This page provides thoughts and commentary from Susan Meskos, the Principal of East Hill Elementary School in the West Genesee Central School District.
Today is Wildcat Wellness Day!
I hope you have been able to participate in some of the Virtual Wellness Week activities provided by the West Genesee Mental Health Team this week. Today is Wildcat Wellness Day! Students are encouraged to take a break from academics, and a break from the screen, and try a few of the activities on this Well-being Board. I'm going to try a few myself!! If you don't find something on the board to your liking, perhaps you can learn the Peanut Butter Jelly Time dance shown here by some of the East Hill Staff!
Digital Public Library Card
The public libraries are currently working on a curb-side pickup system for library books, scheduled to be available toward the end of May. Sharon Bush, the Camillus Middle School librarian, has put together a presentation on how students can get their own digital library card for the public libraries. Check it out! It is so important for students to read, especially over the summer!
Student Belongings
We are currently working on a plan that will allow students to retrieve their personal belongings from school. We are looking at the first week of June, however the dates are not yet finalized. You should receive a letter in the mail next week that outlines the safety protocols to which we will be adhering to along with the dates and times that you will be allowed to enter the building. Safety is our top priority so please make sure you follow the guidelines that are provided in the letter.
Distance Learning
Because we are scheduled to have next Friday off for the Memorial Day weekend, and then we have the following Monday off for Memorial Day, students will only receive four days of instruction for the next two weeks. Don't forget to go to the West Genesee Online Learning Portal to access PE, library, P2 and counseling activities, as well as enrichment activities for both music and art. Also, please don't forget to have your child complete the weekly PE Exit Ticket.
Understanding the Coronavirus
Are your children struggling with understanding this virus? I honestly think we all are, but I came across this illustrated book, Coronavirus: A Book for Children, that does a nice job explaining the virus to elementary children.
Thank You PTA!
Thank you to the PTA for my beautiful hanging basket and for everything you did to recognize our staff during Staff Appreciation Week! We definitely all felt appreciated!
Art at Home
I love seeing all of the amazing things being done by our students while at home. Here are just a few I found on Facebook this week.
According to the World Health Organization, mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. It is SO important that we are taking care of ourselves and taking care of each other now and always. Please make sure everyone in your household is getting enough sleep, getting outside, making connections with friends, and getting the proper nutrition. Here is a Wellness BINGO board from the Mental Health Association of NYS that your family members can play to help make sure everyone stays healthy. Coloring is also a great, calming activity. Here are couple of coloring sheets from the same organization: hot air balloons and lions. (They are pretty intricate so you'd need colored pencils or thin markers.)
Virtual Wellness Week
Speaking of wellness, it's time to celebrate! We are celebrating our perseverance for making it this far in the COVID-19 "Pause". Let’s honor all we have accomplished and have overcome to get this far, being “Stronger Together” as Wildcats. The West Genesee Mental Health Team wants us to come together as a school community as we take some time to focus on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Here is a link to West Genesee's Virtual Wellness Week. Here is a link to Friday's choice board that is referenced in the first link. I would love it if you would email me some pictures of your children participating in these wellness activities to include in this blog next week!
Character Strengths Slideshow Presentation
A huge shout-out to Jennifer MacArthur for this slideshow presentation that showcases how the East Hill Staff are using their top character strengths at home. Click the "Present" button on the top right when you open up the presentation. Thank you to the East Hill staff for submitting your slides!
Education Fair
Thank you for sending in your completed Education Fair projects. They are excellent! Please keep sending them in so I can share them here on this blog!
Audrey and Maddie
Edy and Ava
Olivia and Kylie
Have a nice weekend! Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!
A Message from Mrs. Craig
Here's a brief message from Mrs. Craig about the closing of school and the talent show.
Virtual Talent Show
Thank you to the brave fifth graders who took the time to submit a video for the Virtual Talent Show! Thank you to Mrs. Mercer and Mrs. McConnell as well! Here is the link to view the show! Here are some of the students that you will see in the show!
I hope you enjoyed the show! I will send out my regular, weekly blog this Friday.
Happy May!
I hope everyone is doing okay at home! Here at the Craig household, some days are better than others, that's for sure! We definitely have some highs, and we often have some lows. The sun certainly helps everyone's outlook so hopefully we will see some more of that soon! It's normal to have good days and bad days, as long as the good clearly outweighs the bad, right?Here is a video showing some East Hill staff members discussing their highs and lows. We hope you enjoy it!
Education Fair
Thank you to those of you that sent in a picture of your child's completed Education Fair Project! It's not too late to send them - I will just keep adding them to this blog as I receive them. Here are the ones that I received this week. They are very well done!
Book Fair
Need new books? Starting today, the East Hill PTA will be hosting a Virtual Book Fair through Scholastic. It will run for 14 days and will replace our traditional Spring Book Fair. Scholastic is offering free shipping on book only purchases totaling over $25.00. The books will be shipped to your home. Here is the link to enter the fair. Happy shopping! Remote Learning
Thank you to those of you that took the time to fill out the district's survey regarding distance learning. Here is another quick survey that the district's physical education teachers would appreciate each child filling out at the end of the week. This survey is also posted in your child's Google Classroom. Please remember to reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about the instruction and work that is being provided. All teachers will be offering office hours at least twice a week beginning next week (many already have as some of you are aware). Please remember to also go to the Distance Learning Portal on the website to access PE, P2, Library, Counseling, and enrichment activities.
Fifth Grade Talent Show
Thank you to the fifth graders that submitted a video for the East Hill's 5th Grade Talent Show! The deadline has been extended until Monday, May 4th to submit a video. Details can be found in your teachers's Google Classroom!
