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Elysian Charter School
Weekly Newsletter
A Positively Different Public School
January 27, 2016 Vol. 11 Issue 19
Please note that the school newsletter is sent out on Mondays. When there is a holiday, the newsletter is sent the following day. Please send news to lynne.shapiro@ecsnj.org by 1:00 PM on Mondays.
The weekly newsletter is archived on Elysian's website, www.ecsnj.org, so that you can always access both the most recent newsletter as well as all previous ones.
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Harry's Corner
How Are Snow Days Called?
This is one of the more difficult calls, especially now that we are no longer dependent upon a Hoboken Board of Education facility. Tuesday’s decision turned out to have been a bit controversial, with a number of people opposing the idea that we were closed, while others felt it was the right decision. It may help to discuss some of the factors and concerns that go into this decision.
The first and most important issue is safety…safety for the children and for the staff. On Monday night I received a number of conflicting reports. One parent got in touch to say that Washington Street and other streets near City Hall were in pretty reasonable shape. He also indicated that parking was allowed only on one side of the street. A short time later I received an email from a staff member, who was by Miles Square Theater, right near us, who indicated that the sidewalks were slippery and parking completely impossible. Shortly a second staff member indicated that as she was walking north on Garden Street she encountered a number of uncleaned sidewalks and many icy spots. In order to avoid these, she had to walk into the street with her children.
When making this decision I am in touch with the directors of the other Hoboken charters and with several leaders of charter schools in Jersey City. I am also in touch with the Hoboken Superintendent, Dr. Johnson, and the Director of Facilities, Tim Calligy. Dr. Johnson indicated that she met with the Police and Sanitation Departments who both recommended the school closings. There are really two major factors to consider when processing all of this information. First is it safe for the children to travel to school—remembering that starting in the 5th grade many of the children travel without an adult? Secondly, once they get to school, will enough staff be able to get in—remembering that many staff members drive in, live in communities that have not been well plowed or have closed schools?
So what did I know on Monday night when the decision had to be made? I knew that many streets had been cleared. I knew that on the way into school many children would have to deal with icy walks and uncleared sidewalks and have to walk in the street. I knew that the Superintendent and Facilities Manager of the Hoboken BOE had determined that it was not appropriate to open schools. I also knew that HoLa closed, that Learning Community Charter, METS Charter, Golden Door Charter, Soaring Heights Charter all had closed. Also Union City, North Bergen and Weehawken closed. Secaucus and Jersey City had delayed openings.
I knew that parking and commuting for staff, as well as local school closings and poor driving conditions would impact staff member’s ability to make it in.
On the other side of the coin, closing causes difficulty for families, especially families with two working parents. Coverage for the children is always an issue and is exacerbated when they need to be covered last minute and for the full day.
On a personal note…The news media kept referring to the last monster snow storm in 2006. During that storm my older son ventured out because he had Broadway show tickets. He slipped on a bad patch of ice that day and shattered his shoulder. The bone in his upper arm was replaced with a metal rod. This year, during the storm, all Broadway shows were cancelled. Had this been the case in 2006…well, you get it.
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After School Trip to see UNTAPPED!
New Victory Theater, 42nd Street, NYC
Thursday, February 4, 4:30 PM Performance
Hot off their world tour, UNTAPPED deftly defies tap conventions for a dance expression that’s all its own. Mixing street dance styles, percussion and a healthy dose of Aussie humor, these high-octane hoofers bring intricate cyncopation to a playlist of funk, hip hop, jazz and rock. Joined by a beatboxer and a live band, this charismatic crew will have you tapping along to this raucous reinvention of rhythm.
60 minutes with no intermission If your child wishes to attend with After School, please get a permission slip from Francine or contact lynne.shapiro@ecsnj.org and she will email one to you. Students attending with After School must have a signed permission slip.
If you are interested in attending the show with your child, please contact lynne.shapiro@ecsnj.org or email to make a reservation. You do not need a permission slip. Pricing differs because of transportation fees and adult ticket prices.
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| Changes in 6th Grade Basketball Game Schedule Please note that the 6th grade game, scheduled for February 2nd, has been CANCELLED. That game will take place the day before, Monday, February 1st. Elysian Charter 6 vs. Stevens 6 will start at a new time: 6:00 PM. Practice will take place between 4:00 and 5:00 PM, as usual, that Monday.
