Announcements

  • Peer Conflict vs. Bullying
    Please click the link below for a letter to parents about the differences between Peer Conflict and Bullying. 

    Is It Peer Conflict or Bullying?


     

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    Student Safety
    There are numerous letters and notices sent home during the school year. Although they are always considered important, I sincerely hope you take the time to carefully read this letter regarding the safety of our children during arrival and dismissal.
     
    First, please be reminded that the speed limit is 15 MPH. This speed is set for the safety of students, parents and staff. I am concerned about the excessive speed on this road. Speed bumps were put in last fall and will be put back once Spring weather has arrived. However, the 15 MPH limit needs to be followed at all times. As speed increases, reaction time decreases. Therefore, we have a/so installed a new STOP sign as you enter the parking lot.
     
    Secondly, I would like to review the rules regarding dropping off your child in the morning. The official arrival time is between 8:35 AM and 8:50AM. Options for parents are the following:
    1. Park in a designated area and walk your child to the cafetorium door. A faculty or staff member will be there until 8:50AM to greet your child. Never allow your child to walk through the parking lot unsupervised. 
    2. Pull into the circle counterclockwise and pull up as far as possible. Your child must exit on the passenger side as they would on any street. Once your child has exited, please wait until the car ahead of you drives away. This will ensure an orderly movement of vehicles in the circle. 
    3. Have your child ride the school bus if they are eligible. 
    A final concern I have is parents parking in restricted areas or handicapped spots without displaying a valid sticker. Please follow parking regulations as you would on town streets. If you are in the 15 minute parking area, remember that you must not ever pass a school bus with its red lights flashing. At dismissal, I suggest you park in the rear lot so that you won't get delayed by the arriving school buses.
     
    Please review the above safety procedures and make it a point to follow them. They are put in place for everyone's safety, especially that of your child. If a staff member asks you to pull up or move your vehicle into a designated area, please do not give them a difficult time. They are only carrying out the directions of the safety procedures of our school.
     
    It is my goal to provide a safe, visitor friendly and nurturing environment where our children grow from "learners into leaders". I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns. My telephone number is 716-891-6424 or e-mail me at jmochrie@csufsd.org. Thank you for your cooperation and support. 
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Mr. Jeffrey Mochrie
    Principal
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary 

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  • Standards-Based Report Cards
    Over the past three years, New York State has made many changes with regard to the end of year requirements for our student learners Pre-K through 12'h grade. However, as I have stated in my previous correspondence, by working together as an educational community and family, we can meet these new demands as opportunities instead of challenges. As we move forward, we will continue to provide the very best education for all children in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment. Our highly skilled and dedicated staff will continue to promote a culture that meets the needs of each individual learner. Our goal is to ensure that all of our learners are not only prepared for the next grade-level, but that they have the foundational skills necessary to be successful in school, in college or career, and in life.
     
    With the new Common Core learning Standards (CCLS), our children are being challenged more than ever. The CCLS are designed to narrow the focus of our instruction, while digging deeper into a concept-based curriculum. This new curriculum focuses on building skills to promote literacy and mathematical fluency. With these changes in curriculum, it was essential that we updated our report card to reflect this new lens in which we view our student learners. So, we created a Standards-Based Report Card. I have attached a great resource, A Parent's Guide to The Standards-Based Report Card, to our new Standards-Based report card and request that you review this document prior to your Parent Teacher Conference. It will assist you with your understanding of the Common Core Standards and how your child is progressing in his/her grade level.
     
    I would also request that you bring the attached copy of the Parent's Guide to your scheduled Parent Teacher Conference. During the conference, your child's classroom teacher will be able to address any questions you may have regarding the new Standards-Based report card and your child's progress. Please remember this report card is a snap-shot in time and reflects his/her current performance level. 
     
    The focus of the CCLS is to prepare our children to be college and career ready, while competing with students from across the world, not just down the street. It is my belief that this begins long before UPK or Kindergarten. Being a parent is the greatest responsibly in life. We all live busy lives, but by simply slowing down, reading to your child for 20 minutes a day/night, and asking them follow-up questions can have a dramatic impact in their educational success. Another way you can set your child up for success is by building math fluency. This can be done simply by reviewing basic math facts (addition, subtraction), along with multiplication and division when they are age appropriate. Think of math just as reading, stumbling on the basics makes learning the harder concepts much more difficult. Math fluency will provide them with an enormous advantage!
     
