Our attendance team was not surprised by December's attendance data due to the holidays, winter break travel, and increased germs.

The good news is that we are still under 10% of students being considered chronically absent.

The bad news is the number of students struggling with regular attendance rose from 27 in November, to 43 in December. In addition, for the first time this school year, our average percent present dropped below 95%.

Grade 3 had the highest average percent of students present with 95.62, along with the least number of students considered chronically absent (4).

Kindergarten had the lowest average percent of students present with 93.18%, but Grade 4 had the highest number of students considered chronically absent (9).

Our hope is that in the new year, we'll return to meeting our goals of 95% (or more!) of students present each day, and again reach the goal of no more than 5% of students being chronically absent. To help, each week, for the next few months, we'll be sharing a "quick tip" and actionable step for helping to ensure your child's regular attendance at school! Here's our first one:

Establish a Morning Routine

• Tip: Create a consistent, fun morning playlist that energizes your child for the day. Choose songs your child loves to wake up to!
• Why: A predictable and positive routine reduces morning stress and helps get out the door on time.

We have finally made it through the backlog of all the shout outs of appreciation and gratitude shared in the first 1/2 of the year. Our students have already submitted MANY shout outs and we'd like to invite families to kick-off the new year by sharing their appreciations and thanks. It's quick and easy...all you have to do is complete the quick Google Form below!

While we haven't had too much of winter's "white stuff", we've definitely experienced the deep freeze that winter brings...especially this week!

We wanted to take the opportunity to remind families that throughout the winter months students go outdoors for recess every day; weather permitting and as long as the "feels like" temperature is above 20 degrees!

While most students have transitioned into wearing coats, hats, and gloves, if there is snow on the ground, the expectations for being "weather ready" change. In order for students to be able to play in the snow, they must be wearing:

- coat

- snow pants

- hat

- gloves

- winter boots

If students are not dressed for the snow, they are still outdoors for recess but will only be permitted to play on the blacktop portion of the playground!

We know recess is one of students favorite parts of the day, even when it's chilly, but we want to ensure they are safe, are protected from the elements, and are able to tackle the rest of their school day warm and dry!

Tis' the season for the, "You need to wear a coat" battle!

The Ambassador team would like to celebrate the ET community for an incredibly successful "flash" food and toiletries drive in the week leading up to Winter Break!

With your generosity, we successfully collected 726 items last week to benefit the South Windsor Food Pantry and the Remembering Rylan organization.

Grades 1 and 3 won extra recess in the new year for collecting the most items: Grades 1 - 203 items & Grade 3 - 165 items.

Thank you to the Army family for delivering all the items last Friday. It surely helped members of our larger community have a happier holiday!

We are so excited for another season of Girls on the Run at Eli Terry!

“Run” may be in the name, but Girls on the Run is much more than stretches and lap goals. In this after-school program, participants of all abilities learn to embrace their inner strength, make meaningful connections, and give back to their communities. When girls feel a sense of pride, they shine differently. From the first practice to crossing the 5K finish line, #GOTR girls learn that their self-worth is paramount to all that they do. Our lessons help girls unleash their inner superstar and teach them to never let their light dim. Unlock your girl’s limitless potential and join us this season. Check out this flyer to learn more about the program!

This program is available to girls in Grades 3-5 and will meet after school from 3:15-5pm Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 6th and continuing through May 8th. This 8-week program is $175 and financial assistance is available during the registration process.

To register visit the link below!

Questions? Please reach out to Kathryn at KArmy@Girlsontherun.org.

Reach out to John Smith-Horn at jsmithhorn@swindsor.k12.ct.us with any questions or trouble registering!

Each year the PTO coordinates a Student/Family Directory. This is OPTIONAL but, if you would like your child's address/phone number/e-mail included please fill out the Google Form linked below.

*NOTE: A separate form for each child in the family will need to be completed.

**This form is to be completed ONLY if there have been any changes to contact information, your student is new to South Windsor/Eli Terry, or you did not add your submission in 2024.

Teachers/Administrators/Staff are NOT allowed to give out this information so, this is a great way to be able to schedule play dates, birthday parties, etc.

This form will be available until January 24, 2025. At that time, the family directory will be put together and distributed electronically to all Eli Terry Families.

Any Questions? Please reach out to sweliterrypto@gmail.com. Thank you!

We have our annual PTO Eli Terry Family Night on Friday, 2/7.

You can order by scanning the QR code above or by clicking the link below!

High school students, who are part of the Interact Club, partnered with Kindergartners in Mrs. Botticello's class for a read-aloud and craft!

A small sampling of 5th graders sharing their "celebration walk" posters! Our community LOVED learning what each and every one of our students is proud of!

Riley, Sky, and Eve visited us for the first time in 2025. They helped us celebrate students' hard work on the iReady Math assessment!

Mrs. Siddiqui's Grade 3 students celebrated winning the "golden utensil". They also received a special shoutout from Ms. Ashley in the Cafeteria.

She shared with Mrs. Hammer: “I wanted to tell you again how Mrs. Siddiqui’s class is such a huge help with their kindergarten buddies. Most of them finish their lunches quickly and ask me if they can help with the ones who have their hands up and they are a huge help when it comes to clearing tables. It’s impressive how they don’t mind sitting apart from their friends and seeing them genuinely enjoying helping the little ones.”

On Monday, our Student Ambassador and Peer Mediation teams had the opportunity to attend the Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary Student Leadership Conference.

This annual conference provides students with a unique opportunity to develop their leadership. Our students engaged in hands-on activities designed to foster 21st century leadership skills. These skills include: creative problem solving, communication, decision making and productive thinking. To develop these skills, students were able to select sessions focused on important topics like: how to be an ally, improving public speaking, leadership lessons, kindness & equity, and safe screen time.

We're looking forward to these 20 students putting their new skills to work at Eli Terry this spring!

NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day - Monday, January 20th

PTO Virtual Paint Night - Thursday, January 23rd

PTO Meeting - Wednesday, January 29th (Google Meet link)

Cozy Up and Read - Friday, January 31st (see flyer below)

PTO Wolfpack Game - Friday, February 7th

Please note: All events can easily be added to your own Google Calendars by clicking the blue hyperlink above! We don't want you to miss a thing!

Throughout the year, you may miss something and want to easily access a previous week's newsletter. Thanks to YOUR feedback, we've made that easy. You'll be able to just click the links below! We've included the last few weeks of newsletters here.

Week of 12/20

Week of 12/13

Week of 12/6

Week of 11/27

If you would like access to ALL previous newsletters you can find them here!