News From Fort Zeller Elementary
December 2024
What a great time of the year! It is exciting to see the joy in the faces of our students during the holiday season. Due to the busy nature of the season, sometimes schedules and added responsibilities can cause stress. Concerts, parties, family visits and so many other events seem to be packed into a limited amount of time. Scheduling becomes an issue and we always seem to be looking for ways to complete our to-do list.
As the holiday season approaches, please give your child the gift of extra time. Put an I.O.U. for a special event or activity in his/her stocking. When students are asked to write about a memorable event in their lives, it isn't a special gift they usually choose to write about, but a particular experience they have had with someone special.
During this season of the year we would like to say thanks to:
- Parents and guardians who spend quality time with their child.
- All the volunteers who give countless hours to Fort Zeller Elementary for students and staff.
- Community members and parents who organize fund raisers, make phone calls, and bring food to classes and the staff lounge on special days.
- All the people in our district who are committed to giving their best to your children every day. For example: custodians, food service staff, bus drivers, school nurses, paraprofessionals, secretaries, teachers, and members of the school board.
- All of you who are doing your very best to send your child ready to learn every day. I am proud of how much our community gives during this time of the year. We have many programs that reflect the caring community culture that is growing through our population.
We always welcome and appreciate your support in all the endeavors we take on. On behalf of the staff of Fort Zeller Elementary, have a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!
Take care,
Jodi Houck
1. Inclement Weather - It's that time of the year when we start watching the weather the night before and each school morning. Communication from the superintendent will come in the event of a school closure or delay due to weather. In the event of inclement weather, school may be closed, delayed, or dismissed early. Such schedule changes will be announced through the district’s website, local media (WGAL8, WHTM27, FOX43, WHP21), and the mass notification system. If no report is heard, it should be assumed that school would be in session as normal.
The first two weather events that cause the school district to close will be traditional weather days, with no school for students or staff. In the event of further closures beyond the two built-in snow make-up days, the school district will utilize Flexible Instructional Days. Additional information regarding Flexible Instructional Days is available on the District’s website and will be communicated to families prior to a Flexible Instructional Day being called due to weather.”
Please do not call the school. Telephone lines must be kept open for emergencies.
2. Winter Break - December 20 is the last school day of 2024. Please remember that students do not return back to school until Monday, January 6. Students will have a full two weeks off for winter break. Enjoy the time together.
3. Early Dismissal - Bus Change - IN THE EVENT OF AN EARLY DISMISSAL, WHETHER PLANNED OR DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, AND THERE IS A CHANGE TO YOUR CHILD'S NORMAL END OF DAY DROP OFF LOCATION, please contact the main office as soon as possible. This will allow us time to contact Brightbill Transportation to make arrangements to be prepared for these types of days.
4. Drop Off - With the weather getting cooler and for student safety, please remember that parents SHOULD NOT drop students off prior to 8:30 unless you see a staff member outside greeting students and the doors are opened. Students dropped off prior to staff being available are out in cold weather and unsupervised which is not safe.
Dec. 2: (Day 3)
- Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm
Dec. 4: (Day 5)
- PTO Meeting @ 6:30 pm
Dec. 6: (Day 2)
- Dentist Visit
Dec. 10: (Day 4)
- Gingerbread Shop (Schedule Below)
Dec. 11: (Day 5)
- Gingerbread Shop (Schedule Below)
- PtO Texas Roadhouse orders due
Dec. 20: (Day 2)
- Last school day before winter break
Dec. 23-Jan.3: (Winter Break)
- No School for Students
Jan. 6: (Day 3)
- Back to School
Kindergarten - Judd G. (Ms. Fitzkee) & Everly S. (Mrs. Zurick)
First Grade - Harper H. (Mrs. Wallace) & Riley H. (Mrs. Booth)
Second Grade - Azariah C. (Mrs. Lucky), Elizabeth S. (Mrs. Withrow) & Parker M. (Miss Breiner)
Class of the Month - Mrs. Hartman's First Grade Class
During the month of November, we were focused on citizenship. Throughout the month of December, we are focusing on cooperation. Cooperation means that we are working together toward a common goal.
Counselor's Corner With Mrs. Brosius
R.E.A.C.H. Lessons
In November, Kindergarten students were introduced to our new friend, A Little Peaceful Spot. We learned what it means too feel peaceful, calm, and relaxed. In first grade, Grumpy Monkey Jim taught us all about coping skills and things we do to help stay healthy and keep our brains in our calm spot. In second grade, we talked about ways to be a good digital citizen and how to stay safe when we’re online. We made cool posters about our digital footprints!
Small Groups
I am starting to finish up the first round of small groups. Some new groups will be starting after Thanksgiving break.
PBIS
Our students are doing an amazing job of being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to learn! So far this year they have filled 1,637 Bee Cards! We are so proud of them!
Library Sparks - Mrs. Davis
We are looking forward to the author visit with Annette Whipple! We all learned owl-lot about owls to prepare for the author visit on November 18. After our owl exploration we celebrated Dino-vember!
Kindergarten explored fictional dinosaur characters and laughed at How Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen.
First Grade learned about what it means to be extinct and loved meeting Mo Williams character Edwina in Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She was Extinct. First grade also worked on dinosaur activities in Keynote on their ipads.
Second Grade began learning about nonfiction text features and fact vs. opinion.
