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Parent Teacher Student Organization     ~~~     October 2019 Newsletter

We're in full swing!

This Thursday, October 17th, before Parent/Teacher conferences, SOTA is offering the opportunity to have some light refreshments and chat with an administrator from 4:30-5:30 in the Commons.  This is a great way to meet some others in the SOTA family, ask questions, and have some food before heading upstairs to Parent Teacher Conferences.  Unsure of how P/T Conferences work?  There is a detailed description below in the SBPT Update.  We hope to see you there!

Are you wondering how you can get more involved at SOTA?  Volunteering your time is a great way to get to know other families, students, and administration.  Some volunteer opportunities are:

  • Arts events support (ushering, concessions, meals, etc)
  • Assisting with a Title 1 event such as Career Night, College Visits, Parent/Child Book Club, Arts Sampler Night, Fall Fest / Street Party, etc.
  • Parking lot fundraisers
  • Teacher/staff liaison (teacher appreciation, etc)
  • Communications (newsletter, social media, other family outreach)
Contact sotaptso@gmail.com if you'd like to assist with any of the above items or if you have an idea of your own.  We'd love to hear from you!

School Based Planning Team Update 

Here are some hilights from September's SBPT meeting:
  • Oct 16 test day = 9-11 take PSAT (free!), grade 12 takes SAT (free!), Grade 7&8 have alternative field trip
  • Oct 17 - before Parent/Teacher conferences: food for families with the opportunity to chat with an administrator
  • Oct 18 - Senior Day of Service led by Ms. Robinson
  • Oct 21 - Photo Club will take pictures (family portraits) which can be used for holiday cards, etc.
  • RCSD Link will (hopefully) be operational by mid-October. Parents and students who want grade updates before then can contact teachers directly. Teachers have the ability to pull and print grades from PowerSchool.
  • Some great infrastructure updates:
    • AP Plumbing is repairing plumbing in bathrooms and any sinks (including chemistry, locker rooms) that have been tagged.  In addition, Ms. Nicastro contacted plant maintenance in May about fixing bathroom doors.  Unfortunately, repairs have not happened yet.  Exit 13 will have rubber tiles installed like the second floor ramp and new mats will be installed at the front doors.  The AC in nine rooms is scheduled to be repaired.  The parking lots were freshly sealed, striped, and renumbered.  All the fire bells were completely overhauled and we are in the process of purchasing new podiums for the theatres.
  • Congratulations to the new and returning parent SBPT reps:
    • Representative Brian Haak
    • Representative Martin Presberg
    • Representative Melissa Santiago
    • Alternate Christine Christman
    • Alternate Donovan Grape
  • What to expect at Parent Teacher Conferences:
    • Many families new to SOTA may not be aware of how Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs) work.  Each teacher will have a sign up sheet outside their rooms with time slots.  Put your name on a particular time, even if you are the only parent there, that way if a parent shows up during your meeting, they will know when to expect your meeting to end.  It will be very helpful to have a copy of your student's schedule or at least a list of teachers names and room numbers.  The October PTC can be very busy, so prioritizing which teachers are at the top of the list can be helpful.  Also, 7th and 8th tend to be the busiest and it gets less and less busy for each subsequent grade.  Teachers and parents try their best to stick to the allotted times.  If a teacher is busy, parents can sign up for later times and go try to catch another teacher and come back for the assigned time.  If you're not able to make a time you signed up for, please cross off your name to let other parents take advantage of that time slot.  In addition to asking how your child is doing in class, it is always nice to ask how we as parents can help them succeed as teachers (e.g. Can we help provide supplies, tissues, or other things for the room?  Do they need help with something like folding papers, stapling/collating, etc?)!  

Arts News

Drama  


Becoming…the Queen 2.0 - An Evening with Regina Zona - Monday, October 21 at 7pm
Following her critically acclaimed one-woman show, internationally recognized vocalist and School of the Arts alumna, Regina Zona presents her debut Cabaret which celebrates how good it is to be “QUEEN” in her career, life and love. This showcase features every style from opera to Broadway to jazz and takes the audience on a journey through Regina’s fabulous life! All proceeds benefit Friends of School of the Arts.

The 2019-2020 Performance season tickets are on sale now! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee kicks off the season on October 25 and runs through November 2. Click here to purchase tickets!


