WEEKLY WONDERS
Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, October 5, 2020
To Educate The Whole Child for a Whole World
"In our kind of teaching, the essential part of the activity is initated by the child. As soon as the child has reached the age when he is capable of meaningful action, he is in a position to continue his education on his own, repeating voluntarily those physical exercises that engage the reasoning process. He accomplishes in this fashion a work that is perfectly independent, in which he involves himself and in which the teacher does not interfere. Her job is limited to offering the materials and suffices if she demonstrates their use; after that, she leaves the child with his work." Maria Montessori
Speak the Language of Kindness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eKoOoOTvgk&vl=en
Despite the challenges our current situation brings, may we all live in a world full of kindnesses.
Important Dates
October 5- First Day of In-person School for Cohort A- District Hybrid (Phase II) Model
October 5- School Council Meeting (3:30pm)
October 8- First Day of In-person School for Cohort B- District Hybrid (Phase II) Model
October 9- Fall Break for Staff/Students- No School!
October 12- Staff Planning Day- No School for Students!
October 14- Deadline to Submit PTA Reflections Project
October 22- PTA Fall Festival Parade of Art and Fun (See PTA section below for more info)
October 27- PTA Role Model Reader Day
School-Wide Grace & Courtesy Emphasis
Creativity
- When I do something in my own special way, I am being creative.
- When I make something new that no one has ever made before, I am being creative.
- When I find a way to help myself or someone else fix a problem, I am being creative.
From "The Self-Awakened Child" series by Jonathan Wolff
Hybrid (Phase II) Information
You can meet the teachers/assistants that will be classroom facilitators during Phase II at this link.
If your student is returning to in-person learning during Hybrid (Phase II), please read the attached documents below.
Device Distribution
UPDATE:
If your student is returning to school during the Hybrid (Phase II) Model, they will need a school-issued device to participate in their classroom meetings, to receive lessons/work plans from their teachers, and to submit their completed work.
If your student has already been given a school device, they will need to bring it with them on the days they come to school.
If your student has NOT yet been given a school device, they will receive one to use the first day they come back to the building and paperwork will be sent home with the student for the parent/guardian to sign and return to school the next day.
Ms. Lisa has sent out an email to all parents of returning students with the necessary paperwork (check your SPAM folder if it is not in your inbox). If you have access to a printer, you are welcome to print and sign the paperwork and send it to school with your student the first day they return. They will then be allowed to take the device home that day. Devices will not be sent home with the student until the paperwork is signed by the parent/guardian and returned to the school.
If you have received a device from the District and you plan on purchasing the Technology Protection Plan provided by the District, please pay for that through School Cash Online and send the signed paperwork to school or email it to Ms. Lisa.
If you have any questions, email Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com).
Technology Assistance
Click here for more information on low-cost internet access for qualifying families.
SCCPSS Smart Buses equipped with internet access will begin to run on September 1st. More information including a schedule can be found on the SCCPSS Website.
Virtual Meeting Safety Procedure
For your student's safety, in order to be admitted into a virtual meeting/lesson, your student's first name and last initial/last name must be displayed. If the teacher does not recognize the username of the participant, the teacher reserves the right to refuse admittance to that participant into the meeting/lesson. If your student is not able to attend the live meeting/lesson, they will have an opportunity to watch the recorded session at a later date. Thank you for helping us with this safety measure.
From the Clinic
Dear Charles Ellis Montessori Academy Parent/Guardian:
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! I am looking forward to when the students will return safely to our school building. It has not been determined exactly what to expect, but as always, the health and safety of the students, faculty and staff are my focus. There are several ways you can assist me.
First, please reinforce with your student good handwashing of at least 20 seconds (~length of singing the ABC song once or the Birthday song twice), at least six feet of social distancing, proper wearing of face masks over the nose and mouth, not touching the face, and coughing/sneezing into the bend of the elbow. Please continue to be a good role model for your student.
Second, please complete the Student Medical Questionnaire regarding his/her medical conditions and/or allergies at this link and return as soon as possible. This information will be an initial communication about the needs of your student. For a student with certain medical conditions, the necessary paperwork requiring the student's physician to complete (i.e. Action Plans) will be sent to you, as needed, to have them in place when the students return to the building. To ensure the proper care of your student, the information will be shared with the faculty and staff who interact with him/her and needs to be updated annually. Please complete a separate questionnaire for each of your students at Charles Ellis Montessori Academy. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Nurse Chris
912-395-5470 Ext. 71213
Nutrition Services
SCCPSS School Food and Nutrition has received several waivers to provide nutritious meals to our students while the district is using the virtual model and will partner with the district's Transportation Department to deliver meals to our families safely. The USDA is providing additional flexibilities in an effort to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to include allowing school nutrition programs to offer meals at no cost to children ages 0-18 until December 31, 2020.
For more information on meal delivery dates/times during virtual learning, visit the SCCPSS website.
Counselors' Corner
Students have been learning about diversity in School Counseling Instruction. We are continuing the unit by teaching about empathy and how we can make a difference in the world. Our older students will extend the lesson by illustrating their multicultural identities and discussing how learning about others can prevent conflict and miscommunication.
If your student missed one of our lessons or if you would like to see more resources and activities, check out our School Counseling Website.
School Council News
The establishment of a school council is intended to bring parents and the community together with teachers and school administrators to create better understanding of and mutual respect for each other's concerns and to share ideas for school improvement.
Thank you for voting in the School Council Election!
The new Ellis School Council representatives are:
- Jennifer Bailey
- Nick Rintye
- Yael Elfassy
The first School Council meeting of the 2020/2021 school year is October 5 at 3:30pm. School Council meetings are open to the Ellis community. If you would like to attend, email Sarah Smith (sbockelsmith@gmail.com) for access to the Zoom link.
Ellis PTA
Join the PTA, donate, or purchase Ellis Spirit wear at this link.
Visit the PTA Website.
PTA Reflections
It's time to "fall for the arts" with our annual participation in PTA Reflections. This year's theme is "I Matter Because..." and submissions are accepted from every Ellis student (PreK-8th Grade).
Watch this video and visit this link on the PTA Website to find out more information about Reflections.
Submission and entry forms are due to Amanda Fanelli at ellisreflections@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Please email Amanda to set up a time to drop-off art that cannot be emailed.
PTA Fall Festival Parade of Art and Fun
October 22nd from 5-6:30pm
Volunteers and donations needed- Please click here to sign up!
See flyer below for more information on this fun, Ellis community event.
Contact US!
Ms. Ja'Dayia Coleman-Kennedy
jadayia.coleman-kennedy@sccpss.com
School Secretary
Ms. Patricia Solomon-Brown
patricia.solomon-brown@sccpss.com
Email: Tanya.Melville@sccpss.com
Website: http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/Ellis/default.aspx
Location: 220 East 49th Street, Savannah, GA, USA
Phone: (912) 395-5470
Ellis Montessori Academy Website
*A new updated school website will be made available soon. Be on the lookout for more information!*
District Website
Please visit this website regularly for the most up-to-date SCCPSS District information.