Tuxedo Union Free School District

It’s a holiday whodunit?! Someone stole Mrs. Rota’s headbands!

 When George Grant Mason Elementary fourth graders arrived in school last Thursday, they found their teacher’s door covered in caution tape! The classroom had become a crime scene! Students were ushered by Mrs. Rota and Mrs. Bock down to the school library where they were met by officers from the Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake Police Departments. Mrs. Rota explained that someone made a big mess of her room and took a bin of holiday headbands! But who was it? Luckily elves Joy, Twinkle and Snowflake got a glimpse of the classroom caper and left behind some clues before being captured. Tuxedo Officers Hall and Russell and Greenwood Lake Police Chief Eirand explained they would need some help cracking the case. After the caution tape was cleared and the door was opened, students discovered their desks were littered with evidence. From Nurse Castricone’s stethoscope to Mrs. Sayle’s folder, it seemed like everyone was a suspect! With some help from the fifth-grade class, our young sleuths got to work searching for clues and marking off evidence. Once everything was accounted for, these grade four gumshoes began connecting the dots. Because the headband bandit has a fish tank, likes to read and have fun with her students - Mrs. Sayles and Mrs. Rush were the leading suspects.

 So who did it? Well it was Mrs. Sayles! She just couldn’t resist festive fashion choices. But don’t worry, she is not a criminal! She emailed to say she was borrowing them, and Mrs. Rota never saw it! So Mrs. Sayles was let go by GGM authorities, photo souvenir in hand. There was no denying the fun of solving the mystery, but it was much more than figuring out who stole headbands and trapped three innocent elves. It was an important lesson on #inference - how to come to a conclusion using evidence and reasoning. Mrs. Rota says it is vital for our young learners to know that “you can’t just throw something out there; you have to back it up.”

 It’s safe to say thanks to some creative teachers, one good sport, Brendan Eirand and our local authorities, that case is closed.

Please be advised that the Tuxedo Union Free School District will be on a 2-hour delayed opening today, Friday, December 16, 2022.

Please use the following link to view the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MxrEOaeQE

Please use the following link to view the meeting announcement for the next Regular Meeting of the TUFSD Board of Education: https://5il.co/1m20s

Please be advised that the Tuxedo Union Free School District will be dismissing early today, at 12:30.

Please see the following update from the New York State Education and Department of Health regarding influenza, RSV and COVID-19. https://5il.co/1m19k

A tradition that truly “rocks.” With paint and markers in hand, the George F. Baker High School Senior class gathered at the edge of Tornado Drive yesterday afternoon to sign the rock that sits atop the TUFSD campus. 

Standing shoulder to shoulder in the December cold, students added their names and a “Class of 23” design that now greets drivers passing by on Route 17. 

Earlier in the day, a bundled up Mr. Stankiewicz was seen cleaning and prepping the rock so our oldest students could sign it ahead of Spirit Week, which kicks off Monday.

 Go Tornadoes!

Packages, holiday cards…. neighborhood mail carriers certainly have their work cut out for them this time of year. To show their appreciation, our George Grant Mason Elementary third graders took time out of the school day to write thank you cards and draw pictures for those who work in “snow, rain, heat or the gloom of night.” 📬 Letter writing for the letter carrier is part of Ms. Rocklin’s “Ten Days of Giving Back.” Over the next two weeks, her third grade class will be spreading holiday cheer through small acts of appreciation and contribution. In addition to those delivering mail, thank you cards will be delivered to sanitation workers and members of the TUFSD community. Students have also been collecting, food, clothes and blankets, which will be donated before the break. 📦 As they danced and sung along to holiday music, our young artists folded, cut and drew their way to saying thank you to members of the USPS.

George F. Baker High School sixth graders ended #ComputerScienceEducationWeek by starting their day with one hour of #coding. All week, TUFSD students have been participating in the annual #hourofcode event during Mr. Margotta and Ms. Klimowich's #STEM classes. This morning, Ms. Klimowch gave her first period students sixty minutes to try their hand at seven different coding games found on Code.org. Almost instantly, TynkerCode’s "Dragon Blast 2022" appeared on every Chromebook screen.🐉 As students navigated their dragon through a jungle in a quest for treasure, they built code and their skills in advanced sequencing and debugging. "NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Space Jam" and "Space Invaders" also made an appearance in GFB Room 14, but they couldn’t compete with the 27 puzzles featured in the "self guided dragon adventure." The first #CSEdWeek was launched in 2009 by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), as a “call to action to raise awareness about the need to elevate computer science education at all levels and to underscore the critical role of computing in all careers.” Not only does computer science play a critical role in the halls of Tuxedo Union Free School District, it is a pillar of our award winning STEM program. George F. Baker High School is the only school in New York State to have a “National Certificate for STEM Excellence (NCSE)” The certificate was awarded to the district in 2022 by the National Institute for STEM Education. NISE recognizes “individual school campuses for their commitment to – and growth in – teachers’ implementation of 21st Century and STEM strategies.” #computerscienceeducation #computerscienceedweek #computerscienceeducationweek #computerscience #computerscienceforkids #HourOfCode #hourofcode #stemforkids #stemeducation #dragonblast

Oh, what fun,” everyone had at this afternoon’s George Grant Mason Elementary Winter Concert.

