WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK...

Hello Parents,

We have had an amazing week, which has included a P.J.’s day, parent teacher conferences, a visit from Paul Heggen, and a chapel program lead by our 4^th grade classes. It was an especially thrilling week for me, and you know why. Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes. I can’t express how touched I was by all the love and gifts I received on Tuesday(see "Eagle News" tab for pictures of the events mentioned above).

Thursday’s chapel lesson was brought to us by our fourth graders.  Robert Watkins led us in singing, and all of his classmates helped build the acronym, “EHCS is COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE.”  Each student stated what his or her letter represented, followed by a scripture. It was truly inspiring to watch the leadership of our older students as they engaged our younger students and set a good example for them. Reed Steimle closed the worship with a prayer.

Friday, we will have our first of many “Donuts with the Principal.” If your child has made the honor roll or principal’s list, they will get to join me in celebrating this achievement with donuts. We have an intelligent group of students, and I’m proud of each and every one of them! They are to be commended!! 

Also Friday NIGHT, we have Battle of the Buildings! The theme for this week’s game is “Camo Night”, and everyone who comes to the game dressed in camouflage will receive candy from me! I will, of course, be decked out in camo, and I may blend in, so students will have to look very hard for me at the game! WE ARE NOT WEARING CAMO TO SCHOOL- only to the game tomorrow night!! I hope to see you all there, if you can make it, but I also hope you can’t see me.  HAHA!

To conclude our unit on Animals from A-Z, kindergarten recently took a trip to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.  Some of our favorite animals were the zebras, monkeys, and giraffes. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot.

We are participating in the Music City Kids Marathon this year. This one-mile fun run (1/2mile for Kindergarten) will take place on Friday, April 27, 2012. You can register your child at the following link: http://ingkidsrock.competitor.com/event-info/nashville/

This Halloween, which is on a Monday, our students will be allowed to wear a Halloween-themed shirt. NO COSTUMES are allowed, students may wear a holiday shirt with jeans on this particular Monday.

**In the future, students will have the opportunity to earn additional dress-up days.

As always, be sure to check out the tabs. I have new pictures under the “Eagle News” tab. There are many items on the blog that will keep you connected with the many activities going on in our building.  Be sure to check it all out!

Paul Heggen, from News Channel 4, visited our school yesterday and did a weather presentation for all grades. The students asked well-thought out questions and really seemed to be intrigued by the elements of the weather! Mr. Heggen also mentioned us on the news this morning!

Mrs. Speck is sending home Scholastic Software orders this week and they are due next Wednesday,Oct 5.  All checks are made payable to EzellHarding.  This is the first of 4 orders that will be sent home this year. Online ordering is also available.

UPCOMING DATES/EVENTS:

Tuesday, October 4^th=Prize Scramble for 1^st Fundraiser

Tuesday, October 4^th=FLU SHOTS

Friday, October 7^th=Parker Uniform Sale in Auxiliary Gym

Tuesday, October 11^th=Chuckie Cheese for 1^st Fundraiser

Wednesday, October 12^th= Make-Up Pictures

Last week’s “Dinner Discussion” winners:

What is your favorite board game?

#1 Answer: Monopoly

What is your favorite type of movie?

#1 Answer: Comedy

Check out this week’s questions for discussion. 

Super, Super Week...

Don't forget that report cards (1st-4th grade) will be e-mailed this Friday, September 23rd.

Conferences are on Monday and Tuesday. The students will have a half day of school on both days.

Next week, we will dress up with the middle school for spirit week.  Monday, we will be wearing P.J.s, and Friday, we will be in regular spirit day attire. Please make sure on Monday that if your child is going to extended they bring SHOES(if they are dressing up in P.J's) and a lunch!

I have added several new pictures from last week's activities. If you will look under the "Eagle News" and "Work/Friends" tabs, you will see our students dressing up, having a pep rally, and seeing the floats. The students had a wonderful time dressing up! It was so neat seeing their choices on what to wear and to participating with the whole school. At our pep rally on Thursday, we introduced our 4th-grade cheerleaders and football players in front of the whole elementary! We are proud of their efforts this season. 


We had the Fine Arts Academy Chorus sing the National Anthem at Friday night's homecoming game. Laura Ice lead the wonderful group of 3rd-6th graders, and they did an amazing job. I am so proud of our students!


