Elementary Principal Letter
Dear ANCS Elementary Families,
We started our week together with an amazing performance from the Manga African Dance Company. Students learned about dances and music from various parts of Africa and the Caribbean and how those dances and traditions have influenced popular dances here in the United States. They also had some fun watching their teachers join the dancers on stage to learn a variation of the Charleston.
This week’s focus for Black History Month is Black Lives Matter at school. We are enjoying hearing from student and teacher voices during our morning meeting and are grateful for the parents who have taken the time to share their stories/knowledge with us. This Friday, February 10th, we are asking everyone to wear something black to school in honor of Black History Month.
Online registration for next school year started January 3rd and is open until February 28th. Amazingly, we have already received over 550 K-8 applications! If you have an incoming sibling for next year, you do need to complete an application by the deadline. You can always feel free to reach out to Kelly Dennis if you have any questions about the application or enrollment process. The lottery takes place on March 7th.
Our second round of parent-teacher conferences begins on February 20th and runs through March 20th. Please be on the lookout for communication from your child’s teachers and make sure you sign up for a time to meet with your child’s teachers. Conferences are an important part of our reporting system. If the times provided are challenging for you, please reach out to the teachers as soon as possible so you can work together to find a time to discuss your child’s progress.
As we are gearing up for these conferences, please keep in mind our guidelines for effective family/school partnerships. You can find a lot of information regarding these partnerships on the ANCS website. We spent a lot of time working with and receiving feedback from families and teachers to create how effective partnerships are supported by our school’s Guiding Principles. If you scroll about half way down the family partnerships page, you will find some helpful tips and expectations for all of us to follow. Just click on each Guiding Principle to read more.
I hope you have a wonderful remainder of your week and as always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
Wishing you well,
Lara
Lara Zelski
Lara Zelski began working at ANCS in 2001. 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.
