Notes from East Hill Elementary

This page provides thoughts and commentary from Susan Meskos, the Principal of East Hill Elementary School in the West Genesee Central School District.

Dear East Hill Families,

We had a great week at East Hill! Our Grade 2 students had a wonderful experience with the Rev Theatre Company as they had individual classroom workshops and then an interactive performance of The Magic Paintbrush! It was truly engaging and enjoyable.

All of our grades met with Officer Brand for a CODE lesson this week and a flier went home yesterday via ParentSquare explaining the focus of this session.

Thank you to our PTA and everyone that could make it out last Friday evening to join us for Bingo! We had such a great time and so many winners! I would also like to thank our PTA and our wonderful school community for donating items for our "immunitea bar" in our staff room. It has been stocked with items to provide our amazing staff with treats to keep them warm and healthy during these cold winter days.

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow night our fourth grade chorus will be singing the National Anthem at the Crunch Hockey game and next week we have a PTA Movie Night on Thursday evening!

Thank you for your continued support, and have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Susan Meskos

• February 1 - Grade 4 Chorus Sings at the Crunch Game
• February 3 - WGCSD Job Fair - 3-6:30 - WGHS Library
• February 5 - K & Grade 1 - The Little Mermaid Preview
• February 5 - PTA Meeting - 6pm
• February 6 - PTA Sponsored Storyteller Vanessa Johnson Visits EH
• February 6 - PTA's Movie Night - 6pm

Emily Brody, Sophie Richardson, Gus Hensel, Beau Burry, Harper Clary, Leo Ney, Nicholas Pitaro, Harper Chapman, Ben Ross, and Presleigh Wilbur

In the event of a change in dismissal plan, including an early pickup, please always include the main office in your communications. The office should always be aware of such changes. Using the group conversation feature on ParentSquare is a convenient way to also include Mrs. Mingolelli and Mrs. Waters.

Yearbooks can now be ordered. Visit Lifetouch to order yours today. Yearbook ID Code: 14658725

Our 4th Grade chorus will be singing the National Anthem at the Syracuse Crunch on February 1!

WGHS will be presenting Disney's The Little Mermaid on February 6th (7 pm), 7th (7 pm) and 8th (1 pm & 6 pm). Ticket purchasing is still available! All seats are reserved. To purchase via credit card head to wgfinearts.ludus.com and click "buy tickets." To reserve your tickets via check (made out to WGCSDSAF) or cash, contact the WG Fine Arts Office at 315-487-4612. We can't wait for you to come be "part of our world"!! 🐠🧜🏻‍♀️🌊

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.

The cold weather is upon us! Please keep in mind that our students will continue to go outside for recess daily. 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 each day: Coat, boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves.

Also, please remember to label your child's cold-weather clothing. You will be so glad you did!

Come Join Us!!! West Genesee CSD is hosting an in-person Job Fair on Monday, February 3, 2025 from 3:00-6:30 p.m. in the West Genesee High School Library. We are looking to fill the following open positions:

• Custodial Workers
• Bus Drivers and Attendants
• Bus Mechanics
• Food Service Workers
• Teacher Aides

• Typist I (Office Workers)

• Teaching Assistants

• Non-Instructional Substitutes
• Instructional Substitutes

Please be prepared to complete an application and be ready for on-the-spot interviewing. Questions, please call (315) 487-4555.

The annual West Genesee Culture Celebration is an exciting opportunity to showcase the rich diversity of the West Genesee district and the broader Camillus community. This special event highlights the many cultures that make up our community through performances and table displays by students, families, and community groups.

Last year’s event featured an array of contributions, including:

• Ukrainian Dance Ensemble
• Tearney's Martial Arts
• Folk and Irish Dancers
• Social Justice Coalition
• Displays on South Korean, Palestinian, and Bulgarian heritage

We want your culture to be part of this year’s celebration! Whether through a performance or a table display sharing your traditions, history, and heritage, we encourage as many families and groups as possible to participate.

For more information or to sign up, contact:

Meghan Leonardis

West Genesee High School Admin Intern

mleonardis@westgenesee.org

315-487-4673

Let’s make this celebration a true reflection of our multicultural community and foster a culture of inclusion in our schools. We look forward to celebrating with you!

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

Registration information can be found 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.

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 will open 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.

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

• proof of residency (ie. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement)

• proof of age

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.)

Parent/Guardians and staff will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in Schooltool. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below.)