November 2022
Primary Education Center Newsletter
ONE PURPOSE...YOUR PATHWAY...OUR PROMISE!
Dear PEC Families & Friends,
We have so much to be grateful for in this school community. Thank you to all our families who completed the Parent Leader In Me survey. Your feedback will help us grow and support our school goals for the next three years in alignment with our District Strategic Plan. Our building leadership team will be reviewing all the feedback from families and staff. We look forward to sharing our work with you in the future. It is our hope that we will support our students in growing life habits that will support a growth mindset as they contribute to our community with confidence. Our first trimester will close on December 2nd. Please be on the lookout for information from your classroom teacher regarding the process for Parent-Teacher Conferences. We have dedicated one full day on December 9th for these important teacher-parent conversations. We value the opportunity to collaborate with you on your child's educational plans. The first trimester parent-teacher conference provides the opportunity for families to review the growth, academic achievement and individual goals for their child. In closing, I am grateful for a dedicated staff who give their personal best every day to our shared mission. I am grateful for our supportive families who partner with us to create the best pathway for their child(ren). I am full of gratitude for all of my students who teach me life lessons daily. In the spirit of gratitude, consider having your child submit an note, poem or artwork one of their teachers this month.
Check out our Morning News Program clips in Seesaw led by our dynamic PEC Student News Production Crew. Please join Twitter @LewPortPEC to find more information on school events and happenings throughout the day.
Respectfully yours,
Mrs. Tamara Larson
Principal, Primary Education Center
NEW OPPORTUNITIES & FACES AT THE PEC
Mrs. Schultz- New Lunch Support
I am a Lewiston Porter alumni, born, raised and still reside in Ransomville.
I am a wife (41 yrs), a mom of 3 beautiful amazing daughters and a grandmother of 6 fun loving, full of life, amazing grand children. I am also a school bus driver for twenty-five years. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your child’s smiles and laughter every day. Take care
Mrs. Kuriscak- New Classroom Aide
IF YOU MISSED PICTURE DAY OR WANT TO RETAKE SAVE THE DATE
Spirit Week Was A Hit
November 14th "The Lions Are Coming, The Lions Are Coming!"
Vision disorders are one of the most prevalent handicapping childhood conditions. Uncorrected vision deficits in children will impact all their learning potential. Your child will have a basic vision screening completed by the school nurse as per NY state requirements, however results can depend on the participation level which can vary in the younger students depending on their verbal skills and recognition of letters, numbers, or symbols.
In addition to the school screening, we have arranged to have the Lions Club perform free vision screenings for all students at the PEC. This is a non-invasive procedure with no physical contact with the child utilizing the Spot Vision Screener which is a portable, handheld device that the student looks into a sceen from approximately 3 feet away.
You will be notified if the results of this vision screening indicate the child is at risk for a vision problem and in need of a comprehensive exam by an eye doctor.
IMPORTANT: The Youngstown Lions Club provides free vision screening as a community service. While the vision screener is a very sophisticated scientific instrument, it may produce false positive or false negative results. It is intended to assist in identifying significant ocular conditions which may lead to amblyopia (Lazy Eye). If the child is not referred as a result of this screening but the parent or guardian has concerns, the child should receive a comprehensive examination by an eye doctor. This screening is not intended to substitute for a comprehensive eye exam.
Please keep an "EYE" out for the Opt Out Form that will be in Take Home Folders! Or You can print the form below and return to the School Nurse.
It's getting a little STEAM-Y here!
October had first and second grade classes busy during STEAM classes.
First graders were busy learning about the job of a scientist. They discovered that scientists learn about the world around them by asking questions, investigating, and observing. We spent time looking through the world closely through the lens of a magnifying glass. Some classes had the luck of good weather and went outside to investigate nature! We will be moving on to studying animal classifications and biodiversity - and of course, engineering challenges as well!
Second grade classes continued their engineering work by creating towers out of paper and testing to see how many books their towers could hold. As true engineers, they had the opportunity to evaluate their work and then replan and build with the goal of making their designs better. Some classes had time to investigate what shape of tower was the strongest when holding weight! What do you think it was? Cylinder, Rectangular Prism, or Triangular Prism? Make these out of paper and tape and test this out at home!
Second grade also worked on practicing a variety of cuts, folds, and attachments that will assist in future engineering projects. They had so much fun with this!
The Global Read Aloud
The Global Read Aloud project was created in 2010, by a teacher Pernille Ripp, with a simple goal in mind; one book to connect the world. From its humble beginnings, the GRA has grown to make a truly global connection with millions of students having participated.
The premise is simple, a book, or in the case of primary aged students, a series of books by a chosen creator, is selected. The book or books are read aloud to students during a set six week period and during that time classrooms strive to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time to dedicate and how involved they would like to be with the scope and depths of projects. Teachers use technology (Skype, Zoom, Padlet, Flipgrid) to connect and share, and even use “old fashioned” stamped mail to exchange work and ideas. These connections provide the opportunity to learn from diverse communities and classrooms across the country and globe!
This year’s book creator is Christian Robinson. He is an illustrator, author, and designer based in Oakland, CA. Check out his website to learn more about him and his books.
Classrooms that participated here at the PEC enjoyed their connections with schools throughout the United States. Here are some pictures of Mrs. Reis and her kindergarten class connecting with students in North Carolina.
Habit 2 - Begin With The End In Mind
During the month of November we will be focusing on Habit 2 - Begin With The End In Mind. This means focusing on planning and goal setting. Ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish and how will I get there? Classes are working on individual and classroom mission statements and setting WIGS (Wildly Important Goals).
Below is a link to a template to help you work on Habit 2 at home by creating a family mission statement.