East Elementary News
November 21
Passionately empowering learners through connection and innovation
Upcoming Events
November 27 - Family Game Night @ 6:00 PM
November 28 - Happy Birthday, Kerri Tosi! (Behavior Teaching Assistant)
December 2 - Happy Birthday, Amanda Dunn! (Assistant Principal)
December 2 - National Special Education Day
December 3 - 18 East Elementary's Twelve Days of Giving (More information below!)
December 6 - LCISD Elementary Honor Choir Performance @ 6:00 PM
December 11 - Charleston Wrap Order Pick-Up
December 11 - Elf Day
December 11 - Photos with Santa @ 10:00 AM (Fundraiser for LCHS Class of 2020)
December 11 - East Elementary Elf Extravaganza! Family Involvement Night @ 6:00 PM
December 12 - Fire Drill
December 20 - House Party
December 21 - National "Ugly Christmas Sweater" Day
December 21 - Christmas Parties *More information coming soon!*
December 21 - Noon Dismissal
December 24 - January 4 - Christmas Holiday (No School)
A Grateful Heart
Along with the later mornings and extra snuggles, this week has given me time to really reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for. A huge part of my list centers around you and your families, our school family, and the educators I have the blessing of working with.
As a parent, I am thankful for your families and your children. As a mother of three East Pirates, the move to a new campus was exciting, of course, and understandably caused a bit of anxiety. Like all of you, my children made friends on our former campus and this move meant leaving some of those treasured relationships behind. I am incredibly thankful for the amazing children you are raising! Your sons and daughters have become a second family to my own. My heart swells each time my children come home with stories of making a new friend at recess or reading together with a classmate they hadn't yet connected with. Your children are kind, encouraging, funny, and friendly. Because of the way you're raising your own children, mine are more comfortable and more connected to the new campus community we are creating. I appreciate you and the hard work you put in when parenting our Pirates. I am blessed by the friendships my children are making each day.
As an administrator, I struggle to find the words to thank you for the many ways you've supported our staff members this year. As we've worked through a construction project or two, you have been patient and understanding. Roads and traffic have posed challenges, but you have been calm and supportive. As we have worked to chart a path for teaching and learning on our campus, you have walked with us. Truly, no challenge is too large for our East Elementary family. Knowing that we share a common commitment to our community is the best gift any educator can receive.
I cannot adequately express the gratitude I feel for the culture you've helped create at East. I can confidently say that you have cultivated a community. I am incredibly blessed to be part of East Elementary and to work for your families. Coming to work each day is such a blessing! Mondays are celebrated in my house - we can't wait to be back with the teachers and students that we love! Because of you, I love coming to work each day and love building stronger relationships with those who share our home away from home. Thank you for making East a place we cherish.
Furthermore, I am honored to work alongside the educators who serve your children each day. Time and again, I am blown away by the commitment they make to our students and the level of instruction taking place each day. I know your children experience this magic daily, but I wanted to take a minute to communicate just how blessed we are! Our children are valued and loved beyond measure! Our staff members come to work every morning with joy, committing to make a difference every day. Connection and relationships are a priority, followed closely by providing the very best instructional strategies to make an impact on our learners. Our staff members are always seeking opportunities to grow and stretch as professionals, in order to provide the very best for your children. As excited as I am to work with them, I am even more delighted to have these educators pouring into my own children each day! I know you all feel the same way.
I hope the remainder of your break is joyful! As we move into the heart of the holiday season, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the demands we feel. My prayer is that we can all hold onto the joy that this time of year brings. Thank you for bringing me so much joy! I am so blessed by you!
I love being an East Elementary Pirate!
- Candice
Make - A - Wish Reveal
Our students lined the hallway from James' classroom to the Discovery Center, applauding for James, his family, and his classmates using American Sign Language. James was then surprised by a video, which played in the Discovery Center, where Mickey told James about his upcoming trip to Disney World!
We are excited for James and his family! What a wonderful holiday surprise!
A Family Thanksgiving Activity
Family Game Night - Tuesday, Nov. 27
This evening will have no direct curriculum ties, it simply serves as an opportunity for our families to connect and spend time enjoying their children in a relaxed atmosphere with a ton of games to choose from!
This time of year, the hustle and bustle can make it difficult to find and set aside quality time with our children. Our hope is that this evening is one where you can play, laugh, and love one another!
Please make plans to join us! We'd love to play the evening away with you!
Charleston Wrap - Order Pick-Up Dec. 11
Thank you for your support of our East Elementary fall fundraiser!
East Elementary Student Council
Thanks to their hard work, a Student Council is now in the works for East Elementary! We are working hard to gather examples of bylaws, election processes, and event ideas from other elementary campuses to ensure we move forward with the best information at hand. We look forward to kicking off our Student Council early next semester and hope you'll keep an eye out for the great things our East Pirates will do as part of this organization!
The Heart of the Holidays
As such, I adjusted the calendar I found and made it applicable to our East Elementary family. As you have seen in this newsletter, our focus as a campus is giving. This season of joy brings boundless opportunities to bless the lives of others, especially those in our own community. As part of our giving initiatives on campus, I'd like to introduce our very own "12 Days of Giving" to benefit our Pirate Pantry.
Of course, participation in this initiative is not required. Again, this idea comes from my own desire as a mother of three East Elementary Pirates. I would like for my children to hold onto the focus of this holiday season, which is not the receiving, but the blessings we can bestow on others. I'd like for my own children to shift their focus from "getting" to "giving."
I invite you to join my family as we focus on meeting the needs of students who attend East Elementary. Your support is always more greatly appreciated than words can adequately express.