WELCOME TO BEEKMAN ELEMENTARY! 

If you have any questions not listed here, e-mail us at info@beekmanpta.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.



What are the school hours?
8:40 Buses arrive and students report to class
8:50 Children who arrive after 8:50 are tardy and must be signed in at the health office
10:40 Lunch periods begin
11:20 Morning kindergarten dismissal
12:45 Afternoon kindergarten begins
3:10 Dismissal with parent pick up
3:15 Dismissal

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What time is half day dismissal?
Pick-up is 11:15.  Dismissal is 11:30.

What if I need to pick my child up from school?
During normal school hours, go to the main office and sign your child out.  

If you are picking your child up at dismissal, wait by the side door to the Cafetorium. The doors open at 3:05. You will need your driver's license to sign your child out.  

Send a note in with your child in the morning so the office will know your child should not be getting on the bus.

When are the PTA meetings?
The PTA meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the school library.

How should I request homework assignments if my child is absent?
Please call the school (845-227-1834) before 9:30 AM.  Homework can be sent home with another child or picked up by a parent at 3:00 PM in the office.

When do I register my child for Kindergarten?
Kindergarten registration typically begins in April.  Registration announcements will be on our website and in the Poughkeepsie Journal. You can register by calling the school (845-227-1834).

What are the PTA Committees?
B.L.T. (Building Level Team):
Made up of Principal, faculty, staff, parents and community members.  The purpose of this team is to improve student achievement.  Some examples of what the team does is create the school calendar, Wee Delivery program and the Grade 3-5 School Planners.

Hospitality:
One volunteer is assigned to provide refreshments from PTA members for PTA sponsored functions and special events including the Board of Ed. meeting that is held at our school once a year.

Legislative:
A volunteer is responsible for relaying State and National PTA Legislative correspondence to the PTA Board and Association.

Membership:
A volunteer parent builds an informed and participating membership that is familiar with the focus, policies and programs of the PTA.  The volunteer maintains accurate records of the current PTA membership.

Programs:
A team of volunteers works with the school to schedule performers and programs for the children based on the school curriculum.

Publicity:
A team of volunteers collects stories, articles, pictures, etc. of the events that have happened in our school.  They promote PTA news and any school children's achievements.  These events are promoted with posters and flyers and create, edit and print the Bear News that comes out 4 times a year.

School Board Report:
One volunteer attends the monthly Arlington Central School District Board of Education meetings and reports back pertinent information to the PTA. 

Sunshine:
A volunteer helps distribute the appropriate acknowledgements for individual occasions and situations such as recognition for a job well done, thanks, sympathy and any other thoughts on behalf of the PTA.

MS&T Expo (Math, Science and Technology):
The Math, Science and Technology Expo is held once a year function that is held at the Arlington High School.  Any student is allowed to participate.  Here at Beekman Elementary School we hold our Science Fair around teh same week so any child participating in our Fair can also participate in the Expo at the high school with the same project.  One volunteer is needed to get the appropriate information out to the students and families about the Expo and to collect the entry forms and keep track of the number of students participating.  We also need volunteers to be at the high school the day of the Expo as a representative for our school.

Box Tops for Education:
This is a way to raise money for our school.  General Mills provides a Box Tops logo on its products that can be cut out and saved for our school.  Every Box Top is worth points. One volunteer is needed to collect these Box Tops during the year and send them into General Mills.

Kindergarten Orientation:
The PTA organizes the Kindergarten Orientation by helping to greet all new incoming students and their families at the front door and direct them to the appropriate areas.  After brief informational  speeches by our principal, nurse, transportation department and PTA president, we provide refreshments for the parents as they wait for their children to come off their first bus ride.

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day:
This is a very special day at Beekman Elementary.  The PTA along with many parents help to show our apprecition to our teachers and staff for all the hard work and their dedication to our children.  We have fun every year thinking of a new theme for the day to spoil them with.  A team of volunteers helps to plan, coordinate, decorate and organize this day.

Field Day:
Every grade participates in their own field days near the end of the school year.  Many parent volunteers are needed for these days to help out outside in the school yard.  Each parent is set up at a station for a game or event that every child participates in.  We also have parens set up at water and ice pops stations.

Fifth Grade Moving Up:
This is the day that our fifth graders get ready to leave us here at Beekman Elementary as they make their way to the middle school.  A team of volunteers helps to organize special events for this time of year.

Ice Cream Social:
This is the children's favorite function each year.  The entire school along with their families gather together near the last week of school for an ice cream party.  The ice cream is served by their favorite teachers.  The kids stay and dance through early evening with our very own DJ.

Spirit Wear:
The PTA purchases shirts and sweatshirts in children and adult sizes. Some of the shirts have our Beekman Bear logo and some have the school name.  Many children and staff purchase these throughout the year.  One volunteer collects the order forms and money and places the orders with the dealer.

Volunteer Coordinator:
One volunteer collects names of parents who wish to volunteer their time for any of the various PTA functions, fundraiser, etc. and calls these parents when they are needed.

Reflections:
Once a year an art education program is held for any student who would like to participate.  They can enter any type of creative artwork whether is be photography, visual arts, literature, or music and it is all based on a specific topic.  They are then judged and can go as far as the State and National level.  Two volunteers are needed to help organize this program.

PARP (Parents as Reading Partners):
This is a one month program that any child may participate in.  The child signs a contract along with the parent and every night a parent promises to read with their child for this period. Beginning each week the child receives a prize for completing his/her reading for the week.  Every year it is a different theme and many volunteers are needed to help decorate the school and also to help with collecting the contracts and keeping track of how many children have participated.

Fall Fundraiser:
This fund raiser is our most important fund raiser.  The items that can be purchased are wrapping paper, candy and various small items for holiday gifts.  The PTA receives 50% of anything that is sold by our students.  This is normally over $10,000.  This money pays for our wonderful Arts-in-Education Program here at Beekman Elementary.  A team of volunteers is needed to collect envelopes and keep track of money received and also to be there to distribute the orders the day they are needed to be picked up.

School pictures:
A team of volunteers is needed to be in the day of pictures to help keep the children in their proper order of taking pictures and helping collect their envelopes.

Book Fair:
We have two book fairs each year for our children.  The second book fair is buy one get one free.  Parent volunteers help out by organizing, straightening the books and to be cashiers.

Bike Rodeo:
Every child can bring their bicycles to the school parking lot and the children go through different obstacle courses and go to various safety stations.  The Sheriff's Department also attends and tells the children about bike safety.  Parent volunteers help out at each station and also sell baked goods and bike helmets.

Yearbook:
A team of parents takes and collects pictures throughout the year to be used in the yearbook at the end of the year.  All year long the PTA asks parents to send in any photos they have of the children at special events, field trips, etc. When it is time to finalize the yearbook volunteers are needed to help create the pages in the book for each grade whether it be the class photos or the favorites pages.

Hands On Science:
This program is very exciting for the kids.  This day is spent at the school where the children get to participate in numerous science projects throughout the day.  They move from one station to the next. The application goes home with the children and they get to choose anywhere from 3 to 7 projects they would like to work on that day.  1 to 2 volunteers are needed to be there that day to make sure the children are directed to their appropriate stations.
Where can I find out about closing and delays?
School closures are announced by approximately 7:00 am.  Local radio stations will announce the closures or you can look them up on www.cancellations.com.  You can also sign up for email notifications on www.cancellations.com.

If schools close early due to bad weather, what time is dismissal?
Pick-up is 11:15 and dismissal is 11:30.  Kindergarten students will go home on the buses with other elementary students and cannot be dropped off at their homes.  They will be dropped off at the regular bus stops.

How do I get a bus pass for my child?
Bus passes are only issued for family emergencies or regular childcare arrangements which have been requested and approved in advance.  If an emergency arises, call the school (845-227-1834) and describe the problem.  Bus passes will not be issued for playdates, recreation or religious activities.