Intermediate School September Newsletter (22–23)

Dear Intermediate School Families,

As we transition into the month of September, students are settling into their routines, renewing and creating friendships, and continuing their learning and growing journey for the 2022–2023 school year. Similar to the previous year, ECS Intermediate continues to implement our House System to build onto and maintain community at the school. All of our third-grade students, new students, and new staff were sorted into their Houses. The sorting ceremony took place on Friday, Aug. 19, and the student’s excitement as they were placed in their House was fantastic. The environment was filled with lots of laughter, cheering, and support for their fellow classmates. Please find below a review of the Houses.

I look forward to this year’s House competitions and am excited to see our students continue their academic journeys at ECS.

Sincerely,

Laura Williams

What’s new at the Intermediate School?

Half-Day Dismissal Time
Friday, Sept. 23 is a half day, and students will be dismissed at 11:20 a.m.

September Student Services News:

Welcoming New Faces
We are thrilled to welcome Keith Bull, Heather Kane, and Casey Fenton to our Student Services Team! We have increased our school psychologist positions and now have at least one full-time counselor and one full-time social worker in each of our buildings. The development of this team shows ECS’s dedication to supporting the whole child and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals #3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and #16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). For more information on the preventative and responsive services offered at ECS, visit our website and reach out to a team member at any time throughout the school year. We are here to help!

The ECS School Counseling Team focuses on preventative skill building for school success and overall wellness.

Beth Flynn, Primary School (K-2) Counselor
Cylie Snyder, Intermediate School (3-5) Counselor
Andrea Szolna, Middle School (6-8) Counselor
Jen Bruni & Keith Bull, High School (9-11) Counselors

The ECS School Social Work Team focuses on home-school-community connections, supports attendance needs, and aims to break down barriers to school success.

Heather Kane, Primary School (K-2) Social Worker
Jessica Segal, Intermediate School (3-5) Social Worker
Vanessa Veltre, Middle School (6-8) Social Worker
Sofia Massaro, High School (9-11) Social Worker

ECS School Psychologists complete evaluations and collaborate with building based teams to determine student needs and develop support plans that help students succeed in school.

Casey Fenton, Primary School (K-2) and Middle School (6-8) Psychologist
Alexis Pasi, Intermediate School (3-5) and High School (9-11) Psychologist

Attendance Matters
Regular school attendance is much more than just a state law. Attendance patterns in elementary school can have lasting impacts on student achievement in middle school, high school, and beyond. While missing one or two days a month may not seem like a lot, within a school year, that student will miss out on 10% of learning opportunities. If you need help establishing routines around attendance, please reach out to your school social worker for support: Jessica Segal (3-5) x9431, Vanessa Veltre (6-8) x9312, or Sofia Massaro (9-10) x9251. Attendance Matters

Go Guardian: Beacon
Beacon is a suicide and self-harm prevention tool that our student services team will be utilizing to monitor and proactively identify at-risk students. If a student searches a concerning topic on a school computer, the parent/guardian will be directly notified. Please reach out to your building’s school social worker or school counselor with any questions.

This Month’s Cultural Celebrations

Our ECS community is made up of many different cultures! Once a week during Morning Meeting, we take some time to celebrate cultures, traditions, and world events. From September 15th–October 15th, we will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!

In Case You Missed It

New Arrival Time
As we begin the 2022 - 2023 school year, the arrival time has now changed for the students. The arrival time is now 8–8:20 a.m. as opposed to 7:50 - 8:20 a.m. as in previous years. The dismissal time remains at 3:20–3:50 p.m.

Arrival and Dismissal Reminders

Arrival: Students being brought to school by car, bike, or on foot will be accepted at the Henrietta Street entrance between 8–8:20 a.m.

The front door will close at 8:20.
Please use the visitor parking spaces on Milton Street, adjacent to Turtle Park, if you must park your car during student arrival. Please do not park in front of the school or on Milton Street.
Please avoid obstructing neighbors’ driveways.
Please be aware of cyclists in and around Regent Square.
Please do not make a U-turn on Henrietta street (the street in front of the building) or turn left on Milton. Instead, please continue straight down Henrietta and turn left on LaClair.
If you arrive after 8:20, please bring your student to the front door and ring the bell. The office manager will confirm the receipt of your child and they will sign in at the front desk and receive a pass to class

Dismissal: Student dismissal begins at 3:20 and concludes at 3:50 p.m.

Do not stop or park in front of the school or on Milton Street. Please park on the east side of South Braddock Avenue.
All dismissal transportation changes have to be submitted to transport.int@ecspgh.org by 11 a.m. of the effective date.
All pick-up students will be dismissed from the side exit of the school building, next to Turtle Park.
Dismissals from the office are for pre-arranged early dismissals only. Please pick your child up from the designated dismissal location outside of the school.
Please avoid obstructing neighbors’ driveways.
Please be aware of cyclists in and around Regent Square.
During severe weather incidents (such as thunderstorms) parents may pick up students from the school gym.
Please do not make a U-turn on Henrietta Street or turn left on Milton. Instead, please continue straight down Henrietta and turn left on LaClair.

Make sure that your child has checked in with the staff member assigned to their dismissal prior to leaving.
Please arrange for early dismissals prior to picking your child up. Once at the school, please ring the front doorbell and ask the office manager for your child. Your child will meet you at the front door.