WEEKLY WONDERS
Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, Week of December 13, 2021
"What is a scientist? We give the name "scientist" to the type of man who has felt experiment to be a means guiding him to search out the deep truth of life, to lift a veil from its fascinating secrets, and... has felt arising within him a love for the mysteries of nature" Maria Montessori
Sometimes in our adult lives we need all the facts to be seen and heard, without recognizing that much of our lives happen on the "Feeling" level. When we can give ourselves the opportunity to be; present with our feelings, to explore the many facets of the moment, to experiment with and understand where our lives converge with each other and the universe, then we too will have the wonder of a mystery box to build our intelligence and extract the joy of learning.
Peace,
Ms. Tanya
Important Dates
November 29-December 17- Amira Assessment Window (K-3rd Grades)
November 29-December 17- iReady Assessment Window (K-8th Grades)
December 14- High School Info Session for Erdkinder
December 15- Erdkinder Program Introduction Parent Meeting
December 15-16- PTA Spirit Nights at Jeremiah's Italian Ice
December 17- Donation Dress Down Day
December 20-31- Winter Break
January 3- Staff Planning Day
January 4- Start of 3rd Nine Weeks- Students Return to School
Have a WONDERFUL Break!
Students will return to school on January 4th.
We wish everyone a happy, healthy winter break...see you in 2022!
DDDD
The next donation dress down day is Friday, December 17th.
"Dress down for a buck… and a doe. Don’t paws, doe-nate for a good claws…, give back to your very own nature center, Oatland Island Wildlife Center on dress down day. It’s wild to think how much money you can raise when you work together as a pack!"
All monies donated will help fund the Erdkinder/Oatland partnership for Child in Nature (Fairies and Gnomes) festival at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.
Students/Staff should donate at least $1 to dress out of uniform on this day. You may send cash with your student on Friday or pay on School Cash Online when you receive the email to do so.
Band Concert & News
Congratulations to the following band students who worked incredibly hard, competed against other middle school students in our district, and placed in the District Honor Band:
Max Allahverdi - 1st Chair Saxophone
Walker McCarn- 2nd Chair Trumpet
Max Bailey- 4th Chair Trumpet
James McCarn - 2nd Chair Trombone
Well done, gentlemen!
High School Info Session
Erdkinder Families are invited to a high school information session on Zoom Tuesday, December 14 at 5:30pm. Learn more about high school options and preparation. The School Counseling Department looks forward to hosting this informational virtual event. Should you be unable to attend live, this session will be recorded, and presentation will be available.
Meeting ID: 936 1743 5552
Passcode: highschool
Program Introduction Parent Meeting
This meeting is open to anyone in our Ellis community who is interested in learning more about the Ellis Erdkinder program; however, we want to specifically encourage all current/upcoming 5th-7th grade families to attend.
Meeting ID: 964 1749 3718
Passcode: 261154
Counselor's Corner
A big thank you to everyone who donated to our Angel Tree program this year. Thanks to your generosity and the support of our incredible PTA, 66 children in need will have a little extra cheer this holiday season!
This week in School Counseling Instruction, Erdkinder received a lesson about High School 101, learning about credits, graduation requirements, and the choice school application process. We are looking forward to our High School Info Session on Tuesday, December 14 at 5:30pm via Zoom. If you are unable to attend, this session will be recorded. Click here for the flyer, including the Zoom link.
Rebecca Burkhart, School Counselor & Wes Cooper, School Counseling Intern
912-395-5470 x2
rebecca.burkhart@sccpss.comPTA Spirit Nights
Please stop by Jeremiah's Italian Ice for some tasty treats Wednesday, Dec. 15th, or Thursday., Dec. 16th and mention CEMA - 20% of orders will be kicked back to your PTA!
What a fun way to raise some PTA funds to go back into fun events like the Fall Festival, Teacher Appreciation, Teacher Grants, equipment for the school (like the addition of the picnic tables), and so much more. Help us raise some funds and also enjoy a sweet treat!
See you there! Dec. 15th & 16th at Jeremiah's Italian Ice!
Thank you!
Not only is the Book Fair a fundraiser for our media center, but it is also a learning opportunity for the students. There are many lessons to be learned at the Book Fair, but here is a list of just a few:
- Cost of goods
- Tax
- Evaluation of choices/alternatives
- Purchasing transaction etiquette
- Counting Money (addition, subtraction, etc.)
- Saving vs. Spending
- So much more!
If you put money on an eWallet for your student(s), any balance remaining can be used at our online book fair until December 19th, on the Scholastic website, or it can be carried over to the next book fair. Here is the FAQ page about eWallet if you have any other questions.
SAVE THE DATE: Our much-loved BOGO (Buy One, Get One Free!) Book Fair is currently scheduled for April 25-29th.
School-Wide Grace & Courtesy Focus
The language for identifying/naming TRUST/HONESTY in "The Self-Awakened Child" series by Jonathan Wolff:
- When I say to myself, "I know I can learn to do this" -- even if it's something that is very hard for me to do-- I am Trusting myself.
- When someone promises me something and I feel sure they will keep their promise, I am Trusting them.
- When I do what I promise I will do, I am acting with Trust.
- When I tell myself the truth about what I think, how I feel or what I did, I am being Honest.
- When I tell someone the truth about what I think, how I feel or what I did, I am being Honest.
Yearbook Pre-Orders
Use this link to order your copy today!
Yearbooks will be delivered in April/May to your student(s).
If you have any questions, contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com).
Walker Dismissal
- If it is a rainy day (without thunder/lightning) dismissal, students will still be dismissed to walk home/Circle Park. They must leave the school grounds once they leave the building.
- If it is a severe weather (with thunder/lightning) dismissal, students must wait in the MPR for an approved adult to pick them up from the MPR door on Battey St.
- Students are NOT allowed to hang out/wait outside of the school doors once they leave the school building. This is a liability as there is no adult supervision outside of the school.
- There is NO adult supervision by school staff at Circle Park since it is off school grounds. It is up to the parent/guardian to ensure that their student is behaving in a safe and appropriate manner.
From the Clinic
You can find important information on the Nurse's page of the Ellis website.
Please note:
Nurse Chris' email address has changed to christine.oboyle@sccpss.com
If your child is (or will be) absent for any reason, please email your child's teacher AND copy Nurse Chris on the email.
If your student is classified as a "Close Contact" with someone who has COVID-19 at school, you will receive a phone call from someone on the Ellis Contact Tracing team to pick them up immediately. When you pick up your student, you will be provided with a letter from Nurse Chris outlining further instructions including when your student will be allowed to return to the building. You can view that letter template on the Nurse's page of the Ellis school website for your future reference. It is also listed in the updated Ellis Family Handbook.
Contact Information:
912-395-5474
Devices Brought to School Daily
Students must also have their own set of earbuds/headphones. We cannot share these items among students for hygiene reasons.
If you would like your student to keep their device at school, please contact your student's teacher to arrange that.
Thank you for your help with teaching our students to be responsible for their school materials.
Publix Partners
Here's how you can enroll and participate in just a few steps:
- Visit publix.com/partners and select our school: Charles Ellis Montessori- Savannah, GA
- Provide your phone number every time you check out at Publix.
- Publix will donate a portion of qualifying purchases to our school!
Ellis PTA
The PTA is calling all local business owners to consider investing in our school by being a PTA Business Sponsor. See attached form below. We appreciate your consideration and help spreading the word out to our community about this great opportunity
If you haven't joined the PTA yet, please do!
Joining the PTA is a small but significant way to get involved in our school and to make a difference in the lives of our Ellis community.
WE NEED YOU!
There is still PTA Committee Chairs open:
Arts Enrichment
Fundraising
If interested in joining a PTA committee, contact Emily Salzer (emilycsalzer@gmail.com) or Kellie Groover (kellie.groover@focuslabllc.com), PTA Co-Presidents.
If you are a parent/guardian of a new Ellis student, request to join the Ellis PTA Facebook Group to connect with us.
Contact Us!
Principal
Ms. Tanya Melville
Ms. Ja'Dayia Coleman-Kennedy
jadayia.coleman-kennedy@sccpss.com
Information Specialist Clerk
Ms. Lucy Holloway
School Secretary
Ms. Patricia Solomon-Brown
patricia.solomon-brown@sccpss.com
Library Media Technology Specialist
PTA Teacher Liaison
Ms. Lisa O'Donnell
Email: Tanya.Melville@sccpss.com
Website: https://spwww.sccpss.com/schools/ellis/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 220 East 49th Street, Savannah, GA, USA
Phone: (912) 395-5470
Ellis Montessori Academy Website
Click here to view the new Charles Ellis Montessori Academy website.
SCCPSS Website
Please visit the SCCPSS website regularly for the most up-to-date district information.