A Message From Principal Dunker

El lsw orth Elementary

Inside this newslet ter

Calendar 1

School Hours 2

Student Spotlight 2

Student of the Month 2

Kindergarten 3

First Grade 3

Second Grade 3

Third Grade 3

Fourth Grade 4

Fifth Grade 4

Sixth Grade 4

Academic LifeSkills 5

Specials 6

Counselor 7

Young Coyotes 7

Library 8

Health Off ice 9

Cafeteria 9

Lost & Found Items 10

Resource 11

ELL 11

Title 1 11

Academic Coaches 11

District Off ice News 12

We are very excited that we are able to have extra-curriculuar opportunities for our students through our clubs. Video Club formed in October and has taken over the daily announcements. We had an overwhelming response to Art Club with 150 students joining! Garden Club will begin in January. Please help us sustain our clubs through Tax Credit Donations.

Arizona residents can donate $200 for individuals or $400 for married couples f il ing jointly and designate one of our clubs. You can also pay online by visit ing www.jocombs.org. The Ellsworth off ice has tax credit forms available.

Mark your calendars for our 1st annual Hot Chocolate/Ugly Sweater Run that will take place on Tuesday, December 19th during the school day. Stay tuned for more information to be sent home next week.

Follow us:twitter at: @EllsworthSTV Facebook: www.facebook.com/EllsworthSTV/Instagram: ellswortheaglesGreat Schools: Greatschools.org

December 2017 Ellsworth Elementary38454 N Carolina Ave

San Tan Valley, AZ 85140Phone: 480-882-3520

Fax: 480-987-8250

Calendar - Upcoming Events

- PTO Fun Friday Event - Hot Cocoa Sales 12/1- PTO Fundraiser delivered 12/5- PTO Meeting (4:30pm-Library) 12/7- Ellsworth/CTA Winter Concert 12/7- Governing Board Meeting @ CMS 12/6 - End of Q2/Semester Early Release 12/19- Hot Chocolate/Ugly Sweater Run 12/19 - Winter Break - No School 12/20 - 1/3- School Resumes 1/4 - 2nd Qtr Honor Roll Assembly 1/5 - Q2 Report Cards go home 1/5 - PTO Meeting (4:30pm - Library) 1/11 - PTO-Fun Friday Event - tbd- 1/12 - Spelling Bee @ 1:30pm 1/12- Ellsworth Orchestra Concert @6pm 1/30

El lsworth Elementary Hours

Off ice Hours: 7:30am to 4:00pm

Campus opens for students: 7:50am WARNING BELL at 8:10 / TARDY at 8:15

Class Hours: (Mon/Tue/Thurs/Fri) 8:15am - 3:05pm

Early Release EVERY Wednesday Hours: 8:15am - 1:35pm

Half Day Hours: 11:15am LUNCH served

Student Spot l ight

This month we focus on:

Car ing Congratulations to all the

students chosen.

CHA RA CTER COUNTS

Carter Johnson

Bertha Alvarado

Mason Lemke

Destiny Villalpando

Jackson Chasey

Kaily Miller

Bella Gustafson

Landon Carter

Jennifer Madden

Rylan Caruth

Kaitlynn Brigham

Nicholette Garrick

Jaxxon Bacon

Daphne Harrop

Aiden Jimenez

Hailee Caldwell

Ian Carballo

Hailey Gilbert

Julia Diaz

Student of the MonthNovember 2017

First

Second

Happy Holiday s families! This mon th brings ex citement as w e w ill be w rit ing about w hat w e w an t for Christmas!! Studen ts w ill state the toy or gif t they w ould like and then supply reasons w hy they w an t that gif t . As far as phon ics is concerned, w e w ill be con t inuing our study of suf f ix es in Fundat ions. Math has been so much fun as w e hav e been study ing place v alue and w e w ill be making place v alue gingerbread houses soon ! Speaking of Gingerbread...look out for a sign -up gen ius in y our email in the nex t couple of w eeks. W e w ill be comparing gingerbread stories in reading and w e w ill be study ing character t rait s and w hat it means to be a good cit izen . In science w e w ill be comparing and con t rast ing bats w ith bees and labeling insect body parts. Thanks for all of y our support ev ery day !

Tis' the season to be jolly and second grade has a lot to be jolly about!

This month in science we are investigating the inquiry process and we

will be completing various science experiments! To build our math skil ls we

are exploring measurement and geometry. Math skil ls are being carried over into our reading and writ ing as we

take a closer look at the books, Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst and Money

Matters by Nikki Tate. Students will write a narrative about a character who makes a decision about money. They will also

write an opinion piece about something they want and why they should have it.

