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FEBRUARY, 2012

We are now in the third quarter of the school year. We continue to have impressive numbers of students at each grade level qualify for the honor roll. We will be recognizing the second quarter honor roll students in grades 3-5 this coming Wednesday at our quarterly honor roll assembly.

During the next few months, our intermediate grade teachers will be spending quite a bit of time and energy in helping students get ready for the OAA tests which students in grades 3-8 take each April.

Included with this month’s newsletter is a copy of the annual Effective Schools Survey for parents. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and return it to school in the attached envelope. The survey results are important for us as we plan our school improvement activities. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 7 from 6-7 PM for our annual Family Literacy Night. More details about the event will appear in next month’s newsletter, but this is always a great event for our Ely families!

Please help keep your child’s contact information up to date in the school office. If any of your emergency contacts or phone numbers change, please let the office know. Also, if you move during the year, please make sure you provide the school office with your new address. Although we have not had much winter weather this year, the Alert Now system uses the contact numbers in our database for calls when school is canceled.

Have a great month!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


DECEMBER 2011

We have a variety of ways that we reward and recognize students school-wide at Ely School. From time to time a parent will ask me about the various awards and how students are selected for these awards.

One of our “trademark” awards is the Ely Pride award. Staff members present an “Ely Pride” slip to a student who has demonstrated something that all of us can be proud of. When students receive their slip, they keep a copy of it, and place the other copy of the slip in a special box outside of my office. On Friday mornings, we select two boys and two girls to receive the school-wide Ely Pride award, which consists of a certificate, bumper sticker, and the student’s name appearing on our school marquee for the week. The Ely Pride slips stay in the box from week to week, so students might be selected for school recognition in a week that they did not receive their original slip.

Also on Friday mornings, the Principal’s Award, which is sponsored by the downtown McDonald’s, is presented. Staff members nominate students for this award based on an accomplishment or act of kindness which deserves recognition. Typically 15-25 students receive these awards in an average week.

Each month we have a special “Celebrate Success” awards assembly to present students these awards. The Celebrate Success awards consist of approximately 10 different categories. One student from each class is selected to receive an award from each category. Typically, during Celebrate Success assemblies, we present almost 200 awards to students! The dates and times for these assemblies are included in our monthly newsletter, and parents are always welcome to attend this assembly.

There are many exciting events planned for the month of December! I hope to see you at many of our upcoming events!

Lastly, we recognize all of our students in grades 3, 4, and 5 who achieve honor roll with a special honor roll assembly each quarter.

In addition to the school wide recognitions, there are many special awards and rewards that go on in classrooms. I am very proud of our students and it is always nice to recognize them for the many good things they do day in and day out!

There are many holiday events at school planned during the month of December. You can find out more about them in the newsletter.

Have you logged on to Progress Book lately? It’s a great way to keep up with your child’s progress at school!

Have a wonderful holiday season!

From the Principal’s Desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


NOVEMBER, 2011

It’s hard to believe, but the first quarter is almost over! That means report cards and parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for November 9-10, and invitations will be going home with all students on October 31. Please make sure you read the parent-teacher conference letter and complete the bottom potion and return it to school. We want to make sure that every parent has the chance to conference with their child’s teacher. There are also tips on page 2 of the newsletter for parents to prepare for the conference!

The Ely Pride Parents Group fundraiser was a huge success! The sales were so strong that we ended up having 30 students qualify for the limo ride to lunch! We are putting together the final details about this, and will be sending a notice home with those students who qualified in the next week or so. The event is tentatively scheduled for November 22, the day before Thanksgiving break! At this time, we do not have a definite date for when orders will be in for pickup, but we will send a note home a few days prior to pickup.

We just had our first Celebrate Success Awards presentation. It was wonderful to see some many students be recognized by their teachers for doing a great job at school!

Our Scholastic Book Fair will be held November 9-10-11. It will also be open during parent-teacher conferences, so please stop by the stage and check out the Book Fair!

Finally, our annual “When Will It Snow” contest is underway. Each student and staff member guessed the day that they think we will have our first inch of snow in Elyria. The guesses are decorating the bulletin board outside my office. This is always a fun contest at the school! Check it out next time you are in the building!

Have a great month of November and Happy Thanksgiving!

From the Principal’s Desk,



OCTOBER, 2011

Yesterday (September 28) was an exciting day for Ely School. Our teachers were awarded the Wal-Mart Teachers of the Year for the Wal-Mart store at Chestnut Commons in Elyria. Three representatives from the store came to our school for an assembly, where all of our teachers were presented with a gift bag and gift card from Wal-Mart. In addition, ten lucky teachers each won a $100 gift card from Wal-Mart. We were fortunate enough to have coverage of the event from The Plain Dealer, The Chronicle-Telegram and the Elyria Schools Channel 98. Our teachers are a fantastic group, and it was wonderful for them to earn this award!

I want to thank all of you that attended our Open House on September 15. The turnout was huge and I really appreciate all of the positive comments I heard from parents about all of the wonderful things going on at Ely School. As the year goes on, I encourage parents to keep informed! Please check your child’s Progress Book account regularly, watch for updates of upcoming events on our school website, and follow us on Twitter for text alerts and reminders! Parent-teacher conferences are coming up in early November, so there will be another chance for you to spend some time talking with your child’s teacher.

Thank you to the many parents that signed up already to help with Ely Pride Parent Group events! Their fundraiser ends next week on October 4. Our students benefit from the many activities they support, so your support in their fundraiser is very much appreciated!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee Jr.



SEPTEMBER, 2011

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! On behalf of the entire staff at Ely School, I would like to welcome all of our new and returning families.

