Spring Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024.  There will be an early dismissal at 12:35 that day for students in grades K-5.  Both a.m. and p.m. Pre-K will be in session. Conferences will not be scheduled for all students.  Teachers will be communicating home if they would like parents to attend a conference, whether in person or virtual.  As always, parents may request a conference with a teacher.

Students in grades 3-5 will participate in New York State Assessments in May.  Teachers have been preparing students for these assessments all year.  The tentative schedule is as follows:

• May 1 & 2  NYS ELA Assessment, CBT Gr. 3-5
• May 7 & 8  NYS Math Assessment, PBT Gr. 4
• May 8 & 9 NYS Math Assessment, CBT Gr. 3, 5

Students in grades 3-5 should be in attendance and on time to school on these important test dates.   While we do provide make-up testing during the NYS make-up period when students are absent, it is in a location that is less familiar to the student and may not provide the ideal testing conditions for the children.

We just want students to do their individual best on state assessments.  If students read, are organized, complete homework, study for tests, and apply skills learned on a daily basis, they have been preparing for the state assessments.  Parents can help by following these simple steps.

1. Mark important test dates on the calendar.
2. Be sure children get a good night’s sleep.
3. Try not to schedule anything the night before the test.
4. Encourage children to eat a nutritious breakfast.
5. Boost your children’s confidence with reassuring words to do their best.

If you have a child who will be 5 years old on or by December 1, 2024 that could attend Kindergarten in September 2024, please call the Elementary Office at 315-376-9005.  We would like to know your child’s name, age, and mailing address.  We are preparing registration packets and want to be sure we have the necessary information to mail a packet to you.  Packets will be sent out at the end of April.  Students who are currently enrolled in the district Pre-K program need not re-enroll.

We will be placing students using student data and teacher recommendations for the 2024-2025 school year.  Please do not submit requests before April 29, 2024. No requests for any reason will be accepted after Friday, May 10, 2024.  Please understand you can submit a request using this process, but some requests won’t be able to be met. Thank you for understanding.  

The guiding principle of the placement process is to match the instructional and personal needs of each student with an appropriate instructional group and a supportive teaching style, while also providing each teacher with a well-balanced class to maximize instructional effectiveness.

 The placement of students in each classroom is undertaken with great planning and care, involving the classroom teachers and other faculty along with administration.

 Lowville Elementary will allow parents who have unique and special academic concerns to follow the guidelines below and submit a teacher request for the 2024-25 school year: 

1.  Submit the letter to Mrs. Goss, Elementary Principal no earlier than Monday, April 29, 2024 but no later than Friday, May 10, 2024.  All letters must be written and signed by the parent(s) and delivered, either by hand or US mail to the elementary office.  Please do not send the requests to classroom teachers and please do not send requests via email.
2. Include the child’s name and current teacher.
3. Include the name of two teachers to be considered for your child’s placement.
4. Include specific educational reasons for your request.

No placement requests will be accepted without two teacher names and the educational reasons for the request. 

The school will take parent requests for student placement into consideration; however, this will be done after all programmatic factors are considered and prioritized.  Our practice is to not move students from one classroom to another after the start of the school year.  For your awareness, teacher assignments may change from year to year or over the summer.  Requested teachers may not be available at the grade level they are currently teaching for next year.

All parent requests received between Monday, April 29, 2024 and Friday, May 10, 2024 will be considered. Late requests, verbal requests, and emails will not be considered.  Not all requests may be able to be granted.  Final placement will be based on a variety of factors.  Thank you for the support you give your child and for understanding our process.