Eastside Elementary

Parents, please click the link below to view our December newsletter. https://secure.smore.com/n/pqkyv-eastside-elementary

Faculty and Staff, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." - John F. Kennedy I am incredibly thankful to be a part of the tremendous team at Eastside Elementary. The work you have done over the last few years is unprecedented. Please enjoy this time with your family and friends making lasting and meaningful memories. Happy Thanksgiving. - Principal Smith

Parents, This is a message we are going to communicate over and over again. For the last 7 years in a row, Eastside Elementary has MET or EXCEEDED Wyoming State school expectations. On our most recent School Performance Report Card, Eastside Elementary received a school score of 2.7/3.0, OR 90%! Eastside Elementary is a GRADE A elementary school. It gets even better! We scored highest in the areas of Student Growth and Growth Equity (how much our most struggling students grew, year over year). EASTSIDE GROWS STUDENT LEARNING. Our students who need us the most, grow the most! That's not all! Only 26 schools in all of Wyoming received a score of 90% or higher, and we are one! Better yet, Eastside Elementary is currently being considered for nationwide Blue Ribbon status! We are very good at what we do, because we are blessed with an unbelievable faculty and staff that are laser focused on highly effective teaching and learning, while putting students' needs first. Eastside is a GRADE A school. Help us spread the word! If you haven't thanked your child's teacher, or if you haven't shared a positive word with them lately, go out of your way to do so today. They deserve it, and so much more.

Here are our Schoolwide plans if we were to have a Snow Day. Please be on the lookout for schoolwork/plans that will be coming from your student's teacher at the end of this week.

Our EMS Day was an incredible experience for students today! Every grade level rotated through learning and exploratory stations by the Cody Regional Health EMS Helicopter, Ambulance, and Park County Fire District #2 Fire Truck crews. Students learned about our community's emergency response capabilities and careers in EMS. Thank you Cody Regional Health, Park County Fire District #2, Cody Police Department, and our faculty and staff who made this possible. Thank you Cody Enterprise for running the story.

Yesterday we had our Ribbon Cutting for our new Book Vending Machine, and then our October GRIT winners got to choose their books! What a fun way to celebrate our students' successes!

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new addition to our school! To enhance and promote literacy, to share a love of reading, and to let students know we care about them, we added a Book Vending Machine to our school. Every student on their birthday will receive a golden coin from their teacher to select a free book of their choice from the book vending machine. Additionally, to encourage and celebrate positive character and behavior, all students who earn the monthly GRIT Character Award will be given an additional token to select another free book from the machine. In this way, we can reinforce positive behavior while generating authentic excitement for books and reading. Thank you to the Park 6 District Office and our Board of Trustees for authorizing the purchase of the machine, as well as providing funding to stock the machine with books that engage and inspire kids, and that parents in our community will appreciate. Any books placed in the machine are first recommended, vetted, and approved by our Library Committee which consists of parents, teachers from every grade level, our District Librarian, and the principal. If you have any interest in joining the committee, please let our Main Office know.

Parents, We just wrapped up the 11th week of school, and what a fun and full week it was! I have much to share from this week, which can also be seen in some of the attached photos: 1. Career Connections: Following our first ever Career Connection activity with our partner Cody Regional Health, multiple businesses have contacted us, expressing an interest to join our program. These career exploration opportunities include: Engineering, Veterinarian, and Heavy Equipment Operation. Representatives from these organizations are working with our STEM and Computer Science Teacher: Sarah Magargal, to schedule and plan engaging real world learning for our students, which is tied to multiple learning standards. 2. Book Vending Machine! (see attached photo) Our District Office, with Board of Trustee approval, has purchased a book vending machine for Eastside, along with providing funds to initially stock the machine. This is an object which we had at my previous school in New York. At my previous school, we found that students were not purchasing books at book fairs due to lack of funds. Families and kids just didn't have the extra money at home to purchase books from the book fair. To help families, to enhance and promote literacy, to share a love of reading, and to let students know we care, we added a book vending machine to our school. Every student on their birthday will receive a golden coin from their teacher to select a free book of their choice from the book vending machine. Additionally, to encourage and celebrate positive character and behavior, all students who earn a coveted GRIT Award will be given an additional token to select another free book from the machine. In this way, we can reinforce positive behavior while generating authentic excitement for books and reading. 3. Halloween was a Blast! Often viewed by educators as the craziest day of the school year, Halloween was a lot of fun this year. There were no overly grotesque or horrifying costumes. Parents, thank you! Kids and teachers alike enjoyed the costumes, which added a comical and engaging element to our day. Kindergarten and 1st Grade completed their annual parade through the halls, receiving high fives from 2nd - 5th grade students. It was crazy, but a fun crazy. Thank you to our dedicated 1st Grade Team. Each 1st Grade Teacher stayed late into the evening on Wednesday to transform their classrooms into "bat caves." They did a phenomenal job. The students were so engaged in their transformed learning environment. It was a lot of extra work, and I am blown away by the creativity and dedication of the 1st Grade Team. If you see any of our teachers, thank them for the work they do. They don't receive the praise and appreciation due them frequently enough. Every day they sacrifice their time, energy, and compassion to help their students in need. Thank them. 4. Our monthly SOAR Assembly went very well today. There are currently no photos of that yet, but they will be posted to our Facebook page and website soon. No school I've ever been at does as excellent a job singing the Star Spangled Banner or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as our students do at Eastside. Thank you so much to our fantastic faculty and staff at Eastside. They are doing a tremendous job preparing and teaching our students. Congratulations to all of our GRIT and SOAR Award winners for the month of October. You make us all so proud and you are the example of what it means to SOAR. Keep flying high! As always, thank you for partnering with Park County School District 6 and our team at Eastside Elementary. It is our pleasure serving you. Thank you for the great work you do of supporting your child's learning from home, and for communicating effectively with our team at Eastside. Together, we can help your child SOAR. SOAR EAGLES! Joseff J. B. Smith Proud Principal Eastside Elementary

Good Afternoon Parents, What an incredible 10th week of school! We celebrated faculty birthdays, hosted our first ever Career Connections guest, conducted training for faculty and staff, experienced STEM night, and so much more. It was a jam packed week full of learning and excitement. Here are a few things you might have missed: Principals from all over Park 6 spent time at Eastside this week, observing our teacher teams collaborate and plan their units and lessons. Each observed grade level team received positive feedback on the great work they're doing. Officers Justin Dollard and Blake Stinson led Halloween Safety presentations for every grade level, reminding kids of how to stay safe during Halloween next week. Officer Dollard even came early to read with students. An educational specialist from EduProtocols spent time at every grade level, modeling teaching excellence for our faculty and staff while showcasing numerous strategies and resources. Our Career Connections partner, Cody Regional Health, sent two excellent X-Ray Technicians to lead Healthcare career exploration and skeletal system activities for all 3rd and 4th Grade students. STEM Night on Thursday was incredible! We had 480 attendees! Thank you to all who attended. Thank you to Cody Regional Health, and all of our volunteers, for leading such a wonderful night of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math exploration. Thank you to our amazing faculty and staff for creating a memorable night for our Eastside students & families! Each one of you makes Eastside a fabulous place to work!  Tonia Reed, Ashley Wilson, Rachel Cowger, and Kim Roberts all celebrated birthdays this week. Happy birthday! We are so fortunate to have you all at Eastside! Congratulations to Ryan Cowger and Jeremy Brod for being nominated for the Park 6 Employee of the Month Award. You both set a tremendous example for all at Eastside. Parents, thank you for all you do. Thank you for partnering with Park County School District 6 and our team at Eastside Elementary for your child's educational needs. It is our pleasure to serve you. Thank you for the work you do to ensure your child is ready to learn each day. GO EAGLES! Joseff J. B. Smith Proud Principal Eastside Elementary

Reminder: Tropical Thursday group photo at 3:30pm...Main Office. Tropical Thursday is just another way to have fun at school.

As part of our Career Connections program at Eastside, two wonderful X-Ray Technicians from Cody Regional Health taught our 3rd and 4th grade students about the skeletal system, x-ray reading, and a career in the Healthcare Field. We are so blessed! Thank you to our Cody Regional Health partners!

Please join us on Thursday, October 24th. Family STEM Night is going to be INCREDIBLE! Put it in your calendar.

Park County Fire District No. 2 spent over three hours at Eastside today, teaching every 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade class about fire suppression, prevention, and emergency exit planning. It was a tremendous learning experience for our students and we are so appreciative of our outstanding Fire Dept. and volunteers in Park County.

Good Afternoon Parents, Happy Homecoming Night! As I write this, our Varsity Broncs have started their football game. I hope you are able to make it and cheer them on. We had a long, but fun Homecoming Week. On Tuesday and Thursday, as you know, our faculty and staff taught all day and then conducted parent teacher conferences until 7:15pm each night. If you were able to attend one of those conferences, you likely met with teachers or saw other faculty and staff members dressed up in pirate outfits or beach attire as part of our Homecoming Week dress up days. Our staff are amazing. The fact that they put extra time and effort into a dress up wardrobe, and then remain in it from 7:00am - 7:15pm takes commitment and dedication. That's not easy, or comfortable. Our wonderful Title I & Social Committee provided dinner and dessert for faculty and staff on Tuesday. Our amazing PTK provided soup, salad, and dessert on Thursday. They spoiled us and powered us through those days. Thank you! In addition to everything else, our Librarian Team: Jennisen Lucas & Jason Dzikowicz, along with many parent volunteers, operated a Book Fair all week long. Thank you to all who helped make this possible. I love book fairs. I love it when kids and families get excited about literacy and reading! I'm proud of the great work we were able to do this week to provide quality teaching, learning, information, and fun for our students and families. Thank you for being a part of it, and thank you for partnering with us at Eastside and Park County School District 6. It is our pleasure to serve you. Sincerely, Joseff J. B. Smith Proud Principal Eastside Elementary

Parents, Week 6 was jam packed with learning and excitement. This week was full of special events: Cheryl Turk-Barrus Scholarship Glow Walk, 4th Grade Field Trip to Yellowstone National Park, Safety Drills, Bagels with Buddies, learning, and more! Photos are attached for your interest. Thank you to our teacher leaders who planned and orchestrated the Cheryl Turk-Barrus Scholarship Glow Walk. So many of you attended the walk around Beck Lake. It was a gorgeous and scenic evening. $4,018.04 was raised for the scholarship fund, and it's not too late! You may still make a donation. What a wonderful way to remember our beloved Mrs. Barrus. Last year, 4th Grade's field trip to Yellowstone was canceled twice. We are all so thankful the field trip happened this year, and what beautiful weather they had for it. Reports from the trip shared that 4th Grade, "Had the best ranger to guide us!" The kids and adults alike loved the trip while learning so much. There's nothing better than active and engaging learning. Thank you 4th Grade Team! We are so fortunate to have such dedicated and service-oriented law enforcement partners at Eastside and Park 6 schools. Our SRO, Justin Dollard, helped lead and conduct school safety drills this week. He even spent time in Kindergarten and 1st Grade classrooms to talk safety. Officer Fyne spent time reading to Kindergarten classrooms this week as well. We are currently exploring was to say thank you to these officers, and all of our law enforcement partners who monitor our school and grounds to ensure safety. We are so thankful for them. Thank you to our amazing PTK for planning and hosting Bagels with Buddies. 380 of you RSVP'd for the event. We ended up with 400+ attendees. We even had some bagels and orange juice left over afterwards. It was such a fun event, and it's always a great sight when you get to spend time with your kids or grandkids at school. Thank you for a wonderful 6th week of school. Thank you for partnering with our Eastside Team and Park County School District 6 for your child's educational needs. It is our pleasure to serve you. Sincerely, Joseff J. B. Smith Proud Principal Eastside Elementary

Week 5 is in the books! Thank you all so much for participating in Hat Day through our amazing PTK. We raised $901.03 to help a former Eastside Eagle student in need! INCREDIBLE! I am so proud of you all! Congratulations again to Afton, Jeremy, and Stefani on being nominated for Employee of the Month! We are so fortunate to have you on our team at Eastside! Thank you, PTK, for celebrating all student September birthdays during lunch time! The decorations and goodies were so well done! I had the privilege of spending time in many classrooms this week. In Mrs. Magargal's Computer Science and STEM Class, students learned the FAA rules that drone pilots must adhere to, before building and piloting drones during class time. I would have loved learning such content when I was in elementary school! This week, we resumed a tradition at Eastside, where each grade level team selects (1) student who deserves recognition and praise for their positive character and work ethic. Great job to those selected! We are so proud of you. As always, thank you for partnering with Eastside Elementary and Park County School District 6. It is our pleasure to serve you. Proud Principal, Joseff J. B. Smith Eastside Elementary School

There are a lot of employees in Park County School District 6, and (3) at Eastside were nominated for Employee of the Month! Congratulations Afton! Our Main Office would not be so efficient, fun, or productive without you! Congratulations Stefani on your double nomination! You are a powerhouse who leads the S.T.A.R. Program at Eastside, and we appreciate you so much! Congratulations Jeremy! Your positive disposition and tireless efforts to ensure clean, safe, and ready to learn environments make our entire school a better place! We appreciate all three of you and are lucky to have you at Eastside. #SOARTogether

Save the Date!

Good Afternoon Parents, We had a blast at Eastside during our 2nd week (1st full week) of learning. So many great things happened this week, that it's going to be hard to share it all in one short email, but I'll try! I have attached several pictures to help do so. We celebrated three staff members (and multiple student) birthdays this week! Happy Birthday to Sarah Magargal, our amazing STEM and Computer Science Teacher! Happy Birthday to Cassie Firkins, one of our wonderful 4th Grade Teachers! Happy Birthday to Sami Cavill, one of our outstanding 3rd Grade Teachers! Thank you to the Girl Scouts for dropping off so many boxes of cookies for us to enjoy! Thank you to our Social Committee for supplying popcorn to put a smile on our teachers' faces. Thank you to our incredible faculty and staff who went so far above and beyond the call of duty this week to help students, families, and each other. Eastside really does have the most dedicated and amazing faculty and staff, and the first week of school is often hard for kids as they adjust to a rigorous schedule. This week, students really dove into academic learning. Don't be surprised if your child is tired and worn out. They worked hard this week! I was privileged to spend time in every 3rd and 4th Grade classroom this week. I was so impressed at how well our students conducted themselves and how much they are already learning in week 1, which is a testament to our incredible faculty and staff at Eastside. Early next week, I will send out our September Newsletter, which will include some additional arrival and dismissal instructions. Please be on the lookout for that. Have a great three day weekend and don't forget, there's no school on Monday. SOAR Eagles! Joseff J. B. Smith Proud Principal Eastside Elementary

A note from Nurse NeeNee: