Emmet Belknap Principal Newsletter

Dear Parents/Legal Guardians:

Welcome to a GREAT year at Emmet Belknap Intermediate School! I am excited to begin a new endeavor with you, your children and the staff at EBIS. Although this begins my 20th year in the Lockport City School District with 10 years experience as an Assistant Principal at both Aaron Mossell (formerly North Park) Junior High School and George Southard Elementary Schools, and another 9 years as the building Principal at Charles Upson Elementary School, it will be my first year at EBIS.

This summer we have had several construction projects that limited visitors and staff into the building, however, we are getting ready to open our doors in the upcoming weeks!

YWCA: Before-School Program: The YWCA offers a before-school program at EBIS. There is a fee for the morning program, and registration is required. More information is available by visiting ywcaniagarafrontier.org, contacting the YWCA at (716) 433-6714 with questions, or picking up a pre-registration packet at EBIS.

Bussing: Bus routes are completed through STA/Ridge Road Express and our district liaison, Mr. Kevin Love. Bussing details will be sent out in the near future. If you do not receive your information by August 29, please call Mr. Love at (716) 478-4837 or STA/Ridge Road Express at (716) 246-4265.

Students who qualify for bussing will arrive in the front bus loop of EBIS around 8:20 am. Students will exit the bus around 8:25 am and will be supervised by staff outside. Students who ride STA/Ridge Road Express vans (small buses) will utilize the doors at the back entrance of the building. Doors will open at 8:30 am to let students into the building. Any students who arrive to class after 8:40 am are considered late (tardy) to school.

Our dismissal process will begin at 2:55 pm with students being called by grade level to get to their buses in a timely manner. Students should be reminded to go directly to their buses and avoid procrastinating so they do not miss their bus. Please know, if your child does miss the bus, we will reach out to you directly so you can make arrangements to get him/her home as there are no late buses.

STOP Finder: STA/Ridge Road Express will be working with the STOPFINDER mobile app again this year. This app allows parents/legal guardians to "track" their child's bus to/from school. Parents/Legal Guardians can watch a short video by visiting www.stopfinder.com. This provides an explanation of the app and what data the parent/legal guardian can see. As a reminder, parents/legal guardians must have a valid email address on file with the school district to access their child’s route.

Walkers: Students who are parent pick-up/drop-off or walkers should arrive at the building no earlier than 8:25 as they will NOT be allowed to enter until 8:30 am. Parents should enter the EBIS parking lot via Beattie Avenue and drop off/pick up their child at the top parking lot, closest to the building. Although students may use a variety of exits from the building at dismissal time, they will enter through one of the three front entrances facing High Street in the morning.

Early Dismissals: In the event there is a half-day of school, students will be dismissed from the building beginning at 11:10 am and will arrive home shortly thereafter. On these half-days, staff will continue to provide “HOUSE” activities that support students’ academic, physical and social/emotional well-being. More information will be explained to students about this in the first weeks of school.

Meals: All students will have the opportunity to receive a free school breakfast and lunch. While breakfast is a set meal, students will have options for lunch. You can visit the district and/or building website to view the monthly breakfast and lunch menu. Based on scheduling, students will have outdoor recess for approximately 20 minutes before or after lunch, weather permitting. In the event the weather does not cooperate, students will have indoor recess within their classroom.

Breakfast: Breakfast is available to all students, free of charge. As students enter the building, breakfast carts are located in the hallways and students may ask for a breakfast bag. Please know, these are NOT delivered to the classroom as they may have been when your child was in elementary school.

Lunch: Students who would like a school lunch will go through a serving line in the Cafeteria to select their meal choice. This process is different as students will not pre-order as they did in the elementary schools.

My School Bucks: Parents/Legal Guardians may want to consider adding money to their child’s school account for snacks such as chips, Rice Krispie treats, slushies, beverages, ice cream, etc., during their lunch time as these items are not included in the free lunch program provided through the district. Questions pertaining to all meals and/or My School Bucks can be directed to Tom Heagerty or Patty Noonan at Aramark Food Service at (716) 478-4804.

Class Schedules: Information pertaining to your child’s teachers will be mailed out on August 18, 2023. If you do not receive a letter by August 24, please contact the EBIS Main Office and inquire. Students in grade 5 will have two core academic teachers. One will teacher will teach ELA (English/Language Arts) and Social Studies, while the other will teach Math and Science. Students in grade 6 will have four core academic teachers; each teacher will only teach one content area, ELA (English/Language Arts), Math, Science or Social Studies. These courses are taught daily.