We started the school year with some great news when the Ohio Department of Education released school report cards. Ely improved in 7 of the 8 areas on the ODE report card, and also meet all of the requirements for No Child Left Behind! Meeting the “Adequate Yearly Progress” of NCLB has become a challenge for many schools as the requirements have greatly increased (and will continue to increase each year). Please take some time to read the specific information on page 2.

Our monthly school newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with events happening at the school. You can always also find a copy of our school newsletter on our school website; www.elyriaschools.org/ely. Many of our classroom teachers also maintain webpages on our school site.

This year, we are also going to use Twitter to send out reminders and information to parents. If you have a Twitter account, you can follow us @ElySchool. Twitter users can receive emails or text alerts when updates are sent out. If you don’t have a Twitter account (they’re free), you can simply go to www.twitter.com/elyschool and see the “tweets”.

I would also like to invite parents to attend our first Ely Pride Parents Group meeting of the year on September 9 at 9:15 AM in the library. Information about various parent group sponsored events during the year will be shared. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the many events we offer for our students.

I am looking forward to another great year at Ely School!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jack Dibee, Principal



MAY/JUNE, 2011

It’s hard to believe that this is the last newsletter of the school year! When we return from Spring Break, we have six and a half weeks left in the school year. It will be a very busy time period. Please take some time to review all of the upcoming and end of year events mentioned in the newsletter.

When we return from Spring Break, OAA testing begins almost immediately for students in grades 3-5. Our students and staff have worked hard preparing students to do their best on the OAA. These tests are an important measure of how your child stacks up against the state standards. There are several things parents can do to help their child(ren) be rested and prepared to give the OAA’s their best effort. Our school counselor, Mrs. Becka, lists many great suggestions and ideas in her article on page two. Please encourage your child(ren) to take some time over Spring Break to read and do some educational games online if you have access to computers and the internet!

The end of the school year is an exciting time for everyone, but its important that the students remember that they need to work hard up until the end of the school year. Remember, Progress Book is a great way to keep up to date with your child’s progress at school!

From the principal’s desk,



APRIL, 2011

As we get ready to begin the month of April, there are a couple of schedule reminders I would like to make.

Friday, April 1 is Teacher Records Day. There is no school for students on April 1. Also, there is no school on Monday, April 4. This day was a day off from school that was identified as a possible calamity make-up day. However, the district has announced that this day is not needed as a calamity make-up day, therefore school will not be in session on April 4.

The third quarter is almost over! Student report cards will be sent home with students on Friday, April 8. As a reminder, you can always check your child’s progress online using Progress Book. If you have misplaced your login information for Progress Book, or did not receive one when you enrolled (for mid-year enrollees), please contact the school office. The Progress Book login link is located on the Elyria Schools homepage at www.elyriaschools.org.

The month of April consists of only 12 school days! Spring Break begins Thursday, April 21 as our first day off from school. School will resume after break on Monday, May 2.

I would like to thank all of the parents and family members in attendance at our annual Family Literacy Night in March. We had over 400 people attend the event! It was great to see so many people in attendance.

I also would like to congratulate all of our 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students on their music performance held earlier in March!

Lastly, thank you to those families that ordered pizzas from the Ely Pride Parent Group pizza fundraiser. Pickup for the pizzas will be with the April Market Day pickup on April 20.

Enjoy your spring break!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


MARCH, 2011

The month of February is over, and hopefully Spring weather is not too far away!

Last year, for the first time, we participated in the Stomper’s Reading Club program, sponsored by the Lake Erie Crushers. Many of our students earned free tickets to an Ely School night at a Crushers game, and had a great time! It really was a lot of fun, and I hope all of our students will participate this year and earn their free tickets!

I hope everyone will be able to attend our annual Literacy Night on Thursday, from 6-7 PM. There are many events planned and we always have a great turnout at this annual event!

Don’t forget to keep up with your child’s progress at school by logging on to Progress Book regularly!

Thank you for your continued support of our school!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


FEBRUARY, 2011

The school year is more than half-way over as we begin the month of February. There are many great things going on at school this month.

Today you should have received an Effective School Survey to complete and return to school. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing this annual survey.

It’s not too late to order a school yearbook. Yearbook orders are due February 11. Additional order forms are available in the school office.

Last month we began offering before-school tutoring in grades 3-5 for students to prepare for the upcoming Ohio Achievement Assessments. We have over 70 students participating in our tutoring sessions on Thursdays and Fridays. If your child was invited, and has not yet signed up, it’s not too late!

The Elyria Schools is once again planning a Mardi Gras fundraiser for Tuesday, March 1 from 5-8 PM at Nick Abraham Ford . Tickets are available in the school office. More information about the event is located on page 2 of the newsletter.

We will be doing our annual three-day magazine sale this month. This is a great opportunity for you and family members to renew magazines you currently subscribe to and help the school. We will not be doing a cookie-dough sale this year.

Lastly, during our busy student drop-off and pick-up times, it is very important that everyone follow the procedures we have in place in order to keep safe paths for our students and the traffic moving. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


JANUARY, 2011

Welcome to 2011! I hope all of you had the opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends over our holiday break.

Each year from January through OAA testing in May, we really step up our efforts on getting students prepared for the OAA. Student performance on the OAA is the main way schools are evaluated in the State of Ohio. Our efforts in making sure we get students to not only pass the OAA, but perform at the highest levels possible is of the utmost importance. Not only do we look at individual student performance, but we also look at trend data and school, grade and teacher performance as we make decisions about curriculum and student instruction.

