March 2025

Dear IEC Families,

As we welcome the month of March, our focus remains steadfast on providing a rich and engaging educational experience for our students. We are excited to share several upcoming events and important updates with you.

Upcoming Events:

One District, One Book (ODOB) Family Night – Mark your calendars for March 21! We hope you can join us to celebrate this wonderful reading program and enjoy a night filled with literacy activities and fun.

First-Ever IEC “VIP School Dance” – We are thrilled to announce our inaugural school dance, happening on March 28 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the IEC. This will be a great opportunity for students to socialize and have fun in a safe and welcoming environment.

Seussical the Musical – Our talented students have been hard at work preparing for their spring production of Seussical the Musical in April. We encourage families to come and support our Musical team. It promises to be an amazing show!

Celebrating Student Achievements As the school year progresses, we continue to be amazed by the growth and achievements of our students. Whether in the classrooms, on the stage, or in the arts, their passion and determination shine brightly. Thank you for your ongoing support in fostering their success!

Teacher Requests for the 2025-2026 School Year As we begin preparations for the next school year, we understand the importance of a positive and nurturing learning environment for your child. We appreciate the enthusiasm from families who express their preference for a specific teacher for the upcoming year. Your active involvement in your child's education is truly commendable.

In considering teacher requests, we want to assure you that our IEC team is dedicated to creating well-balanced classes. We take into account various factors, such as academic performance, learning styles, social-emotional development, student compatibility, and friendships. Our goal is to provide a supportive and enriching educational experience for every student.

While we value your input, it is crucial to maintain balance within our classes. If you would like to submit a request, we kindly ask that you put it in writing via email to the administration. You will receive an email in return with a form to complete. On the form you will provide three different teacher preferences when submitting your request. This approach allows our team to consider multiple factors and create classes that foster a positive and inclusive learning environment.

The deadline for all teacher requests is Thursday, April 24, 2025. Requests received after this date will be placed on a waiting list. While we strive to accommodate your preferences, we cannot guarantee specific teacher placements. Our primary focus remains on the overall well-being and growth of each student, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

We encourage you to stay engaged with our school community by participating in upcoming events, parent-teacher conferences, and other opportunities for involvement. Your support plays a vital role in shaping the success and well-being of our students.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making the IEC a place where curiosity is cultivated, and dreams take flight. Wishing you a wonderful month filled with growth, learning, and the joys of spring!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rodriguez

Wednesday 3/5- Report cards go home

Thursday 3/6- Spring Picture Day

Friday 3/7- National School maintenance Worker Day- Thank you for ALL you do Mr. Parker!

Friday 3/7- Parent Teacher Conferences- NO student attendance

Sunday 3/9- Daylight Savings Time Begins- Spring Forward!

Wednesday 3/12- District Art Show 5pm-6pm Elementary/ 6pm-7:30pm Secondary at the High School

Thursday 3/13- Choral Kaleidoscope Concert 7pm IEC auditorium

Friday 3/14 "PI day" 3.14 mathematical reference

Monday 3/17- Saint Patrick's Day

Pet Food Drive 3/17-3/28 (see flyer below)

Tuesday 3/18- Early Release day dismissal at 2:25pm

Thursday 3/21- One District One Book Family Night 6pm-8pm @ the IEC

Friday 3/28- My VIP & Me night (see below)

Lost & found items

not claimed prior to Spring Break

will be donated to Wear n Share

Members of the IEC Chess Club began their annual Chess tournament in January. This year’s tournament members faced off against each other in a single-elimination bracket format. After two months and many great matches, eventually Matt Drumsta and Reese Putzbach would play each other in the Finals. It was a good match, but in the end Matt Drumsta would prevail. Congratulations to Matt Drumsta as our 2024-2025 IEC Chess Club Champion.

It’s the time of year when schools across the country focus on the importance of music programs at school such as general music, chorus, band and orchestra! For nearly 40 years, March has been designated as Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®). Music has a lasting positive impact in our lives. The positive impact on music in the lives of our students lasts a lifetime.

Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across our school district, music educators dedicate themselves to reaching all students with life-changing musical experiences. Parents, administrators, and the wider community often only see the wonderful results of music performances; however, we miss the months of practice and rehearsals and more importantly the learning process that takes place to make it all happen.

We encourage members in our community to acknowledge and celebrate music education as an essential part of every student’s educational journey.

The Niagara County Music Educators Association (NCMEA) sponsors three annual

All-County Music Festivals. Each festival showcases the top vocal/instrumental musicians in the county from grades 5-12th. Instrumental students audition in December, competing against hundreds of others from various school districts to be selected for a position in their ensemble.

These festivals are two-day events in which students rehearse with a guest conductor all day on Friday and again on Saturday morning with an afternoon concert to conclude the festival.

The Intermediate Orchestra was hosted by North Tonawanda CSD on

Jan. 31/ Feb. 1, 2025. Fifth Grade students from the IEC were:

Lily Wager- Violin

Armen Hurtgam- Violin

Amelia Greene- Violin

Violet Donnelley- Violin

Lilith Fallesen- Viola

Luciana- Cruz- Cello

The Elementary Chorus was held at Starpoint CSD on Feb. 7/8, 2025.

Fifth Grade students from the IEC were:

Norah Schmitt- Soprano

Riley Scherrer-Soprano

Lauren Strassburg- Soprano

Lucas Wyno- Soprano

The Elementary Band was hosted right here at Lewiston Porter CSD

on Feb 28/March 1, 2025. Fifth Grade students from the IEC were:

Ashtyn Abraham - clarinet

Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Carere, Mrs. Spinnegan, and Mrs. Zachary are very proud of these students for all of their hard work and dedication to make these performances so successful. Congratulations on being selected and representing Lewiston Porter!

Each month, one student from Band, Orchestra, Chorus and General Music will be chosen as a Music Leader of the Month. These students demonstrate the 3 R’s (Responsibility, Respect and Resourcefulness) in these classes.

For the month of February, the following students were chosen by Mrs. Spinnegan, Mrs. Zachary and Mrs.Carere:

Band - Callan McFadden

Orchestra - Casey Congdon

General Music - Charlotte Harden

Chorus- Chloe Clark

Congratulations! Keep up the great work!

Thursday 2/13/24 the IEC had our One District One Book reveal assembly

and the winner is…..Life According to Og the Frog!

(insert book photo- see attached)

Our 9th annual One District, One Book Family Reading Adventure is underway! Students were on the edge of their seats at both our Community Reveal on Wednesday, February 12th (280 in attendance) and our In School Reveals at both the PEC and IEC on Thursday, February 13th. It was the closest vote to date with only 2 votes separating our titles. Our students received their very own copy of the book, an exclusive bookmark which links them to our online resources, and a parent packet. The parent packet included a reading schedule, family questions and activities, and the list of our community business partners! Tune in on Fridays to find out trivia and masked reader winners, the next week’s community scavenger hunt host, the next trivia question, and to hear about both our masked readers and guest readers. It is never too late to start reading this heartwarming tale of friendship and belonging! We will be celebrating our reading accomplishments at our Family Night on Friday, March 21st. Students and their families will join together at the IEC to celebrate in true Og style! Stay tuned to Seesaw (PEC), Google Classroom, and Blackboard (IEC) for details and registration. Hoppy Reading!

In an exciting display of creativity and collaboration, the fourth-grade classes recently engaged in a thrilling STEAM challenge to construct the tallest snowman using only six pieces of white paper, one black piece, four pipe cleaners, and tape. The snowmen had to stand on their own to be officially measured, promoting inventive engineering skills among the students. After much anticipation, Aurora and Aiden from Mr. Fredericks’ class emerged as the champions, creating an impressive 60-inch snowman! This fun competition not only sparked friendly rivalry but also encouraged students to work together and hone their building skills—a fantastic learning experience for all!

Mrs. Peterson

Technology/STEAM Teacher

3rd Grade Students in Mrs. Topolski's class are creating floor plans for their dream houses.

They are working with area and multiplication to create their designs.

On February 10th, third grade students from Mrs. DeFranco’s class completed a multi-step project culminating with a presentation to the Lew-Port Board of Education. In the fall of 2024, our classroom brainstormed a list of things we thought intermediate students would like to see added to our current playground. The list was narrowed down to 4 items and every third grade student from 7 classes voted. Our student teacher, Miss Mang, coordinated the voting project.

Adding an obstacle course to the IEC playground was extremely popular. Other items that received fewer votes were to fix the green tunnel (which has been blocked off for over 5 years), change the wood chips to rubber chips, and add a rock wall. After studying the results, students concluded:

1. Even though switching to rubber chips might be safer, we decided that would not be a good use of money.

2. Since there is a rock wall in the PE gym, that would be a duplicate piece of equipment.

3. We felt the green tube received just a few votes because students were more interested in getting some new equipment, even though they would love to be able to use the green tube again.

4. Adding an obstacle course was popular because that would be a new piece of equipment to use during recess.

Third graders in Mrs. DeFranco’s class gave extensive thought to getting changes made to our IEC playground. As third graders, they have an opportunity to enjoy those changes over the next 2 years and make the IEC playground better for others to use. However, they knew the project ideas needed to go to the next level, so they decided to meet with the Lew-Port Board of Education.

On February 10, third grade presenters asked that money be included in the school budget for IEC playground improvements. Intermediate students are noticing that secondary students have access to soccer, football, and baseball fields. They also have access to batting cages. A large amount of money is spent on secondary students, and more money needs to be spent at the elementary level. Therefore, IEC students would like serious considerations given to the requests to improve the IEC playground.

The presentation ended with Mr. Casseri, Superintendent, congratulating the group on their hard work and mentioning the recommendations would be taken seriously. It could take some time, but keep an eye out for any IEC playground improvements….large or small.

Pictured with members of the Lewiston-Porter Board of Education are Sara Mang (student teacher), Elaina Lederhouse, Gregory Mies, Grace Plante, Maisie McDermott, Maddalyn Robare, and Mrs. DeFranco. Board members pictured are Joseph Palermo, Superintendent Paul Casseri, President Danielle Mullen, and Jack Waugaman.