September 13, 2025
 
Dear Garden City School Community,

As we settle into the new school year together, I want to take a moment to share several updates.
 
Opening of School Year
Overall, we’ve had a successful opening to the start of the school year. Students are already engaged in their learning, participating in after-school activities and athletics, and preparing for our upcoming homecoming festivities (see below).
 
We have encountered some challenges with our Lunch for Every Learner program, specifically at the primary and elementary schools, as well as some issues with transportation routes. I thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve these matters and will keep you updated with any developments.
 
Universal PreK
Our Universal Prekindergarten program is also off to a great start, with placement offered to every child whose family applied this year. We still have space available for any new families who move into the area, or for parents who decide they would like to take advantage of this opportunity for their child.
 
Literacy Review
The Literacy Review report was presented and discussed at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting by CASDA, the organization that conducted the review, and the full report is available on our website. Building on this, the District will be establishing a Literacy Review Committee that will meet monthly beginning in October. The committee will review all information submitted by the District’s literacy consultants, as well as District data, and will make specific recommendations for initiatives that can be introduced in the near future, as well as some long-term action plans.
 
Flags at Half-Staff
Several families raised a question regarding the district’s protocol for lowering flags to half-staff.  The district has historically relied on official notifications from New York State when lowering flags; in this instance, no formal state directives were issued. After reviewing our Board policy and regulations, we confirmed that flags are to be lowered in accordance with both state and federal directives. We thank the residents who brought this to our attention.
 
The flag at the district administration building is at half-staff. Please note that flags at school buildings are not raised or lowered on weekends, except at the administration building, which is the only site where the flag remains illuminated at night. We will continue to follow established government directives to ensure consistency, respect, and honor in how our flags are displayed.
 
In closing, thank you for your ongoing participation and partnership with our District. Next week will be an exciting one for our students, with Spirit Week and fun activities planned for each day leading up to our annual Homecoming celebration on Saturday, Sept. 20. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. at Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue and end at our high school, with the football game kicking off at 3 p.m. I hope to see many of you then as we come together to cheer on our team and celebrate the pride we all share in our schools.
 
Have a wonderful weekend and wishing you a school year filled with joy, growth, and many proud moments!
 
Sincerely,

Kusum
 
Kusum Sinha, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools