At Cassingham Elementary School, students trade juice boxes and swing from monkey bars. Memories are made on the playground and in the classroom, which its alumni will remember forever.
Principal David Schottner explained his main goals as principal are to improve inclusivity, keep kids safe and give everyone a voice.
“Cassingham is a community and a family and a special place to learn,” Schottner said.
Fifth grader Sydney Bonnington said she believes Cassingham is a great place to learn because everyone is supportive.
“People care a lot for each other here and want others to do their best,” she said.
Former Cassingham student and sophomore Maddy LaFollette said Cassingham was an inclusive place where everyone was kind and worked together. She said she misses the fun traditions Cassingham had, such as field days and the buddy system, where older kids mentor younger kids.
Second-grader Suzette Costakos said her favorite subject is art. She enjoys her class’s holiday parties, she added.
“For our Christmas and Halloween parties, we get to play games,” she said. “We play target boards, throw the rings onto the cones and cut out bats or snowmen at our desks.”
Former Cassingham student and sophomore Hadley Bannan said she misses Cassingham’s welcoming environment.
“There were no groups or cliques, everybody was friends,” she said. “You were invited to every single person’s birthday party and you just connected with everybody.”
Sophie Kantor, a former Cassingham student and sophomore, said she remembered Every Cub Counts, which was “family time” for the students, as each student was split up into sects called “families” that were led by one teacher.
“It was fun because you got to spend time with people that you don’t usually hang out with and people from different grades,” Kantor said.
Fourth-grader Gabe Werman said he enjoys playing flag football at recess with his friends.
“Anyone can play if they want to,” Werman said “But, people mostly play with the kids in their own grade.”
Schottner encouraged flag football to limit the amount of injuries and fights that were stemming from touch, he explained.
“Touch football can cause injuries and goes against the no-touchy-touchy rule, but the kids love playing the sport at recess, so we had to make a deal,” Schottner said.
Schottner said he made a new lunch rule that includes sitting with only people in one’s class. This was challenging, he said, but he works with the staff to make decisions that are beneficial for the whole school. Schottner said he wants everyone to be heard and for students to be able to voice their opinions in an inclusive environment.
“It was hard to implement the rule about students only sitting with their class,” Schottner said. “However, when I was here as a teacher, I would always see one or two students sitting alone as a result of students being exclusive, and it broke my heart.”
Third-grader Sidney Sniderman said he wanted to change the new lunch rule.
“I sit with some of my friends during lunch, but only because they’re in my class,” Sniderman explained. “I wish we could sit with whoever we want during lunch instead of sitting with people who we don’t know or aren’t friends with.”
Costakos said she appreciated the change to the lunch rules.
“I get to sit with people who I want to be friends with,” she said. “I think it’s made it easier to make new friends.”
Darci Bonnington, the mother of a fifth grader and kindergartner, said Cassingham is a kind and inclusive community.
“Cassingham tries to teach safety, kindness and respect, which are all important values in life and ideas that my children will need throughout their lives,” she said.
Released and digitized November 2025.