Again this year we will be offering before school tutoring to identified students in grades 3-5 to help them prepare for the OAA. The tutoring will begin later in January. If your child receives an invitation, I strongly hope that you will consider having your child attend these twice a week sessions. This year, we are going to be using a computer based tutoring program as our main emphasis. This will surely be an excellent opportunity to help your child succeed!

Happy New Year!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


DECEMBER, 2010

The first quarter of the school year is over. I am very excited about how well so many of our students did in the first quarter. We had 110 students in grades 3-5 make honor roll. These students had to have all A’s and B’s, with at least one A in a major subject to earn honor roll status. This is the largest number of students we have had on the honor roll for three grades!

We also had a large number of students who were simply one subject away from making honor roll. At a special assembly last week, I talked with the students about ways that they can keep track of their progress, and get assistance when needed, so we can have even more students achieve honor roll status this quarter!

A reminder to parents that Progress Book is online for you to regularly check your child’s progress. Our teachers in grades 3-5 have also taught the students how to log on and check their own progress. If you ever misplace your parent access login or password, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office to have it sent home to you.

We recently received the results of the 3rd grade fall administration of the Reading Ohio Achievement Assessment. I am happy to report that Ely had the largest year to year gain and tied for the highest percentage of students passing out of any school in our district Congratulations to our students and teachers on this accomplishment!

There are many exciting events planned for the month of December! I hope to see you at many of our upcoming events!

Have a wonderful holiday season!


October, 2010

The new school year is off to a great start! It’s nice to still see so many smiles on the students each morning as they come to school! Our staff is working hard on building on their energy and excitement to help them learn and achieve at the highest level.

Have you logged onto Progress Book yet? We sent home Progress Book logins and passwords with parents at Open House, or the next day with the student if their parent was unable to make it to Open House. If you did not receive a Progress Book login/password, or misplaced it, please contact the school office and we will gladly send a new one.

I have asked our teachers to make sure they are updating Progress Book at least once every other week. Many of the teachers are updating it much more frequently! By checking Progress Book frequently, you can have the information to talk with your child and/or your child’s teacher if grades begin to slip, or you have other questions or concerns.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour the new Elyria High School. It was amazing...to say the least. The new high school is just beyond anything you could ever imagine. I hope you will take the time to tour the new high school later in October when public tours begin. There will be some tours in conjunction with the Elyria Schools Tailgate Party on October 22. More information about his event is printed on page four of the newsletter.

From the Principal’s Desk,

Dr. Jack M.. Dibee, Jr.


September, 2010

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! On behalf of the entire staff at Ely School, I would like to welcome all of our new and returning families.

It was nice to hear so many positive comments from the students about how they looked forward to the first day of school, especially after our extra long summer break!

Don’t forget to attend our open house on Thursday, September 3. More information about the event is located on this page in the newsletter.

Last year, we piloted the online Progress Book program to keep parents informed of their child(ren)’s progress during the year. This program is being utilized district wide this year. I strongly encourage you to utilize this program on a regular basis. It’s a great way to keep track of how your child is doing at school, and ask questions if your child’s grades begin to slip. We will be sending home parent access information in the next few days.

Our monthly school newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with events happening at the school. You can always also find a copy of our school newsletter on our school website; www.elyriaschools.org/ely. Many of our classroom teachers also maintain webpages on our school site.

I would also like to invite parents to attend our first Ely Pride Parents Group meeting of the year on September 10 at 9:15 AM in the library. Information about various parent group sponsored events during the year will be shared. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the many events we offer for our students.

I am looking forward to another great year at Ely School!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jack Dibee, Principal


May/June, 2010

Another school year is drawing to a close! It’s hard to believe that we are six weeks away from the last day of school!

Our Ohio Achievement Assessment testing is over! Testing week went very well, and attendance was excellent. Our students worked hard and were well-prepared by our excellent staff.

Parent access to Progress Book begins May 3. I am very excited about this tool as it will allow parents to be able to more easily keep track of their child’s academic progress at school. Our school is very fortunate to have been selected by the district as one of the pilot schools for this program. We will begin Progress Book in full implementation at the start of the school year next year!

This month’s newsletter contains details about many of the upcoming events. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions about the upcoming events.

Please don’t forget to vote on May 4!

I look forward to seeing everyone in the upcoming events at school. I hope all of you have a great and enjoyable summer. See you in September!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


April, 2010

As we get ready to begin the month of April, there are many exciting events going on at Ely School!

First, I would like to thank all of the parents and friends in attendance at our Family Literacy Night in March, and our Ely Goes Disney music performance by our 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders last week!

A quick reminder that all Lake Erie Crushers reading program forms are due on Monday, April 12, when we return from Spring break! We have to physically take the forms to the stadium on the 12th, so late forms can not be accepted. Those students meeting the criteria for the program will earn tickets to the Crushers game on June 16 vs. Washington Wild Things at 7:05 PM.

OAA testing begins on April 19. These tests are extremely important for both student and school accountability progress. Please read through the tips on page 3 of the newsletter. Please also make sure your child is at school, on time for testing days. There are lunch schedule changes for all grades during testing week, so please check the schedule out on page 4.

Also in the newsletter is information about the Elyria Schools levy on May 5. There is additional information on the Elyria Schools website at www.elyriaschools.org.

Enjoy your spring break!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


March, 2010

The month of February is over, and hopefully all of our students enjoyed their snow day on Friday. It was interesting to hear in the news this weekend that Ohio is considering creating e-Learning days to help school districts address calamity days. It will be interesting to see what happens with this idea. Technology has changed enough to the point that this just might be a feasible idea. Stay tuned!

