📣 REMINDER: PLANT PICKUP IS TODAY!

📅 Friday, October 2nd

⏰ 3:45–6:30 PM

📍 Kindergarten Courtyard

We can’t wait to see everyone and send you home with your beautiful fall plants! 🍁🌻🪴

💙💛 Thank you for supporting the Birch Lane PTA! 💛💙

Dear Birch Lane Families,

Please see the October Issue of the Birch Twig.

Kind Regards,

Steven Aspetti & Joyce Larkin

October Twig

Dear Birch Lane Families,

Next week is Homecoming Spirit Week. Please see attachment for details.

Spirit Week Details

Kind Regards,
Stephen Aspetti & Joyce Larkin

Good Morning Fifth Grade Families,

Just a friendly reminder to complete the Class of 2027 t-shirt form if you have not already done so.

Best,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Good Afternoon Fifth Grade Families,

Our fifth grade committee is in the process of designing our class of 2027 shirts! Students will be voting on their favorite design in the very near future. In the meantime, we would like to gather information on shirt sizes for each of our students. Kindly click on the link below and complete the information for your child.

https://forms.gle/Bq9qK6bNT7EKNJXQA
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Grades K-2 Reading Under the Lights Update

Dear Grade K-2 Parents/Guardians,

The Reading Under the Lights event scheduled for October 5, 2026 has been relocated to the Massapequa High School Main Campus Football Field.

Enrollment is filling quickly, but a limited number of spaces are still available for K-2 students. To register, please use the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HhIL7f7h_Q8_v9WHp-w6HnVNpb5sX0EF/view?usp=sharing

All registered participants will receive a follow-up communication later this week with event confirmation and additional details.

We look forward to an exciting evening of reading and community spirit!

Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District

Dear K-2 Parents/Guardians,

We are excited to invite your child to participate in a special literacy event that celebrates school spirit, reading, and the joy of books!

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Enrollment will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage families to sign up as soon as possible.

Event Information: Flyer

Register here: Registration Form

We look forward to sharing this exciting literacy experience with our young readers!

Sincerely,

Massapequa School District

Good afternoon, Birch Lane Families,

Tomorrow, September 24, is the final day to order from our Fall Plant, Seasonal Décor & Vermont Maple Syrup Sale!

Please remember that this is a pre-order-only sale. All orders must be placed online:

https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fall-plant-sale-26/items

Order pickup will be Friday, October 2, from 3:45–6:30 p.m. in the Kindergarten Courtyard.

Questions? Please email birchlaneplants@gmail.com.

Thank you for supporting the Birch Lane PTA!

Good Afternoon Fifth Grade Families,

Our fifth grade committee is in the process of designing our class of 2027 shirts! Students will be voting on their favorite design in the very near future. In the meantime, we would like to gather information on shirt sizes for each of our students. Kindly click on the link below and complete the information for your child.

https://forms.gle/Bq9qK6bNT7EKNJXQA

Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Dear Birch Lane Families,
Birch Lane has been invited to participate in the 2026 Massapequa High School Homecoming Parade, and we would love to have our students and families march together!
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Assembly begins: 11:45 a.m.
Parade step-off: 12:30 p.m.
General assembly area: Village of Massapequa Park Municipal Parking Lot, adjacent to Village Hall at 7th Avenue and Front Street
Parade destination: Massapequa High School
Homecoming football game: Massapequa vs. Oceanside at 2:00 p.m.
Birch Lane will have a specific assigned location within the parade staging area. The exact meeting point and any additional instructions will be provided to registered participants once they are confirmed.
Students, parents, guardians, siblings and Birch Lane staff are welcome to join us. Participants are encouraged to wear Birch Lane or Massapequa colors, show their school spirit and be prepared to walk the parade route. Families may also bring positive, school-appropriate signs celebrating Birch Lane and the Massapequa Chiefs.
Important: Every child must participate with and remain under the supervision of a parent or guardian for the entire parade. This is not a drop-off event.
If your family is interested in participating, please respond by Monday, September 28 with:

• Your family name

• The number of adults participating

• The number of children participating

• The best email address for final parade instructions

Expressing interest will help us provide the parade organizers with an estimated group size. Final information about Birch Lane’s assigned meeting location, arrival instructions and weather procedures will be shared with registered families when available.
We hope you will join us as Birch Lane comes together to celebrate school spirit and community pride!
Lauren Carollo
President, Birch Lane PTA

Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families,

We are fortunate to offer several clubs to the intermediate students in our school. These clubs are extracurricular and will be offered to students after school. Please click on the link below for a list of all clubs, their descriptions and the registration form.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BYSmwPU0DRyLBKXHlDrdCm3peXqsOWsE/view?usp=drive_link

Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families,

We are so excited for the Back to School Bash this afternoon. What a perfect way to celebrate the start of the school year! Just a few reminders before the bash begins...