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Winter Session of After School Enrichment Clubs Clubs will begin the week of February 8. Look forward to a great assortment of clubs for all grade levels. Please check your child's backpack regularly as forms go home this week!
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AUCTION UPDATE: A GREAT START!
It’s been a great start to the 2016 Annual Friends of Elysian Fundraising Party & Auction to benefit the Campaign For Elysian! In one day we sold 109 tickets to the event, bringing in more than $12,000! Thank you to everyone who responded so generously on the first day of ticket sales.
Tickets are still on sale, of course, for $125 each ($135 at the door, the day of the event). We hope you can be there!
* Paying By Check: Please write the check out to “Friends of Elysian Charter School.” IMPORTANT: Put the check in an envelope labeled “Friends Auction.” Inside, include a note with the name of each guest and your email address. Drop off this envelope to Deb or Susan in the office. Thanks!
EVENT INFO
WHAT: Annual Friends of Elysian Fundraising Party & Auction to benefit The Campaign For Elysian
WHEN: Friday, February 26, 2016, 7 pm – 10 pm
WHERE: Cadillac Cantina, 80 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Open bar and heavy appetizers! • 50-50 cash raffle! • Adults only
**AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED!**
We have some great auctions items already (Rihanna tickets, a cookbook signed by Mario Batali and two tickets to The Chew, to name just two), but we need your help!
We are ideally seeking new items or unique experiences, valued at $200 or more. Our goal is to have a variety of items that can help raise significant funds for the school. While we hope to be able to include all donations, please understand that we may not be able to accommodate all items, or may have to group items together. We want to make sure to avoid duplicate items, so before securing a possible auction lot, please first email us at friends@ecsnj.org.
Also, if you are thinking of approaching a Hoboken business, please email us as well since committee members have already reached out to several places. Thank you very much for your consideration of this request and for your support!
MYSTERY BAGS
Mystery bags are coming back to the auction! If anyone works with a business that has 20-50 of the same item—for example, sample products or fun promotion merchandise—to donate for the mystery bags, please reach at to Harriet Fitzpatrick at msfitz1126@gmail.com or Shana Lee at shanalee@gmail.com.
We also would love to expand our committee! If you would like to help out with creating the mystery bags and selling them at the auction, please let us know.
50/50 CASH RAFFLE
All students should have received a book of 10 tickets in their backpacks. If not (or if you have any questions), please contact your class parent, or Cynthia Ng-Villaluz at cynthia.ng.villaluz@gmail.com. (If you need another info sheet regarding the raffle, there are more in the office.) PRIZES: Remember, there are prizes for the top three classes that sell the most tickets. First prize is a pizza party, second prize is an ice cream party and third prize is a collection of games for the classroom. Thank you very much to all students and families for your help with this fundraiser. We appreciate it!
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| PTSO CORNER
Your PTSO just purchased 72 chromebooks for the school along with an additional 8 from a donation from Campaign for Gonzalez for a total of 80 chromebooks - enough for 5 more classrooms to have this technology which almost doubles the amount of chromebooks in our school! This is in addition to the 25 chromebooks the PTSO purchased last January so that every grade from 3rd through 8th would have 16 each and lessen the burden among borrowing between grades, especially for testing needs. An additional 15 were purchased by the PTSO over the summer for replacement purposes.
This is all thanks to all the families who:
- paid their dues
- took part in the fundraisers and
- volunteered or donated to any/all of our events this past year
We are proof that every little bit counts! So thank you again to each and every one of you that made this possible for our kids and their educations!
With warmest regards, Your PTSO
P.S. Chocolate Roses order forms will be sent home soon. Please keep a look out for those in back packs! Chocolate roses are $2. The deadline on the order form states Monday, February 1st but orders will be accepted until Wednesday, February 3rd.
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Save the Date for the 9th Annual Elysian Chili Cook-off!!
Get your taste buds ready, your cowboy boots shined and mosey on over to the Hoboken Elks Club on Saturday, February 20th at 5pm. (The party ends at 9pm.)
Come to compete or just to relax and enjoy great chili. Amenities include a supervised kid's room, a cash bar with wine and ice cold beer for adults, and of course all the chili you can eat.
