Happy September 2025!

We are off to a great start of the 2025-2026 school year! It has been a joy to see our hallways and classrooms filled with the energy and excitement of our students. We've had a fantastic first few weeks getting to know our new students and welcoming back our returning students.

This month, our teachers are focused on building strong classroom communities and establishing routines that will help our students thrive all year long. Talk to your student about our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) expectations of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind! All students have learned about these expectations this week and will continue to hear from our PBIS Bees (Benny, Rosie Respectful, Ralphie Responsible, Sammie B. Safe, and Katie Kind) at short assemblies each week. These assemblies will help students understand what being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind looks like in the classroom, on the bus, in the cafeteria, on the playground and in our hallways.

With the excitement of this new school year, please read below for a few updates. Thank you for your partnership in your child's education. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and growth together!

Sincerely,

Denielle Toth and Taylor Ramsey

Principal and Assistant Principal

Make sure to check out the PTA's sign up for our Helping Hands program. This is a great opportunity to get involved and join in your child's school day through our lunch room. The purpose of Helping Hands is to help ALL Fricano students by assisting in the cafeteria by opening various items, wiping down tables, and getting utensils. Please sign up for PTA if you plan to volunteer through their Helping Hands program PTA SIGN UP HERE.

The link to the sign up genius is linked below until the end of November. It will be linked on the PTA page as well!

If your student would like to have your child buy milk or snacks, please send in money in a well labeled bag or envelope, or put money onto their account through My School Bucks (click for information)

Please contact adepasquale-Glena@starpointcsd.org for your child's student ID to enroll.

Indicate your preferences with these purchases on the following form if you haven't already: Form Link

If you plan to have your child get breakfast, please discuss this with them prior to school to make the process seamless for them! Students who plan to eat breakfast and arrive on the bus will release 5 minutes prior to other students. If you do not want your child to access breakfast at school, please also communicate with your child around these expectations. Thank you for your help with this!

• September 16th: Picture Day!
• September 25th: Kindergarten and New family ice cream night, Family Book Fair Night
• October 3rd : Dismissal Drill; release 15 mins early
• October 13th: No School; Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples' Day
• October 17th: PBIS Sweetest Dance 5:30pm
• October 22nd: Unity Day (Wear Orange!)

ALL families need to set their DEFAULT plan in Pick Up Patrol. This will allow us to know your child's everyday dismissal (bus, pick up, YMCA, etc.) Thank you in advance for completing this step!

If you are picking your child up, please do not arrive on campus earlier than 2:45pm. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!

*If there is an emergency and a pick up is needed, please call our office*

As you know, learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will develop. Reading opens doors to learning, entertainment, and new worlds of imagination.

As we teach student how to read here at Fricano, we know that beginning readers need support in two areas. Our students need explicit teaching in both their Word Recognition (reading and spelling words correctly and fluently) and Language Comprehension (understanding what's read or said to them). UFLI meets all of the standards and skills our students need for their Word Recognition. We utilize our read alouds and shared reading time to meet Language Comprehension needs.

What to know about UFLI and How Can you Help?

• You will notice your child come home with work that supports their decoding (matching sounds to letters to read).

• You can help your child by:

• Engaging in fun activities like rhyming and clapping out syllables

• Pointing out repeating letter patterns in books or the outside word. "Can starts like cat! /c/ /a/ /t/

• If your child makes a mistake, that's okay! Prompt them to say the correct sound as they blend to read the word

• You can always support your child's language comprehension

• Support your child's language comprehension by reading and talking!

• Reading aloud to your child builds listening skills, vocabulary, and more! 10 minutes a day make a huge difference!

• When children listen to books read aloud they learn more words and hear the model of fluent reading from a family member

• UFLI student work and practice
• At times, your child's teacher may send home in class independent practice for your to see how your child is progressing with the content taught that week. You may also see a home-practice or decodable text sent home. These are ways for you to check in with how your child is doing with the content as well as support their reading skills at home.

Thank you in advance for collaborating with us to support your child's success with reading!

Denielle Toth has been building principal here at Fricano since 2018. Her professional background in rooted as an elementary teacher, as well as an assistant principal at all levels (prek-12) before becoming Fricano's principal. In addition to Mrs. Toth's professional achievements, her greatest accomplishment is her family, who she loves to spend time with each day. She also really enjoys her visits to Orange Cat Coffee!

Taylor Ramsey joined Fricano as the assistant principal in 2022. She has experience as an elementary teacher and leader in many curriculum and program roles over the past 12 years. Miss Ramsey loves to work with students here at Fricano on their love of school and showing expected behaviors to help keep our school safe. Personally, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially in the Finger Lakes at her family's cottage.

Please don't hesitate to call Mrs. Toth or Miss Ramsey at 716-210-2103. We are excited to collaborate with you to help your child(ren) find the most success in the beginning of their school journey!

Please note: All students need an adult to attend with them! Admission by donation to raise money for our PBIS program (including our school store!)

Website: https://www.starpointcsd.org/fricano
Location: 4363 Mapleton Road, Lockport, NY, USA
Phone: 716-210-2100
Twitter: @FricanoPrimary