• All guests must enter at the gate on Whitewood Drive starting at 4:00

• This is not a drop-off event. All students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian

• Bikes are not permitted at this event

• There will be trash receptacles around the field. We kindly ask that all guests make an effort to help keep our field clean

We thank you in advance for your support and look forward to seeing you all this afternoon.

Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Dear Elementary Families,

At Massapequa, we are committed to helping every student grow as both a learner and a leader. We believe that each child has unique strengths, interests, passions, and potential, and it is our responsibility to create learning environments where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. By recognizing and supporting the whole child, we help students build the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to succeed in school and beyond.

Just as we intentionally build strong foundations in literacy and mathematics, we recognize the importance of helping children develop the social and emotional skills that support their daily growth and long-term development. By intentionally teaching children to recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate their emotions, we empower them to make thoughtful choices, build positive relationships, develop self-awareness, and take responsibility for their actions and behaviors. These foundational skills support both academic achievement and personal well-being, helping children become confident, capable learners and leaders.

Our schools have long recognized the importance of social-emotional learning and character development as essential components of educating the whole child. Through the collaborative work of the District’s Social-Emotional Learning Committee, RULER was identified as a common framework to strengthen and align these efforts across our elementary schools. This shared approach will provide students with consistent language, tools, and experiences that support their social, emotional, and academic growth.

Our teachers, administrators, and staff have and will continue to receive comprehensive training and are excited to introduce RULER tools, key vocabulary, and social-emotional learning strategies to students throughout the school year. The first two tools that you may hear your child mention are the Charter and the Mood Meter.

The Charter is a collaboratively developed agreement (sometimes referred to as a class agreement or constitution) that helps define how members of a classroom or school community want to feel, what actions and behaviors support those feelings, and how everyone will work together to create a positive, respectful, and supportive environment. The Charter serves as a foundation for building strong relationships and fostering a sense of belonging in the classroom.

The Mood Meter is a tool that helps students recognize, understand, and label their emotions or others (such as characters in a story) by identifying how they and others are feeling and reflecting on the energy of those emotions and the associated response. By developing a richer emotional vocabulary and greater self-awareness, students become better equipped to express their feelings, manage and embrace challenges, and make thoughtful decisions throughout the day.

Together, these tools help create a common language around emotions and relationships, supporting students as they develop the self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation skills needed to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Our goal is to give students the time and guidance they need to become confident, capable and empowered learners and leaders.

We believe that strong partnerships between schools and families are essential to supporting student success. Throughout the year, we will offer opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn more about RULER and the ways it can support children both at school and at home. When schools and families work together to support children's academic, social, and emotional growth, students benefit enormously. We look forward to partnering with you as we continue to build a school community where every child is encouraged to discover their strengths, pursue their passions, develop the skills needed to flourish and recognize the leader within themselves.

Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District

Birch Lane Families,

🗽🍎 The countdown is on… our Back to School Bash is THIS WEDNESDAY! 🍎🗽

Get ready as we bring a little bit of NYC to Birch Lane for an afternoon of food, music, games, entertainment and plenty of fun with our Birch Lane community!

📅 Wednesday, September 16
⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM

Come ready to enjoy face painting, airbrush tattoos, lawn games, music with our DJ, food, snacks and more!

🎟️ Still need tickets? Don’t wait!
Purchase your tickets ahead of time here:

https://back-to-school-bash-26.cheddarup.com
Tickets will also be available for purchase at the event.

🪑 Grab your chairs & blankets!
Want to settle in and enjoy the afternoon? Families are more than welcome to bring beach chairs, lawn chairs and blankets and set up a comfortable spot on the field while the kids enjoy all the fun!

🍎 Big Apple fun. Birch Lane friends. One great afternoon! 🗽

We can’t wait to see everyone and kick off the school year NYC style! 💙💛

Birch Lane PTA

Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families,

We hope everyone is settling in nicely to the new school year! The past two weeks have been filled with excitement as students and staff work hard to establish routines and build a strong foundation for a successful year ahead.

Before we head into the weekend, we would like to share a few special celebrations taking place next week:

International Dot Day
Tuesday, September 15
Students and staff are invited to wear polka dots in celebration of International Dot Day, a day that encourages creativity, courage, and making your mark on the world.
https://www.internationaldotday.org/

Back to School Bash
Wednesday, September 16
Join us for our annual Back to School Bash, hosted by our fabulous PTA! This fun-filled event is a wonderful opportunity for families to connect, celebrate the start of the school year, and enjoy an evening with the Birch Lane community.
Tickets are still available for purchase. Please see the flyer below for additional information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u04hjBfmdTBQ-0dq13CVnq7LZ8ryk_7G/view?usp=drive_link

National Thank a Police Officer Day
Friday, September 18
Students and staff are invited to wear their favorite law enforcement-themed apparel as we recognize and thank the dedicated police officers who serve our communities.

We would also like to extend our warmest wishes to all who celebrate Rosh Hashanah. May the New Year bring happiness, health, and peace to you and your loved ones.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Regards,

Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin