
January 2025
Primary Education Center Newsletter
From Mrs. Larson's Desk
One Purpose. Your Pathway. Our Promise.
Dear Lewiston-Porter Primary Education Center Families,
Come Read With Us!
Happy New Year PEC! As we turn the page to 2025, I believe it is important to reflect on lessons learned and to set new goals. Our school community can be strengthened when we work together toward a common goal. One important goal we are focusing on this year is implementing our new Literacy Program, myView. Our school mission is for our students to develop their identity as a reader and writer. In order for children to develop a reading and writing identity, they must have ample opportunity to read rich books at their reading level. Students need the time and the space to gather around books they love and talk about the books with their teacher and peers. In order to provide time and space for children in this way, our classrooms currently engage in this new Literacy program grounded in the Science of Reading. Our mission for all of our students is that they develop into skillful readers and writers who can live together as caring, thoughtful human beings that find lasting joy in reading and writing.
Mark Your Calendars!
The 9th year of our reading adventure continues with One District One Book! This year we will continue our One District, One Book (ODOB) initiative to ignite passion and excitement for a shared reading experience across our school community. Our elementary school community will decide on our ODOB children’s novel by casting their votes at our local libraries January 24th- 31st. EACH family member gets a vote. The winning book will be revealed at our Community Reveal on February 12th.
We will have all the same great events...family voting, reveals, dinner specials, community specials, scavenger hunts, trivia, reading events, and a family night in March. Then, every child in Kindergarten through 5th grade will receive a copy of the book. Every family in our elementary school community will read the same book at the same time. The shared reading experience will be maximized by enriching activities at school and in the community to enable children to share and experience the characters and world of the book through the month of March, culminating in a Family Reading Celebration Night.
When schools model the habit of regularly reading together as a family, a strong foundation for literacy is created in each child’s life. Reading aloud makes better readers. A volume of research explains that children who are read to hear more words and can instinctively recognize a grammatically correct sentence. As a result, comprehension and vocabulary will develop more fully.
One District One Book is not just a literacy program, it is a community building program. Our goal is to create a culture of literacy in every home.
I personally invite your family to READ WITH US at the Lewiston Porter Primary Education Center.
Respectfully yours,
Mrs. Tamara Larson
Principal, Primary Education Center
Upcoming Days Off!!
January 20--District Closed
January 29--UPK-12 No Student Attendance
FEBRUARY 11--PEC/IEC dismissed at 2:25
FEBRUARY 17--District Closed
FEBRUARY 18--Recess Day due to Remote Instruction, District Closed
One District, One Book
Shadow Paws & Pizza!
Ms. Majerski's 2nd Grade class was chosen to have lunch with Shadow the police dog for their synergy in the cafeteria at lunchtime! Our School Resource Officers (SROs) brought pizza for the class. Officer Stafford, who works with Shadow, gave the kids a presentation about Shadow's work as a police dog, his training and how he has fun!
Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Emmons' 2nd Grade Class
Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Emmons' 2nd grade class visited LPD, sang carols and handed out gingerbread houses!
The Grinch Play by Maggi and VanEgmond's 2nd Grade Classes
Students from Mrs. Maggi and Mrs. VanEgmond's second grade classes performed The Grinch for all students, staff and families this holiday season! They created all the props, decorated the auditorium, learned songs and memorized their lines!! It was a joyous celebration and the true meaning of sharing the holiday season with our talents and spirits!
We jingled and jogged for a great cause- Niagara Hospice! 🏃
A Caroling Office Treat!
We had some 2nd Grade Christmas carolers stop by the front office to sing us Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and give us Gingerbread house decorations!
Olaf visited UPK
PEC ART Inspired by Literature
First grade students read the book Art is Everywhere and learned about Andy Warhol. We explored multiple art techniques as we learned about the different artworks he made.
We learned about public art and murals. We learned more about some of the public art in our community. Second graders contemplated the question “how can people improve their neighborhoods?” after reading the book Maybe Something Beautiful. Each second-grade class brainstormed as a group to determine how we want viewers to feel when they see our collaborative mural and what imagery can we use to help people understand our message. Students of Miss Jeff’s, Mrs. Stewart, Miss Jasek and Mrs. Majerski came up with goals and ideas of what they wanted to symbolize to our community.
PEC Music!
All of the students in the PEC got to travel to the high school and sing as a community with our high school music students! The students heard the beautiful music from our high school orchestra, band, and chorus students and engaged in a holiday sing along.
The PEC students talked about their experience in music class. They said that it felt so magical to sing together like that.
Mrs. Allen-Thomas' Kindergarten Class Holiday Show & Polar Express
Mrs. Allen-Thomas’ class celebrated the holidays with their annual Holiday Show and Polar Express. At the show, we sang holiday songs for our parents and showed off all our fabulous crafts and props. Another Kindergarten tradition is our Polar Express party. On the Polar Express we had hot chocolate and cookies while reading the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg and sang Christmas carols. We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!