We are looking forward to celebrating with you and your family! Sign-up sheet and more details to come!
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| Elysian Collects Box Tops and LABELS for Education: Look for the container near Deb's desk in the office! Thank you!
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| CALENDAR JANUARY 2016 Thursday, January 28- Middle Division Basketball Game, Elysian Charter 6 vs. Hoboken Charter, 8:00 PM, Wallace
Saturday, January 30- Girls Basketball Game, Elysian vs. Stevens, 2:00 PM, Multi
- Small Fry Game (3rd grade), Elysian Charter 3 vs. All Saints 3, 6:40 PM, Wallace
- Small Fry Game (4th grade) , Elysian Charter 4 vs. All Saints 4, 7:30 PM, Wallace
FEBRUARY 2016
Monday, February 1- 6th Grade Basketball Game, Elysian Charter 6 vs. Stevens 6, 6:00 PM, Wallace School (NOTE: this game was not on original schedule.)
- Grammar Basketball Game (7th/8th), Elysian Charter vs. Hudson, 6:15 PM MULTI
Tuesday, February 2- 5th Grade Basketball Game, Elysian Charter 5 vs. Stevens 5, 6:00 PM, Wallace School
- 6th Grade Basketball Game on the original schedule for this day has been CANCELLED.
Wednesday, February 3- CANCELLED - PTSO Meeting originally planned for today.
- Half day of school for staff development, 12:30 dismissal. After School Program available as usual.
- Deadline for Chocolate Roses orders!
Thursday, February 4- After School Program Trip
Friday, February 5- Grammar Basketball Game (7th/8th), Elysian Charter vs. HCA, 7:00 PM,Wallace School
Saturday, February 6- Girls Basketball Game, Elysian Charter vs. Hoboken Charter, 1:00 PM, Multi
- Small Fry Basketball Game (3rd Grade), Elysian Charter 3 vs. Wallace Grey 3, 1:50 PM, Wallace School
- Small Fry Basketball Game (4th Grade), Elysian Charter 4 vs. Stevens Red 4, 2:40 PM, Wallace School
Monday, Febraury 8th- Rescheduled Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, February 9- Middle Division Basketball Game (5th Grade), All Saints vs. Elysian Charter 5, 7:00 PM, Wallace School
- 6th Grade Basketball Game, Elysian Charter 6 vs. Hoboken Catholic, 8:00 PM, Wallace School
Wednesday, February 10- Grammar Basketball Game (7th/8th), Elysian Charter vs. Hoboken Charter, 7:00 PM, Wallace School
Thursday, February 11- Half day of school, 12:30 dismissal. After School Program available as usual. Report Card Distribution.
Friday, February 12 - Monday, February 15
- Elysian closed for President's Day Weekend
Saturday, February 20- Girls Basketball Game, Elysian Charter vs. Hudson, 2:00 PM, Multi
- Small Fry Basketball Game (3rd grade) , Connors/Calabro 3 vs. Elysian Charter 3, 5:00 PM, Wallace School
- Small Fry Basketball Game (4th grade), Elysian Charter 4 vs. H.C.A. 4, 5:50 PM, Wallace Schoo
- Chili Cook Off, 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Tuesday, February 23- Middle Division Basketball Game (5th Grade), Elysian Charter 5 vs. Hola 5, 6:00 PM, Wallace School
- Sixth Grade Basketball Game, Elysian Charter 6 vs. HOLA 6, 7:00 PM, Wallace School
Friday, February 26- Friends' Auction/Fundraiser (see above for information).
Saturday, February 27- Girls Basketball Game, Elysian Charter vs. Stevens Co-op, 1:00 PM, Multi
- Small Fry Basketball Game (3rd grade) , Elysian Charter 3 vs. Stevens White 3, 5:00 PM, Wallace School
- Small Fry Basketball Game (4th grade), Elysian Charter 4 vs. HOLA 4, 7:30 PM, Wallace School
Monday, February 29- 5th Grade Basketball Game, Connors/Calabro 5 vs. Elysian Charter 5, 8:00 PM, Wallace School
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1460 Garden Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Harry Laub, Ph.D., Director
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harry.laub@ecsnj.org
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Phone:201.876.0102
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Fax:201.876.9576
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