This evening, during our virtual PTA Safety Town Hall meeting at 5:30pm, there will also be a representative from the 62 pct. to address any concerns you may have.
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A special thank you to Ms. Wiederhold, Ms. DiMatteo, Ms. Vazquez, Ms. M. Chen, Ms. Zhang and Ms. Addeo for attending the Middle School Fair Monday evening to highlight all of the wonderful opportunities Cav has to offer our students. Our SGO President was the talk of the evening, as her spirited personality won over those in attendance. Our Open House events will take place on October 21st from 5:30pm-7:30pm and October 23rd from 10::am-1:00pm for all 5th grade families interested in attending.
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On Wednesday, Mr. Gulino traveled to Fishkill to pick up our brown trout eggs, and then on Thursday, we received our Growing Beyond Earth growth chamber. It's fully assembled and waiting for our first round of edible plants to be set up. Some of the data it will collect automatically includes temperature, humidity, and light. Students will be responsible for following the experimental procedure, caring for the plants, and collecting data on plant growth and health.
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Every week Ms. Damiao’s classes roll the “Cube of Peace” in class, to remind students of their social responsibilities such as respecting, loving and supporting each other instead of being mean or bullying other students. They live the phrase they rolled as a class and write one experience on how they live it throughout the week in their respective classes, throughout the school, with their family, and friends in the community. Based on research, students who are constantly reminded about the Cube of Peace become more aware of their surroundings and become mindful of others. The hope is that the students will spread inner peace that starts from within and bring this throughout the world wherever they go, now and in the future.
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It was so nice to see our staff and students taking part in last week’s School Spirit days - recognizing National Anti-Bullying Day decked out in orange and blue for unity and kindness, as well as celebrating Italian American Heritage Day.
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As you know, the HS Application system has opened and we are in that critical time for our seniors, who need to make decisions about the next phase of their educational journey. This evening, October 14th, we will be holding a High School Information Night for our 8th grade families at 6:00pm in the auditorium. We welcome our graduating families to join us.
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Please see the attached October PTA meeting agenda and the zoom link below. Please let me know if there's anything else you want me to add.
D21 21K281PA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: IS 281 PTA MeetingTime: Oct 14, 2025 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 950 4760 1895Passcode: 428463
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Tomorrow evening, October 15th, we will be hosting the monthly Community Education Council (CEC) meeting here at Cav at 6pm. Ms. Rubin and her amazing Dance Team will be performing as a special treat. We would love to see additional Cav families in attendance to show a strong sense of school community.
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On Thursday, October 16th, we are mandated to administer the mock SHSAT test to all 8th Grade students. This will be done digitally on computers, taking place during pd. 7 and 8 when they return from lunch.
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See the attached permission slips for our IS 281 Chess Club and Early Morning Fitness Programs. If your child is interested, please fill out the slips and have your child return them to the respective program advisors.
Academic Vocabulary Word of the Week:
10/13/25 – Contrast, distinguish
Spanish: Contrastar, distinguir
Chinese: 對比、區分
Russian: Контраст, Различение
Urdu: تضاد، تمیز
Contrast (v.): to find differences between 2 or more things
Synonyms: differ
Distinguish (v.): to point out a difference
Synonyms: differentiate, notice
Social Emotional Focus: Goal Setting
6th Grade – Good Character
7th Grade – Serving Community
8th Grade – Striving for Excellence
Morphology Map:
Month: Oct
Week: 1&2
Word Part 6th Grade- Prefixes: contra-, contro-, counter-; anti-, ant-
Word Part 7th Grade- Prefixes: ob-, oc-, of-, op-
Word Part 8th Grade- Prefix: dia-
Ms. Bender’s Quote of the Week:
“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.” - William Arthur Ward
Upcoming Events:
10/13 No School - Columbus Day, Indigenous People's Day, Italian American Day
10/14 3:00pm SLT meeting
5:0)pm Cavallaro Soccer game @sunset park
5:30pm PTA Meeting and Town Hall Safety Meeting
6:00pm High School Information Night (in person)
10/15 PRACTICE live at-home tutoring kickoff
6:30pm CEC Host @ IS 281
10/16 National Bosses Day
SHSAT mock test pd. 7&8 (8th grade only)
10/17 School Spirit Day: Celebrate Diwali Festival of Colors
Senior Day
3:30pm Girls Volleyball home game vs. 686
10/20 No School - Diwali "Shubh Deepavali"
10/21 Cavallaro Food Drive Begins
Digital Citizenship Week
4:00 Cavallaro Soccer Game @Sunset park
5:30-7:30pm Open House
10/22 9-12:30 Parent Coordinator Meeting
10/23 Pd. 2 Student of the Month Breakfast - Leadership
10:00-1:00pm Open House
NIA Lights Out After School Event
10/24 United Nations Day
School Spirit Day: Wear it Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Day
3:30pm Girls Volleyball game vs. 839
10/25 Saturday Title III program begins
10/30 3:30-5:30pm Fall Festival Dance
10/31 School Spirit Day: Celebrate October
SHSAT registration closes
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Sincerely,
Ms. Bender