Guilderland Elementary School - Guilderland Central School District

Student Drop Off Zone
Parents are requested to drop their children off in the front circle by the front doors rather than at the side
circle. This should help us ease traffic congestion significantly in the morning. Please remember
this is a drop off area only. There is NO PARKING in this front circle. If you need to enter the
building, please park in the parking lot.
Birthday Celebrations
Last year, after much discussion and deliberation, the GES Building Cabinet decided to eliminate the
parent-provided “treat” portion of birthday celebrations. There were many concerns around birthday treats
that led to this decision including that treats were often not healthy and frequently led to issues for students
with allergies. Further, allowing birthday treats often led to a discrepancy in the types of celebrations held in
classrooms, some students had treats, and some did not.
Teachers will still honor birthdays and have either grade level or classroom specific celebrations. Having
food-free birthday celebrations will allow all students to safely enjoy a consistent birthday celebration. Please
ask your child’s teacher how they will celebrate birthdays this year, but please do not send in those cupcakes,
ice cream or other food items.
School News Notifier
The Guilderland Central School District is pleased to offer you the
"School News Notifier" (SNN), an electronic notification system
designed to help parents and the community stay current with what is
happening in Guilderland Schools. Receive information about
upcoming events, emergency closings and delays and more right in
your email inbox. It is also the primary way that notice of our monthly
newsletters are distributed. I encourage you to take a few minutes to
sign up for this valuable (and free) service at our district website.
www.guilderlandschools.org.
Build the habit of reading aloud together
Preparing the school for September
What's one simple thing you can do to help your child do better in school this year? Read
aloud with her often.
Reading aloud is a way to introduce young children to the world of books. It is also a way to
encourage children to make reading a daily habit.
And studies show that even long after children learn to read for themselves, they still enjoy
read-aloud time.
Here are some tips to make your read-aloud time at home more successful:
• Make reading aloud a priority. Plan for it. Set aside time for it every day, and then just do it.
• Read books you both enjoy. There's nothing worse than having 100 pages to go in a book neither of you
can stand. If you have any doubt your child will like a book, skim it before you start.
• Read some books that are a little too hard for your child to read alone. This is a great way to increase
your child's vocabulary.
Reprinted with permission from the September 2013 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright ©
2013 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.
Page 3 of 4