I am so excited to welcome everyone to Cantiague Elementary School – the most incredible Bucket Filling School on the entire planet! I hope everyone had an incredible summer filled with fun times, incredible memories and some relaxation! It is hard to believe that we are about to embark on the 2010-2011 school year but I know that we are all ready to work together and build on our past successes!

Our exceptional staff has been enthusiastically preparing for opening day to ensure that our children have an incredible year. The custodial staff has been working day and night to clean and beautify our school; our Main Office staff has been organizing and preparing materials that keep the school running smoothly; and our teachers and teacher aides have been in all summer setting up their classrooms for the first day! The entire staff has one goal - to create a safe, clean, nurturing and empowering environment for our children and they have definitely been successful in achieving that goal!

Beginning a new school year and meeting new classmates and staff members is exciting, interesting but can also create feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness. It is our responsibility to continue to work together to support our children in the beginning weeks by helping them adjust to the new classroom settings and routines. This support helps our children build confidence and will guarantee success as the year unfolds!

We are all looking forward to beginning another successful year here at Cantiague. Our school philosophy, which is anchored in the idea of being a Bucket Filler, will build on past experiences and further challenge the children to consistently be responsible, respectful, safe and positive! Additionally, this year will be adding the idea of being kind to others, which is so important! We will continue to honor and celebrate our Bucket Fillers of the Week and we will even introduce some fun and new ideas this year! Research has consistently shown that children who feel good about themselves and those around them are more successful in life. Let’s all concentrate on these important lessons, and encourage our children to become the very best that they can be! On a personal note, I want to express how excited I am about starting year three as your principal! This is such an amazing learning environment populated by incredible children who literally bring a smile to my face each and every day. I am so proud of the strong home/school connection that we have established because the benefits of this connection are abundant as the children thrive off of this positive energy. Our goal, as a connected community, continues to be to help our children safely and successfully explore, grow and mature, whether they are doing so academically, socially or emotionally. By working closely together, we are giving our children a safer, more advantageous environment in which to experiment, attempt and learn. It truly is an honor and privilege to work closely with such a dedicated community of educators and parents! One of my goals for this year is to continue the traditions of excellence at Cantiague and nurture an educational community where children learn and grow on an academic, social, personal and emotional level!

Sincerely,
Tony Sinanis