positively - white plains middle school · ing up on dinosaurs and word play. and on june 11th, the...
TRANSCRIPT
Post Road Elementary
PTA Newsletter
Winter 2009
Volume 5, Issue 2
Editor - Jim Cardon
Positively POST ROAD
Principal’s Corner 2
A Letter from the
PTA Presidents 3
Under Construction 4
Family Fun Night 5
In the Classroom 6 - 7
Winter Concert 8
Calling all Volunteers 9
Mark Your Calendars 10
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Calling All Post Road School Alumni!
In 1914, two elementary schools were voted into the
budget by tax payers in White Plains, N.Y. An eight
room, fire proof building at the corner of Post Road
and Sound View Avenue was one of them. Thus
began the Post Road School. By 1925, the school educated children from kindergarten through 9th
grade. During its long and glorious history, Post Road School has been the nurturing center for
many of White Plains’ citizens, changing over the years to meet the needs of its children.
As White Plains has developed and grown in population since 1914, so has this wonderful school.
Now, because it cannot be cost effectively up-graded, it is going to be demolished. Due to the extent
of renovations required, reconstruction was determined to be the best solution. But, right at the side
of the original building, a new Post Road School is being constructed to continue the opportunity to
offer White Plains children the very best in education.
Alumni, who wish to have a "last look" and say good bye to their 95 year old friend will be delighted
to know an informal ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2009, between 9 am and 12 noon, is being
planned.
A time capsule, which was buried in 1958, located during the construction, will be opened. Light
refreshments will be served. Visiting former students will have a chance to see the school, share
memories, and join with other returning classes to say a fond farewell.
Post Road alumni are also invited to get involved and help in the planning of this event!! For fur-
ther information on this event can be obtained by contacting Kristine McMath, committee
member: [email protected]
Submitted by: Marilyn Somma Seymour, Post Road class of 1951. Find us on the web at
whiteplains.schoolwires.com/post
Post Road students continue to have the opportunity to interact directly with different Authors and Illustrators.
On February 11th, the third, fourth and fifth grade students were able to work with author, Kate Waters, on non-fiction writing. On
April 29th , the kindergarten, first, and second graders will be working with author/illustrator, Bernard Most. Everyone will be read-
ing up on dinosaurs and word play. And on June 11th, the entire school will work with Margie Palatini. She will treat us to some
fractured fairy tales and how she gets her ideas for writing her many, very popular tales.
You might want to treat yourself to some titles from these upcoming guests when you visit the White Plains Library.
Working with Authors and Illustrators
It is hard to imagine that we are in the fifth month of the school year, almost at the half way point! We have been very busy and the level of activity has not slowed down at all. The remaining months are chock full of
(planned with) just as much activity.
Our new school is coming along and we are planning for the tran-sition into the new building in August of this year. We are work-ing with the Assistant Superintendent for Business, the Director of Purchasing and the architect to ensure that the move is as smooth as possible.
Our children continue to evidence academic and social growth. We thank you for encouraging them to read and complete their homework assignments. Your help and support is really making a difference. Our “PAWS” behavior system has caught on and the children are vested in making their school community the best it can be.
As we look forward to the second half of the year, there are so many activities coming up that we know you won’t want to miss. Be sure to check backpacks and the school web site to be up-to-date on the latest happenings.
Thank you for all you do to help our students and our school continue to shine. Your efforts are noted and appreciated.
All the best – Laura Havis
Principal’s Corner / El Rincon del Principal with Laura Havis
disfraces, juegos y actividades fueron asom-brozos. Gracias a Julia y Steven Plaza por todo el duro trabajo, y a todos los voluntarios que vinieron esa noche!
Nuestro PTA tuvo un noviembre ocupado y fue anfitrion de la Feria del Libro y la Cena de la Cosecha. Nuestros estudiantes tuvieron un maravilloso momento seleccionando diverti-dos e interesantes libros en la Feria del Libro y nuestros profesores estaban entusiasmados con la “lista de Deseos” libros que ellos reci-bieron de familias generosas de Post Road. Muchas gracias para Sheryl Brady y Rose Lovitch por otra fabulosa semana de Feria del Libro y a todos los voluntarios del PTA que dieron su tiempo para ayudar y hacer este evento un exito.
La Cena de la Cosecha tambien fue un gran triunfo! Donde hubo deliciosa comida, diver-tidas actividades y gran entretenimiento.
Una Carta de los Presidentes del PTA Maureen DiMarco y Caroline Furry
El clima afuera esta espantoso, pero eso no significa que los planes en invierno tienen que ser asi. El PTA tiene numero-sas y grandes actividades planeadas para los proximos meses, entonces por favor continue asistiendo y apoyando a Post Road.
El Otono se fue rapidamente, pero las memorias se mantienen, gracias al Dia de la Foto en la Escuela al final de Octubre. El dia transcurrio sin novedades y como es usual, nuestros estudiantes y personal de la escuela se vieron grandiosos cuando sonri-eron a la camara! Gracias a Cheryl Camp-bell y Adele Perri por hacer los arreglos y la organizacion del Dia de la Foto. Ellos hacen que se vea sin esfuerzo el trabajo, pero nosotros sabemos que tan dificil fue para tener en el dia la “Foto Perfecta”.
El Halloween Bash fue espectacular! Los
Page 2 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
Nosotros queremos dar las gracias a Irish Step Dancers quien actuootra vez este ano. Fue muy agradable verlos actuar. Especia-les Gracias a Rachel Eckhaus, Margarita Mateo-Saja, Maria Portillo, Margaret Egan y Maria Dominguez por planear este diver-tido evento familiar.
Nosotros hicimos nuestra primera recauda-cion anual de fondos en Enero “Feed the Tiger”. El evento fue un completo exito. Los estudiantes disfrutaron el juego adivine Donde/Quien y la trivia de Post Road. Tambien se mostro el Espiritu Escolar vistiendo los colores de la escuela, los col-ores White Plains Tigers y de sus camisetas. No solamente los estudiantes disfrutaron de los diferentes eventos durante la se-mana, tambien pudimos recaudar $1.135 en cambio, lo que muestra el impresionante
(continua en la pagina 5)
Es difícil de imaginar que estamos en el quinto mes del año esco-lar, casi en el punto medio! Nosotros hemos estado muy ocupa-dos y el nivel de actividad no ha bajado para nada. El resto de los meses están llenos de (planificación) igualmente mucha ac-tividad.
Nuestra nueva escuela está progresando y estamos planificando para la transición al nuevo edificio en Agosto de este año. Esta-mos trabajando con el Asistente del Superintendente para los Negocios, con el Director de Compras y con el arquitecto para asegurar de que la mudanza sea lo más tranquila posible.
Nuestros niños continúan evidenciando crecimiento académico y social. Les agradecemos por exhortarlos a leer y a hacer sus tar-eas. Su ayuda y apoyo están realmente haciendo la diferencia. Nuestro sistema de comportamiento “PAWS” ha sido captado y los niños se han propuesto hacer de su comunidad escolar la mejor posible.
A medida de que esperamos la segunda mitad del año, hay muchas actividades venideras que usted no se querrá perder. Asegúrese de revisar las mochilas y la página de internet de la escuela para estar actualizado con lo que está pasando última-mente.
Gracias por todo lo que hace para ayudar a nuestros estudiantes y a nuestra escuela para continuar brillando. Sus esfuerzos son notados y muy apreciados.
Todo lo mejor – Laura Havis
A Letter from the PTA Presidents by Maureen DiMarco and Caroline Furry
The weather outside is frightful but it does-n’t mean that your winter plans have to be. The PTA has many great activities planned over the next few months so please con-tinue to come out and support Post Road.
The fall faded fast but the memories remain thanks to School Picture Day at the end of October. The day ran very smoothly, and as usual, our students and faculty looked great when they smiled for the camera! Thank you to Cheryl Campbell and Adele Perri for arranging such a well organized Picture Day. They make it look effortless, but we know the hard work it takes to get the day “picture perfect”.
The Halloween Bash was spooktacular! The costumes, games, and activities were amazing. Thank you to Julia and Steven Plaza for all their hard work and all the vol-unteers that came out that night!
Our PTA had a busy November and hosted both the Book Fair and Harvest dinner. Our students had a wonderful time selecting fun and interesting books at the Book Fair and our teachers were thrilled with their “Wish List” books that they re-ceived from generous Post Road families. Big “Thank You’s” go out to Sheryl Brady and Rose Lovitch for an-other fabulous Book Fair week and all the PTA volunteers who gave their time to help make it a suc-cess.
