Primary School September Newsletter (23–24)
Important Dates
9/4: No School - Labor Day
9/6: PCO Picnic at Turtle Park at 5 p.m.
9/6: PCO Meeting at Intermediate School at 6 p.m.
9/12: OST Activities Fair from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Middle School
9/15: No School–Rosh Hashanah
9/15: First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month
9/18–9/19: Primary School Picture Day
9/20: ECS Board of Trustees Meeting at 6 p.m. at Middle School
9/22: Climate Strike
9/22: PCO Fall Plant Pick Up at Intermediate School Starting at 12 p.m.
9/25: No School– Yom Kippur
9/29: PCO Frick Park Market Fundraiser
10/2: Enrollment for the 24–25 School Year Opens
10/4: PCO Meeting at 6 p.m. at the Middle School
10/6: ECS Spirit Day
10/6: Primary School Community Day
Dear Primary School Families,
Best start ever!!! I hope your start to the school year has been as amazing as it feels during the day inside (and outside) the building. Our little ones are having tons of fun, making new friends, learning and practicing routines, getting outside, and playing! Part of what we do at the start of the school year to support the transition and to build our community is the introduction of our school-wide positive behavior supports (PBIS). We learn and practice what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible in our spaces and with each other at ECS Primary. Students earn a hawk ticket in class and are entered into a class raffle. If a student is Soaring Above and Beyond, they can earn the super soaring ticket, come to the office, sign the wall of fame, and get a sticker on their shirt! Those students are then entered into a larger school raffle and chosen at random for a group place-based reward each Friday. Ask your child what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible at school and with each other at Primary.
Take care, get outside, and play,
Ashley Bergman
Primary School Principal
What's new at the Primary School?
Nature can improve academic outcomes
But don’t just take our word for it! There is now a significant body of research indicating the benefits of nature connection for academic and social-emotional learning, including:
More positive attitudes and engagement with school
Improved behavior, focus, and attention
Enhanced creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving
Reduced stress and anxiety
Make the case for nature-based learning with our infographics and hundreds of studies like these in our Research Library.
Purchase Your Tie Dye ECS Spirit Wear: Clubs and Athletics Scholarship Fundraiser
While creating your own t-shirt will be available at the OST Activities Fair, get a head of the rush. Pre-order your ECS gear and pick it up when you attend the OST Activities Fair on Sept. 12. All proceeds support the ECS Clubs and Athletics Scholarship Fund. Pre-order your gear by Sept. 7 at 5 p.m…
Out-of-School Time Activities & Athletics Fair
ECS will host an Out of School Time Activities & Athletics Fair in the Middle School Cafe on Sept. 12 from 6–7:30 p.m. Drop in to explore K–12 Out of School Time offerings and participate in live activities. Learn More and RSVP…
Important Bus Statement
The City of Pittsburgh has quite a bit of road construction taking place all over the city and it's roving from street to street. With it being the start of the school year it usually takes a couple of weeks just to generally iron out the route wrinkles without the construction. ECS and the bus companies understand how important it is for the students to make it to school on time so they are not missing important instruction that is taking place. We appreciate your patience with this matter and we ask that you continue to have patience as the drivers navigate and iron things out
Please remember that the times for bus arrivals and departures are best-guess estimates and your driver will make adjustments to the times as they figure out the route.
This Month’s Cultural Celebrations
Primary Students are learning about Hispanic Heritage Month! Please email Chelsea.Young@ecspgh.org with any questions!
In Case You Missed It!
At ECS we strive to create a safe and supportive environment in which all students can thrive. One way we do this is through intentional community building activities (such as Morning Meetings, Community Meetings, Community Days, etc.). We also regularly practice monthly safety drills with our students. We practice ways to stay safe in the event of a fire, severe weather, or other threats that may warrant securing our building/locking down. Whatever the circumstances, we teach our students to remain calm, listen to their teachers, and follow the routines that we teach and practice throughout the school year. Our educators are prepared to make quick decisions in the face of emergencies and students are instructed to always be listening so they know what to do.
Your child may come home and share that they participated in a safety drill and we wanted you to be aware. Please feel free to reach out to a principal with additional questions.
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NEW! 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.ALMA- ECS’s Parent Portal
Alma account activation emails for new families were sent Friday, 8/11/23. If you have not received an activation email or are returning to ECS and have forgotten your Alma username or password, please send an email to the ECS Help Desk.Be sure to check your and your student(s)' information in Alma and let us know if anything needs updated. New students and 5th graders will receive their Alma login credentials once they have returned to school.
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 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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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!