Music 
Congratulations to Douglas Rodriguez and Gregory Sekeres who were accepted into the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA ) All-State Conference Orchestra. They will perform in Rochester at the NYSSMA Winter Conference in early December. This is one of the highest honors a strings student can achieve in New York State. Doug and Greg were selected from thousands of students from across the state, and we are excited and very proud of their achievement. Douglas was also selected to receive the Musical Instrument Award, which is given annually to a college-bound Rochester student who intends to study music in college and is need of a musical instrument to do so.  Congratulations to you both!!

Visual Arts 
SOTA’s Visual Arts Department proudly presents the 2019-2020 season of art exhibits. Each exhibition reflects the talents, imagination and artistry of the SOTA’s Visual Arts majors.  So mark your calendars and join us as we celebrate another exciting aspect of the arts at School of the Arts.
DAVID SILVER GALLERY - Opening Receptions – 6 PM 
October 7 - Our Neighbors - Art Opening
November 1 - Show Off - RCSD Emerging Artist Showcase
November 21 - Foundations One and Two Art - Art Opening
December 19 - Grade 11 - Art Opening
January 17 - Middle School - Art Opening
February 11 - Senior Show I - Art Opening
March 13 - Senior Art II - Art Opening
April 16 - Senior Art III - Art Opening 
May 6 - Foundations One and Two - Art Opening 
May 28 - Finale Art - Art Opening

Sports News  

The SOTA boys Varsity Soccer Team is playing with determination and team spirit.  Coached by Mr. Figueroa and Assistant Coach Mr. Blasdell, each game they play, they get stronger and more unified.  Their new goalie, Troy Conner, has never played soccer before, but with experience in baseball and football, he has quickly stepped in and up to be a valuable part of every game.  His kicks, his catches, and his brave initiative in regaining possession of the ball, have thwarted teams all season.  Other defensive stars include seniors Hsa Doe Soe, who is one of the best sweepers in the league, and Eh Tha Moo, who rejoined the team last week.  They both have also scored incredible goals this season.  Senior Pahz Cherelin has also contributed goals and anchored the defense.  The final game of the season is on Friday 10/18 at Gates-Chili.  Congrats to everyone!
Thank you to guest writer Juliana Karr!

Introducing our new family on-line sports registration site called Family ID!  The site is now live for winter sports. Parents will be able to complete medical requalification forms for their student athletes on this site for a quicker and more efficient process. Click here for more information.
 

Friends of SOTA  

Thanks to all of you who attended the meet and greet on 9/26.  We look forward to another great year!

Recent projects that Friends of SOTA have supported:

  • Senior Class trip to Cedar Point, OH
  • Lasertron Trip for middle school
  • Dance Clothing
  • Art show refreshments and Image City photo contest entry fee
  • Classroom light covers
  • Piano tuning and stage lighting
  • T-shirts for SOTA Fringe Fest volunteers
  • We are proud to support the GEVA and RBTL trip for the 7th graders again this year 

Upcoming Events

10/16 7pm Voice Recital

10/17 4:30pm Chat with an administrator

10/17 5-7pm Parent Teacher Conferences

10/17 7pm Reader's Theatre

10/18 7pm Reader's Theatre

10/21 2:30-4:30  Family Portrait Day

10/21 7pm  Evening with Regina Zona

10/23 4:15pm  SBPT

10/25  The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee Opening Night

11/1 6pm  Emerging Artists Showcase

11/5 No school for students

11/6 7pm  Choir concert at Lyric Theatre

11/7 7pm  Latino Cultural Celebration

11/8  End of Marking Period 1

Full calendar of SOTA events

Counselor Corner newsletters

These are a tremendous source of info regarding local opportunities, college visits, scholarships, and more!

Grades 7-9
Grades 10-12

SOTA STREAM

Keep up-to-date with daily announcements, sports updates, staff interviews, and more!  New videos produced daily.

Contact Us

School Based Planning Team (SBPT) Parent Reps
Brian Haak
Martin Presberg
Melissa Santiago
Christine Christman (alternate)
Donovan Grape (alternate)

Questions or concerns?  Ideas for future PTSO meetings?  We'd love to hear from you!  Simply reply to this email or send us a note at sotaptso@gmail.com 

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