William P Bohen, Ph.D, Principal

Greetings from Maple East! Below you will find a number of important school updates for you this week:

Lockdown Drill

Next week, we will be completing our second required lockdown drill in cooperation with the Amherst Police Department. Lockdown procedures are used to secure the school building during incidents that pose an immediate threat of violence in or around the school. The specific procedures for a lockdown drill include:

• Gathering students from hallways and bringing them into the closest classroom

• Closing and locking the classroom door

• Keeping students quiet and taking attendance in the classroom

• During the drill, teachers and students do not communicate through the door, answer the classroom phone, or respond to the PA

• Students and teachers are released only when a school administrator or member of the Amherst Police Department physically unlocks the classroom door

Our teachers continuously work with our students on safety procedures. They will carefully observe them during the drill, and will notify you if your child appeared uncomfortable or upset. I will continue to inform you throughout the school year of safety and security measures in place at our school. I appreciate your ongoing support of our safety initiatives at Maple East. Please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding our upcoming lockdown drill.

Spotlight on Literacy

Teaching your child to read successfully is a top priority for our faculty and staff. Teachers at Maple East continue to stay abreast of the current research regarding the Science of Reading and have made a number of shifts in the classroom that have lead to positive student outcomes. We spent many hours during our faculty and team meetings in the past couple of years reviewing the latest research on how primary learners learn how to read. This school year, we introduced UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) Foundations as our primary Phonics program at the Kindergarten through Second Grade Level. UFLI is a systematic and explicit program that teaches students the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence designed to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill needed, and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. To learn more about UFLI, feel free to ask your child's teacher, or check out the following website: https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/

The District will also be hosting an informational speaker session on Literacy on Thursday, December 12 from 6-7 PM on Zoom. The speaker will be Ms. Christi Carroll, Director of English Language Arts for the Williamsville Schools. For more information about this session, please see the "WCSD News" section of today's edition.

Parent Teacher Conferences/ Student Half Days

As a reminder, we will continue to have Parent Teacher Conferences next Monday from 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM and from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM (This is a student half day with 10:25 AM dismissal).

Clothing and Gift Drive

Our school has been coordinating a clothing and gift drive for needy families for the holidays. If you would like to participate, please see the Wellness Update from Mrs. Armstrong in today's edition. We will accept donations through Wednesday, December 11. Thank you for considering!

Reminder for Pick Up

Please remember to always have ID when coming into school as you may be required to provide it when picking up your child.

Visitor Sign In Procedure

Recently our district implemented the new Raptor System for visitors coming into the building. With this new procedure, you will need to provide photo ID that will be scanned into the system. Once you are scanned the first time, subsequent visits will only require us to sign you in with your last name.

Attendance Reminder

If your child will be out sick, please be sure to contact the Attendance Office via WITS Mail or by calling 716-626-8800/option 1.

Dismissal Reminder

If there is any change to your child’s regular dismissal routine, please call the MAIN OFFICE at (716) 626-8801 as teachers may not always get the message in time for dismissal.

Parking Lot Reminders

Just a reminder that cars are NOT allowed in the Bus Loop in the morning to drop off students. Please remember there is no entering the Bus Loop BEFORE 8:30am or AFTER 1:30pm. Cars are also NOT allowed in the Handicapped section of the parking lot unless you have the proper parking tag. When parking there, be sure to have your tag displayed in clear view if you’re using those spots.

Joelle McCormack, RN, School Nurse

Respiratory Illness Health Reminders

As the cold and flu season continues and we experience an increase in cases of COVID, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Influenza (the Flu) and other respiratory illnesses, please take a few minutes to review the health information below which outlines important information to keep your family and the school community as healthy as possible.

• Stay up to date with Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.

• Stay home from school, work, daycare and other activities if you are sick.

• Consider wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth if you have symptoms of respiratory illness – coughing, stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

• Staying hypervigilant, especially for those who live with higher risk individuals: infants, older adults, pregnant people, and people born pre-term or those with underlying health conditions.

• Wash your hands often with soap and hot water for least 20 seconds to protect yourself from germs and avoid spreading them to others.

• Do not cough or sneeze into your hands. Instead, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Teach and remind children to do this, too.

• Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol to use when soap and water are not available.

Respiratory illnesses can cause mild to severe illness. Most cases will resolve on their own within seven to ten days, but some cases may require hospitalization.

Please monitor your child for the following symptoms:

- fever or feeling feverish/chills

- cough

- sore throat

- runny or stuff nose

- muscle or body aches

- headache

- fatigue

- some may experience vomiting and diarrhea

Children experiencing the following symptoms require immediate medical attention:

- fast breathing or trouble breathing

- bluish skin color

- not drinking enough fluids

- very sleepy or lethargic

If your child develops the above symptoms, please do not send your child to school. Instead, please contact your child’s health care provider, for a prompt and proper diagnosis and treatment. Young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and those with chronic medical conditions such as heart and lung disease, asthma or diabetes are at higher risk for a more severe illness and complications such as pneumonia, ear infections, and dehydration. A child with a respiratory illness may return to school 24 hours after the child’s last fever and when the child is well enough to learn. For return to school following a diagnosis of COVID, please refer to CDC isolation guidelines at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

The best way to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses is to wash your hands frequently with warm soap and water, refrain from putting your hands to your face and mouth, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school nurse or your child’s health care provider. For additional information, please visit the NYS Department of Health website at

https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/respiratory_syncytial_virus/understanding.htm

Thank you to our generous PTA for providing teachers and staff with a lovely luncheon during our Parent Teacher Conferences.

CLICK for Maple East Video Announcements!

In the month of December, our wellness message continues to be Acts of Kindness. Practicing kindness can increase feelings of gratitude and allows us to appreciate what we have

when helping others.

Our Clothing & Gift drive continues through Wednesday December 11th!! THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who have already donated! If you would still like to participate in this optional collection, please know that it will make a big impact not only in our local community but in two Buffalo Public Schools as well. Donations where specific sizes are needed can be found at THIS link and more general donations can be made as follows:

Kindergarten and First Grade- New Toys (ages Prek-8)

Second Grade- New Arts & Crafts supplies and Kits (ages PreK-8)

Third & Fourth Grade- New Games (ages PreK-8)

You can send these items to school anytime between now and

Wednesday December 11th.

We appreciate your kindness and generosity!!

DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and SDM (Shared Decision Making) Committees Update:

Check out our new Heritage Wall, a collaborative project among our DEI and SDM Committees at the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPpKQ-z3pQs

DEI 2024-2025 Members:

William Bohen, Principal (Chair)

Amanda Komaromi, K Teacher

Amy Newkirk, 1 Teacher

Shannon Maranto, 2 Teacher

Nicole Famiglietti, 3 Teacher

Rebecca Milne, 4 Teacher

Kristen Rauth, Special Education

Clare Hart, School Librarian

Katie McFarland, ESOL

Linda Kane, School Counselor

Laura Beauregard, Parent Representative

Maria Chavan, Parent Representative

DEI Meeting Dates: 10/29, 12/17, 3/25, 5/20

DEI Update: We met on October 29, 2024. At this meeting, we de briefed on our "Building Wide Read Aloud" that we used to kick off the school year in September. We read the book "Maybe" by Kobi Yamada. We use the book to teach students about identity and the value of all individuals. After we read the book, students are able to share aspects of their identity, family, and community that make them unique and special. Students complete a class project and the work is beautifully displayed throughout our building. Feedback has been very positive about this annual tradition from our students, staff, and parents. At our next meeting, we will begin preparations for our annual Heritage Month, to be held throughout the month of March. This has also become an annual tradition at Maple East where students and families can share important traditions with each other. We will keep the school community informed as we finalize the details for this upcoming event.

SDM 2024-2025 Members:

William Bohen, Principal

Kristy Giardina, Assistant Principal

Katie McFarland, Teacher (Chair)

Jennifer Grohusko, Teacher

Jennifer Wulf, Teacher

Kimberly Beck, Support Staff

Elizabeth Astridge, Parent Representative

Dana Moore, Parent Representative

Kara Buscaglia, Parent Representative

SDM Update: We met on Thursday, November 14 to continue our discussion on our new Heritage Wall and start the development of aligned lessons for students. We started the development of a "Teacher's Guide" for our Heritage Wall, that will eventually contain lessons for elementary students that are aligned with our social studies, ELA, SEL, and DEI initiatives and programs. We will also be adding a QR code survey for new families to add any country and/ or language that is important to them. We hope to develop a pamphlet for new families that contains the QR code, and background information about our Heritage Wall. Any new countries and/ or languages will be added to the Heritage Wall for families that fill out the survey. We will meet again in January to finalize the Teacher's Guide.

