The following letter was posted on ParentSquare for Green Meadow K-5 parents/caregivers on Monday, August 18.
Dear Green Meadow Families,
I am so excited to welcome you back for the 2025-2026 school year! I look forward to seeing all our returning students and meeting our new families. Our dedicated staff is ready to create a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for everyone. I hope you’ve had a restful summer and are eager to get back to class, learn, and reconnect with friends.
Welcome New Staff Members
We are thrilled to welcome the following new staff members to the Green Meadow family:
- Sue Rys, School Psychologist
- Paige Breig, Teaching Assistant
- Mark Oliver, Teaching Assistant
- Alyssa Hand, Teaching Assistant
- Timothy Kitchner, Teaching Assistant
Important Information
Letters were mailed home to families today with your child’s classroom and teacher assignment. School supply lists, bus routes, and pickup times are all available on the Green Meadow page of our district website.
Our PTO will host its annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Social on Friday, September 5th, at 5:30 p.m. in the back of the school. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to reconnect after the summer. The PTO will share more details as we get closer to the event.
We will welcome our incoming kindergarten students and their parents for a “Kindergarten Meet and Greet” on Tuesday, September 2nd. Kindergarten parents will find additional details enclosed with the letter mailed to you this week. This is a great chance to visit the classrooms, drop off supplies, and meet the teachers before school begins.
First Day of School and Transportation
The first day of school for students in Grades K-5 is Wednesday, September 3rd. School doors open to students at 9:00 a.m., and dismissal is at 3:30 p.m.
We encourage families to use our school buses for the most efficient arrival and dismissal each day. If you plan on driving your child to or from school, you must fill out this form no later than August 30th. This helps us prepare for a smooth first day.
Please do not drop your child off at the front of the school. Arrival and dismissal procedures for parents who are driving can be found on our website. Please be patient during the first few days of school as we perfect our procedures. If we are not notified of a parent pickup in advance, your child will be sent home on the bus.
Back-to-School Nights
Please mark your calendars for our Green Meadow Elementary School “Back-to-School Nights” (Open House), scheduled as follows:
- Kindergarten – Grade 2: Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 6:30-8:00 PM
- Grades 3 – 5: Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 6:30-8:00 PM
These evenings are a chance for parents and caregivers to meet their child’s teachers and learn about grade-level curriculum, classroom routines, and expectations. These are not intended for individual student conferences, which will be held on December 4th or by appointment.
New Device Policy
I also want to bring your attention to the new statewide ban on internet-enabled devices. This school year, our district has developed a plan tailored to each grade level. At Green Meadow and the other elementary schools, we require that all devices capable of connecting to the internet (such as phones, smartwatches, and AirPods) remain in your child’s backpack within their cubby during the entire school day.
Should you need to reach your child, please contact the main office, and we will ensure your message is delivered promptly. Please note that medical exceptions to this policy can be made. You can find more detailed information at egcsd.org/distractionfreeschools. Feel free to call me with any questions.
A Final Message
Lastly, it is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement at the end of this school year. The upcoming 2025-2026 school year will be my last as the principal of Green Meadow Elementary, marking the end of a fulfilling career. I am excited to begin this final year — my 13th year as principal and 32nd year in the East Greenbush Central School District — with the same energy and enthusiasm I had on my very first day back in 1993. It has been a true privilege to serve this community as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, and I am committed to making this a wonderful and memorable final year together!
Sincerely,
Dan Garab
Principal