Fairfield Elementary -

Dear Fairfield Families, The Student Council will be holding a "Spread the Love Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive" from April 22, 2025 to April 28, 2025. Please read the attached flyer. Sincerely, Mrs. Dano

Dear Fairfield Families, Please click the link below for our Field Day Save the Date! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ysxNooZGAZ446-E-DsvzYaftW6isGYH-/view?usp=sharing Sincerely, Ms. Pavlick and Mrs. Dano

Dear Parents and Guardians, This is a reminder that the “Rooms” communication feature in our Massapequa School District app will be ready on April 30th. With this new feature, all of our instructional staff and parents will be able to communicate through this common platform to streamline communications. With Rooms, you’ll have access to even more exciting features like: • Stream: A place where teachers and staff can post announcements and communications • Messages: Direct communication between teachers/staff and parents On April 30th, you will receive a text message and email with detailed instructions on accessing your account through our app and/or the web. If you haven’t downloaded our app yet, please visit the Apple or Google Play store and search for the “Massapequa School District” or visit www.msd.k12.ny.us/app. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Dear Parents/Guardians, Please click the link to learn more about the upcoming playground construction at Fairfield Elementary! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GPDyk-M-Gwu34Umq0kA92k-oJwtxkbnc/view?usp=sharing Sincerely, Mrs. Dano

Dear Fairfield Families, Please click the link below to see our letter regarding Emergency Management drills at Fairfield. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oLF2CwJQ62z5dFwzRlcPIBH7VrgXzzVK/view?usp=sharing Sincerely, Mrs. Dano

Dear Parents of Grade 3-8 Students, Last week we paused our ELA assessments due to technical issues with the state. We understand this was disappointing and frustrating for everyone involved. We have received assurances that the system is ready to go, and we are committed to completing the assessment as planned. Session II of the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) Assessment is scheduled to take place on April 23, 2025. You can expect additional follow-up from your buildings on Tuesday, April 22. Thank you for your patience and attention to this matter. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Good Afternoon, Fairfield Families, Please find Fairfield's March Paw Print Press in the link below. We hope you enjoy reading about the latest events at Fairfield Elementary School. https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TmwoQdGKlnqz1Tc97HUcgTp-U3QPgZ3/view?usp=sharing Sincerely, Mrs. Dano and Ms. Pavlick https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TmwoQdGKlnqz1Tc97HUcgTp-U3QPgZ3/view?usp=sharing

Dear Parents and Guardians, We would like to thank you for your ongoing support with our new website and app! If you haven’t downloaded our app yet, please visit the Apple or Google Play store and search for the Massapequa School District. As a reminder, our district app currently offers: • District, school, and community communications • Access to our spotlight, events/calendar, lunch menus, and district/school webpages As we shared at the end of last school year and throughout this school year, we are excited to announce the launch of our “Rooms” parent-teacher communication app/website feature! After ongoing district planning and training, the “Rooms” communication feature will be ready on April 30th. With this new feature, all of our instructional staff and parents will be able to communicate through this common platform to streamline communications. With Rooms, you’ll have access to even more exciting features like: • Stream: A place where communication/announcements can be posted by teachers/staff • Messages: Direct communication from teachers/staff to parents and parents to teachers/staff We will be sharing additional information and directions on how to access your account in the near future! Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Dear Parents of Grade 3-8 Students, We are writing to provide an important update regarding the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) testing that resumed today, April 9, 2025. Unfortunately, NYS encountered another round of technical issues with its online testing platform this morning. Due to these issues, NYS instructed us to pause, and then later to resume testing. While many students at Berner and our elementary schools managed to complete their tests, some couldn't even start. We will contact those parents/guardians directly. Given these ongoing complications, we are pausing testing district-wide until after the break, awaiting further guidance from the state. Tomorrow, April 10, 2025, will be a normal school day without state assessments. We will provide updates on the continuation of the ELA assessment as soon as we receive details and assurances of testing capabilities from the state. This situation is incredibly frustrating due to the loss of instructional time and the time invested in preparing for this test administration. Additionally, there are now questions about the validity of this assessment which we hope will be addressed once we receive further guidance from the state. We will update the community as soon as more information becomes available. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Sincerely, William Brennan, Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools

Dear Parents of Grade 3-8 Students, We are writing to provide an important update regarding the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) testing that resumed today, April 9, 2025. Unfortunately, NYS encountered another round of technical issues with its online testing platform this morning. Due to these issues, NYS instructed us to pause, and then later to resume testing. While many students at Berner and our elementary schools managed to complete their tests, some couldn't even start. We will contact those parents/guardians directly. Given these ongoing complications, we are pausing testing district-wide until after the break, awaiting further guidance from the state. Tomorrow, April 10, 2025, will be a normal school day without state assessments. We will provide updates on the continuation of the ELA assessment as soon as we receive details and assurances of testing capabilities from the state. This situation is incredibly frustrating due to the loss of instructional time and the time invested in preparing for this test administration. Additionally, there are now questions about the validity of this assessment which we hope will be addressed once we receive further guidance from the state. We will update the community as soon as more information becomes available. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Sincerely, William Brennan, Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools

Dear Grade 3-5 Elementary Parents/Guardians, As previously communicated, due to unforeseen technical issues and as directed by NYSED, the administration of the NYS ELA assessment scheduled for today was postponed. The District received notification this morning that the NYS testing platform, Nextera, was having technical issues across the state. At this time, the district has received notification that the technical issues have been resolved. Therefore, Session 1 of the NYS ELA Assessment will be administered tomorrow, April 9, 2025, and Session 2 will be administered on Thursday, April 10, 2025. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Dear Parents of Grade 3-8 Students, We are writing to inform you about an important update regarding the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) testing that was scheduled for today, April 8, and tomorrow, April 9. Due to a statewide technical issue with the NY ELA testing platform, testing is postponed for today, April 8. We will follow-up with additional communication once we confirm the issue is resolved and we receive further guidance from NY State. At this time, buildings will be resuming their regular schedules. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure a smooth testing process for all students participating in the assessment. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Dear Fairfield Families and Staff, We are writing to inform you that there was an ambulance at our school earlier today to assist with a staff related medical situation. Our staff followed all safety protocols. The situation was handled with the utmost care and efficiency. We understand that seeing an ambulance and medical professionals at school can be concerning. We want to emphasize that the safety and health of our students and staff are our top priorities. We are grateful for the response of the emergency services. Thank you for your understanding. Sincerely, Mrs. Dano and Ms. Pavlick

To All Parents/Guardians of Students Currently in Grades K - 5: Please see the linked flyer containing information about Camp Invention, a summer program that inspires confidence as campers collaborate in creative problem-solving challenges led by qualified educators to bring their biggest ideas to life! Flyer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UTRRMdsI5SuRM501YcbbnbhQ3cIho4BvdSQPGnC3Vn8/edit?tab=t.0 The program will run from August 4 - 8, 2025 at Unqua Elementary School. The registration link goes live at 9:00am on March 20, 2025. PLEASE NOTE: Information regarding other summer programs and opportunities will be shared in the near future. Sincerely, The Massapequa School District

Good Afternoon, Fairfield Families, This Friday, March 21st, is World Down Syndrome Day. Please see the below flyer for information regarding Rocks Your Socks. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-rVIAU_9Boy3zuii8UlLFek8voGET9Mi/view?usp=sharing Thank you, Mrs. Dano & Ms. Pavlick

Dear Parents/Guardians of Fifth-Grade Students, Please click on the link below to access the Save the Date for our moving up ceremony. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H4rsZ24UR2yEcnbla28HmU8su22H9oyp/edit#slide=id.p1 Thank you, Mrs. Dano, Ms. Pavlick, and Fifth-Grade Teachers

March 10, 2025 Dear Parents, Each spring, there is considerable discussion about placing children in classes for the next school year. Since this is a matter that we do not take lightly, Ms. Pavlick and I, working in collaboration with the professional staff, spend countless hours constructing well-balanced classes in which all children have the opportunity to learn and grow academically as well as socially. It is hoped that a frank review of our procedures for class placement of students will eliminate the need for parents to individualize their concerns or make requests for specific teachers. When classes are structured, a clear set of guidelines is followed. Classes are formed into heterogeneous groups with the following in mind: A full range of aptitudes within each class An even proportion of abilities and learning styles Number of students requiring support services Possible student conflicts Once these factors have been considered, teachers begin to build classes of children who show promise of working well together. As the process unfolds, attempts are made to match pupil and teacher style while taking into consideration the professional judgment of those educators working with your child. We welcome your input concerning your child’s individual learning needs; we trust you understand that your comments constitute just one of the many factors considered during the process. The final decision on class placements must reside with the school, and requests for specific teachers cannot be honored. If there are special considerations you would like us to be aware of, please feel free to share those by filling out the form below by March 31st. Please do not assume that past history or concerns will automatically be addressed during placement if you do not fill out the form. Optional Google Form for Placement Thank you in advance for your cooperation. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Dr. Gerhard Principal You can find the PDF here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1emkerlYG0l-Ov8t4o30rJUsU-vawKmYJ/view?usp=sharing