WEEKLY WONDERS

This is the Weekly Wonders Newsletter that is sent each Friday. The Newsletter contains pertinent information regarding school operations, organizational meetings and school-wide events.

I am excited that the Charles Ellis Montessori Academy Family is together again for School Year 2022/2023.

Every time I look at the faces of our new children coming through our front doors my heart skips a beat and it feels like the sunshine has penetrated every inch of our building. Their smiles and sometimes shy retreats, light up our lives here at Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, as they have done since 1928. Like a field of sunflowers our days are drawn to the warmth of their light.

Mr. Sanford Jones, one of our greatest Montessori advocates in Savannah and in the nation, reminds us of this “Child Light” in the song below:

Sunflower, Sunflower

Yellow and round.

You are the prettiest flower I’ve found.

Tall, straight, full of Grace.

I love the Light in your bright yellow face.

So bring on the sun August 3rd and let's light up our mission to .. .

"Educate the Whole Child for a Whole World"

Peace Ms. Tanya

July 30- SCCPSS Back to School Expo

July 31- Open House- Pre-K/Kindergarten

August 1- Open House- 1st-8th grades

August 3- First Day of School!

August 25- Fall Picture Day

August 26- Donation Dress Down Day (Stay tuned for more information!)

View the SCCPSS Academic calendar at this link.

View the SCCPSS Assessment calendar at this link.

SCCPSS will host the annual Back to School Expo on Saturday, July 30th, from 9am-2pm at the Savannah Mall.

Visit the SCCPSS website for more information.

Sunday, July 31st:

Pre-K- 2:30-3:30pm
Kindergarten- 3:30-4pm

Monday, August 1st:

Lower Elementary (1st-3rd Grades)- 4-6pm

Upper Elementary (4th-6th Grades)- 6-7pm (Grade Level Meetings start at 6:30pm)

Erdkinder (7th and 8th Grades)- 5-6:30pm

Except for the Upper El grade level meetings that start at 6:30pm on Monday night, the Open House is a drop by event. Come by at any time during the scheduled hours for your student to visit their classroom and teacher. You may bring any community shared supplies with you to Open House to leave in the classroom.

Please review the 2022/2023 Ellis Family Handbook for important information and operational procedures specific to our school.

**Please Note: This is a working document so it will be amended as needed.

Please review the map above for the arrival/dismissal procedures.

Car Riders:

Primary and Lower Elementary (Pre-K through 3rd grade) students should be dropped off/picked up at the front door on 49th Street. ORANGE car rider signs with their student(s) names must be displayed prominently in the front passenger window or dashboard.

Upper Elementary (4th-6th grades), Erdkinder (7th-8th grades), and their Lower Elementary (1st-3rd grade) siblings should be dropped off/picked up at the back gate on 48th Street. PURPLE car rider signs with their student(s) names must be displayed prominently in the front passenger window or dashboard.

Walkers:

Primary and Lower El walkers will arrive/be dismissed out the gate on McGillicuddy St.

Upper El and Erdkinder walkers will arrive/be dismissed out the front door on 49th St.

Approved adults picking up Primary/Lower El walker students or Upper El/Erdkinder students (during severe weather) must present a YELLOW walker card in order for their to student to be released.

Rainy Day Dismissal:

Similar to regular day dismissal students will remain in their classrooms until called. Upper Elementary and Erdkinder Walkers will be released unless there is severe weather. If severe weather, parents will be contacted and required to pick up their student

Visit the Ellis website for more information on school uniform options including what students can wear on dress down days.

The Ellis PTA sells spirit wear which can be worn on Fridays with school uniform bottoms. Visit the PTA Memberhub website to purchase.

Visit the Ellis website for student supply lists.

For the school year 2022-2023, Savannah Chatham County Public Schools will continue to serve free breakfast for all students, but is urging all families to complete and submit a Free and Reduced Meal Application starting July 1, 2022, if you believe your student(s) may be eligible.

The application can be completed online at this link: myschoolapps.com​.

If you prefer a paper application, they will be available at the Applications center located at 3609 Hopkins Street. There will also be a secured after hours drop box located at this site. The secured drop box will be checked daily by staff if you elect to fill out a paper application and drop it in the box at that location.

Each year, parents/guardians are asked to verify/update the address and contact information on file at the school. This is referred to as Online Student Verification. Failure to verify this information could result in not receiving important information from the school/district. It is important for schools to have the most recent information on file.

Please verify/update student information no later than August 12, 2022.

Only one legal parent/guardian can complete the verification.

There are two ways data can be verified. Please choose one below:

1. Using the PowerSchool Parent Portal Click here. (Note: You cannot use the PowerSchool app. You must go to the web page here) If parents/guardians need a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, please click here to request one.
2. If you do not have a PowerSchool Parent Portal Account: Please use the appropriate link below to verify student data:
   
   English Student Verification link: https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?snapcode=dtgnh62942gpbst&culture=en
   
   Spanish Student Verification link https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?snapcode=dtgnh62942gpbst&culture=es
   

Please note if the address has changed, new proof of address must be uploaded in the verification.

