, please reach out to our PTA President, Mrs. Costa, at cayugapta@gmail.com.
Thank you very much for your time and I hope you enjoy this edition of the Cayuga News!
Sincerely, Matthew Wells
Principal
Kindergarten News!
We've been super busy in Kindergarten! In math, we have been exploring numbers to 10. The children are sorting and counting objects in groups to 10 and learning how to form these numbers. They have been enjoying our unit in science on Weather and Sky. We have been exploring wind speed, cloud cover, precipitation and temperature as we observe the weather each day. In Social Studies, we have been discussing what it means to be a member of a community and why rules are important. The children have been learning about their roles as readers and listeners in Reader’s workshop. And in Writer’s workshop, they learned that writers write about what they know. We have also noticed how authors and illustrators use their words and pictures to tell a story. We want to thank the Ronkonkoma Fire Department for coming in to teach about fire safety!
Fun in First Grade!
Our classes have been experimenting within our Lights and Sounds Science unit. We tapped cups filled with water to notice vibrations. In math, our classes enjoyed playing math games to study Ways to Make 10 and Double Facts. The children loved learning about Fire Safety with the visit from the Fire Department. The first graders had great conversations during Start with Hello Week about being a good friend. We made friendship bracelets and linked them together to display in the hallway.
2nd Grade News!
2nd Grade has been busy learning about the water cycle and rock properties in our first science unit. The students have enjoyed some hands-on activities to learn about these Earth materials. We created condensation and learned about the forms of water. We also used our magnifying glasses to discover rock properties. The students love learning new science words like precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and vapor. Be sure to talk to your second grader about these science concepts when they come up at home (maybe while cooking!).
3rd Grade News!
What do bike helmets, stop signs, electric cars, goats, pigs, and cows have in common?
Cayuga’s 3rd grade trip to Safety Town and Ecology Site!
The students had a blast learning about bike and street safety. Third graders were seen driving electric cars through tunnels and stopping at stop lights, while practicing bike safety. After a morning of biking and driving, our third graders took a guided tour to see all the animals at the Holtsville Ecology Site. They learned many facts about animals who have been rescued or previously injured. They saw a bald eagle, wild mustangs, and a bear!
It was an amazing trip and our third graders had a fantastic time!
4th Grade News!
Fourth graders developed a deeper understanding of place value and adding and subtracting numbers up to the millions. We learned that accuracy is important. Problem solving skills are coming along. In fourth grade, tape diagrams are used to model a word problem providing a visual representation of our math thinking. Brush up on those multiplication facts, we are about to jump into Module 2! Students have also explored and enhanced their geography skills and began learning about Native Americans. Mrs. Schindler shared some great strategies on how to be a goal booster during our Too Good For Drugs and Violence program. We are looking forward to our field trip to the Museum of Natural History next month. It will be a day filled with exploration, learning, and life-long memories.
5th Grade News!
5th grade is off to an AMAZING start to the school year! We enjoyed getting to know each other in September, and have become fast friends. We’ve been learning about map skills, Hispanic Heritage Month, Place Value, the importance of including others, and much more! Cayuga’s 5th grade is looking forward to many more exciting experiences throughout the year. Especially the AWESOME field trips to the Vanderbilt Planetarium and the Blue Man Group Immersive Show. It’s sure going to be a memorable school year!
Band & Orchestra
4th and 5th graders in Band & Orchestra are up and running in our new classroom! We have been having a blast with 4th graders beginning their new instruments and 5th graders picking up where they left off last year!
ENL News!
In ENL, the students are working hard each and every day. They are focusing on the four modalities (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) for English proficiency. In writing, our ELL's are learning how to write "good" sentences using strong verbs. In reading, we are reviewing letter sounds and sight words as well as identifying nouns. Speaking is supported through daily instructional conversations and interactions with peers in the classroom. Through oral comprehension, students are working on responding verbally which supports their listening skills. We are super proud of their hard work!
News from the Library!
What a wonderful start to the school year in the library! I have the pleasure of meeting with every student here at Cayuga, which has allowed me to make individual connections and get to know each student and their many different interests, especially when it comes time for book selection. Library is meant to be a fun, yet educational and engaging experience for everyone. My library is broken down into sections in order to have every student find a space that is comfortable for them. The sections include the “Calming Corner” (the lounge area), where students can go to reset, relax, and read. We have the “lego section”, where students can get creative in their building and use their fine motor skills. We also have the “learning station”, where I conduct my lessons. I have visuals and hand on exercises to suit students' needs . Each grade level has lessons geared to them. Some examples of lessons being taught are manners, kindness, favorite books, digital citizenship, sequencing, and so many more fun topics. Third grade is an extra exciting grade level for me to teach. We have makerspace day, where the student's become “engineers”, building with a purpose. Here, I have students work together to share ideas and create something awesome . My goal as the new Cayuga Librarian is to create a space where every student feels comfortable, happy and excited to not only read, but to learn. Cannot wait to see what the future has in store!
Mark Your Calendars!
November 1st 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 2nd 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 2nd 2ndGrade Yoga Club 8:00-8:40am
November 2nd 5th Grade Trip Vanderbilt Museum 9:15am-1:15pm
November 2nd Paws of War Assembly K-2nd 1:30-2:00pm and 3rd-5th 2:00-2:30pm
November 2nd Kind Kids Club 3:20pm MPR
November 3rd Healthy Heart Club 4th Grade 8:00am Gym
November 6th 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 7th Election Day – No school for students
November 7th 5th Grade Bake Sale Fundraiser 10am-2pm
November 8th Family Connect Night – Theme: Gratitude
November 9th 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 9th Lego Club A 8:00am
November 9th Veteran’s Day Parade and Celebration 8:00am-1:00pm MPR
November 10th SCHOOL CLOSED – Veteran’s Day
November 14th 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 14th Therapy Dog Visit 3-1 and 3-2
November 15th 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 15th HALF DAY – Dismissal at Noon
November 16th 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 16th Bus Drill 9:00am – 1:00pm
November 17th Healthy Heart Club 5th Grade 8:00am Gym
November 17th Favorite Sports Team Spirit Day
November 17th 4th Grade Field Trip to Museum of Natural History
November 17th Therapy Dog Visit 3-3 and 3-4
November 17th Zingo and Miss Chocolate Pickup
November 20th 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 20th First Grade Feast 2:00pm Café
November 20th Trip to Sachem Library 2-2 and 2-3
November 20th Therapy Dog Visit 5-1 and 5-2
November 21st 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 21st Lego Club B 8:00am
November 21st Trip to the Sachem Library 2-1 and 2-4
November 22nd through November 24th Thanksgiving Recess
November 27th 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 28th 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 28th Therapy Dog Visit K-1 and K-2
November 28th PTA Plant Sale Delivery and Pick-up MPR
November 29th 5th Grade Band 7:55-8:50AM Café
November 29th Picture Retake Day
November 30th 5th Grade Orchestra 7:55-8:50AM Café
Ongoing PTA Fundraiser through June 25th - Mabel's Labels Fundraiser - Online Only - https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/