South Davis Shines

Hello South Davis Families.

Many thanks to Mrs. Hegyi, Mrs. Kobieski, Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Lehde and all of the other parents and staff who helped make Holiday House an unqualified success! It was great to see so many families come out for some holidays-themed fun and learning, and enjoy some tasty treats and last minute gift shopping.

Further in this edition, I share some key information about winter weather, recess, and being prepared for any situation. Please note that students should be dressed for the weather; it's hat, gloves, boot, and jacket season, and for outdoor recess, snow pants are a key wardrobe element, too.

Thank you for your continued support.

We're all in this together! Have a great week!

Mr. Dolce

#WeAreSouthDavis

Tuesday, December 9 - GoBike Open House, 4-6:00 in the Cafeteria (see below); Board of Education, 7:00 OPMS

Thursday, December 11 - Chorus Concert, 7:00 OPHS

December 15-19 - Winter Spirit Week - see below

Thursday, December 18 - Winter Warm-Up Hot Cocoa with the PTO

December 20-January 4 - Winter Break - No School

January 27 - Save the Date! Screening of Finding Nemo at the Aurora Theater

With Mrs. Roche moving on to the High School, we are in the process of hiring another speech language pathologist to service students here and at Windom. Interviews have been completed and a candidate has been recommended to the superintendent. The person will start after the holidays.

Also, Mrs. Carmina has extended her leave for the rest of the year, meaning Miss Verbeck will continue in her role in the AIS team through June.

For the month of December, we are working on Nurturing Mindfulness. Simply put. mindfulness means being aware of the present moment, focusing on what is happening in our space right now. This can help reduce stress, get oneself centered and ready for the day's activities, and even help manage negative thoughts.

A simple way to practice this at home, individually or as a family:

Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes (if you feel comfortable). Take three deep breaths, focusing on the sensation of breathing. While continuing to take deep breaths, silently reflect on the following, giving time for each prompt:

• What are 5 things that I see?
• What are 4 things that I feel?
• What are 3 things that I hear?
• What are 2 things that I smell (or like the smell of)?
• What is 1 thing that I taste (or like the taste of)?

It may take a few times before it starts to feel natural, and not awkward or silly. But the positive impact can be powerful.

At this time of year, it is a good idea to talk with your children about cold weather safety. Extra care is needed especially in younger children to be sure that frostbite does not occur.

• Make sure all children including teenagers have appropriate outerwear every day. Warm jackets, hats, scarves, boots, and an extra pair of gloves in their pockets will protect them during extremely cold temperatures.
• Develop an emergency plan and review it with your children in case you are not home either before or after school. If a bus is delayed, they need to know where, when, and how to get help. Tell your child that if you are not home while they are waiting outside for the bus, how long they may wait outside, where to go in the event the bus is delayed, and what the dangers and risks of extreme weather are.
• Advise your child to ask for help if they have:
• Wet clothing boots or gloves, snow or ice next to bare skin which cannot be removed.
• Pain or numbness or burning anywhere on their skin (especially hands, feet, ears, or nose).
• Teach your child:
• When to ask for help.
• Where to find safe shelter in an emergency.
• Who the designated adult is to go to in your neighborhood if the bus does not show.
• How to protect themselves with proper winter clothing.

Parent Volunteers Needed!

The PTO has provided everything we need for our students to enjoy some hot cocoa (or an allergen-safe alternative) in their classrooms on Thursday, December 18, and we’re looking for some parent volunteers to help make and distribute hot cocoa cups to the classrooms as they hold their parties. Sign up at the link below – your help is so appreciated!

Time slots are 1 hour, so you don't need to be available the whole day.

Sign Up Genius Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44A4A92BA2F8C52-south#/

OPSEPTSA NEXT MEETING:

Wednesday, December 17

6:30-7:30pm

OPCSD District Offices

2240 Southwestern Blvd, West Seneca

Join or Renew you OPSEPTSA Membership today!!

https://orchardpark.givebacks.com/shop

#specialeducation #advocate #IEP #DyslexiaAwareness #opseptsa

Our remaining meetings this year will be:

1/21/2026

2/25/2026

3/18/2026

4/22/2026

5/20/2026

6/17/2026

Website - https://www.opseptsa.org/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/share/16L1zq8TB8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/opseptsa?igsh=dHBhajY5OHpvejJm

The School Mental Health Resource and Training Center is a project funded by NY State Education Department and the Office of Mental Health.

"We are very excited to announce the two Webinars scheduled for December 2025 coordinated by the School Mental Health Resource and Training Center (SMHRTCenter).

• Our Family Education Webinar will be held on Thursday, December 4th, 2025 from 7:00PM - 8:00PM entitled Holiday Wellness - A Tookit for Families and Caregivers

• Our Educator Cafe will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 from 3:30PM - 4:30PM entitled Developing Suicide Prevention Programs in Schools

Any questions, please feel free to reach out to the SMHRTCenter Team at schools@mhanys.org You can register for these Webinars by going directly to our website to register at https://www.mentalhealthednys.org/events/

For the latest updates and great resources from BTPM's Learning and Engagement Team, click here.