Last week we kicked off Stomper’s Reading Club, sponsored by the Lake Erie Crushers. The end result of this (more details later in the newsletter) is that students can earn a free ticket to an Ely School night at a Lake Erie Crushers game this summer. This will be a lot of fun, and I hope all of our students meet their goal. Stomper, the Crushers mascot, will come to Ely to distribute tickets to those students who earn them, in an assembly to be held after Spring Break.

I hope everyone will be able to attend our annual Literacy Night on Wednesday, from 6-7 PM. There are many events planned!

Thank you for your continued support of our school!





February, 2010

The school year is more than half-way over as we begin the month of February. There are many great things going on at school this month.

Last week you should have received an Effective School Survey to complete and return to school. It’s not too late to complete your survey. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing this annual survey.

It’s not too late to order a school yearbook. Yearbook orders are due February 12. Additional order forms are available in the school office.

Our second grading period is over. Report cards went home last week. Congratulations to those students in grades 3-5 that made it onto our honor roll!

Beginning with the 3rd quarter, our student report cards will look different. Ely is one of two Elyria schools piloting the Progress Book program. This program will change the way student report cards are presented, and eventually (most likely in the 4th quarter) there will be some online access for parents to keep track of their child’s progress at school. Stay tuned as more information about this exciting program is still being implemented.

Last month we began offering before-school tutoring in grades 3-5 for students to prepare for the upcoming Ohio Achievement Assessments. We have over 70 students participating in our tutoring sessions on Thursdays and Fridays.

Ely’s student council has begun a penny drive for the Haiti relief fund. The drive continues through February 12.

The Elyria Schools is once again planning a Mardi Gras fundraiser. More information about this event is located on page 4 of the newsletter. Tickets are available in the school office.

Lastly, we are once again partnering with our neighbors across the street, the American Legion, to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring. We will be accepting any boxed or canned goods (not just soup) through February 12. All donations will be given to the Salvation Army. Thank you for your cooperation in this worthy cause!

Have a great month!

From the Principal’s Desk,

Dr. Jack Dibee,


January, 2010

Happy New Year everyone! It looks like January with the snow falling outside. I am sure we will be in store for many more days like today in the next few months. Hats, gloves, and other snow gear seem to add up quickly in our lost and found. Please label your child’s items so we can get them back to them when they are found!

I would like to thank the many volunteers we had helping with our various December events. We had many, many volunteers helping with Santa’s Shop! There were also several parents helping with Lunch with Santa and of course the classroom parties! Lastly, thanks to the thirty or so of volunteers who helped chaperone the 4th and 5th grade dance!

We have just a few weeks left in the second quarter. The time between now and spring break is a very busy and pretty demanding time for students, especially in those grades that administer the Ohio Achievement Assessment in April. Please check your child’s assignment notebook daily to help them stay on track with their assignments!

Parent-teacher conferences are coming up at the end of January. For the January conferences, teachers will contact those parents they need to have a conference with. If you are not contacted by your child’s teacher, but wish to have a conference, please feel free to contact the school office to have one setup. Conference invitations will go home mid-January.

I wish all of you a safe, happy and prosperous 2010! A new year gives new hope, and a new chance to set goals!

DECEMBER, 2009

Thank you to everyone who supported the Elyria City Schools operating levy renewal! Your support is greatly appreciated!

It was great to see so many of you at parent-teacher conferences! Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher during the school year if you have any concerns. We are all here to help provide the best education we can for your children!

During the month of December, we have a lot of exciting activities going on at school. Please check the newsletter for the list of upcoming events. Many of these events are successful due to the tremendous efforts of our parent volunteers!

I would like to thank Paul Moore for donating the new “Ely School Mission Statement” banner hanging in the hallway. Next time you are in the building, check it out!

Each year, every student makes an ornament for the Ely Christmas Tree! Our tree is now on display in the main hallway. The decorations look great! Thanks to our art teacher, Mrs. Stewart, for coordinating this project!

I wish all of you the very best this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From the principal’s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


NOVEMBER, 2009

Thank you to everyone that donated to our food drive for the Second Harvest Food Bank. We easily surpassed our goal of 1,000 items thanks to your generosity! Our building total was 2,331 items! Mrs. Cardwell’s 3rd grade class collected the most items (211) and will receive a pizza party.

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for the first week of November. If you have not received your conference notification form yet, please contact your child’s teacher. We hope all parents and guardians will be able to attend these important conferences.

Horizon Activity Center in Elyria still has spots open for their tutoring program after school. As a result of a grant they received, Ely students can attend for a substantially reduced rate (or possibly free). For more information, contact Kelly Ann Kelly at Horizon’s Elyria office (440) 458-5115.

Our cookie dough and magazine fundraiser is underway and continues until November 10. Orders will arrive in late November and early December, and pickup information will be announced when it is confirmed. Thank you in advance for your support!
Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day! Don’t forget to vote!

Finally, after eight years at Ely School, Mr. Garrett Fitzpatrick, our head custodian, is leaving Ely to take on the position of head custodian at Elyria High School. Mr. Fitzpatrick has done a fantastic job in his years at Ely, and will be missed very much. Best of luck to him in his new position!


OCTOBER, 2009

It’s hard to believe October is almost here! As the cooler weather is beginning to arrive, please help us identify lost and found items by labeling your child’s jackets and other outside apparel with his or her name. We already have a very full lost and found after only a few weeks of school. Remember, students are not allowed to wear clothing with hoods in the classrooms or cafeteria. Students are being reminded to hang the items up in their locker, coatroom or the hallway before entering the classroom or cafeteria.

Our new biometrics scanning for lunch is moving along. We had a slow start getting everyone to learn the system, but the process is moving along better. Remember, you can always prepay your child’s lunches at school using cash or check, if you prefer not to use the online method.

Horizon Activities Centers received a grant from the Ohio Department of Education for after school tutoring for Ely School students in need, at Horizon. This grant also provides discounts for child care. Grant participants must qualify for free or reduced lunch status. To learn more about the program, please contact the school office, or call Horizon at 458-5115

SEPTEMBER, 2009

On behalf of the entire staff at Ely School, I would like to welcome all of our new and returning families. We had a great first day, and it was nice to see so many smiling students and parents in the building.

This year we welcome all-day kindergarten to Ely School. We have four sections of kindergarten this year (as well as four sections of every other grade 1-5). The kindergarten orientation process continues until Thursday, when all of our kindergarten students will attend together for the first time.

Don’t forget to attend our open house on Thursday, September 3. More information about the event is located on this page in the newsletter.

Our monthly school newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with events happening at the school. You can always also find a copy of our school newsletter on our school website; www.elyriaschools.org/ely. Many of our classroom teachers also maintain webpages on our school site.

I would also like to invite parents to attend our first Ely Pride Parents Group meeting of the year on September 11 at 9:15 AM in the art room. Information about various parent group sponsored events during the year will be shared. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the many events we offer for our students.

I am looking forward to another great year at Ely School! Welcome or welcome back to all!


May/June, 2009

Welcome back to school! Usually, we welcome students back to school at the beginning of the school year, but this year has certainly been unusual at the end! I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to all of our Ely families for their support, cooperation and flexibility with the seven unexpected days off!

I am pleased to report that our plan to makeup lost instructional time will only require students to attend one extra day. The new school schedule is posted below and begins on Monday, May 11.

There are many activities and events scheduled between now and our last day of school on June 5th. Please check the calendar on the back page for more information.

There are also a few other end of the school year reminders.

Our lost and found is growing again
Any lost and found items not claimed by the last day of school will be given to charity! Please check the lost and found by the Ohio Street doors for any items your child might have left at school.

We have a few school yearbooks left for sale. The cost is $20 each, and they are available in the school office while supplies last.

If you have not yet paid your school fees for the current year, school fees must be paid before the end of the year!

The school office will be open weekdays until June 19, 2009. Summer office hours are 8 AM-3 PM.

Please help keep our school campus
safe from vandalism over the summer! If you see suspicious behavior on school property during the summer months, please notify the Elyria Police Department.

From the principal¡¯s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


April, 2009

All year long our staff works hard to prepare students for the OAT. The days of reckoning are almost here! OAT Testing begins immediately after Spring Break. There are some great OAT tips from our school counselor, Mrs. Becka, on page 2 of the newsletter. Please take the time to review the tips. Our goal is to have as many students as possible pass every OAT test for their grade level.

Last week, we sent home a letter from Dr. Gordon Dupree, Associate Superintendent for Pupil Services about cell phone abuse. I briefly discussed the content of the letter with students in grades 4-5-6 as well.

Cell phone abuse, including bullying, and ¡°sexting¡± is a rapidly growing problem. If you have not had the chance to talk with your child about the issue, I would strongly encourage you to do so. If you did not receive a copy of the letter, please contact the school office.

As a reminder, students are allowed to bring cell phones to school, but they must be turned off (not on vibrate) during the school day. Any violations will result in the cell phone being confiscated and will require a parent to come to school to retrieve the cell phone.

As many of you know, next year, 6th grade classes are being moved from the elementary schools to the middle schools. This move will provide some great opportunities for students in 6th grade that elementary schools are not able to offer to the same degree. Since this year¡¯s 5th and 6th grade students will be leaving Ely at the end of the year, we have extended many of the traditional ¡°6th grade activities¡± to our 5th grade students as well this year.

Both 5th and 6th grade students will be ¡°clapped out¡± on the last day of school. Our 5th grade students will also attend the field trip to the Football Hall of Fame in May. Our end of year basketball game will feature 5th grade versus 6th grade.

Since the 6th grades will not be housed at Ely next year, we will be offering full-day kindergarten at Ely next year. There is more information about this on pages 4 and 5 of the newsletter. Please help spread the word about upcoming kindergarten registration to any friends or neighbors who might not have any current school-age children.

Enjoy your spring break!


MARCH, 2009

According to the calendar, we are only a few weeks away from the start of Spring! Hopefully the rest of Winter will be tranquil!

We have had several calls at school about kindergarten registration for next school year. The district is currently working on the details, and we will send home more information with students when it is available. The district will continue to offer full-day kindergarten, however sites have not been finalized. We expect to have more specific information in the April newsletter.

During the last full week of March, each of the elementary schools in the Elyria City School District will be participating in a State Diagnostic Team Review, through the Ohio Department of Education. On March 24 and 25, we will have several representatives from the ODS visiting our school, meeting with teachers, visiting classrooms, and reviewing our curriculum and instructional strategies. As part of this process, there will also be focus groups sessions with staff and one with a small group of parents. If you would like to participate in the parent focus group (date/time has not been set yet), please contact the school office. We will contact you when the date/time is set.

I would like to thanks Sherry Repas who attended a focus group session with the ODE related to our school district¡¯s Title 1 program. She along with a parent from each of the district¡¯s elementary schools met with an ODE representative to talk about several district and state initiatives underway.

