Stonehedge News

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

Dear Stonehedge Families-

I'd like to give a special shout out to our Wildcat WOW raffle winners (pictured below). Keep earning those Wildcat WOWs for meeting our school wide expectations. I am so proud of you and all of our Stonehedge Students!

We've had another exciting week here at Stonehedge. Officer Brand from the Camillus Police Department joined our students to address the importance of physical safety. Last night, our PTA hosted UPK and Kindergarten Game night for our families. We had a great time playing board games, making crafts and listening to stories. Thank you to the PTA and those families who joined us. It was wonderful to have you. Mrs. Abbott and Mrs. Graser hosted Open Library Night on Wednesday evening. What a fun time to be with family and friends at school at NIGHT!

Next week, we have the Rev Theater coming to perform for our fourth graders. We'll wrap next week up with one of my favorite fall activities... PumpkinHedge! Hope to see you there.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather this weekend. See everyone back at it on Monday.

Mrs. Simmons

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

10/23 - WGCSD Trunk or Treat - 5:00pm - 7:00pm - WGHS

10/24 - 4th Grade Assembly - The Rev Tour Presents "Center of the Earth"

10/25 - PumpkinHedge - 6:30pm - 8:00pm (more information coming)

10/30 - Open Library Night - 6:30pm - 7:30pm - Stonehedge Library

10/31 - Halloween Parade (details below)

11/1 - Turkey Tango (details coming soon)

Last week we focused on the character trait being present when giving people your attention. When you are present and give your attention to others, you are able to build strong relationships. Relationships are the cornerstone of health, happiness, and resilience. You can’t build positive

relationships without attention, so it is important to put down distractions and truly listen to people when they are talking.

Some of our 3rd and 4th grade students shared with the school their thoughts about this trait.

This week we focused on the character trait integrity. People with integrity are honest and speak the truth. They present themselves genuinely and sincerely.

Some of our 4th grade students shared how they show integrity.

Halloween is almost here and with that, we would like to share a schedule for Thursday, October 31st. If weather permits, we’ll host an outdoor parade welcoming spectators around the route. If the weather does not cooperate, we will have an indoor parade where spectators will not be permitted (decision will be made that morning).

The parade will begin promptly at 9:45 am with classroom parties to follow afterwards or later in the day. For those volunteering to help with parties, classroom teachers will contact you individually with information. Spectators at the outdoor parade do not need to sign in at the office. Please see the parade route and parking suggestions below.

Here are some reminders and guidelines to ensure the safety and well-being of all, and to make the day enjoyable for everyone who participates:

1. Please send your child dressed in costume with a bag of regular clothes to change into after the parade and party.

2. All scary, bloody masks, weapons, spears or other dangerous accessories must remain at home. Please respect that our youngest students can be frightened easily and we want all participants to have an enjoyable experience.

3. We ask that those attending the parade dressed in costume also avoid wearing masks of any kind.

4. Please keep in mind students will be parading throughout the building. This includes going up and down stairs as well curbs outside. Students should have unrestricted movement in their costumes and be able to see their surroundings while participating in the parade.
   

5. During the parade, students must stay with their classmates.

6. Please do not bring candy to pass out to students during the parade.

An alternative Fall Celebration will be held in our library during the parade for students who might not celebrate or are sensitive to the celebration. These students will participate in alternative seasonal activities until the parade is over.

Please be advised that no traffic will be allowed past the front circle beginning at 9:15am and continuing through the duration of the parade (see graphic above).

Parking is available in the following areas:

• Stonehedge bus loop (once buses have departed)

• West Genesee Intermediate School bus loop

Please be aware we are not allowing spectators to park in the district parking lot this year. Our UPK program utilizes the district office parking lot for their arrival beginning at 9:30am. We appreciate your compliance to reduce congestion in that area.

NOTE: If you are volunteering at Stonehedge for a classroom party we ask that you move your vehicle into a permanent parking spot after the parade.

The Positivity Project will co-host this year’s annual Trunk or Treat event alongside the WGHS Senior Class to support the CNY Make-A-Wish Foundation. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 23, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Come dressed in your favorite costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating from creatively decorated car trunks. The event will help raise funds to support the amazing work of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, granting life-changing wishes for children in Central New York facing critical illnesses.

