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April 21: PUR Principal's Message

 

Dear Purchase School Families,

I hope this letter finds you well. As we continue our sixth week of Learning From Home, the faculty and I continue to create positive experiences for students. Our teachers are working as teams to plan for instruction and use feedback in order to adapt and create the best approach to support students. 

The faculty and staff miss seeing your children in the school building but enjoy seeing them and working with them virtually. Maintaining connections and routines is an important part of our remote learning experience.  An example is Mrs. Grossarth’s morning greeting, second-grade students showcasing creativity through learning symmetry drawing in art class, and a virtual experiment in science club with Ms. Carosi. 

Learning From Home
Teachers in all areas continue to work in collaboration with the school and District leadership teams to plan for delivery of curricular content.  Teacher and student interactions are an essential piece of learning and ongoing social-emotional development. As remote learning continues, these interactions will be a combination of pre-recorded videos, video conferencing, simulations, and virtual field trips.  

To that end, in the coming days the District will continue to enhance the Learning From Home experience with the following:

  • Students in Grades 3-5 will gain access to email through their District approved Google accounts, enabling students and teachers to communicate more freely to ask questions and provide feedback.  This email account only allows communication to others within the District. Teachers will instruct students on how to utilize this email.

  • Students in Grades K-2 will be assigned District approved Google accounts enabling them to access District approved programs in a secure environment.  Parent permission for account creation, your child’s username, and password will be sent to you via email by HCSD Director of Technology, Brian Seligman.

  • Google Hangouts/Meet and Zoom will be utilized as tools to support teacher and student interactions.  All students will be able to access these tools using their secure District provided Google accounts. Families can learn more about the District’s Video Conferencing Guidelines.

Teachers will continue to receive support with digital platforms that allow them to interact with students remotely.  We are monitoring students’ experience to ensure that the learning is maximized. 

With each passing day and an updated Governor’s Executive Order extending the closure of schools until May 15th, we are sensitive and aware that whether a student is in Kindergarten, or a 5th grader wondering about graduation, the loss of school traditions and celebrations can be difficult. Please know that the elementary and District leadership teams are working together to examine all possibilities and plan for multiple scenarios. As Dr. Wool stated in his recent message to the community, “We are determined to conclude this school year by filling it with memories both positive and unique.” Any alternative plans will be shared with families when finalized.

School Clubs
As many families may have noticed, many of our extracurricular activities have restarted remotely in the past few weeks.  Other clubs will look to restart in the very near future. If you have any questions about clubs, please contact me, or the teacher who leads the club.

Family Resources
We are all limited with the ways we can spend our time in and out of our homes.  To support families with options, the District and school leadership teams have created a wealth of resources that can be found on the Parent Resources on the Learning from Home page.  The Family University K-5 page offers suggestions for optimizing learning from home. There are also educational activities that are fun for the family to do together.  Resources will continue to be added throughout the time we are learning from home. 

Know that the entire staff and I are here to support you and we hope to see everyone together at Purchase School in the future.

Sincerely,

Adam Gutterman
Purchase School Principal

Ongoing items to note:

The District provides free breakfast and lunch for eligible students. If you are currently eligible but have not yet applied, please complete the request form.  If your circumstances have changed and you are in need of food assistance contact your principal. All inquiries are confidential.

If your child needs a device, if there is a problem with your equipment, or if your family does not have internet access, the District will provide a device and/or a mobile hotspot to deliver internet access. If you require technology support please complete this form. If you have questions contact Brian Seligman (914-630-3389) or (seligmanb@harrisoncsd.org).