Welcome Back Elm Drive Blazers!

Greetings Blazer Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2025–2026 school year at Elm Drive Elementary! It is an honor to serve as your principal and to continue working with such a dedicated school community.

My career has been rooted here in Millbrook CSD, where I’ve spent five years as a high school English and K–12 ENL teacher and the past three years as Supervisor of Student Services. In those roles, I had the privilege of supporting students and families across the district and building strong relationships that I look forward to continuing in this new role. My background in literacy, student services, and multi-tiered supports has prepared me to lead Elm Drive with both a deep understanding of our students’ needs and a clear vision for their success.

Our teachers and staff have been hard at work preparing for the year ahead—refining instruction, participating in professional learning, and setting up classrooms so students feel welcomed, supported, and ready to learn. At Elm Drive, our commitment is to provide every child with personalized learning experiences that nurture their academic, social, and emotional growth.

This year, we will continue our work with the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which helps us meet students where they are through high-quality instruction, targeted interventions, positive behavior supports, and social-emotional learning centered around the RULER program. We’re also proud to offer unique spaces like our Sensory Room and Calming Room, which provide students with opportunities to regulate, refocus, and thrive.

Beyond the classroom, I look forward to the return of beloved traditions that bring us together as a community—Grandparents’ Day, Parents’ Night Out, Tall and Small Ball, the Spring Music Festival, Blue Ribbon Blazer Assemblies, and more. These moments remind us that school is about more than academics; it’s about connection, joy, and creating memories that last a lifetime.

I look forward to partnering with you throughout the year to ensure every child has the opportunity to shine. My door is always open and I welcome your input, ideas, and collaboration. Together, we can make this an outstanding year for our Blazers!

Best,

Samantha Lynch

Samantha.Lynch@millbrookcsd.org

845-677-4225 ext. 5102

Elm Drive Elementary Principal

Our Core Values

Core values

This year, you may hear more about our Core Values. Schools promote academic success in reading, writing, and math, but we also have a responsibility to help students feel a strong sense of belonging and develop the soft skills that will serve them well in the future. We build these skills through RULER, our social-emotional learning curriculum, and reinforce them by promoting and celebrating our Core Values. Together, these values give our diverse community a shared vision of what it means to learn and grow side by side. Each month, we’ll recognize one student from each grade who demonstrates a Core Value, and we’ll proudly display their certificates at the school entrance.

Purpose: I stay focused and strive to achieve my goals.
Ethics: I act with integrity and make responsible choices.
Acceptance: I respect differences and value diverse perspectives.
Community: I help create a supportive and inclusive environment.
Evolution: I reflect on my growth and work to become a better version of myself.

SchoolTool Parent Portal

The Parent Portal can be accessed on a computer, tablet, mobile browser, or through the SchoolTool mobile app. The app is available for download in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. To log in directly, visit Millbrook CSD’s SchoolTool portal at: [insert URL].

https://st10.schooltool.com/Millbrook/Default.aspx

This URL must be entered into either the mobile app or web browser in order for you to be able to log in to your Parent Portal account.

If you need further assistance, please contact the main office where someone will gladly support!

Mary Beth Griffen

845-677-4225 ext. 5100

How To Find Out Your Child's Teacher

Click on your child's name and then they can click the "Schedule tab" to see their schedule.

Click on a link on the "Home screen" to view your child's schedule from there.

School Supplies

2025-2026 Prek-2 School Supplies

Upcoming Dates

September 2: Superintendent's Conference Day

September 3: First Day for Students

September 16: Fall Picture Day

September 18: Back to School Night (Parents ONLY)

September 30- October 3: Scholastic Book Fair

Safety Reminders

For the safety of our students, parents and visitors are not permitted to enter the building during the school day.
If your child is arriving late, leaving early, or you need to drop something off, please use the buzzer at the front door. A member of our main office staff will meet you at the entrance to assist.
All student sign-in and sign-out procedures will take place outside the building.
Families will receive one week’s notice prior to any scheduled safety drills.

New Staff

I’d like to take a moment to introduce some of the wonderful professionals who will be joining (or rejoining!) our school community for the 2025–2026 school year. Please join me in giving them a warm welcome!

Ms. Douglass, Second Grade Teacher – We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Douglass to our Elm Drive second grade team, and we are so excited to have her on board.

Ms. Merola, Second Grade Teacher – After serving as our Pre-K leave replacement, we are delighted to officially welcome Ms. Merola back to Elm Drive as a member of our second grade team.

Ms. Squires, Second Grade Special Education Teacher – We are excited to welcome Ms. Squires to our second grade team, where she will bring her expertise and passion for supporting students’ success.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up

Student drop-off begins at 8:40 a.m. at the main entrance, which will serve as the single point of entry each morning. Parents/guardians must park their car and walk their child to the main entrance; no parents enter the building.

Dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m. for PreK students and 3:20 p.m. for all other students. If you are picking up your child, please park in the side parking lot and proceed to the side All-Purpose Room door, where staff will assist with sign-out. We kindly ask that once you have signed your child out, you exit in a timely manner so that dismissal can run smoothly.

Please note: Parents/guardians may not pick up students directly from the main office. For safety, identification is required each time a child is signed out.

REMINDERS:

Always send an email or note if you are picking up your child from school if they're not normally Parent Pick Up.
Inform the office if you are Parent Pick Up every day.

**The email address for these requests is elm.parentpickup@millbrookcsd.org**

We are excited to share that breakfast and lunch will be free for all students during the 2025–2026 school year! Please note that a la carte items are also available, but these must be purchased separately.

Transportation

Please CLICK HERE or visit the transportation page on our District website. Roads are posted with approximate times. If you do not see your address listed, please look at the nearest corresponding road so you can be able to GPS for your time. Please ensure the student is out at least 2-3 minutes early. Feel free to call the First Student Bus Company at 845-677-6666 if you need assistance or Transportation Secretary, Jessica McRoberts at 845-677-4200 ext. 1104.

Interested in Joining PTO?

Click Here For More Information & Sign-Up!

Annual Notifications

Please click here to proceed to the MCSD website with all of the Annual Notifications, Technology Use, and Code of Conduct forms which MUST be completed. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the main office.

A note from our

Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services

Here in the PPS Office we are excited to have the first month of school underway. One reminder as we continue to move throughout the school year to our families, when you receive a consent form for evaluations for your child, please return the signed copy to the PPS Office in order for us to ensure your child’s evaluations are completed by the necessary timelines.

As always, if you have questions regarding your child, please do not hesitate to contact the PPS Office:

Ana Nyarady - Interim Supervisor of PPS (Pupil Personnel Services, ENL)
- 845-677-4200 ext. 1116
- ana.nyarady@millbrookcsd.org
Danielle Leonardi - Administrative Assistant
- 845-677-4200 ext. 1107
- danielle.leonardi@millbrookcsd.org

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