Stonehedge News

This page provides thoughts and commentary from Amanda Simmons, the Principal of Stonehedge Elementary School in the West Genesee Central School District.

Greetings Stonehedge Families!

We've been enjoying reading activities related to PARP this month. We have been enjoying our guest readers and we had a very special visit with author Alicia Klepeis on Wednesday. She shared her creative books topics and writing process. I can't help but wonder which of our Stonehedge authors will publish their own books one day?

Also, the 2025-2026 school calendar was approved by the BOE this week. See below!

Have a great weekend!

Best-

Amanda

Stonehedge Main Office

phone: 315-487-4633

fax: 315-487-4699

email: stonehedgeoffice@westgenesee.org

Stonehedge Health Office

phone: 315-487-4636

fax: 315-487-4599

3/22/25 - Stonehedge *Blue Chorus Performance Night at the Syracuse Crunch (arrival to War Memorial Montgomery St. entrance 6:00 - 6:15pm)

*students who have the following teachers: Fisselbrand, Stathis, Storms

3/25/25 - 4th Grade Book Club - 8:00am

3/25/25 - Return Week 3 PARP Slips

3/26/25 - Open Library Night - 6:30pm - 7:30pm - Stonehedge Library

3/31/25 - No School - Superintendent's Conference Day

4/3/25 - Gertrude Hawk Order Pickup - 4:00pm - 7:00pm

4/7/25 - 4/11/25 - Stonehedge Spirit Week (more info coming)

4/8/25 - 4th Grade Book Club - 8:00am

4/9/25 - Wellness Wednesday

4/9/25 - BOE Meeting - 6:00pm - East Hill Elementary School - Cafeteria

5/1/25 - Deadline To Order Yearbook (more info below)

The District Calendar for the 2025-2026 school year was approved by the Board of Education at their meeting on March 18, 2025. The calendar is now available on the website or directly from the link below.

One-Page 2025-2026 District Calendar-for General Public

The P2 focus this week was identifying and appreciating the good in others. People with this trait work to identify and appreciate others’ character strengths. Identifying and appreciating the good in

other people helps you see the world through a more positive lens. If you are finding the good in others, they are likely to also find the good in you.

Students from Miss Walker's 3rd grade class shared with the school how they appreciate the good in other.

PARP Month Continues

• Encourage your child to read with someone for just 15 minutes each day! - On the weekly PARP slips, keep track of your daily reading days and send them in every Monday in March.

  Weekly PARP slips were sent home this week. There will be prizes!

• Open Library Nights – March 26th at 6:30 PM

Happy reading, Stonehedge!

As par of PARP month, we were happy to welcome non-fiction author Alicia Klepeis to Stonehedge this week. During her presentation, Ms. Klepeis shared insights into her creative process and discussed the topics that inspire her books. Ms. Klepeis is known for her educational children's books including:

• Secrets of the Ocean
• Penguins & Polar Bears
• Go Wild! Frogs
• Countries - China

Thank you to our PTA for sponsoring this visit.

Stonehedge 4th Grade Robotics Club still has spots available for their spring session. The spring session will meet Mondays after school from 3:30 to 4:45 pm, running from 3/24/25 to 5/12/25. If your 4th grader is interested, please fill out this Google Form or contact Emma Flaherty at eflaherty@westgenesee.org, or Hannah Humphrey at hhumphrey@westgenesee.org.

Please note: Students who participated in the previous sessions are not eligible.

• West Genesee partners with local Community-Based Organizations (CBO) for its Pre-K program.

  To be eligible for UPK during the 2025-2026 school year, a child must:

  • Turn the age of 4 on or before December 1, 2025

  • Reside in the West Genesee Central School District

  
  

  Registration opened on March 10, 2025. In the event that more registrations are received than can be accommodated, the District will conduct an initial selection process via an open lottery in which children will be selected at random.

  
  

  Those children who have completed the registration process by 3:00 p.m. on April 2, 2025 will be part of the initial selection process.

  
  

  Families who were part of the initial selection process will be called in order of selection and informed:

  • whether their child has been accepted to the program, and

  • which site (including hours of the program) is available for their child;

  OR

  • where their child is on the waiting list.

  
  

  Families will be contacted by April 3-4, 2025.

