Emily Howland Elementary

May 20, 2025

Dear Families,

We are in the final stretch of the school year, and are working with all our students to finish the school year strong. 

A few announcements:

• We still have two NYS required lockdown drills to complete this year. These will occur on May 21 and May 28. 
• We completed our NYS testing for the year. Many thanks to our teachers and students for all their hard work and effort with this!
• We will have a half day for spring conferences on May 30. Dismissal will be at 11:00 am. Teachers previously reached out to families they would like to schedule a conference with. 
• In our last update we noted UPK students will begin coming to school for full days on June 10. Please note there was a change in this date due to transportation needs for the Jr/Sr High School. Full days will now begin on Monday, June 16. This means UPK students will begin riding the Emily Howland bus run on June 16. More information will go home with UPK students regarding this change at the end of the week. 
• We are working on the last day of school for Elementary students as well as what our last week will look like. We hope to have this information to families by the end of the week.

Important Upcoming Events

May 20 - Elementary Concert at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

May 23 and 26 - Memorial Day, No School

May 30 - Half Day - Dismissal at 11:00 am, Conferences in the pm

May 21 - Kindergarten Field Trip during the school day

May 28 - Honor Roll Ceremony at 6:00 pm in the EH Gym

June 6 - Career Day during the school day

June 11 - Agriculture Awareness Fair during the school day

June 13 - Kindergarten Celebration at 12:30 pm

June 13 - PTO End of Year Celebration 5:30-7:30 on the Playground

June 16 - UPK Begins Full Days

June 17 and 18 - Grade 6 Field Trip

June 19 - Juneteenth, No School

June 20 - Grade 1 and 5 Field Trip during the school day

June 20 - Grade 6 Moving Up Ceremony at 2:00 pm

June 23 - Field Days during the school day

June 24 - Field Days Rain Date during the school day

 

In Partnership,

Caitlin Wasielewski

Emily Howland Principal 

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May 2, 2025

Hello Families,

Happy May! We are in the final stretch of the school year and it is great to see how much progress our students are making! We are so proud of them and hope all our students are able to finish strong!

A few items to note:

• Report cards went home with students on Monday, April 28. If you did not receive a report card, please contact the office at 315-364-7111 ext. 3500.
• Our grades 3-6 students did a wonderful job with ELA state testing, we are so proud of them. Our math state testing will take place on May 6 and 7. Science state testing for grade 5 only will take place on May 13. 
• Our spring concerts are upon us! The Jr High band and chorus concert for grade 6 students is May 14 at 6:00 pm. The elementary concert for recorder band, grade 4 chorus, and grade 5 chorus is May 20 at 6:30 pm. 
• We will have a half day for spring conferences on May 30. Dismissal will be at 11:00 am. Teachers will individually reach out to families they would like to schedule a conference with. 
• On June 10 our UPK students will begin coming to school for full days instead of leaving at 2:00. Arrival time will remain the same for them. Dismissal will be with our K-6 students beginning at 3:20. This helps prepare our students for a full day in Kindergarten the following September. Students who ride the bus will ride the Emily Howland PM run beginning on June 10. Adding UPK students to this run may change the bus drop off time of K-6 students by a few minutes as well. 
• We are accepting registrations for the 2025-2026 school year for both UPK and Kindergarten. If your child will turn 4 by December 1, 2025 they are eligible for UPK. If your child will turn 5 by December 1, 2025 they are eligible for Kindergarten. More information can be found on our registration website. 
• We have a few more safety drills to conduct during the spring. We will have one more fire drill towards the middle of May, and two lockdown drills towards the end of May. 
• We are fortunate to experience some nice weather, and our students love going outside! Please encourage them to dress for the weather. Some days students may be more comfortable with a sweatshirt or jacket, while other days they may be fine in lighter clothing such as a t-shirt. Sneakers are always encouraged for both PE and recess.
• This year we will have a special celebration for students in grades 4 and 5 who received honor roll, high honor roll, or Principal's honor roll all three marking periods. More information will be sent home with students who achieved this exciting accolade. Grade 6 students who achieved this will be celebrated as part of the moving up ceremony. 
• As we get to the end of the year, many students will be involved in certain events based on their grade level such as field trips and celebrations. You will receive information regarding events pertaining to your individual student as the dates draw near. 

