Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-May 8, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
We have had another wonderful week filled with engaging learning experiences across our school!
Congratulations to our third and fourth graders on an outstanding concert performance this week. A special thank you to Mrs. Guifre, Mr. Reardon, and Mr. Stachnik for the time and dedication they put into preparing our students for such a memorable event.
We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our amazing PTA for helping us celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. Your thoughtful treats and acts of kindness throughout the week were truly appreciated by our staff.
Our students have also been busy with exciting classroom learning opportunities. Third graders had the chance to explore artifacts that helped bring their study of Native American culture to life. First graders received expert guidance from Mr. Madden as they learned how to draw animals for their research projects. Meanwhile, our second graders had a great time exploring coding concepts through hands-on activities with Ozobots.
Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and school community!
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-April 24, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
We had a very busy and productive week at school! I would like to begin by extending my sincere thanks to our PTA, along with Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Marchesani, for organizing a wonderful Learning Fair. This event provided our students with a meaningful opportunity to explore topics of interest and engage in new learning experiences.
Officer Brand met with each grade level during our CODE assemblies to talk about the importance of kindness and preventing bullying. These conversations are an important part of building a positive and supportive school community.
Our Buddy Classes also spent time together this week. Some groups participated in spring planting activities, while our younger students shared encouraging messages and wished our older students good luck on the NYS assessments—such thoughtful connections to see!
Speaking of the NYS assessments, our third and fourth grade students worked very hard on their Math tests. We are proud of their focus, perseverance, and effort. The NYS ELA Tests will be starting at 9:30 on Wednesday, April 29th and Thursday, April 30th for all third and fourth graders.
Additionally, our second grade students learned about recycling from a representative from OCRA, helping them better understand how they can care for our environment.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another great week ahead!
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-April 10, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
It has been wonderful welcoming our students back after Spring Break. I am so proud of how quickly they have settled back into their routines—our classrooms are once again filled with focused learning and positive energy.
Today, we celebrated School Spirit Day, and it was fantastic to see so many students showing their Wildcat pride. We also recognized a special group of students with our “Wildcat Wows,” and had them join me for lunch in celebration of their great choices.
I would also like to give a special shout-out to our fourth-grade students who serve on our Safety Patrol. They continue to do an excellent job assisting with dismissal, demonstrating responsibility and care for our school community.
As we look ahead, I want to remind families of our upcoming New York State assessments for students in grades 3 and 4:
NYS Math Assessment: April 22 and April 23
NYS ELA Assessment: April 29 and April 30
These assessments are an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning and growth. The best way to support your child is by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at school on time, ready to do their best.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-March 27, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
Over the past couple of weeks, our school community has been filled with meaningful learning experiences that I am thrilled to share with you.
Our Spring Open House was a tremendous success! It was truly heartwarming to see our hallways filled with families and to watch our students beam with pride as they showcased their hard work. From creative projects to academic achievements, students did an incredible job “showing off” their learning. Events like this highlight not only their growth, but also the strong partnership we share between home and school.
We were also fortunate to welcome author Stan Tucker, thanks to the support of our amazing PTA. His visit was both engaging and inspiring, as he encouraged our students to focus on kindness, empathy, and the impact of their actions on others. His message truly resonated throughout the building, and we are excited to extend this experience by planning a follow-up activity with our Buddy Classrooms. This will give students an opportunity to continue practicing and spreading kindness across grade levels.
As we eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring, our teachers have been bringing seasonal fun into their classrooms with creative and engaging activities. Even if spring hasn’t fully arrived outside yet, it is certainly alive and well inside our school!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-March 13, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
There have been so many wonderful learning experiences happening at school this week, and we are excited to share them with you!
We look forward to welcoming families to Onondaga Road Elementary for our Spring Open House on Thursday, March 19 from 6:00–7:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, view student projects, and see the tremendous growth they have made throughout the school year.
There will not be any formal presentations during this time. Instead, families are invited to stop in, explore classrooms, and celebrate student learning together. We hope you can join us for this special evening!
Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support.
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-February 6, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
There are so many exciting things happening at our school, and I’m happy to share a few highlights from this week with you! Our third graders had a fantastic experience with the Zoo to You program, where students engaged in hands-on learning. It was wonderful to see their curiosity and enthusiasm come to life.
We were also able to celebrate some of the students who earned Wildcat Wows with this month's Principal Picks! These students were recognized for demonstrating our school expectations and making great choices. As a special reward, they enjoyed extra playtime in the gym!
In addition, we have completed our Winter Universal Screening, and our teacher teams have been working thoughtfully to analyze the data. This process is so important, as it helps us celebrate the growth our students have made and guides us in adjusting instruction and groups to best meet each child’s needs.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support.
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier
Message From Onondaga Road School Principal-January 23, 2026
Dear Onondaga Road families,
Winter in Syracuse is certainly nothing new for us, but this season has definitely been packing an extra punch! With the continued cold weather, I wanted to share a few important reminders with families.
First, regarding outdoor play: we use a “Real Feel” temperature of 20 degrees as our guideline for outdoor recess. When the "Real Feel" temperature is 20 degrees or above, students are able to play outside. If it falls below that threshold, recess is held indoors. Please be sure to send your child to school with appropriate winter gear—coats, hats, gloves, and snow pants—so they can safely enjoy outdoor play whenever possible.
I would also like to remind families who transport their children to and from school about our arrival and dismissal procedures. The earliest drop-off time is 8:50 a.m., and this is only for students who will be eating breakfast at school. Students who are not having breakfast should not be dropped off before 9:00 a.m., as supervision is not available prior to that time.
At dismissal, we kindly ask that families remain in their cars while waiting for students to be brought outside. This helps us keep the dismissal line moving smoothly and prevents traffic from backing up on Onondaga Road.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in helping us keep our students safe and our school running smoothly. We truly appreciate it!
Respectfully,
Michelle Collier