Montebello Elementary School

The Hero Code: Learning, Leadership, and Lifting One Another Up, is seen and heard throughout the building!

This week we highlight GRADE 5 ANNUAL STUDENT VS FACULTY BASKETBALL GAME & GRADE 3 SPRING CONCERT!

This week was full of excitement and celebration at Montebello! We started with our return to school on Wednesday! That evening, grade 5 students took on the faculty in the annual student vs. staff basketball game. After an energetic and competitive matchup, the students came away with the win! The game was filled with school spirit, teamwork, laughter, and unforgettable moments for everyone involved.

We also welcomed families and friends to our Grade 3 Spring Concert, where students proudly showcased their growing musical talents. In addition to their wonderful singing performances, students impressed the audience with their recorder skills, demonstrating all of the hard work and practice they have put in throughout the year. Bravo to our talented musicians and performers!

Don't forget to follow @MontebelloElementary and @SuffernCentralSD on Instagram to stay up to date on what's happening at Montebello and Suffern Central!

The NWEA is an assessment that students take three times a year in grades 3 - 5. The scores on the assessments show growth over time and that is an important piece of data we use as we create schedules for the following year. The ELA NWEA is on Tuesday, June 2, and the MATH ELA is on Friday, June 5. We hope that you will encourage your children to get a solid night of rest and to take the assessments seriously so that we have an accurate picture of their growth over the course of the year. Below are additional resources to review regarding NWEA. Thank you for your support!

• Students may not bring drinks to school (Dunkin', Starbucks, etc). Please know that these will be thrown out if they bring them to school.
• Attendance (still) matters! It may be close to our last day, but we are still counting on everyone being here! Last day of school is June 26!
• Please make sure that all library books are returned to school by June 5!
• Chromebooks will be collected the last week of school. Please do not keep Chromebooks home for the summer.

See flyers below for information about upcoming events, membership, and fundraisers! These will stay on the Smore until the events/fundraisers dates expire.

Please review the information below during this cold and flu season! If you ever have any questions or need to check with our school nurse, please reach out!

Keeping your child at home when appropriate can support their return to health and learning—and help protect the school community from contagious illness.Please keep your child home if they are experiencing:

• Fever of 100 or more. Return to school once fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. Return to school once symptom-free for 24 hours.
• Excessive coughing. A constant cough is uncomfortable to the child and disruptive to other students. Your child may need to be evaluated by a medical provider.
• Strep Throat. Your child must be treated with antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Eye symptoms, such as redness, discharge and/or itching. Your child should be evaluated by a medical provider to rule out conjunctivitis (aka “pink eye”), a highly contagious infection. If the infection is confirmed, your child must be treated for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Unusual rash or wound. Your child should be evaluated by a medical provider to rule out an infection.
• Any condition that may be serious or contagious.

Please read the letter attached regarding our focus on attendance this year. We are looking forward to continuing the positive attendance trends we have identified thus far and will have more information about attendance "incentives" in next week's Smore!

The SCSD app has been fixed! Please update and or delete/reinstall the app in order to refresh it. The refresh fixes the calendar issues; however, if you update the app and still see wrong times, you should delete the app entirely and then reinstall it.

Please review the image below for the proper shoes to wear on PE days. We appreciate your support for making sure your children are wearing sneakers when they have PE.

From time to time, the District will take pictures and videos of students in class to be used on the website, official social media accounts, district videos and promotional materials for the Suffern Central School District.

If you DO NOT want your child’s picture to be taken and used by the Suffern Central School District, please fill out the form using the link below or print and complete the attached form and return to school by Wednesday, September 17.

Please note! This form does not apply to in-person classroom activities or school events (where applicable) that are open to the public. Public events are considered open to the public and include such gatherings as sporting events, theater productions, school concerts, etc.

Dear Parents,

This school year, our theme is “Soaring Together." I chose this theme because superheroes remind us that ordinary people can rise up to do extraordinary things. Did you know that Superman's character appeared in the late 1930s, during a time of challenge and change? He represented hope, courage, and the belief that everyone can use their strengths to help others.

This message is true today. At Montebello, we all believe every student has “superpowers.” Throughout the year, we will all encourage students to recognize and strengthen their own powers while lifting up those around them. Our focus will be on three key areas which will make up the “Hero Code."

1. Leadership: Heroes lead by example. Leadership at our school means making good choices, taking responsibility, and inspiring others.

2. Learning: Heroes never stop training and growing. Learning is our superpower; we strive to challenge ourselves, stay curious, and celebrate progress.

3. Lifting Others: Heroes don’t soar alone. At Montebello, lifting others means helping, encouraging, and standing up for our classmates and community.

“Soaring Together” means we rise higher when we support one another, learn with purpose, and lead with kindness. Every student and adult in our school community is part of this team, and together we will make this year our strongest yet.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we begin this exciting new adventure. We look forward to a year of growth, courage, and community!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ivey

These links will remain active for the year and will be in each weekly Smore.

PTA Meeting Schedule 😊

• Thurs. 1/8/2026 - SES

• Thurs. 2/12/2026 - MES

• Thurs. 3/12/2026 - SES

• Thurs. 4/9/2026 - MES

• May TBD

• June TBD

We encourage all parents/caretakers to communicate with their child's teacher. You may reach all teachers using their first initial and last name @sufferncentral.org. Teachers will share their email addresses with you and you may also find them in the directory on the school's website.

Please make sure that all communication regarding pickups is shared with the teacher and the main office staff (emails below). Any health related information should be sent to the school nurse, Mrs. Grace Joseph.

When there is a time sensitive issue, please be sure to include more than one person on the email. This will ensure that it has been seen. Additionally, please call the school when there is something sensitive to discuss. A phone call is always welcome for longer conversations/topics that need discussion.

Finally, if you would like to set up a time to speak to your child's teacher, a staff member, or Dr. Ivey, please schedule a meeting ahead of time. We cannot guarantee availability if no meeting is scheduled.

Thank you for your attention!

Dr. Ivey, Principal tivey@sufferncentral.org

Mrs. Eileen Lomei, Secretary elomei@sufferncentral.org

Mrs. Grace Joseph, Nurse gjoseph@sufferncentral.org

The Screenagers podcast offers expert insights, practical tips, and real-life strategies to help parents guide their children in managing device use. From setting boundaries to encouraging balance, this podcast is a valuable resource for understanding today’s digital world and promoting healthier tech habits at home.Links to the podcast and related reels or articles will be included in the Smores throughout the year. Enjoy!