Heights Happenings

Dear Families,

2026 kicked off cold and snowy in NE Ohio, for sure! Welcome February ~ a month filled with friendship and positive energy, and I am proud of the kind hearts our students demonstrate every day. Please see the following updates regarding attendance and our upcoming Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Attendance Matters

Consistent attendance is vital for your child’s academic and social growth. Being in school helps students build the skills, confidence, and friendships they need to succeed.

Impact of Absences: Research shows that missing just two days a month can make it harder for students to master reading by the end of third grade.
Daily Goals: We love doing our morning attendance shoutouts for homerooms who have 90% or better attendance. And the students love hearing them. If your student must be absent, please call the school office immediately to notify us.
Healthy Habits: While we want students here every day, please keep children home if they are sick or running a temperature to ensure everyone stays healthy.
Support: If anything is making it difficult for your child to attend school regularly, please reach out to us at 440-284-8011 so we can work together on a solution.

Valentine’s Day Parties

Classrooms that are having parties will celebrate on Friday, February 13th. Please be sure to look for more information coming home from your child's teacher.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for helping us make February a wonderful month for our students.

Sincerely,

Brenda Wittman

Principal

Hello Families!

Helping Kids Solve Problems—Together!
As we continue into our second half of the school year we are continuing to work through Being Respectful, Being Responsible, and Being Ready to Learn. At school, we’re practicing ways students can solve everyday problems calmly and respectfully- without resorting to using our hands or mean words. You can help at home by encouraging your child to use their words to say “stop” or explain how they feel, listening to others perspectives, and taking turns sharing ideas on how you can work through problems that come up at home with siblings, with cousins, and even with you.

Modeling these skills—pausing, listening, and finding a fair solution—helps children build confidence and kindness. When kids learn peaceful problem-solving now, they’re set up for success in school and beyond!

I am looking forward to all of the ways that each student will continue to grow!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

February 2026

Friday, February 6 ~ KG-2nd Grade Dance

Thursday, February 12 ~ PTO Meeting (6pm in Music Room)

*this is a new date!*

Sunday, February 15 ~ PTO Skate Night (5:30-7:30pm at Roll Arena)

Monday, February 16 ~ President's Day ~ NO SCHOOL

Thursday, February 19 ~ Conferences (you will receive information from your child's teacher regarding conference appointments)

Our mornings are a lot chillier now! Please remember the following:

students should arrive on campus no earlier than 8:50am unless they participate in a before school activity
we monitor the temperature & real feel temperature, as well as the weather conditions, each morning

students are brought into the building at 8:55
if we have severe cold and/or weather, we will bring students into the building at 8:50
teachers monitor the weather daily for outdoor recess and will take classes outside for fresh air weather permitting
please be sure to send your child to school wearing a coat, hat and mittens/gloves

Connecting For Kids

Connecting for Kids January/February Programs

Connecting for Kids Lorain County Resource Fair Information

Second Harvest Food Bank

Upcoming Drive Thru Mobile Pantries List

Second Harvest & Partner Charities

Use the link HERE to get more information about local food pantries and meals

United Way of Greater Lorain County

Use the link HERE to learn about 211 resources

Join Our Building Class Dojo

Follow Eastern Heights Elementary on Facebook

Campus traffic rules are in place to keep all students and staff safe during arrival and dismissal times. We appreciate you honoring these rules to keep everyone safe!

Drive slowly and stay alert while on campus; refrain from cell phone use while driving on campus
Drive slowly and follow all building staff directions while driving on campus
Use crosswalks when walking your children to & from the building
Cars must not stop in a crosswalk; while cars are waiting to move, crosswalks must be free for people to cross
Cars should enter campus for drop off and pick up at the Prospect/Cornell entrance and follow the ring road around campus. Using this entrance allows the smoothest flow of traffic.
There is no parking in the pickup lane during drop off or dismissal; this helps the flow of traffic move smoothly
Cars should make only 1 lane of traffic on the campus (inside lane closest to the building); do not pull out and pass cars that are in the pick-up lane
Cars should refrain from entering the bus lane on the north side of the building; this lane is used for all ECS busses as well as all daycare and after school program vans.
Drop-off & pickup your student using the spaces between the 2 orange cones directly in front of the building

Thank you for helping us make drop-off & pickup safety the #1 priority!

With safety as a top priority of the Eastern Heights Campus staff, we want you to be aware that you may see us outside practicing a drill as we start the school year. Please remember to drive slowly and/or stop to allow the drill to proceed safely. And, be sure to have your student dress appropriately for the weather and know that we practice these drills with all our students to keep everyone safe!