Education Fair A Success

The East Hill Education Fair was a great success again this year. Over 80 projects were on display last Tuesday for students and their parents. The projects seem to get better every year. See below for a quick video that captures several of the projects.

Also a success was an action research project conducted by Mrs. Greco, Mrs. Tuttle, and Mrs. Ritch called, "East Hill Girls Can Code." Approximately sixty girls in grades two through five participated in one hour before-school sessions on coding for the last ten weeks. The project was done to see if girls' attitudes about computers and themselves would be impacted after in-depth exposure to coding. We haven't yet analyzed the results of the post-assessment so we will let you know! This project will be highlighted on the Cool Schools segment on News Channel 9 this Friday morning at 6:50 a.m. 

Mrs. Ritch's 4th and 5th grade girls

Speaking of girls, a new program just started up this week at East Hill called, "Girls on the Run" which is a national program for girls aged 8 to 13. Thirty girls from grades three through five are participating in this afterschool program which meets twice weekly. The culminating project will be for each of the girls to be physically and emotionally ready to run in Paige's Butterfly Run, a 5K, on June 2nd. The program is much more than just running, however. It teaches life skills and emphasizes positive relationships as well as self-esteem. East Hill GOTR volunteer coaches include Ms. O'Keefe, Mrs. Powless, Ms. Button, Mrs. Barry, Ms. Daoust, Mrs. McConnell and Mrs. Hogan, who teaches at the high school.

This week concludes Student Council's month-long Community Service project. This week they are collecting donations for Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Syracuse. Here's a quick video from student council representatives about CASA. 

Humor is our character strength focus this week. According to Positivity Project co-founder Jeff Bryan, "Humor is a sense of playfulness and lightness. It is a way of looking at and describing the world that brings laughter to people. A person with the strength of humor is skilled at seeing the funny side of things, bringing smiles and laughter to others, and identifying and communicating the absurdities in life. People with this strength don’t specifically need to be joke tellers, although many are. To read more about humor, click here. 

Have a great rest of the week! Please remember that there is no school on Friday. 

- Lisa

Education Fair Reminder

Greetings from East Hill!
This is just a reminder that the Education Fair will be held tonight in the East Hill gymnasium from 6:30 to 7:30. The projects are looking great! Here are just a few:

If you are unable to come tonight, you are more than welcome to visit during the day. If your child is participating in the Education Fair, please remember to bring your project home at the end of the evening.

Also, as a reminder, students should wear pink tomorrow to support Student Council's month-long community service project. This week they are collecting donations for Golisano Hospital. Here's a quick video from student council members about childhood cancer.

Have a good day!

- Lisa

In Like a Lion, Out . . .

March definitely came in like a lion as Mrs. Tynan's kindergarten artwork shows. They also made predictions as to how March will end.

Mark Your Calendars!
March is shaping up to be a very busy month at East Hill.

March 12 - East Hill PTA Meeting, 6:30
March 13 - Go SU! Wear your orange to school!
March 14 - Half-Day, 11:30 dismissal; Wear red to support Student Council. Click here for a very short video from Student Council members about supporting the American Heart Association.
March 15 - Third Grade Chorus Concert, 7:00
March 16 - Irish Dancing Assembly - wear green!
March 20 - Education Fair, 6:30 - 7:30
March 23 - Report Cards Distributed

Education Fair
The Education Fair takes place next Tuesday. Projects can be dropped off after school on Monday from 3:30 to 5:00 or on Tuesday morning from 7:20 - 8:20. Students will view projects during the day. Please plan to take your child's project home at the end of the night. Thanks again to the PTA for purchasing display boards for our students.

Max at the 2016 Education Fair 

Positivity Project
This week we are learning about zest/enthusiasm. Our learning target is I can approach life with excitement and energy. I energize people around me. According to the Positivity Project, zest/enthusiasm is the ability to bring life and excitement to different situations. It often leads to a higher level of involvement and engagement both for individuals and for groups. Individuals with this strength might be described as energetic, excited, spirited, animated, passionate, and upbeat. To learn more about this character strength, click here.

Mrs. Tynan's class displaying enthusiasm

Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration is going on now through Thursday, March 29. Please click here for more information about registering your child for the upcoming school year at our Central Registration Office.

Have a great week!

- Lisa

March Madness

East Hill ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Student Council
March is shaping up to be a busy month at East Hill. Today you will receive information about our Fifth Grade Student Council's month-long community service project. As you will see, they decided to support four different causes. Please do not feel obligated to support these causes, donating is completely optional. Click here to see a short, one-minute video created by student council members that explains the project. 

Positivity Project
We continue to learn more about Social Intelligence via the Positivity Project. Student Council has linked social intelligence with this week's cause, Crohn's disease, in this short, two-minute video. 

Dannon Grant
Unfortunately, East Hill was not one of the winners in the Dannon Grant. I am positive that had the winners been selected on the merits of the grant versus the amount of votes on social media, we would have definitely come out on top! Thank you to all of you that took the time to vote each day.

Building Safety
Today you will receive a letter home that explains some enhancements we are making that will help improve building security. As of tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, doors will be locked until 9:00 am. At 9:00 am, students only will be allowed into the building. If an adult needs to enter the building in the morning or at any other time of the day, they will need to push the call button at the main entrance where they will be asked to state the nature of their visit. Adults must be prepared to provide identification. Students who eat breakfast will be allowed in by a staff member at 8:50 am. Students who participate in the YMCA Before and After School Program have received separate notification explaining how they will be gaining access to the building. They will enter through the back door and call the site phone number to gain access. If you have any questions about these new procedures or about building security, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Education Fair
The Education Fair is just two weeks away. Several students have yet to pick up their display board. Please encourage your student to get started on this project so that they are not rushing around at the last minute.

Upcoming Dates:
3/12 - PTA Meeting, East Hill Library, 6:30 p.m.
3/14 - Half Day for Students, 11:30 a.m. dismissal
3/15 - Third Grade Chorus Concert, East Hill Gymnasium, 7:00 p.m.
3/16 - Irish Dancing Assembly, 10:30 a.m.
3/20 - Education Fair, East Hill Gymnasium, 6:30 p.m.

Have a nice week!
- Lisa