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Elysian Charter School
Weekly Newsletter
A Positively Different Public School
May 23, 2016 Vol. 11 Issue 35
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
Playing Nicely With Others: Why Schools Teach Social Emotional Learning
From The New York Times, December 4, 2014
If your children’s school seems to suddenly be devoting its time and resources to something called SEL, it may be leaving you wondering what happened to good old reading, writing and arithmetic (or even that new darling, coding). You’re not alone. SEL stands for social emotional learning, and it’s a hot topic at the moment among educators with good reason.
While you may not have heard the acronym SEL before, you have probably seen social emotional learning sprinkled throughout schools’ mission statements, behavioral expectations and curricula, under the varying monikers of character, resilience, personal responsibility, self-control, “grit,” emotional or social intelligence, among others.
The Collaborative for Social Emotional and Academic Learning defines social emotional learning as: “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”
In other words, social emotional learning is what allows students to control their behavior, understand how their personal behavior impacts others, and enables them to empathize and collaborate with others. As any teacher can attest, children who are less able to master these skills impede their own learning and can disrupt the educational process for their classmates as well.
An oft-cited study on the impact of SEL on learning indicates that students who lack of social-emotional competencies become less connected to school over time, “and this lack of connection negatively affects their academic performance, behavior, and health.” The study goes on to report that SEL programs confer a positive impact on student behavior, academic achievement and grades.
While social emotional learning programs may look different from school to school, most are designed to support and enhance five areas of social and emotional development:
•Self-awareness: The ability to reflect on one’s own feelings and thoughts and understand how those feelings and thoughts affect behavior. •Self-management (also referred to as “self-control”): The ability to control one’s own emotions, actions and thoughts. •Social awareness: The ability to empathize with other people, understand and adhere to social cues and adapt behaviors so they are appropriate to a given social situation. •Relationship skills: The ability to communicate with peers, make friends, manage disagreements, manage appropriate and inappropriate peer pressure and cooperate with a diverse range of people. •Responsible decision making: The ability to make healthy choices about one’s own behavior while weighing consequences, safety, ethics and the well-being of the group.
One aspect of social emotional learning that has drawn a lot of attention in the news media over the last few years is the characteristic of “grit,” a term coined by Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Duckworth defines “grit,” a relative of the self-management competency mentioned above, as the ability to resist distractions in the short-term while remaining focused on long-term goals. She refers to it as “the key to success” in her incredibly popular TED talk that has racked up nearly 5.5 million views, and many have come to tout “grit” as the magic X factor in learning and an important part of social emotional learning education. Whether that approach is valid, educators and parents are scrambling to find ways, in Dr. Duckworth’s words, to “be gritty about getting our kids grittier.”
Many schools are working to implement social emotional learning programs in the hopes that strengthening these five core competencies can reduce bullying and increase school safety. From a teaching perspective, I can attest that it’s far easier to educate a classroom of students who feel feel emotionally and physically safe, supported by their teacher and their peers. Conversely, when students and teachers don’t treat one another with dignity and respect, the classroom can become an oppressive and unpleasant place to spend any time, let alone learn.
Jessica Lahey is an educator, writer and speaker. She writes about parenting and education for The New York Times, The Atlantic and Vermont Public Radio Her book, “The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed,” will be published by HarperCollins in 2015. Find her at JessicaLahey.com.
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| The New Victory Theater has a limited number of scholarships for select students (ages 7 – 11) based on financial need.
The application deadline is TOMORROW - Wednesday June 1, 2016.
Email lynne.shapiro@ecsnj.org if you are interested and Lynne will email an application to you immediately. Please feel free to call if you have any questions, or to request an application. Lynne can be reached at school today (before 3 PM), or at home, 201 653-6392 (after 4:30 PM until 11 PM tonight.
Theater (Play): July 11 – July 15 Theater (Musical): July 18 – July 22 Circus: July 25 – July 29 The New Vic is looking for students who:
have a playful and curious nature
have an interest in the performing arts
may not have the financial funds to afford a summer program
have an adult that can drop them off and pick them up every day on 42nd street for one week in July![]()
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Campaign For Elysian – Year 2! We need you!
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Yes, air-conditioning is one of the many things that contributions from the Campaign have helped to pay for in our new building!
It was a very solid week for the Campaign and we thank everyone who has contributed to date. We are closing in on our goal of $125,000 for this school year, but it’s important to remember that if we surpass that mark, there are lots of “wish list” items for the school that become so much more possible. This includes:
• New classroom furniture
• Additional Chromebooks
• A new math program and materials
• Supplemental security features
• New music instruments
CURRENT TALLY:
$109,253 – Grand Total for Year 2 of the Campaign
($46,519 – Funds raised by the Annual Appeal, separate from the auction)
We can reach our goal—and even build on it—but we can’t do it without your help! (DEADLINE is June 15!)
