The PRES Press
Monthly Principal's Newsletter, November 2019
Fall Report Cards
How and when can I view my child’s report card?
Your child’s first semester report card will become available live on the eSchool Data Parent Portal on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. To access the Portal, click on the following link: https://www.bcsdny.org/domain/90 or go to the District homepage and click on the “Parent Portal” link in the lower righthand corner.
Report cards are only available online. Hard copies of report cards are only sent home to families who do not have access to a computer. Please make sure to save or print the report card, once viewed, in order to keep for your records.
Understanding the Writing Indicators:
Throughout the year, your child will be exposed to three types of writing genres: narrative, informational, and opinion writing. After each writing unit, students will be assessed on their writing craft, conventions, and understanding of writing concepts taught. These writing indicators are based on end-of-year grade level expectations. It is not uncommon for students to receive a level 2 for a writing indicator in the first semester. A level 2 represents that a student is developing a skill that is being taught but that skill has not yet been mastered, and may not be expected to be mastered until the end of the school year. You should expect to see these grades change as the year progresses.
Should I review the report card with my child?
This is child-specific. Parents should highlight the strengths of the child(ren). Parents may want to identify one or two areas that can be worked on together at home, such as reading. All children have strengths and areas for growth. Report cards are written with a parent audience in mind. Consider what information you feel would best help your child to feel proud of him/herself and provide small child-specific feedback for reaching the next steps in his/her learning.
PRES Senior Luncheon
PRES Celebrates 80 Years!
On Friday, November 8th, the PRES school community came together to celebrate the school's 80th birthday! We began with opening remarks telling the story of how Pound Ridge Elementary School began in 1939. Then, we shared an incredible video of interviews with previous PRES students and staff. Next, the students participated in an interactive trivia game testing their knowledge of what life was like during the year 1939. Next, the students sang the song, Play For Me a Simple Melody, in a round. For the grand finale, we all sang "Happy Birthday to PRES" followed by the staff rock band performing the Beatles song, "Birthday." The celebration ended with Wonder Wolf popping out of a birthday cake and balloons dropping from the ceiling. We had approximately 30 special guests join us for the celebration, representing the Pound Ridge Historical Society, PRES PTA, local community members, PRES retirees, previous PRES students and employees, District administrators and BCSD Board of Education members. A good time was had by all! Please enjoy some videos from our birthday celebration:
5th Grade Pancake Breakfast
Thank you to all the fifth grade parent volunteers and student servers who made the fifth grade pancake breakfast on Saturday, November 16th such a success. The food, activities, raffle items, decorations, and bake sale were wonderful! We enjoyed celebrating our third annual "Hero Day" honoring our own head custodian, Mr. Danarde Roach. A special thank you to all the fifth grade parents who coordinated the entire event. Your hard work and endless hours of planning and preparation are greatly appreciated!
PRES Science Fair
Grade 3 Bit of Heaven Horse Farm
Earlier this month, the third grade classes enjoyed a field trip to Bit of Heaven Farm and Zoe’s Ice Cream Barn. In preparation for the trip, the children received many lessons learning about horse communication, safety around horses, grooming, identification, herd dynamics, and equine movement. Students also worked cooperatively in class to design an appropriate obstacle course for a horse to complete. Math, literacy, and science skills and concepts were embedding in these lessons for a hands-on, inter-disciplinary learning experience.
While at BOH farm, students rotated through 5 stations where they had to make use of various STEM techniques to analyze hay, describe and weigh out feed rations, identify various horses based on particular markings, conduct a vet check including temperature, gut sounds, height and weight. They also groomed one of ‘their’ horses from head to hoof! The barn portion of the trip culminated with the students watching a horse named Jaws run the obstacle course they designed for him and then grading him based on their analysis of course difficulty.
At Zoe’s Ice Cream Barn, the children were treated to a ‘Cow to Cone’ program where they learned first-hand how ice cream is made from locally sourced milk. The kids made their own whipped cream and ice cream ending with a delicious treat! Back at the ranch, students wrote about their experiences highlighting what they learned and how they felt. Many parent volunteers were there to assist the students and help run the stations. It was an informative, educational, and exciting field trip and inter-disciplinary study! Thank you to Mrs. Cheryl Starace, our ESOL teacher, and the third grade teachers, Mrs. Conrad, Mrs. Davidson, and Mrs. Guglielmo for creating such a rich learning experience for our students.
Parent-Principal Coffees
Growth Mindset Coffee Slideshow
All Parent-Principal coffees will take place in the PRES Library at 9:30 AM.
Coming up...
Friday, January 17th - STEM and Science Education
"In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. These are the kinds of skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering and math—disciplines collectively known as STEM." -U.S. Dept. of Education. Come join us to learn about how our Science 21 program integrates 21st century skills for our students and supports the concepts of STEM education.
Friday, February 7th - NYS Testing (Grades 3-5)
Are you curious about what the NYS ELA and Math tests look like? Are you wondering how the tests have changed over the years in response to the "Opt-out" movement? We will demystify the NYS tests, help you understand what to expect on them, and how to support your child at home in preparation for these State assessments in grades 3-5.
Friday, March 6th - Social-Emotional Learning
With a growing number of children developing anxiety, learning how to cope with the daily challenges of life is essential for our students to learn. Join us for a discussion on the ways we are supporting social-emotional development in our school.
Friday, May 1st - Supporting Your Child In Reading
Summer months will be here before we know it. Learn how to keep the reading momentum going so that children don't lose the progress they made during the school year. Learn about strategies for supporting your child when he/she gets stuck on a tricky word. Learn ways you can support your child's reading comprehension and love for books!
Message from the School Nurse
Hi Parents,
As we are in the midst of cold and flu season, here are a few health reminders to keep in mind courtesy of the BCSD webpage:
Our school nurses need to be made aware of the following:
- Broken bones
- Injuries that require the use of crutches, wheelchairs, slings, casts or any other assistance device.
- Lacerations that required stitches or staples
- Concussions
- Contagious diseases-flu, strep throat, fifth's disease and other illnesses.
- Serious medical conditions - diabetes, heart disease, anaphylaxis, seizures and other concerns.
As a reminder, students who are ill must remain home for a full 24 hours and be free from fever, vomiting or diarrhea before returning to school, or have completed a one full dose of an antibiotic.
Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to working with your children to keep them healthy throughout the school year.
Please call or email me at:
Phone: (914) 241-6000 Ext 1803
Fax: (914) 864-3495Thank you,
Jill Drucker
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 27 = 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
(Lunch will NOT be served)
Thursday, November 28 = No School
Friday, November 29 = No School
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday!
Coming Up at PRES...
Nov. 27 - 11:30 AM Early Dismissal
Nov. 28 - No School (Thanksgiving)
Nov. 29 - No School (Thanksgiving)
December 2019:
Dec. 4 - Report Cards Live for Parents
Dec 12 - Winter Concert @ 7:00 pm (PRES Gym)
Dec. 13 - PRES School Spirit Day - Pajama Day!
Dec. 13 - 11:30 AM Early Dismissal (Supt. Conference Day)
Dec. 18 - PRES Chorus Coffee Concert @ 7:00 pm (Mt. Kisco Presbyterian Church)
Dec. 23-January 3 - No School (Holiday Break)
Jan. 6, 2020 - School Re-opens
Principal Amy Fishkin
Email: afishkin4396@bcsdny.org
Website: www.bcsdny.org
Location: Pound Ridge Elementary School, 7 Pound Ridge Road, Pound Ridge, NY, USA
Phone: 914-764-8133
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCSDNY