Dear Birch Lane Families,
We are excited to invite all current and incoming families to our upcoming PTA Committee Interest Meeting!
📅 Date: Tuesday, June 9
🕒 Time: 6:30–8:00 PM
📍 Location: GP Room
This meeting will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the many ways you can get involved in our school community. The evening will be set up in a “job fair” style format, allowing you to visit different committee stations, meet current chairs, and learn about what each committee does, the level of commitment involved, and how you can participate in a way that fits your schedule.
Whether you’re looking to take on a leadership role or simply lend a helping hand, there is truly something for everyone, and we would love to have you involved!
The Birch Lane PTA is entirely volunteer-run, and your involvement helps us continue to provide enriching programs, events, and experiences for our students and families.
We hope to see you there!
Warm regards,
Lauren Carollo
LCarolloPTA@gmail.com
We are excited to invite all current and incoming families to our upcoming PTA Committee Interest Meeting!
📅 Date: Tuesday, June 9
🕒 Time: 6:30–8:00 PM
📍 Location: GP Room
This meeting will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the many ways you can get involved in our school community. The evening will be set up in a “job fair” style format, allowing you to visit different committee stations, meet current chairs, and learn about what each committee does, the level of commitment involved, and how you can participate in a way that fits your schedule.
Whether you’re looking to take on a leadership role or simply lend a helping hand, there is truly something for everyone, and we would love to have you involved!
The Birch Lane PTA is entirely volunteer-run, and your involvement helps us continue to provide enriching programs, events, and experiences for our students and families.
We hope to see you there!
Warm regards,
Lauren Carollo
LCarolloPTA@gmail.com
Dear Birch Lane Families,
Each year our PTA awards the NYS PTA Honorary Life Award and NYS PTA Advocate in Action Award to active parents, teachers, and community members who work to support our children and our school. Please complete the following nomination form by May 8th:
https://forms.gle/yGdTkz8aqqxrg2fp9
It is understood by all that nominations are not binding on the part of the Awards Committee. The Committee must take all facts into consideration while deliberating to choose the best qualified person for each award.
If you have any questions, please contact blptaawards@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Birch Lane PTA Awards Nominating Committee
Each year our PTA awards the NYS PTA Honorary Life Award and NYS PTA Advocate in Action Award to active parents, teachers, and community members who work to support our children and our school. Please complete the following nomination form by May 8th:
https://forms.gle/yGdTkz8aqqxrg2fp9
It is understood by all that nominations are not binding on the part of the Awards Committee. The Committee must take all facts into consideration while deliberating to choose the best qualified person for each award.
If you have any questions, please contact blptaawards@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Birch Lane PTA Awards Nominating Committee
Hi Everyone,
Our Spring Plant Sale is happening this week, and we can’t wait to see the kids pick out something green. We have everything from your favorite florals to our new fresh veggie selection you don't want to miss!
Here is everything you need to know to stay organized:
In-School Shopping (For the Kids)
When: Wednesday and Thursday, May 6th & 7th
Details: Students will have the opportunity to shop for plants, including fresh vegetables, during school hours. Prices range between $3 - $12.
What to Bring: Please send your child in with cash or check (made out to Birch Lane PTA) and a sturdy bag (reusable grocery bags work great!) large enough to safely transport their new plants home.
Pre-Order Pickups
When: Thursday 3:45-6:30pm.
Where: The Back Gym.
Details: If you placed an online pre-order, this is your time to grab your haul!
We look forward to seeing the school (and your gardens) in full bloom. Thank you for supporting our school community!
Email birchlaneplants@gmail.com with any questions.
Best,
The PTA Plant Sale Committee
Grade 3 Instrument Selection Begins Tomorrow at 10AM!
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian of 3rd Grade Students,
Your child will become eligible for participation in the Massapequa Instrumental Music Program upon completion of the 3rd grade. We strongly recommend that all students who show potential and interest should enroll in this program as well as the Choral program.
The orchestra and band teachers have been meeting with 3rd grade students, discussing whether your child wishes to be in orchestra or band. You should also have received a letter from your teacher. See the link below to review the letter online.
Visit the Music page on the District Website (link) to view information and complete the Musical Instrument Survey listed under Beginning Band and Orchestra heading. There is a separate form for each building.
Grade 3 Instrument Letter (link)
Good Evening,
We are looking forward to our Advanced Concert tonight. A reminder that all orchestra students should arrive at MHS at 6:15. All other performers should arrive at 6:30. Concert begins at 7:00.
Performers are not permitted to have cell phones or other electronic devices.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/149JJcmnfDe6i0yyzXg-s4WI2td1Ba373/view?usp=drive_link
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
We are looking forward to our Advanced Concert tonight. A reminder that all orchestra students should arrive at MHS at 6:15. All other performers should arrive at 6:30. Concert begins at 7:00.
Performers are not permitted to have cell phones or other electronic devices.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/149JJcmnfDe6i0yyzXg-s4WI2td1Ba373/view?usp=drive_link
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We would like to provide a brief update regarding today's statewide computer-based testing interruptions.
This afternoon, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) reported that its testing contractor, NWEA, is still investigating technical issues that affected some schools during today’s assessments. Their team is working overnight to resolve the problem.
NYSED has made clear that the system must be fully operational for tomorrow and will update districts if anything changes.
As a result, we will not be testing tomorrow.
The Grade 5 Science Assessment will be rescheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026.
The Grade 6-8 Math Assessment will continue on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
We recognize how frustrating these disruptions are for students and families, and we share that frustration. Thank you for your patience as the state works to ensure a stable testing environment. We will share any updates as they become available.
Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District
Dear Birch Lane Families,
✨ We’re sprinkling a little pixie dust your way! ✨
Get ready for an unforgettable evening at the Birch Lane Little Ladies Dance 2026, happening Friday, May 15, 2026 from 7:00–9:00 PM. This year’s magical theme is Pixie Dust & Dancing Shoes, so come dressed in your most whimsical, twirl-worthy attire!
Think enchanting moments, joyful laughter, and a night full of sparkle—complete with dancing, photo opportunities, and sweet treats. It’s a special evening to celebrate our amazing girls and the grown-ups who love them.
The official invitation is attached—be sure to check it out and RSVP soon!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qmM8Fq-vF7RPFwTggQ1ZyY0fi4hfLn1d/view?usp=drive_link
We can’t wait to see you there, ready to dance the night away and make magical memories!
With excitement,
The Birch Lane Little Ladies Dance Committee ✨
Dear Parents of Grade 3-8 Students,
We are writing to provide an important update regarding the New York State testing that was scheduled for today, April 29, 2026. Unfortunately, NYS encountered another round of technical issues with its online testing platform this morning.
Due to these issues, BOCES instructed us to pause testing for those students experiencing technical difficulties. At the elementary level, our fifth grade students were scheduled for the elementary science assessment and had not begun testing when we were notified. We quickly decided to reschedule for another day to limit the loss of any instructional time given the ongoing technical issues.
At Berner Middle School, many of our students were able to log into the math assessment and actively continued testing. Some students experienced technical difficulties and were unable to continue. The Berner administration and staff quickly responded to the situation, allowing students testing to continue and those not testing to move to another location.
Given these ongoing complications, we are awaiting an update from the New York State Education Department on these technical issues and will update you as soon as we have more information.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District
We are writing to provide an important update regarding the New York State testing that was scheduled for today, April 29, 2026. Unfortunately, NYS encountered another round of technical issues with its online testing platform this morning.
Due to these issues, BOCES instructed us to pause testing for those students experiencing technical difficulties. At the elementary level, our fifth grade students were scheduled for the elementary science assessment and had not begun testing when we were notified. We quickly decided to reschedule for another day to limit the loss of any instructional time given the ongoing technical issues.
At Berner Middle School, many of our students were able to log into the math assessment and actively continued testing. Some students experienced technical difficulties and were unable to continue. The Berner administration and staff quickly responded to the situation, allowing students testing to continue and those not testing to move to another location.
Given these ongoing complications, we are awaiting an update from the New York State Education Department on these technical issues and will update you as soon as we have more information.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District
Good Morning Birch Lane Families,
Please see the attached letter for information about our class placement process.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKojVGOzIl4iJLspee6tqz3duUVawZ7R/view?usp=drive_link
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti
Please see the attached letter for information about our class placement process.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKojVGOzIl4iJLspee6tqz3duUVawZ7R/view?usp=drive_link
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti
Good Morning Birch Lane Families,
This is the last call for Chippy Class Shirts for Field Day!
We’ve reopened the store for a limited time. Hurry! Store closes Sunday, 5/3!
Click here to shop:
https://shopnewwavesports.com/birchlaneclassshirts/shop/home
Please note that fifth grade students will be wearing their Fifth Grade shirts for Field Day, not the Chippy shirts.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sarah Valentino at sarah.valentino0223@gmail.com
This is the last call for Chippy Class Shirts for Field Day!
We’ve reopened the store for a limited time. Hurry! Store closes Sunday, 5/3!
