Dear Genet Families!
This week was another wonderful week of learning here at Genet. I was able to see our Kindergarteners work on engineering designs in the creation of Polar Bear/Penguin dens. As I mentioned last week, if any families have any old and unused items such as Legos, and are looking for a good home to donate to, please reach out to your child(ren)’s teacher. We will get back to families if any unwanted items would be beneficial to bolstering our supplies for STEM activities. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
This coming week, as mentioned in a letter previously sent home, our students will be having the Personal Safety talk within their classrooms. This program is mandated by New York State for all elementary schools. If you have any questions regarding the discussion, please reach out to our school social worker, Ms. Karen Sheridan at (518) 207-2680.
“SOUP”ER BOWL—It’s the battle of the soup can! Genet will be collecting soup cans now through January 31st. All cans collected will be donated to the Northeast Regional Food Bank. The class that collects the most soup cans will win a pizza party sponsored by the PTO.
Reminders: Winter months can bring with it snow and fun, but it also brings with it sickness and potentially the flu. We have had a few students come down with the flu and various other sicknesses and we are encouraging them to remember to cough into their arms and wash their hands with soapy warm water. This is done to fend off any potential sharing of any sickness. As a reminder, if your child(ren) has a fever, please keep them home and notify the school of their absence. Please help us reinforce these good practices with your child(ren) at home to promote good health!
One of the most important factors in determining student success is a student’s attendance at school. When students are frequently absent, they miss out on important activities, learning opportunities and student-teacher interactions that take place in the classroom. This can also have an impact on student learning when students are habitually tardy (coming in late or leaving early) to school. Please also remember to send your child(ren) in with a note upon their return to Genet. We look forward to a continued year of success working together and watching your child(ren) grow!
As a reminder, Genet is working to support the Albany Ronald McDonald House. We will be partnering with the Ronald McDonald house during the month of January as part of our school-wide read-a-thon! The program supports the Ronald McDonald House of Albany, which provides housing and supportive services to families of children who are sick and receiving treatment from our local area hospitals. I finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and to date I have read 14 books! I have begun reading Slacker by Gordon Korman. Have any of you read this book? I encourage our students and families to keep reading!
Updates from the Art Room, by Mrs. Letourneau
Fifth graders just completed our colorful mixed media guitar project, which students did an outstanding job on. Even though we all used the same subject matter, each of the guitars on their paper weaving backgrounds are so unique and different. We are now in the process of learning about the art of metal embossing. Fifth graders are very excited about using this medium, which provides them the opportunity to create many textures as they ‘work’ the 36″ gauge metal by pressing into it on both sides. To add the finishing touches we will be using permanent colored markers or we may use an antique technique. Students would apply black paint over the metal and then gently rub the raised surface with a scrubby sponge or steel wool to emphasize and reveal the textures.
A list of upcoming events at Genet:
- January 27-31, 2020 – Personal Safety Conversations
- January 30, 2020 – District Wide Choral Presentation @ CHS – Grade 4 and 5 – Permission slips were sent home two weeks ago. If you haven’t already done so, please sign and return to your child(ren)’s classroom teacher as soon as possible.
- January 30, 2020 – Advocacy Meeting at CHS – 7 PM: Meeting scheduled with other neighboring school districts to
advocate for more state funding for our school district. All are welcome to attend. - January 31, 2020 – Morning Program @ 9:00 AM in the Genet Auditorium
Thank you for your continued support of Genet and have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Wayne Grignon
Principal