Birch Lane Elementary -

Dear Birch Lane Families,What an incredible three weeks it has been! Today marks the final day of our PARP Program, and we hope you’ve all had a fantastic time reading together! This year's PARP was packed with excitement, thanks to the Birch Lane PTA! We kicked things off with an amazing school-wide assembly featuring Joe Romano’s “Smile, It’s Magic!” We also welcomed special guest readers into every classroom, gifted each student a specially selected book to inspire Adventures in Reading, and sent home a fun prize bag today as a thank-you for participating! None of this would have been possible without our dedicated volunteers and the support from our fundraising efforts—so THANK YOU! A huge shoutout to Mr. Aspetti for the awesome Principals Challenge! If we log 65,000 minutes of reading, our students will earn an epic Game Day with snacks and movies! Let’s do this! Be sure to fill out the reading log today— we’ll keep it open and update you after winter break to see if we reached our goal! Happy Reading & Have a Wonderful Break! Birch Lane PTA

Good Morning Fifth Grade Families, Just a few yearbook reminders....Photo Submission: The deadline for submitting photos is tomorrow. Please click on the following link to access directions to submit photos. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BfCbrNcBC4IsvuSVJc7g1AlaLhv7Ntcj/view?usp=drive_link Yearbook Ads: The deadline for personal ads has been extended until February 21st. Please click on the following link to access directions for purchasing an add. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s0ps5buQmQeBB-Xs-K1E8pDlxq9-d9FM/view?usp=drive_link

Dear Birch Lane Families, There is still time to purchase tickets! The PTA will be hosting S.T.E.A.M. Night on February 25th at United Skates. Please visit the following link to purchase tickets: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/ble-steam-2025 Contact Kristen Calvello at Krissy385@aol.com with any questions. Thank you! The S.T.E.A.M. Night Committee

To Parents/Guardians of Students in Grade 5 - 11, This is a reminder that the ability to view your child's 2025-2026 course requests is now available via the parent portal. To view the list of courses, please click on the "Class Registration" icon located in the navigation menu on the left side of the parent portal screen. Please note, if your child has an IEP, all recommendations will be discussed and courses finalized at your child’s CSE annual review meeting. Parents of Students in Grade 5: If you have questions regarding a recommended support class, please contact your child’s current 5th grade teacher or Patricia Quinn-Hendry, Comprehensive Literacy Chairperson K-12, at 516-308-5153. Any other schedule questions or concerns can be made directly to the Berner Guidance Department by Friday, February 14, 2025. Parents of Students in Grade 6: If you have questions regarding regents/accelerated level designations or recommended support classes, please contact your child’s current sixth grade teacher. Any other requests for a course change must be made directly with the Berner Guidance Department by Friday, February 14, 2025. Parents of Students in Grades 7 - 8: Any questions or concerns should be directed to your child's guidance counselor. Requests for a course change must be made Friday, February 14, 2025. Parents of Students in Grades 9-11: If you have any questions after reviewing the course requests listed, please contact your child’s guidance counselor as soon as possible. If you have any questions in reference to the scheduling process, please do not hesitate to contact the guidance office at Berner, MHS - Ames Campus or MHS - Main Campus. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Calling all Birch Lane parents! Our Spring Fundraiser Parents’ Night Out is happening on Tuesday, March 4, and we need your help to make it a spectacular evening! We are seeking help with donations to help make this event a huge success. If you own a business or simply want to contribute items to help with our giveaways to raise money for our children, we’d love to discuss opportunities with you! This form will be used to collect information and to contact you. https://forms.gle/Tz2AdncVCxuEZGu47 For more details, please reach out to Lauren Carollo at lauren.a.carollo@gmail.com or 631-987-1543. Let’s make this year’s fundraiser unforgettable and the most successful one yet!

Dear Parents of K Students, We are excited to inform you that the LI Herald will be showcasing our Kindergarten classes in a special K Kids Edition! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to be featured in the newspaper. The LI Herald will take pictures of all our Kindergarten classes and their teachers. Each child will also answer the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Please note that the paper only uses first names and does not place names near the pictures of the children. If your child is camera-shy or you prefer they not participate, please let us know, and we will ensure they are not included in the photos. Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin.

Dear Birch Lane Families, Bircho Bingo Night is Monday, March 10th! Join us for this fun family event at Birch Lane. This event typically sells out quickly, so please purchase your tickets as soon as possible! Only players need a ticket. Please see the attached flyer for details. Looking forward to seeing you there! The Bircho Committee

Dear K-8 Parents and Guardians, Kindly click the link to read an important letter regarding the release of Winter iReady assessment reports. https://docs.google.com/document/d/160wKztELk1U4gEBsAfSs3d9ajhfy4Vwlnm2Irjh58cs/edit?usp=sharing Thank you, The Massapequa School District

Good Morning Birch Lane Families, Please click on the following link for details about P.S. I Love You Day and Valentine's Day. As a reminder, students are permitted (and encouraged) to bring in cards/notes with positive messages for their classmates. Please note that gifts, including candy, may not be sent in for distribution. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wbM3PSq1GUbvQ_fXxyQLgB4jyKd3OBM-/view?usp=drive_link Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Good Morning Fifth Grade Families, Just a few yearbook reminders... Photo Submission: The deadline for submitting photos has been extended through February 14th. Please click on the following link to access directions to submit photos. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BfCbrNcBC4IsvuSVJc7g1AlaLhv7Ntcj/view?usp=drive_link Yearbook Ads: The deadline for personal ads is February 10th. Please click on the following link to access directions for purchasing an add. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s0ps5buQmQeBB-Xs-K1E8pDlxq9-d9FM/view?usp=drive_link

Good Morning Birch Lane Families. Please see the February edition of the PTA's Birch Twig. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k2Tfx8iyoj3cdZAySCCoobU1kFa-udvt/view?usp=drive_link

Good Evening Birch Lane Families, Please click on the following link for the PARP Principal's Challenge. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pMroLmcpK0omfSxKa9wF5w3J8eBWkGyb/view?usp=drive_link Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Good Morning Fifth Grade Families, We are excited to share that we are adding a new feature to our yearbook this year. For the first time, you will have the opportunity to purchase a personalized ad for your child. This is a perfect way to commemorate your child’s achievement! Please see the details below: Ad Details Size: ⅛ of a page Features: A text-only, personalized message Cost: $25 *This is a fundraiser. The full amount comes directly off our total cost for the yearbook, helping us to offset costs for our celebratory trip and gifts. Purchase Deadline: Ads must be purchased by February 10th. How to purchase Step 1: Click on the following link https://www.jostens.com/apps/jcom/router.mvc?affiliateId=2651999 Step 2: Click “sign-in” (top right corner) Step 3: Create an account by clicking “Create one today” (bottom of the page). Complete the information required and click “create account” Step 4: Click on “My School Store” then “Birch Lane School 5th Grade” Step 5: Click on “Yearbook Ad” Step 6: Click on “Create A Student Ad” Step 7: Type in first and last name of your child Step 8: Click on the ⅛ page Step 9: Choose a text-only layout. Please note that we will not be permitting any picture ads. Step 10: Write your message Step 11: Follow the purchase instructions

Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families, We are set to enter our second week of PARP. Just a reminder to keep logging those minutes and to be on the lookout for the Principal's Challenge announcement coming on Monday! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y_Lx7tp0tNvJBt3S2uUq-p_5u0AK4euJ/view?usp=drive_link Have a wonderful weekend! Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Dear 5th Grade Parents, We are looking for baby photos of the children for our "look how they've grown" segment in the yearbook. Please be sure the photos are of just your child, aged approximately 6mo - 12mo and are clear photos. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CHILD'S BABY PHOTO BY 2/1/24. We thank you SO much for your help! Follow the following steps to upload your photo: 1. Visit the following link: https://photos.jostens.com/Y7BMV2 2. Click "Browse" and select the image of your child. Enter your child's full name as the description. 3. Check the "terms and conditions" box. Click “Upload Chosen Images” and you’re DONE! TIPS: Photos should be JPG files ONLY, maximum of 50mb. If you are asked for a user ID, please use: 0b6CeAR8VYDSXo20F2gri_A (All zeros, not the letter “O”). Kindly include your contact information so we may reach out if we need additional information. Many thanks! The Yearbook Committee

Dear Massapequa Community, The Fine and Performing Arts Department is pleased to invite you to the 13th Annual Faculty Recital, which will be held on Monday February 3rd at 7pm in the MHS Auditorium. The performance will feature more than 20 performances by some of your favorite staff members. Tickets are free and donations help to fund scholarships for graduating students in the Performing Arts. View the recital flyer at https://drive.google.com/file/d/13bcCOWk1CDC2sx0e9Np9TVCatTpU8iNm and the list of participating faculty at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1am7RAuVveZfK8a5_ypY4Bjq7G4BP_atP Sincerely, The Massapequa Fine and Performing Arts Department

Good Morning Birch Lane Families, The PTA will be hosting STEAM Night on Tuesday, February 25th. Please see the attached flyer for details. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dpl6O5Jh9mtVFHXMbh5gOGuTUDXVAnmx/view?usp=drive_link Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Good Afternoon Birch Lane Families, The PARP program begins tomorrow. A big thank you to our PTA for kicking off this year's program with the Joe Romano Smile it's Magic Show this past Thursday. Our students had a blast! This year's theme is Adventure Around the World with Reading. Please see the attachment for all details and stay tuned to hear details about our principal's challenge. Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin

Dear Kindergarten Families, We are all so excited about our 100th day of school, which we will celebrate on Monday, February 24th from 1-1:30 p.m. On this day, we invite all students to wear their 100th day shirts and engage them in different 100th day activities throughout the day. We would like to invite you to join in on our celebration! Please be advised that due to space limitations, only one guest per student will be permitted to attend. Please access the following link to complete the guest form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjSbw5UNktnz_La5r_ZSa2VNdDL9d6omI416aRLGQ6h_RITA/viewform?usp=dialog Only guests submitted on this form will be permitted inside the building. Guests must present a valid ID at the door. Please note that this is an adult only event and younger siblings may not attend. Please remember that the students are to wear their 100 day shirts. We are all looking forward to celebrating this special day! Sincerely, The Kindergarten Teachers

Good Morning Birch Lane Families, The Book Fair is coming soon! Please see the attached flyer from our PTA for details. Best Regards, Stephen Aspetti and Joyce Larkin