WEEKLY WONDERS

Week of January 27, 2025

Pictured above: Snow day at Ellis- January 22, 2025

Photo: Rich Burkhart

Important Dates

January 31- Donation Dress Down Day

January 31- SCCPSS Choice Program Application Window Closes

February 1- Family Engagement Book Study/Discussion

February 7- Career Speaker Day

February 13- PTA Boosterthon Fun Run Kick-off

February 14- SCCPSS e-Learning 1/2 Day

February 17- Staff Planning Day

February 21- PTA Boosterthon Fun Run

View the SCCPSS Academic calendar at this link.

View the SCCPSS Assessment calendar at this link.

Re-Scheduled!

Please join us on Saturday, February 1, at 10am in the Ellis Media Center for the next family engagement book study/discussion.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Ellis PTA, there are some copies of the book The Anxious Generation available for check out through the school library. If you would like to borrow a copy, contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com) and she will set up a community account for you to check out the book and send the book home with your student.

Please Note: New Arrival Procedure

The SCCPSS district has implemented a new security protocol where EVERY student must be screened through either a metal or weapons detector BEFORE entering the school building.

Currently, we only have two weapons/metal detectors which covers the front door (49th St.) entrance and the back gate (48th St.) entrance.

We should be receiving a third weapons/metal detector from the district soon for the westside (McGillicuddy St) entrance, but until we do all Primary and Lower Elementary students who normally arrive through the McGillicuddy St. door must ENTER through the front door of the school until further notice. These students will still be dismissed in the afternoon through the McGillicuddy St. door.

Thank you for your cooperation with this new district security procedure.

School Counseling

The Charles Ellis Montessori Academy community would love to invite any interested career representatives to our Career Speaker Day on Friday, February 7, 8:30-10:30am. Speakers will be in 3-4 classes for 15 minutes each to share brief presentations about a day in the life of their career. Our speakers are encouraged to bring tools of their trade/visual aids to enhance their presentations. Space is limited.

Register if you are interested and available to share your time and skills at this link: https://tinyurl.com/EllisCareerDay25

Ms. Rebecca

912-395-5470 x71201

rebecca.burkhart@sccpss.com

Ms. Ava

912-395-5470 x71243

ava.woodie@sccpss.com

Yearbook

The 2024/2025 Ellis yearbook is now available for pre-order. Pre-ordering a yearbook is the only way to guarantee that your student will receive a copy as we do not order many extras.

You can purchase a copy of the yearbook on the Strawbridge website or you can send cash or check (payable to "Ellis Montessori Academy") in the envelope that will be sent home with your student next week.

The cost of the yearbook is $15 until February 15th then the cost goes up to $20, so order your copy early!

The deadline to pre-order a yearbook is March 15th.

Pre-ordered yearbooks will be distributed directly to your student when they arrive later in the school year.

If you have any questions, contact Ms. Lisa (lisa.odonnell@sccpss.com).

PTA Board Nominations

The Ellis PTA needs volunteers for a nominating committee to search for PTA board members for the next two-year term (2025-2027) for the following positions:

Co-President

Vice President/Co-President

Secretary

Treasurer

If you are able to help the PTA by joining the nominating committee, please complete this form.

If you are interested in running for one of the open positions yourself, please fill out this form.

8th Grade Yearbook Ads

Grace & Courtesy Focus

Throughout the school year, Ellis has a school-wide focus on certain positive character traits. Each teacher may choose to highlight these "Grace & Courtesy" emphases differently, but as a school we follow a general common curriculum.

From January 21-February 7, our school-wide Grace & Courtesy emphasis is SELF-DISCIPLINE.

The language for identifying/naming SELF-DISCIPLINE from the "Self-Awakened Child" series by Jonathan Wolff:

When I do what is right for me to do--not just what I want to do-- I am acting with Self-Discipline.
When I do what is good for me and other people--not just what is good for me--I am acting with Self-Discipline.
When I stop my hurtful thoughts, feelings, words, and actions from hurting myself or hurting someone else, I am acting with Self-Discipline.

2025-2026 Pre-K Lottery

You can find more information about the SCCPSS Pre-K program and lottery on the SCCPSS website.

2025-2026 SCCPSS Choice Program

The SCCPSS Choice Program application window for the 2025-2026 school year will be open January 11-31, 2025.

If you have a Pre-K student at Ellis this year, you MUST apply for your student to attend kindergarten at our school next year.

If you have an 8th grade student who wishes to attend a Choice program for high school, you must apply for those schools/programs during this time.

More information can be found on the Choice Program page of the SCCPSS website.

If you have questions specific to our school, you may contact our Choice Program coordinators Ms. Patrice (patrice.prince@sccpss.com) and Ms. Ava (ava.woodie@sccpss.com).

PTA Membership Drive

Join the Ellis PTA at this link.

Questions?

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. You have resources available to you:

Your student's teacher
SCCPSS website
Ellis website
Fellow school community members (via "Charles Ellis Montessori Academy PTA" Facebook group- search for it and join!)