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It’s that time of the year again….

The Nominating Committee will begin to accept nominations for Board of Trustee members. There are four openings on the Board this year. Nominees need not be parents or members of the Elysian community. We would love to reach out to people who have knowledge of real estate or fundraising.

Nominations will be accepted Friday, January 11th to Friday, January 25th by 3pm.

Voting will take place at the Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2008. Save the date!

News from Friends of Elysian

Our 2007-2008 Annual Appeal is off to a terrific start. Thanks to the dozens of families who have responded to our donation letter thus far. Once again, this year's appeal focuses on growing our building and facilities fund. We are hoping for 100% participation from all Elysian families. We came close last year and our goal is to top last year’s participation rate. Remember it only takes $1 to participate in this important fundraiser and there is still time to donate.

Donors will be listed on the Friends of Elysian Web site within the next week: www.friendsofelysian.org.

2008 Mardi Gras Fundraising Dinner and Auction
Saturday, January 26th is the date for our annual fundraiser. If you have not yet purchased your tickets for the dinner and auction, please contact Donna Olah-Reiken at donnaor@optonline.net. Tickets are going fast, so don’t be left out!
This adults-only celebration is Elysian’s major fundraising event. The fun-filled evening features live music courtesy of John Bauers and the Straight Ahead Mardi Gras Band, a full buffet dinner, cash bar and a silent and paper bag auction. We are still accepting donations to the paper bag and silent auction, so please read our flyer attached to this newsletter and contact us with your donation before January 20. We need your help to make this event a success! We are also selling no-show tickets to this event---even if you can’t come please buy one of these tickets and show your Elysian spirit!

News from the Food Program

Many of our families have expressed concern about the quality of food at lunchtime. Our vendor, Karson Food Service, has been very flexible, allowing us to change menu items when we find foods our kids don’t particularly like. Roughly half of our students eat school lunch on a daily basis. As many of you know, children can be very picky – and our students are no exception! Some menu items that the older children like are given thumbs down by the younger kids. Recently we served tri-colored tortellini and from the response we got (from the younger kids) you would have thought we were trying to poison them! (They didn’t like the green – “what is that anyway?” or the red, “what’s that red?”) I was a little surprised actually – I didn’t think pasta would elicit such a strong reaction. That day we served many emergency peanut butter sandwiches!

Every day we offer a variety of fresh fruit and fruit cups. Students are allowed to have as much as they want, as long as they eat it. Some of our families were concerned about the quality of the vegetables we were offering. Our food is precooked and arrives in heat retaining carriers. This method compromises crunchy textures and vegetables become a little wilted. While this is certainly not ideal, neither one of our facilities have a kitchen so we are very limited as to the kind of meals we can offer. Because of this we have decided to have an additional offering of fresh (uncooked) carrots and celery or salad on a daily basis.

On Thursday, we also kicked off with our “THINK FRUIT!” campaign. Several times a week the Food Program will be handing out free fruit at the end of the day to all of our students to encourage kids to snack on fruit instead of going out for a soda or chips. We are hoping to create an environment of healthy snacking without breathing down their neck about “healthy” food. Kids make the choice to eat or not and hopefully acquire a taste for these kinds of foods because they like them not because they have to eat them.

For now, the Food Program will finance this program through the month of January. Anyone interested in helping to sponsor this program later on can call me at OLG, 201-795-4692

Also, anyone interested in being on the Wellness Committee should contact me at the above number. Elysian maintains a Wellness Policy, as required by the State, which covers policies on nutrition and physical education. We meet in January.

