Creativity!

Creativity
Creativity is the P2 character strength focus for this week. Creativity means you come up with new and original ways to think about and do things. For more information on creativity from the Positivity Project co-founders, click here. Here are two examples of students showing their creativity on crazy hair day from last week:

Guest Author
Speaking of creativity, thank you to the PTA for sponsoring our guest author, Troy Cummings, this year! He is the author and illustrator of several children's book. He gave a great presentation to our whole school last week. He read one of his books to us and also shared some new characters that he has come up with that will be appearing in future books. Third-grader Bobby was absolutely thrilled that he got the honor of introducing him to the school, and first grade artist Tommy got to help Mr. Cummings with one of his drawings. Mr. Cummings was impressed with the welcome he received in our school as well as the creative monster drawings that students had created at home.

PARP
Thank you to all of the moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., who have been able to come in and be a guest reader during our two-week reading celebration! It is greatly appreciated by all!

Halloween Reminders
Halloween parties will be held in the classrooms this Thursday at 2:15. Only those parents who have been contacted by the room parent to volunteer in the classroom will be allowed in the building (at 2:00). Please understand that this is for safety's sake so we will be enforcing this rule. Costumes are optional again this year as there will not be a parade. Students should bring their (appropriate) costumes in a bag and not wear them to school. Thank you for your understanding.

Upcoming Dates
11/5     Half-Day, 11:30 Dismissal, Teacher Workshop Day
11/7     District Spelling Bee, CMS, 9:45
11/13   PTA Meeting, East Hill Library, 6:30
11/25 & 11/26     Parent Conferences, Half-Day, 11:30 Dismissal
11/27   Thanksgiving Break Begins!

Enjoy the rest of the week!

- Lisa

Being Present

Being Present
Last week during P2 time we focused on the first of five Other People Matter Mindset elements - being present and giving others our attention. As Mike Erwin said, "It's never been easier to be distracted from the person right in front of us." It is SO important to make sure that we are present with others. Ask you child what it means to be present, why it's so important, and how you can show you are present in a conversation.

Integrity
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Integrity is this week's P2 focus. For more information on this character strength, click here!

Upcoming Dates
Our two-week PARP (Pick a Reading Partner) celebration kicked off this afternoon.  Our theme is "Reading is Spooktacular!" You will receive more information about this today. Thank you to the PTA for arranging for author Troy Cummings to visit East Hill. We are busy getting ready for his visit! Click here to see the song our students made!

Halloween
You should have received a letter about Halloween at the end of last week. Please make sure you read the letter thoroughly and let me know if you have any questions. We want everyone to be safe and have an enjoyable day!

Upcoming Dates
10/17     Family Night Book Fair, 5:30 - 7:30
10/21     Crazy Sock Day
10/22     Mismatch Day
10/23     Blue and Gold Day
10/24     Sports Day
10/25     Freaky Friday Hair Day and Wear Pink

Have a great rest of the week!

- Lisa

Happy October!

Positivity Project
This week's character strength focus is Open-Mindedness. Individuals with this strength might be described as reasonable, rational, impartial, and logical. They are likely to make accurate decisions and decisions they won't regret. To learn more about this strength, click here.

Our first P2 (Positivity Project) assembly of the year was held yesterday morning. Ms. O'Keefe reminded our students of the purpose of the Positivity Project and reviewed the character strengths of Teamwork and Open-Mindedness.

Jogathon
What a beautiful day we had for the jogathon last week! Thank you to those of you that were able to come out and cheer on the children and/or volunteer your time. Thank you also for your generous donations! The PTA will be collecting donations through this Friday.

Upcoming October Events
10/7       East Hill PTA Meeting, 6:30, East Hill Library
10/9       School Pictures
10/16     Pick a Reading Partner Celebration starts; Book Fair
10/17     Family Night Book Fair, 5:30 - 7:30
10/28     District Halloween Carnival, WGHS, 4:00 - 7:00
10/30     PARP Closing Ceremony
10/31     Halloween Parties, 2:15

Enjoy the rest of the week!

- Lisa

Teamwork!