Thank you parents for bringing your child(ren) to scheduled tutoring sessions! This program is very important to help us achieve our goal to get as many students as possible to pass the OAT tests in April. There are only five more weeks left in the tutoring program, so every day counts!

Our school¡¯s Literacy Cadre and School/Community Cadre have been working hard to plan a Literacy Night on March 5. The event begins at 6:30 PM, and all families are encouraged to attend! There will be a variety of activities and displays during the evening. Students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to attend the event.

From the principal¡¯s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.

FEBRUARY, 2009

After all of the snow the month of January brought, I¡¯m sure many of you will be looking forward to turning the calendar to February!

As many of our families continue to deal with economic struggles, I would like to take a moment and remind you about our free and reduced lunch program. If your income or employment status has changed since the beginning of the school year, you are welcome to fill out an application to see if your child(ren) would qualify for free or reduced price lunches. You can apply at anytime during the school year, not just the beginning of the school year. If you would like more information, simply contact the school office and we can provide you with more information. Currently over 60% of the students at Ely School qualify for free or reduced lunches.

There are also many organizations in Lorain County that have programs to provide assistance with finances, utilities, housing and food. If you need help, and are not sure which agency to contact, you can call 2-1-1, First Call for Help. Our school counselor, Mrs. Becka, may also be able to help put you in touch with other agencies.

Included with this month¡¯s newsletter is a copy of the Effective Schools Survey for parents. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and return it to school in the attached envelope. The survey results are important for us as we plan our school improvement activities.

Ely School has recently enrolled in a reward program from GFS. If you shop at GFS, please let them know you are an Ely School family, so our school can earn a rebate from GFS.

Lastly, we have many students in grades 3-6 participating in our before school tutoring program. It¡¯s never too late to sign your child up for tutoring. If you would like to have your child participate in the tutoring program, please contact the school office for more information.

From the principal¡¯s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


JANUARY, 2009

Welcome to 2009! This morning we had an all-school assembly to kickoff the new year. During the assembly, I talked with students about the great start we have had to the school year, as well as some of my goals for them for the rest of the year. As a follow-up to the assembly each student is setting a ¡°new year¡¯s resolution¡± related to school. I will be displaying some of the resolutions the students came up with on the bulletin board outside my office. It¡¯s important for students to learn to set goals and have a way to work towards their goals.

Starting next week we will be offering before-school tutoring to students in grades 3-6 to help them prepare for the OAT. We sent home invitations to the tutoring program with targeted students shortly before break. We will be contacting parents this week if we have not received confirmation one way or the other. If your child was invited to tutoring, I strongly encourage you to have your child participate in the program. The tutoring is free and we are keeping group sizes low to really help students succeed. While there may be some challenges for parents to arrange transportation to school earlier two days a week, I hope you will find the benefits will be worth it.

I would like to thank the many parent volunteers we had helping with Santa¡¯s Shop, Lunch with Santa and the holiday parties. It was great to have so many parents willing to help out and support our students.

I wish all of you the very best for 2009! Thank you for all you do for Ely School!


DECEMBER, 2008

This year our 1st and 2nd grade Christmas program evening performance will be held at Northwood Junior High. We made the change in order to better accommodate the larger student enrollment and parking needs. It will be a great opportunity for some of our students to get their first ¡°peek¡± at Northwood, and to allow more parents and family members to be able to attend the performance. Our students have been working hard with Mr. Stamatis to get ready for the program.

Now that the colder, snowy weather has arrived, we have had an increase in the number of students picked up and dropped off at school each day. This has added a lot of congestion to an already busy dismissal time, particularly after school. We need everyone¡¯s help to follow the procedures established to ensure student safety and keep traffic flowing.

We need everyone¡¯s cooperation by observing the following:

1. Cars may not be unattended in the drop-off/pick-up loop. If you want to pick your child up at the doors, please park your car in the visitor lot or across the street at the American Legion.

2. Please park only in designated spots in the visitor lot. Lately we have had several people try to park in the through rows or in unmarked spots. This eliminates the paths for students to walk safely to their cars.

3. Please do not pick up students by stopping traffic on Ohio Street.

4. If you are parking at the American Legion, please do not have your child run across Ohio Street. They need to cross Ohio Street at the corner where the crossing guard is located and then walk into the lot.

5. Please make sure your child knows where to look for you if you are picking them up.

6. If your child is normally a bus rider, and is going to be picked up at the end of the day, please send a note in writing to your child¡¯s teacher. Without a note, they will be sent home on the bus.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping follow these procedures.

There are many exciting activities scheduled during the month of December. Please check out the newsletter and calendar page for a listing of these events.

Enjoy your holiday season! Thank you for your continued support of Ely School!


NOVEMBER, 2008

For the first time in the five years I have been principal at Ely, the weather was nice for our Halloween parade, and we were able to be outside. The 5th graders have especially enjoyed reminding me that I have ¡°caused¡± it to rain on the day we celebrated Halloween at school every they have been at Ely. It was great seeing so many parents enjoying the parties and the parade. The students enjoyed the day tremendously.

Parent-teacher conferences are beginning this week. By now you should have received (and returned) a parent-teacher conference notice. I know the teachers have been tracking down the few forms they have not had returned. Please feel free to stop by the office while you are in the building for conferences!

The Elyria Schools is having a presidential election for all students in grades K-6. The students in Mr. Markel¡¯s 6th grade class are coordinating the event for the district, serving as election headquarters. They will be receiving each school¡¯s results and reporting out results on the district¡¯s website.

Speaking of elections, don¡¯t forget to vote on November 4th. There are many important national and local issues on the ballot, including the Elyria School¡¯s levy renewal¡ªIssue 37.

Have a great November!

From the principal¡¯s desk.

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


OCTOBER, 2008

Once the newness of a new school year wears off, it¡¯s easier for students to lose a little focus, or become complacent with school and learning. It¡¯s important for all of us; staff, parents and students to keep the students motivated and help them find ways to succeed. Success comes in all shapes and sizes, and at times its easier to find faults then to find accomplishments. As we begin the month of October, I ask all of you to help our students find and celebrate their successes and to help them stay focused on school and learning!

In this month¡¯s newsletter, there is information about our Halloween activities at school. Please take the time to read it carefully as you consider Halloween costumes for school, to make sure they meet our guidelines.

The first month of school has been a great one. Thank you for all of your support and cooperation!


SEPTEMBER, 2008

As I begin my fifth year as principal at Ely School, I would like to offer a special welcome to all of our new Ely School students and families!

This has been an exciting start to the school year, to say the least. I have truly enjoyed getting to meet all of our new students, and their families. So many of our new and returning families were in attendance at our open house last week. It was very rewarding to hear all of the positive comments about our school and the great start to the year we have enjoyed.

We opened the school year with 510 students, and currently are up to 523 students. The highest enrollment for Ely School that we still have a record of is 561 students during the 1997-98 school year.

A lot of hard work went into getting the school year ready for all of our new students. I want to thank all of the school and district staff for all of the time they put into getting the school ready.

Thank you for your patience as we have been dealing with the congestion on Route 57 and Gulf Road. I know this has caused buses to run late, but hopefully this situation will get better as the project gets closer to completion. Your patience is very much appreciated at dismissal time in following school procedures. Please remember, if you are utilizing the parent pick-up/drop-off loop on Ohio Street that you must stay with your vehicle at all times. If you would like to park your car and greet your child at the school door, please use either the visitor lot or American Legion lot.

This year, we focusing on high expectations for all students. Throughout the year, our students will be receiving reminders of our expectations, as well as instruction in how to meet the expectations. Before school started, almost all of our staff members participated in a workshop I presented dealing with maintaining high expectations. We truly believe all of our students can achieve, and its our job to help them achieve.

For students to truly succeed, they need to hear the same messages at home that they hear from us at school. The importance of trying your hardest, staying focused, not giving up, and asking for help when needed. When students see that their teachers and parents truly care about their education, they will care about their own education even more.

I would really like to thank Dr. Todd Abbe for his hard work in cleaning up our courtyard outside. He spent many hours in the hot sun before school started pulling weeds and cleaning up the courtyard. Thanks Dr. Abbe!!!

As we go through the school year, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

From the principal¡¯s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.


MAY-JUNE, 2008

As we near the end of the school year, we have been hard at work planning for the many changes coming to Ely School for next year. By now, I am sure many of you are aware that as a result of the upcoming closing of two elementary schools in our district, that Ely will see a large increase in student population next year. Our current enrollment projection is for approximately 525 students next year, a substantial increase over our current enrollment of 370 students.

I am very excited about the many potential benefits of a larger student population. I truly believe that with a larger enrollment, we will be able to strengthen many of the programs and activities already in place, as well as the potential of additional support services. From a financial perspective, there are many fixed costs our school incurs. With the larger enrollment, will come additional funding through our per pupil allocation, Title 1 funding, and the ability to raise more money in school and parent group fundraisers.

Another positive aspect of larger enrollment will be more balanced class sizes. Next year, we plan to have four sections each in grades 1-5, and three sections of grade 6. There will be an additional eight classrooms being utilized next year. (Yes, we actually had that many available classrooms not being utilized as classrooms!) The additional sections will allow us to remain closer to the class size guidelines, and not subject to such volatility by students moving in and out as occurred this year in grades where we only had two sections of a grade.

Needless to say, there are many issues related to facilities, space, technology, staffing, and scheduling that are currently being resolved to ensure a smooth start to the new school year. I can assure that our school and district staff is working hard in preparation to welcome our new students and their families.

I am very proud of the high quality education our students receive at Ely School. Regardless of whether we have 100 students or 1,000 students enrolled, I know the staff at Ely School will do everything they can to continue the long-standing tradition of excellence at Ely School!

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all of you for your continued support! I wish all of you a very safe and enjoyable summer!


APRIL 2008

Our annual OAT testing is almost here. Please note the calendar of testing on the last page of the newsletter, as well as lunch schedule changes for all grades during testing days (on page 3). It is extremely important that all students are at school, and on time on days they are taking any OAT test. We can not admit them to class once testing begins, and as a result, a makeup session will be required. In addition, we can not allow students to leave early during any OAT testing session. Please make sure your child does not have any appointments scheduled for OAT testing days! Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The Learning Lunchbox is an excellent program to help parents work with their child(ren) to be more successful at school. More information about the program is listed below, and on their website at www.learninglunchbox.com I strongly encourage parents to review the information and consider purchasing the program!


MARCH 2008

I think everyone was a bit surprised by this week¡¯s snowstorm. It seems that this year we have had more times where snow was predicted and didn¡¯t amount to much than days where it did.

As much as most of the students probably enjoyed their two snow days this week, I know many of our 4th and 5th graders were disappointed that it caused our three day trip to Mohican to be canceled. I spent an hour Tuesday night packing everything I needed for the trip, only to have to unpack it all Wednesday morning.

As it turned out, Mohican told us that even if we did have school on Wednesday, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to come down because the roads there were so bad. In fact, the school districts in that area were closed again on Thursday.

