McNamara Update - August 6, 2025

Posted Date: 8/06/25 (2:16 PM)

McNamara Elementary School

August 6, 2025

Dear McNamara Families,

I hope all of our McNamara families have been enjoying a wonderful summer! The 2025-2026 school year begins four weeks from today - can you believe it?!

Families will be able to login to SchoolTool to view teacher assignments beginning on Friday, August 22. We suggest attempting to login to SchoolTool prior to that date to ensure you have the correct username and password. Feel free to call our main office if you need assistance with login information.

Please join me in welcoming our new McNamara staff members!

Ms. Bridgit Ayen - Lunch Monitor
Mrs. Melanie Andrews - RTI Reading Teacher
Ms. Caitlin Besio - Grade 3 Teacher
Mrs. Samantha Cangro - Social Worker
Mrs. Katrina Kahl - Band
Mrs. Christina Lamirande - Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Kelly Michaels - UPK Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Jen Pellett - UPK Teacher
Mrs. Lisa Seeley - RTI Math Teacher
Ms. Maureen Thayer - Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Danielle Zareski - Music Teacher (year long substitute for Ms. O'Reilly's maternity leave)

Please see information below regarding the start of the school year. Be sure to check out the "Save the Date" section for upcoming events. More information will be shared in the coming weeks regarding each of the events.

Have a terrific remainder of summer break!

Mindy Howard

Principal - McNamara Elementary School

Students Not Returning to McNamara

If you know that your child will be moving to another school or district for the 2025-2026 school year, please let us know by completing the form linked below:

Students Not Returning Form

Updated Custody Documentation

Our main office is working to ensure that we have the most updated custody paperwork for families. If you need to provide updated custody paperwork, please send it to Jill Kantak (main office secretary) at jkantak@bville.org.

2025-2026 Arrival and Dismissal

Early Student Drop-off - 8:00-8:25

Student Arrival - 8:35-8:45

Parent/Guardian Pick-Up - 3:25

Bus/Walkers Dismissal - 3:25

Buses Depart - 3:30

Early Drop-Off

Families have the opportunity to drop students off early between 8:00-8:25. Students will be supervised in the cafeteria, and released to their classrooms at 8:35. Please complete the form below if you would like to sign up for early drop-off.

Early Drop-Off Request

Student Pick-Up and Car Tags

McNamara will continue to run a car pick-up system at dismissal time. Please view the link below to learn about the car pick-up procedures.

If you plan to pick up your student(s) daily or on a regular basis, please click the link below to share student pick-up information with our main office. Once we receive this information, we will issue your family a car tag number. Families need to submit this information even if they used a car tag last year as we need to re-verify student pick-up information each year. New car tags will be issued so that we ensure we have all updated information.

Car Tag Pick-Up

We would like to distribute car tags prior to the start of the school year to ensure a smooth dismissal on the first days of school. Please be prepared to show your ID when picking up the car tags. We will give out car tags to UPK and Kindergarten families at orientation. We will distribute the remainder of the car tags during the times listed below (same as the medication drop-off times). If you are able to stop by McNamara during these times, we would greatly appreciate it!

August 26, 1:00-2:30 pm
August 27, 4:00-5:30 pm

McNamara Car Pick-Up Procedures

Student Pick-Up Information Form

Medication Drop-Off

If your child will need medication(s) at school, provider and parent permission forms are needed for both prescription and over the counter medications. New medication permission forms are required each school year.

New York State Law requires that:

Parents or guardians must personally deliver all medication to the school health office. All controlled medications must be counted with the school nurse and quantity delivered must be signed off by both the adult and school nurse.
All medication must remain properly labeled in the pharmacy container or in the original over the counter (OTC) containers.
A new prescription/medication form signed by the medical provider is required at the beginning of every school year.
The parent must sign the medication permission form.

Mrs. Moore, our school nurse, will be available for medication drop off on August 26 from 1:00-2:30pm and August 27 from 4:00pm-5:30pm. She will be available for Pre-K and Kindergarten families just after their orientations are complete.

Please contact Mrs. Moore at 315-638-6132 or kmoore@bville.org to discuss further options if these dates/times do not work for you.

NYS Required Immunizations

The district is excited to share that we have partnered with the Onondaga County Health Department and Drakos Urgent Care to provide required immunizations to all students right here on our main campus. The immunization clinic will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27th and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th at C.W. Baker High School. Visit the link below to register and learn more.

Immunization Information

School Supplies

This year, McNamara will not have a school supply drop-off event. If you think your student(s) may have difficulty bringing in optional materials on the first day (such as tissues or hand sanitizer), these items may be brought in across the first week.

Interested in free school supplies or a back to school haircut for your student(s)? Click the link below to sign-up!

School Supply Request Form

Report Card Update

Pre-K through Grade 5 will be transitioning from quarterly report cards to a trimester reporting system. Please click the link below to view an update from the district regarding this change:

Report Card Update