A Message from Principal Meneses
Ellison Families,
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! This is our first newsletter of the school year, outlining information you won't want to miss! As you'll see below, we expect a wonderful start to the new school year and can't wait to see our little bees!!
We've spent the summer working hard to make this our best year yet! It’s definitely exciting to have new students and staff members joining our school family. My heart is absolutely beaming with pride for you to meet our new staff... and YES, we are fully staffed this year! That means no vacancies in the hive! In addition to ensuring we have the most qualified educators, we've also been working diligently to ensure that all staff's core principles and campus policies, goals, and commitments are aligned with our campus mission and vision.
Our BEES Leadership Team has been busy carefully crafting our School Improvement Plan and revising some of our school-wide policies to help provide a nurturing and safe learning community for all bees. Be sure to become familiarized with our campus policies by visiting our BEES Handbook which can be found here: https://www.flipsnack.com/ellisonbees/test/full-view.html
We've also provided a snapshot of some of our general policies on the flyer below.
At Ellison, we believe in continuous growth and improvement, for students and staff! Our campus goals help us continuously improve our ability to meet the needs of every student.
This year our goals are centered around increasing student engagement by:
- Improving student and staff attendance
- Ensuring that every student is provided with opportunities to engage in daily morning meetings that focus on social-emotional learning and the NISD learner profiles (Leader, Learner, Innovator, Creator, Critical Thinker, Solution Finder, Collaborator and Communicator)
- Implementing a Campus-Wide BEE Buck Store to help encourage leadership, positive choices and responsibility
- Increase student Organization and Self Reflection through the use of data binders
- Implementing higher-level questioning and more opportunities for student collaboration
- Using pre-assessments to plan differentiated instruction that will ensure all students are appropriately challenged by the curriculum
- Improve student confidence and academic ability in Reading and Math by providing rich reading experiences and increasing number sense and math fluency
The strategies listed above align with our mission and vision which define our greatest hopes, aspirations, and clearly communicate our commitment to our students and community. We hope that our mission and vision inspire you as much as it has inspired us to conquer ahead!
At Ellison, our daily mission is to put students first! Our vision is that every day, every student will grow as compassionate, innovative, leaders! #TeamEllison #OneTeamOneVision
Over the next few weeks, our teachers and staff will continue preparing for the new school year through retreats and professional development. Our work is focused on ensuring that we are fully prepared to provide daily learning experiences in which all students are highly engaged, where they feel loved and respected, and where their individual academic and social-emotional needs are met through targeted instruction.
As Ellison's proud principal, one of my favorite back-to-school events is the upcoming Snow Cone Scoop! I get to meet new bees and say hello to our returning families! This event has something for everyone! On FRIDAY, August 18th, we also invite all Ellison fathers and father figures to learn about our WATCH D.O.G.S. program. It is a national innovative program focusing on the prevention of violence in our children’s schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures for a two-fold purpose: (1) to provide an unobtrusive presence in schools, and (2) to be a positive and active role-model for children at their school.
Families will be able to take a self-guided tour of our school and explore the playgrounds and amphitheater. Pizza and snow cones will be sold (while supplies last). And for all families that are already familiar with Ellison, we hope you join us as you too will be able to mingle and reconnect with other BEES, sign up for the Watch D.O.G.S. program, purchase PTA spirit wear, and become a PTA member. This is also a wonderful opportunity to meet our new Associate Principal, Mrs. Christina Escarcega! We hope you join us for the Snow Cone Scoop!
Please also mark your calendar for our annual Meet the Teacher event. Check out the Meet the Teacher flyer below for details.
On behalf of our entire faculty, thank you for the privilege of allowing us to serve your family. We look forward to the year ahead!
Sincerely,
Principal Meneses
IMPORTANT DATES
Snowcone Scoop!- 8/18
Look out for a special phone call/ email from your teacher!- 8/22
Meet the Teacher- 8/24
First Day of School/ Parent "Boohoo" Breakfast 8/28
PTA Meeting/ Parent Orientation- 9/12
MEET YOUR TEACHER!
Our front drive crossing guard begins duty at 7 a.m. Parents may begin dropping students off as early as 7:00 a.m. but not any sooner.
To ensure the safety and security of all children and staff and to prevent disruption of the learning environment, after the first week of school, the hallways will remain a student-only zone in the mornings, with the exception of PK, Kinder, ALE, and ECSE. Families of students in PK, Kinder, ALE and ECSE are highly encouraged to park and escort students into the building, however must arrive between 7:00-7:40 a.m. to do so. We ask that all other parents/guardians either use the express lane or park and walk students to the security lobby, where a staff member will be happy to greet and welcome them! Visitors are always welcome to check-in to the building to meet with the school nurse, speak to the office staff, or for scheduled conferences or meetings.
Upon arrival, students will walk to either the cafeteria or gym. All bus riders will be greeted at the bus loop and escorted into the cafeteria.
- For ALE and ESCE, specific drop off instructions will by provided by the classroom teacher.
- All PK students report to the cafeteria.
- Kinder students report to the Kinder hall if they don't plan to eat breakfast. Those eating breakfast should report to the cafeteria.
- 1st-5th grade students arriving through the front entrance should report to the gym. Those eating breakfast should report to the cafeteria.
Monitors will be present to supervise all students. Students will transition to their classrooms by 7:30 a.m. where they will be greeted by their teachers. It is highly recommended that students who plan to eat breakfast arrive to school before 7:30 a.m. Breakfast is served between 7:05-7:35 a.m.
Convenient Drop-Off for 3rd-5th Grade Students
To ensure safety of younger students, families of 3rd, 4th or 5th graders with younger siblings should use the front express lane for drop-off.
For safety reasons, all Express Hang Tags MUST be prominently displayed by hanging from your vehicle's rear view mirror.
The parent walk-up area will now be located in the amphitheater and is highly encouraged for families of PK, Kinder, ECSE, or ALE, their older siblings and any other student that lives in walking distance of the school. All other parents/guardians should use the EXPRESS LANE for student pick-up. All parent walk-ups will report to the cafeteria for dismissal and all Express Lane car riders will report to a separate location within the school near the front lobby. This means it will be imperative that teachers know exactly how students will be picked up. Parents should communicate accordingly. Options include: Express Lane Car Riders, Walk-Ups, Bus, Learning Tree, or Daycare. This new procedure will help prevent overcrowding in the front of the school, will increase safety, and will expedites the dismissal process for all.
When entering the Ellison parking lot, please refrain from blocking traffic on Oak Drive. The city does not allow obstruction of traffic, which tends to happen with vehicles coming from the access road. If the Express Lane line has already reached Oak Drive and dismissal hasn't begun the line will most likely be at a stand-still. If that is the case, please do not obstruct flowing track and help us by forming the Express line coming from Barkaritaville Pet Resort. Obstructing traffic is unsafe for all and considered a violation of the law. Thank you for helping to keep our bees safe!
Great news! Due to an increase in walkers, we will now have a crossing guard on Oak Drive. More details to come as this is new to our campus.
Boohoo Breakfast
Some of us are crying teary-eyed and blue.
Some of use are cheering, "I'm glad the summer's through!"
Whatever mood you're feeling, stop by and stay awhile.
The BEES PTA will be here to greet you with a smile!
Stop by after dropping your child off,
meet PTA and other Ellison families, and leave a note
for your bee to brighten their first day of school.
Monday, August 28th
7:30 a.m.
BEES Library
Meals
Support our PTA!
Click below to visit our wonderful PTA site. With a click of a button, you'll be able to purchase spirit gear, which students are encouraged to use on the first day of school and every Friday of the year!
Bonnie Ellison Elementary School
Ellison is the place to “bee”- Growing, learning, and building our hive together!
In our hive, our daily mission is to put students first! Our campus vision is that our students grow daily as compassionate, innovative leaders!
