EECV Family Newsletter

Hello EECV Families,

This time of year brings cooler weather. We ask you to dress your children for outdoor play when they are at school. Each day our students get time to exercise their bodies and build strength and balance at recess or motor time. As long as the weather is 32 degrees or warmer students may be outside on our playground. Coats or jackets, a hat, warm shoes, and gloves are helpful to wear to school when the weather gets colder.

Speaking of coats and jackets...we encourage parents to work on having their child put on and take off their own coat at home. This is a skill we work on at school but practice at home is very important! We thank you for encouraging your child to put on and take off their own coat each day. Thank you!

Parent-teacher conferences are in November. Conferences are a great time to hear how your child is progressing in school as well as a time to talk through any concerns you may have. If you have not set up a conference time please contact your child's teacher to see what times are still available. Parents get to choose whether they attend the conference in person, over the phone, or virtually.

Also, please follow us if you are not already: Elyria Early Childhood Village;

https://www.facebook.com/EECVSchool/

Thank you for choosing EECV as a partner in your child's education!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Jackie Plantner, Principal

plantnerjacqueline@elyriaschools.org

Kate Petiya, Assistant Principal - petiyakatherine@elyriaschools.org

Myia Bruening, Secretary - brueningmyia@elyriaschools.org

Gissele Lugo, Secretary - lugogissele@elyriaschools.org

Jake Keith, School Nurse - keithjacob@elyriaschools.org

• Monday, 11/3/25 - Spirit Wear Fundraiser form goes home
• Tuesday, 11/4/25 - Staff Professional Development Day, No School for Students
• Wednesday, 11/5/25 - Evening Parent Training, registration required!
• Wednesday, 11/12/25 - Spirit Wear Fundraiser form with payment due
• Thursday, 11/13/25 - Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences for Preschool and Kindergarten
• Friday, 11/14/25 - Daytime Preschool Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Preschool Students
• Tuesday, 11/18/25 - Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences for Preschool and Kindergarten
• Thursday, 11/20/25 - Picture Retake Day
• Wednesday, 11/26/25 through Friday, 11/28/25 - Conference Make Up Day and Thanksgiving Break, No School

Coming to school each day is an important part of student learning. This year we are focusing on improving student attendance as a building. One way we are celebrating student attendance is on the announcements each Thursday. We call this segment of our announcements "Thankful you were here Thursday". Students who attended school every day the previous week have their name put onto a spinning wheel. The wheel is spun on our video announcements, and one student is selected as our winner! This student receives a certificate and a prize that was donated by the Cleveland Browns Stay in the Game Program. This school year we are partnering with the Cleveland Browns in their Stay in the Game Program. This program is a statewide campaign created to promote and support student attendance.

Ways to Support Attendance at Home:

• Establish routines: Create and stick to regular bedtime and morning schedules to ensure students are rested and ready for school.
• Prepare the night before: Have children lay out clothes and pack backpacks the evening before to reduce morning stress.
• Plan ahead: Schedule medical appointments and vacations for non-school days whenever possible.
• Prioritize health: Make sure your child is not staying home unless they are truly sick.
• Stay in communication: Notify the school when your child is absent and provide any necessary notes, like for medical appointments.

We are hosting an EECV spirit wear fundraiser this month!

Students will be receiving a FREE EECV t-shirt with the message Love Grows in Our School on Monday (November 3rd) in their backpack. These are provided for free to our students with the use of our student activities funds which were collected through fundraisers. We encourage you to send your student in their shirt on their last school day each week to show school spirit and pride in Elyria City Schools. If you are in need of additional Pioneer spirit wear we have also included an order form for our fundraiser.

Fundraiser Option

We are selling t-shirts, crewneck sweatshirts and hooded sweatshirts in both youth and adult sizes. The design for these items is shown (similar to the student shirts but with a different message). The design will be in red on a gray shirt or sweatshirt.

Order forms and payment are due back to your student's classroom teacher by November 12th. We are accepting Cash or Checks made payable to Elyria City Schools. We are unable to accept order forms that do not include payment. This is a preorder only sale, we will not be ordering extra items.

Pick up for the items ordered will be on December 10th from 3:15-5:00.

If you want your child's picture retaken you must call the office on or before 11/19/25.

440-284-8250

Original picture packages must be returned.

From our school handbook:

We love to celebrate and recognize special occasions in our students’ lives. Sending in treats or items from home is not required or necessary; however, if you would like to send something in to celebrate an occasion, such as your child’s birthday, please keep the following in mind:

• We have many students with allergies, so be sure to discuss treats with the classroom teacher first. All treats must be pre-approved by the classroom teacher. No food sent in for birthdays/celebrations will be consumed at school. It will be sent home in backpacks.

• All food items sent in must be individually wrapped, factory packaged, and include a list of ingredients. Again, no food sent in for birthdays/celebrations will be consumed at school. It will be sent home in backpacks.

• We encourage non-food items such as stickers, small containers of playdough or bubbles, temporary tattoos, glow sticks, or crayons and coloring books.

• No balloons or large decorations will be permitted in the building.

Health Update: Protecting Our Little Learners This Winter

Dear Families,

As we head into the colder months, we want to take a moment to talk about something that’s essential to keeping our children, families, and staff safe and healthy: seasonal vaccinations, especially for influenza (flu) and COVID-19.

