Dear Elsmere Families,
I hope that this letter finds you enjoying a delightful February break with friends and family. The sunny days and free time have been a nice combination. The skating party was terrific on Tuesday, 2/2/22. Many thanks to the Elsmere PTA, especially Emily Field, for organizing and hosting this great family event.
March into Reading
Reading is the key to success – so we are making March a month-long celebration of books and the written word.
- We will soon be kicking off our “Sweet Sixteen” to determine Elsmere’s favorite book of the month. More to come!
- Author Mac Barnett will be visiting all classes virtually on March 10.
- March 4 is Read My Shirt Day – wear a shirt with words for a fun photo op!
- In March Elsmere students may participate in a reading fundraiser to support RMC House of the Capital Region which provides housing close to hospitals for families of sick children. I myself have stayed at a similar home, and I can attest that lodgings like this are a real lifesaver when you have so much else to worry about. More information will be shared soon, but if you want a jump start, here is the Elsmere page. There will also be a special RMHC-CR book fair featuring local authors on March 4, 4:00-6:00 in Albany. Check it out
- Reading could also earn students tickets to the Albany Firewolves (see information here)
- Start sending in your gently used children’s books for our Gently Used Book Fair. Our third grade will be collecting, organizing and hosting the sale, which will be April 1 during the school day for students. All books will cost between 25 cents and one dollar.
Recycling Olympics adds a new event – COMPOSTING!
Single-stream recycling is up and running at Elsmere, with many classes at the bronze and silver levels thanks to their care of the Earth. Some teams are approaching the gold with a student developed Composting initiative. Thank you to Matilda and Grace for this – more to come! To earn a star for your class, submit a drawing here and let me know.
IReady Reports
Student i-Ready reports from winter 2021 are also now available in Aspen under “Documents”. Teachers use i-Ready to support your child’s learning in reading and mathematics during the school year. i-Ready is a diagnostic and instruction tool that provides classroom teachers with data and insight to help them focus their instructional time and priorities to help ensure students stay on track.
If you need assistance in accessing the reports or in logging in, please contact the Aspen Help Desk at bcsdaspen@bethlehemschools.org.
Kindergarten Registration
If you, or a Bethlehem resident you know, has a child who will be entering kindergarten at BC in the fall – please register as soon as you can. Placement in the home school is not guaranteed after the March 4 registration deadline.
Wishing you a delightful day!
Kate
PS – We have an abundance of extra childrens snow clothes at school (including upcycled coats, snowpants and boots). If you need something, please do not hesitate to contact the office (kkloss@bethlehemschools.org) or call Cyndi or Lisa at 518-439-4996. All requests will be kept confidential.