EC Principal Letter
Dear ANCS Elementary Campus Families,
Welcome to a brand-new school year! I hope your summer break was filled with opportunities to make wonderful memories with family and friends. I have enjoyed waking up just a little later and getting to the pool on a nice sunny day.
As many of you know, I have served as the Assistant Principal at ANCS Elementary for the past eight years. During that time, I had the privilege of celebrating countless student successes, partnering with incredible families, and working alongside an exceptional staff dedicated to our students. It is truly an honor to begin this school year serving as your Principal.
Our school has always been a special place because of our strong community, academic excellence, joyful learning, student belonging and meaningful family partnerships. This year will be no different! Together, we will ensure every child feels safe, challenged, valued, and inspired to grow.
Whether you are a new family or have been a part of our ANCS community for years, you may have questions or need a few reminders to start the school year as smoothly as possible.
When will I know who my child’s teachers are?
Teachers receive their class lists on July 27th. You will receive communication from them by the end of the day on July 28th.
When is the Open House for the elementary campus?
Please plan to come by the elementary campus on Monday, August 3rd between 11:00 and 12:00p. We will all start in the auditorium at 11:00a for a special presentation from the faculty and staff. This is also a time that all faculty and staff will be introduced. If you are unable to make it right at 11:00a, that’s fine. You are welcome to stop by anytime before 12:00p. Open House is a time to meet your child’s teachers, visit the library and related arts rooms, see the farm, and get some ANCS swag from the school store. If you are a new family to ANCS, your classroom teachers will have your child’s dismissal number and you can stop by the auditorium to learn more about the after school program.
How is arrival and dismissal going to work this year?
Arrival
- Arrival is from 7:30-8:00 each morning. You will drop off your child in front of the school where I will open car doors and they will enter through the front doors. Please do not pull in front of the line or try to enter the line from Bass Street, and please do not block the crosswalks.
- If you choose to walk with your child up to the school building, please do not park in the car rider line or in front of the school building. You can find street parking around the building, but please be careful to not block our neighbor’s driveways.
- If you are riding a bike to school with your child, please do not block sidewalks. Instead, pull up to the front yard, and please walk your bike once you are in front of the building. We have plenty of bike racks that are monitored by a security camera, so bikes can be locked and secure during the day.
Dismissal
- Dismissal is from 2:40-2:55p on Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri, and from 1:30-1:45p on Wednesdays. You can walk up to school or join the car rider line. We call children by their dismissal number only, so please have it visible.
- Be sure to know your child’s current grade; signs will direct you to the specific exit door. To let your child walk home independently, you must notify the teacher in advance.
- Students can attend the after-school program until 6:00 PM or take a van to off-site programs like the Boys and Girls Club.
We are a very dog friendly school. However, not all of our students like dogs and some are very afraid of dogs. If your dog is jumpy, barky and/or anxious/aggressive, it would be best to find another time to walk them and leave them at home for drop off and pick up from school.
My child is a Kindergartner or new to ANCS, is arrival and dismissal different for them?
No, our Kindergartners and new students will follow the same procedures as all other students. We have several staff members stationed outside and throughout the inside of the building to ensure that all students, especially our kindergartners get to where they are supposed to be. Each of those staff have a list of each students’ name, grade and teachers’ names. Our kindergartners have proven every year that they are ready to build their skills of independence with the support of our staff and they are so proud of themselves when they eventually don’t need our help at all! We will take very good care of your Kindergartner, and in case the drop off is more challenging for you than your child, I will be available near the car rider line to give hugs to any weepy families ;)
When will the school-wide morning meeting begin?
We will have our first official morning meeting open to families on Monday, August 10th. Morning meeting is from 8:00-8:10a on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There will be no morning meetings on Wednesdays since we have early dismissal those days and students will go straight to their classroom on these mornings. Each week a class leads the school in a new song. There are also student performances and lots of learning opportunities during morning meeting. We end our meetings with a mindful moment and one minute of silent reflection. Morning meeting marks the beginning of our school day and your child will be marked tardy if they are not present by 8:00a. It is an important part of our school day and we can’t imagine starting our day without your child. Please ensure that your student arrives on time each day.
Can students get breakfast at school?
Of course! Breakfast is served from 7:30-7:50a each morning. Please plan to have your child at school prior to 7:50a if you wish for him/her to eat breakfast at school. It is important that your child has breakfast in the cafeteria during the designated breakfast time. Students miss out on the first block of the day when they are needing to eat breakfast in the classrooms. Instruction in classrooms begins immediately following school wide morning meeting on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and promptly at 8a on Wednesdays.
What’s happening on Wednesdays?
Students dismiss early (at 1:30p) on Wednesdays so teachers can have time to meet as teams and engage in collaborative planning and/or professional development. This is a critical time for our teachers and supports quality instruction on every level. Due to it being a shorter academic day, we do not have morning meeting on Wednesdays. Students will go straight to their classrooms as they arrive at school in the morning. Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their classrooms by 8:00a.
What do we do about school supplies?
ANCS purchases school supplies and materials for all of our students. Each year we ask families to donate $25.00 to help cover the cost of the supplies and, if you are able, to donate extra to cover the cost for another family who is unable to donate at this time. You can make that donation here now or you can make your donation by check or card when you come to the open house on Monday, August 3rd.
Are there any new staff members at the Elementary Campus?
Yes! We look forward to welcoming the following new staff members this year:
- Anu Chiluveru – 3rd grade lead teacher
- Kayla Stewart – 1st grade lead teacher
- Sami Adane – 2nd grade associate teacher
- Melody Cruz – 5th grade associate teacher
- Laura Hiers – 1st grade associate teacher
- Megan Moore – K-2 Instructional Coach
- Annelise Kristoffersen – Farm Associate Teacher
- Emma Zelski – 3rd grade teacher
I know that is a lot of information, and you may still have some questions. Many of those will most likely be answered during the Open House, but feel free to reach out if you’d like. We look forward to seeing you all on Monday, August 3rd and getting the 26-27 school year underway!
Sincerely,
Nicole
Nicole King
In 2017, Nicole King returned to ANCS as a 1st Grade Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Agnes Scott College (2005) and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (2012). Before her return to ANCS, she taught at Trinity School in Atlanta for 5 years (2012-2017), Billingsville Elementary School in Charlotte for 3 years (2009-2012), and Neighborhood Charter School as a 1st Grade Teacher (2006-2009).