  
  

  If at any point after the initial selection process there are more students registered than seats available, students will be placed on the waiting list in the order that their registration was completed.

  
  

  Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of parents/guardians, and students must attend the program five days a week to maintain their seat.

  
  

Look for registration information on the Central Registration webpage at: https://www.westgenesee.org/district-services/registration/. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.

Location Information:

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on December 4, 2024 and will go until March 28, 2025.

Watch for registration information on the Central Registration webpage. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.

When registering, parents/guardians should be prepared to upload the following:

• Two proofs of residency (i.e. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement, utility bill )

• proof of age

A physical examination and proof of immunizations are also required for entry into kindergarten and a dental certificate is requested for entry into kindergarten. These examinations should be done up to one year prior to the first day of school. Children who enter kindergarten this fall must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2025.

To access the most updated health requirements click here.

WG SEPTSA is gearing up for the 2025 Fairmount Fish Fry
The WG SEPTSA is honored to be chosen by the Fairmount Fire Department to provide volunteers for their fish fry every Friday through April 18th. They are asking for help from the community to sign up to volunteer. Thank you so much for your support! Volunteers will primarily be responsible for dishes, traffic, and clean up. Please contact SEPTSA at wgseptsa18@gmail.com or see the flyer below.

Witty Wicks Fundraiser!

• March 1 - March 22, stop by Witty Wicks for our candle fundraiser (or scan the QR Code) for the perfect scent to light up your home—another way to give back! If you are shopping in the store, please be sure to mention the fundraiser!

PTA Meeting

The next PTA meeting is Wednesday, April 9 at 6:30pm in the Stonehedge Library.

Stonehedge Yearbook Now on Sale!

The Stonehedge yearbook is officially available for purchase! This year, all sales will be conducted online, making it quick and easy to secure your copy.

📚 Cost: $17
📅 Order Deadline: May 1, 2025

Yearbooks will be delivered directly to Stonehedge and sent home with students once they arrive. Don’t miss this opportunity to capture and cherish the memories of the school year!

If you have any questions, please contact the Stonehedge PTA for assistance stonehedgepta@gmail.com.

The West Genesee strings teachers visited our Grade 3 students last week, playing songs from around the world! This gave our 3rd graders exposure to string instruments. When these students enter 4th grade, they will have the opportunity to choose and learn either a string or band instrument.

The triumphant winners of the "One School, One Book" trivia competition were awarded their prizes this week.

On St. Patrick's Day, Mrs. Cunningham's husband visited Stonehedge to play bagpipes as students arrived. He later joined her classroom to explain the instrument and answer the children's questions about this instrument and music.

Click the picture below to watch Mr. Cunningham play the bagpipes.

Students sported festive attire on St. Patrick's Day.

Throughout the school, students shared how they feel lucky.

Mrs. Erwin's kindergarten students build CVC words with letter tiles.

Mrs. Colburn's first graders went on a field trip to Hospital Land.

Kindergarten students saw a performance of "Mother Goose" by the Rev Tour.

Mrs. Boyles's UPK class completed their grocery store unit! Students explored the world of food shopping.

More around school.

Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the following stations which you can access by clicking here.

Also, ParentSquare communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)

With the changing weather, children are now wearing layers of cold-weather clothing. We kindly request that you label your child's outerwear. This small effort can be a big help in reuniting lost items with their rightful owners, and you'll be grateful you took the time to do so.

Please keep in mind that our students will continue to go outside for recess. If the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above, recess can take place outside. If the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (this includes factoring in the WINDCHILL), recess will be indoors. Students should always have appropriate clothing for the weather: Coat, boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves.

As the colder weather sets in, it often brings with it an increase in seasonal illnesses. To help keep all students and staff healthy, we ask families to monitor for certain symptoms before sending children to school.

If your child displays any of the following, please keep them home:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours
• Vomiting or Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
• Strep Throat. Your child should be on an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school
• Bad cold with congestion or bad cough, especially if it has kept your child awake at night; and/or the cough is continuous and consistent throughout the day.
• Pink eye. Your child should be on an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

If your child becomes ill at school and the nurse and/or teacher feel your child is too sick to benefit from school and is contagious to classmates and staff, you will be called to pick up your child.