 Students in Grades PK to 5 spread plenty of holiday cheer with music that left everyone smiling ear to ear. Under the instruction of Elementary Music teacher Cailin Cienki, our GGM singers were shining as bright as the lights waved around by the fourth and fifth graders during their rendition of "Holiday Lights." Speaking of the fifth grade class, our oldest elementary students did a fantastic job introducing each song featured during the concert. Thank you to everyone who came, as well as Music instructor Clayton Chan on keys 🎹. Happy Holidays! #winterconcert #holidayconcert #Holidays #holidayseason

🎼 Practice makes perfect for our George Grant Mason singers. Under the watchful of eye of Elementary Music teacher Cailin Cienki, grades PK – 5 spent the afternoon putting together the finishing touches on this week’s winter concert. ☃️ We can assure you come Friday afternoon at 1:45 PM: jingle Bells will be ringing, halls will be decked and holiday lights will be shining. (And good thing the weather doesn’t appear it will be frightful.)

If your child was absent on Oct. 18th, he/she will have their photo taken for school records. It is not too late to order! Log onto: https://www.memorymakersstudios.com/ and use our school password: GGM101822 If you would like your child’s photo retaken, please return the original photo packet by Dec. 8th, so staff knows to send your child for retakes. Thank you! Questions? Contact: nancy.donnelly@tuxedoschools.or

Rain 🌧 + Cold 🥶 + Wind 💨 on December 3 and they were running towards the water?! Congratulations to members of the Honor Society, Student Council, Interact Club and faculty who braved the elements to support the Special Olympics New York - Polar Plunge in the Village of Greenwood Lake NY this past Saturday. Our Tuxedo Tornadoes 🌪 team helped raise over $500.00 in individual and team donations to help local Special Olympics New York athletes. Thank you all for your generosity and we look forward to supporting this event next year.

ONE kind act from one person can be the kindle needed to spark a blaze of kindness – that is “The Power of One.” George Grant Mason Elementary Grades K-5 gathered in the school’s multipurpose room this morning for their monthly read aloud and character trait lesson. December has our student’s focusing on kindness and reading the book “The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts” by Author Trudy Ludwig and Illustrator Mike Curato. “The Power of One” starts with a student comforting a lonely classmate who has been bullied. This kind act causes a ripple effect across her school, with small deeds of kindness becoming bigger ones. By the book’s end, the whole neighborhood is bonded by the power of being kind. GGM Speech Therapist Mrs. Bussard chose “The Power of One” because she felt it was “perfect” for the holiday season. “The book shows how one kind act from one person at a time is all it takes for kindness to be spread from the classroom to home and into the community.” And there are plenty of kind acts for our young learners to choose from. After reading the book, Bussard walked around the room so students could pick out examples of kindness from a bucket. Whether its “cleaning up a mess you didn’t make” or “complimenting five people a day,” Principal Terlecky wants students to put their examples into practice during a fifteen day “Kindness Countdown.” They will be reminded of this every time they walk into school this month. Now hanging just past the main entrance of GGM is a display with fifteen pieces of paper. Behind each numbered sheet is an act of kindness for students to practice on that day. It’s the perfect reminder that, “one is a lot bigger and more powerful than you think.” – Trudy Ludwig

Save the Date! The George F. Baker High School Winter Concert and Art Auction is December 6!

This year, all Parent-Teacher Conferences will be virtual. The conference date for grades 6 - 12 is Thursday, December 1st from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. The conference date for grades Pre-K- 5 is Thursday, December 8th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. The teachers will create an individual Google Meet for the time slot you select so please be sure to include your email address when you register! Please click on the following link to sign up: https://www.tuxedoufsd.org/page/ggm-and-gfb-parent-teacher-conference-scheduler

Thank you to the Tuxedo UFSD Education Support Professionals. The National Education Association has marked November 16 as "Education Support Professionals Day." It is an opportunity to stop and recognize the members of the school community who work hard each and every day to provide the best possible learning environment and keep things running smoothly. These are a few of the many faces seen throughout the halls of George F. Baker High School and George Grant Mason Elementary School supporting our students and faculty.

Please use the following link to view the meeting agenda for the 11/16/2022 BOE Regular Meeting: https://5il.co/1kt9i

🧸The Tuxedo UFSD annual toy drive is under way! Every holiday season, George F. Baker High School partners with local businesses to collect new toys, games, and gift cards for those in need. After the items are collected, GFB staff, faculty and students sort the toys, bag them, and deliver them (with wrapping paper) to our local families. Donation boxes will be located at the following businesses until Friday, December 16. Jessies Bagels Tuxedo Park Library Dottie Audrey's Bakery/Kitchen The Pizza Pit Spring Street Deli North Hudson Valley Wine Cellar Town of Tuxedo Town Hall Kaufer Chiropractic Office Bentley's Deli Mike's Barber Shop Please consider donating. This wonderful community effort makes many children happy!

Please use the following link to view the November 16, 2022 Regular Meeting of the Tuxedo Board of Education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFzjOTSeHeQ