Welcome to R. J. Bailey School

           Marguerite Clarkson, Principal                                

 Marguerite Clarkson, Principal                                                                                   Mr. Ronald L. Smalls, Superintendent of Schools

Richard J. Bailey School                                                                                               Dr. Susan Sciascia, Assistant Superintendent       

33 Hillside Avenue                                                                                                   

White Plains, NY 10607

Telephone: 914-948-8107

Fax: 914-948-2934

E-Mail: mclarkson@greenburgh7.net

                                                                                                  August 2009  

 Dear R.J. Bailey Families and Students,

              Greetings from Hillside Avenue. I hope your vacation is filled with fun, good health, and adventures that you will share with us when you return to school next month.

              All students are scheduled to report to school at 8am on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. School hours are from 8am until 2:40pm. On the first day of school, all 4th graders will report to the gymnasium. Homebase teachers will escort their students to their classrooms. Students in the 5th and 6th grades will go directly to their assigned rooms. The name of your teacher is enclosed.

The transportation office will notify you regarding your bus stop and schedule. If you do not hear from them by the end of August, please call the transportation office at 428-7000.

School supply lists will be distributed during the first few days of school, and every student will receive a school planner and official R.J. Bailey t-shirt to wear on Fridays and on class trips. We encourage parents to check the planner nightly for homework assignments and messages.

School lunch is $2.25. Applications for free and reduced meals will be sent home on the first day of school. All who qualify are encouraged to return the applications immediately. Reduced price meals cost $ .25. Students may also bring their own lunches and buy drinks or snacks.

During the first week of school, all new students will have the opportunity to register to play a musical instrument. Students should discuss this with their parents and decide if they will be participating in the program. Information about our academic and after school program will be sent home and presented on Back to School Night.

Early in July, I met with our new PTA officers who are dedicated and enthusiastic parents with wonderful ideas. We have a PTA President for each grade level and a recoding/corresponding secretary. You can reach them at the following email addresses:

Kristina Sammy- Grade 4- kristinasammy@gmail.com

Angela Hyman- Grade 5- angslx@aol.com

Gayle Williams- Grade 6- gayletee@yahoo.com

Irene Devore- Secretary- irenedevore2000@yahoo.com

You will receive the school district calendar shortly. PTA meetings and special events are listed. Our school is truly a partnership, and we encourage you to join in all of our activities, plans and conversations.

Please note that, in order to provide you with increased information on student progress, we have increased the number of report cards from three to four this year.  Additionally, the New York State Education Department has changed the ELA testing dates from January to May. The testing schedule, marking period dates and other information are posted in the district calendar.

Under the coordination of our Humanities Coordinator, Margie O’Brien, a district committee has selected and will be implementing a new English Language Arts textbook series. The new McGraw-Hill program blends literature, reading/writing/listening skill-building activities and technology applications in an exciting format. We anticipate our students will gain significantly with this new resource.

Each month our students and faculty present a “character education” assembly program that is open and enjoyed by families who can attend during the school day. The times and dates are listed in the calendar. Enclosed is a copy of our “Code of Conduct.” Please review this document with your child. Discipline, like all areas of education should be practiced with clarity and consistency. This year we have established a Check Room where a student may be sent for a “time-out” to check his or her attitude and be counseled to improve behavior

R.J. Bailey is a great school, where our students thrive academically as they develop strong character and social skills. Our school district is guided by a 5-year Strategic Plan that aligns each of our schools to best prepare our children to succeed intellectually and become leaders in a global society. It is a pleasure and a privilege to serve as Principal of R.J. Bailey School, and I look forward to a productive, rewarding and fulfilling academic year with you and every student.

                                                                      Sincerely,                            

                                                                      Marguerite Clarkson, Principal

Enclosed please find:

• Grade 5 and 6 NYS exam results (Highview is sending results for grade 4.)
• Class assignment
• Code of Conduct
• “Do not Photograph” form
• Summer Reading List (again)

Band Aids and Batteries

2008-9 National Geographic Bee- class winners

Halloween Parade '08

Preparing for the ELA Exam

Grade 4 Summer Reading List

Grade 5 Summer Reading List

Grade 6 Summer Reading List

Our official New York State School Report Card can be found on the NYSED website and by using the following link: 

RJ BAILEY SCHOOL REPORT CARD

For the past 4 school years, RJ Bailey has been recognized by the New York State Education  Department as a "High Performing School." This distinction is achieved when a school successfully meets the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) established by the state. The RJ Bailey School is an International Baccalaureate candidate school with about 400 students in grades 4, 5 and 6.  

School Philosophy and Approach to Discipline