The Weekly News West Elementary

You might see some new faces around West Elementary -- we are happy to welcome some new staff members:

Mr. Buckenroth -- Fifth Grade

Mr. DiCarlo -- Fifth Grade

Mrs. Steele -- Fourth Grade

Mrs. Piniewski -- Fourth Grade

Ms. Alessi -- First Grade

Mrs. Fedele -- Consultant Teacher

Ms. Wypior -- Reading

Mr. Slade -- Phys Ed

Ms. Conrad -- General Music

Ms. Mecca -- Teacher's Aide

Ms. Sadowski -- Teacher's Aide

Mrs. Golda Widman -- Teacher's Aide

The office entrance and the "new gym" are almost finished. Stay tuned in the next newsletter for some pictures! We can't wait to show off our new construction!

Please see the attached message from the District regarding changes to NYS protocols for conducting our school safety drills. We are now required to notify parents in advance of any fire drills or lockdown drills that will be conducted during the week. The attached letter explains our drills, how they will be handled, and offers resources to use to talk to your children. Thank you for your attention to this.

All school breakfasts and lunches are free for the 2024-2025 school year!

Sign up to add money your child's My School Bucks account for snacks or additional lunch items through Parent Portal or here -- https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home

Morning Procedures

• Student drop-off in the morning will occur in the designated CAR LOOP (Door 19) on the side of the building at 9:00am. Once in the loop, we are asking parents to remain in their cars throughout the entire process. There will be staff available to direct students into the building and to their classrooms. Please remember to stay in the car lane unless otherwise instructed.

• Buses will continue to arrive and unload in the bus loop (Door 1). Do not enter the bus loop for any reason.

• Door 19 will close at 9:10. If the door is no longer open, please park and walk your child to the office (Door 21)..

• No parent drop off is permitted in the front of the building. It is not safe to have children crossing in the bus loop.

Afternoon Dismissal Procedures

• Each family will receive two car tags with a designated number for their family. We understand the need for multiple drivers to be picking up, so we will be issuing two car tags per family. Please share your car tags as a family.

• Your car tag must be displayed on your dashboard.

• Each child will receive a designated backpack number tag from their child’s teacher. They will need to wear this on their school bag daily so we can safely and efficiently exit them from the building. Please do not remove this from your child’s school bag.

• If the person picking up does not have a car tag when they come to pick up your child(ren), they will be asked to pull out of line into a designated space in the parking lot. After the pick-up loop is cleared, staff will verify their identity. We will be checking a photo ID and confirming the information you have for authorized people to pick up your child(ren).

• There will be no parent pick-up from the Main Office after 3:00pm. Please do not try to avoid the pick-up line by coming into the office as our office staff is busy preparing for dismissal.

Student pick-up will begin promptly at 3:30. In order for us to keep an overflow of traffic to a minimum, please do not arrive prior to the designated pick-up time.

Please follow the directions of the staff members who are supervising your child(ren) walking to your vehicles. Your child will ONLY be able to get into your vehicle when you are in the “loading zone”.

Thank you for your cooperation and flexibility with the volume of traffic on campus.

Please consider using district provided transportation!

It is never too soon to start thinking about good school attendance.

There are only 180 days in the school year, and every one of these days matter!

Make school attendance a priority:

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school everyday, make that the expectation.

• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

• Don’t let your child stay home unless contagious. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.

• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school

counselors, or other parents for advice on how to increase comfort level and excitement about learning.

• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

• Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers if necessary.

• Encourage meaningful after school activities, including sports and clubs.

• Know the school’s attendance policy.

• Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior.

• Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.

For more information on school attendance visit:

https://www.wscschools.org/domain/2461

Membership -- https://westelementary.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

School Spirit Apparel -- https://sportslocker.chipply.com/WestElementaryPTA/

Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/TheWestElPTA/

Please use the following link to fill out the West Seneca School District Volunteer Acknowledgement Form. If you plan on coming in as a guest reader, to volunteer with PTA, or to work in your child's classroom for holiday parties, please adhere to the obligations and expectations of a responsible parent volunteer. The following guidelines/procedures shall serve as a review of your important role in our schools:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxcVhc_HrwLPRtnhODkr3nB-Y3aYQJ1Y62bV3RMrP3HDi1tA/viewform

Ms. Elizabeth Caprio, School Social Worker

716-677-3166

ecaprio@wscschools.org

Ms. Lisa Gill, School Social Worker

716-677-3261

lgill@wscschools.org

Mrs. Nubia Cawthard, School Psychologist

716-677-3258

ncawthard@wscschools.org

Mrs. Lea O'Malley, School Counselor

716- 677-3671

lomalley@wscschools.org

Wednesday the 18th -- PTA Meeting 6:30 in library

Wednesday the 25th -- Fall Pictures Day K-2

Wednesday the 25th Open House, Grades 1-3, 6:00-7:30 (parents only/not for self-contained classes)

Thursday the 26th -- Fall Picture Day 3-5

Thursday the 26th -- Open House, Grades 4-5, 6:00-7:30 (parents only/not for self-contained classes)

Friday the 27th -- Welcome Back Carnival 4-7pm

Friday the 27th -- Dollar Day - Wear Yellow for Pediatric Cancer Research “Courage for Carly”

We are an educational community that encourages kindness, inspires confidence, and instills the belief that together we can achieve anything.