The Harvest dinner was also a big hit! There was delicious food, fun activities, and
great entertainment. We would like to thank the Irish Step Dancers who per-formed again this year. They were a pleas-ure to watch. A special thanks to Rachel Eckhaus, Margarita Mateo-Saja, Maria Portillo, Margaret Egan, and Maria Dominguez for planning this fun family
event.
We held our first annual “Feed the Tiger” spare change fundraiser in January. The event turned out to be a complete success. The stu-dents enjoyed the Guess Where/Who game and the Post Road Trivia. They also showed their school spirit by wearing the school colors,
the colors of the White Plains tiger and their school t-shirts. Not only did the
Upcoming events
include our largest
fundraiser of the
year, the PTA
Springfest and Raffle!
Page 3 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
(continued on page 4)
The Post Road PTA Book Fair re-
turned to Post Road School from
November 17-21 and shared excit-
ing books and learning products for
our students, families, and teachers.
The Book Fair helps the PTA to
promote learning, while raising
money for special school projects,
class trips and much more.
Thank you so much to our volun-
teers who worked tirelessly to set up
and staff the Book Fair, working
with students, filling orders, and checking out purchases. Thank
you to everyone who came and supported the Book Fair. We re-
ceived 25% of every purchase.
Finally, special thanks to Mrs. Havis, Mrs. Nestle, the physical edu-
cation teachers and the custodial staff for all they did to make our
Book Fair a huge success.
On Friday, October 24, 2008, the Post Road PTA held
their annual Halloween Bash. From princesses and pirates
to cheerleaders and superheroes, everyone donned their
Halloween best and had a good time dancing, playing
games, listening to spooky stories and much more.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the evening
a success. Among the more than 50 helpers were students
from the White Plains High School, Eastview and High-
lands Middle Schools, as
well as Post Road parents,
teachers, administrators,
and 5th graders.
The Halloween Bash is not
only a PTA fundraiser, it’s a
lively party meant for the
enjoyment of the entire
Post Road community. If
there’s anyone out there
interested in co-chairing
next year’s event, please
contact Maureen DiMarco
Thank You for the Successful Post Road Events!
Page 4 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
students enjoy the different events during the week but also, we were able to raise $1,135 in spare change. What a dramatic show of support for Post Road!
Also held in January was the Family Fun Night, which was an-other terrific event. The 5th grade graduation committee spon-sored a “Bingo” night this year and the children and adults who attended had a great time. Thank you to Karen Landers, Karlyn Tabb, and Rose Lovitch for organizing this exciting event.
Our January PTA meeting featured Ms. Amy Kallesten, Instruc-tional Specialist, Post Road School, who discussed Standard Based Instruction in Math and ELA. She explained how Post Road classroom practices aligned with state standards and more importantly how parents could help support their children at home. We would like to thank Ms. Kallesten for her presenta-tion.
The kindergarten choice period is under way and Mrs. Havis and
A Letter from the PTA Presidents (continued from page 3)
Mrs. Nestle are conducting excellent tours that showcase the great staff, resources and of course children here at Post Road. A spe-cial thank you to our parent volunteers who attended the tours because they are very helpful in giving a parent’s perspective.
Our upcoming events include PTA meeting on March 10th, and our largest fundraiser of the year, the PTA Springfest and Raffle, is scheduled for March 20th, so stay tuned for more information.
We wish you all a wonderful winter and look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for all of your support and be sure to visit us at wpcsd.k12.ny.us, select Post Road school in the top left hand corner, and then click on the “PTA” link.
Please feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or would like to volunteer to help.
Have a great winter and make it fun!
Under Construction... by Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business
Steady progress continues to be made with the Post Road School construc-
tion project., and the new school is still on schedule to be opened for classes
this coming Fall!
There is always plenty of activity going on, with around 100 workers on site
daily. Significant brickwork is already completed, as well as framing of the
ground and first floors. Framing of the second floor is starting now as well.
The major effort for HVAC work and the Geothermal Wells is also fairly
complete. The next key milestone in the construction work is to have the
building “watertight” by
the end of February. This
will be accomplished by
finalizing the window and
roof work within the next
two weeks.
The contracting team is
working with staff on
furniture and equipment
specifications, as well as
finalizing color schemes
and finishes. Work on
installing these items can commence once the watertight milestone is reached.
The schedule remains for turning the building over to the school district by
the end of July, allowing teachers and staff to complete the room setups for
classes beginning in September.
