East Lawrence Elementary
Digital Newsletter - 1.9.18
A Note from Mr. Tate
Can you believe we are already half-way through this school year?! I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas break! We ended the 1st semester in an awesome way with our 12 Days of Giving. I hope you all had a chance to read the articles and watch the news stories and videos from that project. All of that information and links are contained in this newsletter. I truly feel we made a huge impact on our school and community. I also believe our students learned valuable lessons. Thanks for your support in this project! I'm so proud of our entire team!
Here are a few thoughts from my reflection on the 12 Days of Giving I shared online...
Several of the reporters have asked me about how many people we think we reached with this project. It’s just hard to attach a number to it. We will never know this side of Heaven the real impact we have made. But it’s not even about that. It’s about being a blessing to these folks. To people who say, “No one ever thinks of us,” or “Usually when people call us it’s to complain,” or for the families who will now have a nice meal for Christmas. These are the unsung heroes of this project, and I hope that after we left, they truly felt this way.
A few of the highlights for me include the envelope I received in the giving one day that said “(Child’s name) did some chores around the house and wants to donate the money he received to the project,” seeing the students’ faces when they were able to tangibly see the results of their giving, the countless thank-yous we heard as we gave, the impromptu McDonald’s blessing our Betas and Ambassadors gave and received, and the list goes on and on. Seeing the faces of all those who we blessed was priceless too, with Mr. Garth’s reaction and “acceptance speech” being right up at the top of the list for me I believe. What special moments we have shared as a family at ELES!
Tears well up each time I really think about these things. I’m overwhelmed at the generosity of our students. Y’all our students gave over $1500 to this project, and that was before they had even seen any evidence of what their giving meant. That’s a lesson in compassion and faith itself, and it’s a testament to our students. They flat showed out and blew me away in their giving and their serving. But why should I have expected anything different? We just have good kids. And that statement resounded from every aspect of this project, from the folks we served to the reporters who talked with our students. With our students (and all of us for that matter), I hope that this will spark a true realization that it is indeed better to give than to receive and an internalization of what they have learned and experienced so that it won’t just be a project for them, but a way of life. For everyone involved, on both sides, I trust that spirits were lifted, hearts were encouraged, and hope was restored.
I love all of you and I’ve never been more proud of all of you and never been more proud to be an Eagle!
--Mr. Tate
Up and Coming at ELES
Please look for more details on these events from teachers and on our ELES Facebook page.
Friday, Jan. 12 - Report Cards go home
Monday, Jan. 15 - No School - MLK Jr. Holiday
Wednesday, Feb. 7 - 1/2 Day Professional Development - Students dismiss 11:30
Monday, Feb. 19 - No School - President's Day
Friday, Mar. 16 - 3rd Nine Weeks Ends
Monday-Friday, Mar. 26-30 - No School - Spring Break
Out and About at ELES
12 Days of Giving
ELES in the News - 12 Days of Giving
12 Days of Giving - Christmas Video for our Parents
School Spirit
Programs and Activities
Faculty and Staff
Student Leadership at ELES
It's Cool to be in School Everyday at ELES
Perfect Attendance - 2nd 9 Weeks - No Tardies, No Check-Ins, No Check-Outs
Caught on Tape
East Lawrence Elementary
Email: cjtate@lawrenceal.org
Location: 263 County Road 370 Trinity, AL 35673
Phone: 256-905-2514
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELElementary/