
Notes from East Hill Elementary
January 25, 2024
Message from East Hill Principal
Dear East Hill Elementary School Families,
I want to thank our PTA, our volunteers, and all the families that were able to join us last Friday evening for Bingo at East Hill! We had a great time coming together for pizza and Bingo fun. We have included some photos below.
We had a busy week of learning and were able to get outside a bit to enjoy the snow for a couple days. Please continue to send your student with a coat, snow pants, hat, gloves/mittens, and boots. Students will be outdoors for recess as much as possible.
This is a friendly reminder to all families that tomorrow, Friday, January 26, is an early dismissal for all students due to a Superintendent's Conference Day! We will begin bus dismissal at 11:10am and car dismissal will begin after the buses leave the loop.
Have a great weekend!
~Susan
REMINDER
Early dismissal for Superintendent's Conference Day
Friday, January 26
Bus dismissal at 11:10am
Car dismissal right after the buses leave the loop
Please send a note if your child's dismissal plan is changing for this day
PTA Family Bingo Night
Electronic Devices
As we return to school in the new year we would like all Wildcat families to review our policy regarding electronic devices. Our elementary policy regarding such devices reads:
"Personally owned electronic games and devices, such as cell phones, CD players, iPods, remote control cars, hand-held video games etc., must be off and away throughout the school day. These items can be lost, stolen, broken and are a distraction. The school cannot and will not be responsible for these items. Please help us by keeping them at home."
Students who violate this policy may be subject to the following disciplinary sequence:
First Report:
The student will receive a warning.
Second Report:
Parents will be notified.
Third Report:
The device will be taken away and a parent/guardian will be required to pick it up.
Please note at this time all apple watches or similar devices are allowed but are not to be used for anything other than telling time and must not be a distraction, during school hours. These watches or similar devices will follow the same reports above if they are a distraction and/or being used inappropriately.
Cold Weather Gear
The cooler weather is upon us! Please keep in mind that our students will continue to go outside for recess daily. If the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above, recess can take place outside. If the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (this includes factoring in the WINDCHILL), recess will be indoors. Students should always have appropriate clothing for the weather each day: Coat, boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves.
Also, please remember to label your child's cold-weather clothing. You will be so glad you did!
Congratulations to the Wildcat WOW Prize Winners!
Lea Brown, Addison Misiaszek , Rachel Olesh, Hannah Scheirer, Lyra Vincent-Schmohe, Harper Ciciarelli, Nora Conboy, Sophie Ridilla, Mia Rivera-Perez, and Gavin Bucktooth
Yearbook Ordering
Positivity Project
Next week's Other People Matter mindset focus is Forgiveness. Click here to see what students are learning.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year continues until March 31, 2024.
Information can be found on the Central Registration webpage. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.
When registering, parents should be prepared to upload the following:
- Two proofs of residency (i.e. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement, utility bill)
- proof of age
A physical examination and proof of immunizations are also required for entry into kindergarten and a dental certificate is requested for entry into kindergarten. These examinations should be done up to one year prior to the first day of school. Children who enter kindergarten this fall must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2024.
Universal Pre-Kindergarten Registration Will Open on March 11, 2024
West Genesee partners with local Community-Based Organizations (CBO) for its Pre-K program.
To be eligible for UPK during the 2024-2025 school year, a child must:
- Have a birthdate between December 2, 2019 and December 1, 2020
- Reside in the West Genesee Central School District
In the event that more registrations are received than can be accommodated, the District will conduct an initial selection process via an open lottery in which children will be selected at random.
Those children who have completed the registration process by May 1, 2024 will be part of the initial selection process.
Families who were part of the initial selection process will be called in order of selection and informed:
- whether their child has been accepted to the program, and
- which site (including hours of the program) is available for their child;
OR
- where their child is on the waiting list.
Families will be contacted by May 2-3, 2024.
If at any point after the initial selection process there are more students registered than seats available, students will be placed on the waiting list in the order that their registration was completed.
Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of the parents/guardians, and students must attend the program five days a week to maintain their seat.
Look for registration information on the Central Registration webpage at:
http://www.westgenesee.org/district-services/registration/. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at at (315) 487-4683.
When registering, parents should be prepared to upload the following:
- proof of residency (ie. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement)
- proof of age
Emergency Closing Information is Important
Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the following stations which you can access by clicking here.
SchoolMessenger communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)
Parent/Guardians and staff will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in ParentVue. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
Are you Receiving All of our Communications? Helpful Tips about the SchoolMessenger Communication System:
- To be sure that you are receiving all emails sent from the District/schools/teachers, please periodically check your spam/junk/promotions folder for emails with @westgenesee.org, then mark that they are not spam/junk/promotions.
- To be sure that you are receiving text messages this year from WGCSD or your school(s), text a "Y" or "Yes" to 67587.
If you still have questions about receiving emails and/or text from WGCSD, please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
West Genesee Website and Mobile App
We have redesigned the West Genesee website and took into consideration the information shared in the results of the survey we distributed in June. It is now easier to find items directly related to your school from that school's homepage. It is also very mobile responsive and easy to find items from your phone. However, if you have questions about the new site, please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
In addition to the new website, we are also launching a new mobile phone app to communicate to students, parents, and community members about West Genesee news, upcoming events, and other important information. The West Genny app is available to download free from the Apple App store or the Google Play store. For more information about the mobile app, click here to view a video about the app.
This app is different from your ParentVUE app which you will continue to use to communicate with teachers, check on schedules, and other items that relate directly to your specific child(ren).
Students to Receive Free Breakfast and Lunch Meals
We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to receive a FREE breakfast and lunch meal at school beginning December 1.
This implementation is a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students.
What does this mean for your child(ren) attending the school(s) identified above?
Effective 12/1/2023, all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day regardless of the family’s household income. Milk is free with a full meal. No further action is required of you.
If you have any further questions, please contact Food Service at 315-487-4661.
Please click here to read a message to parents about free meals for students.
Upcoming Events
- January 31 - BOE Meeting (6pm - East Hill Cafeteria)
- February 2 - Blue and Gold Spirit Day
- February 3 - Grade 4 Chorus Sings the National Anthem at the Crunch Game
- February 5 - PTA Meeting (6pm)
- February 12 - PTA Chipotle Fundraiser - more info coming soon!