T

Throughout December, we will be learning many new skills in all subject areas. We will be using our knowledge of segmenting and blending CVC words to write in FUNdations. We will begin f inding number partners in Math through 10 and working on our addition and subtraction f luency through 5. Our students are very excited to begin learning about Holidays and traditions around the world. Students will be engaged in creating projects in class to research and report based on each holiday and tradition. Looking forward to a wonderful December!

Thir dWe are celebrating cultures and traditions throughout this holiday season. It goes hand in hand with the our new reading unit where we will dig deeper as readers through the history of a while ago. This wonderful theme of exploring continues in Social Studies we will look at early explorers writ ing skil ls will be sharpened as our kiddos learn the components of a narrative writ ing piece.

The excitement carries over into Math with fractions! What a perfect t ime to discuss fractions as our family shares pies and all other types of yummy food. Fractions are fun and we thank you in advance for all the ways you will remind them of this.

Thank you for all you do to make our days wonderful in third grade!

Fourth Fif th

Sixth

Fif th grade studen ts hav e been w orking hard in class! W e are curren t ly w orking on mult i-digit mult iplicat ion and mult iply ing decimals. If y our child does not f luen t ly mult iply , please spend some t ime w orking on these concepts at home. In reading, w e are curren t ly focusing on how authors support their opin ions. This leads in to our w rit ing, w hich is how to w rite an opin ion essay . Science and SS w ill focus on simple machines and early America.

This is a v ery importan t st retch of the school y ear, and it is crucial that studen ts are reading at home. Supplies are runn ing low for many studen ts. W e are alw ay s appreciat iv e of donat ions. W e curren t ly need: w hite paper, pencils, w hite board markers, and notebooks.

Thank y ou for y our support !

P lease cont act your child 's t eacher if you need more info.

In reading, students will learn about the special relationship between people and animals, considering how humans and animals can benefit each other. Students will read a variety of texts and view media as they discuss the Essential Question for the unit.

In social studies we have discussed ancient civil izations and we will now be learning about how we are impacting our climate as well as how science and technology are being used to identify and solve today's global issues.

Students have been delving deep into f inding the area of polygons and complex f igures by decomposing larger shapes into smaller ones that they have learned to f ind the area of. We learned how to f ind the surface area of three dimensional f igures by breaking down the f igures into nets. We will work on writ ing expressions, solving equations through f inding the value of a variable, and use algebra tiles to help build our conceptual understanding of these concepts.

The 4th grade team would like to thank all of the parents for their support during the f irst 2 quarters

of the school year.

Our students have been working hard on identifying additive and multiplicative comparison problems and solving multi-step word problems! Continue working on Prodigy and studying math

facts at home.

In reading, we have been focusing on reading a variety of dif ferent folktales including; tall tales, myths, and legends. Students have been focusing

on the authors message, word choice, and comparing dif ferent points of views within the

same story.

In social studies, we are going to be focusing on Arizona history.

We hope everyone has a Happy Holidays!

A c a demic Lif e Sk il l s

We w il l be learning about holidays around t he wor ld t h is m ont h!

Mrs. Dyam ent 's Class (grades K-2)

Our class had fun learning about Thanksgiving this month. We talked about what we are thankful for and why we celebrate Thanksgiving.

If you are interested in contributing to our Holidays around the World unit, please contact me.

Mrs. Shaker 's Class (grades 2-4)

Our class has mastered the skill of setting the table! Please allow your child to practice this skill at home.

This month, we will work on wrapping presents. If you have any extra wrapping paper, please send it in with your student- it would be greatly appreciated!

Mrs. Lovelady 's Class (grades 4-6)

Our class has been working on setting the table- a great skill that can be practiced at home this holiday season.

This month we will learn how to wrap presents! Please allow your child to help with wrapping gifts for friends and family! If you have extra wrapping paper, please send it in this month so we can practice this skill.

Miss Welch's Class (grades 3-6)

This month, as students focus on IEP goals, they will be completing reading about holidays around the world. Please continue to have your child use MobyMax at home to practice skills!

Ban d

OrchestraHappenings in "SPECIALS" areas........

Music

Physical Education P.E.

