Seniors and Eggs and Flags, Oh My!

It's been a busy day at East Hill!

Senior Walk
This morning we were visited by graduating seniors who attended East Hill Elementary. It is amazing how much they have changed! Luckily they wore nametags this year so we could tell who they were! I think the best part for them, other than seeing their favorite elementary teachers, was viewing the slideshow from their 5th Grade Recognition Ceremony. They definitely got a kick out of that!

Mrs. Craig with Kyle and Jared

Jackson and friends checking out the new library

WGHS Seniors, formerly East Hill Students

Jack and Katie

Mrs. Tynan with some of her former 1st graders

Viewing their 5th Grade Recognition Ceremony Video

Maggie as a 5th grader

Egg Drop
Also this morning was the annual 5th grade Egg Drop, also known as the Mars Rover Landing Project. Students worked in teams to design a device that would safely land a raw egg. Some were more successful than others!

Flag Day Celebration
Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with us to have our Flag Day Celebration outside, but we made the most of it! I apologize for not being able to invite parents, but as you can see, there just wasn't any more room to be had! Thank you to Mr. Dimmel and the middle school band for coming to play for us! Click here to hear It's a Grand Old Flag!

Upcoming Dates:
6/18     Field Days (rain date 6/19)
6/21     4th Grade Salt Museum, 5th Grade Ultimate Goal
6/24     5th Grade Recognition Ceremony, 9:30; Half-day, 11:30 Dismissal
6/25     Last Day of School, 11:30 Dismissal

Have a great weekend!

- Lisa

Happy June!

Kindergarten Readiness
Last night we welcomed students that will be joining us in the fall for kindergarten. While the parents listened to presentations about what to expect from East Hill staff members, the students rotated to the different classrooms where they met the kindergarten teachers. They worked with Playdoh, listened to a story, and worked on fine motor activities. The night was a big success!

Girls on the Run
We want to give a big a thank you to all the families and participants of Girls on the Run for their generous donations of toiletries and canned goods to a local women's homeless shelter. One of the goals of the program is for the participants to contribute to society by designing and implementing a Community Impact Project. The girls wanted to help those who are less fortunate in our local community. Way to go team! 20 girls are participating in this program. The culmination is a 5K which they will run on June 14th.

Ms. O'Keefe Wins Award!

Congratulations to Molly O'Keefe who was selected as a finalist for the Better Beginnings Award which honors the life of Helen Bach Moss, a New York educator who passed away in 1988. Ms. O'Keefe was nominated in January by staff, parents, and students. In order to be considered, the nominee had to be skilled at engaging young minds and developing nurturing relationships with elementary school students. Molly is so deserving of this award!

CODE

Yesterday our last CODE assembly of the year was held for the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes. Officer Brand announced the winners of the fourth grade Internet Safety Poster Contest - Eliana Becker, Mary Paul, and Hannah Austin. The fifth grade essay winners then read their essays that detailed why they want to remain drug and alcohol free. The essays were very well-written and informative!

Upcoming Events:

6/7       Lemonade Serenade Volunteer Reception, 11:00

6/11     Kindergarten Field Trip to the Zoo

6/14     Flag Day Celebration, 1:00

6/18     Field Days

6/21     4th Grade Salt Museum Trip; 5th Grade Ultimate Goal

6/24     5th Grade Recognition Ceremony, 9:30; 11:30 Dismissal

6/25     Last Day of School, 11:30 Dismissal

Have a great rest of the week. I hope to see many of you on Friday!

- Lisa

Help Needed!

Field Days Volunteers Needed
We are in need of more volunteers for Field Days at East Hill which takes place on Tuesday, June 18th with a rain date of Wednesday, June 19th.  We need at least 20 volunteers per session. The morning session (grades 3-5) runs from 9:30-11:30. The afternoon session (grades K-2) runs from 1:00-3:00. If you are able to help us out on this day, please contact Molly O'Keefe at mokeefe@westgenesee.org, or call the office at (315) 487-4648. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Get Ready for Kindergarten!

The first Kindergarten readiness session at East Hill is next Monday, June 3rd, from 6:00 - 7:00. If you have not yet RSVP'd for this event, please do so by calling Liz Farley at (315) 487-4648.  The program is intended to make the transition to kindergarten a pleasant experience for both you and your child. We hope you can make it!

West Genesee Olympics
Last Friday was the inaugural West Genesee Olympics for special education students. We learned earlier in the year that the criteria for athletes to participate in the CNS Special Olympics would prevent all of our students from participating, so Molly O'Keefe came up with the idea to have our own. What a great idea it was! About sixty students from the West Genesee elementary schools participated and a great time was had by all!

