August 23, 2023
Dear Kent Elementary School Families,
Welcome back to another exciting school year! We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones in good health and high spirits. As summer draws to a close, we are eagerly preparing to welcome your children back to a year filled with growth, learning, and new adventures.
We are thrilled to announce that the first day of school for 1st to 4th graders will be on Tuesday, September 5th. Our Kindergarten students and their parents will participate in a K Orientation on the 5th from 9:30 – 10:45am with their first full day beginning on September 6th (a more detailed email was sent earlier this month to those families). Our dedicated staff is ready to create a safe and enriching environment for every student. We have been hard at work enhancing our curriculum, updating our facilities, and planning a variety of engaging activities to ensure that this academic year is both enjoyable and educational.
Daily Arrival and Pick-Up: School begins promptly at 9:00 to 3:35. Student drop off begins at 8:50 in our front parking lot, staff will be there to help escort your children out of your vehicle. We would like to remind our families that drive to school, to please be prompt each morning. Instruction begins as soon as our students enter the classroom so late arrivals can interfere with your children’s learning. Pick up at the end of the day begins at 3:25 in our cafeteria. You may arrive at 3:20. Please enter through the side doors, you must bring ID with you and the adult picking up must be listed as a contact in our system. If you plan to pick up, you must send a note in with your child. If you are picking up every day, or only on specific days, please detail that in the note. Please do NOT pick up your child early unless there are extenuating circumstances. This disrupts the learning environment. From 2:50 – 3:25 there will be no early pickups unless it is an emergency as the day ends at 3:25pm.
Our Commitment to Safety: The health and safety of our students, staff, and families remain our top priority. We work closely with local health and safety authorities to create a secure environment throughout the school year. Our staff is excited to continue a schoolwide PBIS program, KES ROARS! in which we teach values that are aligned to Respect, Responsibility and Safety. We also work as grade level teams alongside our support staff of a school psychologist and social worker to ensure we monitor every student’s social emotional wellbeing. As a learning community, we recognize the importance of understanding emotions and teaching the different strategies to handle daily social interactions among peers and adults.
Exciting Updates:
Family-Teacher Collaboration: At Kent Elementary School, we strongly believe in the power of collaboration between family and teachers. Open communication is key to your child's success, and we encourage you to stay engaged in your child's education. Throughout the year, there will be opportunities to meet with teachers, attend conferences, and participate in school events. In September we will communicate to all families how they can get to participate at their children’s grade level by using Grade Level Parent Pathways.
Mark Your Calendars:
Get Involved: Our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) plays a vital role in enhancing the school experience for our students. We encourage you to join the PTO and participate in its activities and initiatives. Your involvement strengthens our school community and supports our shared mission of providing the best education for our students.
As we embark on this new school year together, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to work with your amazing children and support their growth. We look forward to creating memories, fostering friendships, and achieving great academic accomplishments. Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of educating your children. We are excited to welcome them back to Kent Elementary School and can't wait to see the bright futures they will create.
Sincerely,
Mike Setaro
Kent Elementary Principal
Please click on the Link below to view the 2023-2024 Kindergarten Orientation presentation to parents on September 5, 2023.
KES Kindergarten Orientation 2023-24.pptx
There is no doubt that peer relationships begin to increase the importance and influence during the early years of elementary school. Parents must provide their influence as role models and sources of advice for their child during the elementary years.
The following suggestions are provided to assist your efforts to be an active KES parent:
The following are six good practices for parents by the U.S. Department of Education:
Elementary education is a wonderful experience for all members of the school community. It should effectively serve as a link between home and school while meeting the needs of our emerging children. Please be encouraged to become an active KES parent and to share fully in this educational experience with your child and school staff.
Kindergarten students at Kent Elementary School serenaded parents/guardians and family members and celebrated all that they accomplished during their first year at the school at a recent end-of-the-year music performance.
Things are growing at Kent Elementary School... including the new KES Kinder-Garden which was recently installed.
Spearheaded by a kindergarten parent, the garden adds a valuable outdoor teaching space where students can get hands-on involvement.
"This will be a wonderful feature for our classes and will also be a nice addition to our Kindergarten welcome events in August," said Principal Mike Setaro.
KES is hoping to have a larger "planting day" celebrations for families to attend!
There was a crime to solve out in nature and Kent Elementary third-grade students were quick to take on the case.
The young investigators recently participated in a Wildlife CSI training course, or lesson, under the direction of staff from the Putnam-Northern Westchester Center for Environmental Education. The lesson gave students an overview of the diverse types of evidence that animals leave behind out in the wild. After the lesson, it was time for hands-on investigating at four crime scenes throughout the classroom.
Read more and see photos of our student investigators at work!
Teachers and staff at Kent Elementary School showed off their #CarmelCreativity during Read Across America Week with a fun recorded reading of Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You'll Go" for their students: "You're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountains are waiting, so get on your way!"
KES also celebrated with a fun reading-themed spirit week and hosted a visit from author Joe Shandrowki, known for his book Huga Tuga, The Magical Blue Sea Monster along with a reading pep rally.
Kent Elementary fourth-graders spread some holiday cheer, taking their caroling on the road to perform for the community at the Lumagica light show at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard. See a video of the caroling in action!
Full-day Professional Development. No school for students in Grades K-6 only.
Students in Grades 7-12 will attend as normal.
Schools will be closed; Administrative Office will be open.
All schools will be dismissed 15 minutes earlier than the regular dismissal time in order to test the early dismissal response of the Emergency Management Plan.
