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• September 16, 2023
  
  Dear Parents and Guardians,
  
  Thank you for your partnership and trust. Our scholars are a treasure, and we are fortunate to have the privilege of shaping their development - academically and socially. As a learning community, preparing students for excellence is not only our moral obligation, but it is what unites us as educators serving the Tuckahoe community.
  
  As principal, visiting classrooms daily is one of my instructional leadership practices. In the first two weeks, I have conducted more than 50 classroom visits and observed our scholars deeply engaged in learning. At both the middle and high school levels, students performed high levels of engagement and were empowered by teachers to be leaders of their learning. For example, during my visits, students demonstrated the following thinking:
  
  Observing and describing
  Building explanation and interpreting
  Making connections
  Reasoning with evidence
  Debating/challenging each other’s thinking
  Considering different points of views and perspectives
  Posing questions and defining claims
  Evaluating each other’s reposes and providing feedback
  Collaborating with each other to solve problems
  Determining key points of the learning tasks and sharing their understanding
  Analyzing information and comparing and contrasting new content with previously information learned
  I commend our amazing educators for their creativity, effort, ingenuity, and thoughtfulness in their designing of lessons and selection of activities to ensure our scholars engage in deep and meaningful learning. Our commitment to academic excellence is a building-wide expectation.
  
  As a learning community, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month - September 14th to October 15th.
  Additional highlights from the second week of school include:
  
  The 8th graders had a wonderful experience at Boundless Adventure. They participated in team building and a variety of activities, which included: ziplining, rope course and aerial adventure. Special thank you to each of the chaperones and Mrs. Benedetti for coordinating the trip.
  
  
  The middle school club fair was held on Thursday, September 14th. There are more than 15 clubs for students to join. Please encourage your child to get involved and help define our learning community.
  
  
  Students are settling in nicely. I am pleased to see that students are getting to know each other and their new teachers. They are also starting to feel comfortable with the routines and expectations of the classroom.
  
  
  We conducted our third (two fire drills and one lockdown) of twelve New York State mandated drills this week and our students did a wonderful job.
  
  
  I am impressed with the enthusiasm and curiosity that students are bringing to their work. They are eager to learn new things and participate in class discussions.
  
  
  Students are making progress in all areas of the curriculum. Students are developing their skills in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. They are also learning important life skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
  
  
  We are launching our Social Emotional Learning Program: ReThink ED through monthly themes focused on creating a healthy school climate, promoting greater awareness and understanding of mental health and wellness. Through collaboration between administrators, school counselors, and teachers, we will celebrate a monthly theme through bulletin board displays, home-school connection newsletters, and delivering SEL curriculum in the classroom. Our theme for the month of September is Goal-Setting, which will be highlighted through work around: planning for success, setting SMART goals, and making a plan to achieve those goals. Additional information to follow.
  
  As a reminder, the middle school Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 21st at 6:30 p.m. We will start the evening with a brief introduction by Principal Arthur. This event is designed for you to meet your child’s teachers, receive an overview of what your child is expected to learn for the school year, learn the variety of ways to communicate with your child’s teachers, and understand the teachers’ grading practice.
  
  No later than Wednesday, September 20th, your child will bring home a copy of their completed schedule, which you will follow on Thursday. Listed below is a sample of the schedule template which you can expect to receive from your child. We will also have a copy of your child’s schedule available for you, if needed.
  
  We are excited to see what scholars accomplish in the coming weeks and months. Again, we are grateful for your partnership in helping our students reach their full potential.
  
  If you are not a member of our outstanding Parent Teacher Association, please join. Our PTA committee led by Mrs. Peggy Angello maintains a strong partnership with the Tuckahoe School District. Their time invested, fundraising efforts, participation and selection of committees and financial contributions highlights their unwavering support and devotion to each child in our school district. Your involvement, voice, and investment in our scholars is welcomed. Please know that members of the PTA will be in the building for Thursday’s event and they will have school gear for purchase.
  
  As a reminder, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts recommend that you keep your child home sick if they are experiencing the following symptoms:
  
  Fever—any temperature of 100.4 or greater. The student can return to school when the student is fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication (for example Motrin and/or Tylenol)
  Vomiting. The student can return to school when the student has not vomited in 24 hours, and they are tolerating food/regular diet
  Diarrhea. The student can return to school when the diarrhea has subsided/improved, and they are tolerating regular diet
  Persistent cough deep and uncontrolled or difficulty breathing
  Severe pain (like a migraine headache or severe earache)
  Severe sore throat that lasts more than 48 hours, especially when accompanied by a fever
  A significant rash, especially when other symptoms are present
  Large amounts of discolored nasal discharge
  Pink eye
  As I close, on behalf of the faculty, staff and administration of TMHS, happy Rosh Hashanah for those families celebrating the Jewish holiday. We wish you a year filled with good health, happiness and prosperity.

Here is a list of important dates:

Here is a list of important dates:
Monday, September 18th – 7th Grade Trip to Boundless Adventure
Tuesday, September 19th – 6th Grade Trip to Boundless Adventure
Wednesday, September 20th – G.O. Elections
Thursday, September 21st – TMS Back-to-School Night at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, September 25th - NO SCHOOL in observance of Yom Kippur
Friday, September 29th – TMS Picture Day
Monday, October 2nd – After school extra help begins
Monday, October 2nd - October 6th – Spirit Week
Thursday, October 5th - October 7th – Homecoming Weekend


Sincerely,

R. Arthur
S. DeBellis
A. Colasuonno