THE PRIDE PRESS
Essex Elementary School Newsletter
December 3, 2021
PRINCIPAL NEWS
Greetings EES Families,
It was wonderful to welcome all of our students back to school this week. I hope everyone enjoyed the week with their families and friends. It is hard to believe we are into December now but we are certainly into winter! Please remember that students are outside at least once or twice a day while at school. Students need to have winter clothing with them and it is always helpful to have backups. Speaking of clothing- we have an enormous amount of lost and found; take a look at the announcement below!
Enjoy your weekend,
Ashley
Lost and Found Update!
Lost and Found, then Lost and FREE!
The EES “Lost and Found” is quite full with few items being claimed. On December 14th and 15th, the items will be organized by size and type under the overhang on the side of the building from 7:30 until 3:00PM. Then, on December 16th and 17th, the items will become
“Lost and FREE” for anyone to take. Any items that are not claimed or taken by the end of the day on the 17th will be donated.
Please note that labeling your child’s items is a helpful way to avoid things living in the lost and found.
In the meantime:
Our library assistant has created a photo gallery for our lost and found at EES. Please click on the link below to view the gallery. If you find an item that is yours, please fill out this
google form or send an email with the item's number, teacher's name and child's name to kfukuyama@ewsd.org.
** If you would like to come in to the building to personally look for items, please call the front office @878-2584 to make an appointment.
WINTER KINDNESS COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM
ANNOUNCEMENT TO PARENTS ABOUT PICKUP PATROL
Parents,
Starting 1/3/2022, we will be using a system called PickUp Patrol to help us track dismissals. PickUp Patrol (PUP) will save us a great deal of time here in the office and will reduce interruptions in our classrooms—while also providing you with a convenient way to make changes to your children’s dismissal plans.
Most importantly, it will help us ensure that our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations.
Use the PUP web app for:
ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early. Be sure to provide the specific reason for your child’s absence (family, sick, appointment, etc.).
DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans. For example:
A student normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.
A student usually goes to aftercare, but is leaving early for an appointment.
How it works:
Your child is assigned a dismissal plan at the start of the year. This is the plan they will regularly follow on normal days. We call this the Default Plan.
Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit a change through the PUP app. When the plan is submitted, the school will be notified and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.
All plan changes should be entered in PickUp Patrol. Notes, emails or phone calls will not be accepted for changes after 2/1/2021, except in emergencies.
Getting started with PUP:
REGISTER: You will receive a registration email from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account.The PUP web app is free to parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer. PUP is not accessed through the app stores. Instead, for easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen.
ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account by 12/30/21 to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children.
Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students.
If you have any questions, please first check the PUP FAQ page. If you still need help, contact us here in the office at nbergeron@ewsd.org, dsturgess@ewsd.org, and lwignall@ewsd.org or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.
WHAT'S NEW IN ART?
The week before break all students worked with clay in art class. We discussed the properties of “earth clay” and how to best work with it. Ask your student what they created and see if they remember the steps they took to create their piece. We have been firing the clay the past few weeks and we will soon work on glazing!
This past week students have been creating art with cut paper. Second graders used cutting and folding to create a pop-up hot air balloon scene. First graders made abstract sculptures and K's made bird families in nests. It was fun to hear and learn about students' families.
If you are still interested in the Art to Remember fundraiser later ordering is still open until the end of December. These orders will be shipped directly to your home. You are also able to upload new art for your child or for other children if desired. Email sblain@ewsd.org if you need help. If you already ordered something and chose it to be shipped to the school, those are in transit and will hopefully be sent home with students sometime next week. Thank you for your support in this fundraiser -we are hoping to arrange an artist-in-residence once we can allow guests into the school.
Ms. Blain
HEALTH OFFICE NEWS
WARM OUTDOOR GEAR AND CHANGE OF CLOTHES FOR STUDENTS
Winter has arrived!
Please send your child to school with warm winter gear to wear for outdoor recess.
It is also a good idea to send a seasonally appropriate change of clothes for your student in the event they get wet at recess.
The health office has a low supply of pants, snow pants, jackets and long sleeves.
Any donations of these items are greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Dani Morris RN BSN
EES School Nurse
UPCOMING EVENTS/ REMINDERS:
- 12/23/21 - 12/31/21 - Early Winter Break
Growing Works of Art Contest for Grades 1-8
For more information, go to:
https://vtcommunityforestry.org/celebrate/arbor-day/growing-works-art-contest-grades-1-8
*WEDNESDAYS ARE EARLY RELEASE - DISMISSAL IS AT 1:45*
*************
ESSEX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
*We take care of each other
*We take care of our school
C*A*R*E*S
Cooperation Assertion Responsibility Empathy Self-Control
Email: dsturgess@ewsd.org
Website: https://www.ewsd.org/EES
Location: 1 Bixby Hill Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: (802)-878-2584