ECS 🦅 November 2024 News
Dr. Patrick Dowd
CEO
Email: patrick.dowd@ecspgh.org
Dear ECS Families,
Since arriving at ECS, I have had the privilege of meeting with the ECS team, students across the district, and many of you, our parents/guardians. While many of my conversations with stakeholders have occurred naturally during events like the 6th grade rising information night and the Pumpkin Parade, I have also hosted intentional office hours, specifically with ECS’s high school team, to discuss the departure of the ECHS principal that occurred on Oct. 7.
While the high school is in great hands under the leadership of Dr. Rodney Necciai, acting ECHS principal, and Megan Mulert, ECS’s 6–12 Associate Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, ECS will launch a thoughtful and careful search to identify its next high school principal in the coming weeks. I recognize that the search for an ECHS principal is a topic our district has grappled with previously. In connection with ECS’s vision to see our students through their entire K–12 educational career and enter the postgraduate world as a global citizen, I believe we all have a vested interest in identifying an individual that encapsulates the ECS mission.
With that said, I am planning to invite parents/guardians district-wide to participate in listening sessions in the coming weeks to help inform the ECHS principal search process. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon.
The insights you, our parents/guardians, provide in combination with the information I am gathering from students and staff, will inform the hiring process and help in the creation of the role description, interview questions, and more.
I look forward to listening to your thoughts and suggestions regarding the transition and the search. Thank you for your support and partnership in building and maintaining our high school.
ECS. We Grow Citizens.
Patrick Dowd
CEO
What’s New at ECS?
Arrive Early for Conferences
On Monday, Nov. 4, several election-related events are occurring around Pittsburgh. Please expect delays in the area and arrive early for your scheduled conference.
Election Resources
Elections present exciting educational opportunities, but ECS recognizes that we may see an increase in stress in our community and the results could elicit a myriad of feelings. The ECS team is prepared to support students throughout the Election process and remains mindful of students’ feelings, reactions, and voices to ensure ECS builds a community where all our students feel heard. If you believe your student needs an adult check in, please contact your building’s school counselor or principal. Our student services team provided resources below that were useful during the 2020 election to help you have election related conversations at home:
Child Mind: Guidance for Speaking to Kids about the Election
NASP: Supporting Marginalized Students in Stressful Times- Tips for Caregivers
NASP: Supporting Marginalized Students in the Context of 2020 Election: Tips for Parents
November Harvest Celebration
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Green Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Peach cobbler
Food Service Tip of the Month
Did you know that by participating in the school lunch and breakfast program, your family could save $950 a year per student? Please see our food service menu for nutritional and tasty meals at no cost to you.
Alma Tip of the month
The Alma Guardian/Parent Portal has an Alma Study Guide that you can access by clicking on your profile circle and then clicking on "Study Guide." Whether you need a brief overview of what information can be found in Alma or you want to take a deeper dive into your student's class assignments and grades, the Alma Study Guide is a great place to start. View the Study Guide.
Join the ECS Foundation this Giving Tuesday!
This Giving Tuesday, we’re rallying to support ECS’s mission of empowering students through environmental education and sustainable practices. Together, we can make a difference! Help spread the word by sharing our social media posts, telling friends and family about our mission, or considering a donation. Every contribution brings us closer to creating a more equitable, sustainable future for our students and community. an impact, share with friends and family, and make this ECS's biggest donor day of the year!
Upcoming Events
New Date: Digital Harmony: Crafting a Healthy Digital Environment– Dec. 5
Are you always telling your child to take a break from screen time or reminding them no phone at the dinner table? If this sounds familiar, join ECS and its experts for Digital Harmony: Crafting a Healthy Digital Environment on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 6–7:30 p.m. in the Middle School cafe. Seats are limited so Learn more and RSVP by Nov. 27 to secure your spot…
Congratulations!
Ben Fisher, 12th Grade
Ben Fisher was inducted into the Hawkeye Scholar Hall of Fame for passing the AP Chemistry exam.
ECS Foundation: Grants Received this Quarter
Aerie. $2,500 (submitted 9/23/24) Our initiative, "EmpowerHER: Building Strong Girls for a Stronger Future," is designed to foster confidence, resilience, and community among girls through a combination of research-backed programs: Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG), ROX (Ruling Our eXperiences), and Girls on the Run (GOTR).
Farm to School $15,000 (submitted 6/7/24) Every child deserves good food and a nourishing education. At ECS, the Edible Schoolyard program (ESY) creates hands-on experiences that connect students to food, nature, and each other. ECS interweaves learning to address the crises of climate change, public health, and social inequality while also introducing students to locally sourcing food, understanding food growing cycles, and connecting to the people who curate the ingredients for our recipes. ESY aspires to expand access to campus gardens, increase connections to local purveyors, expand food education to the community, and create joyful experiences to explore different foods.
In Case You Missed It
Sibling Preference
Have a sibling who would like to attend ECS for the 2025-26 school year? Please complete an application by logging in to your SchoolMint account and pressing the add new student application. The application deadline for sibling preference is January 17th.
Current students do not need to apply. Re-enrollment information will be sent to all current families in 2025.
"A sibling is defined as one of two or more individuals having at least one common parent/guardian." Sibling preference does not guarantee enrollment.
ECS We CAN
Help ECS 2nd Graders reach their goal of recycling 100,000 cans for the Million Cans Recycling Contest from Oct. 2024 to April 2025. Students will earn $1 for the Primary school for every 58 cans they collect. Funds will support ECS Primary’s environmental literacy out-the-door education opportunities. With the money raised, Primary students will go on trips to the zoo, farms, the Frick Park Environmental Center, and more.
Here's how you can help:
Save aluminum cans.
Do not crush them.
Arrange for drop off at your building’s designated can drop-off location.
ECS encourages and prefers adults to drop off aluminum cans.
If a student plans to transport aluminum cans themselves, they are not permitted to bring alcoholic cans.
Building can drop-off locations are as follows:
Primary School: The can bin in the back parking lot.
Intermediate School: A can bin is located in the front vestibule of the school.
Middle School: A can bin is located in the front vestibule of the school.
High School: A can bin is located in the lobby.
Spread the word using the ECS We CAN toolkit.
If your business is interested in contributing to the ECS We CAN project, please complete this form.
The ECS We CAN Project is sponsored by PPG.
Get to Know the ECS Foundation!
Curious about the ECS Foundation and how it supports our school community? Discover what we do, how we fund innovative educational experiences, and ways you can get involved!
What is the ECS Foundation?
Q1 Frick Park Field Studies
Each quarter, Intermediate students will participate in Frick Park Field Studies. The first quarter included Frick Park 101, Watershed 101, and BioBlitz.
Complete the Excuse Form When Your Student is Absent
Was your child absent this week? Please remember that 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 you 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!
ECS values volunteers in our district. Individuals must have clearances uploaded into Raptor, ECS’s School Safety Software, in order to volunteer in any of our schools. Learn how to volunteer and what clearances are needed.
2024–2025 Calendar
View this school year’s calendar and subscribe to the online public calendar.