Upcoming Dates:
6/3     4th Grade Science Assessment, Written Portion
6/3     Kindergarten Readiness Night, 6:00
6/7     Lemonade Serenade Volunteer Reception, 11:00 
6/11   PTA Night Out, Green Gate Inn, 7:00
6/18   Field Days
6/19   Field Days Rain Date
6/21   Fifth Grade Ultimate Goal Field Trip
6/24   Fifth Grade Recognition Ceremony, 9:30; Half-Day, 11:30 Dismissal
6/25   Last Day of School, Half-Day, 11:30 Dismissal

Enjoy the rest of the week!

- Lisa

Budget Vote Today!

Budget Vote Today!
This is just a reminder that the polls will be open until 9:00 p.m. tonight for the school budget vote. Voting takes place at the high school.

Lemonade Serenade Volunteer Reception
Mark the date! This year's volunteer reception will be held on Friday, June 7th at 11:00. You will be receiving more information shortly about this event. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Dates
5/22 & 5/23   4th Grade Science Performance Assessment
5/22               Board of Education Meeting, HS, 7:00
5/23               Kaleidoscope, Civic Center, 7:30
5/24               West Genesee Elementary Olympics, HS, 10:00
5/27               Memorial Day, No School

Enjoy the rest of the week!

- Lisa

East Hill Happenings

Open House
We had an excellent turnout again this year for Open House! Thank you to everyone that was able to make it. Many classrooms reported having 100% attendance which is just awesome!

Spring Concert
We also had a great turnout for our spring concert on Tuesday night. Our orchestra, band, and chorus did an amazing job!

Staff Appreciation
Thank you so much to the PTA and all of the people who went above and beyond last week to appreciate our staff! We are lucky to have such amazing support!

Cafeteria
We've been trying out some new ideas in the cafeteria as you can see in the pictures below. Some students end up with a lot of time to spare after eating so we are now allowing them to color or grab a game/activity to do. If you have any hand-held games (Rubik's cubes, etch-a-sketch, etc.) that you'd be willing to donate, please send them our way!

Upcoming Events:

5/20     Fifth Grade Visit to CMS, 9:15

5/20     Fifth Grade Parent Information Night, CMS, 6:00

5/21     Budget Vote, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., WGHS

5/22     Fourth Grade Science Performance (McPeak)

5/23     Fourth Grade Science Performance (Barry & Spencer)

5/24     West Genesee Special Olympics

5/27     Memorial Day, No School

Have a great rest of the week!

- Lisa

Open House Thursday!

Open House
Students and staff have been working hard to prepare for this Thursday's Open House which will showcase all of the things they’ve been learning and doing. We are celebrating our Open House from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. This is an evening to bring the children and let them show you around their school. Let them tell you about and show you their projects, their writing, and their art work. It is always a special night. The PTA will also be holding their family BOGO Book Fair from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Don't forget to visit the amazing art show in the cafeteria (sneak peek below).

We will be running two shuttle buses throughout the evening from the high school parking lot to East Hill. These buses will begin running at 6:45 and the last shuttle will leave East Hill at 8:05. Please park in the lot between the high school and Applebees. Buses will be waiting at the curb. The children especially enjoy taking their family for a ride on the school bus. As you are all well aware, there is very limited parking at East Hill.

Collegial Cafe

Last Thursday West Genesee teachers had their own sort of "Open House" where they showcased their work in the high school library. Several teachers from East Hill took part in Action Research as well as Collegial Circle projects. This truly shows their committment to lifelong learning.

Leadership

Leadership is this week's character strength focus. Leadership means that you value each member of your group and inspire people to do their best. For more information on leadership, click here.

Staff Appreciation

Thanks again to our wonderful PTA for all they are doing to show appreciation for our amazing East Hill staff! Staff is being treated to Reiki today as well as EFT tapping (whatever that is!). We are looking forward to our luncheon on Friday!

Upcoming Events

5/8     Book Fair

5/9     Open House, 7:00 - 8:00; BOGO Book Fair, 6:30 - 8:00

5/14   Spring Concert, 7:00, WGHS 

5/20   5th Grade Visit to CMS, 9:15: 5th Grade Information Night, CMS, 6:00

5/21   Budget Vote, 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., WGHS

5/24   West Genesee Inaugural Special Olympics, 10:00, WGHS

5/27   Memorial Day, No School

Have a great rest of the week. See you Thursday!

- Lisa