
Essex Elementary School
Sharing the Joy!

The Importance of Attendance
As we enter the season of vacations, know before you go!
Massachusetts defines chronically absent as missing at least 10 percent of days enrolled (for instance, 18 days absent if enrolled for a typical school year of 180 days), regardless of the reason for the absence." (https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/attendance/) Since we've just celebrated our 100th day of school, this means that students with 10 absences so far are considered chronically absent. Numerous studies have examined the negative impact of absences on students achieving reading skills by third grade, understanding foundational math concepts and building strong social networks. Not only do absences impact the students who are missing from class, but they have a negative impact on students remaining as well.
According to the Commissioner of K-12 education, Jeff Riley, the chronic absenteeism rate in Massachusetts is particularly high in the elementary grades. Given the age of these children, family decisions play a crucial role in a child's attendance.
"The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires districts and states to collect chronic absence data and report it publicly. The majority of states have adopted chronic absence as a measure for school accountability." (https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/the-problem/) Massachusetts is one of those states. New accountability measures intended for next year will increase the weight assigned to absenteeism when considering the overall school's accountability.
This past year, our Essex learning community expressed disappointment in our overall Massachusetts Department of Ed accountability score. Given the anticipated increased value placed on absenteeism, we strongly encourage careful consideration when keeping your child out of school. It's tricky...we certainly want to ensure your child is fever-free and feeling well enough to be a school, however, taking those "extra" days may put them in jeopardy of chronic absenteeism. Need some help? We're your partner! If there is any way we can help your child get to school, please let us know!
What Does 100 Look Like?
An exciting tradition in our classrooms, particularly for our kindergarten students, is the arrival of 100th day! EVERYTHING was turning up 100 for our young explorers! (Many thanks to the parent volunteers who help make the magic happen!)
Our Essex Watershed
Fifth graders examined the many impacts on our local watershed with some help from Salem Sound Coastwatch and parent volunteers. As they critically considered the influence of pollutants, overuse and challenges with clean-up, students recognized the tremendous value of clean, safe water in our aquifer.
Afterschool Opportunities Winding Down...Can you help us with the next round?
Reflective School Community Seeks Honest, Meaningful Feedback!
EES is participating in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation process for elementary schools. Our school staff is working alongside Manchester Memorial Elementary School staff in a joint accreditation process. This shared process has led to increased collaboration and alignment between the two schools so that students have a similar K-5 experience regardless of which elementary school they attend.
In preparation for the upcoming self-reflection that the Essex and Memorial schools will be completing as part of the accreditation process, all grade 5 students, families, and staff members will have the opportunity to complete surveys designed to provide our school with important feedback on our work. We hope to learn more about what is working well for our students and identify areas for growth and improvement.
Every grade 5 student will have an opportunity to complete the "Student Survey" during the school day. Parents/guardians also have an opportunity to share their experiences via the "Family Survey." We ask that every family complete one survey. You do not need to complete multiple surveys if you have more than one student in the school. The survey is mobile-ready and can be completed on a computer, tablet, or phone.
Families can access the EES Family survey at the link below. The survey should take less than 10 minutes, but must be completed in one setting. We need at least 25% of our families to complete the survey to have meaningful data. Please help us reach this (and more!) threshold. The link will be open until Friday, February 16, 2024. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
https://surveys.neasc.org/s3/CPS-2026-Family-Survey?id=38
And the Hardy Arrive for our Winter Walk to School
Upcoming Events
Food Drive all week
Monday, Feb 12: Last day for Afterschool Programs: STEM Explorers and Sewing Creations
2:45-3:30pm Gr 4 tutoring
Tuesday, Feb 13: Grade 1 Science Enrichment supported by our Friends of EES
3-4pm Student Leadership Council
3:15-4:15pm School Council
Wednesday, Feb 14: RED DAY 11:45am Early Dismissal~Family Conferences
12:30pm Grade 3 Family Math: Everything has a solution
Thursday, Feb 15: 3-4:30pm Gr 5 full cast rehearsal; 3-4pm Study Studio
Friday, Feb 16: Maritime Gloucester visit in Grade 3
Monday, Feb 19-Friday, Feb 23~~Winter Break
Be sure to check out our Family Calendar for the most up-to-date events: https://www.mersd.org/Page/16#calendar3050/20230907/month !