East Hill Elementary

Dear East Hill Families,

A huge thank you to our PTA and all the families who joined us for Bingo Night last Thursday! It was such a joy to see everyone laughing and competing together; it truly was the perfect way to brighten up a snowy January evening. Speaking of our PTA, we are currently in the midst of our Gertrude Hawk fundraiser, which is their biggest event of the year. This fundraiser is vital, as it provides the financial backbone for the many programs and activities the PTA coordinates for our students. Additionally, we are looking to give back to our community through the PTA Super Bowl Food Drive. For the next two weeks, we are collecting donations to benefit the Power Pack program, and we appreciate any contribution you can make to help tackle hunger!

Starting this week, we are conducting our winter universal screening for every student in the building. This allows us to check in on individual progress in reading and math. We use this data to ensure every child is getting exactly what they need during our WIN (What I Need) time. While every student receives team support during this block, those who show a need for more targeted, intensive instruction will have the opportunity to work in small groups with our Instructional Support (IS) teachers. It’s all about meeting our students right where they are to ensure they finish the year strong.

Winter in Syracuse is nothing new to us, but this season has certainly been packing an extra punch lately! To keep our students safe and active, please keep the following in mind:

• Outdoor Recess: We use a “Real Feel” temperature of 20°F as our guideline. If the "Real Feel" is above 20°F, we head outside! If it drops below that, we stay cozy for indoor recess.

• Gear Up: Please ensure your child comes to school with full winter gear—coats, hats, gloves, boots and snow pants. We want them to be able to play in the snow comfortably whenever the temperature allows.

  
  

Stay warm this week! As always, thank you for your continued support for all students at EH!

Respectfully,

Susan Meskos

Dear East Hill Families,

As the holiday season approaches, I want to take a moment to wish you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday break. This is a time to celebrate, reflect, and create special memories with family and friends. On behalf of all of us at East Hill Elementary, thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s education. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready for the exciting learning opportunities ahead. Happy holidays and warm wishes for a fantastic start to the new year!

Warmest wishes,

Susan Meskos

Dear East Hill Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! There is no better way to kick off the month of December than with a concert featuring our third and fourth grade chorus! Our students have worked hard all year preparing with Mrs. Causer and did a wonderful job performing in school during the day and at the High School last evening. Well done!

Our third grade students will have a visit from the REV Theatre this week to enjoy the interactive performance of Alice in Wonderland. The REV Theater never disappoints and we are so fortunate to be able to enjoy these performances right in our school!

Tomorrow we will start our PTA Community Giving Drive! East Hill students can donate items requested by the St. Joseph's Church Food Pantry (please see the flyer below for specific items). The donations will be collected in our main lobby until December 17th.

With this colder weather please be sure students have warm clothes to wear outside to recess everyday that is labeled with their name. Students need boots, snow pants, coats, hats, and mittens/gloves.

Warmest wishes,

Susan Meskos

Message from East Hill Principal-November 18, 2025

Dear East Hill Families,

As we head into this season of gratitude, I am truly humbled by the incredible generosity of our school community. Thanks to your support, our Community Giving Food Drive is a tremendous success! We kicked off this food drive with our annual Turkey Trot! This year we had 10 staff members participate in blow up costumes running a relay race around our bus loop. It was so much fun and the students enjoyed it (see pictures below). We then had our PTA members join us in the gym for an assembly to show what items we are collecting for each grade level. Thank you to our PTA! We are accepting donations until this Friday for the Food Bank of Central New York. Your kindness will make a meaningful difference for many families in our area—thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We are looking forward to seeing you in the building for parent-teacher conferences that are scheduled on our upcoming Early Release Days, 11/21, 11/24, and 11/25. These meetings are a vital way to strengthen our partnerships and work together in support of your child’s success. I deeply value the relationships we share and am grateful for the role you play in making our school such a special place. Just a reminder that on Friday, November 21, our district is wearing PJ's to support Paige's Pajamarama which helps kids in the fight against cancer. You might see some supporters in their PJ's if you have a conference that afternoon!

I would also like to take a moment to encourage everyone to complete the East Hill Family Climate Survey (please see the link below). This is a valuable opportunity for us to hear your voice and gather feedback so we can continue to grow and improve as a school community. Your input helps us be responsive to the needs of our families and ensure that East Hill remains a place where everyone feels welcome and supported.

As we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving break, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a holiday filled with joy, love, and relaxation. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you and for all that you do to support our students, staff, and school.

Warmest wishes,

Susan Meskos