November 2020 Events
11/5 Picture Day
11/10 BOE Meeting - Kaufman Center, 6:30 p.m.
11/11 NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day
11/12 PTO Meeting, 7-8 p.m.
11/24 BOE Meeting - Kaufman Center, 6:30 p.m.
11/26 - 11/27 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Recess
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Message From The Principal
Dear Families:
Let me first begin by once again thanking you for your support during this most unusual school year. We are grateful to all who are supporting their children at home during remote learning and all who quickly shifted with us from in-person to remote learning. We could not possibly do this without your support. I would also like to thank those of you who have personally reached out to our staff, to me and even to our superintendent in praise and recognition of the work our staff is doing to continue to provide quality instruction for all.
By now you should have received your child's interim progress report. As a reminder, we do not have a parent conference day scheduled in our calendar this year. If you have questions about your child's progress, I would encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher. We are now on a trimester reporting schedule. You can expect the first report card to be sent home on December 11, 2020.
Lastly, please make every effort to keep your contact information up to date with the school. This includes your personal phone numbers, email address and work phone. Information for the people you have designated as emergency contacts should be kept up to date as well. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Angela Wanish
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Spring Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Food Benefits Still Being Distributed
All Cortland Enlarged City School District students are eligible to receive a payment as a result of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020. Each student will receive $420 total for the months of March 2020 through June 2020 when schools were required throughout the state to go to all distance learning. The funds will be provided on a new or existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that can be used like a bank debit card to purchase food from participating stores. Students with existing EBT benefits should have already received these benefits via their EBT card. Students who do not currently receive EBT benefits should continue checking their mail for their EBT card. Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits are not limited by immigration status and public charge rules do NOT apply.
We recently learned that the payments are still being issued, even though it was expected that you would have received this benefit from the spring by now. All students are eligible because all Cortland students receive breakfast and lunch due to Community Eligibility, P-EBT food benefits will be issued automatically to all Cortland students.
1-833-452-0096.
Learn more:
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New Date: Picture Day
Thursday, November 5 is school picture day. In-person students will have pictures taken during the school day.
Remote students will have pictures taken in the evening as follows:
Students with a last name A-M will be from 6-6:45 p.m. and
N-Z will be from 6:45-7:30 p.m.
When ordering online please use school code 53623ZA ORDER NOW
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Recess
Winter weather will soon be approaching and can be 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.
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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
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 and bus circle in front of the school. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.
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Library News
The library is getting books ready for remote students. During our classes, we have been working with students on learning to put holds on books. Now students who are working from home can have the chance to check out books from our library.
When students have a hold on a book that they want, we will email them when their book is ready for pick-up.
Just remember, for students to check out a book remotely, they need to place a hold on the book through our library catalog, then when it comes in, they need a parent or guardian to pick it up for them at the school.
We already have students using our system, we hope that more will be able to use it!
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Positivity Project
Smith Intermediate students have been busy learning about the Positivity Project's Other People Matter Mindset, and the character strengths that help us develop and maintain positive relationships with others. So far we have learned about; Curiosity, Teamwork, Open-Mindedness, Forgiveness and Creativity. This month we will focus on; Perspective, Bravery, and Gratitude. You can learn your character strengths by taking the quiz at: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths.
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News From The Nurse
Physicals
All 3rd graders and any 4th graders new to the Cortland School District, are required to have a physical examination. If your child has already had one and you have sent a copy to the nurse, you are all set. If your child needs a physical, please make an appointment to get one, then have it faxed to the nurse at (607)-758-4189. You should have received a form regarding physicals, if you prefer a school physical, please check the box on the form and return it to the nurse. School physicals are scheduled every Tuesday morning. Any questions, feel free to contact the nurse at (607) 758-4184 or jprezioso@cortlandschools.org
Reminders
- Email the nurse if your child is going to be absent or tardy.
- Keep the nurse informed of any phone number changes or health concerns.
- Check your child's hair daily for any signs of lice/nits.
- Pack a change of clothes for unexpected spills and accidents.
- If your child needs medication in school, get a Doctor's order and bring in the medication.
- Keep your children home if they are sick.
- Please note: All children who are sent home must have a COVID test and/or an alternate diagnosis from a Physician clearing them to return to school.
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Students in Mrs. Urtz’s ELA class have been learning about the Haudenosaunee. Students decorated a white pine tree with eagles as a symbol of peace. Last week they made salt maps of New York State. Next week we will locate, paint and label these maps with the 5 nations that make up the Haudenosaunee: Seneca, Cayuga, Onondoga, Oneida and Mohawk. |
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Art News
Smith art classes are following the Inktober project and join fellow artists everywhere in drawing with a prompt each day of October. They can only use a pen and paper, and their imagination of course! Tuesday's prompt was "CORAL". Here we have sketches from Trey, 3rd grade, and Reid, 4th grade. We might be all remote right now, but our creativity is not!
Hashtags for Inktober:
#inktober #inktober2020
Thanks for sharing with the school community!
-Danielle Potter
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Get Social With Us @CECSD_Smith |
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Stay tuned for our newsletter next month!
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