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Elysian Charter School Newsletter

Cinco de Mayo, 2008    Vol. 3, Issue 32

              www.ecsnj.org

           www.friendsofelysian.org

Since the inception of the Elysian Charter School, Melissa Landera has been a teacher, an administrator, a parent and a hard-working educational professional who carries Elysian in her soul and in her heart at all times.  When we learned that Pam Cushing’s retirement was imminent, we began to talk about how to keep the fabulous spirit of our Early Childhood wing.

Always celebrated as one of the best K-1 teachers Elysian ever had, Melissa expressed to me that in her work as Assistant Director, she was moving farther and farther away from the classroom, teaching and the children….her very first love.  We worked out a plan where she could follow her bliss and keep up an active role in management.

Melissa will be teaching first grade as our Head Teacher in September 2008. I look forward to continuing our partnership together from now until well into the future.  We all owe Melissa a huge thank you for all she has already done for the school and for what she will continue to do now.  Thank-you and congratulations to you, Melissa!

Sincerely,

Carol

Hello Elysian Friends and Families;

As I am sure that many of you have already heard, at last week’s Board meeting, I was appointed to take over the first grade position when Pam retires. I will continue to assist Carol with some administrative tasks, writing of reports and working closely with the staff in the areas of curriculum and staff development.

This was a very difficult decision for me. Prior to being an administrator I taught both Kindergarten and First Grade at Elysian and another district. For the past three years, being a leader in this school has brought me much satisfaction. I consider myself so lucky to have had the chance to see all of our teachers work individually with their classes. We have a truly strong and amazing staff. However, I do miss being in the classroom; as that is where my I feel my true passion is. I love being a classroom teacher and miss day to day work with the kids.

I look forward to next year and am very excited about this new opportunity.  

Fondly,

Melissa Landera

WANTED: New and Used Books

On Wednesday, May 21, we will be holding a book swap in the school
library where you will bring in your

extra books and get new ones. They could be books you have outgrown or maybe book order books that you decided you'd rather not keep.

Take some time over the next few weeks to go through your bookshelves to find books to trade in. Please bring as many as you can so each student will be allowed to take at least one book home, even if they have nothing to trade. Unclaimed books will go to our library, the Village, the Jubilee Center or one of the preschools in
the area.

Books may be left at the school library or the OLG office beginning today until May 19. They will be sorted and available on Wednesday, May 21 during school hours.

Joseph Sexton’s name was inadvertently omitted from last week’s list of track participants.  He is a student in Anne’s first grade.

The following students participated in the May 4th Track meet.  Congratulations to all of our runners! What a  successful track meet!

Kelsey Abel                Sammy Amin

Sarah Battaglia           Nathan Blumenfeld

Jack Cohen                 Asha Duerdon

Matthew Leong          Sarah Leong

Simran Orion              Patrick Ramos

Marqus Colon             Suley Perez

Next Monday will be two performances of Alice in Wonderland at OLG for Elysian students.  The first will be at 9 AM and the second at 9:45 AM.  Parents of Arts to Grow participants are invited to coffee and muffins at 8:30 AM, before the first performance.

The PTSO would like to welcome our newest members to the Board.  Chad Carpenter and Lyn Dexheimer have joined the team as Vice-President and Secretary respectively.  We look forward to an exciting new year.  We have also received a check from Box Tops for Education in the amount of $168.50!  Keep saving those box tops even over the summer!

Tracey Calvanico

Monday, May 5 – Thursday, May 8

·         5^th and 6^th grade ASK Test.  Parents should make every effort to ensure their child has a good night’s sleep, a hearty breakfast, and arrives on time.

·         Kindergarten and 1^st grades go to Town Hall, NYC to see Theaterworks’ Nate the Great!

Tuesday, May 6

·         6:30 PTSO Meeting at Rue,

      Pizza and Childcare provided

Thursday, May 8

·         First grades go to the American Museum of Natural History in New York

Saturday, May 10

·         Elysian Rummage Sale, Church Square Park, 10 AM – 4 PM, Call Corrine to sign

up for a table: 201 725-7444

Monday, May 12

·         Arts to Grow Performance of Alice in Wonderland, a.m.  performance for

families, friends and grades K – 6. 

Tuesday, May 13

·         3^rd and 4^th grades to  PEEC, Pocono Environmental Education Center

Wednesday, May 14

·         7^th grade to New Victory to see Past Half Remembered, a play that spans a Soviet Century, from WWI to the present day

·         3^rd and 4^th grades return from PEEC

Monday, May 19

·         Board of Trustees Meeting, 7PM, Rue

Wednesday, May 21

·         Book Swap for students today.

·         6^th and 7^th grades to ILJK at the New Victory Theater

Thursday, May 22

·         5^th and 6^th grades to Newark Bears!

Friday, May 23

·         9 AM performance of Elysian’s 3^rd – 6^th grade chorus, OLG. 

·         4:30 performance of Past Half

Remembered at the New Victory

Theater, open to 6^th and 8^th graders only.

Monday, May 26

·         School Closed for Memorial Day.

Thursday, May 29

·         5:30 PM performance of the school play, The Secret Lives of Toads, Directed by Diane Murray

Friday, May 30

·         9:30 AM performance of the school play, The Secret Lives of Toads

·         Last day of Clubs

Saturday, May 31

·         9:30 AM Orientation for incoming kindergarten students and their families.

Current kindergarten students and their

Families are invited to help host the event.

Monday, June 2

·         6th and 7^th grade overnight trip to Camp Mason.

Wednesday, June 4

·         6^th and 7^th grades return from Camp Mason..

·         5^th grade overnight trip to Mystic, Conn.

·         8^th grade overnight trip to Sandy Hook, NJ

.Friday, June 6

·         5^th graders return from Mystic, Conn.

·         8^th graders return from Sandy Hook.

Tuesday, June 10

·         6:30 PM PTSO Meeting, Rue Building, Pizza  & childcare available.

Thursday, June 12

·         8:30 AM Community Meeting.  All students should be dropped off at OLG in the morning.

·         5:30 PM  Elysian’s Annual Picnic at Columbus Park

Friday, June 13

·         Half –day for 8^th graders only.

·         7PM Graduation at Steven’ De Baun Auditorium.

Monday, June 16

·         Half day of school, 12:30 PM dismissal.  After School Program available.

Tuesday, June 17

·         Half day of school, 12:30 PM dismissal.  After School Program available.

Wednesday, June 18

·         Half day of school, 12:30 PM dismissal. 

·         Last day of school.