This Week at Seely Place

September 4, 2026

Dear Seely Place Families,

What a wonderful first week at Seely Place it has been! The sounds of teaching in classrooms, chatter in the lunchroom, and laughter at recess are the very best. This year, we welcomed 393 students to Seely Place, including 25 new students in grades 1 through 6 and 47 new kindergarten students. We have a few new members in our faculty and staff this year, too. In case you missed it in our back-to-school update, we invite you to Meet the Seely Place Team in this video montage. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of educators and staff members working together to make Seely Place such a special place for our students.

Join Us at Coffee Night!

Coffee Night will take place at Seely Place on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 5:30–8:05 p.m. During the evening, you will have the opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, see classrooms, and hear the goals and expectations for the 2026–2027 school year. Coffee Night is for adults only. For more information on Coffee Night click here.

An Update From Seely Place

One Book, One School

On the first day of school, we came together for a school-wide reading of Speak Up by Miranda Paul. The message of the book is that everyone has a voice and can use it to help themselves and others, stand up for what is right, and make a difference in their community. This connects closely to our school motto of CUBS, which stands for Caring, Understanding, Belonging, and Strong. When we speak up with kindness, listen to and understand one another, make sure others feel included, and have the courage to use our voices, we put the values of CUBS into action. Throughout the year, school-wide projects will continue to reflect the themes of CUBS that are embodied in this book.

Support Services

Beginning next week, support service providers will start screening students in areas such as math, reading, and speech/language. If your child comes home and mentions meeting with a provider, please know this is part of our routine protocol to gather information about your child’s current level of functioning.

Please Label Your Items

Please label your child’s belongings, especially items that are often misplaced such as water bottles and jackets. We also recommend including the grade and the first initial of the teacher’s last name. For example, you can use “1G” for our first grade teacher, Mrs. Gallagher.

School Dismissal Manager

We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager (SDM) to streamline dismissal changes and daily pickup routines. Please review the SDM Parent Quick Reference Guide for details. Please make sure to update SDM for the current school year. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Nancy Giglio (ngiglio@edgemont.org).

Evacuation Drills

Next week, we will conduct our first evacuation drill (formerly known as fire drills). During this drill, students will accompany their teacher and class to a designated location. New York State requires that we complete 12 evacuation drills throughout the year, and we are committed to notifying families in advance of any planned drills. You can learn more about the different types of drills on our safety pamphlet that you can find here and that is attached to this email.

Arrivals, Dismissals & School Dismissal Manager (SDM)

We’re continually refining our arrival and dismissal procedures. Arrivals have been going smoothly and we thank you for your cooperation. Please review the reminders below.

Arrivals

The crosswalk leading to the main entrance is closed during arrival to improve pedestrian safety and keep car lines moving.
Please plan to arrive before 8:25 a.m. to avoid backups.
If you’re able, we encourage walking to school.

Dismissals & SDM

The middle lane/smaller circle is only for students in grades K/1 and their siblings. If you are picking up students in grades 2-6 by car, please use the lane closer to the field and the larger circle.
We use School Dismissal Manager (SDM) for all dismissals. Please keep your child’s plan up to date, as dismissal doors are assigned based on SDM selections.
If you plan to walk up to pick up your child, they must be listed as a Walker in SDM.
No foot traffic is permitted in the car pickup lane.
For everyone’s safety at drop-off/pickup: students should enter/exit from the passenger side only, and parents should remain in the car.

📸 Did you know?

Each grade level and department at Seely Place has its own page on sp.edgemont.org! Visit your child’s grade-level page each month to find the latest monthly newsletter, updates, and important information. Be sure to check it out!

📅 Mark Your Calendar

A full version of the 2026–2027 District Calendar is available here. The Seely Place Day Calendar is available here.

Coffee Night: Thursday, September 10, 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Yom Kippur - September 21 -No School
Picture Day: Wednesday, October 7
Book Fair: October 5 - 9
Indigenous People/Columbus Day - October 12 - No School
Chorus, Band and Orchestra Concerts

🍎Principal's Corner

We hope your children are returning home with positive feelings about their first days of school. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us directly.

Warm regards,

Eve Feuerstein, Principal

Jordyn Margolis, Assistant Principal

This Week at Seely Place