Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope all of our Red Mill families enjoyed the April Break last week! We sure were lucky with the beautiful weather….a great taste of spring! This first week back has been a busy and exciting one, with our 2nd graders coming every day for in-person learning. It has been wonderful to have our K,1,2 students transition back to full time these past few weeks. The students are so happy to be back in their daily routines and their joy is evident each day when they walk through our doors!
At this week’s Board of Education Meeting, Mr. Simons, Superintendent of Schools, discussed the district’s continued planning that would also bring back our 3, 4 and 5th graders full time, with a hopeful start date of April 26. The newly released NYS Department of Health Guidance allows for physical distancing requirements in the instructional classrooms to be reduced (from 6 ft to 3 ft), which now gives us the flexibility and the space needed to move forward with a plan for all students. More information on the proposed plan will be forthcoming at Monday’s (4/19) Virtual Community Forum. You may join via a link on our district website. This will be an opportunity for the community to ask questions and share feedback regarding the proposed plan.
Parent Pick Up and Drop Off Line
With the increase of students attending daily in-person learning, our car line is growing. We continue to tweak our procedures for greater efficiency and have seen some improvement. However, with the increase, we are beginning to impact traffic out to Hampton Ave. Please be mindful of our neighbors and avoid blocking driveways. When leaving the lot after dropping or picking up, please look both ways when exiting at the top of the hill, as our buses and GCC staff need to also use that lane to bypass the traffic line at the end of the day. Please follow the lead of our staff who are there to assist and direct. If you are comfortable, please consider having your child ride the bus, as we do have space on most of our routes. Families wishing to make a switch to the bus, please call me or the Transportation Department. If a 3,4,5 full time return necessitates further changes, I will make adjustments to our drop off / pick up schedule. Thank you for your patience and assistance. It is greatly appreciated!
Red Mill Raises $6,018 for Ronald McDonald House
Nearly 100 Red Mill Elementary School students participated in the Read for Ronald McDonald House Program this winter, raising $6,018 for the charity. This donation will benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Albany, which provides a free place for families to stay while their critically ill child receives treatment from local hospitals.
The top student fundraisers this year were Teagan LaPlante, Madeline TenEyck, Graeme and Emmet McCarthy, Camden and Duffy Cartwright. These students enjoyed a silly string event with their teachers. Last years top participants, Keaton McGivney, Michael Marchiony, and Connell Boomer also got to pie our Librarian, Miss Griffin! As part of the program’s festivities, Mrs. Squillace also came to school dressed as their favorite book character, Harry Potter. Miss Griffin made an amazing video of all the festivities that you can watch here. Read for RMH Sendoff Video. Thank you to everyone who supported this worthy cause!
Best of the Bus
Congratulations to the following students who were recognized by their bus drivers for being outstanding riders, respectful and helpful in the months of February and March:
- Grade 5: McKayla Martyn, Mariah Calderon, Amelia Scott, Isabella Sagendorf, Talida Johnson, Adrianna Maddalla, Azaria Tillman, Jacob Law.
- Grade 4: Griffin MacLauchlin, Poppy Harrison-Newman, Ciara McMahon,
- Grade 3:Jimmy Stickel, Scarlett Stoffels, Natalie Calderon, Aria Schultz.
- Grade 2: Raelyn Perkins, Jayden Parlemont.
- Grade 1: Michael Sarrubbo, Evelyn Simmons.
- Kindergarten: Joseph Kotlow, Finnegan Childrose, Owen Schultz, Garret Perkins, Landon Lacey, Zoey Barnes, Aadish Shobran.
Thank you to these students for the example you set on our buses!
Character Corner
Our Character traits in in February and March were HONESTY and PERSEVERANCE. Thanks to our Kindergarten and our Special Area teachers for leading our end of the month assemblies. Red Mill students continue to develop positive character and pride in being good school citizens. Our Kids of Character bulletin board in the main hallway keeps growing! The following classrooms were recognized as Classrooms of the Month for exemplary behavior and efforts in Art, Music, P.E., Library and the Cafeteria. Each had the honor of having the Class of the Month Banner to hang proudly on their door.
Class of the Month
MARCH
Music. – Mrs. Strock’s 2nd Grade
Art. – Mrs. Schirmer’s 2nd Grade
Library. – Ms. Sobol’s 3-5th Grade
Cafeteria. – Mr. Bailey’s 5th Grade
Phys. Ed. – Mr. Harde’s 4th Grade
FEBRUARY
Music. – Mrs. Dunne’s Kindergarten
Art – Mrs. Ret’s Kindergarten
Library. – Mrs. Duncan’s 3rd Grade
Cafeteria – Mrs. Hayes’ 5th Grade
Phys. Ed. – Mrs. Stickles 1st Grade
Upcoming Events
April 19th – NYS 3-5 ELA Exam – A Day Students
April 20th – NYS 3-5 ELA Exam – B Day Students
April 21st – NYS 3-5 ELA Exam – Full Remote Students @ Genet
Sincerely,
Helen Squillace
Principal
