Monday, June 3, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

Our last weekly post of the school year, and what a school year it has been. I am grateful to be a member of a learning community with such positive and engaged parents, such as yourselves. Parents and educators here at ACS are truly making a special and powerful difference for your children!

There are just a few announcements for the final 3 days of school, and some notes for next year:

End of Year Art & Music Shows: Tuesday, June 4

                8:30-9:45 - Upper Elementary Show
                10:40-11:55 - Lower Elementary Show

Grade 5 Graduation in the Theater on Wednesday, June 5 from 8:30-10:30 am followed by a reception by the fountains afterward. Grade 5 students have roughly 10 invitations that they can use for attendees to the graduation, and this includes siblings and family members in the school. 

Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 5 - 12:00 pm dismissal for all students

Report Cards sent home during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 5

Class Placement Assignments will be sent to parents on Friday, July 26

Returning Family Orientation will be on Wednesday, August 7th from 8:30-9:30 am: In this event, we will talk about new offerings, transportation options to and from school, ECAs, lunch services, and students will have an opportunity to meet their new teachers! We hope to see you there!

The First Day of School for KG5-G5 is Thursday, August 8th: Students should arrive before 8:15 am for their first day of school! They will be dismissed at 3:15 pm. KG3/4 will have Parent Meetings that day, before a 2-day Staggered Start and the first full day of school on Tuesday, August 13th.

I wish you all, and your families, a wonderful, healthy, safe, and meaningful summer break. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back in August!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, May 27, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

Happy Monday! It was wonderful to see so many community members at our talent shows on Friday. What a joy it was to see and hear our students sharing their passions with us all! 

We have 6. more days of school after today and are very much in the thick of all the work to end the year on a good note. Teachers are working tirelessly on report cards and finishing assessments and projects. We have a few notices to share with you below:

Reminder: No School this Thursday, May 30th (Corpus Christi Day)

End of Year Art & Music Shows: Tuesday, June 4

                8:30-9:45 - Upper Elementary Show
                10:40-11:55 - Lower Elementary Show

Grade 5 Graduation in the Theater on Wednesday, June 5 from 8:30-10:30 am

Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 5 - Dismissal at 12:00 pm for all Students

Report Cards sent home during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 5

Class Placement Assignments will be sent to parents on Friday, July 26

Thanks for reading, I wish you a lovely week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, May 20, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

Talent Show Week is Here: We have Dress Rehearsals and the big shows this week, and we are so excited. Here is the schedule:

    May 21, 2024: 3:30-5:30 pm - Lower Elementary School Dress Rehearsal (KG4-G2)

    May 23, 2024: 3:30-5:30 pm - Upper Elementary School Dress Rehearsal (G3 to 5)

    May 24, 2024: 10:40-12:40 pm - Lower Elementary School Talent Show (KG4 to G2)
                             5:30-7:30 pm - Upper Elementary School Talent Show (G3 to 5)

For dress rehearsals, we are asking the one performance group representative parent to be in attendance and help with getting the group ready and on stage.

For the shows, Lower Elementary parents of performers are invited to attend. The entire elementary school will be in the theater, so space is limited. For the evening show for Upper Elementary, all are welcome. There is no charge to enter or tickets required.

Vision Testing for KG5-G5 Students: Our elementary students in KG5 through Grade 5 will have their vision tested in the next 2 weeks. Should there be any concerns about vision, a letter will be sent home to parents encouraging a visit to an ophthalmologist. KG3 and KG4 will not be tested unless a teacher has a specific concern about a student's vision.

A Reminder: No School Next Thursday, May 30th - Corpus Christi Day

Thanks for reading! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, May 13, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

It was lovely to see so many of you at our Nations Parade, as part of International Day this past Friday. I would also like to give our gratitude and thanks to the parents who helped to put on a wonderful "World Expo" Friday morning. The event was lovely and it was such a joy to see our students exploring the various activities, foods and presentations from the 10 countries present. This week is a relatively quiet week, comparatively. We have just a few events to mention:

Open House Tomorrow from 8:30-10:30 am: Please share the poster below and relevant information with anyone you know who might be interested in enrolling children here at ACS. Thank you!

Wednesday Middle School Transition Evening for Grade 5 Parents: If you are a Grade 5 parent, please join us on Wednesday evening from 5:30-6:30 pm to learn about the upcoming move to Middle School. Our MS team will be there to answer questions and present about the exciting changes on the horizon for our graduating Fifth Graders!

Parent Coffee this Friday on the Elementary's New Schedule: Please join us Friday morning at 8:15 am for a Parent Coffee on Elementary's exciting new schedule! We hope to see you there!

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely week,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, May 6, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents, 

As you know, many things are happening at school right now. But we will make it through this busy time - and these events and your engagement will make it very special for our students!

