ECS 🦅 April 2025 News
Dr. Patrick Dowd
CEO
Email: patrick.dowd@ecspgh.org
Dear ECS Families,
Spring is here, and with it comes many fun activities and educational opportunities rooted in sustainability. April is Earth Month, and students district-wide are kicking off Earth Day, Everyday initiatives. This might look different at each school, but the concepts are grounded in the same priority, becoming global stewards.
At the Primary and Intermediate schools, students will learn about various environmentalists and participate in read-alongs. Our Intermediate kiddos will complete a virtual read-along of the book “If We Were to Plant a Tree” with Oakly from Tree Pittsburgh. This book is extremely special as a few years ago, ECS’s 4th-grade class created the drawings for this book, so be sure to check it out.
At the Middle and High Schools, students implement what they’ve learned throughout the year and previous grades and shift to advocacy and action efforts. Students will get outside to discover the urban environment’s unique offerings while cleaning up litter. Particularly in high school, students will catalog their findings to determine what items and brands are littered the most. They will then analyze that data and draw conclusions.
These sustainability efforts are multi-disciplinary. From students using math to calculate percentages and differences to taking a deep dive into their writing skills to develop papers and stories that summarize their findings, this work spans several courses and connects real-world challenges to the classroom.
ECS. We Grow Citizens.
Patrick Dowd
CEO
What’s New at ECS?
Board Meeting Date Change to April 30
Due to Spring Break and PSSAs, the April Board of Trustees meeting will now occur on Wednesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the Middle School.
Policies Passed at Last Month’s Board Meeting
The ECS Board of Trustees voted on and passed the following policies during the March 19 meeting.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Anti Discrimination Policy
Anti Sexual Harassment Policy
Anti Bullying Policy
Workplace Relationships Policy
Wellness Policy
View the approved policies here.
Upcoming Policies
The ECS Board of Trustees will review and vote on the following policies at the April 30 board meeting:
Hearing Officer Policy
Student Lottery Admissions Policy
Review the upcoming policies here.
April Cultural Celebration Lunch
On Friday, April 11, ECS students will enjoy a cultural lunch celebrating Arab Americans. It will feature:
Moroccan Chicken
Sleek and Basmati Rice
Join the ECS Wellness Advisory Committee (ECSWAC)
Niki Hutcherson, ECS Food Service Director, is looking for parents/guardians to join the ECS Wellness Advisory Committee (ECSWAC) to help establish school health goals. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please submit a letter of interest to Niki.Hutcherson@ecspgh.org by Friday, April 11. Meetings will occur four times a year with the first one starting in mid-May.
ECS We CAN–Donate by April 30!
April 30 is the last day to donate cans to the ECS We CAN initiative. ECS has saved 53,000 cans from going to a landfill! Help our second graders reach their goal of 100,000 aluminum cans by the end of the month!
Alma Tip of the Month
Student transcripts are available in Alma for grade levels 3rd through 12th. Navigate to the "Graduation Tab" and click on "Transcript." Transcripts can be downloaded as PDFs. *Course credits are allocated once a student completes a course. In most cases, this is at the end of the school year.
Upcoming Events
Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
ECS is grateful for all of its parent/guardian and community volunteers. Save the date for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, May 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Turtle Park next to the Intermediate School. More details to follow.
Save the Date: GreenRoots Fair
The GreenRoots Fair is returning to ECS in May 2025. This year’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, will connect the ECS community to climate action and Earth Day Initiatives. Save the date for your grade level’s GreenRoots Fair and join us for a fun-filled night of games, music, and more with community partners.
Friday, May 9: K–5 GreenRoots Fair
Friday, May 16: 6–12 GreenRoots Fair
Save the Date: ECSCares
The 3rd Annual ECSCares Day will take place on Thursday, June 12 from 9 to 11 a.m. Participation in ECSCares Day will count toward students’ attendance for the day. ECS looks forward to announcing its community partners and service locations next month.
Congratulations!
PMEA District 1 Elementary String Fest
5th graders Elsa S. and Julian S. represented ECS at the PMEA District 1 Elementary String Fest on Friday, Feb. 28.
ECMS Track Team
The ECMS Track team kicked off its season strong with meets on Thursday, March 27 and Monday, March 31. Teresa (7) placed first place in both the 800 and 1600m, Amira (8) broke the long jump record, and Aidan (7) broke the shot put and triple jump records.
PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest
5th grader Lilah represented ECS at PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest at Mt. Lebanon High School!
ECMS GSSU
The ECMS GSSU has participated in several collaborations and brought in many special guests including representatives from the Hugh Lane Foundation's Affirm program, The Andy Warhol Museum, and PFLAG. Through this student advocacy group, participants have a safe space to explore transgender rights and supports, learn LGBTQIA+ history, and discover new ways to get involved in the community. Students are planning additional opportunities to the Heinz History Center and the Andy Warhol Museum to engage in Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ history and other educational activities!
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
12th grader, Jordan, performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m., as part of their student side-by-side concert at Heinz Hall. Jordan has attended rehearsals, private lessons, and sectionals in preparation for the concert, and she was selected from 300 violin applicants in the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia areas.
August Wilson New Voices Monologue Competition
Darnell (grade 10) placed third in the August Wilson New Voices Monologue Competition last week! He won a cash prize and a scholarship to Point Park University! He also appeared on KDKA Intersections to promote the competition!
Additionally, Darnell and two other ECHS students and competition participants, Ayari (9) and Taj (9) have been invited to travel to NYC with the group to cheer on their fellow performers at the Apollo Theater!
The competition was hosted by the Bill Nunn Theater Outreach Program, a group that has visited the ninth grade English class for the past two years as part of their study of August Wilson's play, Fences.
PCO News
May PCO Meeting
Join the PCO for its virtual May 9 PCO meeting at noon HERE.
PCO’s annual Spring Flower & Plant Sale is back in time for Spring planting!
The ECS is hosting its annual Spring Flower and Plant sale with orders coming from a local, woman-owned business. The PCO is also offering organic vegetable, herb, and native pollinator seedlings from Grow Pittsburgh. Browse the options and place your order by Wednesday, April 30.
Pick-up will occur on Friday, May 16 at the Intermediate School. Looking for an opportunity to lend a helping hand to make this fundraiser a success? Sign up here.
In Case You Missed It
Complete the Family School Climate Survey
Please take 5 minutes to participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s School Climate Survey. By clicking the link below, you are able to select the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park, and anonymously respond to the state’s questions. Take the 5-minute Family Survey by Friday, May 23.
Complete the Excuse Form When Your Student is Absent
An excuse must be turned in within 3 days of the absence or it will be marked unexcused. You can submit an excuse in any of the following ways:
Complete your building’s form
Email your child's teacher or school office manager
Call the school office manager
Submit a note from you or a physician
Get Your Clearances, Get Involved!
With many classroom celebrations coming up, please ensure your clearances are submitted through Raptor, ECS’s School Safety Software, to volunteer in any of our schools. ECS cannot accept paper copies. Learn how to volunteer and what clearances are needed.
Half-Day Dismissal Times
Students will be dismissed at the following times on half days:
Primary School: 11:20 a.m.
Intermediate School: 11:20 a.m.
Middle School: 11:40 a.m.
High School: 11:38 a.m.
2024–2025 Calendar
View this school year’s calendar and subscribe to the online public calendar.