Important Upcoming Events

May 6 and 7 - NYS Math Test for grades 3-6 during the school day

May 13 - NYS Science Test for grade 5 during the school day

May 14 - Grades 3 and 4 Field Trip during the school day

May 14 - Grade 6 Concert at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium

May 14 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the Library 

May 19 - UPK Moving Up Ceremony at 6:00 pm on the Playground 

May 20 - Elementary Concert at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

May 23 and 26 - Memorial Day, No School

May 30 - Half Day - Dismissal at 11:00 am, Conferences in the pm

May 21 - Kindergarten Field Trip during the school day

May 22 - Agriculture Awareness Fair during the school day

May 28 - Honor Roll Ceremony at 6:00 pm in the EH Gym

June 6 - Career Day during the school day

June 10 - UPK Begins Full Days

June 13 - Kindergarten Celebration at 12:30 pm

June 17 and 18 - Grade 6 Field Trip

June 19 - Juneteenth, No School

June 20 - Grade 1 and 5 Field Trip during the school day

June 20 - Grade 6 Moving Up Ceremony at 2:30 pm

June 23 - Field Days during the school day

June 24 - Field Days Rain Date during the school day

In Partnership,

Caitlin Wasielewski

Emily Howland Principal

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April 11, 2025

Hello Families,

Happy Spring! We are excited for some warmer weather ahead and many exciting activities at the end of the year! A few important items:

• The end of the third marking period was today, Friday, April 11. Reports cards will go home around Monday, April 28.
• We will have a spring parent-teacher conference day on May 30. All students will have a half day this day, with dismissal at 11:00 am. Teachers will reach out to families they would like to have a conference with towards the beginning of May to schedule a time. 
• Students in grades 3-6 will participate in NYS testing as a way for us to understand where students are and provide supports as needed. The NYS ELA assessment will be April 22 and 23. The NYS math assessment will be May 6 and 7. The NYS science assessment, for grade 5 only, will be May 13. More information about the assessments will be sent to families as we get closer. 
• The Hazard and Aurora Free Libraries are sponsoring several events over break. Please see this flyer for additional information. 
• The SCCS PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) is soliciting donations for snacks for our SCCS students who take the New York State Tests in grades 3-8.  Each student gets a snack each day they complete a state test and it is something the students always look forward to. We have enough to get through ELA testing, but we are hoping to acquire additional for the math and science exams. Additional snacks/gum can be dropped off by April 25. The link for donations is below. We appreciate your support. 

VolunteerSignup - Online volunteer signup sheets - SCCS 2025 NYS Testing Snacks signup sheet

Important Upcoming Dates

April 22 and 23 - ELA Testing for grades 3-8 during the school day

April 28 - Report Cards Go Home

May 6 and 7 - Math Testing for grades 3-8 during the school day

May 13 - Science Testing for grade 5 during the school day

May 14 - Grades 3 and 4 Field Trip during the school day

May 14 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the EH Library 

May 30 - Half Day for Students for Conferences, Dismissal at 11:00 am

In Partnership,

Caitlin Wasielewski
Emily Howland Principal 

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March 17, 2025

Hello Families,

We hope you all enjoyed the spring weather over the weekend. Our students all let us know today how fabulous it was to get outside with the nice weather!

A few upcoming items:

• On Wednesday, March 19 the lunch menu is changing due to an equipment issue. Lunch will now be pizza crunchers and sweet potato fries instead of deli sandwiches. Thank you for your understanding.
• The Southern Cayuga Drama Club will present Working as the musical this year. Shows will be March 21 and 22 at 7:00 pm and March 23 at 2:00 pm. Please see this link for additional information. We have a few Emily Howland students in the show as well this year. Please use this link to purchase tickets.
• The end of marking period 3 will be Friday, April 11.
• Students in grades 3-6 will participate in NYS testing as a way for us to understand where students are and provide supports as needed. The NYS ELA assessment will be April 22 and 23. The NYS math assessment will be May 6 and 7. The NYS science assessment, for grade 5 only, will be May 13. More information about the assessments will be sent to families as we get closer. 
• Once again this year, the SCCS PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) is soliciting donations for snacks for our SCCS students who take the New York State Tests in grades 3-8.  Each student gets a snack each day they complete a state test and it is something the students always look forward to. The link for donations is below. We appreciate your support. 

VolunteerSignup - Online volunteer signup sheets - SCCS 2025 NYS Testing Snacks signup sheet

Important Upcoming Dates

March 21 and 22 - SCCS Musical at 7:00 pm in HS Auditorium

March 23 - SCCS Musical at 2:00 pm in HS Auditorium

 April 11 - End of Marking Period 3

In Partnership,

Caitlin Wasielewski
Emily Howland Principal 

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March 5, 2025

Hello Families,

We hope this finds you well. We are well into the second half of the school year now, and are excited for the warmer weather ahead!

