Good Morning Birch Lane Families,
Throughout the year, your children will be practicing several emergency drills, including fire, lockdown and secure lockout drills as required by New York State and our district. The purpose of practicing these procedures is for your children and our staff to have familiarity and comfort with the routines.
It is necessary for us to be prepared for any type of emergency. For all of our drills, students are advised and prepared by their teachers in a sensitive and grade appropriate manner. Some drills will be announced and others will be unannounced.
If we do need to implement any procedure for an actual emergency, you will be notified.
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Throughout the year, your children will be practicing several emergency drills, including fire, lockdown and secure lockout drills as required by New York State and our district. The purpose of practicing these procedures is for your children and our staff to have familiarity and comfort with the routines.
It is necessary for us to be prepared for any type of emergency. For all of our drills, students are advised and prepared by their teachers in a sensitive and grade appropriate manner. Some drills will be announced and others will be unannounced.
If we do need to implement any procedure for an actual emergency, you will be notified.
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
Hi Birch Lane Families,
Today is the last day to send in your orders for our super cozy Massapequa Chief blankets!
Stock up for holiday gifts or grab an extra to keep warm on the sidelines at fall sporting events. They’re a wonderful way to stay cozy while showing your Massapequa pride! 💙💛
Please send in your completed order form and payment today so you don’t miss out.
We’ll arrange a pickup date once the blankets arrive, most likely in early November. Perfect for picking up those holiday gifts and keeping them a surprise!
If you have any questions, please contact me at lcarollopta@gmail.com.
Thank you for supporting the Birch Lane PTA!
Warmly,
Lauren Carollo
President, Birch Lane PTA
Today is the last day to send in your orders for our super cozy Massapequa Chief blankets!
Stock up for holiday gifts or grab an extra to keep warm on the sidelines at fall sporting events. They’re a wonderful way to stay cozy while showing your Massapequa pride! 💙💛
Please send in your completed order form and payment today so you don’t miss out.
We’ll arrange a pickup date once the blankets arrive, most likely in early November. Perfect for picking up those holiday gifts and keeping them a surprise!
If you have any questions, please contact me at lcarollopta@gmail.com.
Thank you for supporting the Birch Lane PTA!
Warmly,
Lauren Carollo
President, Birch Lane PTA
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,
A reminder that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for clubs. If your child is still interested in joining, please click on the link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BYSmwPU0DRyLBKXHlDrdCm3peXqsOWsE/view?usp=drive_link
Best,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
A reminder that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for clubs. If your child is still interested in joining, please click on the link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BYSmwPU0DRyLBKXHlDrdCm3peXqsOWsE/view?usp=drive_link
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
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 are writing to inform you that this school year, we would like to continue our tradition of implementing Positive Thought Thursday. To help promote our building’s positive energy and kindness themes, we will be encouraging our students to wear a T-shirt displaying a positive message on Thursdays, beginning on September 17th
.
T-shirts can include messages such as, but not limited to: “Choose Kind,” “Be the Nice Kid,” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Shirts can include any phrase or picture that sends a positive thought and puts a smile on someone’s face!
This is completely optional of course, but we hope you consider having your child participate on Thursdays! Thank you for being such a positive part of our school community!
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti & Joyce Larkin
We are writing to inform you that this school year, we would like to continue our tradition of implementing Positive Thought Thursday. To help promote our building’s positive energy and kindness themes, we will be encouraging our students to wear a T-shirt displaying a positive message on Thursdays, beginning on September 17th
.
T-shirts can include messages such as, but not limited to: “Choose Kind,” “Be the Nice Kid,” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Shirts can include any phrase or picture that sends a positive thought and puts a smile on someone’s face!
This is completely optional of course, but we hope you consider having your child participate on Thursdays! Thank you for being such a positive part of our school community!
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti & Joyce Larkin
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
Welcome back to school, everyone!
We are excited to kick off the fall festivities with our PTA Plant, Décor & Vermont Maple Syrup Sale! The flyer was sent home yesterday in your Childs folder for complete information and use the link below to access our digital ordering form.
Please remember that the Fall Sale is preorder only, and all orders must be submitted by September 24.
Order from the Fall Plant Sale
If you have any questions, please email BirchLanePlantSale@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Your Birch Lane Plant Sale Committee
Good Morning Birch Lane Families,
This September 11th marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The day was officially designated as Patriot Day. On this national day of service and remembrance, we pay tribute to the heroes and victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and we recommit ourselves to the spirit of unity, patriotism, and service that carried our Nation through in the days that followed.
We are asking for all students and staff to show their patriotism by wearing red, white and blue tomorrow. We will begin our day by observing a moment of silence to reflect upon the lives lost and the impact of that day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wrRQyboL0_DDv8WOh-i_RLXwMkkfkr9V/view?usp=drive_link
In Remembrance and Unity,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
This September 11th marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The day was officially designated as Patriot Day. On this national day of service and remembrance, we pay tribute to the heroes and victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and we recommit ourselves to the spirit of unity, patriotism, and service that carried our Nation through in the days that followed.
We are asking for all students and staff to show their patriotism by wearing red, white and blue tomorrow. We will begin our day by observing a moment of silence to reflect upon the lives lost and the impact of that day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wrRQyboL0_DDv8WOh-i_RLXwMkkfkr9V/view?usp=drive_link
In Remembrance and Unity,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families,
We are looking forward to seeing you tonight at our Back to School Night. A few notes for this evening:
Our Schedule
Ms. White, Mrs. Montanino, Ms. J. Burke, Ms. Walsh, Grades 3, 4, and 5: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Magnet, Special Area and Support Teachers: 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Mr. Smithwick, Grades K, 1, and 2: 8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Meeting Locations for Special Area and Support Teachers
Art, Library, Music and Physical Education teachers will be in the front gym
Speech teachers will be in room 58 (3rd grade hallway)
Reading Support teachers will be in room 24 (end of the 4th grade hallway across from the library)
Math Support teachers will be in room 42 (3rd grade hallway)
Our PPS staff will be in room 53 (3rd grade hallway)
Magnet will be in room 106 (3rd grade hallway)
General Reminders
Please enter and exit our building through the main entrance
This is a parent only event
This night is not to be used to discuss individual students. Individual conferences will take place on November 9th, 13th and 16th.
Parent Letter
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ctuCuStuESl9QKSuIbJ1uVGh1F-0jO4/view?usp=drive_link
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti, Joyce Larkin and Stefanie DelGiorno
Dear Birch Lane Families,
Show your Birch Lane spirit with our Mini Spirit Wear Sale! Grade-level Spirit Packs include four shirts for $55, helping students prepare for Kindness Day, Field Day, field trips and Spirit Days throughout the school year.
Shop the Mini Spirit Wear Sale here:
https://shopnewwavesports.com/birchlane/shop/home
The online store is open now through September 18. Please see the attached flyer for additional details.
If a Spirit Pack is not the right fit for your family, the grade-level shirts worn for Field Day, field trips and Spirit Days will also be available for individual purchase during our Fall Spirit Wear Sale, launching at the end of September.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ We are also excited to offer Birch Lane fundraiser blankets as a separate purchase! Blanket order forms will be sent home in students’ backpacks tomorrow. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you for supporting the Birch Lane PTA!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14gMdClgXWXkcZFrOUwS-iY36_tLoR8mt/view?usp=drive_link
Warmly,
Birch Lane PTA
Good Morning Birch Lane Families,
Please see the September edition of the PTA's Birch Twig.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1klwif31K-n0j-4kw4mDX2TyjXcvnvb3m/view?usp=drive_link
Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Please see the September edition of the PTA's Birch Twig.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1klwif31K-n0j-4kw4mDX2TyjXcvnvb3m/view?usp=drive_link
Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Dear Birch Lane Families,
Join the Birch Lane PTA as we kick off the school year with our NYC-themed Back to School Bash!
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 (Rain Date TBD)
4:00–6:00 PM | Birch Lane Schoolyard
Tickets: $17 per person. Children under 2 are free; all other attendees need a ticket.
Enjoy an afternoon of food, fun, and time with friends! Highlights include:
NYC street food: Sabrett hot dogs, sausage and pepper heroes, and all-American burgers.
Desserts and snacks: Jumbo NYC pretzels, Italian ices, black and white cookies, popcorn, and cotton candy.
Entertainment and activities: DJ/MC and dance floor giveaways, NYC-themed face painting, airbrush tattoos, Giant Connect 4, and assorted sports games.
Click here to purchase your tickets! You can also scan the QR code on the attached flyer.
We look forward to celebrating the start of a wonderful school year with our Birch Lane community!
https://my.cheddarup.com/c/back-to-school-bash-26/items
Warmly,
The Birch Lane PTA