Teamwork
This week's character strength focus is teamwork/citizenship. Thank you to those of you that sent in pictures of your children involved in some form of teamwork! It's not too late if anyone else wants to send in some. Please email them to lcraig@westgenesee.org. Click here for a one page overview of Teamwork/Citizenship from the Positivity Project.

Jogathon
This Friday is the East Hill PTA's annual jogathon! This is their primary fundraiser for the year. The schedule is as follows:
9:40    1st Grade
10:10  2nd Grade
10:40  4th Grade
11:10  3rd Grade
11:40  5th Grade
12:25  Kindergarten
PLEASE NOTE: The schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather. Currently the weather is looking good for Friday so let's hope that doesn't change! There is no parking in the front circle on Friday so please be prepared to park on the street. We are hoping you will be able to come out and support your child(ren)! Here is a sneak peek at some of the class posters:

Upcoming Events
9/27    Jogathon
10/7    PTA Meeting, 6:30, Library
10/9    School Pictures
10/16  PARP (Pick a Reading Partner) Reading Celebration Begins; Book Fair
10/17  Book Fair Family Night, 5:30 - 7:30
10/23  Guest Author Troy Cummings

Have a great rest of the week!

- Lisa

Curiosity

Curiosity
Our first character strength focus for this year is curiosity. According to the Positivity Project, a curious person likes exploration and discovery and asks a lot of questions because they want to learn more about anything and everything. Ask your child what they are curious about! For an overview of curiosity, click here. I am curious as to how Mrs. Ciciarelli was able to get all of her kindergartners to stay still to take this awesome picture! Speaking of pictures, we could use some more pictures of children showing teamwork (mentioned in last week's blog) if you'd be willing to share. Just email them to me at lcraig@westgenesee.org. Thanks!

MySchoolBucks
There is a new feature available on MySchoolBucks. This option is designed to cap annual costs for those people that routinely make smaller deposits throughout the year rather than fewer, larger deposits. Click here for more information. 

Curriculum Night
Thank you for coming out to Curriculum Night last Thursday. We had a great turnout! If you were unable to make it please make sure you have connected with your child's teacher to sign up for a fall parent/teacher conference.

Bullying

The term bullying often comes up in my position as you can imagine, however it is frequently misused. I recently came across this resource that does a nice job explaining what bullying is and what it is not. Whether something is bullying or not, poor behavior should be and will be addressed, but it is important when talking with our youngsters that we use the right vocabulary. The article is worth a quick read as it gives helpful advice for educators, parents, families, and caregivers. Here's another blogpost titled, "Is it Rude, Is it Mean, or is it Bullying?" that is also worth a read.

PTA
Last night the PTA held their first meeting of the year. They are busy working on filling slots for volunteers and chairpersons to help run many great events for our students this year. Please consider joining the PTA. It is $6.00 per family member. You can join online via this link. 

Upcoming Events
9/24    Talk with the Superintendent, 7:00, WGHS LGI
9/27    Jogathon
10/1    CODE Assemblies
10/7    PTA Meeting, 6:30, East Hill Library
10/9    School Pictures
10/14  No School, Columbus Day
10/16  PARP (Pick a Reading Partner) begins
10/17  Book Fair Family Night, 5:30 - 7:30

Have a great rest of the week!

- Lisa

The Positivity Project

The Positivity Project
This week we kicked off year three of the Positivity Project!! We are spending the entire week on the Other People Matter Mindset. We are learning that we are going to continue working on building strong relationships this year. The main thing we all need to remember is that other people matter. Period. We will identify and appreciate the good in other people, understand that our words and actions affect other people, support others when they struggle, cheer on others' successes, and be present and give others our attention.

P2 in Action

We will be focusing on the character strengths of curiosity, teamwork, and open-mindedness in September. We are looking for pictures of students working as part of a team for an upcoming assembly. If you have a couple to share (scouts, sports, dance, etc.), please email them to me at lcraig@westgenesee.org. Thank you!

Do you know what your top character strength is? Mine is fairness. You can find out yours by taking the free survey at viacharacter.org. Are you interested in learning more about the Positivity Project? Here's a short, seven-minute video that summarizes it for you!

