November 2023
Lewiston- Porter Intermediate Education Center
From the Principal's Office
Dear Lewiston-Porter Intermediate Education Center School Community,
As the weather cools, and we step into the crisp and colorful month of November, I want to take a moment to reflect on the importance of gratitude. November is indeed a special time - a time to be thankful.
This month provides us with an opportunity to pause and consider the many blessings that surround us. It’s a time to appreciate the beauty of the changing leaves, the warmth of our homes, and the joy of being part of the wonderful intermediate education school community.
For our students, it’s a chance to recognize the guidance and support they receive from their teachers and mentors. It’s a moment to appreciate the friendships they form, the knowledge they've gained, and the growth they’ve experienced.
For our dedicated teachers and staff, it’s an occasion to acknowledge the hard work and unwavering commitment they put into shaping our students' futures. It’s a time to be grateful for the opportunity to inspire young minds and watch them flourish.
For our parents and guardians, it’s a time to appreciate the trust you place in us every day as we work together to nourish your children’s growth in education.
And for our entire Lewiston-Porter Intermediate Education Community, it’s a chance to come together, support one another, and celebrate the spirit of unity that makes our school so exceptional.
I encourage you to take a moment this month to reflect on the things you are grateful for. Whether it’s the love of family, the support of friends, the opportunities that education brings, or the sense of belonging within our school community, we all have so much to be thankful for.
As we move through November, let’s carry the spirit of gratitude with us, not just for this month, but all year round. Gratitude has a remarkable way of transforming our perspectives, fostering, positivity, and enhancing our overall well-being.
May this month be a time of reflection, appreciation, and togetherness. Let us continue to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives, and the beautiful community we have created here at Lewiston-Porter.
Wishing you all a wonderful November filled with gratitude and warmth.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Rodriguez
Principal, IEC
Mark the Calendar
Thursday November 2nd- All Souls Day
Tuesday Niovember 7th- Election Day
Wednesday November 8th- National STEAM/ STEM day
Friday November 10th- Veteran's Day No school
Friday November 10th- US Marine Corps birthday
Sunday November 12- Diwali
Wednesday November 22nd- Friday November 24th- Thanksgiving recess No school
Wednesday November 23rd- Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday November 24th- Native American Heritage Day
Order IEC yearbooks online now!
Restorative Practices
Dear Parents and Guardians,
In our ongoing efforts to create a harmonious and supportive environment, both at home, and in school, we are excited to be using restorative practices in our classrooms and school. This approach is all about building relationships, fostering a sense of belonging, and nurturing a strong sense of community within our families and classrooms.
Restorative practices are not just confined to school settings, they can have a transformative impact on family dynamics as well. By implementing these principles at home, you can strengthen your relationships with your children, reinforce a sense of belonging, and promote hope and communication.
Tier 1 Circles: Building Relationships
In our classrooms, we utilize tier 1 circles during a practice, called DEAL time. DEAL which stands for “drop, everything, and, lead,” takes place every day, giving students a platform to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and concerns in a safe and respectful manner. This routine helps students build trust and bond with their peers and teachers.
You can also implement similar circles at home by setting aside dedicated time for family discussions. These moments can provide a safe space for everyone to share their thoughts, feelings, and appreciation, strengthening the family bond.The dinner table is a great place to have these conversations.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 circles: Repairing Relationships, and Problem-Solving
In addition to tier 1 circles, we employ tier 2 and tier 3 circles to address and repair relationships and collaboratively solve problems in our school community. These circles facilitate restorative conversations that encourage individuals to take responsibility for their actions and work towards resolution.
You can use principles of tier 2 in tier 3 circles to address conflicts and challenges within your family. By bringing everyone involved into a circle, you can work together to repair any strained relationships, and find solutions to problems in a cooperative and respectful manner.
Support for Restorative Practice at Home
To assist you in implementing restorative practice at home, I have attached a video (Let's Talk Restorative Practices- Part 1) that provides a comprehensive overview of the concept and its benefits. We encourage you to watch it at your convenience and discuss it with your family.
Moreover, we are excited to announce that during the upcoming parent teacher conferences in December, you will receive a brochure designed to help you incorporate restorative practice into your home life. This resource will offer practical tips and ideas for building stronger relationships, resolving conflicts, and fostering a sense of belonging within your family.
We look forward to embracing restorative practice not only in our classroom, but also in our homes, knowing that they can play a significant role in strengthening the relationships we cherish most. Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing community, both at school and within our families.
November IEC Food Drive Competition!
The school wide Food Drive begins on November 1st and runs until the 17th.
