South Davis Shines
May 5, 2026
A Message from Mr. Dolce
Hello South Davis Families.
Thank you to everyone who helped support the PTO's Spare Change for Stories. The children were excited to be part of something bigger than themselves, to help their school community. And the effort was a success - enough spare change (and some bills, too) - was collected to ensure that every students will get a book to celebrate our Author's Visit in June. And I kept my promise to dye my hair the color of the winning Monster Collector!
Although it was already communicated last Friday, I want to make sure parents and guardians of students in grades 3-5 are aware that we rescheduled the NYS Math Assessments to this Thursday and Friday. Fifth grade Science will be administered next Tuesday as originally planned. All testing, including makeups, will be completed by Friday, May 15.
Have a great week!
Mr. Dolce
#WeAreSouthDavis
Our Commitments
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
This Month and Beyond
Thursday, May 7 - EL/SD Band Music in May Concert
May 7-8- Grades 3-5 NYS Math Assessments
Monday, May 11 - SDM; SD/EL Orchestra Music in May Concert
Tuesday, May 12 - Grade 5 NYS Science Assessment
May 18-26 - Universal Screening
Wednesday, May 20 - Bike to School; DARE Graduation; Panera PTO Fundraiser
Thursday, May 12 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 P.M.
Friday, May 29 - Field Day
Wednesday, June 3 - 5th Grade Walk to MS
Monday, June 8 - New Family Information Night (formerly Kindergarten Orientation), 6-7:00 P.M.
June 10-11 - Author Visit with Troy Cummings
Friday, June 12 - Art Show and Ice Cream Social
Monday, June 15 - 5th Grade Moving Up Celebration (details to come)
Tuesday, June 16 - Kindergarten Celebration (details to come)
Wednesday, June 17 - Incoming Kindergarten Screening
Friday, June 19 - Juneteenth - No School
Tuesday, June 23 - Anticipated Last Student Day
Upcoming Field Trips
Friday, May 15 - Kindergarten - Buffalo Museum of Science
Thursday, May 28 - 5th Grade - Buffalo Bisons; PK - Kelkenburg Farm
Friday, June 5 - 3rd Grade - Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve
Wednesday, June 10 - 1st Grade - Hidden Valley Farms
If your child's grade is not listed here, they have already completed a field trip and/or enrichment experience
Instructional Focus
As your child's first teacher, you know your son or daughter best. If you would like to tell us about your child’s learning style, strengths, challenges, or any other information that may help us create an optimal learning environment for the upcoming school year, we welcome your input. What characteristics, traits, or attributes are beneficial to your child?
If you are interested, you can use this form to give us your insights about your child, to help us place him or her in the best environment possible, to reach his or her full potential. It is completely optional, and is available until June 3.
Updates and Reminders
Safety Reminders
If you are walking to or from South Davis in the afternoon, do not walk though the Middle School parking lot from 2:15-2:45. That is the busiest and most dangerous time. Use Thorn Avenue or West Quaker (20A) St.
We have 1 more Lockdown Drill and 2 more Evacuation (Fire) Drills to complete this year. Advance notice will be provided as per District policy.
Also, with construction happening at the Middle School, many of the parking spaces facing the fields are no longer available. Please note this when planning to come to end-of-year activities. Thorn Avenue and Green Lake may better options.
End of Day Pick-Up Reminders
There still seems to be confusion as to the process for students not taking the school bus at the end of the day. Please read this carefully.
- Pre-K parents walk their children to and from the school. As a result, they need to park on South Davis Street. At the end of the day, if they are also picking up an older child, they may have to wait a bit longer.
- If you are meeting your child on the sidewalk in front of the school, please mark your child a walker in the Parent Portal.
- If you walked or biked to the building, that's great!
- If you drove - and you are not a Pre-K parent - please be sure to park on the west side of South Davis Street (opposite side from the school), and use the crosswalk to and from the pick up area.
- The curbside pick-up area should not be used for walkers. If you are getting out of your vehicle and you are not a Pre-K parent, please park on the other side of the street, or pull past the middle driveway to keep the pick-up zone clear.
- If you are providing your tag #, then your child is a "pick-up" and you should stay in your vehicle at the curb.
As always, these are in place for the safety of all involved, and to ensure an efficient drop-off and dismissal process.
PTO Connections
Orchard Park Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association
OPSEPTSA NEXT MEETING:
Wednesday, May 20
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 meeting this year will be:
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
Connecting With Our Community
Happy Birthday, K9 Officer Ross!
South Davis Student Council - Leashes for Love
Thank you to everyone who donated items for the Leashes for Love community service project. Dozens of leashes, collars, and other needed supplies were collected and will shared where they are needed in our community. Great job, South Davis!
Family & Community Day
We’re excited to share a new short video to help you introduce and promote the Family & Community Day of the 2026 Hope and Healing Conference of Western New York with the individuals and families you serve. Watch and share the video here: https://youtu.be/vbR85-EnGyM.
Family & Community Day, Camp Hope: Where Stories Grow, will take place on Saturday June 6, at SUNY Fredonia’s Williams Center. This FREE event is designed for families, caregivers, youth, and community members and offers connection, resources, and practical tools related to mental health, substance use prevention, recovery, and overall wellness. We encourage you to share this video directly with clients, families, and your networks to help increase awareness and participation.
To make it easy to attend, registration for the Free Family Access Pass includes questions about transportation needs and dietary considerations to support accessibility for all participants. We also have Community Day posters available with a QR code for simple registration. If you would like posters for your office or program space, please get in touch with Prevention Works at 716-664-3608.
Spring Clean Out!
We are gearing up for our annual Spring Clean Out!
In partnership with the Wesleyan Church of Orchard Park, we’ve been collecting new and gently used clothing for families in the Orchard Park community. The church has generously transformed one of their buildings at 6779 Powers Road, Orchard Park into a fully stocked clothing closet. A wide range of sizes is available year-round during scheduled hours, which can be found on the Family Solutions Center website. This resource has made a meaningful impact.
As this is a district-wide initiative, we encourage everyone to participate in the effort. Donations can be dropped off at any time at the Powers Road location in the bin located behind Busy Bee Hall, where the clothing closet is housed. In addition, volunteers will be available on May 12 from 4:00–6:00 PM. For those who find deadlines motivating, this is a great opportunity to plan ahead and contribute.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, and thank you in advance for your continued generosity in supporting our Orchard Park community.