We are looking forward to an on-time and on-budget completion of this pro-
ject!
Una Carta de los Presidentes del PTA (viene de la pagina 2)
apoyo a Post Road!
Tambien tuvimos en Enero la divertida noche familiar, que fue otro fabuloso evento. Este ano el comite de graduacion del 5 to grado patrocino una noche de “Bingo” y los ninos y adultos que asistieron tuvieron un gran momento. Gracias a Karen Landers, Karlyn Tabb, y Rose Lovitch por organizar este emocionante evento.
En nuestra reunion PTA de Enero presentamos a la Senora Amy Kallesten especialista institucional de la escuela de Post Road, quien discutio las instrucciones basicas de los estan-dares en matematicas y ELA. Ella explico como aplicar las practicas en los salones de clase de Post Road, con los estan-dares estatales y lo mas importante como los padres pueden ayudar a sus hijos en casa. Nosotros queremos dar las gracias a la Senora Kallesten por su presentacion.
El periodo de escogencia para Kindergarden esta en pro-
Page 5 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
greso y la senora Havis y La senora Nestle estan conduciendo las excelentes visitas para mostrar el gran personal, los recursos y por supuesto los ninos de Post Road. Especiales gracias a nuestros padres voluntarios quienes atendieron las visitas porque ellos estan siempre dispuestos a ayudar desde su punto de vista de padres.
Nuestros eventos que vienen incluyen reuniones del PTA en Marzo 10, y la recaudacion de fondos de este ano, la feria de primavera y la rifa del PTA, es programado para Marzo 20, entonces este atento para mayor informacion.
Les deseamos un maravilloso invierno y esperamos vernos pronto, gracias por todo el apoyo y asegurese de visitar nuestra pagina web wpcsd.k12.ny.us, presione Post Road School en la parte superior izquierda de la pagina y seleccione en el enlace PTA.
Por favor sientase tranquilo en contactarnos si tiene alguna pregunta o si quiere ser voluntario para ayudar.
Tenga un grandioso y divertido invierno!
A great time was had by all at this year's Bingo Fundraiser. Coach Golden was our
extraordinary Bingo Caller and children had fun trying their luck and enjoying plenty
awesome treats, including fresh made popcorn!
The event was a great success raising money for the 5th grade graduation. Thanks to
all who attended to make this fundraiser a real winner.
The Post Road Family Fun Night January 23, 2009
Page 6 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
Mrs. Mollo's Class loves to read! We have worked really hard to become
good readers. Our trip to the "Trove" was so exciting because we were
able to see the thousands of books we can borrow for reading at home.
We couldn't wait to borrow some books. We are lucky to have such a
great public library in White Plains for us to use. We have been reading
lots of different genres in our classroom during reading groups and free
reading. We have been learning the differences between fiction and non-
fiction. Both kinds of books are exciting to read. We have really enjoyed
reading about the Presidents of the United States and other historical peo-
ple. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges,
and Dr. Martin Luther King were some of our favorites. We look for-
ward to reading about wolves, seals, polar bears, and whatever else we are
interested in each day!
We LOVED our trip to the Nutcracker Ballet at SUNY Purchase. It was
so exciting to sit in the fancy seats in the theater and watch the beautiful performance. We learned the music of the ballet and all the
main characters. It was amazing to watch the snow fall on the ballerinas, the Mouse King battle with the Nutcracker and toy soldiers,
the party and all the other parts. Everyone picked a favorite part to write about and illustrate in class. Sometimes that wasn't easy
because we liked all the parts. We displayed this wonderful work in the hallway. We want to thank the PTA for their help with the
cost of the buses to the ballet. We feel fortunate to have been able to see this wonderful holiday story come to life before our eyes.
We were able to take part in the Handwriting Without Tears "Mail to the Chief" program. We wrote some letters to President Obama
in our very best handwriting. These letters were to be hand delivered to him on January 23rd. We expressed our concerns about is-
sues such as the how to keep the Earth clean, all children having good schools and enough food to eat, smoking laws and the war in
Iraq. The children had some advice for our new President as well. We hope that President Obama is impressed with our ideas and
how neatly we can print. Wouldn't it be exciting to hear back from him one day? We'll keep our fingers crossed. We want to thank
Stanley's mom for bringing this program to Mrs. Mollo's attention so that we were able to participate. It was a fabulous connection
for us to the inauguration in January.
Mrs. Mollo’s Class
Walls of Fame! Artwork from Ms. Kopelowitz’s and Mrs. Potocki’s classes
1st Grade - Snow Globes
Kindergarten - Bowls of Fruit Mixed Media
Page 7 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
5th Grade - Birch Tree Watercolor Collage
4th Grade - 3-D Paper Masks
4th Grade - 3-D Paper Masks
2nd Grade - Outer Space
3rd Grade - Line Landscapes
Page 8 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
Can you believe that it’s already time to begin thinking about Graduation? Our Fifth Grade Committee has been busy making plans
and raising funds for this year’s Yearbook, Field Day, Dare and Graduation parties. Thanks to everyone who came out to support
the Fifth Grade at Bingo Night. We look forward to seeing everyone for dinner at Nicky’s Pizzeria in February, and at the Bake Sale
during this year’s Spring Concert. We also hope that everyone will join us in congratulating our graduates by sending a special mes-
sage in the Yearbook. Remember to look for flyers with more information about each of these events. If anyone would like to join
the Fifth Grade committee, or to volunteer to help with any event, please contact Rose Lovitch at [email protected].
Fifth Grade Committee - Graduation Events!
Winter Concert
Our students put on another great concert in December. Presentations were
made by the Fifth Grade Band, the Fifth Grade Orchestra, and the Fourth &
Fifth Grade Chorus. Thanks to all who attended for supporting them!
Page 9 Volume 5, I ssue 1 Pos i t ive ly Post Road
POST ROAD PTA
SPRING FEST & RAFFLE March 20, 2009, at 7 pm
Volunteers Needed Donate an hour of your time and make
a difference!
Call Caroline Furry (949-3948, [email protected]) or
Joretta Crabbe (948-4258, [email protected])
if you would like to get in on the fun!
“Feed The Tiger” Week Thank you to all who emp-
tied their drawers, pockets
and piggy banks and Fed the
Post Road Tiger. Our goal
for the week was to raise
$1,200 and we were able to
collect $1135.66! The chil-
dren, staff and teachers were
all very generous! All the
money collected will go di-
rectly to fund PTA activities,
grants, and scholarships.
On-going PTA Trash for Cash Programs Don’t forget we are still collecting box tops and ink cartridges
for our trash for cash programs. We were able to collect $300
worth of Box Tops this past fall and are hoping to repeat that
again this spring! In addition, don’t toss your cartridges in the
garbage! We need them! Drop them off in the main office and
help us raise funds!
Again, let your trash earn money for Post Road Elementary
School and help the PTA continue to fund all the special pro-
grams, scholarships and activities we have planned for the year!
JOIN THE PTA
YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP FUND POST ROAD PTA PRO-
GRAMS AND GRANTS
Author-Illustrator Program; Speakers;
Assemblies; Field Trips; Family Picnic;
Halloween Bash; Talent Show;
Harvest Dinner; Graduation; Hospitality
MEMBERSHIP
Gold $100 Family $15
Silver $50 Individual $ 7
Bronze $25
REMEMBER, WITHOUT PARENTS AND
TEACHERS, THERE IS NO PTA
Please detach and return to school, along
with your check payable to “Post Road
PTA”. Thank you!
Name __________________________
Address __________________________
Phone __________________________
E-mail __________________________
Child’s Name _____________________
Teacher _____________________
It’s not too late to Join
the Post Road PTA
If you have forgotten to join or are new to the school - for only $15, become a FAMILY member and support your Post Road students, teachers and school! We NEED you! Please send your check made out to Post Road PTA into the school and place it in the Road PTA lock box. If you have further questions please contact Mau-reen Kramer, [email protected].
* All Contributions are Tax Deductible *
Mark Your Calendar Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 7 pm PTA Meeting, Theatre
Friday, March 20, 2009, 7 pm Springfest Raffle, Gym
Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 7 pm PTA Budget Vote, School Theatre
Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9 am Goodbye to Post Road Open House
Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 7 pm PTA Meeting & Jenkins Awards
Friday, May 15, 2009 PTA Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Friday, May 15, 2009, 7 pm PTA Talent Show, High School
Friday, May 22, 2009 PTA Walk-A-Thon
Get on the Post Road P.T.A.
E-Mail list for updates on
happenings in the Post Road
Community! Send your
information to Caroline Furry,