Dear Families,

Welcome back to school! It’s that time of year again - back to school! We are thrilled to have each and every one of you here for another exciting year of learning, growth, and community here at the IEC. Whether you are a returning student, a newcomer to our school, family, a parent, or a member of our dedicated staff, we are delighted to have you with us.

The start of a school year is always filled with a sense of anticipation and promise. It’s a time to reconnect with old friends, and make new ones, to set new goals, and to embark on new adventures in the world of knowledge.

At the Intermediate Education Center, the well-being and safety of our students and staff has always been our top priority. We have been working diligently to ensure that our school environment is ready to provide a safe, nurturing, and supportive space for everyone. Our dedicated team of educators and support staff is committed to creating an atmosphere where every student can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.

The school year promises to be filled with exciting opportunities for academic and personal growth. Our curriculum is designed to challenge and inspire students, encouraging them to explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills, and discover their passions. Whether it’s through our academic programs, the arts, STEAM, enrichment, DEAL, clubs, or any extra curricular activities, there’s something for everyone at the Intermediate Education Center.

We believe that the best education happens when there is a strong partnership between school and home. We invite all parents and families to actively engage with us throughout the school year, attend parent-teacher conferences, volunteer, or simply stay informed about your child’s progress and activities at school. Your involvement makes a significant difference in your child’s education. We have three coffee chats scheduled for our families. The dates are November 2nd, February 15th and May 2nd. We hope to see you there.

Important dates to remember

To help you plan for the year ahead, here are some important dates to remember:

• First day of school-September 5, 2023

• Open house-September 14, 2023

• Parent-teacher conferences-December 8, 2023 and March 8, 2024

• Winter break-December 21, 2023-Jan1, 2024

• Spring break- March 25-April 8, 2024

• Last day of school-June 25

As we embark on this new school year together, let us approach it with excitement in a commitment to excellence. Let us make the most of every opportunity to learn and grow, and let’s support one another in our collective journey towards success. We are confident that the 2023-2024 school year will be a remarkable one, and we cannot wait to see all the incredible achievements and milestones that our students will reach. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our main office. The phone number is 716–286–7254.

Once again, welcome to the IEC! We are so glad you are here, and we can not wait to embark on this wonderful, educational journey together.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rodriguez

National Hispanic Month is September 15th- October 15th

Tuesday September 5th- First Day of school

Sunday September 10th- Grandparent's Day

Monday September 11- Patriot Day

Thursday September 14th- Open House 6:30pm -7:30pm

Wednesday September 27th- IEC school picture day

September: Jewish Heritage Month

9/15 Rosh Hashanah

9/16 Independence Day of Mexico

9/25 Yom Kippur

9/30 Orange Shirt Day (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

The 5th Grade Lancer Leaders volunteered to escort new students on tours of the building, and help them feel welcomed and at ease in their new school building.

With the start of the new school year, there are always questions,

let’s review some information about dismissal plans:

• Default plans must be entered into Pickup Patrol by the school office

• Parents are sent an email with a Google form to fill out their preferred dismissal default plan prior to the beginning of the school year (please make sure your email on file with the school is correct)

• Pick up/ Drop off locations other than home address require a form to be filled out and submitted to the bus garage. The form is located on the www.lew-port.com website, IEC main page, scroll down and look on the left hand side. Alternate pick up/ drop off locations must be for a set schedule, for example every Tuesday/Thursday student goes to an after school program.

• TWO pickup authorization cards with student’s name on them are mailed home in the start of school mailing. If you have the card, staff knows you are parent/ guardian/ authorized to pick up that student. If adult picking up student does not have the card, parent/ guardian must enter into pickup patrol (prior to 11am day of the pickup) the full name of person who is authorized and will pick up student (make sure they bring ID- it will be checked) The school no longer keeps a list of who is authorized to pick up each student.

• Entering into Pickup patrol for a student to take a bus to a different address is NOT valid, and can not be performed. For example, a parent will be working late- student needs to take a bus to Grandma’s address. All bus assignments are made by the bus garage in advance, occasional bussing to non- home addresses is not available. In this instance you would enter into Pickup Patrol (prior to 11 am that day) that Grandma/ Aunt/ another adult (full name so we can check ID) will pick up the student at dismissal. Additionally, you can give Grandma the pickup card that was sent home with the start of school mailing, in which case we will not need her ID (because she has the card).

• If a student will be absent or a late arrival to school, please enter that information, as well as the reason into Pickup patrol. By doing so the teacher and school office will be informed, and you will not need to call. If you do not enter the reason for absence, the school office will call to follow up, and you will need to notify the office of the reason prior to the student returning to school.

• Please call the school office at 716-286-7253 with any questions

All students are expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions. Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for acceptable student dress and appearance. Teachers and all other District personnel should exemplify and reinforce acceptable student dress and help students develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in the school setting. The school setting is defined as both in-person and online or virtual learning experiences. A student's dress, grooming, and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up, nails, body piercings, and tattoos, shall:

1. Be safe, and appropriate, and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.

2. Recognize that extremely brief and see-through garments are not appropriate.

3. Ensure that underwear is completely covered with outer clothing.

4. Include footwear at all times. Footwear that is a safety hazard will not be allowed.

5. Not include the wearing of hats and headgear (including hoods) in the classroom except for a medical or religious purpose.

6. Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, provocative, libelous, or that denigrate others on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

7. Not promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping or illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.

Mrs. Schultz as a 3rd Grade teacher (previously at the PEC)

Miss Daly as a 3rd Grade teacher (previously at the PEC, and prior to that a long term substitute here at the IEC)

Hi my name is Mackenna Daly. This is my third year teaching at Lew-Port and my second year teaching third grade. I am a Lew-Port alumni and am so happy to be back at the IEC!

Mrs. Lichtenthal as a Physical Education/ Health & Wellness teacher (previously at the HS)

I chose to come to the IEC after teaching in the high school for 20 years. I have a 9 year old son named Jase and a 7 year old daughter named Joella. I absolutely love spending time with them. I realized by coming to the IEC I can work with students their ages all day. In my free time I love watching the Buffalo Bills and spending time at our cabin as a family on the weekends.

Miss Khatib as a 5th Grade teacher (previously at the PEC, and prior to that at the IEC)

We would also like to Welcome to their new roles

Mrs. Baio as a 3rd Grade classroom teacher (previously a co teacher for Special Education with Mr. Siuta)

Mr. Frederick as a 4th Grade classroom teacher (previously as the IEC Enrichment teacher)

Stephanie Nethaway welcome back as one of our terrific teacher Aides after having a beautiful baby

Brittany Spina is a new Teachers Aide.

My name is Mrs. Spina, I have twins that started kindergarten at the PEC this year. I have 3 dogs & my favorite color is orange!

Shari Spina ia a new Teachers Aide

Karen Walker is a Teachers Aide with us this year (previously at the PEC)

Jennifer Winstanley is a Teachers Aide with us this year (previously at the PEC)

Stacie Mueller is our new lunchroom monitor, she joins Michele D'Avolio who started with us last school year

As always, our IEC family is looking forward to working together for the best education experience we can give our students.

The USDA has NOT extended the free meal benefits for the 2023-2024 school year.

Cost for:

Breakfast - $1.85

Lunch - $2.40

We encourage all parents to complete the free/reduced lunch application. Any further questions please go to the District webpage - https://www.lew-port.com/domain/14