Primary School June Newsletter (23–24)
Important Dates
6/5: PCO Meeting and Steering Committee at 6 p.m. at Middle
6/7: High School Graduation at 6:30 p.m. at Carnegie Museum of Art
6/12: Student Half Day
6/13: Last Day of School, ECSCares Day from 9–11 a.m., Report Cards are Published, Kennywood Day
6/17: Board of Trustees Meeting at 6 p.m. at Middle
6/19: ECS is closed for Juneteenth
Dear Primary School Families,
It has been an incredible year, and I hope your summer is restful, relaxing, and full of PLAY! See you next year!
Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
Cognitive skills- like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
Physical abilities - like balancing blocks and running on the playground
New vocabulary - like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
Social skills- like playing together in a pretend car wash
Literacy skills - like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant
Play is healthy
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.
Play reduces stress
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.
Play is more than meets the eye
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules--to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.
Make time for play
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional development.
Play and learning go hand in hand
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.
Play outside
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighborhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.
There is a lot to learn about play
There’s a lot written on children and play. Here are some NAEYC articles and books about play. David Elkind’s The Power of Play is also a great resource.
Trust your own playful instincts
Remember as a child how play just came naturally? Give your children time for play and see all that they are capable of when given the opportunity.
Play is a child’s context for learning
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing “restaurant”, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.
resource:https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/10-things-every-parent-play
Take care, get outside, and play,
Ashley Bergman
What's new at the Primary School?
This Month’s Cultural Celebrations
In Case You Missed It!
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Sibling Preference for the 24–25 School Year
Have a sibling who would like to attend ECS for the 2024–25 school year? Please complete an application in your SchoolMint account by pressing the add new student application after Oct. 2. The application deadline for sibling preference is January 31. Current students do not need to apply. Re-enrollment will occur in March.“A sibling is defined as one of two or more individuals having at least one common legal parent/guardian. Sibling preference does not guarantee enrollment.”
Enrollment for the 24–25 School Year Opens Oct. 2!
Let your friends and neighbors know about our open enrollment! The application deadline to be considered for the lottery is Jan. 31, 2024. Learn more…Family Portal on the ECS Website
Based on feedback from last year’s communication survey, ECS has identified areas of improvement on the website. ECS is pleased to launch its Family Portal, a designated space for current families to view and learn information. Browse the Family Portal.Volunteering & Clearances
ECS values volunteers in our district. To learn how to volunteer and what clearances are needed visit the Family Portal Volunteer page.Receive Board Meeting Reminders
Did you know that ECS has monthly Board of Trustees meetings? Opt-In to receive Board Meeting Reminders that will include the date, time, and location of the meeting as well as links to the agenda draft, sign up to speak form, and YouTube Live feed. -
Primary School dismisses at 11:30 a.m. on half days.
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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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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 send hats, coats, and gloves for your child as it may be cold while we are outside!
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Arrival
Students being brought to school will be accepted between 8:10 and 8:30 a.m.
Students will be accepted at the FRONT door only.
Families may pull into the bus lane on S. Braddock Ave in front of the school for a driving drop off.
Buses and cars will all drop off in the same location.
No child will be admitted through the back door. The back gate will be locked.
When pulling into the bus lane, pull as far forward as drop off traffic allows.
Do not wait to get to the end of the sidewalk to unload your child.
Your child MUST exit on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Your child MUST be fully prepared to exit the vehicle when you stop in the drop off line.
Backpack on, materials gathered, hugs and kisses complete.
There will be multiple ECS staff present to assist students from cars and buses to keep the line moving smoothly.
Parents/Guardians should remain in their vehicle.
Students may open their own car door. DO NOT wait for a staff member.
Families are still welcome to park in our local community and walk their child to the front door.
Please do not block residential driveways.
Do not obstruct or park in a neighbors’ driveways.
Do not double park on the street.
If you arrive after 8:30, you must sign your student in at the front entrance.
Dismissal
Students are dismissed between 3:30 and 4 p.m.
Do not stop or park on South Braddock Ave; South Braddock Ave is for buses only during dismissal. 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 a neighbors’ driveways.
Do not double park on the street
No child will be permitted to go to an idling or un-parked 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.
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.
Early Dismissals
Any student picked up before 3:15 p.m. is considered an early dismissal.
Early dismissals must be arranged prior to picking up your student by contacting the office manager.
Once at school, please ring the front door.
The office manager will request that you report to the main office and sign out your student on the computer.
Your child will meet you in the office.
We will NOT dismiss any student from the front doors after 3:15 p.m.
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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!
Students performed line dances!