🛡️ Why Vaccination Matters

Children under 5 years old—especially those under 2—are at higher risk for serious complications from flu and COVID-19. These illnesses can lead to hospitalizations, pneumonia, dehydration, and even more severe outcomes. Even healthy children can get very sick and spread these viruses to others, including infants and grandparents. [cdc.gov]

Vaccination is the best defense we have. It helps:

• Prevent serious illness and hospitalization
• Reduce school absences and disruptions to learning
• Protect vulnerable members of our community
• Keep our classrooms open and thriving

💉 What’s New This Season?

• Flu Vaccine: Recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Children receiving the flu vaccine for the first time may need two doses, spaced four weeks apart. [publicheal...rative.org]
• COVID-19 Vaccine: The AAP strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 6 months to 2 years, and risk-based vaccination for older children. [publications.aap.org]
• Both vaccines have been updated for the 2025–2026 season to match circulating strains. [uchealth.org]

🏫 Vaccination and Preschool Enrollment

Many early care and education programs require children to be up-to-date on routine vaccinations before enrollment. Staying current helps prevent outbreaks and ensures children are ready to learn. [naccho.org]

Common Questions

• Can my child get both vaccines at once? Yes! It’s safe and convenient to receive both flu and COVID-19 vaccines during the same visit.
• Are the vaccines safe? Absolutely. Both vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and are monitored continuously for safety. [doh.wa.gov]
• Where can I get vaccines? Pediatricians, local clinics, and pharmacies often offer both vaccines. If you need help finding a provider, let us know!

📅 When to Vaccinate

The best time to vaccinate is before flu season peaks, ideally in September or October. But it’s never too late—vaccination is still beneficial throughout the winter.

Let’s work together to keep our preschool community healthy, happy, and learning all season long. If you have any questions, please reach out to our office.

Warmly,
Nurse Jake

Be Respectful - Be kind and be a good friend.

Be Responsible - Follow school rules and be safe.

Be Ready to Learn - Be a good listener.

If your child will be riding the school bus this year, you will be notified of the bus schedule by GG&C Transportation. If you have any questions regarding the bus number or times for drop off and pick up, please contact GG&C Transportation directly at 284-8030.

If you need to make any change to your child's bus pick up or drop off, call the EECV Main Office at 440-284-8250. Thank you!

• Morning Student Arrival begins at 8:55 AM
• Afternoon Student Arrival begins at 12:35 PM

Parents choosing to transport their child by car must enter and exit from the Adelbert St. entrance to the Westwood Campus ONLY. See pictures in a later section of this newsletter.

Parents must park and walk their child to their designated arrival door (see map below). At the door, parents will leave their child with an EECV staff member who will escort them to class. No parents will be allowed to escort their child to the classroom.

• Gray, Yellow, Aqua, Peach, Pink, Orange, and Blue Rooms – East entrances
• Gold, Purple, Green, Lilac, Silver, and Coral Rooms – West entrance

• Morning Student Dismissal is at 11:40 AM
• Afternoon Student Dismissal is at 3:10 PM

Parents choosing to transport their child by car must enter and exit from the Adelbert St. entrance to the Westwood campus ONLY.

Parents must park and walk to their child's designated dismissal door (see below). At the door parents wait for the child's teacher to dismiss the child to their parent or guardian. Identification will be checked until staff are able to identify the person picking up the child. Please remember to bring an ID with you each day.

• Gray, Yellow, Aqua, Peach, Pink, Orange, and Blue Rooms – East entrances
• Gold, Purple, Green, Lilac, Silver, and Coral Rooms – West entrance

Have you opted in to receive text messages from Elyria Schools?

If you haven't already, please take a moment to sign up to receive automatic text messages from Elyria Schools.

This is a valuable tool in an emergency or when there's important, time-sensitive information to share.

The service is free and opting in is easy. Parents or guardians simply need to send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district's short code number at 67587.

Just as simple, you can opt out at any time by replying to one of our messages with “Stop.”

The text feature and the robocall system are tied directly a student's contact information that is on file with your child's school. Please make sure this information is kept up-to-date to ensure you continue receiving calls or texts from Elyria Schools.

Please call the office to report your child's absence at 284-8250 before 9:15 AM. Our phone has 24-hour voicemail so that you may call and leave a message anytime. Please leave a voicemail if no one answers the phone in the office; voicemails are frequently checked and the office will receive your message.

Please make sure you always have a photo ID with you, when you come to the school, this is for the safety of our students.

The Main Office of any school building is a hub of activity. Students and staff are always on the go, in and out of the space throughout the school day.

It’s an active place for regular check-ins and meetings with students, as well as staff conferences and daily interactions with school principals and counselors. The Main Office is also a confidential space at times for conversations and interactions between school personnel and students.

Parents and caregivers are part of the equation, too. For any number of reasons, parents may be asked to come to their child’s school during the day. When that happens, parents should follow the district’s visitor procedures by using the school’s main entrance buzzer and intercom system to gain entrance to the school, and then signing in at the front desk.

If parents/caregivers do not have a meeting at the school but still need to come to the school during the day to see their child or to speak to a staff member, call-ahead notice or an appointment is required.

This ensures parents will be seen in a timely manner and upholds the safety practices of the school. To contact the Main Office, please call 440-284-8250.

Learners thrive when school is engaging and personally meaningful.

All Pioneers have a voice in decisions that affect them.

Excellence is achieved through vision, commitment and moral leadership.

Elyria Early Childhood Village

Email: plantnerjacqueline@elyriaschools.org
Website: www.elyriaschools.org
Location: 42331 Griswold Road, Elyria, OH, USA
Phone: (440) 284-8250
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EECVSchool/