SDM Meeting Dates: 9/25, 11/14, 1/22, 3/18, 5/7

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In Appreciation of our Teachers

Thank you teachers and staff for everything you do to make Maple East the wonderful place it is for our children to go to and learn and grow each day!

Teacher Appreciation Dinner/Luncheon

Thank you to everyone who signed up and brought in a dish, drinks, paper items or teacher supplies for the teacher appreciation dinner. Due to unforeseen circumstances (Buffalo Weather!) their dinner was postponed and the teacher’s will be enjoying a luncheon today! This, like all PTA events would not be possible without the continued support and participation of our Maple East school community.

National PTA’s Reflections Art Competition is Now Accepting Entries!

Reflections is a National Art Competition put on through the National PTA to encourage and celebrate our children’s creativity. Awards are given starting at the local (School) level. In the past Williamsville Students have gone all the way to the National level and won! Follow the instructions on the flyer (found after this page or in Class DoJo) for information specific to each category.

A couple things to keep in mind:

Entry Deadline is December 20th for ALL submissions

Only 1 entry may be submitted per student, per category

Students may submit entries in more than one category

ALL submission are done online - use the QR code on the flyer or go to Western Region PTA’s Website:

https://sites.google.com/view/western-region-pta/reflections

You will need the following information about Maple East PTA to submit your students original work:

Local Unit PTA Name: Maple East PTA

Local Unit PTA ID #: 17926

Local PTA Reflections Chairperson: Stacie Durnford

Chairpersons Email: 13579jellybeans@gmail.com

Get Creative & Have Fun!

DASH’S Receipt Collection

Last year the Maple East Community raised $700 for PTA initiatives by turning in their Dash’s receipts during the Collection. Thank you to those that turned in receipts this week! We will be tabulating the receipts and will let you know soon which classroom is the winner of the popsicle party!

Have a great weekend and keep warm!

Maple East PTA

District News:

https://www.williamsvillek12.org/

December 10, 2024

January 14, 2025

February 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

March 25, 2025

April 22, 2025

May 13, 2025

May 20, 2025 (District Vote)

May 27, 2025

June 10, 2025

All meetings take place at the District Office at 7 PM and are streamed on the District's You Tube Channel. Contact Board members by e-mailing: boardofeducation@williamsvillek12.org

http://www.williamsvilleseptsa.org/

Extracurricular Information

Community Education Programs at Maple East, click on link below:

https://www.williamsvillek12.org/departments/community_education/index.php

Calendar: November 2024

Every Friday is Wear Blue (or Bills) Spirit Day!

Monday, December 9th

Parent Teacher Conferences - Afternoon & Evening

10:25am Early Dismissal

Thursday, December 12th

Student of the Month Parade and Ceremony

December 16-20:

School Spirit Week: There’s SNOW place like Maple East!

• Monday: Winter Hat Day

• Tuesday: Celebrating ME (Wear either an outfit that is related to a holiday your family celebrates, or wear Maple East clothing)

• Wednesday: Frosty day (White out/dress like a snowman)

• Thursday: Classroom celebrations, wear your most festive gear

• Friday: Pajama Day

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3rd

Winter Recess/ NO School

Grade 3 & 4 NYS ELA & Math Testing

Thursday, May 1 - Friday, May 2 ELA Gr. 3-4 Testing Window

Thursday, May 8 - Friday, May 9 Math Gr. 3-4 Testing Window

Main Office:

William P Bohen, Ph. D, Principal

Kristy Giardina, Assistant Principal

Laura Mietz, Senior Clerk Typist

Cynthia Carlino, Clerk Typist

Kimberly Beck, Part Time Clerk Typist

Phone: 716-626-8800
Fax: 716-626-8808

Attendance:

Jennifer Thompson, Attendance/ Health Office Aide

Phone: 716-626-8800, Option 1

Health Office:

Joelle McCormack, RN, School Nurse

Phone: 716-626-8810
Fax: 716-626-8831

School Website:

https://mapleeast.williamsvillek12.org/

Class Dojo:

https://www.classdojo.com/

Address:

1500 Maple Road
Williamsville, NY 14221