Elysian         

Charter

School

Newsletter

November 19, 2007

Issue 12 Vol. 3

              www.ecsnj.org

           www.friendsofelysian.org

Please come! We’ll discuss the funding issues that are impeding charter schools from fully realizing their potential and how parents, the community and legislators can help bring about change. Together, we can make a difference!

St. Michael's

252 9th Street

Jersey City , NJ  07302

Community Room

Limited free parking is available at the garage on the corner of 9th & Erie Street.

I’m wondering why I haven’t received much news about Elysian parents and kids and their accomplishments lately.

Pamela Strell let me know in a recent e-mail about a play she and her husband had seen that 3^rd grade parent Lee Papa directed. “Robert and I went to see a musical that Lee directed… at the College of Staten Island, where he is a Drama Professor. It was haunting and provocative. Lee is such a talented director. The performers and musicians were all wonderful. This is the 2nd show we have seen of his. If you enjoy theater, it’s worth the drive just over the Bayonne Bridge to see his version of the Caryl Churchill play, “Vinegar Tom”!”

So, parents, please keep me posted.  Pass on any and all news… Pamela was right, “it’s so neat to see what folks in town are up to outside of parenting, you know?”

Warmly,

Lynne Shapiro

Lynneshapiro627@yahoo.com

lynneshapiro@verizon.net

After much nail biting, KUUMBA Day will take place on Sunday, December 9, 1:00 – 5:00 – at OLG’s gymnasium!

Further good news is that Elysian will be treated to a performance of a new dance by Seventh Principle Dance Company,  a South African Gum Boot Dance.  They will perform right after our 3^rd graders dance (2:30). 

This dance, both traditional and modern, originated with South African miners, who added bells to the bottom of their rubber soled boots.  This exciting dance influenced step teams and drill lines!  Seventh Principle has worked with Arts Horizons for many years, and they’ve invited AH to KUUMBA Day to see them perform for us!

Bookfair (Wendy Setzer): Lynn Kluepfel thanked the ECS community, especially Wendy Setzer, for the gifts of books on all States and 6-volume science books for the library made possible by revenue from the Bookfair.

Halloween Party (Susan Chait):

Thanks to all those who helped to make this year’s party a huge success!

Innisbrook (Mary Ann Bowen):

A record amount of $5,000 in orders was placed.  Half of this goes to ECS.

PTSO Student Reps:  Enthusiastic newly elected student reps attended the meeting.  Thanks to Lynn Dexheimer, teachers, and ECS students for their participation!

Square 1 Art, November 2007(Jenn Nielsen and Jessica Zebrak):

A great opportunity for families to buy items such as mugs, magnets, aprons, mouse pads, note cards, etc. with their children’s art work. Great as gifts and benefits ECS’ art program. 

Clubs: Clubs are entirely parent and teacher volunteer driven so please consider submitting a club proposal for clubs that begin in January.  Running a club is a great way to share your interests and skills with ECS students.

KUUMBA: Contact Pamela Strell to volunteer to:

prepare food and helping at the food table;

Bake cakes for the cake walk;

Donate raffle items (Contact Alyse Battaglia);

Set up and clean up;

Decorations;

Help with the drumming circle.

-Beautiful KUUMBA Day shirts have been designed by Cliff Tisdell.

-Vendors needed for 20 tables (special rate for ECS families).

-We especially encourage 3rd grade families to participate in KUUMBA Day!  This is your child’s special day.  Come to a 3^rd grade Parents Meeting at Rue, 6:30 November 28!

Chili Supper, January 12, 2008 (Gene Steinhart): Gene Steinhart seeks 10 experienced chili cooks and 5 judges for the exciting chili cook-off competition.  All those who enter must submit bios—exaggeration is welcomed! Student reps will coordinate music and help decorate.

Specials Presentations (Karen Drake, Mary Guthrie, and Jessica Zebrak):

Karen, Mary, and Jessica presented on the Spanish, Music, and Art programs at Elysian.  The presentations were informative and engaging.

New Date for December PTSO Meeting: Tuesday, December 4 (not Dec. 11) in order to discuss KUUMBA Day on Saturday, December 8.

Sewers wanted to help sew tee shirts for the 3^rd grade dancers, please contact Lynne Shapiro.

