Good afternoon,
I hope you and your family had a wonderful spring break. It is hard to believe we have reached the final ten weeks of the school year. I look forward to all the fun events that the end of the year has to offer our students. Please see my parent update below and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Letter Day Rotation:
4/15 – D day
4/16 – E1 day
4/17 – A day
4/18 – B day
4/19 – C day
4/22 – D day
4/23 – E2 day
4/24 – A day
4/25 – B day
4/26 – Superintendents conference day – no school for students
End of Year Calendar: The last day for Cosgrove students this year will be Friday, June 21, 2024. As in years past, we do not have a formal final exam week. Some classes will administer final exams in class and teachers will communicate details directly with students.
3rd Quarter: The third quarter ends today. Third quarter report card grades will be posted in the IC Backpack on Friday, April 19, 2024.
Traffic on Campus: With the construction work taking place both at Bernabi and across our main campus (including the high school’s East Parking Lot closing May 1), we are looking for your support in reducing traffic and congestion on campus. Specifically, we are asking parents who drop off/pick up to have their children ride the bus. Riding the bus to and from school will maximize overall safety, reduce traffic on campus, and minimize bus delays that are resulting from the increased congestion. Thank you for considering!
NYS Testing: Students in grades 6-8 completed the NYS ELA assessment this week, which took place in two sessions, Wednesday and Thursday mornings respectively. While the topic of opting out increased significantly in the 24 hours before the test, I wanted to share that 75% of Cosgrove students participated in the assessment. The reason I share this is due to the common misconception that “everyone is opting out.”
It is important to me that you know that Cosgrove and Spencerport are held to a standard of a 95% participation rate. When we are unable to meet that standard, then both our school and district are negatively impacted by the state accountability measures. As I shared previously, the NYS tests provide invaluable insights into your child's overall academic progress and the effectiveness of our school's curriculum. By participating in these tests, your child not only contributes to their own educational journey but also helps us ensure that we are meeting the needs of all students.
Here are a few reasons why we encourage you to have your child participate in these NYS assessments:
- Insightful Feedback:
The test results, in conjunction with other assessment measures, provide detailed feedback on your child's strengths and growth areas so that we can tailor our teaching strategies to best meet the needs of each student.
- School Improvement:
Your child's participation helps us evaluate the effectiveness of our instructional programs and identify areas we can improve.
- Preparation for the future:
Participating in standardized tests helps prepare students for similar assessments they may encounter in the future, such as Regents exams and college entrance exams.
As a reminder, the NYS math exam will be administered April 23 and 24. It is important that students fully charge their computers the night before each exam date.
On testing days, students will report to their 1st period A Day class (both students who are taking the exam and those who are not). Students not taking the exam will be asked to bring items to work on during the exam. Students who receive test modifications per their IEP will receive those as well.
7th grade FACS field trip: I am pleased to share that our 7th grade students will participate in an exciting opportunity next week. On April 15, 16, 18, 19, our seventh graders will be attending a field trip to Junior Achievement in groups of approximately 75 students per day. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students, and we look forward to providing our students with this experience. More information regarding the Junior Achievement program can be found at this link: https://cuny.ja.org/
Students will attend on the day that corresponds with their team/first letter of their last name.
Epsilon -
- Monday, April 15 - Students with last names beginning with A - E and S - Y
- Tuesday, April 16 - Students with last names beginning with F - S
Delta -
- Thursday, April 18 - Students with last names beginning A - D and L - M
- Friday, April 19 - Students with last names beginning E - K and N - Z
On these days, the assigned students will leave Cosgrove at 9 a.m. and return at 2p.m. Students are asked to bring their lunch from home on their day or we have food that can be provided from the school. Students will complete a brief survey in advisement this week regarding lunch. Students will also be bringing home a “media release” form. Please sign and return this form if you are comfortable JA using pictures of your student in media/press releases. This form does not need to be signed for your child to participate on the field trip.
Mrs. Hill-Dougherty, our 7th grade assistant principal, is coordinating this event and is happy to answer any questions you may have.
Cell phone policy (reminder from last update): Students are permitted to use their cell phone during passing time and in lunch (cell phone use is not permitted in classrooms). Please note that personal technology may not be used for audio or video recordings, when such use interferes with the operation of the school; or infringes upon the general health, safety and welfare of students or employees. This is a violation of our acceptable use and school board policy as it relates to the use of personal technology devices. We also continue to see the impact that social media, specifically Snapchat chat rooms, is having on our students and their relationships with their peers. I ask that you continue to monitor your students’ use of their phone and social media.
8th grade moving up day (from last update): Save the date! Our moving up day ceremony will be held on Monday, June 17, 2024 at the HS PAC. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m.
8th grade Boston trip update (from last update):Our 8th grade trip advisor, Mrs. Woodard, continues to prepare for our upcoming trip. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her directly with any questions. Below is a reminder regarding medications for the trip that I shared in my last update:
Medications on our 8th Grade Boston Trip (from our nurses’ office): We are now accepting medications and medication orders in the Health Office for the Boston Trip.
If you have any questions, please contact the nurses at 585-349-5351 or [email protected].
I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend. As always, please reach out if you need anything.
Take care,
Jim
Important upcoming dates:
4/23 & 4/24 – NYS Math Test
4/26 – No School for Students – Superintendents Conference Day
5/8 – Circle day
5/27 – No School – Memorial Day
5/28 – Circle day
6/6 – Student half day
6/5-6/7 – 8th grade Boston trip
6/16 – 8th grade moving up day – 1:30 @ HS PAC
6/19 – No school -Juneteenth
6/21- Student last day