Today, we had school-wide chapel.  Mr. Vincent Windrow, a local minister in the Antioch area, brought us our lesson.  He actively involved our students, letting them join him in illustrating the lesson.  He gave a great analogy about an eagle who was raised in a hen house and told he was a chicken.  The eagle lived his entire life believing he was a chicken and never knowing the glory of soaring high and free.  If only he had realized his true identity, he could have known the boundless freedom of being king of the sky.
            In the same way, we should not accept the perceived confines placed on us by circumstances or by others:  we all have the ability to excel and to soar above our limitations.  Moreover, it should be our mission to encourage and include one another, regarding everyone as a part of one unified group.  Just as it would be ludicrous to injure our own bodies or reputations, it should also be equally absurd to bully, intimidate, or gossip about others.  We are all one, and when we help and encourage one another, we are building up ourselves.  Unified in Christ, we can all soar like the eagles we were created to be.

Also new on the blog are several different links. You can now click pictures on the right side bar, and it will lead you to different pages on the blog. Just read below the pictures.

Our fourth graders will be leading chapel service Thursday, September 29th. We look forward to the lesson they will share with us. If you want to see who is speaking each Thursday, click on the link directly above the date of this post. The link is in red and says, "Click Here for Chapel Speakers".

Paul Heggen, with Channel 4 News, is coming on Wednesday, September 28th. The students will love the weather presentation.


**Make-up pictures will be on Wednesday, October 12th at 8 a.m.**


There are new questions this week to discuss at dinner. Don't forget to vote on these under "Dinner Discussions".  Last week, "trustworthy" and "bedtime" won the votes.  Please check out the "Pal" time link, and see what I am reading to the students. Lastly, if you need a pick-me-up, you will find "Inspirational Thoughts" on the right side bar toward the bottom! Take a glance; I want everyone to feel encouraged.

 Below, you will find a copy of the flyers that are posted in the Elementary about Flu Shots!

 

Don’t let

the FLU

BUG you

this season!                

Flu Shot Clinic

 Ezell-Harding Christian School will offer a flu shot clinic on October 4^th from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. It will be located in the Elementary School Lobby located at 574 Bell Road Antioch, TN 37013

· The clinic is open to Students, Parents, Faculty, Staff, Family and Community Members.

· The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people, 6 months of age or older, be vaccinated to protect them from the Flu. This annual vaccine is the best way to reduce ones possibiltiy of getting the Flu.  It also promotes school and work attendance.

· The cost is $20 per shot for everyone. Insurance is not accepted. Cash and even Checks are accepted with checks made payable to Shots Etc.

· Shots are administered by specially-trained, licensed/registered nurses.

· Informed Consent Release Forms are available online at www.ezellharding.com

· Other Services offered include the Pneumonia Vaccine, B12 Shots, Tetanus Shots, and Boosters. The FluMist Nasal Spray is available for $35.

*Middle School and High School students may receive their shot without a parent/guardian present as long as they have the signed parent consent form and payment with them. All Elementary students must have a parent/guardian present to receive their shot.

For further information please email alisa.mitchell@ezellharding.com

Such an Exciting Time...

We thank the many parents who attended open house on Tuesday night. Thank you for spending your evening with us! We enjoyed seeing all of you again and sharing school activities with you. As many of you saw, there was a video playing in the classrooms and the Eagle's Nest. That video is now on the blog. If you look right above this post, you will find a link to click, and the video will be right there to watch! Enjoy! **Thank you, room moms and PTO parents, for all of your hard work! You are appreciated!**

Yesterday, we took our school pictures. We gave our best smiles, and we can't wait to see our pictures!

Wow! We had 41 terrific ticket winners this morning(see "Terrific Ticket" tab to see updated winners). It was such a blessing to see all the parents and family members come and join us for chapel. Mr. Sam Yinger, our Vice President, spoke a great lesson on LOVE. He told the students how much their parents love them as well as the teachers but most importantly how much God loves them. What a wonderful thing to hear first thing this morning. Thank you Sam and thank you parents for joining us! 

This year, we will be e-mailing our report cards instead of printing them out. 1st-4th grade will receive report cards at the end of the school day next Friday via e-mail. Since we can all check grades on RenWeb ahead of time, you may choose to print off the report card from your e-mail if you would like a paper copy. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten will receive reports cards as usual, due to the nature of their work. 

Just a reminder parents if your child come in after 7:45 a.m. you must come in with your child to sign them in. Thank you!

Kindergarten took a field trip this Morning to kick off our Apple Unit. While we were there we had the opportunity to learn about apples, using all five senses. We tasted things made from apples. The kindergarteners smelled the sweetness of apples, apple cider, and honey. The sense of hearing and touch was used while we were making apple cider. We also saw how they could core, cut, and peel an apple at the same time. In the end, each kindergartner was able to go home with a bag of apples and an apple cup. There is a video below that you can watch of their field trip. LOOK UNDER THE "EAGLE NEWS" TAB TO SEE PICTURES OF THEIR FIELD TRIP.

