March 2024
Primary Education Center Newsletter
One Purpose. Your Pathway. Our Promise.
ONE PURPOSE...YOUR PATHWAY...OUR PROMISE!
ON-LINE KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION AND ORIENTATION
If you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten in September 2024, we are delighted to welcome you and your kindergartner to our program. The first step to the kindergarten journey is the registration process.
The Primary Education Center will offer an on-line registration option that allows families to upload required proof of residency documents from the safety of their homes. You may register children who will be five years old on or before December 1, 2024. You may also mail in your registration documents to our school district.
In addition to registration you are required to complete the Home Language Questionnaire. Registration will not be finalized until this form is completed.
Additional information:
The following information is required in order for your registration to be complete.
Student Proof of Age: Original Birth Certificate and/or Passport
Parent Photo Identification: Driver’s License and/or Passport
Proof of Residency – two of the following: vehicle registration, vehicle insurance card, utility bill, medical insurance card, homeowners insurance statement, payroll deduction, *lease,
*purchase offer, *letter from builder – must be on builder’s letterhead (the documents with a * must be signed and include your name, district address, closing date, and/or certificate of occupancy)
Record of Immunizations: (Signed by the Physician. The school nurse will need to determine if all immunizations are up to date).
*Please Note: If your child is currently enrolled in our UPK program, you do not need to register for kindergarten
Once your child is registered and proof of residency is verified, you will be invited to attend:
1.Kindergarten Orientation for Current Pre-K parents and children: May 21, 2024 9:30-11am & 12:30-2:00 pm in PEC Aud
2. Kindergarten Orientation for Current Pre-K parents and children: May 22, 2024 9:30-11am Aud
3.Kindergarten Orientation for Newly Registered Students: May 22, 2024 12:30-2:00 pm in PEC Aud
4. Screening Appointment (June 5, 2024 by appointment only)
Welcome to the Primary Education Center, where our mission is to create individual pathways for all students to succeed on their journey as a Lancer. If you have any questions about Kindergarten, do not hesitate to contact me at 286-7220.
Spring is in the air
It is that time of the year where we are all hoping that the groundhog was wrong and that spring weather will soon be upon us. It is a good time to review our student appearance code with families. Staff members are required to send any violations of this code to their building administrators for review as they act as the final authority on these matters. Students who violate the student appearance code will meet with the building principal or designee to discuss modification of their appearance. Any student who refuses to do so shall be subject to accountability and restorative practices as outlined in the Code of Conduct.
Student Appearance Code
All students are expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions. Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for acceptable student dress and appearance. Teachers and all other District personnel should exemplify and reinforce acceptable student dress and help students develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in the school setting. The school setting is defined as both in-person and online or virtual learning experiences. A student's dress, grooming, and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up, nails, body piercings, and tattoos, shall:
1. Be safe, and appropriate, and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.
2. Recognize that extremely brief and see-through garments are not appropriate.
3. Ensure that underwear is completely covered with outer clothing.
4. Include footwear at all times. Footwear that is a safety hazard will not be allowed.
5. Not include the wearing of hats and headgear (including hoods) in the classroom except for a medical or religious purpose.
6. Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, provocative, libelous, or that denigrate others on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
7. Not promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping or illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.
Universal Pre-K Information
2024-25 Pre-K Applications can be found on our district webpage, or you can click the link below.
Deadline to apply is April 9, 2024.
Application does not mean acceptance to the program.
We have a limited number of spots available. If applications surpass the number of available spots we will hold a lottery to determine eligibility.
District registration should not be completed until acceptance to the program is granted.
Tips for Parents from the School Health Office
Many parents ask, “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?”
This is not always an easy question to answer! We hope that these tips can help!
A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.
Please do not send your child to school if he/she has:
- Fever (100.0 or higher) in the past 72 hours (Must be fever free without medication)
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)
- Pink Eye – redness, itching & drainage of the eye(s)
- Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night
- COVID - follow CDC recommendations. See the Lew-Port website.
- Head lice – until your child has been treated according to the nurse or doctor’s instructions
If your child becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feels the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. It is essential that your child’s school have a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your child’s teacher immediately.
Please call the school’s Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.
PRIMARY EDUCATION CENTER
Health Office
4061 Creek Road, Youngstown, NY 14174
Phone: 716-286-7225 Fax: 716-286-7855
Remember that in March we are celebrating Women's History Month and Disabilities Awareness Month.
Important dates to keep in mind:
3/8 International Women’s Day
3/10 Ramadan begins
3/17 St. Patrick’s Day
3/21 World Down Syndrome Day
3/25 Holi
3/31 Easter
STEAM - Outside the Classroom!
Mark your calendars - On Monday, April 8, 2024, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse, passing from the southwest to the northwest. The 2024 total solar eclipse will hit North America at the coast in Mexico, beginning its path northeast into the United States. The 2024 total solar eclipse crosses a large section of New York State, with our area being in the path of totality! We will experience totality from 3:18-3:20 PM.
What exactly is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is a natural event that occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, making the Moon fully or partially cover the sun. This prevents the Sun’s light from reaching Earth, and the sky gradually grows darker. The eclipse is not seen from every place on Earth, but only from the locations where the shadow falls. From these locations, it appears as if the Sun has gone dark.
Please remember: It is dangerous to look directly at the sun so you’ll need special protection for your eyes for all of the eclipse except for the few minutes of totality. Even if the smallest part of the sun is still exposed, you can damage your eyes permanently. You can find eclipse glasses in many stores and online. Make sure they are from a reputable source - you shouldn't be able to see anything through a safe solar filter except the sun or something comparably bright, such as the sun reflected in a mirror.
April 8th will be our last day of spring break. Here is a list of nearby places that will have viewing gatherings and activities:
Buffalo Harbor State Park
Niagara Falls State Park
SUNY Erie (ECC) North
What is MIOSM®?
The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music.
Music class exposes the child to challenges and multi-sensory experiences which enhance learning abilities and encourage cognitive development. In particular, music can also engage cognitive functions, such as planning, working memory, inhibition, and flexibility. These functions are known as executive functions (EF).
Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills
A study at the University of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute found that musical experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.
Olivia Dominguez
Olivia is a wonderful leader in our classroom. She is a peer tutor to classmates that are learning their sight words. Olivia is a sight word expert and has helped her friends achieve their sight word goals. She is has found her voice and is helping other find theirs. We are so proud of you Olivia.
Vivian Mies
Bruce Carminati
While walking to pick-up the other day, Bruce noticed that a kindergarten friend had dropped her belongings and was struggling to carry everything to dismissal. Bruce went right over and helped her carry everything to the auditorium even though he had his own things to carry. He showed care and compassion for another student, and I want to thank Bruce for leading by example!
Evelyn Traver
Theodoir Young
Luna Tedesco
Luna is a leader in my classroom everyday! The other day one of my friends was having a hard time and feeling sad- Luna went over to the friend and held their hand and encouraged them. She even held their hand and walked with them to lunch. Luna is always going out of her way to help those around her! We are so lucky to have Luna in our class! I am so proud of Luna!
Lucia Sweet
Lucia is a wonderful leader and friend to have in our classroom. Everyday she goes above and beyond to make sure all of her classmates are included and encouraged. A few days ago Lucia noticed a classmate did not yet have a partner for an in class activity. Lucia quickly chose to work with this student (even though she had already joined a group of 3) to make sure he had a partner to work with and was not left out. We are so lucky to have someone like Lucia in our class- she is a great role model and friend to everyone in our class. I am so proud of Lucia!
Hugh Purinton
Hugh has been working really hard this past month. I asked him what habit he is focused on and he said habit 5-- Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. We talked about what it meant and why he picked that one. It means listening to others without interruption, trying to see things from others viewpoints, and being confident in voicing your own ideas. Hugh has really stepped up and has encompassed these traits as noted in this habit. He is listening more and trying to understand how others feel. In turn because of this he has shined as a leader in our class. He is more able to help others because he understands what they need. Very proud of Hugh!!
Getting Started with Parent Portal
If you are a parent/guardian that has not yet had an opportunity to set up your parent portal, please take some time to do so as soon as possible. Having access to parent portal and using the app can be a helpful way to receive important information regarding your child's grades, missing assignments, and other important updates. This is especially true for parents of students in grades 3-12. It can also be used to verify your contact information, as you'll see in the next section. Parent Portal also gives you access to Porfolio + which is a data warehouse that we use to distribute report cards, Aimsweb reports and NYS testing data. To access the parent portal, visit our website and click on the icon that looks like the image you see pictured here on the right.
If you are trying to reset your username or password, there is a link on the sign-in page. Follow the prompts and check your email. Sometimes it may find its way into your spam box. Once you get the email you should be able to reset your account.
If you are new to Parent Portal, you should have received a letter that would give you access codes to get connected. If you did not get that letter, or if you experience difficulty getting signed up, you may call your child's school for assistance.
Click this link to visit the Parent Portal Resource Page on our website. Here you will find everything you need. I have also included some resources for you here:
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).
3. Written instructions are also available here.
*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.
Updating Contact Information in Parent Portal
Mobile Hotspot
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.