Mr. Mac's Weekly Wrap Up
Good afternoon Castlewood 🏰,
All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” — Abraham Lincoln
This weekend, we celebrate all the mothers and special caregivers in our community. Thank you for everything you do to ensure your children are cared for, loved, and ready to excel in life! I personally can never thank my own mother enough for all she did for me; when I look back on my successes, I can see her standing right there beside me as my biggest cheerleader. We hope all of our Castlewood moms have a relaxing weekend filled with the appreciation you truly deserve!
This week was also Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are so lucky to have such a dedicated and caring staff that consistently goes above and beyond expectations. Our educators pour their hearts into their classrooms every single day, and it is a joy to see their hard work recognized. We love and appreciate all our wonderful Castlewood teachers! A huge thank you to the PTA for putting on an amazing luncheon for them; it was a delicious way to celebrate our team.
Additionally, we celebrated our fantastic school nurse, Gemma, this past weekend for Nurses Appreciation Day. I know most of you have likely spoken to Nurse Gemma at some point; she is always so skilled at calming the nerves of not only our students but their parents as well! We love and appreciate you, Gemma, for keeping us safe and healthy.
Here come the champions! As District 26’s reigning Science Expo champions, I am beyond excited to see this year’s projects and the innovative ideas our students have developed. Our young scientists have been working hard to showcase their scientific curiosity, and the level of critical thinking on display is truly impressive. Please be sure to read the attached letter for more information regarding the upcoming STEM Expo schedules and requirements. We can't wait to see our Castlewood Knights shine once again in the world of science!
This past week, we officially wrapped up the majority of our state testing, including our Math exams. I am so incredibly proud of the work all the students and staff did all year long to prepare for these moments. As I often tell the students, preparing for these exams is not unlike training for a marathon: the hardest part is all the training and practice you did leading up to it, and the day of the race is a breeze because you are ready! Our children showed incredible stamina and focus, and we are very proud of their efforts. I also want to send a special shout-out to our testing coordinator, Ms. Pollock. Organizing and administering state exams is a monumental task involving endless logistics, and Ms. Pollock handled it all in stride, making for another smooth and stress-free testing season for everyone involved!
Finally, today we had our first official soccer games of the season! Mr. Gomes and the team took the pitch at Bayside High School for a double-header. Our Knights won their first game 2-1 and lost their second in a very close 2-1 match that kept us on the edge of our seats. Mr. Gomes reported that the children competed with great heart, impeccable sportsmanship, and contagious enthusiasm. It was wonderful to see our students representing Castlewood so well on the field, and we are looking forward to the rest of the season!
On Saturday, May 9th, the Spring Into Health event at the Queens Community House Beacon 190 will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. There will be a bouncy house, obstacle course, face painting, free resources, and more. On Thursday, May 14th at 5:00 p.m., we will have our final class of Togetherhood's Mini Masterchefs series. Please click here to RSVP for this cooking class by May 13th. On Friday, May 15th at 9:45 a.m., we will have Coffee and Conversation at 9:45 a.m. in room 235. Please RSVP at this link. Happy Mother’s Day. Have a great weekend! Lisa Kruger, Parent Coordinator, [email protected]