Family Involvement, Clubs & Activities
Chorus
Chorus is available for students in grades 4 and 5. Membership in chorus is based on student interest. A winter and spring concert are presented by the groups, as well as special musical programs. Information about chorus is available from the vocal music teacher.
Instrumental Music
Instrumental music instruction begins at the 5th grade and is open to any interested students. A letter describing the program is sent home to all fourth grade students in the spring. Weekly lessons and group musical experiences are provided for both string instruments and for band instruments.
Odyssey of the Mind
OM competitions are intended to foster the students’ creative thinking skills by having teams of students, coached by parent volunteers, working cooperatively to solve pre-designed problems. Odyssey of the Mind competitions are open to students in grades 4-5. Teams compete locally with winning teams having the opportunity to compete state-wide and nationally. Teams are formed in the fall and are sponsored by the school district and PTSA.
Open Houses
There are two open houses during the year. The first occurs during the summer or near the beginning of the school year and is a time to come into the school to meet and speak with teachers. For Grades K-3, children may accompany parents. The Grade 4 and 5 Open Houses are considered informal sessions for parents only. The Open Houses also give parents the chance to look around the classroom, meet room parents and others, and sign up for conferences and volunteer opportunities—it’s a good idea to bring your calendar!
The second open house occurs in the spring. Parents and children (including siblings) attend this event together and have a chance to see much of the children’s work displayed in their classrooms.
PTSA (Parent/Teacher/Student Association)
What is PTSA? Each elementary and secondary school in the Pittsford School District has a PTSA school committee consisting of a chairperson, assistant chairperson and numerous standing committee chairpersons. The school chairperson is a member of the Pittsford District PTSA Executive Board along with numerous district standing committee chairpersons.
The MCE PTSA provides the volunteers for all school programs! Additionally, PTSA organizes and staffs volunteers for such things as school picture day, our School Book Fair, all Enrichment programs after school and special assemblies. There are several ways for you to choose to be involved!
How do I join the PTSA?
In the fall of each school year all parents and teachers are invited to join the PTSA. The membership dues are an important source of funds for the PTSA. MCE PTSA Home Page
Room Parents
Each classroom has two volunteer room parents, who facilitate communication between teachers and parents and who coordinate with teachers to recruit volunteers for class events. Room parents are also liaisons between parents and the PTSA. Room parents are expected to attend a meeting in late August before school begins, to be present at the fall Open House, and to be available throughout the year as needed. If necessary, they will be asked to participate in Emergency Phone Trees.
Forms inviting parents to become room parents for the following year are sent home with existing MCE students at the end of each school year. Parents of students in the incoming Kindergarten class are also notified of room parent openings. Please understand that, since there are many parents who would like to be involved in this activity, you may be a Room
Parent for only one MCE class a year. Room parent assignments are made on a rotating basis from year to year.
Safety Patrol
Fifth graders apply to serve on safety patrol in the fall. Students are on duty per their schedule created by the faculty advisor. Safety patrol students are not independently responsible for students; they are under the direction of a faculty advisor and work to enhance adult supervision. Members are expected to be role models and adhere to all elementary code of conduct expectations.
Staying in Touch
Open communication is an invaluable part of the MCE environment. Parents are always welcome to participate in decision-making and school activities and to contact the school regarding questions, concerns, or suggestions. Incoming Kindergarteners and their parents are invited to an informative orientation session in August. In addition, our School Counselor provides a welcoming orientation in late August for students in Grades 1-5 who have registered during the summer. Once a family is part of the MCE community, a variety of communication tools, many of which are detailed below, are available to them.
Student Council
Student Council is involved in many school projects and service activities. A new council is elected each year. Two representatives and one alternate are elected from each class of the fourth and fifth grades. The Student Council leads our school in community service events such as collecting candy for donation at Halloween time and collecting food for a November in-gathering.