Stonehedge Elementary is proud to announce our partnership with the Solvay-Geddes-Camillus Lions Club for an eyeglass drive. If you have any old or used eyeglasses that you'd like to donate, please send them to school with your child. The drop-off location for donations will be the Health Office. The eyeglass drive will run until Friday, November 22nd. Thank you for your generosity!

On Wednesday, November 15, students in the West Genesee School District are invited to wear their pajamas to school in support of Paige's Butterfly Run, helping kids in the fight against cancer. For a donation of just $1 or spare change, students can participate and contribute to pediatric cancer research and patient programs at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital. Let’s come together in our comfy PJs for a great cause!

PTA Meeting

Join us for the next Stonehedge PTA on Wednesday, November 13th at 6:30 pm in the Stonehedge Library.

Penny Wars

Congratulations to 3rd Grade for winning the Penny Wars competition! Thanks to the amazing participation from all grades, we raised over $1,000 for the Stonehedge PTA! Your contributions will make a big difference in supporting our school community.

As a special reward, all 3rd graders have won a popsicle party to be held on a date that will be announced soon. Great job, everyone, and a big shout-out to 3rd Grade for leading the charge!

Special Education PTAs (or SEPTSAs) are designed to help parents advocate for special needs children. It is a place for parents, teachers, and students exchange information on various programs, funding, ever-changing state and federal laws and to support each other on the many problems of adjustment, growth, and development our members face. SEPTSA has regular meetings just like any other PTA, with speakers to run lectures or workshops on many pressing issues for our children.

New members are always welcome— click here to learn more about the WGSEPTSA and how you can get involved!

The PTA District Council will be holding a Winter Coat Drive from October 1st through October 31st to benefit West Genesee families in need. Donations of winter wear can be brought to the school and placed in the designated blue donation bins. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Important reminders for students dismissing by car. All changes in transportation must be made in writing. There is a 2:30pm deadline for early dismissal, students being picked up after 2:30 should plan on dismissing in the car line. Parents/Guardians should follow the traffic pattern pictured below. For the safety of our students we ask that you remain in your vehicle, staff members will be outside to assist during dismissal. While waiting in the line, please do not block the entrance or exit to the bus loop! All motor vehicles are prohibited from entering the bus loop.

Staying connected is key to ensuring a successful school year for our Wildcats. Here are a couple of important ways to stay in the loop:

• Check bookbags and folders nightly: Classroom teachers send home valuable information and communication through this method. We don't want you to miss out on any important updates, so please make it a habit to review these each evening.

• Get ParentSquare up and running: This platform is essential for receiving regular communication from both the classroom and the building. It’s also where you’ll get time-sensitive messages when needed. If you have any questions or concerns about ParentSquare, please email us at stonehedgeoffice@westgenesee.org.

• Daily Routine: Please be sure to send you child to school each day with a water bottle and a snack. Students also need sneakers for gym. Also, be sure to LABEL ALL ITEMS, you will be glad you did!

By staying connected, we can ensure a smooth and successful school year for everyone!

As a reminder, we would like families to review our policy regarding electronic devices. Our elementary policy regarding such devices reads:

"Personally owned electronic games and devices, such as cell phones, CD players, iPods, remote control cars, hand-held video games etc., must be off and away throughout the school day. These items can be lost, stolen, broken and are a distraction. The school cannot and will not be responsible for these items. Please help us by keeping them at home."

Students who violate this policy may be subject to the following disciplinary sequence:

First Report:

The student will receive a warning.

Second Report:

Parents will be notified.

Third Report:

The device will be taken away and a parent/guardian will be required to pick it up.

Please note at this time all apple watches or similar devices are allowed but are not to be used for anything other than telling time and must not be a distraction, during school hours. These watches or similar devices will follow the same reports above if they are a distraction and/or being used inappropriately.

While school lunch and breakfast are provided at no cost, items such as chips and ice cream are not included and must be purchased separately. Snacks and ice cream are an additional cost.

• Chips $1.00
• Ice Cream $1.50
• Milk $.75

For any and all information pertaining to breakfast and/or lunch, including the process of MySchoolBucks please visit the district's food service website!

Stonehedge hosted our first Open Library Night this week, where families had the chance to explore everything the library offers and even check out books—at night! Our next Open Library Night will be on 10/30 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm.

Thursday evening, our PTA hosted a fun-filled UPK and Kindergarten Family Game Night. Families enjoyed playing board games, creating crafts, and listening to engaging stories. A big thank you to the PTA, the staff, and all the families who participated and made the evening such a success!

More around school.