The ELC would like to wish all of our families a very Happy New Year! We want to share our enthusiasm for not only what a new year can bring, but what this time of year typically offers our students. As the third quarter of the school year approaches, we expect to see enormous growth with our student in their academic development. We will see more and more readers emerging and many of the math learning goals achieved. Our students are settling in after the first half of the school year and truly adapting and embracing their learning environment and growth mindset. They realize they CAN! They can achieve, they are accomplishing independence in many things that are now part of their regular routine and embedded as healthy habits. We are so proud of their hard work and inspired by their achievement. This year has been especially inspiring as we have all overcome so many more obstacles. As a result, we have stronger partnerships with our families that ever and this has given us a tremendous foundation to support our students. We value your partnership and the adaptations our families have successfully made to support their child's learning and achievement. Your hard work is paying off!! Whether you are an in person learner or elearner, we appreciate your commitment to supporting your child's academic and social development through the offerings of the ELC. We are proud of the success this school year has established and are looking forward to the tremendous achievement of the second half of the school year.

With the holidays behind us, January is a wonderful time to regroup and focus on helping your child accomplish even more with the rest of Kindergarten. We are offering Parent Teacher Conferences on January 29th. Report cards will be coming home on January 22nd. We hope you can take this opportunity to look over your child's report card and reflect on how your child is performing and how your household can best support learning and achievement. Studies repeatedly show that a daily reading habit in your home is one of the most beneficial ways you can support your child's academic development. Make sure you can carve out time for reading with your child each and every day. It can be bedtime, it can be right after dinner, even audiobooks in the car. Elevate reading and talking about books with your child by making a point to commit to this habit. You will see remarkable results! Instructions for signing up for your conference will be released this first week of January. Be sure to look for them in your Skyward email.

We are thrilled to offer the return of our trademark series, Kindergarten and Coffee at the ELC! Though it will look different for now as a virtual meeting, the benefits will be just as strong. Each month during our series, you will here and have the opportunity to participate in topics that are relevant to the kindergarten parent and student. Our Home-School Coordinator and our veteran reading interventionist will partner to bring this series to parents. These individuals are in our classrooms every day and working with kids through every part of their kindergarten experience. They can offer lots of insight and tools to help parents have a better understanding of how to support their children. Each month, the topic will be unique to help you address various needs. This is a wonderful resource for our parents and caregivers...we look forward to seeing everyone!

ELC Library was delighted to help build our students' home libraries throughout the entire first semester! We have run out of books to continue our giveaway, however it means our students will be able to find titles that they like best to borrow from our library. From those beloved Elephant & Piggie books to sharks and unicorns, there is sure to be a renewed sense of book love when we return from Winter Break! Students will choose one book each time their class visits library to be checked out. Be sure to check your child's backpack for their book on library day . You will have one week to enjoy their book in your home before it needs to be returned to their bin in their classroom for library return. Students are allowed one book to be checked out at a time, so be sure you read and return the book within the week! Happy Reading!

Students have been continuing to learn about choosing positive thoughts to focus on and help themselves calm down amidst frustration or anxiety. "Moody Cow" lessons introduced students to more strategies to help them calm down and feel better when frustrated or angry. These lessons built on our weekly MIndUp lessons that help students learn to control their behaviors and thoughts to focus on the positive. Ask your child about Moody Cow and his story. This will help open the communication in your home and help support what your child has learned and is practicing at school.

Email: sgutierrez@hobart.k12.in.us
Website: www.hobart.k12.in.us/elc
Location: 400 North Wilson Street, Hobart, IN, USA
Phone: 219-942-7263
Facebook: facebook.com/elc