Preparing for a New School Year
Preparing for a New School Year
ECS Announces Daycare Program, New Cell Phone Policy, Free Meals For Students and More…
Photos / Jessica Schultz, ellicottvilleNOW
Ellicottville Central School is ready to welcome students, teachers, and staff to the first day of school on Thursday, September 5th! “We’ve been busy all summer,” said Superintendent Robert Miller. “We just had the parking lots sealed and striped, and the building is in the final stages of cleaning to be ready for the kids. The buses are all cleaned up and ready to go!” There is plenty to look forward to this school year, including new faces, an after-school childcare program, an updated cell phone policy and more.
Next week, the school will welcome seven new teachers and a new school nurse, Hannah Frisina. “We now have a full-time elementary STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) teacher,” Miller noted. The superintendent is also excited to welcome a new administrator to the district: Mrs. Elisabeth (Beth) Beaver, the district’s new assistant K-12 principal.
Recently, the district announced a new partnership for the 2024-2025 school year: Healthy Kids will be offering an after-school childcare program when school is in session from 3:00-6:00pm in the elementary building. This award-winning program has been caring for kids in over 100 locations for more than 15 years, and it’s available for any Ellicottville student in grades kindergarten through 12. Tuition assistance is available through the NYS Child Care Assistance Program to help eligible families with some or all of the cost of childcare. To register your child(ren), call 845-330-0200 or email registration@healthykidsprogram.com. More information is available at www.healthykidsprograms.com.
Miller advised that important changes have been made to the district’s cell phone policy to minimize distractions and allow students to better focus on their work in the classroom. Students in grades six through nine will be required to secure their phones in a locked locker and will be unable to carry or utilize cell phones in classrooms during instruction time. Phones may be accessed between classes, and grade nine students can use their phones at lunch. Students in grades 10 through 12 are allowed to carry phones throughout the day, including lunch, but must secure them during instruction time or in a designated classroom location.
Miller explained that these changes were developed by a large code of conduct/cell phone stakeholder committee this past spring. He said, “Well over 20 individuals, including over a dozen student class officers, many faculty members, parents, administration and our SRO (student resource officer) gathered over the spring months to reach consensus on the best cell phone plan for ECS MS/HS at this time.”
Part way through last school year, the district became eligible to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students. Miller is pleased to share that this is continuing for the 2024-2025 school year through the state’s community eligibility program. Importantly, he noted that, like many schools, the elementary school cafeteria is going to be peanut-free this year.
Miller has a few important reminders for parents and families. Bus runs will be consolidated from nine runs to eight. Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11th, and specific orientation dates for certain grade levels, such as kindergarten, will be announced on the district’s Facebook page. “I’d like to remind parents to use the pickup patrol for signing students in and out of school, and there will be information in the district newsletter that comes out with information on how to do that,” he said. “Also, register with our Blackboard mass communication app because that’s how we let people know if school has been canceled or other important notifications.”
There will be a few changes to the school safety plan, and the lockdown drill schedule will soon be announced so that parents are aware of those dates. “Looking ahead, we’ll be closed on October 11th for staff development day, and on October 14th, we’ll be closed for Columbus Day,” he added.
Miller is looking forward to welcoming students and staff back for a new year. “I always look forward to the beginning of the school year because all summer long, we plan, we plan, we plan, but the kids and the staff are missing,” he said. “It’s always nice when they all come back to school ready to go!”