This week on the blog, you will find several news things. There is a new link for "pal" time where you can see what stories I am reading with your child's class each week. There is a "teacher feature" page as well, where you can see and learn about our staff. The VIDEO from Open House is located on the right side of the blog. It says,"school video-click here". Lastly, there are some new pictures up in "Eagle News" about book buddies, and some in "Work/Friends" where you can find our children building relationships. 

Mrs. Walters's 3rd-grade class discussed the events of 9/11. Few adults have forgetten where they were on 9/11. However, ten years on, a new generation is growing up whose members have no personal recollection of the attacks. To them, 9/11 is something that belongs to their parents' era. Mrs. Walters, like many of our families, has a military son, and she felt it was important to discuss the events of that day and how it impacted the lives of many Americans and our country as a whole. For most of us, regardless of how we discuss the events of that day, the experience will never be forgotten.

Coming up NEXT Thursday, we have had a change in plans. The first Thursday of every six weeks is now a School-Wide Chapel. This is such a great opportunity for our entire school to worship and sing praise to God as one group. Therefore, our fourth graders will be leading chapel service Thursday, September 29th. We look forward to the lesson they will share with us. If you want to see who is speaking each Thursday, click on the link right above the date of this post. The link is in red and says, "Click Here for Chapel Speakers".

Paul Heggen with channel 4 news is now coming on Wednesday, September 28th. The students will love the weather presentation.

Dinner Discussion winners are ice cream and invisibility! Let's see what those questions are this week!

We Want to Cordially Invite You to....

Dear Ezell-Harding Elementary Parents,

You are cordially invited to attend the 2011 Ezell-Harding Elementary School OPEN HOUSE with your child on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn your child’s routine and ask general questions about your child’s school day and curriculum.  Your child can provide you with a tour of his/her classroom, as well as the library, art room, music room, Spanish room and computer lab. It is an exciting time here at school, and we want you to see what is happening in our building. 

The PTO will have a table set up in the lobby with items of interest! :)

The staff and students look forward to having you here with us on this special night, as we officially open the 2011-2012 school year for families. Here’s to new beginnings for everyone!

I look forward to a big turnout and the opportunity for everyone to see old friends and make new ones.

**Below, you will find the email that was sent out on Friday afternoon. This is just a reminder of all the events happening this week! 

P.S. The students can wear jeans on Thursday and Friday in honor of "spirit week."

Hello Parents,

Next week is Homecoming! High School is going to have a "spirit week," and we as a school want to be as connected and involved as possible.  Next Thursday and Friday, we will dress up with the high schoolers for "spirit week."

Thursday will be Float Theme Day.

**Students can wear a T-shirt (NO COSTUMES) with any of the following characters:  Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Power Rangers, and Sponge Bob.  These types of T-shirts can be found inexpensively at Target and Wal-Mart, but please don't feel like you have to buy anything; dressing up is purely optional. I'm excited, and will, of course, dress up both days!

Friday is Crazy Red and White Day.

**Students can dress up in red and white colors.

We are excited about the big week and the big game! Our students love to be involved and want to be a part of all the activities on campus. With the high school and 4th grade cheerleaders leading the way, we will have our own pep rally Thursday afternoon at 2:15! This should get us all in the spirit for Friday's game!

**REMINDER**

Wednesday: Picture Day (Come dressed in school uniforms)

It's September...

Another wonderful week has come and gone! I hope you all enjoyed your three-day weekend! There are many things happening this week. To start, piano lessons and the Fine Arts Academy have begun! We really do have a talented group of students. The 3rd-6th grade chorus will be singing the national anthem next Friday, September 16th. We also have a girl scouts roundup meeting at 2 p.m. and a meeting with the parents at 6:30 p.m. tonight.


OPEN HOUSE is next Tuesday, September 13th from 5-7 p.m. I hope you all are able to come by and see what our students are accomplishing in the elementary. They have been working tremendously hard, and I know they want to show off their talents and what they've been learning! See you all next week!



Picture day is also coming up next week. It will take place on Wednesday, September 14th! Have your child come to school with their pearly whites showing!


On September 20th, we will have a special guest speaker.  Paul Heggen, the meteorologist from channel 4, will be coming to talk to our students about the weather! It will be exciting to see his program!


The "Eagle News" tab and "Work/Friends" tab are constantly being updated with new pictures and events each week. Don't forget to check it out.
**Be sure to see our 4th-grade boys in action under the "Eagle News" tab. They go out and play hard each week!
**Also, the 4th-grade Dr. Dodgeball pictures can be found under the "Work/Friends" tab.