This year the KKIDS club (who hosts the event) voted to hold a
food drive challenge between classes at each grade level.
There will be a winning class from 3rd, 4th , and 5th grade!
KKIDS also voted for an extra half hour of recess as the prize for the winning classes. Each IEC class will use a “Food Drive Tally Sheet” to track their class’s donations. Classes will count the number of items they collect each day on it and give a total on 11/17.
Winners will be announced on Monday, November 20th on the school announcements!
Stay tuned…
NATIONAL FAMILY LITERACY DAY
National Family Literacy Day is observed on November 1st. Families who read together succeed together.
There are more reasons than ever before for families to read aloud to their children from a young age. Besides the fact that reading creates quiet, quality family time, it develops early vocabulary skills. If that wasn’t enough to get a family reading together, check out these reasons:
- Expands their attention span and yours. Read chapter books even to your youngest child. They may drift off to sleep, but they are listening and their attention span will lengthen.
- It’s free. Books can be checked out from the library.
- You can read well above a child’s level, and they will still listen and comprehend.
- Improve listening skills. See above.
- It’s portable. Reading doesn’t require batteries. Except at night.
- Reading is a tool that can never be unlearned. Once a child learns to read, they never stop. You’ll know because you’ll have to stop spelling certain words to your spouse.
- It improves imagination and creativity.
- Reading opens up a dialogue between parent and child.
District wide wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness October 6th
On Friday October 6th, the Lewiston Porter school district participated in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer through the American Cancer Society by donations and wearing pink!
Leader in Me Habit Homework Menu
Fire Safety Week October 8th- 14th
My name is Karen Walker and I have worked at Lewiston Porter for three years since I moved
here from Niagara Falls. I am married and have three sons Tyler 28, Jason Jr 24 and Bentley 8.
I have been a member of the Ransomville Volunteer Fire Company for just over two years.
Since joining the firehall, I have completed the NYS EMT course and am now in NYS Basic Exterior
Firefighting Operations or BEFO training at the Lockport incident command center. I will
graduate from this class on October 30th . They discussed how important it is that if there is a fire that they DO NOT HIDE. Also talked about firefighter's gear.
We had a silent vote to see if they thought I could get all my gear on in under one minute. I told them that I volunteer to help my community. It is important to me that the girls know that they too can be a firefighter!
When I am not working in the IEC I am out and about helping our community.
Meeting Author Rick Riordan in the IEC library via Flip Video Chat
On October 5th students in Miss Khatib and Ms. Lester’s 5th grade class had the opportunity to meet author Rick Riordan during a virtual author visit at the IEC library! We learned that Mr. Riordan began writing at the age of 12 and was encouraged to write by his 8th grade English teacher. Mr. Riordan suggested that if we are interested in writing fantasy we should read lots of fantasy books and watch lots of fantasy shows and then decide what we want our fantasy worlds to look like.
Mr. Riordan told us that he was most proud of his character Apollos and that villains are easier to create heroes. He thinks that Heros are more difficult to create because you have to figure out what their motivation is before you can really develop the character. His new TV series inspired a new Percy Jackson book and begins with Percy beginning college.
M. Riordan told us that all authors need an agent and that it takes from 1 to 12 months to find a good one. It is the writer’s agent that sends the book to the editor and it could take up to a year or more for a book to be edited before it is ready for publishing. His final message to us was “Whatever your dream is, you can make it happen.”
By Mrs. Heidi Kazulak NBCT
Safety Patrol
Our 5th grade Safety Patrol Officers met with officers from our Lewiston Police Department. Chief Previtte and officers from the Lewiston Police Department spoke with our students about the importance of being a Safety Patrol Officer and a leader. They reminded them of the connection they share with the police department and keeping our students safe. Students recited the AAA Safety Patrol Pledge with the officers. Then, students were presented with certificates and badges to remind them of their commitment. We are very proud of our Safety Patrol officers!
Pumpkins of Kindness
Students in Sandonato-Siuta/ Block classroom share kindness
Students from the class of Mrs. Sandonato-Siuta & Mrs. Block painted pumpkins and gifted them to the IEC! The tag reads
"Working hard is what we do
We painted pumpkins just for you
Showing kindness to you all
Enjoy this little piece of fall"
Pumpkin for Principal Rodriguez
other side of the main entrance pumpkin
Village of Lewiston November Events
Tuscarora Elementary Native American Dancers Assembly
Monday October 23rd
The IEC welcomed the PEC students & guests Aaron Printup and the Tuscarora School elementary dancers. Mr. Printup presented information about Native American culture through dance and song. Mr. Printup is a teacher at the Tuscarora School and a member of the Tuscarora Nation.
National Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month is celebrated to honor the remarkable Native American and Indigenous people who have contributed a lot to improve the character of the nation.
This month is also referred to as the American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. November is the time to rejoice in diverse and rich cultures, histories, and traditions and to appreciate the great contributions of the Native Americans. This month allows us to spread awareness about tribes or to educate people about the various challenges faced by the Native Americans in the past and today. Throughout this month, we commit to keep on supporting the remaining Native American tribes and let the world know about their sacrifices.
National Native American Month started off as an effort to get a day of appreciation and acknowledgment for the unique contributions made by the first Americans for the growth and establishment of the United States. The effort has now resulted in a whole month being celebrated for that purpose.
Dr. Arthur C. Parker was one of the first supporters of having an American Indian Day. He was a Seneca Indian and the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. He was also the one to convince the Boy Scouts of America to create a day for the Native Americans — the Boy Scouts adopted this day for three days.
In 1915, a plan concerning American Indian Day was formally approved in the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting. The president of the American Indian Association, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, called upon the country to observe this day. The first time American Indian Day was declared was in May 1916. In 1990, a joint resolution was approved by George H.W. Bush, which called for November to be named National American Heritage Month.
The government of Native Americans serves as the model of federated representative democracy. The government system of the U.S. is based on the system in which the power is distributed amongst the central authority and smaller political units.
There are many contributions made by the Native Americans such as the discovery of edible plants, which are widely eaten by people around the world. They were the first people to raise turkeys, guinea pigs, and honeybees.
Many of Native Americans' innovations in health and medicine have been around for thousands of years, predating — and contributing to — Western medicine. Native Americans chewed willow bark (shown above) to soothe aches and pains. The active ingredient in the bark is salicin, a chemical that in 1897 formed the basis of the discovery of aspirin, the most commonly used drug in the world. (Salicin is also a precursor to salicylic acid, the active ingredient in many over-the-counter acne treatments and dandruff-fighting shampoos.) The concept that led to the development of vaccines — protecting oneself from a virus or disease by exposing oneself to a modified version of it — was not lost on Native Americans. Dr. Sophie E. Neuner, a research associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, points to tribes inoculating themselves by ingesting small amounts of substances to protect their bodies from the harmful effects of the same substances in larger quantities.
“Ever since I started eating small parts of poison oak on a regular basis, I have not gotten the big rashes that I used to get,” said Neuner, a member of the Karuk tribe.
The world can thank Native Americans — the Iroquois and Seneca tribes, in particular — for inventing baby bottles and baby formula, important to infants’ health when breast milk is not available. And according to the History channel, Native Americans invented syringes.
The Indigenous community is expansive, with 574 federally-recognized tribes in the United States, 630 in Canada, and more than 17 million Indigenous citizens in Mexico. (See link below to ncai.org)
https://share.america.gov/21st-century-native-americans-tell-their-stories/
https://www.history.com/news/native-american-inventions
Lewiston-Porter Central School District Website Overview
NATIONAL S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. DAY – November 8
National S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. Day on November 8th calls for full S.T.E.A.M. ahead! The day inspires kids to explore and pursue their interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Inspired by the Project Mc² brand, created by MGA Entertainment, the S.T.E.A.M.- based franchise features four super smart girls who are part of a super-secret spy organization called NOV8 (that’s “innovate”).
- S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. is all around us and shapes our everyday experiences
- Of the U.S. Labor Department’s predicted 10 fastest growing occupations, nearly all of them are S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. careers; therefore an interest in S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. early on can lead to success later on in life
- The U.S. has fallen behind other nations in science and math education; we need to motivate young kids to pursue these subjects to keep up with the rest of the world
- We must close the gender gap that exists in S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. related-careers. Building interest in girls is critical to their future earning potential.
Alisha Cheema Attends the National Youth Leadership Forum
National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM, an Envision by WorldStrides Program
It wasn't all fun and games this summer for 5th grader, Alisha Cheema. She spent a week at St. John’s University in NYC where she joined other young students from around the region in intensive, engaging, hands-on workshops focused on five skills that are essential to success: emotional awareness, communication, collaboration, critical-thinking, and goal setting. Alisha was given the opportunity to explore a future career in three exciting STEM pathways: medicine, engineering, and crime scene investigation.
Alisha even practiced medical techniques during a realistic simulation titled, When Care is Hours Away. This special session was created by the late wilderness medicine expert Dr. Paul Auerbach and simulation expert Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins while professors in the Department of Emergency at Stanford University’s School of Medicine.
