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June 9: PUR Principal's Message

 

Dear Purchase School Families,

In the last few weeks our community, our country and the world have experienced great loss. It is important now more than ever, that we remind our children to care for one another. At Purchase School, caring for one another is a focus of our learning and an integral part of our daily routines. We actively model, discuss and set expectations for every member of our school community to have compassion and empathy for others. Though at times we may fall short, we continually strive toward achieving these ideals. 

While Learning From Home, caring took many forms: teacher check-ins to keep students connected to one another, students reaching out to provide feedback and support to each other, and families taking time to extend a collaborative hand to our faculty. We care deeply about each of our students, and are eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with you in supporting them. 

Students continue to take care in the creation of their work. Second graders work collaboratively to perform a reader’s theater, and a third grader shares her poetry.

Teachers across all grades and content areas are celebrating students’ hard work and growth throughout the school year. While our end-of-year celebrations and culminating activities will look and feel different this year, they will be an important part of our collective memory of this historic school year. Thank you for your patience as we finalize plans for a fifth grade ceremony that honors our students’ hard work. Specific information regarding fifth grade ceremonies will be sent out in the near future. 

We continue to redesign and expand our summer programs. Due to the governor’s order, these programs will be held virtually. Summer programs will be designed in a way that is flexible and accomodate a larger number of students than in prior years. 

Families will begin to pick up their child’s belongings on June 10th. Please follow the schedule and procedures that were sent to you last week. As a reminder, families should return items such as library books, textbooks, school-owned instruments, and other school materials. We will not be collecting technology on loan from the school district except for students leaving the District. 

While at school and during Learning from Home, students engaged in content-based learning, demonstrated problem-solving, perseverance, and skill development. Throughout the year, families, teachers, and principals had many conversations about your child’s learning. Our goal is to provide information that reveals the progress your child continues to make.  To recognize that progress elementary students will receive a narrative-based report card for the third trimester.  We will use what we know, as well as what has been gathered in the third trimester to report your child’s progress.  More information can be found in this Elementary Report Card FAQ.

Our elementary schools have begun welcoming incoming kindergarten families by gathering important social, emotional, and academic information about our newest students from the people who know them best, their families!  This information is especially important this year as a traditional kindergarten screening will not take place.  Kindergarten registration and new student registration for the 2020/21 school year are ongoing. If you or someone you know has an incoming kindergartener who has not yet registered, please visit harrisoncsd.org; click the “Parents” menu; and then “Student Registration,” to access our Online Registration system.  Email Michelle Marchese, District Registrar, with any questions: marchesemi@harrisoncsd.org. 

As this unprecedented school year ends, thank you for helping us make this year a success. 

Sincerely,

Adam Gutterman
Purchase School Principal

Ongoing items to note:
  • Visit the District’s K-5 Family University on the Learning From Home page, which offers additional learning activities for your children and continues to be updated.
  • 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).