BAND CONCERT The f irst band concert is here! Al l band students wil l be performing on December 7th, in the El lsworth mul t i-purpose room, beginning at 6:00. Our students wil l be joined by the band students f rom Combs Tradit ional Academy. Come out and hear the great progress that our bands are making this year! We look forward to a ful l house on December 7th!

BAND PARENTS: Your child wil l need to arrive at school on concert night no later than 5:00 p.m. This wil l be the ONLY opportunity to pract ice together with the students f rom the other school , so it is extremely important that al l students are in at tendance.

BAND T-SHIRTS!!!! The shirts are in! These shirts were sent home right af ter Thanksgiving, to al l band and orchestra students that preordered and paid for them. If you did not order a shirt , your child wil l need a plain RED t-shirt for concert night . These shirts wil l be worn with blue jeans - no shorts, please.

These shirts wil l be used for al l performances and f ield t rips. Please t ry to keep them looking new throughout the year, as much as possible. I suggest NOT put t ing them in the dryer, as this tends to shrink them somewhat.

Ellsworth Parents,

Please mark your calendars to attend our Orchestra Concert! Please make a note that our concert will be hosted in the Cafeteria at Ellworth Elementary School located at 38454 N Caroline Ave. in San Tan Valley, AZ on Tuesday, January 30th at 6:00 pm. I am very proud of the progress our orchestra students are making, and I would love for you and your families and friends to help come cheer these wonderful deserving students on.

See you there!

Sincerely, Mr. Guido Lavorata, Director of Orchestra: CTA, Ellsworth, Simonton and Harmon

This com ing m ont h st udent s w il l be learning Foot ball and Fr isbee sk il ls.

HEALTHY FACT: Foods that don't expire contain unnatural preservatives, additives, and chemicals that deteriorate your body. Focus instead on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairies, and above all, moderation in whatever you eat.

MUSIC IS ALL AROUND US!

Music at Christmas brings joy, peace and hope.

Music can set the tone of your day, especially if you have to f ight the crowds shopping.

May this musical Christmas season bring all the joy, peace, hope, and love that you want.

Young Coyotes

Technology

Young Coyotes daycare services children ages 3-5 years old and combines play and learning in a child centered environment where exploration is encouraged. Children are provided opportunities to grow socially, emotionally, and academically through hands on activit ies involving music, art, and dramatic play. Young Coyotes is taught by a preschool teacher with 8 years experience in early childhood. We now have 2 schools that will have our Young Coyotes program, Ranch Elementary and Ellsworth Elementary. Young Coyotes is l icensed by Department of Health Services and approved by the Department of Economic Security. Children must be potty trained and current on shots. Parents must provide a sack lunch.

Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday from6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. not including school holidays.

Pricing: Parents have a choice of either full or part day options.

Half day $21 per day or $95 per week

Full day $42 per day of $170 per week

Hello Ellsworth Community!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday . On December 1st, we will have representatives from Pinal County to share information about Internet safety for our 5th and 6th grade students. Please reinforce the skil ls your students learn by talking to them about being safe when they go on-line.

Looking into 2018, we are already seeking volunteers for this year's Ellsworth Career Fair. It will held February 22nd-23rd and we are looking for working professionals from the Ellsworth Community to share details of their exit ing careers with our students. Also, if you or anyone you know may stil l be in need for the upcoming holidays, there is support available with the J.O. Combs District Angel Tree.

If you have questions of any of the above, feel free to contact me. I wish you Happy Holidays and Go Eagles!

E. Telles - Counselor x3528

Students have been writ ing lines of code!

Congratulations to Nathan who has completed over 154 levels and written 1,000 lines of code.

They can also have fun with coding at the link below

HOUR OF CODE

Students should be practicing keyboarding at home at the links below.

K-3 Dance Mat Typing

4-6 https://www.typing.com/

LIBRARY

A friendly reminder if your child has an outstanding

book and you are unable to locate the book you can buy a replacement book. Any questions, please contact Lora Rael at 480-882-3520.

Healt h Of f ice News

Wit h t he cold season com ing, Mrs. Jenne is always

look ing for donat ions

of long sleeve t -shir t s

and long pant s of al l

sizes.

Please remind

your students to wash their hands

before eat ing.

Not ice of Non-Discriminat ion

The J.O. Combs Unif ied School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activit ies and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA Title II Coordinator at 301 E. Combs Rd., San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 or (480) 987-5300.

