Smith School Newsletter
October 31, 2018
November 2018 Events

11/1 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Gym
11/5 Hearing Screenings
11/5 Select Band & Orchestra 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/6 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Gym
11/7 Gr. 5/W to Hampton Inn 9:00-9:40
11/7 Select Chorus 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/7 Girls Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/8 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Gym
11/9 End of 10-week Marking Period
11/9 Girls Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/12 NO SCHOOL - VETERAN'S DAY
11/13 Gr. 5 MGR Theater "Emilia" 9:15-10:00
11/13 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Cafe
11/13 Boy Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/14 Picture Re-take Day/Kids Kitchen
11/14 Select Chorus 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/14 Girls Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/15 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Cafe
11/15 Boys Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/15 PTO Meeting 7:00-8:00/Lib
11/16 Parent-Teacher Conference Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
11/19 Select Band & Orchestra 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/19 Student Council Food Drive Ends
11/20 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Cafe
11/20 Boys Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/20 SDM Meeting 3:30-4:30/Lib
11/21-11/23 NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/26 Select Band & Orchestra 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/27 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Cafe
11/27 Boys Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/28 Select Chorus 3:15-4:45/CHS
11/28 Girls Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/28 District Orchestra Concert 7:00/CHS
11/29 Gr. 5/P to Country Inn & Suites 1:15-2:00
11/29 Club 456 3:10-4:30/Cafe
11/29 Boys Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
11/30 P2 Celebration @ Morning Program
11/30 Girls Basketball 3:10-5:00/Gym
Parent-Teacher Conference Day
Parent-Teacher Conference day is Friday, November 16th. A good parent–teacher conference focuses on how well a child is doing in school. It also explores ways in which a child can do even better. As parents, you can get ready for the conversation by reviewing your child's homework, tests, and other notices before the conference. Be sure to bring a list of questions that you would like to ask the teacher. Please be sure to let us know if you will be using our childcare.
Picture Re-Take Day
Wednesday, November 14 th is school picture re-take day. This will take place from 8:15-10:00am. Group pictures will follow in the afternoon.
Recess
Winter weather is fast approaching and is often unpredictable. Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor play. Except during extreme conditions, all students spend some time outside on the playground during the day. The fresh air and exercise is very healthy as long as a student is dressed properly. Please make sure your child leaves home every day dressed for outdoor play – boots, hats, mittens/gloves are really a must. Labeling these items with your child’s name will be extremely helpful if your child ever misplaces any piece of clothing. For your information, we go outdoors through the winter as long as the temperature, including the wind chill, is 20 degrees or more.  
Reminders
Birthdays & Other Occasions
Please refrain from sending balloon and flower arrangements to school. They will not be delivered to classrooms as it creates a distraction and often hurt feelings for other students. Additionally, floral and balloon arrangements cannot be transported on the school bus.

Lost & Found
Our lost and found collection grows daily. Writing your child’s name inside a garment is one way to ensure it will be returned if it should become lost. If your child is missing a clothing item, please have them stop by to look through our collection.

Parking
Please note that there is no parking in the designated Fire Lane in front of the school. Vehicles parking in the fire lane will be ticketed. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.
News From The Nurse
  • Call the Nurse’s office if your child is going to be tardy or absent (758-4184)
  • Send in a written excuse when your child returns
  • Keep the nurse informed of any phone number changes and health concerns
  • Wash and return all clothing BORROWED from the nurses’ office
  • Check your child’s hair DAILY for any signs of lice/nits
  • Pack a change of clothes for unexpected accidents
Fire Dept. Poster Contest Winner!
Congratulations to Hayden Lynch. Her poster was selected as a winner in the annual fire safety poster contest. Hayden won a ride to school on a fire truck!

Socktober Update
Thank you to all who submitted socks for our Sock-tober drive! Smith School Student Council collected 123 pairs of socks to be donated to people in need right here in the Cortland area! We appreciate your support and could not have met our goal of 100 pairs without you! 
Thank You
A special thank you to the  Alliance of Physical Education Majors (APEM) at SUNY Cortland for supplementing our classroom snack cupboards with an assortment of healthy snack options for our students. APEM members organizing the service project include: Kyle Gerken, Allison Schepis, Zachary Bernzweig and Alex Kocan, under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Madden.
Positivity Project
Smith Elementary School has started the implementation of the Positivity Project, otherwise known as P2. This is a school-wide program, dedicated to helping youth build stronger relationships by recognizing the positive character strengths in themselves and others. The Positivity Project is being adopted in many school districts across the US. It has a strong social media presence, which allows our parents the ability to learn and engage along with us. You will often see #otherpeoplematter, on social media platforms in reference to the Positivity Project. This is the program's motto, and the other people matter mindset is the idea that our personal happiness is connected to our relationships with others.

Our school program includes daily classroom learning about our identified weekly character strength, and monthly character strength celebrations in which classes will take turns sharing their learnings with the rest of the school community. Parents can find updates related to P2 in classroom newsletters, on our school website and Twitter @CECSD_Smith. We encourage parents to review the weekly character strength calendar and engage in conversations at home. More information and resources for parents can be found at : http://posproject.org.

We are excited that our Positivity Project t-shirts will soon be arriving for our students! A big thank you to our PTO for providing our shirts for every student. We encourage students to wear their t-shirts on the day of our monthly celebrations as a whole school which will be on the last Friday of each month.

Please contact our school social worker, Zoe Walters, with any questions or ideas that you may have in regards to our first year of implementing the Positivity Project at Smith.
Give the Gift of Family Reading
The Family Reading Partnership of Cortland County invites you to take part in a book drive that provides families with NEW books to give to their children for the holidays.

Collected books will be distributed to Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Loaves and Fishes so that families may select NEW books for their children. Books may be donated at any of the Cortland Enlarged City School District schools. Read more...

NEW books are due by November 30th! Thank you for supporting our worthy cause!
Now Hiring: Teacher Aides
Love spending time with children? Then this is the job for you! Follow the school schedule, so if school is out of session so are you! Working with children is one of the most rewarding jobs! You can make a positive change in a child's life by working in a school! Call us today 607-758-4102 or interested parties can email Sandra Swierczek at sswierczek@cortlandschools.org. Enjoy having summers off! Click here to visit our employment website.

We Offer Full Benefits Including Health Insurance!
Substitute Opportunities Also Available!
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  Stay tuned for our newsletter next month!