South Davis Shines

Hello South Davis Families.

We are just past a third of the way through the school year. The first marking period closed last Tuesday, parent-teacher conferences are taking place, and Progress Reports will be available in the Parent Portal Friday afternoon.

In addition to talking with the educators at school, this is always a good time to have a conversation with your child about his or her learning and growth. From my experience, children are all too happy to talk about what they are doing well, and will honestly tell you if there is anything they think they can do differently or better. Hearing directly from them, and reminding them that all of the adults in their life are partners with them to help the be successful, can be powerful for their continued growth.

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

Mr. Dolce

#WeAreSouthDavis

Last Day - OPHS PTO Krispy Kreme donut fundraiser (see below)

Wednesday, December 3 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 - Paul from the Orchard Park Visual Arts Boosters (OPVAB) will share information about their work supporting the arts program in our schools.

Thursday, December 4 - Parent-Teacher Conferences; Early Dismissal, Periods 7, 1, 2; SD/EL Band/Orchestra Concert, 7:00 OPHS; Musical Fundraiser at Panera (see below)

Friday, December 5 - Parent-Teacher Conferences; Early Dismissal, Periods 3-5; Holiday House 6-8:00 p.m. (see below)

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

On Thursday pick up dinner at Panera and support the South Davis musical. 30% of the proceeds come back to us! Good all day with the code FUND4U with online orders or in cafe from 4-8 p.m.

Bring the whole family out this Friday, December 5, from 6-8:00 p.m., for an evening of wintery festivities at the 2025 Holiday House:

🎁Take your kiddos gift shopping at the Merry Moose. Cash only; gifts range from $1 to around $15. There’s something for everyone on your kids’ lists, from grandparents to pets

🏮Learn about holidays celebrated around the world (and here at home!) - Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and Lunar New Year

⛄Get moving at Club Freeze

🎅Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Finalize those wish lists, and get a pic with the big guy.

🍪Warm up with music, cocoa & cookies

🎫Give & Receive with our Holiday Charity Gift Card Raffle! Cash only; 1 for $5, 5 for $10 or 15 for $20. All proceeds will benefit the Family Solutions Center to serve Orchard Park families in need.

Last but not least, we do need a few more volunteers; if you’re able to give 30-60 minutes of your time during the event, please reach out to Jordan at 716.829.9687 or Nancy at 716.225.9250. This amount of holiday magic only happens with a lot of team work!

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.

With the change in weather, a few reminders to help keep everyone safe.

• Please have your child dressed for the weather; it's hat, gloves, boot, and jacket season, and for outdoor recess, snow pants are a key wardrobe element, too.
  
  
• If a bus is running significantly late (usually more than 15 minutes) families will be notified.
  
  
• If you plan to get out of the car at pick-up time, please pull all the way forward on the street (past the crosswalk), or park on the opposite of side of the street and use the crosswalk.
  
  
• Use extra caution on South Davis Street, as the road narrows as snowbanks get bigger and bigger. Please use directionals to indicate when you are coming or going.

Miss Strong, our talented Art Teachers, is busy with students, helping them learn basic concepts of color, texture, tone, and line. Mrs. Coder's class recently had their latest work showcased in the Library hallway. Great beginnings!

Thanks to everyone who supported the South Davis PTO with our November gift card raffle.

The final winners are:

11/30/2025 $25 GC Frank Young's - Katie King

A simple way to support the PTO and the entire South Davis program 👇

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/