WEEKLY WONDERS


Thank you PTA for providing the opportunity to WORK!!!

Thank you PTA for providing the opportunity to WORK!!!

" Freedom without organization of work would be useless. The child left free without means of work would go to waste, just as a new-born baby, if left free without nourishment, would die of starvation. The organization of the work, therefore, is the cornerstone of this new structure of goodness, ineducation, but even that organization would be in vain without the liberty to make use of it." Dr. Maria Montessori

The child's work, regardless of their developmental level, is key to "normalized" living. The purpose, associations, repetition and extension of a work, is what will lead the child to not only build new skills, but essentially to connect their development to a "Cosmic Task". How are we as parents & educators preparing our homes and classrooms to promote this inner work?

View and consider the information and videos in the link below and find ways to adjust to the age of your child and subsequently promote the "dignity of work"

https://montessoriguide.org/the-childs-work

Peace,

Ms. Tanya

Important Dates

October 18- Deadline for PTA Reflections Submissions

October 22- Drive-Thru PTA Fall Festival

October 25-29- Media Center Book Character Pumpkin Patch

October 26- Make-Up Fall Picture Day (More Information Below)

October 29- Donation Dress Down Day (Supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Georgia/South Carolina)

November 1-30- PTA Read-A-Thon (More Info to Come)

November 1- Deadline to Purchase PTA Wreaths (Information below)

November 10- PTA Meeting

November 11- Veteran's Day- No School!

November 22-26- Thanksgiving Break- No School!

Middle School Volleyball

The middle school volleyball season has begun! You can find the schedule on the Ellis website.

PTA Reflections

**LAST CALL for PTA Reflections submissions**

The deadline for student submissions is Monday, October 18th!

Encourage your child(ren) to submit an entry to the PTA Reflections Competition.

The theme this year is "I Will Change the World By..." See the photo below.

All art forms are accepted: visual art, dance performances, literary compositions, film, and more! Click here for submission forms. If you have questions, email Amanda Fanelli, our PTA Reflections Chairman: ellisreflections@gmail.com.

We had three students place in the State finals last year, can we again "Change the World" this year?

All entries due (with forms in order and proper formats followed) to Ms. Lisa in the media center or to ellisreflections@gmail.com by Monday, October 18th. All entries will be showcased at the Drive-Thru Fall Festival on Friday, October 22nd!

PTA Drive-Thru Fall Festival

The PTA Drive-Thru Fall Festival is Friday, October 22nd, from 6-7:30pm. Traffic should flow in front of the school just like car rider drop-off/pick-up.

You and your family can look forward to the following:

Car costume contest (with prizes!)
Activities
Chick-Fil-A Sales
Spirit Wear Sales
and more!

Download the flyer below for all the information.

Please bring paper goods (plates, cups, napkins, etc.) to donate to Emmaus House.

If you are willing/able to volunteer for the event, please use this link to sign up. We appreciate your help!

We hope to see you for this fun, family event!

Make-Up Picture Day

Make-Up picture day is Tuesday, October 26th. If your student was not at school on Fall picture day or you do not like the photo they took, your student can come to school on October 26th dressed in their best attire. Students should bring a uniform to change into after their picture is taken.

Please Note:

Fall pictures are a fundraiser for our school! Every purchase will benefit our students directly.
You can purchase online with the code in your picture packet or you may send cash or check (made payable to Strawbridge) in the envelope provided to school with your student.
Make-Up Picture day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26th.
If anyone has questions, you may contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com).

Media Center

This week, we met with Pre-K on Friday. We talked all about the life cycle of pumpkins by reading an eBook on Epic! called "Little Pumpkin." We also did some yoga where we pretended to be a seed, sprout, vine, flower, and finally a grown pumpkin. Lastly, we got to see some pictures of book character pumpkins that students have brought to the media center in past years so that we could get excited about the upcoming "Book Character Pumpkin Patch" (see information about that below).

Book Character Pumpkin Patch:

We will be holding our annual "Book Character Pumpkin Patch" the week of October 25-29th.

Students are encouraged to decorate a real or fake pumpkin as a favorite book character to bring to the media center on Monday, October 25th to share with our school community (No scary or carved pumpkins, please!).

Teachers may sign up for a time to bring their class through the media center to view the pumpkins. Ms. Lisa will photograph all the pumpkins on display and she will post them on the Ellis MC Facebook page.

Students will pick up their pumpkins from the media center on Friday, October 29th, to take home.

We look forward to seeing our student's CREATIVITY in this favorite Ellis tradition.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Happy reading!

Ms. Lisa

Library Media Technology Specialist

Ellis Montessori Academy

lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com

912-395-5470 Ext. 71210

Counselor's Corner

This week in school counseling instruction, Erdkinder took a career inventory using YouScience. Students will soon review their results of aptitudes they have in various career clusters of interest. To view their results at home, they can log on to their Student PowerSchool Portal and click GA LDS, then My Career Plan. I look forward to viewing their results with them at an upcoming lesson!

New face in the School Counseling Department:

I'd like to give a warm welcome to Mr. Wesley Cooper (Mr. Wes) as our School Counseling Intern for the remainder of this semester. Mr. Wes comes to us from Wilmington University in Delaware and has recently relocated to Savannah. As he gains middle school experience, he'll mostly be working with 6th, 7th, and 8th years, however Wes has already jumped right in, and is willing to give a hand wherever needed on the days he is here. For the most part, Wes will be with us only on Wednesdays, but there are some weeks he may be able to do more. I'm truly excited about the opportunity to have Mr. Wes here with us as he works toward completion of graduate school.

If your child or someone you know could use some extra support, needs a referral for peer mediation conflict resolution, or needs any resources, including a free bag of food for the weekend, please reach out. Resources are available on the School Counseling Website including a list of mental health professionals and relaxation activities.

Rebecca Burkhart, School Counselor

912-395-5470 x2

tinyurl.com/BookMsRebecca

rebecca.burkhart@sccpss.com

School-Wide Grace & Courtesy Focus

The language for identifying/naming RESPECT in "The Self-Awakened Child" series by Jonathan Wolff:

When I listen to what other people say and do not ignore them or interrupt them when they are talking, I am listening with Respect.
When I remember to think about other people's feelings before I act or talk, I am acting with Respect for others.
When I take good care of the things that belong to others, I am Respecting other people's things.
When I take good care of myself, my feelings, and my things, I am acting with Self-Respect.
When I treat people the way I like to be treated, I am acting with Respect for others.

"Great Schools Have Great Principals"

October is National Principals Month!

We want to take this time to thank Ms. Tanya for all that she does on a daily basis for our staff and students. She always puts the best interest of our school community at the forefront of everything she does.

If you wish to show your appreciation, you can send Ms. Tanya a quick note of encouragement (tanya.melville@sccpss.com).

PTA Wreath Sale

The Ellis PTA Health and Wellness committee is having their annual wreath sale. The proceeds from this sale last year helped purchase the new wooden picnic tables throughout the campus that we are now enjoying. Please consider making a purchase and/or sharing this information with your family and friends.

Visit sherwoodfundraiser.com/CEMAPTA to order. All orders are due November 1st.

Questions? Email Sara Hartley (badge7890@aol.com)

From the Clinic

Update 10/5/21: The district has provided the COVID-19 Flowchart pictured below. For future reference, you may find this image 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:

christine.oboyle@sccpss.com

912-395-5474

Devices Brought to School Daily

If your student takes their school device home on a daily basis, PLEASE make sure that they are bringing it back to school EVERY DAY, FULLY CHARGED. Students need their devices at school for district assessments, Explorations, etc.

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.

COVID-19 Testing Sites

**Update 9/16/2021**

See updated list attached below.

Per Dr. Levett, SCCPSS Superintendent, the area hospitals are reporting an overload of people requesting COVID-19 testing for their students to return to school. She is requesting that you choose another location to help expedite the process and relieve some of the congestion at the local hospitals.

Please see the attached PDF below for alternative COVID-19 testing sites.

Thank you for your help.

Publix Partners

Publix Partners is donating to our school, and you can help! Ellis has received over $12,000 since our partnership began many years ago. Once you add our school to your account, you never have to think about it again...win-win!

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.

Click here to join or donate.

WE NEED YOU!

There is still a PTA Committee Chair 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.