EC Principal Letter

Dear ANCS Elementary Families,

It was wonderful to see everyone today! I trust you all had a peaceful and joyful winter break. We had just about every kind of weather, except snow, of course. I enjoyed spending time with my family, catching up on some projects around the house, and setting intentions and priorities for the new year. 

I am really excited about the focus we have placed on math this year. During the first semester, our teachers have been engaged in professional development around the new Georgia math standards and diving deeper into practices to bring creative and critical thinking into their math lessons. Another part of this is having math festivals here at school for our students. 

Wednesday, January 14th, our third, fourth and fifth grade students will enjoy playing fun & innovative math games that are hands-on and interactive (not on the computer) during their regularly scheduled related arts block. These games require students to grapple with problem solving and preserve through challenges. Students will have support and will receive encouragement from teachers and staff members who will be supporting at each station. Wednesday, February 4th,  kindergarteners, first and second graders will experience their own math festival. I am sure students will find this time fun and engaging. 

Then, on the evening of Wednesday, February 4th, we will host our first Family Math Night from 6:00-7:30pm here at the elementary campus. This will be your opportunity to come play the games with your student and see how fun math can be for the whole family. So please put this date on your calendar now. We hope to have a great turn out! Yay Math!!

As we move into the second semester of school, it is my greatest hope that we will all continue to work together in partnership to support our students and continue to make our school a great place to learn and grow. We all want the best for our children, and this is true even when we don’t agree on everything. I am excited about all that we will accomplish together in the next five months. We are a strong wolfpack and we can do great things! 

I am wishing you well,

Lara

Lara Zelski

Lara Zelski began working at ANCS in 2007. Previously, she worked at the Howard School and taught art, Spanish, reading and math. She taught 6th, 4th, and 2nd in DeKalb County. She taught 4th and 5th grade in Decatur and then moved to Title One reading and math instruction for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. She taught 5th grade at the ANCS elementary campus for two years.