• 10/4: Picture Day
• 10/7: Early Dismissal
• 10/10: No School
• 10/19: PTO Meeting 7pm
• 10/31: Classroom Harvest Party

Dear Smith Families:

Thank you for your support as we have navigated through the first few weeks of learning. Our students are settling into daily routines and expectations.

We encourage you to keep open lines of communication with your child’s teachers. If you have questions, concerns or just want to share specific information about your child, please feel free to reach out.

Attendance

Please make every effort to have your child at school, on time, everyday. We need our students here and ready to learn. Our physical doors open daily for students at 8:00 a.m. Attendance is taken at 8:30 a.m. An automated call goes out for all students who are not marked as present.

Early Dismissal October 7

Reminder: Students will be dismissed 15 minutes early on Friday, October 7, 2022. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Bus students will be dismissed as buses arrive at approximately 3:00 p.m.

Arrival and Dismissal Reminders:

• Our doors open daily for students at 8:00am. Students should not arrive prior to that time, as adult supervision is not available.

• If you drive your child to school, please be mindful of others who are dropping off children, as well as staff who are pulling in to park each morning.

• If you wish to pick up your child at dismissal, For everyone’s safety, please adhere to the “no parking” signs on school property and on Wheeler Ave.

• Please cross Wheeler Ave. with the assistance of our crossing guard, Mr. Byrnes.

• A reminder that our bus circle is the driveway closest to the building. This area is designated by the double yellow line on the sidewalk. Please do not enter or park in the bus circle during arrival/dismissal times.

• Additionally, please model safe behavior by using the sidewalks and designated crossing areas.

• Be certain that your child has a consistent daily dismissal plan in place. If you need to alter that plan, please send a note to your child’s teacher.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Wanish

Physicals: NYS Mandate

All 3rd graders and any 4th graders new to this school district are required to have a well-child/physical on file.

If your child has had one this year, Fax or Email a copy to the school. If your child needs one, make an appointment with your provider or request a school physical. School physicals are available on Wednesday mornings.

Reminders:

• If your child needs medications during school hours, get a Dr.’s order, bring the med to the nurse and sign the paperwork. Do not send medications to school with the students.

• If your child is sick, keep your child home!

• Hearing screenings will be done in October.

• Please return borrowed clothes to the Nurse.

Hello! We’re thrilled to be starting another year at Smith school! The students are working as a team; following Cortland School’s Social and Emotional initiative: ROAR ~ Respectful, Open-hearted, Act safely, Responsible. We are also working with the young artists to live their lives with more of a Growth Mindset (“I can do it” - there are choices) which will only help them in their art making and discoveries.

We’re beginning the year in 3rd grade brainstorming in our sketchbooks about “Who We Are” by drawing symbols of things that make us “tick”, as a “picture tells a story”. They will create a cohesive picture which will be displayed in the hallway for the year!

In 4th grade, we viewed and discussed the artist, Jen Stark’s work, and created our own drips and/or organic/geometric shapes showing repitition, patterns and clean solid colors of their choice. All of our designs will be combined to create a unified and collaborative artwork which will adorn the hallway for the year!

Welcome students and families back to Smith Library! We are starting off well this year as students learn and reacquaint themselves with the library.

We started off this year thinking of how we should act in the library, setting expectations for our classes and setting reading goals for our school year.

4th grade began working on finding books around the library using call numbers and the library catalog to assist them.

3rd grade students are learning what type of books will challenge them and how they can tell if a book they choose will be “Just Right” for them.

Students have begun to check books out of the library using the checkout procedures that we have discussed. Check with your child to make sure that they are keeping their books in a place that is safe and one where they will remember it for their next library class!

Come join us the third Wednesday of every month in the Smith Library at 7pm.

Upcoming meetings are:

• Oct 19, 2022
• Nov 16, 2022

Can’t make the meetings but still want to volunteer, email tradley@cortlandschools.org