TO DONATE:
Every donation makes a difference! If you’d like to contribute, please go to the following urls:
Please print the pledge form, fill it out accordingly and enclose a check (payable to “Friends of Elysian Charter School”). Envelopes can be either mailed or dropped off in the school office to Deb or Susan.
Our thanks to the following donors for their amazing generosity and support!
MaryBeth Alter and Matt Laskowski
The Auld Family
Lauree and Derek Barnes
Shelley and Eric Berquist
The Craft Family
Jennifer Clowe and James McCann
Cecilia and Juan Carlos Lombera
Jennifer and Brian Marsh
Maria Muller and Luis Kaplun
Ann and Tim Murphy
Cynthia Ng-Villaluz and Jason Villaluz
Andrea and Patrick O'Connor
Anya, Kiran and Ashwin Vasudevan
Company Matches
Colgate - Palmolive (via Juan Carlos Lombera)
Lastly, don’t forget those company-matching donations! They make a HUGE difference!
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| Spring Fling 2016 is in the Record Books! Thank you to Eileen O’Brien, Kim Demopoulus and Paul Demopoulus for organizing the Spring Fling for it would not have happened without you! Words used to describe it were “awesome”, “an amazing night” and “the best one yet”. Thank you also to the volunteers who stepped up and helped make the event such a success. Mona Sarafa, Alex Williams, Odalys Pla, Eduardo Gonzalez, Jennifer Nilsen, Maria Kaplun-Muller, Annie McAdams, Jackie Sanchez, Ted Mauseth, Victor Mauseth and Laurie Pistilli many thanks for your set-up, check-in, clean-up, photography, dismissal and chaperoning support! We appreciate everyone’s time and energy. Thanks also to Deb Rosner for keeping us organized and of course, to Lauree Barnes and the PTSO, the sponsor of the event. If you haven't seen them yet, pictures of the event are on the school's Facebook page.
Save the Date: We have a tentative date for the school picnic for Wednesday evening, June 8th. Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information.
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Join The “6th Annual Swing Fore The Schools”
Golf Outing and Fundraiser on THURS., June 2! Deadline for players is Sunday, May 29!
On Thursday, June 2, 2016, golfers of all skill levels can help out Elysian and five other Hoboken schools by registering for the “6th Annual Swing Fore The Schools” Golf Outing and Fundraiser. Last year, Elysian received more than $10,000 from the event. And this year, you can make a difference by spending a day on the award-winning golf courses at Crystal Springs Resort in Hardyston, NJ. MORE ABOUT THE EVENT:
• 1:30 pm Shotgun Start! Registration opens @ 11 am. Lunch available @ 12 pm • 36 Holes (Wild Turkey & Crystal Springs courses)
• Exciting contests, prizes and giveaways, including “Hole-in-One,” Closest to the Pin” and “Longest Drive” competitions
• Lunch and dinner included!
• Amazing Prize Raffle & 50/50 Cash Raffle
• Bus transportation available TO REGISTER TO PLAY: Player Deadline: Sunday, May 29
• Individual Golfer - $250
• Two Golfers - $500
• Three Golfers - $750
• Foursome - $950 - Best Value!
Then select “ECS” under “school affiliation.” SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES: Sponsorship Deadline: Tomorrow! Tuesday, May 24
If you own a business, don’t miss out on this incredible promotion opportunity while supporting the diverse educational opportunities in our area! We hope that you join us in sponsoring what will surely be a spectacular event and a great way to help schoolsserving over 1,500 students. For all the details, go to www.swingforetheschools.com and click on "Sponsorships."
Thank you for your support!
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| Elysian’s First Ever eBay Store The Elysian eBay Store has a dedicated email address to contact directly the “student team”: ebay@ecsnj.org when you have item/s in mind to donate. We will first ask you to submit a photo and a description of your donated item/s to sell so we can evaluate the item/s to make sure they will sell well for us. A “drop off”and also “pick up” arrangements will be provided. Please consider that the articles you wish to donate are not too heavy or large for us to ship. Keep us in mind! You might just have $$$ sitting there that we can sell for you and your children at ECS. Proceeds from sales will also benefit Friends of Elysian Charter School (the school’s 501c(3)) so it is a win-win for all! More information will follow shortly. If you have any questions and/or already have items/s that you wish to donate, please contact the team right away at ebay@ecsnj.org Give your items away … to Elysian eBay/ Let us make money $$ for our School Friends of Elysian Charter School is recognized as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c) (3) of the internal Revenue Code. Contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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| PTSO Corner Picnic
This year’s school picnic is tentatively set for Wednesday, June 8th, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Columbus Park. Bring your blankets and your appetites!! There is no rain date. It is a potluck so we ask that you bring food according to the grade(s) of your kid(s). --K – 2nd Grade: Entrees – pasta, pizza, sandwiches, chicken, etc.
