Primary School November Newsletter (22–23)
Important Dates
11/8 - Asynchronous Day - Conference Day
11/11 - Half day - Conferences 11:30 dismissal
11/15 - PCO Meeting at 6 p.m. at Intermediate School
11/16 - ECS Board of Trustees Meeting at 6 p.m. at Middle School
11/17 - Children’s Grief Awareness Day
11/23 - Half day - Thanksgiving Holiday
11/24 - 11/28 - No School Thanksgiving Holiday
Dear Primary School Families,
Conference time is an essential time to collaborate with ECS teachers to support your child! We are all a team and all need to work together to do what is best for your little one’s learning. Please see some family tips that will help you prepare for your conference!
Before the Conference
Talk with your child about school specifics
Talk with other professionals, adults, and caregivers in your child’s life so you can share all of the information/ask all of the questions
Make a list of what you would like to discuss
Complete the parent questionnaire and return it to the school
During the Conference (Questions to consider)
What subjects does my child like/dislike?
What friends is he/she playing with most/least?
What are my child’s academic strengths/weaknesses?
Are there any peer conflicts?
How can I help my child at home?
Is my child putting forth the most effort?
How do you measure my child’s progress?
Does my child participate? How well/often?
Does my child have a positive attitude?
Is my child willing to take risks?
Is my child on grade level?
May I share a concern?
Can you fill me in on a particular situation?
What kind of support is my child receiving?
After the Conference
Review discussion points with teacher
Talk to your child about the amazing things you have learned about them from school.
Talk to your child about any ways you will support them at home and we will support them at school in any areas they are struggling.
Discuss with any other caregivers any relevant information to support your child.
Helpful links:
Take care, get outside, and play,
Ashley Bergman
Primary School Principal
ashley.bergman@ecspgh.org
What's new at the Primary School?
Check out this free training on ADHD that another local charter school is offering
View the Primary Food Allergy Flier_2022.2023
A Note from the Nurse
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 ECS lice for additional information.
Student Services News
Attendance Reminder
As the Holiday Season approaches, we recognize that trips may be planned in the coming months. As a reminder, each student gets 10 excused absences from a parent per year. You can complete the online excuse form here. Any additional absences must be excused by a doctor. If your student will be absent for a pre-scheduled trip, please email your building principal for approval.
Children’s Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, November 17th, ECS will be participating in Children's Grief Awareness Day. All ECS students are invited to wear all BLUE (while following dress code guidelines) to raise awareness for the needs of grieving children. Throughout the week, students will be participating in developmentally appropriate discussions around how to support those who are grieving or sad. For information about support services for grieving children, check out The Caring Place and/or reach out to a school counselor. #CGADHOPE #CGAD2022
Go Guardian Break Changes
ECS uses a Beacon software tool to monitor online activity from your child’s school account. During the year when school is in session if any content related to suicide or self-harm is flagged, a member of our Student Services team follows up with students and families to ensure that students are properly supported. During the break, the ability to monitor these alerts is significantly reduced. If an alert is detected, the notification will be sent directly to the parent from Go Guardian. As always, we encourage you to have open conversations with your child and/or contact Re:solve Crisis Services (1-888-796-8226) if you are concerned about your student’s mental health and safety. Because this software tool is only based on your child’s online activity, it should not be used as a medical or psychological assessment of your child’s condition, but more so an indicator that you should speak with your child about what is troubling them.
K-5 SEL & Counseling Lesson Updates
October SEL teacher-led lessons focused on emotion management skills. Additional lessons with school counselors built off of this theme as a foundational skill for overall wellness and bullying prevention. School counselors also continued to work on individual student Minute Meetings in order to better understand how students feel about school, friends, and trusted adults at ECS.
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. During this month of gratitude, we are celebrating the history of Dia de Los Muertos, Veterans Day, and Native American Heritage Month. If you would like to share something about your family's culture, please email Chelsea.Young@ecspgh.org.
In Case You Missed It
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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!
