Monday, November 30, 2009

Holiday Cheer!

As you walk through the halls you may hear a holiday song and notice the wonderful bulletin boards. Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Christmas Program. On Tuesday, Dec. 15th at 9:30 parents with the last names beginning with A-H are assigned to attend. In the afternoon on Dec. 15th at 1:30 parents with the last names beginning with I-P are to attend, and on Wednesday, December 16th at 9:30, parents with the last names beginning with Q-Z are scheduled. This schedule helps us to equalize the audience so that we are not over in our allowed auditorium capacity. We are excited to have the Student Council announcing the program this year!

I would like to thank all of you who contributed to our fundraiser. The PTA is in the final stages of ordering a play structure for the upper grades. This will provide students with additional physical activities for them to do during outside time contributing to healthy bodies!

We are looking at our goals and checking them twice as we continue to monitor our academic progress this year. The students scores appear to be progressing very well and we will have feedback through one measurement for the Fifth Grade from the State’s Direct Write Assessment administered on Dec. 1st. The Fourth Grade will take the Direct Math Assessment on Dec. 2nd. I anticipate a positive outcome for all!

The Student Council has organized a food drive this month to benefit the Food Bank. They are also conducting a “penny war” to provide additional funds. This was very popular with the students last year and they raised one of the highest amounts the Food Bank has received from a school.

We hope you all have a wonderful break during which you find time to spend time with your family and read many books! I know I have the books I want to read all ready to go!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Learning Leap

I hope you have notice growth in your child’s achievement. It has been gratifying to note all the accomplishments of our students over the past six weeks. We carefully monitor students’ growth to ensure that we are addressing the needs of each Ellis student and we are seeing significant gains. We want to thank those of you who are helping at home. You make a strong difference in the academic growth your child experiences.

We want to thank all of you who attended the McTeacher night at McDonalds. It is an evening we always enjoy. It allows teachers and students to see each other in a different setting. The teachers appreciate your participation as the proceeds go to support the teacher’s printing for their classroom and we are being very conscious to spend conservatively this year.

The Third Grade students experienced a wonderful field trip to the museum to expand their learning about Native Americans and they had the opportunity to create clay pots. The First Grade students have an upcoming event you will want to make sure to ask about if you have a first grader. The First Grade Thanksgiving Feast is coming up on November 20th, and we have a 2 hour early out on the 25th followed by two days out for Thanksgiving.

We are thankful for the terrific students and parents at Ellis and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Changing Weather

As I look out of the window, the leaves are falling off the tree and dancing across the grass. In order to keep all of our students as energetic as those leaves, please make sure they are dressed warmly. It is getting colder and whether they are waiting at a bus stop or playing on the playground, we need to start thinking about hats, gloves and coats. Students will be inside if the temperature drops below 10 degrees considering wind-chill. Research does indicate that when students have the opportunity to get fresh air and exercise they learn better so we try to make sure they have a chance to interact with other students outside every day.

As a school we have a strong emphasis on responsibility. The students know the Ellis motto, “I am responsible and always learning.” You can help to foster their responsibility at home. Expect good things from your child. Let your child know you believe he/she is capable and give the child the opportunity to solve problems for himself. Age-appropriate chores are valuable, but make sure they know your expectations. The follow-up is to then let the child experience consequences. If they are to put laundry in the hamper and they forget, it may not take long to remember if their favorite outfit is not clean.

We do have some interesting events coming up in the near future. McDonald was at school recently and we will be going to McDonald’s for McTeacher Night on November 4th. It is a fun evening when teachers get to help serve the students. The staff has always enjoyed the evening in the past and we once again look forward to an evening out. Teachers do sign up for specific times so make sure to ask when your child’s teacher will be there.

Our school is making sure that we are represented at the Festival of Trees. Mrs. Magnuson is busy planning an “Ellis” tree. Our theme this year is reading. Make sure to visit the festival and see the wonderful decorations.

This week is Red Ribbon week. We are incorporating the message to stay drug free into our learning activities this week and don’t forget to wear red on Friday!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thank You Parents

We had a terrific turnout for Parent Teacher Conferences. Your involvement is critical to your child’s education. We appreciate all you do and hope you will stay in touch so that we can work together. Another source of information for us will come from the survey on the School District #25 web site. It is a parent survey which asks for your views on how to help improve our school. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Go to www.d25.k12.id.us and click on Parent Survey on the right side under Special input on the home page.

The lower grades had a fantastic assembly which promoted character and talked about responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness and respect. The concepts were presented in an entertaining manner which captivated students in grades K-2. We want to thank the Chubbuck McDonald’s for sponsoring the assembly.

Fall pictures are scheduled for October 15th. Hopefully we will all be well and here on that date. Our attendance is down slightly, but it appears that we are managing well despite the concern about the flu.

I wanted to keep you up to date on happenings at the district level. It does appear that next year we will be transitioning to all day Kindergarten. Students will attend two and one half days per week. This is being implemented to reduce transportation costs. Some schools in the district already have this configuration in place and indicate that it is going well. We will give you more details as the change is rolled out.

Have a wonderful fall weekend!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

It's a Magical Year

The beautiful weather is still with us and we are even enjoying it during our fire drills. Our initial testing of the year has been completed and will help guide our instruction. As a staff, we are working hard afterschool and on our Professional Learning Community (PLC) days to ensure that all students are provided with instruction that allows them to achieve to a high level. Please make sure to mark your calendars for the PLC days and remember the early pick-up times.

We want to thank Mystique for the fantastic magic performance they provided for us. The students in grades 3-5 were dazzled by the amazing performance. We have another performance coming up soon for the younger students. Ronald McDonald will be visiting the early grades to discuss self-esteem and positive thinking.

We are already experiencing some sick students. Fortunately we have a separate place for them to sit this year and thanks to the wonderful redecoration by Mrs. Harrell, the surfaces that students sit on in the front hall are washable and easily disinfected. We can’t thank the Grandparents’ Club enough for sponsoring this change!! We remind parents that students who have a fever will be sent home and should remain there for 24-48 hours after it is gone to help prevent the spread of illnesses. Thank you for your support in this matter. Here’s to a healthy year!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A Great Start!

I want to thank all of the staff and parents for helping to make this a great start to the year! We had a wonderful turn out at Back to School Night yesterday. We appreciate your involvement and as I mentioned, research indicates that your involvement makes a significant difference in your child’s educational progress. We look forward to working with you this year. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

Working together we are able to accomplish a lot. Last year we met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) with 94% of our student population proficient in Reading, 92% proficient in Math and 87% proficient in Language. These scores are above both the State and the District average in all categories. We want to thank you for your help at home in supporting academic and behavioral achievement.

We are always looking for ways to improve and any suggestions you may have are important to us. We are a Title I Schoolwide school and parent involvement is important. If you are interested in having input, please contact either myself or the PTA who help to organize the parent input on our leadership team.

I know many of you noticed the redecorated hallway. It is very inviting and we worked to make it a safe and healthy environment as well. We have out Grandparent’s Club to thank for this change! They helped to make our school a better place. Special thanks go to Mrs. Harrell who works as a professional decorator and designed and set up the décor for us.

We are off to a wonderful year!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 Ellis Elementary school year! It is hard to believe that summer is almost over, but we have been working hard to gain new skills and prepare for the upcoming year as a staff. Many of us have taken classes and we have gotten together to analyze strategies we will use to maximize learning for all students. These efforts continue into the school year as we get together as a Professional Learning Community on specific Mondays to analyze progress and adjust to meet the needs of all students. Please check your calendars for these days as the students are released early.

Registration is on August 6th and all students are required to register. If you prefer, there is an online option to facilitate this process. We are excited to welcome the students back to school on August 24th for all students in grades 1-5. Kindergarten students (A-L) will return on August 25th and kindergarten students (M-Z) will have their first day on August 26th.

Check the district calendar for upcoming events and please mark your calendar for our Back to School Night on August 25th. We are looking forward to seeing all of you and working together for a successful school year!

Monday, April 27, 2009

We've Come a Long Way!

It is hard to tell if we are in winter or spring! I saw snow at my house over the weekend, but the students are warmed up and doing beautifully on the testing. They have worked hard during the year and are focusing on the test and showing us how much they have learned. To date we have finished the language and reading portions of the ISAT and will concentrate on math this week. The lower grades will give us an indication of how far they have come this year when the IRI is administered in grades K-3 next week. Please make sure they get a good night’s rest and eat a good breakfast. It does make a difference for them.

I would like to say how much we will miss our sixth grade teachers next year. The move is like having members of the family leave, but it will be good for some of our students to see familiar faces as they transition to middle school.

We have many interesting events coming up so make sure to check the notices or emails that come home. Remember that the last day of school has been changed to the 28th. Teachers will be here working hard, but there will be no students that day.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Spring Break

I watched all the Leprechauns come in wearing green this morning many of whom had a fun time at the Texas Roadhouse last night. I know the PTA and the school appreciates the strong turn out. The teachers did enjoy the dancing! The funds generated will help with field trips, awards and end of the year student activities.

I would like to congratulate the 4th, 5th and 6th grade students for the strong results from the State Direct Write and Math Assessments. The results were impressive and indicate that the students, teachers and parents have been working hard this year.

DARE Graduation on March 12th was a significant moment in the 6th grade students’ lives. It marked an accomplishment that will stay with them for life. They learned skills that help them to problem solve difficult situations and set them on the right path in the future. I was very proud of all of them and particularly appreciate the assistance of the Chubbuck Police Department and Officer Orr.

I hope you all have a wonderful spring break the week of March 23rd. It will be a great time to settle in and read a book you and your child have wanted to share. Enjoy the break and we will see you back at school on March 30th.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Parent Teacher Conferences

We are looking forward to the opportunity to sit down and talk to Ellis families this week. We are headed into the last part of the year and by focusing on our goals, we will be able to accomplish a great deal with your help in what time is left. If you have any questions, it is always a good idea to write them down before coming in as there are so many things to cover it is easy to forget them during the conference.

On Monday we will have fun as we celebrate Dr. Seuss day. We have guest readers coming in to read to classrooms. It is amazing how many wonderful books the author wrote.

In addition, thanks to the generosity of an outside entity, the students in fourth and fifth grade will be able to ski and snow shoe this coming week. Exciting times to be had by all!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Important Changes

There are several pieces of information that I know you will all be interested in and the first one is with regards to the school calendar. The District will end the school year one day early for Kindergarten through 8th grade students. This matches the closing date for high schools. The last day of school for all students will be Wednesday, May 28, 2009.
The change has been made for the following reasons:
May 29th will be a moving day for teachers who will move with 6th grade classes to middle schools, a record day for all teachers, and a 9-11th grade make up day. Also May 29th is graduation for all three high schools and this allows younger students to attend graduation ceremonies if they have siblings, other family members or friends who are graduating.
The last day of school for all students will be Thursday, May 28, 2009.
The schedule for the last day of school is as follows:
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day, no school
Tuesday, May 26 - Regular school day
Wednesday, May 27 - Regular school day
Thursday, May 28 - Last day of school for students
Friday, May 29 - Last day of school for teachers, moving and record day, graduation day and grade 9-11 make up day.

Field trips have been on the minds of students and staff as the district looks at cuts.
There has been a considerable amount of discussion regarding the freeze on field trips due to the constraints on the current and next year's budget. Having reviewed this issue in depth due to equity and fairness, and understanding how closely it ties to the curriculum, the District will allow field trips under the following condition:
Schools wishing to continue with field trips the remainder of the year will be required to pay the 15% portion of transportation not reimbursed by the State of Idaho. The 15% must be paid by way of donation from PTA, PTO, Student Activity Funds or other organizations, and may not come out of District funds. We will be looking at those field trips that we can keep in place under the new directive. We have secured funding to continue the fourth and fifth grade ski and snow shoe trip, and the symphony, rodeo and water works trips are paid by outside groups so they are still on.

The fifth grade parents were invited to an informative session regarding issues related to the move to sixth grade next year at the middle school on February 12th. Patti Mortensen, Doug Reader and Howard Peck were on hand to answer questions. The students created a list of the Top 10 Reasons We Want to Move to the Middle School. An informational sheet regarding the specifics of the move was handed out to parents. If you were not able to attend and would like to have one of these sheets, please stop by the office.

The children are working hard and continue to amaze me on a daily basis. Thanks you for continuing to work with us to enhance the educational process!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

6th Grade Move

Today, administration made recommendation to the Board on the 6th grades selected to be moved to middle schools. The recommendation was made considering which middle schools the 5th grade elementary students would normally attend after 6th grade, numbers of 5th grade students by school, and available capacity at middle schools to accommodate those students. The schools selected for moving their 6th grade students for next fall include: Chubbuck, Ellis, Jefferson, Syringa, Tendoy, Tyhee and Wilcox.
Letters to parents of 5th grade students are being mailed today and the school will set a date for parent meetings to disseminate information in the next few days.

Monday, February 2, 2009

February is Here!

The school year is quickly passing. As a matter of fact, we are celebrating 100’s Day on Wednesday. That means the students have been back to school for 100 days and we have a variety of activities organized by the Student Council for Wednesday. It should be fun!

For those of you who have children, who will be attending Kindergarten next year, don’t miss our PreK Parent Night on February 5th from 6-7pm. We will be talking about Kindergarten expectations and providing you with resources.

If you have a 5th grade girl or a 6th grade boy, Maturation classes will be held on Feb. 6th. They are offered by the district Health Department and have been very well received in the past. You are welcome to attend with your student.

The students are making great progress and it is hard to believe that we only have 15 weeks of school left. We know what a difference your efforts make and we hope that those of you who have students in grades K-3 will make a concerted effort to read with your child for 15-20 minutes every night. The results of these efforts certainly show!

In addition, we should have information regarding the potential 6th grade move on Feb. 10th. We will get that information to you as soon as possible after the decisions have been made.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

New Semester

As we start into the second semester, I wanted to let you know how excited I am about the academic progress of our students. At this point in the year we administer assessments to let us know if we need to change our approach to meet the needs of all students and students from Kindergarten to sixth grade are showing significant improvement. Please let us know if there is any way in which we can help your family! We hope to see you at the Parent Math Night on January 27th!

I am sure that you are keeping your eye on the news regarding the potential move of 6th grade students to the Middle School next year. I do not have any definitive information at this time, but there is a district wide committee that is looking at which schools will go and the structure of the move. The following information was sent to me from the Central Office:
At the November 18, 2008 School Board meeting, the Board took action to move approximately half of the district's 6th grades to middle schools. A committee of district principals, teachers and parents has been developed. They met for the first time on December 14th. The committee will help formulate a plan to minimize the impact of the move on students and teachers, to ensure equity between 6th grade programs at the elementary and middle schools, to minimize operational impacts at the middle schools and to ensure a positive transition for students and staff. More information will be provided as decisions are made.

I will let you know as more information becomes available!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable break. I was definitely ready to come back and get to work and as I went to all the classrooms yesterday the students were working hard. We talked about how this is the beginning of a new year- one that holds promise for all of them. I was impressed by the way in which all of the students were working. Many of the classrooms were discussing goals and I hope that you will take a moment at home to reflect on academic goals for your child as we enter the second half of the year.

We will be measuring academic progress in the next couple of weeks. This gives us an opportunity to adjust instruction to meet student needs and provide extra time for students who may need it to grasp a concept or develop a specific skill. We appreciate the extra help you give us at home and at school and look forward to working with you as the year continues.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our Math Night on Jan. 27th. Have a wonderful New Year!