KUUMBA DAY RAFFLE

We would like to thank the following individuals and businesses who donated items for the annual Kuumba Day Raffle: Julia Annito (Genesis Salon), Anthony David Restaurant, Christina Baldwin, The Battaglia Family, Battaglia's Home, The Calvanico Family, Susan Chait and Steve Sternberg, Janna Cohen, Cindy Colon (Avon Cosmetics), Daydream Toys (The Haas Family), Elysian 5th Grade Girls, Robin Erichsen, Garden Street Music, Good Kleen Fun, Carrie Jacobson (Mary Kay Cosmetics), Pat Kelly, Caroline Leavitt, Legal Beans Cafe, Grace Leong, Deb Lewis, Madame Claude Restaurant, Malibu Diner, John Mercado, Ox Restaurant, The Sanchez Family, Wendy Setzer Designs, Pamela Strell, Turning Point Restaurant, Joanna Weintraub, Werner and Louisa. With your generous support the Kuumba Raffle was able to raise almost $900 this year!

Basketball News

In case you didn’t know, Elysian’s basketball program has been holding practices in the gym above the Hoboken Car Wash on 352 Observer Highway. A special thanks to Jimmy Musto, Car Wash owner, and James Burke of Metro Homes for their commitment to the community’s youth. What an incredible space – we are lucky to be able to practice there!

KUUMBA DAY Letter to all Elysian families

for the Kuumba Day celebration. The third grade parents did a splendid job pitching in and working together to make the event go smoothly. This year’s dance was a new one, with all dancers performing their best! In addition to taking place at a new venue, OLG, the PTSO raised a record $2,200.00 for the school!

Special thanks goes out to Grace Leong, Tracey and Pete Calvanico, Dan Sexton, Pascal Nijhof and Jay Savulitch, Susan Gilbertson and the women of OLG kitchen, Ken Nielsen and the volunteer students of Stevens Institute of Technology, Jessica Zebrak and all Elysian artists of the 3rd through 6th grades for their beautiful murals and drawings, Deb Lewis and the Friends of Elysian, Alyse Battaglia for organizing and running the raffle, Robin Erichson, Susan Chait for our new Kool Kuumba T-shirt design and all the raffle and cake walk signage, our kitchen helpers, food servers and smoothie makers, the ticket table attendants, the set up and break down crews, Ashley, Amanda and of course, Father Alex. If I’ve missed anyone please know we couldn’t do it without you.

What to do on SNOWY days or SERIOUSLY INCLEMENT weather

Elysian follows the pattern of the Hoboken public schools. Listen to the radio and television stations; if Hoboken schools are closed, Elysian is closed. On the mornings of school closings, after 6:30 AM, Carol will send an email home to all parents. After 6:30 AM, you may call Carol at (917) 344-0798.

Lost and Found Did you lose a brand new KUUMBA shirt? Contact Tracey at 201-795-4347 or tgc437@optonline.net

Spy Club Donations Needed

January 12^th Chili Cook-Off: We still need chili- makers(!) and help with set up (late afternoon), serving during the event, clean-up – most urgent so we can all go home by 9 PM! Contact Gene at 201 653-4919 or genstein@optonline.net

Shop online INNISBROOK WRAPS! Elysian’s number is 120231.

January Events at a Glance

· PTSO Meeting, 6:30, Rue Building, Pizza and childcare. Everyone welcome! Agenda: Chili Supper, Square 1 Art, Clubs, Financial Update.

· 10AM Open House for Prospective Parents at Rue. Volunteers wanted to help with refreshments, set up, clean-up, and welcoming parents. Call Lynne Shapiro to sign up!

· 6:30 Open House for Prospective Parents at Rue. Volunteers wanted to help with refreshments, set up, clean-up, and welcoming parents. Call Lynne Shapiro to sign up!

· Half Day, 12:30 dismissal for staff development. After School Program available.

· Session II, After School Enrichment Clubs begin today and end March 6^th. Tuesdays & Thursdays.

· Lottery, 2008-9 school year, 11 AM, Rue Building. (If you have a child currently in Elysian and a sibling you expect to attend in Sept. 2008, you must submit an application - before the lottery – so we can reserve your child’s “sibling preference” spot.

· The Friends’ Annual Mardi Gras Fundraising Dinner and Auction, 7-11 PM in the OLG auditorium. Tickets are $35 each. Contact Donna Olah-Reiken at donnaor@optonline.net.