STEM Discoveries – Mrs. Davis – November
All students explored trees for the month of November. We learned about non-standard measuring and went outside to measure our trees. We used our sense of smell to find Peppermint Beetles and learned how animals use their sense of smell to survive. Please take time to login to Schoology and ask your student to share with you their Tree Journal. Each student created a Tree Journal to document their learning during our tree exploration and they are all available for viewing in your child’s Schoology profile.
What's New in Music Class? - Mr. Whitman
Kindergarten: We are working on a new note called the rest. It looks like a “Z.” We are using tubano drums to hear how rests make no sound.
First grade: We are listening to songs from the musical, Sound of Music, as we learn Solfege syllables (Do, Re, Mi). Students are also using note values to make musical sentences by incorporating simple math!
Second Grade: We are learning our 5th chord (G major) on the ukulele! Students will be able to play some of their favorite new pop song on ukulele. Students have learned the chords, C, A minor, F, A, and D.
A Note From ART - Mrs. Panza
This month in Mrs. Panza’s art classroom, Kindergarten artists worked on several different pieces to create their acorn collage artwork. They first worked with kwik stick/concentrated tempera tools to create the patterned background and acorn cap designs. Artists also used tempera cake paints to create the acorn color. Tracing, cutting and gluing techniques and tool safety were practiced and utilized to assemble the artwork together. Artists also used a “dot-dot-dot-dash” line to outline their acorn. Artists mounted the work and signed their name.
First grade artists created mixed media artwork with a bear as the focal point. We began with a practice drawing before creating a ”good copy.” Artists used tools such as texture plates, crayons, tempera cake paints, designs and their imaginations to create their one-of-a-kind work.
Second grade artists were challenged to create a unique version of sky color after listening to Peter H. Reynold’s Sky Color. Artists created several practice drawings creating color combinations using mark-making and color gradation. They selected their favorite color combination and used a watercolor technique of wet-on-wet to create their artwork. The results are stunning! Thanks for a great month in art class!
Get Moving in Physical Education - Mr. Babiarz
What's Happening in Kindergarten
What's Going on in 1st Grade
November: During the month of November, first grade students focused on finishing up short vowel sound reviews. Plus listened for the “ck” and double final consonants at the end of words and the “R”, “L” and “S” blends at the beginning of words. In math, the students explored the use of different strategies to help solve addition problems to 20. Several different thankful activities and projects were also completed. First graders also enjoyed a visit from Author Lisa Papp.
2nd Grade Updates
Our second graders have been busy exploring the world around them! In reading, they’ve been diving deep into nonfiction texts, learning about the awe-inspiring power of Super Storms and the fascinating life cycle of Jellyfish. It’s been amazing to see their curiosity grow as they uncover new facts and stories.
In math, they’ve been tackling two-digit subtraction, mastering skills both with and without regrouping. Their number skills are really starting to shine, and they're becoming confident problem-solvers every day!
In writing, the students are getting creative with contractions! They’ve been learning how to drop letters and replace them with apostrophes to create expressive speech.
We’re all looking forward to a special celebration to wrap up the season, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving together! We will be gathering as a whole grade level to celebrate the fall season and have a fun snack.
Reading Corner
Students and faculty enjoyed Mrs. Annette Whipple’s (children’s author) assembly, which occurred on November 18. They learned about how Annette uses fun facts about nature to inspire her stories. In addition to understanding how her books are made, students also were taught interesting facts about owls, spiders, and other critters. The assembly was very fun and informative, and it would not have been possible without the support of Fort Zeller Elementary PTO. Thank you PTO!
Social Media #ELCOexcellence
ELCO School District is growing our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels. Click on the icons and follow along!
Why:
Celebrate our students.
Keep parents, students, alumni, and the community in the loop of what is happening in our district.
Promote the great things happening such as athletics, activities, and other events.
Build an ongoing conversation about the positive impact our district is making in the lives of our students!
What do I need to do?
If you are on these social media channels – follow us!
Help promote these accounts to your family and friends.
If you aren’t on these platforms – that’s OK. The district will continue to provide communication through traditional channels.
Nurse's News
Cold season is in full swing, and we encourage parents to keep their children home if their child has a fever over 100 degrees, ear pain that is keeping them awake at night, sore throat with difficulty swallowing, red eyes with drainage, vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours before school, or a chronic cough. We would like to keep our students and staff as healthy as possible and reduce the spread of any contagious disease.
SCHOOL DENTIST NEWS:
The dentist is scheduled to visit our school Friday, December 6. Please return your private dental forms to the nurse by that day. Please call if you have any questions. Thank you and have a great break!
PTO
1. On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 6:30, our PTO will host its next meeting. We hope that you will consider joining our meetings and provide your valuable input to support our students and staff at Fort Zeller.
2. Volunteering: If you have an interest in being a volunteer in your child's classroom or in our school, please use this link, https://www.elcosd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=918, to complete the necessary paperwork on clearances. Don't hesitate to call our office at (610) 589-2575 if you need additional assistance.
Contact us
Fort Zeller Elementary School
243 North Sheridan Road
Richland, PA 17087
Phone: (610) 589-2575
Fax: 610-589-5815
Email: jhouck@elcosd.org
Website: https://www.elcosd.org/Domain/211
Location: 243 North Sheridan Road Richland, PA 17087
Phone: (610) 589-2575
Twitter: @ElcoFort