Buckingham Family Newsletter

Dear Buckingham Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2026-2027 school year at Buckingham Elementary!

While another family newsletter will be shared before the first day of school, now that classroom placements have been finalized, I wanted to provide a few important updates and key dates as you begin preparing for a wonderful year ahead.

Like last year, our family newsletters are developed in partnership with our PTO and are designed to keep you informed, connected, and ready for what's next. You'll find important reminders, upcoming events, opportunities to get involved, and information to help your child feel confident and prepared for the start of school.

Based on feedback from our families, we are continuing to refine our communication practices by providing more concise, easy-to-navigate updates with clear headings and bullet points whenever possible. While some topics may require additional detail, our goal is to make it easier for families to quickly find the information that matters most. Look out for the all new FRIDGE MAGNETS coming in September to help busy families know what's coming next.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team. We are excited to partner with you and can't wait to welcome our Mighty Knights back for another year of learning, growth, and memorable experiences.

Here's to a fantastic 2026-2027 school year!

Warmly,

Joe Mazza, Ed.D.
Principal

• August 26: Grades 1-5 New Parent Orientation, 5:30 PM
• August 27: Kindergarten Orientation & Supply Drop-Off, 3:00 PM
• September 10: Gr. 1-3 Back to School Night, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• September 14: PTO Ice Cream Social, 4-8 PM - Nina's Waffles
• September 17: Gr. K, 4 & 5 Back to School Night, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• September 21: CBSD Closed - Yom Kippur
• September 30: Early Dismissal @12:10 PM - Teacher In-Service Afternoon

Lexie Drea, Carley Guiliano, Melissa Schmidt

Michele Fillette, LeeAnn Story & Becky Wilde

*Sarah Closs, Bridget McDonald & Christina Woerner

*Buckingham building substitute Shannon Frechem will teach the opening weeks of school until Mrs. Closs returns from her maternity leave in October.

Kate Hayden, Jennifer Outland & Jennifer Rosztoczy

Katie Ullmann, Libby Whiton & Nikki Williams

Marie Barno, Naomi Kirsche, Joe Radcliff & Lynn Reigner

Autistic Support (AS) - Jennifer Carr and Karen Myers

Learning Support (LS) - Amanda Albrecht, Karen Place, Lauren Malloy & Melissa Smondrowski

Specialists, OT/PT, Psychologist, PEN, Social Worker, etc

Buckingham's Assistant Principal (2024-2026) Jennifer Costantini, will be beginning an exciting new chapter as the full-time Assistant Principal at Jamison Elementary School. While we are certainly sad to see her leave Buckingham, I could not be happier for Jenn as she takes on this well-deserved opportunity to lead in one building.

Over the past two years, Jenn has been an incredible source of support for our students, staff, and families. She has led with compassion, positivity, and an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for children. Her partnership, professionalism, and genuine care for our school community have made a lasting impact on Buckingham, and we are deeply grateful for all she has done. Please join me in thanking Jenn for her dedication and wishing her the very best in this exciting next chapter.

Due to our current enrollment levels, Buckingham will not be allocated an assistant principal for the 2026-2027 school year. While this change reflects district staffing allocations based on student enrollment, please know that our commitment to supporting students, staff, and families remains unchanged. Looking ahead, enrollment projections indicate that Buckingham will continue to operate as a smaller elementary school community, with student enrollment expected to be approximately 350 students. At this time, I do not anticipate the assistant principal allocation returning in the near future.

Although we will miss having Jenn at Buckingham, we are incredibly proud of her accomplishment and confident she will do outstanding work in her new role. Please join me in congratulating her and thanking her for the positive difference she has made in the lives of many Buckingham students and families. 💙💛

Love this article from Bark as it offers real-world advice from parents in the thick of it - like us!

• Practice morning routines like a dress rehearsal.
• Reinstate screen time boundaries (e.g., no screentime after 7 p.m.).
• Celebrate the first day with a special breakfast or dinner.
• Help kids set one achievable goal for the semester.

Find more great parent resources relating to screentime, privacy, social media apps, mental health, AI, and more over at the Bark Blog.