Kevin Kidd was here on Friday. He did a performance for our pre-kindergartners and kindergartners. By the close of the show, the children had learned a song about the theme, discussed appropriate behavior, sang some silly sung, and bounced like kangaroos. See pictures under the "Eagle News" tab.

Our pre-kindergartners also "played with worms." They read Diary of a Worm and talked about how the worms take care of the earth. Then the students got to play, examine, and magnify them. At the close of the lesson, they got to make their own Diary of a Worm journal. 


I got to witness our "book buddies" in action this week. This is a wonderful program where our teachers have the 4th-grade students buddy up with kindergartners and 1st-grade students. They spend time working with them on different assignments. It is so wonderful to see them working together. Our younger students really look up to them. Way to go, fourth graders, and keep being the positive role models that you are!


Mrs. Bebout would like to remind everyone that Birthday Book money is due on Friday, September 16th.


We had another wonderful speaker today! Thank you, Mr. Jones, for coming and teaching our kids a valuable lesson on how God loved us first! We also got to honor some more terrific ticket winners! I'm so proud of our students. On a side note, feel free to come to our chapel any time, and help us bring glory and praise to God! (Please see "Chapel Speakers" tab to see the upcoming speakers, because our fourth graders will be doing chapel two weeks from today.)


Girl Scout Roundup tonight at 6:30 p.m. The girls met with the leaders today and seemed very excited!




We had another good week of "Pal" time. My story this week was very short but it had an important lesson. The students got to hear about a man who stole wheat from different fields, and he used his daughter as a lookout. Every time he got to a new field, she would say, "Someone sees you," and he would look around and see no one. In the end, he gets upset, because he cannot physically see any one. The daughter goes on to say, "someone sees you from above." The moral of the story is that God is always watching us, whether we can physically see Him or not. So let us make good choices based on the fact that He sees us!


Our "Dinner Discussions" are going great, but I could use some more votes! It doesn't take long to read my long post :) and vote! Last week's question had 2 stand-out winners. Electricity and Cars took the most votes! I will say those are great choices! 

An Amazing Week...

Wow! We are so proud of our 33 Terrific Ticket winners this past week! We are committed to excellence, and honoring them today in chapel is a way to show how committed these students are to making the right choices. Way to go students (see Terrific Ticket tab)!! Thank you, Pete Sullivan, for your wonderful lesson this morning, and I believe our students will remember to do those 4 things for homework!!

New on the Blog:
**This week, under the Eagle News tab, you will find pictures of the latest activities/happenings in our building. You will see the 4th grade cheerleaders and football players in action, as well as the boy scout meeting and the puppet show the preschoolers got to attend last week.
**Under the NEW TAB, "Work/Friend", you will find photos of students' work as well as random photos of friends. They love being together, and we try to consistently instill in them a love for one another. Check out the photos, and there will be more to come!
    **On the right side, you will now see 3 links you can click, and I just wanted you to be aware of them. You can keep up with our chapel speakers and the newsletters that go out to all 3 schools each month! Also,  you can find new "Dinner Discussion" questions there: check them out and vote! Martin Luther King Jr. and Walt Disney tied on the vote for the historic person you would like to meet most, and Nobel Prize was the winner in the other poll!! **You will also find a link to the school's website, and very soon, under the "Elementary" section of the school's website, you will find a link there to my blog/newsletter.

The Happenings in the Elementary:
--A Girl Scout meeting will take place next Thursday, September 8th. This meeting will be with the girls at 2 p.m. in the Eagle's Nest and then with the parents at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.


--Fine Arts Academy begins on Tuesday, September 6th! This academy will offer students the opportunity to more fully develop their interests and talents in art, drama, and music. The sessions will be from 3:00-4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday:
*Monday:      1st and 2nd Grade - Art Club
                     3rd and 4th Grade - Drama Club
*Tuesday:      3rd and 4th grade - Chorus
*Wednesday: 3rd and 4th grade - Art Club. 
*Thursday:    3rd and 4th grade - Chorus
If you have questions, please contact Laura Ice. 


--Homecoming T-shirt money is due this Friday. Please send it in as soon as possible.


--"Pal" Time is going really well. I have enjoyed being in the classroom, as I mentioned last week, and I encourage you to ask your child about the story.  It was a good lesson about a king who reacted out of anger. It shows how we should take a step back before we let our tempers dictate our actions and get us in trouble like the king. 


--Open House Tuesday, September, 13th from 5-7 p.m.
--Picture Day Wednesday, September, 14th.