Miss Cheema was nominated last year to attend this program by Mrs. Joy Khatib who selected her based on maturity, scholastic merit, and leadership potential. Mrs. Khatib commented, “ Students return from this experience with an increased confidence and independence, improved presentation skills, the ability to interact successfully with others, and a deeper understanding of how to use existing talents and abilities while bringing focus to potential career interests. It is wonderful to see the personal growth children experience. There simply is no comparable development program for children of this age.”
Aubrey Cancellieri attended the National Young Scholars Program
This summer, 3rd grade student Aubrey Cancellieri joined other outstanding elementary school students from across the state to take part in a unique academic and leadership-oriented development experience, the National Young Scholars Program taking place at St. John’s University in New York, NY. There, she was able to explore interests and experience learning beyond the classroom. This program helped her learn how to discover her voice, discover passions, explore careers, and positively impact the world and influence change with innovative hands-on activities.
Aubrey was nominated to attend the forum by her 2nd grade teacher Miss Khatib, in honor of her maturity, academic excellence, and leadership potential.
IEC Music Leaders of the Month
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 October, the following students have been chosen by Mrs. Spinnegan, Mrs. Zachary and Miss Faddis:
Band - Amelia Sachs
Orchestra - Mia Piraino
General Music - Michael Berti
Chorus- Layla Anthony
Congratulations! Keep up the great work!
Spirit week October 10th-13th
Lewiston-Porter App Overview
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY
The United States Marine Corps, a branch of the United States Armed Forces, is responsible for providing power protection from the sea. They use the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. The Continental Congress first established the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775, leading up to the American Revolution. Two battalions of Marines fought for independence both on land and at sea.
From the Art Room
Reminder: All project summaries and assessments are posted on your childs google art classroom. It is there that you will find an announcement that explains your child’s grade he/she has earned on their art project, and explanations.
Each grade level is focusing on fall inspired art pieces.
Miss Daly's class learned about bones and joints and made X-rays of their hands!
IEC Halloween (Hi Barbie! version)
Mrs. Khatib- the Barbie theme planner ;)
Mrs. Fontanarosa
Principal Rodriguez
Mrs Sandonato-Suita & Mrs. Block's class
Mrs. Schultz & Mrs. Behm's class
Mrs. Kazulak
Mrs. Peterson
Mrs. Jaruszewski & Miss Yager being magical!
Mrs. Danahy- whose husband made this amazing Barbie box!
Mrs. Danahy, Mr. Parker & Ms. Khatib
Ms. Ruero & Mrs. Behm
Mrs. Eckstein, Mrs. Rodriguez & Mrs. Peterson
3rd grade Cowpokes- Mr. Suita, Mrs. Baio, Mrs. DeFranco, Mrs. Kromer, Miss Daly & Mrs. Schultz
Mrs. Silvaggi
Mrs. Lichtenberger & Nurse Klettke
Mrs. B Spina & Miss Eaton
Ms. Khatib & friends
Ms. Zietz & the bones bunch ;)
Mrs. Kazulak & friends
Miss Eaton & Mrs. Dezik
Mrs. Dezik & Miss Jeffs
Mrs. Walker & Mrs. Teal
Mrs. Kazulak & friends
Mrs. Kazulak & friends
Miss Daly's class
Service Learning Multi-Age and Miss Khatib's Class Celebrate Halloween With Retired Teachers & Family and Friends!
It was a scary good time at the IEC on October 31st as students in Service Learning and Miss Khatib’s classes entertained an audience of family, friends and retired teachers. Students performed a variety of talents including knot tying, dance, singing, instrumentals, cheerleading, hockey skills and acrobats. After a phenomenal show, students and guests enjoyed a delicious brunch of breakfast pizzas, fruit kabobs, doughnuts, and juice.
This activity provided students with an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience, converse with former faculty members, and come together as a community of mixed ages and abilities!
Collaboration & Mentorship between the classes of Miss Yager & Mrs. Jaruszewski
Halloween took a little spooky road as Mrs. Jaruszewski and Miss Yager’s classes collaborated to bring some haunting stories to their families.
As part of our exciting collaboration and mentorship program, Miss Yager’s 5th graders are mentoring Mrs. Jaruszewski’s 4th graders. The students worked together to design and create a haunted house out of all of the materials they could find. Then, they came up with an exciting story to go along with their houses. Students were able to communicate and use accountable talk as they worked their way through their projects. On Halloween, families were invited in to watch a presentation for each house that the students designed. All students wore their costumes, where we had photo opportunities and a family guessing game for how much candy corn was in the jar. It was an amazing experience! There is much more to come as the students are beginning their next big project! Stay tuned….