Smith School Newsletter
May 1, 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Families:

Per today's press conference, Governor Cuomo has indicated that distance learning will continue through the end of this school year. While our school buildings remain closed, instruction and learning will and must continue. I can not stress enough how important it is for your child to continue to complete assignments at home. For students it may feel as though school is over and without the daily face to face instruction with their teacher, it may feel easy to let go of the schoolwork. That is why now, more than ever, we need your support in maintaining a consistent home routine and expectations for completion of school work. Instruction and learning must continue during this time. Our teachers are ready and willing to support you and your child with this challenging task. Please do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help.

If you have printed materials to return, they can be placed in any of the purple newspaper vending boxes located at schools and food distribution sites. Please make sure that all work has your name, grade, and teacher’s name on it. Ideally, the work can be returned in the envelope in which it came.

Thank you for all you are doing at home to ensure your child's success.
Special Area Instruction
Each of our specialists (art, music, library) post weekly assignments for students to complete, as well as some extra ideas for enrichment. Due dates for each of the assignments are meant to serve as guidelines. Feel free to complete the activities at your own pace. PE teachers have provided quite a few resources, and ask that a weekly activity log be maintained and submitted. (This could be something as simple as went for a walk, rode my bike, etc) The goal is for students to take time to be active everyday.
 
We encourage students to participate in the weekly assignments. Our goal is for students to find balance and take time to engage in art, music, library, and physical activity. These subjects can provide much needed escape, joy, and enrichment to the lives of students. If students have a particular interest in an area, there will be opportunities for deeper learning.  
 
If you come up with other ideas/outlets for the special areas, that's ok, too. Feel free to share what your child is doing with his/her teachers. They would be happy to know what you've been up to.
NURSE NEWS
We wish good health to all our families during this unprecedented time. As we work to ensure our current health, we also look to the future and want to share information regarding health requirements for the 2020-21 school year. Below is a list of current state mandates for students which must be completed prior to attending school in the fall. Therefore, please begin planning for your child's next well visit and required immunizations once routine visits are once again scheduled. 
  • All incoming Kindergarten students need Dtap, Polio, Hep B., MMR and Varicella (please refer to your provider for up to date requirements)
  • Every 6th grade student requires the TDAP vaccine.
  • Every 7th and 12th grader will need to receive the Meningococcal vaccine.
  • When your child receives their vaccines, please make sure to have it signed by their provider.  
  • Every K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th,11th grader and new students to the district will need to have a current physical. Please send a copy to your nurse's office.  

If you have current health questions, please feel free to reach out to your school nurse via email. ( jprezioso@cortlandschools.org
For COVID-19 specific information, please click on the link located on the district webpage. 

We miss you - stay healthy - wash your hands for 20 seconds every time - try not to touch your face, esp. eyes, nose & mouth - wear a face mask in public - social distance yourself 6 feet apart from others.
Teacher/Staff Appreciation
Week May 4 - 8
We have all seen the funny memes about how much parents appreciate teachers - more so now that distance learning is our current reality. Take time to give a shout out to your child's teachers. There is information elsewhere in the newsletter about sending your message to our District. If that's not your style - send a personal email or note. Better yet, have your child send a message.  

Special thanks to our Smith PTO for recognizing our staff during the Appreciation Week!

And while we are recognizing teachers, we would be remiss if we did not say thank you to all of you, our parents, who are supporting your child with distance learning at home. You deserve recognition as well!
Technology Reminders
We have begun to receive some reports of devices being damaged or broken. Please treat the device with care, keeping it in a safe location when not in use. We also ask that you please keep in mind that Chromebooks were distributed to students for distance learning purposes. Please monitor your child's online activity. While our Chromebooks are internet content filtered, it is impossible to filter all content. It is always good practice to regularly monitor your child's online activity, regardless of the device being used. Thank you for promoting appropriate usage and online behavior. 

If you are having a problem with the Chromebook, please email:  helpdesk@cortlandschools.org  or call 607-758-4188. Be sure to include your child's name and grade along with your name and contact information.
Photos and Videos Needed for Staff Appreciation Week!
Staff appreciation week is next week: May 4th to May 8th. We will be posted photos on our social media accounts daily, along with a culmination video that will go out on Friday. Please email your photos and videos to  photos@cortlandschools.org  
Food Service Continues
Breakfast and lunch will be available for every student, Monday through Friday, at locations across the community from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. Locations include:
  • Barry Primary bus loop
  • Junior Senior High School bus loop
  • Randall Middle bus loop
  • Smith Intermediate bus loop
  • Virgil School bus loop
  • Parker School (parent drop-off area)
  • Penguin Trailer Park (11a - noon only)
  • Rickard Street Apartments (11a - noon only)
Contacting the School
Our school buildings are closed to the public. On site staff in each of our buildings has been reduced to a small rotating group of essential employees. Teachers and office staff are working remotely from home.  

Teachers have posted their contact information on the Distance Learning Portal which is accessible from the District website. A staff email directory is available from the Smith Intermediate website. As a general rule, staff email is the person's first initial and last   name   @cortlandschools.org.

If calling our main office, please leave a voice message. We will make every effort to respond within a 24 hour period.
Get Social With Us @CECSD_Smith
  Stay tuned for our newsletter next month!