All students will have Physical Education three times a week and will have Art, Music, STEM and Second Step once a week. Lunch will be scheduled daily for all students. Any student who needs academic assistance will also be assigned to a Math and/or Reading Lab. Lastly, WIN (What I Need) will be scheduled for all students to allow students time to work in cooperative groups, complete projects, receive additional content/academic/social/emotional support, and participate in Band and/or Chorus.

Parent/Student Portal: Both you and your child will have access to the Portal. This is one way you and your child can monitor his/her progress. Information available to you and your child includes: attendance reports, daily schedule, discipline records, grade book, progress reports and report cards. You will need a valid email address on file with the district in order to access this information. For assistance with logging in, please visit the LCSD website or reach out to Bill Bisher at (716) 478-4485.

Cell Phones: Students who have a cell phone are expected to keep it in their locker upon arrival at school. If a student is seen with their cell phone during the school day, he/she will receive a verbal warning for their first offense; the second time this happens, the staff member will call the parent. If there is a third offense, the phone will be confiscated and secured in the Man Office until a parent comes to EBIS to retrieve it.

Bullying: There are several support staff that your child may interact with throughout the day. In addition to assistant principals, school counselors and psychologists, EBIS is staffed with school monitors, a social worker, a school safety monitor, a behavior specialist, and a Lion’s Den area to support your child’s social/emotional well-being. In the event your child is experiencing an unresolved conflict with another student, please do not assume we are aware of the situation. Instead, reach out to the classroom teacher (s) or one of us directly.

Discipline: In the event your child is struggling to meet our expectations, a discipline referral will be made. He/She may work with the assistant principal, school counselor, social worker, and/or behavior specialist to resolve the issue. There may be a need to assign consequences and/or work through progressive discipline measures and restorative practices before returning to the classroom.

Below are some staff members who may work with your child throughout the school year:

• Alexa Barrancotta, Grade 6 Counselor & DASA Coordinator (716) 478-4555
• Leslie Choi, Grade 5/6 Social Emotional Counselor (716) 478-4550
• Emma Hesch, Social Worker (716) 478-4744
• Amy Miller-Walby, Psychologist (716) 478-4556
• Ashley Moscato, Psychologist (716) 478-4570
• Shawn Murray, Grade 5 Assistant Principal & DASA Coordinator (716) 478-4559
• Isabella Smith, Behavior Specialist (716) 478-4524
• Elizabeth Smorol, Grade 6 Assistant Principal (716) 478-4522
• Alecia Tripi, Grade 5 Counselor (716) 478-4557

Code of Conduct: Additional guidance on “Procedures and Expectations” can be found in the LCSD Code of Conduct. If after reviewing this document you and/or your child has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of us.

Consider Getting Involved: Parents/Legal Guardians can join the EBIS PTSA and become involved in the decision-making process of our leaning community. If you have any questions, please contact either of our co-presidents, Katie Haseley or Amber Wing at Ebamptsa@gmail.com. If you are interested in being part of the building level School Improvement Team or School Safety Team for the 2023-2024 school year, please contact me at jgilson@lockportschools.net or (716) 478-4560 for additional information. Additionally, the EBIS PTSA will have memberships available for $5 per person.

Sept 01 – Superintendent’s Conference Day – No Students

Sept 04 – Labor Day – NO SCHOOL

Sept 05 – Opening Day; Early Dismissal 11:10 am

Sept 07 – Open House – Grade 5: 5:00-5:45 pm, Grade 6: 6:00-6:45 pm

Sept 18 – 3:00 pm School Musical Meeting

Sept 19 – 7:45 am School Improvement Team Meeting

Sept 21 – 7:45 am School Safety Team Meeting

Sept 22 – Picture Day, 1st Day of Autumn, School Musical Applications Due

Sept 25 – School Musical Auditions

Sept 26 – School Musical Auditions

Once again, we are looking forward to the start of a GREAT school year! As always, feel free to reach out to the Main Office at (716) 478-4551 or (716) 478-4552 with any questions you may have throughout the school year.

Sincerely,

Jennifer T. Gilson
Principal, Emmet Belknap Intermediate School