End of Year Calendar: Monitor all the things happening on campus over the next 5 weeks!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UNM_GmzwQltTOGtEcbQambeD0SHmuzIlIwxfpDB8q4U/edit?usp=sharing

International Day: We have over 30 countries represented in our student body, but only have 10 countries represented for International Day! Signups for parents are open and your engagement will make this day extra special! Please sign up to represent a country! Time is running out!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-u0unGQQl2-XoV1IEWFJy1d3m2-E0mfS0p1J0qmrksU/edit?usp=sharing

Teacher Appreciation Week: Thank you so much for bringing in flowers for your teachers today! It was a joy to see children coming in with such beautiful bouquets. On Wednesday, you are invited to send in a dish, drinks, or a dessert for a teacher luncheon. The event starts after dismissal - 12:45 pm and will last about an hour. Send in any food in a container with your name and child's grade level. Thank you!

Library Inventory and Closure: Our library inventory takes place at the end of each school year. We will be closing the space starting next Monday through the end of the following week (May 13-24). Please return all library books you have in your home no later than Friday. Thank you!

Open House for Prospective Families: Next Tuesday, May 14th, we'll be hosting prospective families to learn about our program and take a tour of campus. The event starts at 8:30 am and will last roughly 2 hours. Please feel free to share this info with anyone you think might be interested! Thanks!

Thanks, as always, for reading. I wish you a lovely week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, April 29, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

Happy Monday! I hope you and your families enjoyed a nice weekend. I feel like my skin, clothes, plants and life are drying out a bit with the end of the rainy season. I also feel grateful for all of the support and energy you and your children bring each day. We have a lot of events happening at school, as you know, and your help is greatly appreciated in making these events special for our kids. Below, see a few reminders on upcoming events:

A Note from Our Food Service Provider: Many families are overdue in paying for their children's food service. Please note that if debts are outstanding on May 1st, your child will not be able to purchase lunch until the bill has been paid.

No School on Wednesday: Labor Day

End Of Year Calendar: For the final 8 weeks of school, you can track all school events here. Access it by copying this link into your browser:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UNM_GmzwQltTOGtEcbQambeD0SHmuzIlIwxfpDB8q4U/edit?usp=sharing

Please note that this calendar is "living" and changing all the time with new events being added, so please bookmark the calendar and revisit it over the next few weeks for the most up-to-date information!

STEAM Family Fun Afternoon: This Friday, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm, join us in the Elementary quad for a host of wonderful STEAM challenges, activities, food and fun. See your students creative problem solving and enjoy time with our community.

International Day: I am getting close to begging parents for their help with this event. We have only a few parents who have signed up to represent a country on this special day. Please read more here:

<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j0dUkYNSK_QsoJLFmKXCdIVBMB1LZpImPnzWh5e2_hg/edit?usp=sharing>

This will be fun! Please consider getting involved - our parents need you!

Teacher Appreciation Week: The week after next, May 6-10 is Teacher Appreciation Week; a time to give thanks and show appreciation to all of our teachers for their hard work during the year. We are asking for parent help with 2 events:

Monday, May 6: Send your child in with a flower (just one!) for each of their teachers!

Wednesday, May 8: Send in a dish and/or come to help out with a Teacher Luncheon from 12:30 - 1:30 pm in the ES Auditorium!

As always, thank you for reading! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, April 22, 2024

Dear Elementary Parents,

It was such a joy to see so many of you at our Earth Day concert on the green Friday afternoon. What a wonderful way to celebrate the new environmental initiatives ACS is adopting, and all of the learning about sustainability that our students have taken on in this year! Thank you for your support and attendance on this special day!

Talent Show Registration Reminder: The due date for registering for the talent show is this Friday! 

        Please see my original letter about the Talent Show here:         https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ATgFLCuru1Bi_-lqUXnLGcqN9riMCEYh4qOgxEFfkkM/edit?usp=sharing

Book Fair this Week: Last week we had a very successful Book Swap Fair. This week is another momentous event from Literacy Celebration Month; we are hosting Bolivian and international publishers selling the newest and hottest books. This is our first in-person book fair since at least 2007 (I hear), and parents are invited! Drop in on Thursday or Friday between 8:30 and 3:30 pm to book shop!

Book Character Parade: This Friday at 10:45 am, we will host our Book Character Parade. Students are invited to come to school dressed as their favorite book characters, and of course, parents are invited to come see! We'll open our doors at 10:40 am, and the parade should 20-30 minutes. 

A Note from Our Food Service Provider: Many families are overdue in paying for their children's food service. Please note that if debts are outstanding on May 1st, your child will not be able to purchase lunch. 

Thank you to our Early Childhood Team: During “Dia del Niño,” Classroom Representatives from our ECE program coordinated a Toy Drive, where ACS students were invited to donate a toy to less fortunate children. KG3 first got together to talk and create awareness for our students, and then KG4 and Grade 1 joined in the fun. The toys were delivered to “Casa de Esperanza” last week and a few pictures are shared below.

Thank you for reading. I wish you a lovely week,

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal