A Wonderful Season

Dear Ellis Families:

We are nearing a milestone for the 2014-2015 school year. It is hard to believe, but we are almost half way through the year. We will all be putting everything into your child’s education until the last day. We hope that your children will be participating in the holiday reading contest. The information is coming home with students on how to access and participate using myON as a source for reading materials over the break. If you have pre-school materials, notify your child’s teacher as they can arrange to give them access as well and there are many good books for young siblings.

This is a very busy month and we have seen a generous response to the food drive that will benefit the Pocatello Food Bank. This is a great opportunity for students to understand the importance of giving to help others and as of today, we have at least four bins full of food. It is always gratifying to see how generous our school population is.

Our most attended event of the year is coming up on Dec. 17^th and 18^th- our Christmas Program. It is always crowded so we ask that you attend the session assigned by your last name. Information regarding the times may be found in the school newsletter or online through Infinite Campus. It is an event you will not want to miss! Another popular event is Donuts with Dad. It is scheduled for Dec. 19^th from 8:00-8:30.  Just a warning- parking is very limited so you may need to walk a little distance.

Students have been enjoying or will enjoy events such as the Nutcracker (Dec. 17^th), Thanksgiving Feast (First Grade), and Dare Assemblies. We want to thank parents for their assistance making these opportunities even better.

It is a time for us to say thank you to parents and family members who support students and make Ellis an even better place. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Goeltz

Dear Ellis Family:

As I write this blog, it looks like autumn has arrived. It is blustery and rainy outside, but I am thankful that we dodged the rain for our evacuation drill. Students and staff all did an excellent job as we filed out onto Whittaker Rd. It was done in a very efficient and orderly fashion and despite the fact that we hope we never have to evacuate, the students and staff are prepared. You should note that students in grades K and 1 will stop at the Methodist Church while upper level students will walk to the LDS Church at the south end of Whittaker.

Grandparents’ Day, Grandparents and Granola, is always one of my favorite days. It was well attended and students read to grandparents while relatives were presented with information on how to help students at home. This busy week also included our Book Fair. We want to thank PTA for their tireless efforts during the fair and the parents who supported the school and bought some great presents for the holidays.

There are a couple of events you will want to put on your calendar. McTeacher Night is an evening when teachers get to see students in a different environment and enjoy time spent together. The proceeds from the evening go to support printing for the teachers so you have a meal and provide copies for your student at the same time.

Halloween is going to be exciting this year for Ellis. The PTA decided to have a Halloween Party at school on Oct. 27^th when students will be able to go trick-or-treating in the halls and vote on the best decorated doors. Look for more specifics to come home.

We have had some of the regular illnesses starting to hit but please remember that attendance is important. Being in school every day means your child won’t miss out on learning. Try to schedule appointments and family trips outside of school hours. If a student asks to stay home “just because,” remind him of what he’ll miss, such as reading group or art class. Explain that he can be absent only if he’s sick or if there’s a family emergency. If you go to the doctor due to an illness, remember to ask for a medical excuse. Hopefully, we will all stay healthy and I will see you at school!

Sincerely,

Dr. Betsy Goeltz

Welcome to a new school year! It has been wonderful seeing all of the smiling faces coming through our doors. It is great to see all of the returning families and we welcome our new students to Ellis! We are out of the gate fast as students settle in quickly to the learning process.

This year we are focusing on the writing process as a staff. Writing is critical across the curriculum and will play a significant role in future education and eventually, employment. Teachers are taking additional training on strategies to enhance the writing process and create a challenging environment to encourage all students to maximize learning.

We are happy to announce that we again have MyOn resources available through the school. I have heard from many of you how your children enjoy logging on from home to read and that many of you use the resources for preschool children as well. Your child will have the information of how to login and access all of the books. You may also use smart phones, and tablets as well as computers. If you do not have access at home, the library computers provide computers are another option so all of our families can use it.

In math we are strengthening our knowledge this year through additional training with a focus on critical thinking skills, reasoning and problem solving. We want to ensure that students understand the underlying concepts in math, not just an algorithm that may not transfer into new situations.

For all subjects we are providing links to web resources that will support your efforts to support education at home, and links to information about the curriculum and the Idaho Core Standards are available. We are fortunate to be a Title I school and as a result there are additional resources for us. If you would like more information regarding this, the Title I link on the school site will get you started and in the event you would like to have more information do not hesitate to come in and talk to us. You will also be receiving additional information about how to support the educational efforts at home through the numerous events held during the year.

I want to say how wonderful it was to see almost everyone at Back to School Night! It was a great start to the year and we look forward to frequent opportunities to work with you this year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Betsy Goeltz

Summer is Here

We are at the end of another fantastic year! We started off at a sprint and it seemed that we just kept on moving this year, but we have had a terrific year and students have accomplished a great deal. The staff is very proud of their growth and progress toward established goals. 

We know that parents have been an instrumental part in students meeting their goals this year, and we want to thank you for all of your support. Our PTA has also helped us provide art education for students, a variety of field trips and supplies for classrooms to mention just a few of the activities they support. 

As we move forward next year, writing will again provide a major focus for all grade levels. The results were phenomenal this year and we are working to continue improvement in the upcoming year. Please encourage your students to write and read over the summer to avoid a summer dip in skills. The library has wonderful programs to help students continue to read and myON is available for students to use over the summer. I encourage you to look at the website as we have posted links to sites that will engage and motivate students in reading and math. 

I know the summer will go all too quickly, but we will look forward to welcoming the students back on August 26^th. All students will need to register on August 12^th or you can mail the registration form you receive early in August back to Ellis if it is received before registration day. Students will have an opportunity to bring in their supplies and meet the teachers on August 25^th from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at Back to School Night.

Enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Dear Ellis Families

We are working hard this year to providing a quality education for all students as we transition to the Idaho Core Standards. We are incorporating strategies that cultivate curiosity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration. I hope you have noticed the significant improvement in writing all of our grades levels are demonstrating. Writing has been incorporated into all subjects and we are reaping the benefits of these efforts.

In reading we have a new resource available for the students. The school has purchased many eBooks. The use of ebooks can have a significant impact on teaching and learning as the school library and classrooms begin to incorporate their use into instruction. Struggling readers and those with visual impairments can benefit from enlarged and read aloud features. As students access the books on computers or iPads, they frequently link to video clips and additional information to explain a concept or deepen understanding in a visual way, sparking the natural curiosity of the reader and making information accessible to all learners. Our fourth grade is developing skills such as highlighting and note taking to support their writing and comprehension. Students are being instructed in how to access these books from home as well.

Students have participated in a variety of activities. Valentine’s Day is at the top of the list this month. As always, we appreciate the help many volunteers gave to make our parties even better. Our “Moms in the Morning” was enjoyed by all! We had a terrific turn out and we love having the opportunity to have all of the moms visiting the school and want you to know that you are welcome at any time! We also appreciate the many shoes that were sent in for the “Shoes for Love” drive. I am sure they will be well recycled to provide many people with needed shoes.

As we start into the last third of the school year, we know you will continue to support your child and if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Dear Ellis Families:

In January, I am always amazed at how fast the year is passing and this year is no exception. Midyear testing indicates that students are learning fast as well. We have been working hard on writing skills and critical thinking and problem solving. I hope you are watching the work that comes home as well as observing the wonderful accomplishments of our students posted in the halls. Some of our teaching strategies have changed as we transition to the Idaho Core Standards and students work to meet the challenges of rigorous assignments. I know that I am seeing a definite difference in the research and writing being produced from Kindergarten through fifth grade.

We have also had the exceptional learning experience of being able to participate in interactive video conferences. Our first conference was with the former First Lady, Barbara Bush. Students from around the world asked her questions after she read the book Liberty. Students were also able to hear from the author who talked about the process of writing a book. We hope we have some budding authors in our group. Each grade level has video conferences set up this year and students will be interacting with experts across the country enabling them to extend their learning in ways otherwise not possible.

Our recent IRI testing in grades K-3 indicates that we are doing very well. If you are interested in learning more about the testing we conduct during the year, you may want to attend our parent lunch scheduled for January 29^th in the library. We will be talking about the regular testing we conduct at the beginning, middle and end of the year as well as the new Smarter Balanced Test that is taking place of the ISAT. Bring a lunch and join in the discussion!

Make sure you check Infinite Campus and watch for notes regularly as there are many events coming up in February and March. There is Valentine’s Day, sports events for Fourth and Fifth Grade, Dr. Seuss Day, 100’s Day and many other things to keep us all busy.

May you all have a healthy and Happy New Year!