A Friday Message From Dr. Villanueva: This Month's SEPTA Meeting and Halloween Treats!

Dear Eastchester Faculty, Families and Community,

What a week! With Halloween falling on a Friday (that doesn't always happen!) the excitement of tonight's festivities was palpable in our schools! I'm happy to share some candid pictures of a few of our administrative teams that joined faculty and students with entertaining costumes.

This past week, I had the pleasure of presenting alongside Ms. JoAnne Dobbins, Ms. Erin McGee, and Ms. Christie Garin-Mileto at this month's SEPTA meeting. It was an informative meeting where we were able to meet parents and members of this important group to talk about our district's vision "Four campuses, Four Pillars, One Vision, Elevate Eastchester", and special education services offered here in the district.

An academic journey for any child is multi-faceted and ebbs and flows over the years. As a district, we are dedicated to supporting each and every student journey year after year and I believe that it is truly important to keep an open mind and heart to the feedback of our students and families. By doing this, it keeps lines of communication open and allows a whole-team approach to creating the best possible experiences for our students as they progress through their school journey.

If you are gearing up to trick-or-treat tonight remember a few Trick or Treat Safety Tips from American Red Cross:

• Have your trick or treaters walk only on sidewalks, not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street. Don’t cross between parked cars, and don’t cut across yards or use alleys.
• Drivers — use extra caution as youngsters may forget to look both ways before crossing. As the sun goes down, watch for children in dark clothing.
• Give trick-or-treaters a flashlight to light their way.
• If older children are going alone, plan their route. Set a specific time they should return home. Teach them to only visit homes that have a porch light on, to accept treats at the door and never go inside.
• Be cautious around animals      

Have a spooky weekend, Eastchester!

Dr. Villanueva