A.W. Becker Buzz

3/1 Kickoff for March Madness / Read for Ronald McDonald House

3/4-3/8 PTA/Scholastic Book Fair

3/5 Staff Development: Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm

3/6 BOE Meeting, 6:00 pm

3/7 March Madness Family Night & Book Fair, 6:00 pm

3/11 PTA Meeting, 6:45 pm

3/12 Drama Club Production, 6:30 pm

3/15 No School

3/20 Parent Conferences: Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm

3/20 BOE Meeting, 6:00 pm

3/21 Parent Conferences: Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm

3/21 Music in Our Schools Month Grade 5-12 Concert; HS, 7:00 pm

3/29 Good Friday- Spring Recess Begins: No School

3/29 - 4/7 Spring Recess- No School

4/8 School Resumes

4/8 Total Solar Eclipse!

Students will be dismissed early at 12:30 pm on the following days in March:

Tuesday, March 5th for Staff Development

Wednesday, March 20th for Parent Conferences

Thursday, March 21st for Parent Conferences

The following schedule will be in place on those dates:

• Buses depart at 12:30 p.m.
• Parent pick-up will begin at 12:20 p.m.

• Students will eat lunch prior to dismissal.

• After School childcare programs will be held.

• Parents/guardians should be prepared for their students to be home 3 hours earlier.

The Scholastic Book Fair is back! PTA is once again sponsoring this event which will run next week, March 4 - March 8. It will also be open during the evening of the March Madness Family Night, Thursday, March 7.

For your convenience, here is the link to the Book Fair eWallet:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/albertuswbeckerelemschool1?

As you may remember from last month, the first grade developed a PBL to organize a donation drive for the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society. This PBL was as an act of service to help meet the needs of our community and was very successful.

Our first graders thoroughly enjoyed this effort and would like to thank everyone that donated to the drive for the animal shelter. They loved seeing how many new donations were received each day and are very proud of themselves. Most of all, the students learned they can make a difference, even in first grade! Below is a picture of all of the donations collected, along with all of the proud first graders.

Get ready for a fun filled month of learning, reading, math and community! We have a busy month at school and we are hoping you will be our partner. Here's what's on the horizon:

2- Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities

3- Family Fun Night- March 7th, 6:00 pm

RSVP

So what exactly is the "TOURNAMENT OF BOOKS"?

In short, it is the AWB version of the March Madness basketball brackets with a reading spin.

Here’s how it works!

• 16 picture books will compete, tournament-style for two titles - Primary (Pre-K - 2nd Grade) and Intermediate (3rd - 5th Grade) Champions.

• Each class reads and votes on two picture books per round.

• Brackets will be updated each round to show AWB’s favorite books.

• The theme for March Reading Madness 2024 is Fairy and Other Tales!

A solar eclipse will be visible in New York State on the afternoon of April 8, 2024 (approximately 2:00pm - 4:30pm). New York will be one of eleven contiguous U.S. states situated within the path of totality for the total solar eclipse. This presents a unique educational opportunity for students to learn about this exciting astronomical event, and an ideal teachable moment for teachers to delve into the wonders of the cosmos. The next total solar eclipse will not happen in New York again until 2079!

Below are some resources you may find interesting:

I Love NY Eclipse webpage(link is external)

• Health and Safety(link is external)(link is external)
• Activities for Kids

Student and staff security remain an utmost priority at RCS. We are always meeting and assessing our safety measures. As such, we are beginning a new process in the main office. Effective immediately, we have a new system that scans identification (such as a license). You will need your ID to receive a visitor pass when entering the building during the school day. This includes events such as Mystery Reader, classroom parties or other special events. While in the building, you must keep your badge in a visible area at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.