Arkport Central School District

PK-6 Principal's News to Know

Arkport Central School Elementary

Hello ACS Elementary Students! 🍁🎃

Welcome to October! This month is full of fun, learning, and new adventures. As we move through the season, let’s continue to show kindness, curiosity, and teamwork—remember, “Together We Lead: Our Road to Success.”

We can’t wait to see all the creativity, laughter, and growth that October brings. Let’s make it a month to remember! 💙

— Mrs. Smith, PK–6 Principal

• 10/1/25-Blue Jay Reading Challenge Kick-Off!

• 10/2/25- Half Day of School

• 10/4/25-Cohocton Fall Foliage Parade

• 10/6/25- Fire Dept. Visit

• 10/10/25- Emergency Go Home Early Drill/Dismissal 2:25-2:30

• 10/13/25-Columbus Day/No School

• 10/20/25-International Club Dinner/See details below!

• 10/30/25-Picture Retake Day!

  • If your child missed the first picture day or you would like their pictures retaken, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.

• 10/31/25- Fall Fling!/Details below

Grade Level Newsletters

Counselor News-with Mrs. Harris!

Meet Our New Friend in the Building! 👮‍♂️

We are excited to welcome Security Officer Groves to our school family! Officer Groves will be helping keep our building safe and secure while getting to know students, staff, and families. Be sure to say hello if you see him around—he’s looking forward to becoming a familiar and friendly face in our school community!

Health Office

💉✨ Health Office Update ✨💉

Thank you to all the families who have kept their students’ vaccinations up to date, and to those working with us to get them completed—we truly appreciate your support in keeping our school community healthy.

Nurse Smith has completed head checks for grades PK–6. The kiddos just love getting a scalp massage!

She also wanted me to share that we’ve seen some cases of hand, foot, and mouth illness going around. Please help remind your child to wash their hands often with soap and water. Good handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs.

Lost & Found-Nurse's Office
These items have been found at school and are waiting to be claimed. We know our parents, guardians, and families work hard, and we’d love to reconnect you with the items you purchased for your children.

All items have been freshly laundered by Nurse Smith and are ready to head home. If you see something that belongs to your child, please have them stop by the nurse’s office, or send Nurse Smith a Remind message or email.

Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the month. Thank you!

🍎 ACS Food Service!

Check out what’s cooking in the cafeteria this October!

Warming up lunch!

We’re excited to share that our Backpack Program will begin the week of October 14th! This program provides weekend food support for students and families who could use a little extra help. We currently have a few spots available and would love to make sure all are filled.

If you’re interested in applying or would like more information, please contact Mrs. Coddington at 295-7471, ext. 1140. All inquiries are kept confidential.

Snack Information for Grades 3–5

All of our snacks meet the Smart Snacks guidelines (low fat, low sodium, low sugar). To help encourage healthy eating habits and responsible money management, students in grades 3–5 are limited to one snack per week on their assigned day:

• 3rd Grade – Mondays

• 4th Grade – Tuesdays

• 5th Grade – Wednesdays

If school is closed for a holiday, Ms. Shutt will combine grade levels later in the week so no group misses out. Students may purchase one snack only on their snack day to help ensure they still eat their lunch and don’t have too many treats.

Payment Options

• Money must be on your child’s account in order to purchase a snack.

• Funds can be added through My School Bucks (using your child’s student ID#; note there is a small convenience fee).

• Money may also be sent to school in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, grade, and “Attn: Cafeteria.”

If you have questions, please contact Cathy Shutt at 607-295-7471 ext. 1143 (after 1:00 p.m.).

We appreciate your support in reviewing and reinforcing these expectations at home with your child.

Transportation Dept.

Bus Drills & Safety 🚌
At the beginning of September, all students PK-12 participated in bus safety drills to learn important rules and procedures. With field trips beginning soon, this is the perfect opportunity for our students to put those safety lessons into practice. A big thank you to our Transportation Department for teaching our kids how to stay safe while traveling and our PE Dept. for making time !

Student Drop-Off Reminder 🚍
For the safety of our students, all children 12 years and younger must be met by a parent or designated adult at the bus stop, home, or bus before they will be released. If no adult is present, the student will be returned to school and a parent will need to pick them up.

Please also remember: when dropping off students, our drivers must have a visual confirmation of the adult receiving children ages 12 and under. Thank you for helping us keep all of our students safe!

Blue Jay Reading!

Mrs. Kowalcyk, our Blue Jay Reading Coordinator, has come up with another fantastic reading event to encourage our students, and who doesn’t love a good mystery?!

Blue Jays, you can help your class by earning puzzle pieces! Just turn in your completed reading "pumpkin" sheets to your classroom teacher, and your class will receive pieces of the puzzle.

I can’t wait to see the mystery picture come together!

Thankful to Have Our Playground Back!

Great news — our playground is officially reopened! The broken pipe has been replaced, and everything is ready for students to enjoy again.

A big thank you goes out to Mr. Thompson and Mr. McDaniel for all of their hard work in getting things back up and running for us. We appreciate their time and effort in making sure our students have a safe and fun place to play!

Thank you everyone, for your patience during the closure, and we’re excited to see the playground full of joy and activity again.

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15–October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, a time set aside each year to recognize and celebrate the many contributions and lasting influence of Hispanic culture on America’s history, achievements, and traditions.

In honor of this celebration, our International Club will be hosting an International Dinner on October 20th. We hope you’ll join us for this special event!

After School Clubs!

After-School Enrichment Clubs: October–December 🌟

We’re excited to offer a variety of after-school enrichment clubs for students this fall! From October through December, students in grades 4th-8th can explore new interests, learn new skills, and have fun with friends in a safe, supportive environment.

Spaces are limited, so be sure to check out the club options and sign up soon. We can’t wait to see our students dive into these exciting opportunities!

For questions or more information, please contact Mrs. Reynolds- jreynolds@arkportcsd.org

We’re thinking about updating the Arkon Yearbook!

In the past, one yearbook has included all students PK–12. We’re now pausing to gather feedback from our school community and are considering creating two separate yearbooks: one for PK–6 and one for 7–12.

We’d love your feedback — your thoughts will help us decide what works best for our school community.

Current pricing:

Full PK–12 yearbook: $50

If separated (estimates):

Elementary (PK–6, paperback): around $25

Jr./Sr. High School (7–12, hardcover): around $50

Please note: If it’s decided to move forward with two yearbooks and you’ve already purchased one, you will be contacted to confirm which yearbook you’d like. Any price difference will be charged or refunded accordingly.

Take the Survey Here: https://forms.office.com/r/L8YdZHJTcN

Thank you for helping us celebrate our students in a way that works for everyone!

Please note that our survey will close on October 9th. After that, we will then share the results with you.

Fall Fling!

Thank you!