Onondaga Road Elementary

Dear Onondaga Road families,

We had an incredible time at last night’s Learning Fair! Our students truly impressed us with their creativity, curiosity, and hard work. Each project reflected their unique interests and talents, and it was such a joy to see them proudly share their learning with families and friends.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Marchesani for their thoughtful planning and coordination. We’re also so grateful to our amazing PTA for helping make this event such a success!

Wishing all of our students, families, and staff a relaxing and joyful Spring Recess. We’ll see you back soon, ready for the final stretch of the school year!

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

This week at Onondaga Road was filled with learning, leadership, and lessons in kindness!

Officer Charlie worked with another group of dedicated fourth graders, training them to take on important roles in our school’s Safety Patrol. These students are stepping up as leaders and setting a great example for other students.

Officer Brand also spent time with our students, sharing valuable lessons about kindness and empathy. Through engaging discussions and real-life examples, students learned how small acts of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others. These important conversations help build a culture of respect and care within our school.

As we head into our last week before Spring Recess, we are looking forward to even more exciting learning experiences, fun activities, and opportunities to celebrate our school community.

Looking forward to another great week ahead!

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

As I reflect on this past week, I am reminded of how truly amazing and involved our PTA is in our school community! We are so grateful for their ongoing support and dedication to enriching our students' learning experiences.

On Monday, we had the pleasure of welcoming author (and CMS Teacher) Kristin Duschen to our school. She shared her wonderful new book, The Magic Balloon, with our students, sparking their imaginations and love for reading. A huge thank you to our PTA for helping make this special event happen!

Looking ahead, we are excited for the PTA’s Learning Fair and Scholastic Book Fair, happening on April 10 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. We can’t wait to see the incredible projects our students have been working on and encourage families to stop by and explore the great books available.

Additionally, the PTA is helping us promote a love of reading at home with the Spring BINGO Reading Challenge! We love seeing our students engaged in reading outside of school, and we encourage everyone to complete their BINGO boards. Please remember to turn them in by April 11, as we won’t be able to accept any after the deadline.

Thank you to our PTA and families for your continued support. We love seeing our students grow, learn, and explore new opportunities together!

Looking forward to another great week ahead!

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

We had a fantastic week filled with creativity, learning, and fun at Onondaga Road! Some of our students enjoyed a hands-on experience making St. Patrick’s Day slime, adding a little festive excitement to their learning.

We were also thrilled to welcome the Rev Theater Company for an interactive performance of Mother Goose. In addition to the show, they led engaging theater workshops with our third and fourth graders. These workshops provided a wonderful opportunity for students to tap into their creativity while learning about the skills and teamwork involved in performing.

Looking ahead, our PTA is sponsoring a March Madness Book Bingo activity to encourage more reading at home. Just six extra minutes of daily reading can make a big difference in a child’s learning and growth! We appreciate your support in fostering a love of reading. Here is a link to an article that highlights the impact that 6 more minutes of reading can have.

Thank you for being a part of our school community! We look forward to another great week ahead.

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

Spring is in the air, and our students have been soaking up the beautiful weather! It has been a bustling and exciting week here at Onondaga Road, filled with enriching experiences and celebrations of learning.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful PTA and the talented dancers from the Francis Academy of Irish Dance for putting on a fantastic performance today. Our students were thrilled to watch the lively, rhythmic dancing, and many were especially excited to see some familiar faces among the performers. What a great way to celebrate culture and community!

We also had an exciting Battle of the Books this week here at school! Our dedicated 4th-grade participants have been working hard, preparing for their big competition on March 19th at 9:30 AM. This next event will be held virtually, with students competing from their home schools in a quiz-bowl-style challenge. The top-scoring teams from each school will then face off for a chance to move on to the Regional level, where they will compete against students from schools across Central New York. The ultimate winners will advance to the Super Regional event—what an incredible opportunity! We are so proud of our students’ commitment to reading, teamwork, and academic excellence. Be sure to cheer them on!

Additionally, our third-grade students had a special opportunity to experience a live performance showcasing the various orchestra instruments they will have the chance to play next year in our music program. This engaging presentation introduced them to the exciting world of instrumental music, sparking curiosity and enthusiasm as they look ahead to making their own musical choices.

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

What a fantastic week we’ve had at Onondaga Road! Our amazing PTA helped make it extra special by treating our teachers to a delicious breakfast. A huge thank you to Cam's Pizzeria and Dunkin’ Donuts for providing the tasty treats! The PTA also created fun BINGO Boards that helped connect our staff with the PTA and each other, and they even handed out prizes to lucky winners—what a great way to build community!

Our students had a unique learning experience this week when Jack Gramlich visited to teach us all about maple syrup. Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup? Incredible!

In addition to all the learning happening in our classrooms, students continued to enjoy lunch in their rooms and had a blast sharing pizza with Officer Charlie.

Thank you for your continued support in making our school such a wonderful place to learn and grow!

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier

Dear Onondaga Road families,

We have now been in school for more than 100 days, and the growth our students have made is truly incredible! The 100th day of school provided a wonderful opportunity for reflection, as students looked back on all they have learned so far. They also engaged in fun and creative learning activities, such as counting and stringing 100 pieces of cereal to make necklaces.

One of my favorite parts of each day is visiting classrooms for morning announcements. Our students continue to impress me with their enthusiasm for learning and their ability to share great examples of showing respect.

Our students are really enjoying the Robotics Club and the Art & Yearbook Club. It is a great way for them to explore some of their interests and to connect with their peers.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students learn and grow. I look forward to all the amazing things we will accomplish in the weeks ahead!

Respectfully,

Michelle Collier