PEC Mitten Tree
Service Learning is part of our Primary curriculum. In the month of December, the P.E.C. collected hundreds of mittens, hats, scarves, gloves, and socks for families in need for the winter months. After reading The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen to kick off this project, the children earned the items they wished to donate by helping out at home. Folding laundry, drying the dishes or setting the table were some of the chores that the children wrote on their paper mittens. The trees were a beautiful display of everyone’s kindness at the holidays. Below are the pictures of of our fabulous mitten trees and the generous donations given to the United Way of Niagara to distribute to various organizations to help families in need.
Thank you PEC children and families for making the world a better place.
Sweet & Oliverio's First Grade Class
Kids from our class performed in the Nutcracker Suite by the Greater Niagara Ballet
For Holiday Spirit Week, day 1 was Pajama Day!
Did you know you can stay connected to our school community by viewing our Daily Morning Announcements?
Our morning announcements are uploaded by 9:30am every day and are organized by monthly folders. Each week, a different class leads our school pledge. We celebrate birthdays, leadership, and special events on our student-led Morning Announcements. Click the below link to view. Please remember to never post our videos to social media in order to protect the privacy of other students. For any questions, please contact Mrs. Lindahl, our Morning News Producer, by email hlindahl@lew-port.com.
LEADER IN ME Nominations
Lydia, Liam, Alias, and Mariella served as our September and October Morning New Crew. Students in this role must demonstrate daily their ability to: be proactive, think with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand, synergize, sharpen the saw, and find their voice, All 8 Habits! Thank you for all your hard work!
Adeline practices Habit 4-Think Win, Win
Stella practices Habit 1-Be Proactive & Habit 6-Synergize
Elijah practices Habit 1-Be Proactive & Habit 4-Think Win, Win
Peyton & Quinley practice ALL 8 Habits!!
Ella practiced Habit 1-Be proactive & Habit 6-Synergize!
Lilly was recognized for practicing Habit 4-Think Win, Win
Olivia was recognized practicing all 8 Habits!
Andy practices Habit 1-Be Proactive & Habit 4-Think Win, Win
Jeana practices Habit 1-Be Proactive, Habit 2-Begin with the End in Mind, Habit 3-Put First Things First & Habit 4-Think Win, Win!
Myonna & Piper practice Habit 4-Think Win, Win!
Simon practices Habit 1-Be Proactive & Habit 5-Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood!
The 7 Habits aren't just for school!
The PEC has been practicing all things Leader in Me! From learning what each Habit is all about, to creating classroom mission statements and leadership roles, to building leadership portfolios that will showcase our growth as students and leaders - students here at the PEC have been living and thriving as leaders!
You can incorporate leadership work at home. Here are some ideas that will help with roles your student can have at home to support your family unit. Have a dinner table conversation about them and see if you, as a family unit, can pinpoint other areas that could use some support. I bet you will be surprised what your student comes up with!
Holiday Concert by Milleville & Carlo's Class
Ries' & Zoda's Kindergarten Classes Spread Holiday Cheer!
Each year, the students in Katie Ries and Carrie Zoda's kindergarten classes make gingerbread Christmas trees. Each student makes two. They take one home to enjoy and the other is donated to Complete Senior Care in Niagara Falls where they spread a little Holiday cheer. This tradition is one that is so special to our kindergarten community.
⛄Walls in the Halls
Parent Portal Resource Page
This page is dedicated to helping parents get started with Parent Portal. Having access to Parent Portal and using the app can be an extremely helpful way to receive important information regarding your child's grades, missing assignments, and other important updates. It can also be used to verify your contact information in our PowerSchool System.
Helpful Resources:
1. Links to the apps:
PowerSchool App (Google Play Store)
PowerSchool App (Apple Store)
2. Video on how to get set up with PowerSchool (see below). Written instructions are also available here.
3. Presentation that walks you through the steps of updating your contact information.
4. Presentation showing you how to update New York State mandated Digital Equity information.
What do I need to get started?
*Parents will need a working email address, and a PowerSchool Access Code. This is provided by the school at the start of the year. If you need that information, please contact the main office of your child's school. For the app, you will also need the district code CSXQ.
Here's how to add a student to an existing PowerSchool Parent Portal account:
- 1. Sign in to the Parent Portal
- 2. Select Account Preferences from the left menu bar
- 3. Click the Students tab
- 4. Click Add
- 5. Enter the student's name, Access ID, and Access Password
- 6. Select the student's relationship
- 7. Click Submit
District Code: CSXQ
Mobile Hot Spot
Dear Families:
At Lewiston-Porter we have made a strong effort to ensure that all students have equitable access to digital materials while they're at school and while they're at home. To that end, we have partnered with T-Mobile to offer free mobile hotspots to families that are in need.
If you would like to request a hotspot please complete the form below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSft9K1RiDe21tZ6OZP--y8uaIGuTKJG-a9MuZaHxlUjJR3r5Q/viewform