Here are a few items to note:

• Emily Howland and the PTO will again sponsor our annual roller skating parties. All students participated in roller skating this week and will continue next week in PE class. Students in grades 4-6 will be able to attend an after school roller skating party on Tuesday, March 11 from 3:30-5:00. Students in grades 1-3 will be able to attend an after school roller skating party on Thursday, March 13 from 3:30-5:00. Students received permission slips last week. Please return permission slips by Friday, March 7 if your child would like to attend to help us with planning.
• We are excited for our Pizza and Partner reading event on Thursday, March 6. Thank you to all our families who signed up to participate. We are looking forward to an evening filled with celebrating a love of reading!
• The PTO is sponsoring a Krispy Kreme doughnut fundraiser. Students will receive a flyer with more information and the order form in the next day or two if they did not receive one already.
• The Southern Cayuga Drama Club will present Working as the musical this year. Shows will be March 21 and 22 at 7:00 pm and March 23 at 2:00 pm. Please see this link for additional information. We have a few Emily Howland students in the show as well this year. Please use this link to purchase tickets.
• The weather is finally warming up a little, and students are very excited about going outside for recess! Please note we do still have some snow on the playground, and the warmer temperatures and precipitation are causing mud as well. Please continue to send outside winter wear with students in the next few weeks to ensure they have the best possible experience during recess.
• Students in grades 3-6 will participate in NYS testing as a way for us to understand where students are and provide supports as needed. The NYS ELA assessment will be April 22 and 23. The NYS math assessment will be May 6 and 7. The NYS science assessment, for grade 5 only, will be May 13. More information about the assessments will be sent to families as we get closer. 

Important Upcoming Dates

March 6 - Pizza and Partner Reading at 5:00 and 6:00 pm in the EH Cafeteria

March 11 - Grades 4-6 Roller Skating Party from 3:30-5:00 pm in the EH Gym

March 12 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the EH Library

March 13 - Grades 1-3 Roller Skating Party from 3:30-5:00 pm in the EH Gym

March 14 - Staff Development Day - No School

March 21 and 22 - SCCS Musical at 7:00 pm in HS Auditorium

March 23 - SCCS Musical at 2:00 pm in HS Auditorium

In Partnership,

Caitlin Wasielewski
Emily Howland Principal

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January 28, 2025

Hello Families, 
We hope all our students are enjoying their snow day today! It is hard to believe we are coming to the halfway point of the school year. There are so many positive happenings at Emily Howland every day!
 
The second marking period ends on January 30. Report cards will go home with students around February 10. 
This week our staff and students are participating in the Great Kindness Challenge! This is a national program which encourages everyone to find ways to be kind to others. We already saw some incredible examples including taking care of trash for a friend and bringing a friend mallets they need to play an instrument in music. 
Please note tomorrow, Wednesday, January 29 is Lunar New Year. This is a NYS recognized holiday, and there will be no school in recognition of this day.
February is I Love to Read Month! As a way to celebrate, we will be partnering with the Hazard and Aurora Free Libraries to sponsor a book giveaway for our students. This will be during the week of February 10-14. A huge thank you to our libraries for sponsoring this incredible opportunity for our students. 
Emily Howland will again sponsor a book fair for our students! The book fair will take place February 10-13 in the Emily Howland library. Students will receive additional information on the book fair via a letter in the next few days. Students will be able to visit the book fair during regularly scheduled library times.
We will host a book fair family night on Tuesday, February 11 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Families are welcome to come to the book fair together. 
We will also be sponsoring a pizza and partner reading dinner event at the end of February. More details on this will be available in early February. 
 
Important Upcoming Dates 
January 29 - No School - Lunar New Year
January 30 - End of Marking Period 2
February 10 - Report Cards Sent Home
February 10-13 - Book Fair during School Hours
February 11 - Book Fair Family Night from 5:00-7:00 pm
February 12 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm

In Partnership,
Caitlin Wasielewski 

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January 10, 2025

Hello Families,
Happy 2025 to you all. We hope you are staying safe and warm with all the snow and cold we are getting!
A few items to note:
The end of the second marking period is approaching. The marking period ends on January 30. Report cards for marking period 2 will go home around Monday, February 10. 
Students in grades 3-6 will complete the NYS Computer Based Testing Simulation on January 27. Students will complete a very short sample to understand what the NYS Computer Based Test for ELA and math will look like in April and May. This test will not be graded, but rather used to ensure students understand what to do during the NYS assessments.
 
Now that winter is in full swing, we highly encourage students to have winter gear including winter coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots. On days when it is warm enough to go outside, this allows students to play in the snow while keeping their clothes dry and bodies warm. There are days when it is too cold to go outside for recess. However, we still encourage students to wear at least their winter coats and hats or hoods on these days, as they will be outside when waiting for the bus in the morning and walking into or out of the building.
 
