Principal's Message
Welcome back to our nest, Elmhurst Eagle families!
The Elmhurst team has been busily working to prepare for our return to full in-person learning, and we could not be more excited. We have been living in a time of continual change since March 2020, and we will do our very best to provide all of the academic and social emotional assistance necessary to ensure every student has a successful school year.
Safety is always our number one priority, so we will be following Department of Health guidelines to keep everyone safe. Our staff recently participated in Lockdown Training by the Ventura Police Department to ensure we are prepared for an emergency should it present itself. We will also continue with our monthly fire drills, as well as earthquake drills.
We are a certified AVID Elementary School, so you will see AVID strategies and assignments incorporated into your child’s learning. AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) teaches students fundamental learning, study and academic behavioral skills. It is designed to be embedded into daily instruction; it encompasses writing, collaboration, organization, and reading using research-based strategies that have proven to be successful. Two years ago we began working on creating an AVID room on site to allow classes to do presentations and participate in Socratic Seminars in a comfortable, less formal classroom. We look forward to students being able to use our AVID room as well as our Science Lab/Makerspace this year to advance their learning.
If you have not already done so, please register for Parent Square, as this is the main platform for school and district communication.
There are two childcare opportunities available on our campus. The YMCA and PEAK/ASES programs offer childcare and tutoring after school. Information was previously sent regarding registration for those programs, but if you still need it, please contact us at (805) 289-1860. (The PEAK/ASES program is currently being held at Westpark. Students have bus transportation there and back every day after school.)
In addition to our remaining fabulous staff members, we welcome a few new teachers to our team this year. Jillian Philpott will be teaching a 2/3 combination class, Duane Caster will be moving from Math Intervention to 3rd grade, and Peggy Masryanski will be talking over as our Math Intervention teacxher.Kendall Wightman joined us after school had started last year as a Distance Learning teacher. She will be collaborating with Megan Wantz in fourth grade. Melissa Frazier will be joining Ryan Oas on our fifth grade team. Both of these educators have an abundance of energy, creativity and love of teaching and we feel tremendously lucky to have them at Elmhurst.
Attendance impacts learning, so if your child is healthy, please ensure they arrive on campus prepared to begin at 7:55. If they must miss due to illness, please contact our Attendance line at extension 1002, and check in with their teacher. We have created magnetic calendars for every family so that you are aware of minimum days and days when we will not be in session. Please use these as you plan family events and vacations.
There are a number of ways you can actively participate at Elmhurst. Our Parent, Staff & Family Organization (PSFO) meets monthly, has open positions and would welcome your participation and ideas. They planned a number of amazing drive-thru events during Distance Learning last year and created our Butterfly garden in the front of the school. They have been meeting over the summer, and have numerous ideas and plans in store! As guidelines allow, we hope to be able to welcome parents back onto campus to share their expertise and time.
Together, we can make learning happen.
Deanna Baczek
Principal
Elmhurst Elementary School