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Excellent schools know that everyone in the school is a life-long learner, both students and adults. We, at Elysian Charter, know that one key to success is the hiring and retention of very good teachers. As we encourage students to always try to get better at what they do, so do we, as adults in a learning community, want to refine our craft and be excited about each approaching year as to how we grow as professionals.

To this end, Elysian Charter staff will work with Hillary Quist, Math Staff Developer, throughout the year, to continue to find ways to meets students' needs in math education. Also, this year, we will be working with two Literacy staff developers, Erica Denman and Leah Mermelstein, who will be focusing (in their work with teachers) on writing instruction.

We all know that in a rapidly moving and complex society, such as the one in which we today live, we are constantly learning new ways to adapt to technology, raising children, and taking care of ourselves. Learning never ends. It stimulates us. It makes us feel more competent. It's how we find joy and mastery of our environment. Learning new things can sometimes be difficult, but it is always satisfying.

In a recent survey of business leaders, it was mentioned that students who are graduating from colleges today, our newest generation of workers, are proving to be unusually good employees (unlike the previous crop of graduates).

It was noted that because, at school, they have been taught to work in informal flexible groupings, they work well in work teams, and are comfortable with sharing and producing with others.

One employer mentioned that the newer workers also seem less hostile to authority and/or management. He accredited this to the more familiar and trusting way that children have been interacting with the adults in their lives, including teachers, in recent years.

In a small school like ours, we have an opportunity to be flexible and open to change and growth. Here's a thought for everyone:

It’s a delight to be teaching your children this year!!! The children new to Elysian have been exited and delighted with what they have found—we started the year with many musical games. Returning students have come to my classroom filled with ideas of what they would like to learn and do based on their experience last year.

Adding a new dimension to the music program. In order to help deepen the children’s experience with instrumental work, improvisation and composition, this year’s music budget was dedicated almost entirely to the purchase of 45 glockenspiels with cases (plus 2 sets of mallets and chromatic keys) that will be loaned to this years 6^thand 7/8th Grade Orff classes and all 5^th Graders. The students will keep these instruments at home during the year so that they can practice on them. They will have homework in the form of practicing the songs and music reading skills that we are working on in class and improvising or composing music of their own. In a few weeks, please look for music homework assignments. Perhaps you will be learning to play the Orff too… your children will teach you! I will be speaking with the students about how to care for these instruments and we will brainstorm about how to keep track of the mallets, chromatic keys and note magnets that are a part of the set. I ask your help in teaching your children how to care for these instruments, which will be passed on to others in future years, by discussing and overseeing your child’s use of the instrument at home. In the future I plan to purchase enough instruments so that 3^rd and 4^th graders will also have instruments to work on at home.

ECS Special Chorus auditions will be held next week. I will be speaking to the children about the chorus this week and will send home forms for you to complete, as we did for drama and chorus last year. The Special Chorus is for children who are especially interested in singing and choral work and who would like a deeper experience with vocal music and performance. Please encourage your child to audition if you feel he or she would enjoy this experience. The group will be limited to about 15-20 students. We will meet during our specially allotted time on Friday afternoons for the whole year (It is a long process to develop a chorus). I encourage students who were in the Special Chorus last year to join us again. This year the chorus will be open to 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th graders.

I will be publishing a series of letters that will describe, in more detail, the music program. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me by leaving a message for me in the office at OLG, or come and see me before or after school.

12-week Theater Arts Residency

6, 7, and 8^th grades

Fridays, 2:00 – 4:00, beginning Sept. 28

Sign up forms went home last week. There are a few spaces still available! Students have until Wednesday to return them. Call Lynne Shapiro if you have any questions, 201 653-6392.

Look for the Innisbrook catalogue in your child’s backpack by the end of this week! Sponsored by the PTSO, the funds raised through the sale of wrapping paper and other gift items are used to offset events sponsored by the PTSO for the students at Elysian. The funds are also used to supplement classroom requests by the teachers.

Come and see the display at Back to School Night of some of the catalogue offerings.

Remember to register to receive prize credits for orders placed online by friends and relatives: www.innisbrook.com .

Do it now! It only takes a few minutes. Elysian’s school number is 120231.

Won’t you help make this a successful year and circulate the catalogue to your friends, family, and co-workers? Thank you in advance for your participation!

Art Room Requests!

Recycled Goods

T-shirts for Smocks

Card Board Tubes

Egg Cartons

An old blender for papermaking.

New Items

Baby Wipes

Sponges

Liquid Hand Soap

Model Magic

Glitter Glue

Sharpie Markers (black and multi-colored)

Picture Day this Friday!Elysian’s picture Day is this Friday, September 28^th. All orders must be paid in advance or arrangements for payment must be made with Deb Rosner. If you are reading this and do not have the order form or if you have any questions whatsoever, please contact Deb Rosner at 201 792-5288 or e-mail her, debrosner@optonline.net.

Applications for the 2008-9 School Year will be available on-line and in the office after October 22. Parents with siblings entering kindergarten or other grades should stop by and fill out an application!

Elysian’s Lottery for the 2008-9 School Year is Friday, January 25^th, 11 am

Interested in being on the Outreach Committee and/or helping with one of the open houses? Please volunteer! Call Lynne Shapiro to sign up or for more information!

· Back-to-School Night for Rue Building students, K, 1, 2, 6, 7 & 8. (Note: OlG’s Back-to-School is Wed., Oct. 3.)

· 8:30 am, Community Meeting, Rue Gym. Parents of students grades 3, 4 & 5 should drop off at Rue.

· African Dance Residency for the 3^rd grade begins today. Get ready for KUUMBA!

· The New Victory comes to Elysian to prepare 1^st graders for tomorrow’s performance.

· Coffee with Carol for parents of 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders, 8 a.m. Rue Building.

· The New Victory Theater comes to Elysian to prepare the 3^rd grades for seeing Wolves in the Walls.

· 3^rd grade to New Victory Theater to see The Wolves in the Wall, based on Neil Gaiman’s book.

· The New Victory Theater visits Elysian to discuss last week’s Wolves in the Walls performance.

· Note: this is a full day of school. The half day has been rescheduled for the end of the month.