--3rd – 5th Grade: Salads, Sides or Fruit
--6th – 8th Grade: Dessert, Water, Juice Boxes Please note: Many children are allergic to nuts of any sort. Please avoid nuts in preparing the food. We will be looking for volunteers to bring certain items and help with set up/ clean up so please look for that in a separate email. Please email elysianptso@gmail.com with any questions. NO BRAINER MONEY MAKERS All year long we have been advertising the No Brainer Money Makers. These regularly bring in money to the PTSO from places such as Amazon Smile and our box tops collection. The money collected goes back into the school. This year, for example, we purchased an additional 72 Chromebooks that were distributed through the grades. What a nice surprise when we opened our mail one morning and found a $5,000 check from Box Tops for Education. In conjunction with Shoprite, they give us money back for all of our community members who have registered with them and they also run a sweepstakes. We won two of the drawings for that sweepstakes, for a $5,000 total plus an additional $245 based upon our box tops collection.
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ELYSIAN RUGBY NEWS
Elysian's elementary rugby team competed in an 8-team tournament on Sunday, May 15th at Chelsea Waterside Park in NYC. The team of 4th and 5th graders went undefeated on the day and took home the Cup Championship trophy! The theme of the rugby tournament was excellence and participants were asked to find examples Olympic athletes that best represented excellence both on and off the field. Participants then submitted written explanations describing their athlete of choice. 5th grader Lucas Sanchez was presented an award at the tournament for his work as a rugby player on the field and for his submitted written work. Great job Lucas!
Elysian's middle school rugby team competed in an 8-team tournament on Sunday, May 22nd at The Franklin K. Lane Educational Campus in Brooklyn, NY. The team of 6th, 7th and 8th graders played competitive rugby and took home the Platte Championship trophy! The team lost their first two matches of the day (both times by only 1 point), but never got down on themselves. They were able to finish off the day winning the rest of their matches. Teamwork was on full display for the Elysian middle school team. A special thanks to the parents of the middle school rugby team for their constant encouragement and their willingness to sit in so much traffic on a Sunday afternoon!
Our final three practices of the year will take place on May 24th, May 31st, and June 7th at 1600 Park from 3:00-3:45.
Also, Elysian's elementary and middle school teams will compete once again in the NYC Rugby Cup on Randall's Island on Saturday, June 11th. This tournament will host over 70 teams from throughout the NYC area.
Thanks,
John Rutledge
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| Spring Track Info
- Track practices will take place at 1600 Park ave. in Hoboken, N.J. from 3:00 - 4: 00 PM on Wednesday June 1st.
- Students may be walked over to practice by an aftercare staff member or Coach Jason.
- Students who self dismiss from school may walk there on their own.
- Dismissal procedures from track practice will be based upon the registration form (indicated by the parent/ guardian). Students returning to aftercare will be walked back to the building by an aftercare staff member or the coach.
*** The track in Jersey City is currently under going renovations therefore, track meet dates are still to be determined.***
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Information About Class Trips/ORGS ONLINE
Effective immediately, class trips that incur a fee of $25 or less can only be paid for BY CASH OR CHECK (payable to Elysian Charter School). We will NOT be posting trips with fees of $25.00 or under on ORGS ONLINE any longer. Many of you have expressed concern over the $4.00 surcharge when paying for trips online, so this will no longer be a factor when paying for those less costly trips. It will also make it easier for teachers to track trip payments and be less of a burden on parents to remember to log on to pay. When returning a permission slip to your child's teacher, please remember to attach the cash or check payment. Thank you.
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| Lost and Found
Please check out the large pile downstairs by our entrance.
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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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| MAY Calendar
Tuesday, May 31
- Rugby, 3 - 3:45, 1600 Park
Wednesday, June 1
- Track Practice, June 1, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
- NJ ASK grades 4 and 8 Science Make up Test
Friday, June 3
- 3rd/4th/5th Grade Spring Concert, 9:00 AM in the Elysian Gym
Monday, June 6 Wednesday, June 8 - Elysian Annual Picnic, Save the date, more info to follow
Friday, June 10 - Community Meeting in the Elysian Gym, 8:45 AM
- 4th grade trip
Monday, June 13 - Board of Trustees Meeting, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, June 14 - 3rd grade trip
- 5th grade trip
Wednesday, June 15 Thursday, June 16 - 8th grade trip
- 1st grade trip
- 5th grade returns
Monday, June 20 - Field Day
- Half day of school, 12:30 dismissal
Tuesday, June 21 - Graduation, save the date, more info to follow
- Half day of school, 12:30 dismissal
Wednesday, June 22 - Last day of school, half day, 12:30 dismissal. No afterschool program today.
- Report Card Distribution. Report cards not picked up at dismissal will be mailed home.
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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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