May 29, 2020
Dear Families,
Yesterday we shared a letter updating parents about several Ellis “news items.” Today, we hope to provide other announcements and information that will help families prepare for several end of the year events. Please add these important items to your family calendars. (These events will be re-shared via the District website for everyone’s convenience.)
June 8-12 - Spirit Week:
Let’s end the year with a little fun! Our students love to show off their creativity, and we love the smiles children have when they are proud of their own silliness! Therefore, every student is invited to join in a Scott M. Ellis Spirit Week for the last full week of school, June 8-12. We hope all students attend their Google Meets enjoying the theme of the day. We are looking forward to many fun screenshots from our teachers!
Monday PJ Day
Tuesday Crazy Hair
Wednesday Favorite Sports Day
Thursday Funny Hat Day
Friday Spartan Spirit Day
June 15 - Kindergarten Families: Moving Up Day!
The completion of the first year of school is an accomplishment. We will celebrate Moving Up Day and the end of the kindergarten year by inviting every kindergarten family to bring their kindergartener to the north parking lot for a “Moving Up” recognition. We will have a special backdrop prepared for your child to have their picture taken with their kindergarten teacher (while following social distancing rules). We are hoping 100% of our children are able to attend with their parents or a special adult! The time reserved for each classroom group is listed below.
June 15 - Fifth Grade Families: Advancement Day
Due to COVID -19, Ellis fifth graders will not have the opportunity to participate in our traditional Advancement Day celebration. However, we want to recognize our students’ milestone moment, finishing elementary school! On June 15 at 9:00am, we will release a special pre-recorded (video) ceremony for our fifth graders. Each fifth grade teacher has a special message for their students, and students' names will also be announced as we recognize them for the completion of elementary school. We will also honor several students for outstanding achievements. We hope every family is able to set time aside to view the video together, and to celebrate the accomplishments of our young Spartans! (Paper certificates, awards, and copies of the event program will be handed to students at the Chromebook drop-off event.)
June 15-18 - End of Year Teacher Visit/iPad/Chromebook Drop-off
All students are required to return their iPads and Chromebooks for summer updating and maintenance (please remember to include the charging cords). Each grade level has indicated a time when teachers will be present during the drop-off period. We hope to see our students and families during the times noted below:
June 15 (Mon) | All AM | Kindergarten Moving Up Celebrations 8:30- 9:00 Mrs. DuPuis and Mrs. Gatto’s class 9:15-9:45 Mrs. Herwick’s class 10:00-10:30 Mrs. Kappel’s class 10:45-11:15 Mrs. Thela’s class 11:30-12:00 Miss Vincent’s class | ||
June 16 (Tues) | 12:00 - 1:00 | 5th Grade Families/Teachers | ||
1:00 - 2:00 | 3rd Grade Families/Teachers | |||
2:00 - 3:00 | 1st Grade Families/Teachers | |||
June 17 (Wed) | 9:00 - 10:00 | 2nd Grade Families/Teachers | ||
10:00 - 11:00 | 4th Grade Families/Teachers | |||
If these times do not work for family schedules, you are welcome to call the Elementary Office (518-966-5070 x 301) and we will assist in finding a better time to return the device. Families with more than one student are welcome to return all devices and chargers at the same time.
June 16 - Summer Work:
This spring has not been easy. We know that students (and parents) are tired of Google Meets and packets of paper, but we did it! We are so proud of the PERSISTENCE our students have demonstrated during the past nine weeks! This summer, teachers at Ellis have decided that summer work should NOT include new* work packets. Instead, we are asking children to do three things: read, practice their math facts, and use their creativity. Teachers at each grade level will provide specific information regarding these summer tasks during our Chromebook/iPad drop-off event.
Upcoming Events - Not Yet Scheduled:
As you know, we are ending the school year with a number of events that cannot be scheduled. We will share information about these events with you as we receive information from our partners outside of the school district. We will send text messages and emails to families when we are able to schedule the following events:
Kindergarten screening
Kindergarten classroom visits
The arrival/distribution of our elementary yearbooks
Release of 2020-2021 class lists
The opening of the GCSD campus (and the Scott M. Ellis Playground!)
Please feel welcome to contact either of us via the elementary office with any questions or needs (518.966.5070 ext 301).
Sincerely, Peter Mahan Daniel Hash
Elementary Principal K-12 Principal
*Parents can use discretion about using unfinished work packets that were already provided