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,

I hope this message finds you well! This week, our students have been engaged in winter benchmark screening, which provides valuable data to help guide instruction. Next week, our teachers will collaborate with district coaches in data meetings to analyze results and plan targeted instruction that best supports each student’s growth.

A reminder that there will be no school on Monday, January 20, as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a great opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy of service, equality, and kindness.

To end the week on a fun note, we hope you’ll join us for PTA Family Bingo Night on Friday evening! It will be a wonderful chance to gather as a school community for games, laughter, and prizes. Stay tuned for more details!

As always, thank you for your continued support of East Hill. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Susan Meskos

• January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 21 - Grade 4 Strings Informance Night - 7pm - WGIS
• January 22 - Board of Education Meeting - 6pm - WGHS
• January 24 - PTA Family Bingo Night - 6-7:30pm
• January 29 - No School - Lunar New Year

Aubrey Hayes, Jude Huner, Emma Rooney, Lucas Bibbens, Jaylin Collazo, Katherine Tobin, Elijah Morgan, Jackson Maule, and Harrison Nimmo

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

Less than a month until showtime! 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!

How does energy move and change?

Join the West Genesee Culture Celebration on March 1, 2025

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.

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.)

We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to continue to receive one FREE breakfast and one FREE lunch meal per day at school.

This initiative was implemented in December 2023 and was a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students.

Snacks and ice cream are an additional cost.

• Chips $1.00
• Cookie $1.25
• Ice Cream $1.50
• Rice Krispie Treat $1.25
• Fruit Roll Up $1.00
• 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!