Click here to shop:
https://shopnewwavesports.com/birchlaneclassshirts/shop/home
Please note that fifth grade students will be wearing their Fifth Grade shirts for Field Day, not the Chippy shirts.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sarah Valentino at sarah.valentino0223@gmail.com
Dear Birch Lane Community,
We are writing to inform you that an ambulance was on our school campus earlier today to assist with a staff medical situation. Our students and staff immediately followed all safety protocols.
The situation was handled with care and efficiency. We understand that seeing an ambulance at school can be concerning, and we want to reassure you that the safety and well being of our students and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate the quick response from emergency services and the cooperation of our school community.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Best Regards,
Mr. Aspett and Mrs. Larkin
We are writing to inform you that an ambulance was on our school campus earlier today to assist with a staff medical situation. Our students and staff immediately followed all safety protocols.
The situation was handled with care and efficiency. We understand that seeing an ambulance at school can be concerning, and we want to reassure you that the safety and well being of our students and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate the quick response from emergency services and the cooperation of our school community.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Best Regards,
Mr. Aspett and Mrs. Larkin
Dear Parents of Grade 2 Students,
We invite you to read the following communication regarding the CogAT screening (formerly InView) scheduled for the week of May 4, 2026.
Link to Letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b3PS2ad-vYqVna27DZTh5CvS4EsC7jEpM3-Imu_ZmbU/edit?tab=t.0
Sincerely,
The Massapequa School District
Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families,
This afternoon, we had a medical incident which required assistance from local emergency responders. In order to limit any unnecessary movement in our building, we initiated a “hold in place” while maintaining our instructional program.b We are proud to share that all of our students and staff performed their responsibilities beautifully during this time.
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
This afternoon, we had a medical incident which required assistance from local emergency responders. In order to limit any unnecessary movement in our building, we initiated a “hold in place” while maintaining our instructional program.b We are proud to share that all of our students and staff performed their responsibilities beautifully during this time.
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Good morning Birch Lane Families,
We've had a wonderful time during our FUNdraiser this past week, especially at yesterday's Fun Run. We hope the events brought joy to the children; we certainly enjoyed hosting them!
We would like to extend our deepest thanks for your incredible generosity. We have officially reached our goal of $20,000, and we haven't wrapped yet! The donation link will remain open through Monday, April 27th.
Visit give.mybooster.com/birch-lane-elementary-school-1 to donate.
Every dollar raised will be dedicated to programs and activities that enhance the student experience at Birch Lane. We are proud to offer more Arts & Education programs than any other school in the district—an achievement that would not be possible without your support.
Thank you again for your continued dedication to our school community.
Sincerely,
Birch Lane PTA
Good morning Birch Lane families!
Thank you to everyone who has donated or shared our Mybooster page so far! We are absolutely blown away by the support and promise to put all of the funds raised to great use! Every dollar counts, and with many of our donors covering the fee, we have been able to keep 96% of every dollar raised!
Please visit (or share) the link to donate!
give.mybooster.com/birch-lane-elementary-school-1
Our FUN RUN is tomorrow! Please have the children dress in either their class shirts, or grade color, and wear sneakers! We have some new surprises this year, and this event has truly turned into one of the most favorite events of the school year!
We still have more fun in store as we wrap up our FUNdraiser! We hope the children are enjoying their time throughout the week!
Thank you as always!
Birch Lane PTA
Dear Families,
Field Day is June 3rd (rain date June 4th).
If you would like to volunteer, please complete the following form by the end of the day on Friday April 24th
https://forms.gle/fkosJLiJy3Zqn9m77
* Class Parents do NOT need to fill out the form. You will attend Field Day with your class.
* Field Day Committee members do NOT need to fill out the form.
Please remember that volunteers must be Birch Lane PTA members, and younger siblings may not attend. If you are not a PTA member, please sign up using the link:
https://birchlanepta.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true.
Please email Birchlanefieldday@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
The Field Day Committee
Dear Birch Lane Families,
Our "It's a Great, Big World—Get Out There and Play!" Booster FUNdraiser is off to a fantastic start. We hope your children are enjoying following our mascot, Chippy, on his travels around the world!!
We are reaching out to encourage all families to participate as we work toward our $20,000 goal. These funds support many of our PTA events, and we are thrilled to report that we have already reached 30% of our goal! Thank you for your incredible support!
There are two ways to help:
- Give: Donate at MYBOOSTER.COM
- Share: Send your student’s fundraising link to family and friends
As a family, you can GIVE at MYBOOSTER.COM, SHARE your student’s fundraising link with others, or BOTH! If this is not the right time to financially give, we fully understand. Simply sharing about our fundraiser online IS supporting our fundraiser.
