Strawtown Family Newsletter

Dear Strawtown Families,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! As I said in my previous letter this summer, I hope you had a fantastic summer, but I am eager to welcome you to the new school year on Thursday morning. The summer is the unseen part of the school year, however, it is such a critical part of the year! Our dedicated custodial staff and I.T. support has meticulously prepared the building, our office staff has spent hours ordering and verifying classroom supplies, inputting new student information, and ensuring all student data is accurate. Our educators have been setting up their classrooms for the big day for weeks. We are equally eager to see the smiling faces of our students and facilitate another year of great learning here at Strawtown Elementary!

Each year will present joys and challenges regardless of where you are in your elementary journey: first-child, last-child, primary grades, elementary grades, or upper grades. It is important to remember that learning for children is not always linear, and each child has unique strengths and needs. Success is not tied to any one teacher or grade-level, but it comes from instilling a strong desire to learn and grow along the way. Every person here works diligently to create a learning environment where your child can find their own personal best.

Our community is strong, and I want to welcome in all of our new members who have joined us this year! Below you will find a link to the Strawtown Family Handbook. Please review it as it contains all of our policies value a strong home-to-school link, so please know my door is always open to discuss ideas. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at candersen@ccsd.edu, and while I won't be able grant every request, please know everything we do here at Strawtown is made with the best interest of the whole learning community.

I hope the remaining days of summer are restful, and I will see everyone here on Thursday, September 3rd, beginning at 7:52!

In Partnership,

Colin Andersen

Family Handbook:

Here is the link to the family handbook which outlines all of the policies and procedures for Strawtown. Should you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

School Supplies:

Supply lists are listed on the school website. If you pre-ordered your supplies, they will be delivered directly to the school. Otherwise, if you want to drop them off early, you may do so on August 28th & 31st in the cafeteria between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m or during the Chalk the Walk event on September 2nd. Make sure that all supplies are clearly labeled with student name and teacher.

Meet the Teacher Nights:

Our "Meet the Teacher" Nights will be held in September. Our K-2 night will be on September 10th, and our 3-5 night will be on September 15th. Each evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude promptly at 8:00. Please see this link for a list of faces here at Strawtown this year!

September Calendars:

Remember this school year, we remain on a six-day rotation for specials. Each day has a number from 1-6. I recommend that your child wear sneakers each day to make sure they are ready to participate in P.E. which is now every other day. The family calendar is updated to reflect the cycle day number. Please use this link to access the September calendar for the events happening at Strawtown this month. If you would like to see the September school lunch menu, you can use this link.

Back to School Routines:

Returning to school routines can be one of the biggest challenges to the school year. I am going through that process at home right now, but as we all establish our new routines for the school year, this article from Healthline might be helpful in your home in the first few weeks of the school year! The sooner you get them in place the easier morning will become.

Emergency Drills:

As part of New York State's new regulations, I will notify the community of a time frame in which emergency drills will occur. If the drill did not occur for an unforeseen reason, I will email the rescheduled time frame, so please be on the lookout for those notification emails. Our first fire drill will be conducted on September 4th

Tech-Loaner Program:

Through our Tech-Loaner program, each Clarkstown child receives a Chromebook. To take those devices home each school year, each household must complete the Tech-Loaner Form. Please complete this form as soon as possible to expedite the Chromebook distribution process. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Arrival and Dismissal:

Please have a look at the Family Handbook for more specific arrival and dismissal procedures. All processes remain the same from last year. Adhering to these protocols will help expedite the process and ensure all students get home safely. Children arriving to the building after 8:05 will be marked late. Kindergarten families, please make sure you have your child wear their colored lanyards on during the first couple of days of school to help us shepherd them to the correct locations.

For any dismissal change from the regular routine, please email your child's teacher and the main office at strawtownoffice@ccsd.edu. During the first few days of the school year, there will be some busing delays, so please be patient as the drivers acclimate themselves to the new routes and we install our dismissal routines for the upcoming school year for our youngest learners.

Cellphones & SMART Watches:

In accordance with new New York State regulations, please remember that students are not permitted to have cellphones or wearable smart devices during the school day. If your child has one of theses devices, they need to be kept in the backpack and turned off during the full duration of the school day. Student will receive a warning first, and then if they continue to wear the device or use the phone, it will be taken away and must be picked up by a parent or guardian in the main office.

Toys:

Please refrain from sending in toys or sports equipment with your child. We have plenty of sports equipment for the children to use at recess time and many games to use during indoor recess. Thank you in advance for supporting this policy.

Upcoming Events:

August 31st- Orientation for new Strawtown entrants' grades (1-5) at 9:00 a.m. in the library

September 1st- Kindergarten Ice Pop Social- 12:30 p.m.

September 2nd-Chalk the Walk 3-6 p.m

September 3rd- First Day of School

September 3rd- Coffee and Kleenex for Kindergarten parents -8:30 a.m. in the cafeteria

September 10th- Meet the Teacher Night(Grades K-2) 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

September 15th- Meet the Teacher Night(Grades 3-5) 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

September 18th-Welcome Back Picnic 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

September 19th- 5th Grade Car Wash 10:00 a.m. -12:00p.m.

September 21st-Schools Closed for Yom Kippur

Principal

Strawtown Elementary

Email: candersen@ccsd.edu
Website: https://www.ccsd.edu/Page/21
Location: Strawtown Elementary School, Strawtown Road, West Nyack, NY, USA
Phone: 845-624-3473