El Distrito Escolar Unif icado de J.O. Combs no discrimina basada por la raza, el color, el origen nacional, el sexo, la discapacidad o la edad de una persona en sus programas o actividades y proporciona igual acceso a los Boy Scouts y otros grupos juveniles designados. Las consultas pueden dirigirse al coordinador del Título IX o al coordinador del Título II de la Sección 504 / ADA en 301 E. Combs Rd., San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 o (480)

987-5300.

Breakfast is $1.25Lunch is $2.65

Reduced breakfast and lunch $ .30 and $ .40

Cl ick here for Lunch

Cl ick here for

Break fast

CA FETERIA NEW S

Keep Track of your

st udent s lunch account

by signing up t o use

Ezschoolpay.com is f ree t o sign up and

set t he rem inder t o

send you an em ail when

your st udent is low

on m oney.

December 19th wil l be a hal f

day , we WILL st i l l be serving lunch so make sure

your student has money on their account .

Tuesday 19th we wil l be serving Hol iday chicken nuggets

and sugar

L O S T & F O U N D

Each year st udent s m isplace t heir backpacks, lunch pails, coat s, hat s, and even t heir glasses.

When t hese it em s are found t hey are placed in t he 2 large cans inside t he breeze way. Eye glasses w il l be t urned int o t he f ront of f ice.

Please rem ind your child t o check for t heir belongings.

Tw ice a year t hese it em s w il l be laid out on t ables for st udent s and parent s t o look t hrough. Please t ake t he t im e t o check for any of your child's t h ings.

Ellsworth Elementary will donate all unclaimed items at the end of the year to local charities that can place these items in the hands of those who need them.

Resource Tit le 1 Reading

ELL

Here are some tips to help engage your reader at home!

Make reading enjoyable: Make reading an enjoyable experience. Sit with your child. Try not to pressure if he or she is reluctant. If your child loses interest then do something else.

Variety is important: Remember children need to experience a variety of reading materials eg. picture books, hard backs, comics, magazines, poems, and informational books.

Mrs. Carbajal, Reading Specialist

Mrs. Berkey, Paraprofessional

Our focus this month will be working on mastering our ELP standards through Reading, Writing and

Listening/Speaking about how the holidays are celebrated in various

parts of the world.

Happy Holidays!

Joyeuses Fêtes!

Felices Fiestas!

H?nh phúc ngày l?

Masaya pista opisyal.

Ms. Bencomo x1522

Mrs. Roy x1522

Visual schedules and Checklists

Visual schedules and checklists are a good tool is to use begin to establish routines and teach

your child accountability/ responsibil ity. A visual schedule/ checklist should list all the

items/ task you would like for your child to do. Have him or her check off each item that they

have completed. You can provide rewards/stickers for each item checked off /

completed. Both you and your child will feel a sense of accomplishment once he/she begins to refer to his/her visual schedule/ checklist

without any assistance from you.

Mrs. Telfer- K-3 Resource Room Teacher

Mrs. Harris-4-6 Resource Room Teacher Mrs. Kleinknecht-Speech Pathologist

A c a demic Co a c hes Co r ner

With the holidays approaching and time off from school, parents are often looking for things to help their children stay on track. It is super important to keep schedules and expectations consistent.

Having students read or reading to your child everyday for 15-20 minutes can go a long way to help keep your child on track.

This website also offers a variety of both math and reading to engage your children in real l ife activit ies during the holidays.

http:/ / gourmetlearning.com/

math-and-reading-practice-during-the-holidays/

Dist r ict News & Upcom ing Event s :

If you'd like to help make the holiday season bright for a child, consider selecting an Angel from the Angel Tree in your school's front off ice. Each Angel has a small wish list for a student in our district. Please limit the gif t amount to $25 and return the unwrapped gif t to the school by December 13th. Your generosity makes a big dif ference in the lives of our students!

Thank you for participating in the Thanksgiving Food Drive benefit ing families in our community. We were able to provide complete Thanksgiving dinners to over 100 families!

You're invited to the community auditorium Groundbreaking Ceremony December 11th at 9:30am at Combs High School. Visitors will have an opportunity to view renderings of the new building as well as photographs of other voter-approved bond projects. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Hour of Code is celebrated December 4-10 with activit ies at many school sites.The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the f ield of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activit ies but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Check with your school site to see how they are celebrating.

Do you want to have a better understanding of Special Education and the Individualized Education Program (IEP)? Join us for the Pinal County Parent Training Series for parents of children with special needs. The following topics will be discussed: the IEP document, the parent?s role in the special education process, and how to prepare for, and be an effective participant at the meeting. You will learn who is a member of your child?s IEP team, how to track your child?s progress, and what to do if the team does not agree. Please see the attached f lyers for more information.

Combs High School students and staff are participating in an hour-long presentation in their math class about the Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS) in partnership with MIKID, an organization focused on improving the behavioral health and wellbeing of children and youth.The training is focused on increasing the knowledge and awareness of depression and suicide as well as strategies to acknowledge what friends or self is feeling, showing care to others and tell ing an adult so that support may be provided.

no cost for families light refreshments registration requested no childcare available

register at raisingspecialkids.org 602-242-4366 800-237-3007

2017 - 2018 PINAL COUNTY PARENT TRAINING SERIES WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017

6:00 - 8:00 PM IEP TRAINING - Raising Special Kids staff

SATURDAY DECEMBER 2, 2017 9:00 - 11:00 AM

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT - Raising Special Kids staff

12:00 - 2:00 PM EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: BIRTH TO KINDER - Raising Special Kids staff

SATURDAY JANUARY 20, 2018

9:00 - 11:00 AM PARENTING THE TOUGH CHILD - Kathy Minard, Coolidge Unified School District

12:00 - 2:00 PM ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY - Janet Fukuda, Arizona Department of Education

WEDNESDAY MARCH 7, 2018 6:00 - 8:00 PM

TURNING 18-LEGAL OPTIONS - Raising Special Kids staff

Central Arizona College 8470 N Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ 85128

(see map on reverse)

The J.O. Combs Unified School District is committed to identifying students who qualify for placement in the gifted cluster classroom. The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is the assessment used to determine whether a child qualifies as gifted. If your child is already identified as gifted there is no need to have them retested. If you would like your child to be evaluated for gifted the Fall testing for grades Kindergarten - 6th grade will occur at Combs Traditional Academy beginning at 3:30PM on the following dates. Parents may check in for testing in the school’s library beginning at 3:15PM, where they will be able to wait for their child. The testing session will last approximately 90 minutes. December 11 - KG December 12 - 1st Grade December 14 - 2nd & 3rd Grade December 15 - 4th-6th Grade To learn more about the gifted student and to complete the permission to test form please visit the Curriculum & Instruction department on our district website at www.jocombs.org. The permission to test form must be submitted by Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Gifted Testing Request & Permission Form Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom

teacher.

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING?

Phoenix Zoo Field Trip $10.00 Fri., Dec. 22 9am-4pm

Bus leaves Ellsworth at 9am and returns at 4pm

Combs Kidz Winter Break Camp at Ellsworth Elementary

We look forward to a fun-filled Camp on the following dates:

Peter Piper Pizza $10.00

Thurs., Dec 28 11:30am—2:30 pm Pizza, Games and Fun

$32 full day or $16/half day. Registration fee may apply Employee/Sibling Discount DES payment are accepted. Register online by Fri., Dec.15

at www.jocombs.org, choose the COMMUNITY ED tab

For more information contact Marilyn at 480-987-5310

Wednesday, Dec. 20 Thursday, Dec. 21 Friday, Dec. 22 Wednesday, Dec. 27 Thursday, Dec. 28 Friday, Dec. 29 Tuesday, Jan. 2 Wednesday, Jan. 3 From 6:30am-6pm

$42 full day or $21/half day. 20% Sibling & Employee discount DES payments are accepted. Register online by Dec. 15 www.jocombs.org website, please

choose the “Community Education” tab at the top. For more information contact Marilyn at (480) 987-5310 in Community Ed

Young Coyotes Winter Break Camp at Ellsworth Elementary

We look forward to a fun-filled Camp on the following dates:

Wednesday, Dec. 20 Thursday, Dec. 21

Friday, Dec. 22 Wednesday, Dec. 27 Thursday, Dec. 28

Friday, Dec. 29 Tuesday, Jan. 2

Wednesday, Jan. 3

From 6:30 am—6:00 pm

4:00pm: Refreshments

4:30-5:00pm:

Official Business

Thursday

12/7

Children

Welcome

Follow us on Facebook:

Ellsworth Eagles PTO

Got Questions? Want to get involved? Contact:

Kathy Flynn 602.790.8252

KatFlynn176 @gmail.com

Ellsworth Eagles PTO

December 2017

Important Dates

12/1 Fun Friday

12/7 Meeting

12/15 Winter Box Top Deadline

Fun Fr iday! This Friday 12/1 at Recess ** Pickles or Cocoa * $.50

Help us plan our 2018 Spring

Calendar.