Welcome to my first blog! I hope to send out a brief message each week to keep you updated on important information and timely events. We are off to a super start at East Hill this year! It was great seeing so many of you at our annual PTA Ice Cream Social last Thursday and at last night’s Curriculum Night. If you weren’t able to attend last night, please make sure you make contact with your child’s classroom teacher so that you can sign up for a parent conference in November.
We have several new staff members at East Hill this year as well as some returning staff members. In the music department we welcome back Maggie Mercer and Leah Causer, formally Leah Randall. Derek Campbell has joined us as a part-time physical education teacher. Sandy Ladd is our new speech/language teacher. You will find Ellen McManus greeting you in the office as our part-time secretary. We also have three long-term substitutes with us: Courtney Reina in 1st Grade, Melissa Simmons in 4th Grade, and Elizabeth Kolis in 5th Grade. Cari Tudman is our new part-time special education teacher, and Denise Paone, April Dolan, and Susan Zoanetti have joined our staff as teaching assistants. Finally, Cindrye Frazier is our new evening custodial helper. Please join me in welcoming them to East Hill!
We kicked off our new Anti-Bullying initiative with a great program today. Lyle Cogen presented “Sticks and Stones” to our entire school. Hopefully you received a letter home yesterday about our school’s anti-bullying efforts. A parent video will be shown at our November PTA meeting. Class meetings have already begun and students have learned our four schoolwide rules: 1) We will not bully others; 2) We will try to help students who are bullied; 3) We will try to help students who are left out; and 4) If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home. Stay tuned for more information about Olweus, the bullying prevention program that our district recently adopted.
Have a great year!
