Primary School December Newsletter (22–23)
Important Dates
12/9 - half day; dismissal 11:30, Primary progress reports available to families in Alma
12/13 - Choolaah Fundraiser - Ski Club
12/14 - Winter OST Programs Enrollment Opens
12/21 - ECS Board of Trustees Meeting at Middle School at 6 p.m.
12/22 - half day; dismissal 11:30
12/23 - 1/4 - No School; Winter break
1/5 - Students return
Dear Primary School Families,
As the frosty air settles in during this time of year, I try to remind everyone that time outside is still a huge benefit for our children. Our children need time outside, time to explore, and time to play. We need to bundle them up to spend time outside for recess, hikes, and classes. Please send your child to school with weather-appropriate clothing. We will have abbreviated time outdoors if the “feels like” temperature drops below 25 degrees. Here is an article from the PA Department of Health discussing the importance of outdoor play even in cold weather. Have an amazing December and holiday season!
Take care, get outside, and play,
Ashley Bergman
What's new at the Primary School?
A Note from the Nurse Regarding Lice
ECS has had a few reported cases of head lice in the buildings.
Head lice do not carry any disease, and their presence does not indicate unsanitary conditions. Head lice can infest anyone. Control of head lice in our school depends on prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. Your help in inspecting your child weekly throughout the school year for the presence of head lice would be greatly appreciated. Please note that whole grade head checks are not completed when lice is detected as this practice has shown to be non-productive.
We suggest the following procedure for inspecting your child for head lice:
1. Under bright light begin looking at the back of the head just above the neck area.
2. Part the hair section by section and look closely for head lice or nits (eggs). Eggs will usually be located near the scalp.
3. Depending on the length and thickness of the hair, it should take between 5 and 15 minutes to properly inspect a child's head.
Please read the ECS lice Guidelines for additional information. Due to the short life span of head lice when not on a person, the CDC does not recommend additional facilities treatment outside of ECS’s regular cleaning procedures. To learn more about the treatment and prevention/control of head lice, please visit the CDC’s website.
K-5 SEL & Counseling Lesson Updates
November SEL lesson highlights include gratitude practice and Children’s Grief Awareness Day. In K-5 classrooms, teachers focused on developmentally appropriate discussions around supporting friends and classmates who seem sad. Teachers also normalized feelings of sadness and discussed strategies that can help.
This Month’s Cultural Celebrations
Students will explore various winter holidays and learn more about their peers who celebrate them.
In Case You Missed It
What is ME TIME?
ME TIME is a time of day where students are working on skills and strengths in Literacy or Math. Students are in groups all over our school building to support those strengths and skills. They could be working with any of the educators in our school building in numerous locations. If you would like to know more about your child’s ME TIME please reach out to your child’s homebase teacher.
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Primary School dismisses at 11:30 a.m. on half days.
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Please send in a water bottle to school with your child. We are outside often and students need to be able to bring water along.
Please put sunscreen on your child prior to school as it may be sunny while we are outside!
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Arrival
Students being brought or bused to school will be accepted between 8:10 and 8:30 a.m.
Students will be accepted at the back and front doors only.
Do not stop or park on South Braddock Avenue; South Braddock Avenue is for buses only.
If you are driving by to drop off, please turn onto Brashear Street and drop your student off at the back gate.
If you do not see an ECS staff member at the gate, please find a parking space and walk your student to the back door
If you are walking your student to the front or back door, please park either on East End Avenue or Waverly Street.
If you arrive after 8:30, you must sign your student in at the front office. When ECS operates as a closed campus due to high community spread, families will sign students in at the table in the front vestibule.
DO NOT obstruct or park in neighbors’ driveways and do not double park on the street.
Dismissal
Students will be dismissed between 3:30 and 4 p.m.
Do not stop or park on South Braddock Ave; South Braddock Ave is for buses only. All pick-up students will be dismissed from the playground space behind the school.
Please park on either East End Ave. or Waverly St.
Do not park on Brashear Street.
Do not block the ECS gate/driveway.
Do not obstruct or park in neighbors’ driveways and do not double park on the street
No child will be permitted to go to an idling or unparked car.
Make sure to bring your dismissal sign. Your child will not be released to an adult without this sign. When you see your child please make sure the supervising adult knows you have taken your child before you remove them from the backlot.
Please arrange for early dismissals prior to picking your student up prior to 3:15 p.m. Once at school, please ring the front door and sign out your student in the office. ***Please note: When ECS operates as a closed campus due to “high” community level, families will sign students out at the table in the front vestibule.***
We will NOT dismiss any student from the front doors after 3:15 p.m.
During severe weather incidents (such as thunderstorms) families should still report to the rear of the building. Students will be dismissed from the two classrooms inside the two back doors.
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Breakfast
Regular: $2
Reduced: $0.30
Adult: $2.50
Lunch
Regular: $2.85
Reduced: $0.40
Adult: $4.10
Juice and/or milk can be purchased for $0.35.
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Lunch money is collected online. No cash is accepted at school as lunch money. Schoolcafe.com is our online payment portal. You will need your student’s ID number to add funds to the account. You may also obtain your student’s lunch ID by contacting Niki Hutcherson directly at niki.hutcherson@ecspgh.org. To assist in our record keeping and accounts, ECS strongly encourages families to add funds to your child’s account (suggested $20.00) to help cover last minute purchases. Families who require an alternate payment method can email payments@ecspgh.org or contact Sarah Kegarise in the Business Office at 412-247-7970 ext.9304 Meal participation invoices will be sent out monthly. Parents may also set up balance reminders on scoolcafe.com. Small negative balances can add up, and we appreciate your help in keeping our accounts up to date.
To find your student’s id, please log on to Alma.
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If a child forgets a lunch at home, he/she/they will be provided with an ECS school lunch. Families can then add money to the child’s account. Students will not be denied a meal or given an alternate meal due to a lack of funds on the account.
Primary School Hawk Highlights from Last Month!
Community Meetings are back!
