Lowville Academy and Central School

ELEMENTARY

From the Principal ...

Dear Parents, Students, and Community Members,

We are busy planning for year-end and summer activities. We appreciate the continued support we have received from our families and the community this year.

Once again, I would like to remind our families and community that we celebrate our employees in the month of May. The week of May 6 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. We certainly realize and appreciate that all adults in our school community play an important role in educating our children. Our staff does whatever it takes to keep our students safe and learning…this has been proven time and time again. Please take some time over the course of the end of the school year to reach out and thank our staff for doing such a great job providing the best possible education, enrichment, and interventions as possible. We always appreciate the partnership we have with our students’ first teachers, their parents and caregivers.

We hope to finish the 2023-2024 school year strong and together! We have seen so much growth in our students and we are so proud of their efforts. I am proud to be their principal and I learn from them every day!

Thank you for your support and the continued partnership as we work to educate your child.

Sincerely,

Philomena B. Goss

Elementary Principal

Important NYS Test Dates

Students in grades 3-5 will participate in New York State Assessments in May. Teachers have been preparing students for these assessments all year. The tentative schedule is as follows:

May 1 & 2 NYS ELA Assessment, CBT Gr. 3-5

May 7 & 8 NYS Math Assessment, PBT Gr. 4

May 8 & 9 NYS Math Assessment, CBT Gr. 3, 5

Students in grades 3-5 should be in attendance and on time to school on these important test dates. While we do provide make-up testing during the NYS make-up period when students are absent, it is in a location that is less familiar to the student and may not provide the ideal testing conditions for the children.

Getting Ready for Testing

We just want students to do their individual best on state assessments. If students read, are organized, complete homework, study for tests, and apply skills learned on a daily basis, they have been preparing for the state assessments. Parents can help by following these simple steps.

1. Mark important test dates on the calendar.

2. Be sure children get a good night’s sleep.

3. Try not to schedule anything the night before the test.

4. Encourage children to eat a nutritious breakfast.

5. Boost your children’s confidence with reassuring words to do their best.

Entering Kindergarten Fall 2024 Information Update

If you have a child who will be 5 years old on or by December 1, 2024 that could attend Kindergarten in September 2024, please call the Elementary Office at 315-376-9005. We would like to know your child’s name, age, and mailing address. We are preparing registration packets and want to be sure we have the necessary information to mail a packet to you. Packets will be sent out at the end of April. Students who are currently enrolled in the district Pre-K program need not re-enroll.

Student Placement Process Into Next Year's Class

We will be placing students using student data and teacher recommendations for the 2024-2025 school year. Please do not submit requests before April 29, 2024. No requests for any reason will be accepted after Friday, May 10, 2024. Please understand you can submit a request using this process, but some requests won’t be able to be met. Thank you for understanding.

The guiding principle of the placement process is to match the instructional and personal needs of each student with an appropriate instructional group and a supportive teaching style, while also providing each teacher with a well-balanced class to maximize instructional effectiveness.

The placement of students in each classroom is undertaken with great planning and care, involving the classroom teachers and other faculty along with administration.

Lowville Elementary will allow parents who have unique and special academic concerns to follow the guidelines below and submit a teacher request for the 2024-25 school year:

1. Submit the letter to Mrs. Goss, Elementary Principal no earlier than Monday, April 29, 2024 but no later than Friday, May 10, 2024. All letters must be written and signed by the parent(s) and delivered, either by hand or US mail to the elementary office. Please do not send the requests to classroom teachers and please do not send requests via email.

2. Include the child’s name and current teacher.

3. Include the name of two teachers to be considered for your child’s placement.

4. Include specific educational reasons for your request.

No placement requests will be accepted without two teacher names and the educational reasons for the request.

The school will take parent requests for student placement into consideration; however, this will be done after all programmatic factors are considered and prioritized. Our practice is to not move students from one classroom to another after the start of the school year. For your awareness, teacher assignments may change from year to year or over the summer. Requested teachers may not be available at the grade level they are currently teaching for next year.

All parent requests received between Monday, April 29, 2024 and Friday, May 10, 2024 will be considered. Late requests, verbal requests, and emails will not be considered. Not all requests may be able to be granted. Final placement will be based on a variety of factors. Thank you for the support you give your child and for understanding our process.

Grandparent's Day - Friday May 17

On Friday, May 17, the Elementary School will celebrate Grandparents and Older Friends Day. We are very excited to be able to host this popular and special day. Students and their grandparents and older friends eagerly look forward to this day sponsored by the elementary staff. Children in grades K-5 are encouraged to invite grandparents or older friends to lunch. The cafeteria staff will serve a delicious luncheon of turkey gravy over mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash, cranberry sauce, peach crisp, juice, and milk for the adult price of $5.00. This is a big event at school that is enjoyed by everyone involved.

Special letters will be sent home to parents explaining the lunch schedule and day’s activities. Grandparents and older friends must reserve tickets for lunch from Monday, April 29 through Monday, May 13. Please join us if you can. It will be a great day!

Kindergarten Registration and Screening -Tuesday May 21

Kindergarten registration and screening for Lowville Elementary School will be held Tuesday, May 21. Registration packets were mailed the week of April 22. Information and forms were sent to parents who have a child who will be five years of age on or before December 1, 2024. If you have not received your packet, please contact the elementary office at 315-376-9005. Students who are already in the Pre-K program will be screened during their class time.

Classroom Photos - Thursday May 23

The Elementary PTO has made arrangements with Urbaniak Studio to take classroom pictures on Thursday, May 23 for our elementary students. The 5” x 7” color photo is priced at $4.00 each. Parents and students who wish to order a class picture should prepay at the photo session. Checks should be payable to Lowville Elementary PTO. More details of the photo session will be sent home in early May.