Dear Ogden Families, 

The entire Ogden Community, including Mrs. Murray and I would like to welcome you back or welcome you to Ogden Elementary School. We already know it is going to be a phenomenal school year. Of course, academics are especially important, but we also want your child to feel like Ogden is their “home away from home.” We want them to make lasting friendships, come home with stories about their school adventures, and overall feel safe and happy.  

Our school-wide traditions continue to grow and attendance at our events is at an all-time high! It shows how this school community bands together and values the collaborative spirit on which we pride ourselves. We look forward to another great Fall Y’All Celebration on Thursday, October 6. It is our first large Ogden gathering of students, staff and parents and is so much fun! We look forward to seeing you at that event and all the events thereafter. Your support is integral to our success! 

This summer, I ran the Summer Playschool Program at Ogden and had four hundred students in attendance from PK-8. It was the largest camp group we’ve had to date! It was wonderful to watch our youngest and eldest campers alike bond with friends and make lasting memories. I saw many of your children in attendance and I was so happy to be a part of their summer experience. 

I am happy to announce that our annual Waffles and Welcome will be a delicious and fun-filled way to start the school year. On August 31, you will not see any students at Ogden who are unhappy to be here. When you begin the school year with a DJ, gourmet waffles, game show challenges, Gaga Pits, tattoos and more there is only one place to go from there…. up! That is what we do at Ogden…we rise to challenges, and we conquer them all when we are together. My own three children are always so disheartened when they return from their first day of school and I show photos of what Ogden’s first day of school was like! This event will be for students only because we want them to begin to bond with their classmates and teachers right from the start.

For you, our dedicated parents, we will have a Back-To-School Night (BTSN) beginning at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. We hope that this evening sets your entire family up for success early in the school year. The purpose of having BTSN so early is so you can meet the educator(s) with whom your child will be spending so much time learning and growing with this year. If you have more than one child, please divide your time up accordingly. Grade 5 teachers will present as a grade, so you can hear about departmentalization and ask questions to the entire team. 

Schedule for Back-to-School Night, August 31, 2022

All OES children attend each of the specific areas listed above during the six-day cycle.

Some children receive support services, and their providers are available to meet with you.

We look forward to making new and exciting memories with your family and continuing our tradition of excellence. To that end, I am proud to announce that we have once again been named a NYS 2021-2023 National PTA School of Excellence. The criterion for this award is designated to schools that are committed to building an inclusive and welcoming school community where all families contribute to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Thank you to all of our families for partnering with us to make Ogden shine...we couldn’t do it without you!

I would also like to thank the parents who volunteered to be a part of our outstanding PTA: 

• Co-Presidents: Keisha Grant and Tracy Hopkins

• Vice-President: Nicole Eliopoulos

• Treasurer: Randi Goodman

In addition, thank you to all the parents who volunteered to join Ogden’s Slate of dedicated parents who assist in running all the many events at Ogden. The slate can be found in the back of the district calendar. We couldn’t do excellent work without you!

As Frank Sinatra croons in his famous song, The Summer Wind, “Like painted kites, those days and nights they went flyin’ by.” Although the warm summer wind will soon be a thing of the past, I hope the autumn wind and the winter winds leave behind health and happiness for all as we once again await the summer wind.

Best, 

Dr. Dina M. Anzalone