Webutuck’s Back to School night

WEBUTUCK — The North East (Webutuck) Central School District will host a Back to School night on Tuesday, Sept. 6, for parents and students in grades four through 12 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.“This family event is intended to give students and families the opportunity to come back to school, reconnect with friends, meet teachers in an informal and relaxed setting as we kick off the new school year,” elementary and high school principals, Katy McEnroe and Ken Sauer, respectively, said in a letter to parents.“Back to School is also a great opportunity for [the students] to transition from summer to the upcoming school year and to not have the first-day stress of finding their classes or lockers,” the letter continued.Sauer said the event will “start the year off on a positive note” and will be like a meet and greet for the students and families to become familiar with the school staff.The evening will feature complimentary food provided by the PTA, a bounce house and an informational talk for parents about the recent gang presence in Dutchess County; it will also offer parents ideas to help their children stay out of gangs. The talk will be given by Dutchess County probation officer Norm Rausche.Sauer said he hopes the evening will encourage parents to become more involved with the school through organizations like the PTA.The Webutuck PTA sponsors many school events throughout the year, including book fairs, Science Night, honor roll luncheons and field day. PTA applications will be available during the Back to School night for all staff, teachers, students, parents and guardians who are interested in joining. Membership in the organization costs $5, which helps cover the events sponsored by the PTA.“My hope is to have 100 percent staff participation in the PTA,” said Sauer.Classes at Webutuck will start on Wednesday, Sept. 7, the day after Back to School night.