If parent/guardian names have changed, it will require parent/guardian to contact the school and provide required documentation.

How do I get started using the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
Visit the Parent Portal by clicking here:

1. Log into Parent Access.
2. Select the student you wish to register along the top.
3. Select the Student Verification 22-23 Icon on the left side.
4. Agree to the terms and conditions.
5. Click Begin Forms.
6. Repeat the process for all students.

I do not have a Parent Access account.
If parents/guardians need a Parent Access account, please click here to request one.
Use these links to verify:

English Student Verification link: https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?snapcode=dtgnh62942gpbst&culture=en

Spanish Student Verification link https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?snapcode=dtgnh62942gpbst&culture=es

I forgot my login credentials for the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
If you already have an account and do not remember your username and password, please click the reset Username/Password on the Parent Access login screen here: https://sccpss.powerschool.com/public/account_recovery_begin.html

Do I have to answer all the questions?
Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.

What if I make a mistake?
If you would like to make a change prior to submitting the form, navigate back to the page using the “< Prev” and “Next >” buttons or click on the underlined field on the Review page. If you have already submitted the form, you will need to contact your student’s school to make the changes.

I’ve completed the form, now what?
Once you have finished entering your information, click “Submit" to send the information to the school. If you cannot click on this button, you will need to make sure that you have answered all required questions.

What if I have more than one student in the district? Do I need to do this for each child?
Yes, you will need to provide information that is specific to each child. We recommend that you complete and submit one form and then start another. This will allow you to “snap” (or share) selected family information, which will save you time.

Primary (PreK/K) students will be receiving iPads and Lower El-Erdkinder (1st-8th Grades) will be receiving Chromebooks to use in the classroom/at home this year.

In order to receive a device, a parent/guardian must fill out the following forms through the PowerSchool Parent Portal:

• Student Device Loan Form (under "Forms" on left hand menu)
  
• Family Protection Plan (FPP) (under "Forms" on left hand menu)

The district is offering a Family Protection Plan (FPP) for the devices this year for only $25. The FPP will cover accidental damage (not loss or theft) of the device and provide up to TWO replacement devices this school year.

PLEASE NOTE: If the FPP is NOT purchased for $25, you will be responsible for any damage to the device, so we HIGHLY recommend that you purchase the FPP for each student's device.

The FPP can be purchased through School Cash Online. You will find instructions on how to register for School Cash Online and connect your student(s) to your account here.

If your family is in need of a HotSpot device, contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com) to see if you qualify.

We are looking forward to welcoming students back into the media center this year! Please read our welcome letter for what you and your student can expect from the media center this school year.

See you at Open House!

Sincerely,

Ms. Lisa and Ms. Laura

Ellis Media Center:

912-395-5470 Ext. 71210

Ellis Media Center website

"Like" and "Follow" us on Facebook!

Join Us!

The Ellis PTA is a vital support group for our school. Please consider getting involved by joining for just $7/person. Visit the Memberhub website to sign up and stay tuned for more information about meetings, events, etc.

Spirit Wear

We look forward to seeing everyone during the open house this coming Sunday and Monday. We will be ready to stock you up on your Ellis t-shirts, polos, jackets, and car magnets.

You can skip the lines by placing your order through this link, and we’ll have it ready for you to pick up at open house. If you can’t make open house to pick the items up, we’ll get them to your student within the first week.

SCCPSS uses SchoolCash Online to provide an online payment option for technology fees and other school items (field trips, yearbooks, etc.). If you haven’t already created a free account, we encourage all parents to register now, so you’ll be ready to make online payments from home: both now and in the future as more school items become available again.

SchoolCash Online is free, safe, simple, secure, and saves time. You will help increase efficiency and security at your school by making payments directly into your school's bank account. This limits the number of people entering the school, reduces risk of lost payments, and allows teachers and office staff to focus on helping students and not counting cash. In addition, you are automatically informed about school activities! Registering takes less than two minutes: visit sccpss.schoolcashonline.com and click Register.

Click here for instructions on how to register for an account and how to add your student to your account.

Principal

Ms. Tanya Melville

tanya.melville@sccpss.com

Student Information Specialist

Ms. Ja'Dayia Coleman-Kennedy

jadayia.coleman-kennedy@sccpss.com

Information Specialist Clerk

Ms. Lucy Holloway

lucille.holloway@sccpss.com

School Secretary

Ms. Patricia Solomon-Brown

patricia.solomon-brown@sccpss.com

Library Media Technology Specialist

PTA Teacher Liaison

Ms. Lisa O'Donnell

lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com

Email: Tanya.Melville@sccpss.com
Website: https://spwww.sccpss.com/schools/ellis/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 220 East 49th Street, Savannah, GA, USA
Phone: (912) 395-5470

Click here to view the new Charles Ellis Montessori Academy website.

Please visit the SCCPSS website regularly for the most up-to-date district information.