Notes from Split Rock Elementary

As we approach the holiday break, I want to take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments of this week and share a few important updates.

First, we have successfully completed our Fall Emergency Drills. Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority. These drills allow us to prepare for situations that, while sometimes uncomfortable, are vital in maintaining a safe school environment. I’m incredibly proud of how well our students and staff executed these drills. We will revisit and review them in the spring to continue strengthening our preparedness.

A huge thank you to Officer Brand and the education staff from The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center for their impactful presentations on body safety skills this week. These sessions brought awareness to critical safety and communication skills for all grade levels, equipping our students with tools to stay safe and advocate for themselves.

Today also marks the conclusion of our Holiday Gift Drive. I’m truly inspired by the generosity of our Split Rock community. Your donations will bring joy and relief to many families in need this holiday season. Thank you for embodying the spirit of giving and kindness.

We also celebrated our Grade 3 students during Spirit Day today! A big shoutout to our amazing PTO for their support in recognizing and celebrating our Wildcats. Moments like these remind us of the joy and pride we share as a school community.

Looking ahead, next week promises to be filled with hard work and holiday cheer. As we approach the holiday break, we’ll focus on finishing strong in the classroom while taking time to enjoy each other’s company and embrace the festive spirit.

Lastly, don’t forget about our Grade 3 and Grade 4 Winter Chorus Concert! This exciting event will take place on Tuesday, December 17, at 7:00 PM at West Genesee High School. Mrs. Giufre and our talented students have been working hard, and I can’t wait for them to showcase their hard work and talent. It’s going to be a fantastic evening!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Marking Period 1 report cards will be available on SchoolTool tonight Friday, December 13 at 5:00 PM. You can access your student’s MP1 report card through the WEBSITE on the SchoolTool Parent Portal.

Our District values your feedback! We are asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with the West Genesee Central School District. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses as they inform our Strategic Planning decision-making processes. The survey window will be open now through December 16, 2024.

This week our students attended C.O.D.E. presentations with the outreach and education staff at The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center co-presenting with Officer Brand. The session focused on body safety skills, helping children understand how to recognize and respond to potentially unsafe situations.

Key topics covered included:

• Listening to their feelings as a safety tool
• Understanding safe behaviors
• Identifying trusted adults who can help them
• Learning how to say no and communicate when they feel uncomfortable or unsafe

Our younger students in kindergarten and first grade read the book "Your Body Belongs to You." Third grade students watched "Neighbor” and fourth grade students watched “Tell” from the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.

We appreciate the opportunity to support our students in developing critical safety awareness and communication skills.

Positive Action and Wildcat Spirit

Purpose- Encourage and reward positive behavior and action among students, fostering a supportive and respectful school environment that aligns with our “Wildcat Way!”

• Be Present

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Safe

Classroom Awards

“Pack Awards”

• Golden Broom (classroom cleanliness)
• Golden Tray (classroom behavior in the cafeteria)
• Golden Whistle (classroom recess behavior)

Individual Awards

“Wildcats of the Month”

• Recognizes and celebrates students who consistently act as great role models while demonstrating outstanding effort and hard work.

Congratulations to the following students! Patrick Hind, Theo Knoeller, Lydia Kippen, Mason Kolb, Noah Cooper, Sophia Brinkerhoff, Colin Ranieri, Emerson Wenzel, Sophie Gardner, Eleanor Knoller, Jakob Awadd, Amy Leskiv, Luke Guiles, Connor Wells, Lincoln Duke, Christian Calderon, Connor Griffin

Congratulations to the following classes!

• Golden Broom (classroom cleanliness) Mrs. Coonce's Class
• Golden Tray (classroom behavior in the cafeteria) Mrs. Kolb's Class
• Golden Whistle (classroom recess behavior) Mr. Farfaglia's Class

Thank you to everyone that brought in donations for our Holiday gift drive!

As our Holiday Recess approaches, think about making this time special for your family. Spend time as a family watching movies, creating art, trying a new recipe, playing outside or anything your family really enjoys doing together!

A few days before returning to school from break, try to get back into a regular routine at home. Bed times, eating balanced meals, and following a schedule will help with an easy transition back to school after a long break.

Megan Giannino
ADA-PEP School Counselor
mgiannino@westgenesee.org

(315) 487-4656

Winter weather has arrived! Please make sure to send your child to school in appropriate attire: jackets, hats, gloves, boots and sneakers to change into.

Accidents and spills happen. I have very limited change of clothing left here at the nurse’s office.

Please send a change of clothing for your child to keep in their locker or class.

As a reminder, students should not be in school if they have:

• Fever at or above 100 degrees
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

In general, your child should be without fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours with no use of medication, before they return to school.

Attendance/Absence: ParentSquare will send a notification mid morning if your child is absent that you will be able to reply with a reason, you must wait for that notification to come through. If you do wish to let us know prior, feel free to send me a message on ParentSquare. Click here for additional info regarding reporting attendance.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me anytime with any concerns.

Brendan Hind, RN

bhind@westgenesee.org

(315)487-4658

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opened up 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.

ParentSquare Tip: How to Streamline your Post Feed

Is your ParentSquare post feed cluttered? Would your feed to show only the schools you choose?

Here is how:

Using a Web Browser

1. If you have children at more then one school, you can switch to a different school. Click Switch School in the upper left and choose the school that has the class you want to view.
2. Click the drop-down arrow next to My School, Classes, And Groups in upper right.
3. Select the class or group.

Using the ParentSquare Mobile App

1. Tap the three bars at top left.
2. Tap Classes to view the class posts. Tap Groups to view group posts.
3. Select the class or group name.

You can submit your child’s absence reason through ParentSquare. You must wait for a notification from ParentSquare (via text, app notification or email) confirming your child’s absence before providing the reason.

You have until the end of the school day to submit the reason via ParentSquare. If you miss this deadline, please contact the school directly or send a note with your child.

From the Website:

• Click “Send Note to School”

• Enter the reason for the absence

• Click submit to send it directly to your school’s attendance office

Spiritwear is now available to be ordered year round! Please click below to visit the website and place your order today!

Any questions, contact Kathleen Kolb at kkolb@westgenesee.org.

The cooler 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!

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. )

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!

Friday, December 13- Elementary Report Cards Available To View on SchoolTool After 5:00pm

Tuesday, December 17- Grade 3 & Grade 4 Winter Concert at WGHS 7:00 PM

Wednesday, December 18 - Board of Education Meeting - 6:00pm - 7:00pm - Onondaga Road

December 23- January 3 - Holiday Recess - No School

Monday, January 6- School Resumes