Primary School Sept. Newsletter (21–22)

Dear Primary School Families,

What a wonderful start to the school year! The joy and laughter in the building are carrying a bit of magic through the air. The classrooms are turning into caring communities, the students are hiking, the outdoor spaces are being used throughout the grounds, and students are playing! I cannot thank each of you enough for the support and open communication as we started the most unique year in our history. The continued collaboration is essential to keep everyone safe but also helps to enjoy the school year. As a reminder, our school day starts promptly at 8:30 a.m., and we need all students to arrive by then. Please sign your child in on the tardy clipboard if you arrive after 8:30 a.m. At the beginning of each day, your little one is playing and joining the class in community building and social-emotional meetings, and it is essential that each of our learners are present so they feel connected to their school community. Please reach out if you have any questions or needs. My door is always open.

Take care, get outside, and play!

Ashley Bergman

What's new at the Primary School?

Students Enjoy Lots of Outdoor Time!
We are getting our little ones outside to eat as often as possible!

We would like to welcome some “New To Primary” staff.
Kaitlin Kmec - Kindergarten Teacher
Tayler Roscoe - 1st-grade Paraeducator
Billy Hagberg - 2nd-grade Paraeducator
Eve Norman - 2nd-grade Assistant Teacher
Katya Graham - Primary School Building Substitute
Lauren Kimicata - MTSS Specialist
Vanessa Hadley - MTSS Specialist
Karen Ieong - School Nurse

Picture Day Change
Primary School picture day will no longer occur on Sept. 9–10 due to schedule changes. Picture day is rescheduled for Oct. 19–20.

School-Based Mental Health Services: The Children’s Institute (CI)
ECS is excited to be partnering with CI to offer space for outpatient mental health services to occur within the school setting. This service can include traditional talk therapy and/or optional medication management and is billed through your insurance. Enrolled students meet with their CI therapist during the school day. CI accepts a wide range of insurance providers! If you are interested in connecting your child with an outpatient therapist, reach out to our school social worker, Jessica Segal (x9431), for more information.

Go Guardian: Beacon
Beacon is a suicide and self-harm prevention tool that our student services team will utilize 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 our school social worker, Jessica Segal x9431, or school counselor, Laura (Davidson) Brienza x9109, with any questions.

In Case You Missed It

Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible
At ECS Primary, we talk with our children about how to be safe, kind, and responsible. Each day we discuss what that looks like inside and outside our four walls. We highlight “leave it better than you found it” throughout each space. If you would like to talk about this with your child we would appreciate the collaboration.