We Are Duzine
Duzine Elementary School Family Newsletter
Principal's Notes
Dear Families,
The weather is warming up and so are the happenings at Duzine! It's been an eventful few months.
The second trimester is ending which means we are now two-thirds of the way through the school year. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled this week and next. Friday, March 10th and Friday, March 17th are half days for students. Dismissal time is 12:00pm on those days.
Duzine started off the new year strong at the end of January with our annual Justice Challenge, which kicked off following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. As part of the Justice Challenge, we introduced a "word of the day" and corresponding quotes from famous changemakers. This year, our 2nd graders recorded videos for each day that were then shared with the rest of the school. When you come in for parent-teacher conferences, check out some of the artwork made by our students in celebration of the themes of the Justice Challenge on the lobby bulletin board.
We've also done a lot of dancing and singing during the months of February and March! In celebration of Black History Month, the Center for Creative Education put on a schoolwide Town Hall Assembly on Thursday, February 16th. Students learned about the history of step dance and then got up and did some step dancing of their own! It was a fun, engaging, and culturally significant program. Check out the pictures and video below.
On Wednesday, March 1st, the Middle School School of Rock club visited to perform for Duzine students. This was an exciting event, as many of the middle schoolers had been Duziners themselves not too long ago! This was the first time the School of Rock has come to Duzine but we hope to make it a regular tradition.
We have a lot more planned for the spring as well! Stay tuned.
With gratitude,
Mr. Hogan
Full STREAMS Ahead!
Our new STREAMS lab, featured in the last family newsletter, is getting lots of love this winter as our students explore the various learning activities.
Curriculum Corner: Focus on Phonemic Awareness
A critical component of learning to read is phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Children need phonemic awareness to learn to read because letters represent phonemes in words. Hearing the sounds in words correctly is a critical building block to become a strong reader.
At Duzine, we prioritize phonemic awareness in our daily instruction. In Kindergarten and 1st grade, our classrooms use the Heggerty and/or UFLI Foundations programs to aide instruction in phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness instruction continues to be helpful for many students into 2nd grade. Phonemic awareness is also one of the many skills taught in our K-2 Reading Academic Intervention Services (AIS).
1st Grade SUNY New Paltz Planetarium Trip
"Valentines for Seniors" Card Drive
Hundreds of our Duzine students participated in State Senator Michelle Hinchey's “Valentines for Seniors” card drive! Over the course of two weeks, several classes at Duzine created Valentine's Day cards for residents of local area nursing homes. The box was overflowing when we handed it over to Senator Hinchey's staff. We are proud of our Duziners and their kind gesture to our seniors!
Center for Creative Education's Black History Month Step Dance Assembly
Save the Date
Friday, March 10 - Duzine Parent-Teacher Conferences - HALF-DAY FOR STUDENTS - Dismissal at 12pm
Thursday, March 16 - Duzine Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences - 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, March 17 - Duzine Parent-Teacher Conferences - HALF-DAY FOR STUDENTS - Dismissal at 12pm
Monday, April 3 - Friday, April 7 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess
Wednesday, April 12 - Incoming Kindergarten Reception
Monday, April 24 - Friday, May 5 - Kindergarten Screening
Wednesday, April 26th - Friday, May 5 - Duzine-Lenape PTA Spring Book Fair
Gratitude Grams
During the month of February, our school social workers Renee Reynolds and Angela Perez and school psychologist Annika Hancle-Elliott went around to classrooms to teach about gratitude. Students then made "gratitude grams" to give to someone in their lives to show their appreciation. It was a beautiful gesture and I for one was grateful for their gratitude!
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration is still ongoing!
Registration is being completed via email for children who will enter Kindergarten in September 2023. Registration forms can be found here.
Please email completed registration forms and all supporting documents to Jennifer Sutton at jesutton@newpaltz.k12.ny.us.
Please contact the Duzine Main Office at (845) 256-4350 with any questions.
We Need Monitors!
We are still hiring for school monitors! Our monitors assist with supervising students during lunch and recess. Monitors can work 1-5 days, up to 25 hours per week. It is a great way to connect with the Duzine school community and get paid for it. If you are interested in applying for a monitor position, please email Mr. Hogan at
rhogan@newpaltz.k12.ny.us.
Remember To Order Your 2022-2023 Duzine Yearbook
