Thank You!

Thank You!
As you are aware, our Student Council organized a fundraiser last week to benefit two students that graduated from East Hill that are suffering from kidney disease. Students were asked to wear orange and contribute a dollar if they were able. Our staff and students, along with a generous donation from the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, raised over $1600! Thank you so much for your contribution.

Community Giving
I am always amazed at the generosity of our East Hill community. Again this year, with the help of our wonderful PTA, the Skaneateles Student Council, and donations from our East Hill families, we were able to help out six local families in need during the holidays this year. Thank you so much for all that you do. It is truly heart-warming.


Standards-Based Grading and Reporting
We are hoping that you have found our new report cards to be informative as well as easy to read and understand. We would like to get your feedback regarding our new report cards. Please take a minute to complete this short, five-question survey about the report cards as well as the timing of parent conferences. Your honest feedback is appreciated.

Character Strengths
This week we continue learning about self-control which is ever so important during the holidays! When we return in the new year we will focus on perseverance. Click here to read more about perseverance from the Positivity Project.

Spirit Week
Today is pajama day as you can see from the pictures below. Tomorrow is festive clothing day, Wednesday is formal wear day, Thursday is hat/headband day, and Friday is red and green day.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a great holiday break! I will see you in 2018! As a reminder, there is no school next week; school will resume on Tuesday, 1/2/18.

- Lisa

'Tis the Season for Self-Control!

Self-Control
Self-Control is appropriately the character strength on which we will focus for the next two weeks. Our learning targets are: I can control my emotions and behaviors. I can think before I act. It is certainly the time of year when many of us need to exercise self-restraint, that's for sure! To learn more about self-control, click here.


Save the Date!
On Tuesday, January 16th the Prevention Network in conjunction with the elementary school counselors will be offering a night on parenting. Prevention Network educators will offer sessions derived from a researched-based program called Parenting Wisely. Three different topics will be offered. The evening will be hosted at Stonehedge Elementary. Pizza and child care will be provided. More information on this important night will be sent home soon.





Go Orange for Hannah and Nathan!
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 12/13) we will be wearing orange to honor Nathan and Hannah VanHorn, two East Hill graduates who could use some of our help. Students are asked to wear orange and donate a dollar if they are interested.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

As a reminder, this Thursday and Friday are half-days at the elementary schools for parent conferences. Next week I will be sending out a link to a short survey about our new, standards-based report cards. If you can take a minute to complete the survey when you receive it, we would appreciate it! If you ordered artwork from the Square One Fundraiser, we are hoping it will be here in time for you to pick it up at your conference this Thursday or Friday.

Kindergarten Snowy Villages

4th Grade Mandalas

Holiday Spirit Week
Monday, 12/18: Pajama Day
Tuesday, 12/19: Festive Sweater and/or Socks Day
Wednesday, 12/20: Formal Wear Day
Thursday, 12/21: Holiday Hat or Headband Day
Friday, 12/22: Green and Red

Holiday Parties
Classroom parties will be held on Thursday, December 21 at 2:15. Please remember that all food brought in to our nut-free classrooms must be store bought and contain a label so that it can be checked by the nurse and/or teacher.

Have a great week!

- Lisa

Bravery, Gratitude, and Kindness (Oh My!)

Bravery and gratitude were the character strengths on which we focused the past few weeks. Our monthly Positivity Project Assembly that was held last week highlighted these strengths. Lance Corporal Curtin and Officer Gucciardi spoke to the students about bravery. Students also talked about all of the things for which they are grateful.

Speaking of gratitude, thank you to everyone who was able to take a tag from the PTA's annual Giving Tree in the lobby. Please bring your wrapped gift in by this Friday, December 8. Because of your generosity, six local families will be able to have a much happier holiday!

Kindness is this week's character strength. Our Fifth Grade Student Council wrote notes of kindness to every single student in the school. Students were surprised to see these notes on their locker when they came in this morning! To learn more about the strength of kindness, click here.

Fourth grade students at East Hill showed their character strengths of curiosity, creativity, and teamwork as they created textured ceramic ornaments for the Everson Museum's Annual Festival of Trees. Their tree will be featured as the "Children's Ceramic Tree" in the Everson's Monumental Gallery from December 1-10. Parents and teachers of East Hill have been offered the reduced admission fee of $5.00 during this time. Children under 12 are admitted free.

Are you wondering about your own character strengths? Feel free to take this free survey to find out more! All of the staff at East Hill (and most of the district) have already taken it.

I hope to see many of you at the 4th and 5th grade winter concert this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the high school. Also, please remember that report cards will be distributed this Friday. Parent conferences will take place next week on Thursday and Friday, December 14 and 15. Please remember that both of these days are half-days with an 11:30 dismissal.

Enjoy the week!