WEEKLY WONDERS
Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, August 23, 2021
Important Dates
August 26- PTA Meeting (Join PTA!)- See Below
August 25- Upper El Parent Meetings- Info Provided from Teachers
September 3- Fall Picture Day (FREE Dress Down Day)
September 6- Labor Day- No School!
**UPDATED** 2021/2022 Ellis Family Handbook
- Covid Protocols
- Quarantine Learning Plans
- Arrival/Dismissal
- Uniforms
- etc.
From the Clinic
For the health and safety of your student, please complete the 2021/2022 Ellis Student Medical Questionnaire regarding his/her medical conditions and/or allergies as soon as possible. This information will be an initial communication about the needs of your student and will be reviewed by the School Nurse. 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. Thank you for your help.
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 at this link for your information. It is also listed in the updated Ellis Family Handbook.
Contact Information:
Christine.O'boyle@sccpss.com
912-395-5474
Parent Contact Information
If you have access to PowerSchool with your parent account, please make sure that you have a valid email address (that you check regularly!) on file. If you do not have access to your parent account on PowerSchool, you can visit the SCCPSS website for information on how to obtain access.
If you don't have access to PowerSchool, you may email your student’s classroom teacher, provide them with your email address, and they will pass that information on to our student information specialists so that they can update your student’s account.
Device Distribution
**Update 8/20/2021**: We have distributed devices to ALL PreK-8th Grade students who returned the required paperwork. MOST teachers have kept those devices in the classroom this week as we have started district assessments. We want to make sure that the devices are at school and ready for those assessments. If/when your student starts bringing their device home, please note the following:
- They should use the device ONLY for work that is assigned to them by their teacher.
- They should bring the device back to school EVERY day and the device should be CHARGED. They will need the device for Explorations, research, assessments, and work assigned by their teacher.
If your family is in need of a HotSpot device, contact Ms. Lisa to see if you qualify.
Student Learning Device Loan Form and FPP Information (This form MUST be filled out by a parent/guardian for EVERY student)- You can fill out the digital version instead at this link.
**Please note: Per SCCPSS district policy, if your student has a fine still on their account for a damaged device or a lost charger from the 2020/2021 school year, they will not be allowed to check out a device until that fine is paid. Contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com) so that you can make payment arrangements.**
Middle School Athletics
For Middle School Athletes:
**In order for students to be able to participate in any sports activities, all paperwork is to be turned in to Mr. Sean, Ellis Athletic Director, in Room 36.
Please fill out both the athletic paperwork 1 and 2.
Instructions:
Paperwork 1- Parents will fill out pages one and two and take them to the doctor to fill out pages three and four. *IMPORTANT* Ask for a sports physical NOT a regular physical- you will get in much quicker. Also, the minute clinic is a quick alternative.
Paperwork 2- Parents will fill out all pages and sign all documents, then have the student sign all documents.
Girls Sports
Cross Country- (Practice/tryouts starts Aug. 23rd) Coach: Ms. Marianne Howze--(marianne.howze@sccpss.com)
Volleyball- (Practice/tryouts starts Sept.13th) Coach: Mr. Sean Vetrovsky (sean.vetrovsky@sccpss.com)
Boys Sports
Cross Country- (Practice/tryouts starts Aug. 23rd) Coach: Ms. Marianne Howze (marianne.howze@sccpss.com)
It is HOT outside!
**Update 8/20/21**: This is so important for the well being of our students during these hot days. Your student needs to have a water bottle (labeled with their name) at school so they can stay hydrated. We still have a few water bottles that were donated to our school last year in the multi-purpose room. If your student NEEDS a water bottle, please contact your student's teacher via email so that we can provide one to them, if still available.
Every Student Needs Earbuds/Headphones
Thank you for your help with this.
Media Center
We met with our Kindergarten friends this week in the media center while our PreK friends met with Ms. Angie for technology class.
Ms. Lisa has started orientation with our Lower and Upper El classes. Once your student's class has orientation, they will be allowed to start checking out books. We are so happy to have students checking out books again! Please help us as we strive to teach our students to be RESPONSIBLE with their media center books by taking care of them and returning them in a timely manner.
Starting August 27th, our PreK friends will be allowed to check out ONE book from the media center to take home. Please read this book with your student, take good care of it, and return it to school the following Friday. Primary students will be checking out a book every other week.
If you would rather your student leave their media center book at school (and not to bring them home), please let your classroom teacher know ASAP.
If you haven't done so already, please read our welcome letter for what you and your student can expect from the media center this school year.
Sincerely,
Ms. Lisa and Ms. Laura
Ellis Media Center:
912-395-5470 Ext. 71210
"Like" and "Follow" us on Facebook!
Counselors' Corner
This week, all Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Erdkinder classes received lessons on what a school counselor does and how to contact us. Lower Elementary learned more about personal choices and read the book What Should Danny Do?
Let us know if there is a specific need we could help address with your child(ren). Your input helps guide our school counseling program and better serve the needs of our community. There is more information on our School Counseling Website, including activities and community resource information. Please reach out if you need anything.
The Backpack Buddies food program begins next week and is available for any students in need. If your child or someone you know could benefit from a bag of food for the weekends, please contact Ms. Rebecca.
912-395-5470 x2
or you can message Rebecca Burkhart on ItsLearningEllis PTA
We will have our first PTA Meeting of the school year, Thursday, August 26th, at 6:30pm. A zoom link will be sent out to PTA members through Memberhub and the school will send the link in a blast early during the week of August 23rd.
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 are a few PTA Committee Chairs open:
Arts Enrichment
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.
School-Wide Grace & Courtesy Emphasis
The Language of Responsibility from "The Self-Awakened Child" series by Jonathan Wolff
- When I do what I say I am going to do, I am being responsible.
- When I make a mistake and tell the truth about what I did, I am taking responsibility for what I do and say.
- When I do something that helps everyone and hurts no one, I am acting responsibly.
- When I tell the truth about my sad, scary or angry feelings and I ask someone to help me feel better, I am taking responsibility for me feelings.
Register now!
We use SchoolCash Online to provide an online payment option for tech fees and other school items and fees. If you haven’t already created a free account, we encourage all parents to register now, so you’ll be ready to make online payments from home: both now and in the future as more school items become available again.
SchoolCash Online is free, safe, simple, secure, and saves time. You will help increase efficiency and security at your school by making payments directly into your school's bank account. This limits the number of people entering the school, reduces risk of lost payments, and allows teachers and office staff to focus on helping students and not counting cash. In addition, you are automatically informed about school activities! Registering takes less than two minutes: visit sccpss.schoolcashonline.com and click Register.
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.