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary teachers are passionate, dedicated professionals who are most effective when we all work together for our children. If you have any questions or concerns with the provided information please feel free to contact me or your child's teacher.
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Mr. Jeffrey Mochrie
    Principal
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary 

     
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  • Homework Guidelines
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School subscribes to homework guidelines to provide a form of consistency in assignments among grade levels. These guidelines are based on current research and practice so that homework can serve as an effective tool to encourage, reinforce and enhance learning. While these guidelines are put forth by the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, homework may be modified to meet the needs, abilities, or interests of individual students.
     
    What is Homework?
    Homework is study outside the classroom that engages students in valuable activities independently and collaboratively to practice, reinforce, extend, or apply knowledge and skills.
     
    What are the Positive Effects of Homework?
    • Increases achievement
    • Increases individual student responsibility and accountability
    • Improves communication between home and school on student progress
    • Promotes life-long learning
    Please remember that student progress is compromised when students miss instruction and homework activities as a result of absenteeism. In planning family vacations and activities, keep in mind that it is the responsibility of the student to learn all material covered during any unexcused absence, such as a vacation not scheduled on the school calendar.
     
    What Types of Homework May Teachers Assign?
    P = Preparatory      R = Reinforcement       E = Extension      P = Practice
     
    Preparatory Homework – provides opportunities for students to gain background information so that they are better prepared for future lessons. Some examples include background reading and collecting items/data. These assignments are short-term.
     
    Reinforcement – provides students with the opportunity to revisit challenging material and gain further understanding of concepts and skills. Some examples are studying for cumulative tests and document- based questions (essay).
     
    Extension – encourages individualized and creative learning by promoting student initiative and application of newly acquired skills. Some examples include book reports, research papers and class projects. These assignments are usually long-term. Students are given windows of time for completion with teacher guidance and checkpoints.
     
    Practice – provides students with the opportunities to review and rehearse recently learned skills. Some examples include: skill building exercises (spelling words, math facts/problems, musical instrument), reading selected text, and vocabulary/grammar. These assignments are usually short-term, in limited amounts, and should not include any new concepts.
     
    What are the homework responsibilities for students, parents, teachers and administrators?
     
     
    Student Responsibilities:
    • Make sure assignment instructions are understood.
    • Set a regular routine for completing written homework, reading and studying.
    • Maintain the highest quality on homework assignments.
    • Take home all necessary materials, keep assignments and resources organized, and submit homework to school when due.
    • Be responsible for getting assignments when absent from school.
    Parent Responsibilities:
    • Schedule a consistent homework, reading and study time each day.
    • Establish a study area with: minimal distractions, good space and light, necessary supplies and materials.
    • Encourage, motivate and guide your child, but do not do the assignment.
    • Communicate with your child’s teacher, giving feedback when there is a homework concern.
    • Alert the school to any domestic stress factors that may affect the quality of homework and academic performance.
    Teacher Responsibilities:
    • Communicate clear expectations to students.
    • Provide all assignments for students and parents.
    • Review homework promptly.
    • Ensure that resources and materials are easily obtainable for homework and projects.
    • Be available for parent communication and initiate conversation with parents over concerns.
    • Provide appropriate time for project completion and define level of parent participation.
    Administrator Responsibilities:
    • Ensure that homework practices at the school level are consistent with the district educational goals and guidelines.
    • Encourage teachers to use homework as a tool to reinforce learning.
    • Facilitate the communication process between the school and home as it relates to the district guidelines on homework.
    • Ensure and support time-appropriate assignments.
    • Communicate with parents the importance of homework and its effect on student achievement.
     
    Specific Homework Guidelines for the Elementary Level
     
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary teachers use the “10 minute rule” as a general guideline. On average, your child should spend approximately 10 times his or her grade level on homework per evening starting in UPK (a first grader would spend 30 minutes on homework, a second grader, 40, and so on). Oral or silent reading is not included in the “10 minute rule.” Parents of primary age students should spend 10-20 minutes per night reading to or with your child. At the intermediate level, 20-30 minutes per night should be allotted for independent reading. The importance, encouragement and support of substantial amounts of time set aside for required as well as independent reading and writing cannot be overemphasized.
     
    Can Homework Be Modified for Special Education Students? 
     
     
    Students in special education or mainstreamed classes may receive modified homework assignments based on their Individualized Education Plan. The individual abilities and needs of special education students dictate the amount and structure of their homework assignments. If such modifications are necessary, the classroom teacher(s) and special education teacher will consult with one another to determine appropriate homework modifications.

     
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