As many of you know, the 2023-24 school year marks our first year utilizing the RULER approach to help teach social-emotional skills K-12! If you are interested in an overview of the RULER approach, you can check out this overview video, or our newsletter from last spring!

Over the past few weeks, RULER's introductory lessons have helped teachers and students work together to begin building their classroom communities. This month, students are participating in explicit lessons focused on:

• Fostering an "emotions matter" mindset - thinking about how emotions are felt in our bodies and in our thoughts
• Engaging in "community circle" discussions - a routine that promotes active listening, understanding, and perspective taking
• Developing a "Charter" - a document that helps guide how each unique classroom community wants to feel at school and how they'll behave in order to feel that way!

You can see an example of one of our Grade 3 charters, as well as our whole-staff charter below.

Moving forward there will be a dedicated section of each newsletter focused on our RULER implementation at school and how you can support/extend the learning at home. This week, we're sharing a website dedicated to RULER resources for families! We particularly LOVE the "Recommended Reading" booklist as we know that social-emotional learning begins with us adults -- we can't help support students in managing and regulating their emotions, unless we have the skills and tools ourselves!

National Walk & Roll to School Day (WR2SD) is an international event celebrated each October. Started in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America, WR2SD has grown to an international event that takes place in over 40 countries worldwide.

The 27th annual WR2SD event is being promoted by Safe Routes to School (SRTS).

SRTS programs are designed to make it safe, convenient, and fun for children and their families to walk, roll, and bike to school. As a component of SRTS programming, the event emphasizes the importance of pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, and concern for the environment. When routes are safe, walking, rolling, or biking to and from school is an easy way to commute and get the regular physical activity children need for good health. Safe Routes to School initiatives help ease traffic jams, reduce air pollution, and unite neighborhoods.

Eli Terry is joining schools across the nation, and countries across the globe to promote walking and rolling to school. We encourage families who are able to walk, bike, or roll to school, to do so on Wednesday, October 4th!

The 5th grade class is hosting a fundraiser and we are reaching out to our wonderful Eli Terry community for support!

We are partnering with Charleston Wrap to offer you gift wrap, kitchen and home goods, and over 2,500 other products. Each purchase helps support the Eli Terry 5th grade class with their graduating year activities.

To support the Eli Terry graduating class click the image below!

Thank you!
Eli Terry, 5th Grade Class

Interested in volunteering?!?!

Click the link below to hear about a new way you can support the teaching and learning happening at Eli Terry!

During Grade 5 science, students had the opportunity to observe the properties of 4 chemical substances and how they respond to iodine, acetic acid, water, heat, and magnetism.

Each year the PTO puts together a Student/Family Directory. This is OPTIONAL but if you would like your child's address/phone number/email included please fill out the attached link. Please fill out a separate form for each child in the family.

Teachers are not allowed to give out this information so this is a great way to be able to schedule play dates, birthday parties, etc. The form will be available for 2 weeks and will close on Friday, September 29th. At that time, the directory will be put together and distributed electronically to all Eli Terry families.

Eli Terry will be welcoming the Scholastic Book Fair during the week of October 2nd!

There are many volunteer opportunities available throughout the week and we'd love for you to be part of it! Sign-up directly at this registration link and be sure to complete the district's "volunteer registration" form linked above.

For additional information about the book fair, stop by the fair website - there's great information about what books will be featured at this fair, as well as how to set-up your student's electronic payment option (the very popular eWallet)!

THANKS to the success of our fairs over the last few years, we ensure that no child leaves the book fair empty-handed. Also returning this year is Family Night on Thursday, October 5 - stay tuned for more information!

Any questions, contact the Eli Terry PTO via email or on our Facebook page.

As you reflect upon the past week, is there someone in the Eli Terry school community that deserves a "shout out"?

• Maybe an ET neighbor who watched your child at the bus stop so you could get to work early?
• Maybe an ET student who was a buddy to your child on the bus or during recess?
• Or maybe an ET staff member who you feel went above and beyond?

We encourage you to share your gratitude by completing the quick Google Form linked below!

Expressing gratitude brings joy to not only those being acknowledged but those doing the acknowledging!

• NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur - Monday, September 25th
• Fall Picture Day - Thursday, September 28th (flyer linked below)
• Registration Opens for PTO Paint Night - Friday, September 29th
• Fall Scholastic Book Fair - October 2nd - 6th (the specific day/time your child's class is visiting will be shared by your child's teacher)
• Walk, Bike, Roll to School - Wednesday, October 4th (see information above!)
• Book Fair Family Night - Thursday, October 5th, 5:30-7:30PM
• Registration Opens for PTO "Trunk or Treat" - Friday, October 6th
• NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples Day - Monday, October 9th

Remember...any of the above events can be quickly added to your own Google Calendar just by clicking the blue hyperlink!

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:

September 15th, 2023

September 8th, 2023

September 1st, 2023

August 25th, 2023

PTO Newsletter - September

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