Expand your reach! We are accepting business donations. Please contact Amanda Tasakovic at mrstasakovic@gmail.com for more details This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to build school spirit and make a meaningful difference.
We are consistently amazed by the generosity of our Birch Lane families and look forward to all that we are able to give back to our community with the funds we raise!
Thank you as always!
Best regards,
Birch Lane PTA
Our "It's a Great, Big World—Get Out There and Play!" Booster FUNdraiser is off to a fantastic start. We hope your children are enjoying following our mascot, Chippy, on his travels around the world!!
We are reaching out to encourage all families to participate as we work toward our $20,000 goal. These funds support many of our PTA events, and we are thrilled to report that we have already reached 30% of our goal! Thank you for your incredible support!
There are two ways to help:
- Give: Donate at MYBOOSTER.COM
- Share: Send your student’s fundraising link to family and friends
As a family, you can GIVE at MYBOOSTER.COM, SHARE your student’s fundraising link with others, or BOTH! If this is not the right time to financially give, we fully understand. Simply sharing about our fundraiser online IS supporting our fundraiser.
Expand your reach! We are accepting business donations. Please contact Amanda Tasakovic at mrstasakovic@gmail.com for more details This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to build school spirit and make a meaningful difference.
We are consistently amazed by the generosity of our Birch Lane families and look forward to all that we are able to give back to our community with the funds we raise!
Thank you as always!
Best regards,
Birch Lane PTA
Dear Birch Lane Families:
Today marks the official launch of our biggest fundraiser of the year! This year our theme is "It's a Great, Big World - Get Out There and Play!", and we are looking forward to bringing some fun into their days throughout our FUNdraiser! We are so excited to see all of the children's smiling faces as we bring some jokes, games, music, special visits and new recess equipment to the school over the next 10 days.
Please see the attached letter from our PTA President. We want to thank you in advance for your participation in this event. We are consistently amazed by the generosity of our Birch Lane family and look forward to all that we are able to give back to our community with the funds we raise!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJPXe5re9U484ojvFTG4uWRcehLdLGkl/view?usp=drive_link
Thank you as always!
Birch Lane PTA
Today marks the official launch of our biggest fundraiser of the year! This year our theme is "It's a Great, Big World - Get Out There and Play!", and we are looking forward to bringing some fun into their days throughout our FUNdraiser! We are so excited to see all of the children's smiling faces as we bring some jokes, games, music, special visits and new recess equipment to the school over the next 10 days.
Please see the attached letter from our PTA President. We want to thank you in advance for your participation in this event. We are consistently amazed by the generosity of our Birch Lane family and look forward to all that we are able to give back to our community with the funds we raise!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJPXe5re9U484ojvFTG4uWRcehLdLGkl/view?usp=drive_link
Thank you as always!
Birch Lane PTA
Dear Birch Lane Families,
The Birch Lane PTA invites you to a fun-filled evening of delicious tacos and trivia for the whole family to enjoy. All are welcome!
Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Please note: This is not a drop-off event — parents/guardians must stay and join the fun.
Email Megan Moore at megmoore3176@gmail.com with any questions.
No time to delay! It’s Tacos & Trivia Day!
We hope to see you there!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dIRF1goPvaJ0gHkuSSbvda3jpe_xeO4X/view?usp=drive_link
The Birch Lane PTA invites you to a fun-filled evening of delicious tacos and trivia for the whole family to enjoy. All are welcome!
Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Please note: This is not a drop-off event — parents/guardians must stay and join the fun.
Email Megan Moore at megmoore3176@gmail.com with any questions.
No time to delay! It’s Tacos & Trivia Day!
We hope to see you there!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dIRF1goPvaJ0gHkuSSbvda3jpe_xeO4X/view?usp=drive_link
Good Morning Bus 1 Families,
Mrs. Larkin and I have been monitoring student behavior on bus 1. We are happy to report that students have been working hard to maintain safe and appropriate behavior. As a result, we have informed our students that they are allowed to sit with their classmates within their grade levels. We will continue to monitor their behaviors closely to make sure that these behaviors are being maintained. Thank you for your partnership and support! We are super proud of them!
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin
Mrs. Larkin and I have been monitoring student behavior on bus 1. We are happy to report that students have been working hard to maintain safe and appropriate behavior. As a result, we have informed our students that they are allowed to sit with their classmates within their grade levels. We will continue to monitor their behaviors closely to make sure that these behaviors are being maintained. Thank you for your partnership and support! We are super proud of them!
Best Regards,
Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin