Dear Families,
What a whirlwind of a week, and it’s only getting busier as we turn the corner into May. Sure signs of spring – our big blue-striped tent is up on the green-top and ready for outdoor classes and shelter from the sun, coupled with the sounds of children singing their hearts out in the auditorium getting ready for their concerts next week. Add in the excitement from within the classrooms and you have a school full of life and energy. Monday is May 1st, which means it’s time for Poco Blue Spirit Day! This time we’re going to wear blue in support of Autism Acceptance, which we recognized this past month and especially recently as we featured information on our display boards about autism as well as successful people who’ve shared publicly how they are on the autistic spectrum.
NEW PHONE SYSTEM
The school now has a new phone system, and many of the extensions have changed. When you hear the welcome message, just know that most of the people you’ll need will probably be under “School,” which is “1.” A directory list is on the website, here: Department Contacts / Department Contacts (pocanticohills.org)
An important one is our Nurse Juliet – she is now at extension 713.
We’ll share more details about our system next week.
MAY 2: PUBLIC FORUM ZOOM – CAPITAL PROJECT PHASE II
Please join us on Tuesday, May 2nd at 7 pm via Zoom for information on our next proposed capital project. Click the following link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85974272095.
NYS MATH TESTS: MAY 2-4
Next up after ELA is Math. Again, it’s two days. This year, only grades 3 and 4 will be testing math on the computer, while grades 5-8 will be in the traditional paper booklets for one final year.
· Grades 3-4: MAY 2 & 3 (yes, we celebrate with a Spring Concert that night!)
· Grades 5-8: MAY 3 & 4
SPRING CONCERTS ARE APPROACHING!
Please check the schedule below and email Mrs. DePaola if you have any questions!
May 3rd - Elementary Spring Concerts
6PM- First & Second Grade (“Just Sing!”)
7PM- Third & Fourth Grade (“Shake it Up with Shakespeare”)
Elementary students dress nicely, and there are no color requirements
May 10th - Middle School Spring Concerts
6PM- Fifth & Sixth Grade
7PM- Seventh & Eighth Grade
Middle School students dress in white tops and black bottoms
*MAY 5th – HALF-DAY FOR STUDENTS – 11:45 DISMISSAL
Friday, May 5th is a half day for students, as our teachers have professional development in the afternoon. We wanted to make sure you had enough advanced notice on this.
PLANT SALE IS ONLINE
The online plant sale has become a new twist to a longtime Poco tradition, and we always appreciate your support. All proceeds will go to the Pocantico Hills Garden Program. The Garden Program gives students the opportunity to learn about where their food comes from, how it grows, and what it means to have access to fresh food. In addition to the Plant Sale, the garden hosts two main events during the school year, the Harvest Soup Festival in early October and Salad Day in June. All of the events focus on learning about food and community development. We would love to grow our program to offer more activities throughout the year!
https://go.rallyup.com/poco2023
FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE: GENTLY USED CLOTHING NEEDED FOR PK-3
Nurse Juliet would love to have any unneeded and gently used clothing that might fit children in grades PK-3. These would then act as “spares” in her office for children who are in need of an immediate change-out.
FROM THE CAFETERIA: PRE-ORDERING LUNCH
If your child plans to order lunch at school on any given day, please remind him/her of the importance of telling that to the teacher (elementary) or putting it down on the lunch form (middle school). Also, they cannot change their mind once they get to the lunch line! Those are the two most common issues our cafeteria staff is managing – kids not ordering at all or kids wanting something different at the last minute. This is more common with our older kids where there is more independence with the process, but your support is appreciated!
May menus will be posted to the Cafeteria page on the website Sunday afternoon.
FROM THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT: IEP PROGRESS NOTES POSTED
We wanted to let families know that in addition to report cards being posted last week, IEP Progress Notes for our special education students are now also published to the parent portal.
FROM THE PTA: TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
Next week is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, featuring a special Staff Luncheon on Thursday, May 4. The PTA would love your help to throw a fantastic celebration! Could you contribute a dessert for the luncheon? Sponsor a door prize? More info is here: https://bit.ly/2023Appreciation
PTA DINE-IN / TAKE-OUT FUNDRAISER – APRIL 28th -- TODAY!
Our current POCO PTA Dine-In / Take-Out fundraiser involves Lucio’s Pizza in Pleasantville – TODAY - Friday, April 28, 2023, from 10:00 am – 10:00 pm! Just give Lucio’s the POCO flyer and they’ll donate 10% back to Pocantico’s PTA – and, yes, you can make copies for family and friends!
Lucio’s Pizza, 76 Washington Ave, Pleasantville
Tel : 914-741-9200
POCANTICO HILLS SCHOOL FOUNDATION MUSIC FESTIVAL – MAY 20th
The 2nd Annual Music Festival is now slated for Saturday, May 20th, from 4:00-8:00pm at Kingsland Point Park! More details to follow, but make sure you save the date!
DO YOU HAVE THE POCANTICO HILLS APP?
Pocantico Hills CSD has an app for both iPhones and Androids – simply go to your app store and search “Pocantico Hills CSD.” Once you’re in the app you can go to Settings and select the District notifications you want and schools you want to follow. If you want push notifications, you should also go into your phone’s Settings, scroll down to the Pocantico app, and turn them on.
REMINDER: TRANSLATING THE FRIDAY FLYER AND THE WEBSITE
Please know that you can always translate the Friday Flyer and our website into just about any language! Look for “Translate” on the upper-right side of the Friday Flyer, and at the top of the website, then search/select a language.
CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN, BUT FILLING FAST
Summer camp online registration is still open, but some groups have filled, so please contact the camp office if you’re still hoping to enroll your child/ren! Please see the attached flyer, as well as our website, for more details.
MAY RECOGNITIONS
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month
Have a wonderful weekend – stay dry!
Adam
