Briarcliff Elementary

Principal Patricia Nugent (631) 821-8200	Nurse Deb Weresnick (631) 821-8201 (631) 821-3651 Fax	Main Office (631) 821-8200 (631) 821-8206 Fax
18 Tower Hill Road (Click Here for Directions) Shoreham, NY 11786 Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Psychologist: (631) 821-8203 Library: (631) 821-8202

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students:

It’s a time of year for reflection and taking note of being grateful for the many people in our lives. Faculty and staff members along with administration and parents at Briarcliff are collaboratively working to enhance an environment that promotes creativity, engagement and mastery within instructional practice and play environments. 

The shared decision making committee met in October and is planning a series of assemblies that will emphasize character traits and issues, such as truthfulness, kindness and bullying.  At Briarcliff, faculty and staff members understand that teaching young children about good choices is often generated from authentic experiences.  It is from that understanding that the committee is planning assemblies that will feature teachers acting in skits that portray typical social situations of kindergarten and first grade students.  The classroom teachers will follow the assemblies with reading books that focus on the trait or issue.  A letter written to Briarcliff families by me will follow each assembly so parents can continue the conversation about character at home.  

All students, teachers and staff received a school spirit t-shirt (thank you PTA) that they can wear every Friday.  Every class has a different color!  We’ll inform you of any other special occasion day that students should wear their t-shirts.

Our teachers are planning many lessons and activities to assist our young students in developing an understanding of Thanksgiving.  Janice Buckner, singer and puppeteer performed at two assemblies focusing on giving thanks at Briarcliff on Monday, November 7.   Our Thanksgiving share is scheduled for Wednesday, November 23. The children will sing songs about Thanksgiving and share in snacks (provided by our PTA). 

Every Friday at Briarcliff is a Fruity Friday!  Thank you to the parents that volunteer to dress as fruit and deliver fruit to our classrooms.  If you would like your child to choose a fruit for snack time on Fridays, you can send 75 cents in a labeled envelope. 

The dates for the Fireside Read-In are December 21 and 22.  We will ask that families send in gently used books which will be wrapped.  One wrapped book will be given to each student.  Classes are scheduled over the days and one adult can attend the Fireside Read-In per student.  During this time, the PTA will provide hot chocolate and each child and adult will relax with a book and read.

I’m enjoying reading with the students at Briarcliff.  Throughout the year I will read with every student in the building.  Each child will receive a sticker- I Read with Mrs. Nugent Today and a certificate describing the reading strategies and behaviors I observed.  The children’s comments and insight into their own reading has been very interesting.

Please contact me if I can be of assistance in supporting your child’s success at Briarcliff.  I encourage you to take some time over the holiday weeks and read to and with your children. 

I wish you and your families a joyful, wondrous holiday season!

Sincerely,

    Mrs. Patty Nugent