If we have a school delay on a day when there are before school activities such as recorder band, the before school activities would be canceled for the day.
Please take note of the Lunar New Year on January 29. This is now recognized by the state as a holiday, and there will be no school for students.
 
Important Upcoming Dates
January 15 - PTO Meeting in the EH Library at 6:00 pm
January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Day
January 27 - NYS CBT Simulation for Grades 3-6 during the school day
January 29 - No School - Lunar New Year
January 30 - End of Marking Period 2
February 10 - Report Cards Sent Home
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December 6, 2024

Hello Families,
Seasons greetings to you and your family. I hope you are enjoying the snow as much as our students are at recess! A few reminders as we head into December:
Please remind your students to bring full snow gear for outdoor recess and active morning when it is snowy outside, this includes boots, snow pants, hats, mittens, and winter coats.
We will have our annual NYS required early release drill on Friday, December 20. UPK will dismiss at 12:45 pm, while grades K-6 will dismiss at 2:15 pm. 
We are hoping to stream our December music concerts. The link will be posted on the Southern Cayuga website homepage the day of the concert. Please scroll down towards the bottom of the  and look for the concert announcement. 
Emily Howland will have a spirit week the week of December 16-20 to promote school pride! Students and teachers nominated ideas for the days, and the days will be:

Monday - Sock Day - Wear crazy or festive socks!
Tuesday - Sweater Day - Wear your coziest, ugliest, or best sweater!
Wednesday - Character Day - Dress as your favorite winter or holiday character. Will you be a snowman, an elf, the Grinch?
Thursday - Headwear Day - Wear your favorite winter hat, festive headband, or anything else on your head!
Friday - Pajama Day - Wear your favorite pair of pajamas!

Important Upcoming Dates
December 10 - EH Winter Concert at 6:30 pm in the HS Auditorium (Grade 4 and 5 chorus and Recorder Band)
December 11 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the EH Library
December 17 - Jr High Winter Concert at 6:00 pm in the HS Auditorium (Grades 6-8 Choir and Jr High Band)
December 16-20 - Spirit Week (Monday - Sock Day, Tuesday - Sweater Day, Wednesday - Character Day, Thursday - Headwear Day, Friday - Pajama Day)
December 20 - Early Release Drill at 12:45 for UPK and 2:15 for K-6

In Partnership,
Caitlin Wasielewski 
Emily Howland Principal 
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November 22, 2024

Hello Families,

We hope you are doing well. Emily Howland was hard at work these past few weeks with learning and growing!

A few items to note:
Report cards were sent home with students on November 18. If you have not received the report card yet, please check your child's backpack. If their report card is missing, please call the office at 315-364-7098 and we will issue you a new one. 
Picture retake day is December 5. Please see the following information from our picture company, Interstate Studio: Students who were absent on the original picture day will be photographed. We will also retake those who were not satisfied with their original photograph.  RETAKE DAY TIP: Many times the children are unsure as to what you were unhappy with, when the photographer asks... so it is a HUGE help if you attach a note with your returned package to the photographer letting him/her know what you're looking for. If your child(ren) was absent on the original day and you would like to pre-order a picture package from the absentee picture day, please see the online order info below. Please call the Inter-State office with any questions regarding this. (585)310-7781. Website:  Order Code: 89319TC
Please be sure to send your original picture package back to the school with your child(ren) to give to the photographer.www.inter-state.com/order
SAVAR will be coming in to present to our students on safety in regards to Erin's Law, a New York State mandate, during the week of December 2-6. The presentation teaches children about and how to spot and respond to bullying, cyberbullying, child abuse and digital dangers. More information about this presentation was sent home via a letter earlier this week. 
As we begin the second marking period, we want to provide families with resources for helping students navigate the digital world and social media. These can be important tools. However, it is important for us to educate students on proper social media use. Please see the attached  on how we educate students on social media and the digital world. 
The HS Leadership Club will sponsor 3 showings of the Polar Express on December 17, 18, and 19 in the SCCS planetarium. Seats must be reserved in advance. Please use the  to reserve your seats. 

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Important Dates
November 26 - Conferences from 12:00 - 7:30 pm November 26-29 - Thanksgiving Break - No School for Students
December 5 - Picture Retake Day
December 10 - Elementary Concert at 6:30 pm ( Grades 4-5 choir, ukulele, guitar, EH band) in the Jr/Sr HS Auditorium 
December 11 - PTO Meeting at 6:00 pm in the EH Library
December 17 - Jr High Concert at 6:00 pm (Grades 6-8 band and choir) in the Jr/Sr HS Auditorium 

Take Care,
Caitlin Wasielewski
Emily Howland Principal