Curriculum Night
I hope you will be able to make it to Curriculum Night this Thursday at East Hill. Please remember that this night is for parents/guardians only. The schedule is as follows:
K & 1 - 6:00 - 6:25
2 & 3 - 6:30 - 6:55
4 & 5 - 7:00 - 7:25

Meet Mrs. Finn!
Stephanie Finn is our District Literacy Coach. She works with teachers at all grade levels on all things literacy-related and is an expert when it comes to the research behind appropriate and effective reading instruction. This year she is also working with me as an administrative intern. You will likely see her with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and her office is also located at East Hill this year. If you see her, please welcome her to East Hill!

Curriculum Night
I hope you will be able to make it to Curriculum Night this Thursday at East Hill. The schedule is as follows:
K & 1 - 6:00 - 6:25
2 & 3 - 6:30 - 6:55
4 & 5 - 7:00 - 7:25

PTA
Thank you to the PTA for another successful Ice Cream Social! I think we broke a record in the number of ice cream sundaes that were served this year. Luckily the weather cooperated for us once again. Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 17th in the East Hill Library at 6:30.

Talk With The Superintendent Reminder
Come meet our new Superintendent, David Bills, on Tuesday, September 24th. This event, sponsored by the West Genesee PTA/PTO District Council will be held in the WGHSLGI at 7:00 pm.

Have a great rest of the week. I hope to see you tomorrow at Curriculum Night!

- Lisa

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!
We had a great first day at East Hill and are looking forward to many more! We have many exciting events coming up in September, so please get out your calendars!

Ice Cream Social
We hope you will be able to make it to the PTA's Ice Cream Social this Thursday from 6:00 - 7:30. This is a great time to reconnect with friends! Thank you to the PTA for hosting this annual event. Speaking of the PTA, please join us for the first meeting on Tuesday, September 17th at 6:30 in the East Hill Library.

2018 Ice Cream Social

Curriculum Night

Curriculum Night will be held next Thursday, September 12th. This night is an informational night for parents/guardians only. The Open House that is held in the spring is for the entire family. Kindergarten and 1st Grade Curriculum Night takes place from 6:00 - 6:25, 2nd and 3rd grade takes place from 6:30 - 6:55, and 4th and 5th grade takes place from 7:00 - 7:25. I hope you can make it! The building is looking great thanks to our wonderful custodians, pictured below!

Talk with the Superintendent
Our new superintendent, David Bills, will be hosting a "Talk with the Superintendent" night on September 24th from 7:00 - 8:00 in the WGHS LGI room. This is an opportunity for you to meet him and ask questions.

Jogathon
The annual jogathon will take place on Friday, September 27th. This is the PTA's major fundraiser for the year. You will be hearing more about this event soon.

2018 Jogathon

Safety First!

Please remember that during school hours visitors will need to present a photo ID prior to being allowed into the building. We will scan your ID or input the information into the system, and then you will be given a pre-printed badge with your photo on it along with your destination in the building. If you have given authorization for someone else to pick up your child, please make sure you remind them to bring the proper identification.

Welcome!
East Hill has several new staff members to welcome this year:
Maria Stark, Early Literacy Teaching Assistant
Danielle Kreis, Early Literacy Teaching Assistant
Megan Garropy, Lunch Aide
Martha Summa, Lunch Aide
Kathleen Clark, Adaptive Physical Education
Kyle Prenoveau, Physical Education
Hanna Brady, Special Education Teaching Assistant
Jennifer Corby, Instructional Specialist
Danielle Dattellas, 3rd Grade Teacher
Sarah Moore, Speech Teacher
Cindy Blanding, Special Education Teaching Assistant
Stephanie Finn, Administrative Intern, District Literacy Coach
Joe Curtin, District Math Coach

The School Day
School starts each morning at 9:00. Doors are opened at 8:50 for students getting breakfast, and at 9:00 for all other students. Please make sure you do not drop your child off early as there is not adequate supervision until 9:00. The doors open again at 3:10 for parents picking up students, and students riding the bus are dismissed at 3:20. Please remember that buses may be running 10-15 minutes late the first couple weeks of school.

Our first grade team is ready to go!

I look forward to a great 2019-2020 school year! Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns!

- Lisa