Kuumba Raffle Items Needed:  To donate an item or help at the Kuumba Day raffle table, contact Alyse Battaglia at 201-216-1197, alysebatt@aol.com.

Kuumba Vendors Wanted!Book your Table for Kuumba Day! Elysian Families only $20/table

Outside Vendors $40/table

Contact Pam Strell:201 222-0505

Kuumba Volunteers Wanted! 

Sign up on the attached Sheet!

Elysian has a partnership with the New Victory’s education department.  This year we were unable to get as many in-school performance tickets as we hoped.  We are on their waiting list for several performances; some of the venues are not scheduled to occur after school at all.

When parents attend After School Performances with their children, they are doing so as an Elysian group.  We arrive together, we sit together, we help one another.  This is a community experience.  (If you prefer not to do this, please know that you can always get public tickets.) 

The truth about cost… We have students and chaperones who cannot always afford to pay.  We do not turn any child or parent away because of cost!  Chaperone tickets are $5 each, and student tickets are $2 each plus bus fare.  This past trip, I am happy to say, we broke even, thanks to the donations of several families. 

Despite the fact that the permission slip was attached to several of the school-wide newsletters, I still received several at the last minute – what a pain! Late slips meant I had to acquire more change for the bus, I had to re-do the two envelopes with bus fare, and had to amend the amount for the tickets - (the check was already cut)…

I will begin to include permission slips for the next trip after the New Year, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE return slips in a timely manner.  If you do not have the dollars, it’s okay to send them separately – what matters most up front is the permission slip. 

The next After School Performance is  January 30^th for Luna Negra Dance Theater.

We are in the home stretch of our  residency! The final performance will be Friday, December 14. 

We’ve been working closely with Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet” and have selected a few of the more popular scenes, to present as a work-shopped, stylized, performance piece. In order for these budding actors to each get the chance to tackle this classic text we have eliminated the 'star system'. Each student is sharing the role of Romeo, Juliet and others. In Shakespeare's time, men would play all roles. We've upped the ante even further.  In our presentation all genders may play all roles.  The piece itself breaks convention. We are telling a popular and famous story together as a theatrical ensemble.

One of the goals of this class was to explore and identify the unique quality that a different actor can bring to the same part.  This is how, for example, Romeo and Juliet, has been presented in many different ways. (We watched scenes from Franco Zeffirelli’s film with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey and Baz Luhrmann’s film with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio.) By essentially sharing the roles, we have learned that every Juliet is different.  Same words…different actor… different interpretation. A by-product of this process has been a celebration's of our own uniqueness and the freedom to explore the text rather than adhere to our 'idea' of what it should be.

Thank you,

Patricia Runcie

Arts to Grow Teaching Artist

 Monday, November 19

·         7:00 PM Elysian Board Meeting

Tuesday, November 20

·         7:00 PM Hudson County Charter School Forum,St. Michael’s, 252 9^th Street, Jersey City, NJ

Wednesday, November 21

·         Half-day of school; 12:30 dismissal.

·         After School Program ends 4:00 PM.

Thurs., Nov. 22 – Fri., Nov. 23

·         School closed for Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 26

·         Session One Clubs begin today.

Wednesday, November 28

·         Special 3^rd grade parent meeting to discuss KUUMBA Day, 6:30, Rue,

Pizza and childcare available.

Friday, November 30

·         African Dance Residency, 3^rd grade

·         Arts to Grow Residency, grades 6-8,

      2-4 PM

·         3:45, 4:45 Chess clubs at Rue

Tuesday, December 4

·         PTSO Meeting, 6:30 PM RUE, childcare and Pizza.  All are invited!

Wednesday, December 5

·         2^nd grade trip to the Newark Museum

Friday, December 7

·         African Dance Residency, 3^rd grade

·         Arts to Grow Residency, grades 6-8,

      2-4 PM

·         3:45, 4:45 Chess clubs at Rue

Sunday, December 9

·         KUUMBA DAY at OLG, 1-5 PM

Monday, December 10

·          Arts to Grow, 2-4.  Parents of participating children please make note that this is the make-up session!

Friday, December 14

·         Community Meeting with Arts to Grow Performance.