Welcome Back, Glenham!
August 8th, 2025

Please read this newsletter in it's entirety! There is a lot of information!
Dear Glenham Families,
We are excited for the start of the 2026 - 2027 school year! We are looking forward to seeing the students return to school and wish a warm welcome to those families joining us for the first time this year.
The first day of school for students in grades K-5 is Tuesday, September 8th, 2026. For our pre-kindergarten students, the first day of school is Thursday, September 10th. Arrival to school begins at 8:30 AM, students will be considered late at 8:50 AM.
For dismissal, Pre-K students will dismiss starting at 3:00pm and dismissal for all other grades will begin at 3:10pm. Bus students will load the busses starting at 3:10pm.
During the last week of August, our transportation department will be mailing or emailing letters to each family that qualifies for district transportation. In this letter, there will be transportation details including the following: location of bus stop, morning pick up time, AM route number, and PM route number.
*If you don't receive a route letter by the beginning of September and believe your student qualifies for bussing, please reach out to transportation at 845-838-6900 x 2701*
On September 8th and 9th, PreK students will visit their classroom by appointment. Appointments will be pre-scheduled with our main office and Pre-K teacher, this time will be used to complete the PreK screener and have a visit to the classroom. The first day of school for Pre-K students is Thursday, September 10th, 2026.
For pre-kindergarten and kindergarten families, we will have a "Meet and Greet" on September 2nd, 2026 from 3-5pm!
We will have a “Meet and Greet” and supply drop off for all other grades on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. Supply lists are available on our website or by clicking here.
To ensure we have available parking and to minimize congestion, please follow the schedule below. Grade level teachers have a busy schedule that day and will not be available outside of their scheduled time.
12pm-1pm: Fourth & Fifth Grades
1pm-2pm: Second & Third Grades
2pm-3pm: First Grade
The “Meet and Greet” is an informal time for you and your child to get acquainted with their teacher(s) and classroom. This summer, we have some more construction work being done in classrooms. The casework and cubbies installation is continuing in many classrooms. The classroom spaces will be safe and accessible but the work may not be completed for the Meet and Greet or start of the new school year.
*All medical supplies/medications should be dropped off to the school nurse at the Meet and Greet.
When you arrive at Glenham, please enter through the main entrance of the school building and bring your child’s labeled school supplies to their classroom. A staff member will be present at the entrance to help direct you to your child’s class, if needed.
Other important opportunities to connect with your child’s teacher include,
- Meet the Teacher Night on September 24th for grades Pre-K - 2,
- Meet the Teacher Night on October 1st for grades 3 - 5 and
- Report card conferences will be held on November 23 and 24
Lastly, student classroom and teacher assignments will be available on the Parent Portal beginning August 21st at 12:00 PM. Please review the important Parent Portal information below and complete the required Annual Update for your student, this step is mandatory for all families. Instructions are attached for both new and returning students. New families will receive a student-specific code to set up their Parent Portal accounts. If returning families need their student specific code, please contact the main office at 845-838-6900 ext 5004. Please note, Mrs. Sewing and Ms. Hockler will be away at different times throughout the remainder of the summer.
I look forward to seeing our families and staff at the Meet and Greets and am excited for a great year ahead!
With love,
Ms. Orser
Important Upcoming Dates:
September
9/2 Kinder/Pre-K Meet & Greet
9/3 Supply Drop Off/Meet and Greet (Grades 1-5)
9/2 & 9/3 Professional Learning Days - No School
9/8 First Day of School (K-5)
9/10 First Day of Pre-K
9/24 Meet the Teacher (PK-2) 6-7:30p
9/21 Rosh Hashana- No School
9/23 Picture Day PK-2
9/24 Picture Day 3-5
9/24 4th and 5th Grade Dance
9/27 Spirit of Beacon Day
October
10/1 Meet the Teacher (3-5) 6-7:30p
10/12 - Indigenous Peoples’/Italian American Heritage Day- No School
10/13 FIRST PTO Meeting
10/9 Fire Prevention Day
10/16- FAMILY FUN NIGHT: Trunk or Treat /Harvest Festival
10/19-10/23- Fall Book Fair
Click below for the *tentative* Glenham calendar for the year ahead...
Photo/Video Declination
The Beacon City School District, its schools and departments regularly publish instructional or
informative text, photographs, original artwork, or other creative resources on its Internet
websites (www.beaconk12.org), district controlled social media accounts, in local newspapers
and on cable television programs.
complete this form.
Reminder: Distraction-Free Schools Law
Last year, New York State passed the Distraction-Free Schools Law, please note that our phone policies at the elementary level did not change. Our existing policy already prohibits phone and smart watch use during the school day. Students must keep their phones and smart watches turned off and stored in their backpacks from 8:50 AM to 3:10 PM.
For a few years, all of our elementary schools united around a shared Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum called the Positivity Project (P2). Rooted in the belief that "Other People Matter," P2 teaches students about 24 character strengths that help them build strong relationships and a positive sense of self.
As we enter our second full year of P2 at Glenham, we are excited to build on the foundation we started in January of 2025. Students will continue to engage in learning about a Trait of the Week lesson that highlights different character strengths. These messages will be woven into our Responsive Classroom morning meetings, school-wide celebrations, and student recognition efforts throughout the year.
This initiative will serve as a powerful support for strengthening our culture of care and connectedness across all schools. We’ll be sharing regular updates with you and look forward to partnering with families to make this work meaningful and lasting!
Before and Aftercare @ Glenham
Please do not drop off students before 8:30 a.m. unless they are enrolled in the Healthy Kids Before Care Program. We do not have staff available for supervision prior to 8:30am.
To enroll in Healthy Kids, call 845-528-2342 or email talisha@healthykidsprogram.com.
For after school care, Fishkill Recreation provides childcare at Glenham. Contact Lauren McMenamin for questions: lmcmenamin@fishkill-ny.gov or 845-831-3371 or click here to register!