At this time, we do not know if we are going to be able to reschedule our trip this year or not. Since their office is closed today due to the weather, we haven¡¯t been able to find out whether or not they can accommodate us this year. More details will be sent home with students once we know for sure whether or not we can reschedule (if not, we will be refunding everyone¡¯s money).

I want to thank our 4th and 5th grade teachers for the amount of time they have spent preparing for this trip, I especially want to thank Mrs. Weber who spent an incredible number of hours coordinating the fundraiser and keeping track of the finances and forms. Also, thanks to Mrs. Babcock for organizing some activities for the students who weren¡¯t attending the trip. All of our 4th and 5th grade students were able to enjoy these special assemblies today!


FEBRUARY 2008

A few weeks ago, an article appeared in the Chronicle, describing the success we have had at Ely School with our paper recycling efforts. During each of the last three school years, Ely School led all of the Elyria City Schools (including the high school) in the amount of paper recycled.

I mentioned to the reporter that wrote the story how a lot of our success can be attributed to the great community involvement we have with recycling. Recycling not only helps the environment, it also allows us to lead by example, and show our concern for the environment to our students.

The schools in Elyria recently received a letter from the Elyria City Health District about this year¡¯s recycling contest. The letter encouraged the other schools to get involved to try and ¡°knock St. Jude and Ely off the top spot in 2008.¡± (Ely won for public schools, St. Jude won for parochial schools.). So thank you to all of you who have helped Ely School lead the Elyria City Schools in recycling.

By the way, in 2007, a total of 877 tons of paper was collected and recycled from the 39 locations in Elyria with recycling bins. Of this amount, 53.4 tons were collected from the bins at Ely School!

At the end of February, over 100 Ely students in 4th and 5th grade will be participating in the 3-day, 2-night trip to Mohican Out-of-Doors School. This trip is a wonderful learning experience for our students, and a great opportunity to learn a little more independence. Thank you to all of the parents who have supported the fundraising efforts to allow our students to have such a wonderful opportunity. Thank you to the 4th and 5th grade teachers for their enthusiasm and hard work to make the trip a reality!

Lastly, with all of the cold weather we have had lately, our lost and found collection has grown by leaps and bounds. The lost and found is located by the Ohio Street entrance. Please encourage your child to visit the lost and found if he/she is missing any items.

JANUARY, 2008

Happy New Year! As we begin 2008, our staff is in high gear as we continue working on helping our students achieve at the highest levels possible. As I visited the classrooms on our first morning back to school, I was truly impressed at how our staff and students were already engaged in teaching and learning.

Our January parent-teacher conferences are set for January 24. Our January conferences are scheduled on an as-needed basis by the classroom teachers. If you would like a conference with your child¡¯s teacher, and are not scheduled for a conference, please don¡¯t hesitate to call the school office to request a conference. Conference invitations will be sent home in the next two weeks.

We will also be sending home information to students in grades 3-6 who were selected to participate in our before school tutoring program that begins February 5. If your child is invited to attend, I strongly encourage you to have your child participate in this program. There is no cost for the tutoring, and the tutoring is designed to help your child improve their proficiency level on the OAT¡¯s.

Congratulations to our winners in the When Will It Snow? contest! Our largest group of winners ever included Alison Wheeler, Suzie Harjar, Brodie Abbe, Michael Singer, Christina Berkel, Angie Frankina, Isaiah Horton, Andrew Behrens, Richard Washington, Devan Nail, Ethan Bakos, Meghan Wharton, Mrs. Babcock, Mr. Becka and Dr. Dibee! Our first inch of snow was December 5th!

Our newsletter will return to its usual length and format next month.


DECEMBER, 2007

As you will notice in the newsletter, there are many exciting events coming up at Ely School in preparation for the holidays. At the same time, the teachers are working to keep students focused and learning. It¡¯s important for our students¡¯ academic growth that we keep them focused on the reason they come to school each day, to learn!

Our Ely Pride Parents Group will be resuming ice cream sales on Fridays during the lunch periods. They hope to kick off the sales on Friday, December 7. In the past, items cost 50 cents each.

Speaking of Ely Pride, the organization has purchased a new Christmas tree for the school. Mrs. Stewart has been working with our students during art class to make decorations for the tree. The tree should be up in time for the programs on December 5.

Our ¡°When Will It Snow¡± contest has taken on some added visuals this year. Thanks to the coordination of Mrs. Coley working with the 3rd-5th grade math teachers, numerous graphs and charts decorate the halls of Ely, providing information about the number of people guessing a specific date. The students did a great job designing these, and also learning about data collection and analysis at the same time.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very safe and happy holiday season! Thank you for all of your support for Ely School!

NOVEMBER, 2007

Each month, our school cadres and steering committee meet to discuss ways to improve student achievement. The cadres focus on specific areas, and develop strategies to help drive instruction and improve student classroom performance. While the majority of the members of these groups are staff members, we have parents serving on them as well. I want to thank Dr. Todd Abbe, Arlene Polderman and Dawn Wheeler for serving on the Math Cadre, Melissa Lopez and Jessica Norlin for serving on the Literacy Cadre, and Laura Ward for serving on the Steering Committee. It¡¯s great to have the parents¡¯ perspectives on issues and also allows parents to get a better understanding of issues from the school¡¯s perspective.

This is a busy week at school, with parent-teacher conferences, the book fair, and the start of the second marking period all occurring. As you review your child¡¯s report card with your child this week, this is a great opportunity to celebrate their strengths, and set goals for any areas needing improvement.

Several Ely teachers: Mrs. Coley, Mrs. Duffner, Mrs. Smith, Ms. Mudge, Ms. Dupree and Mrs. Michael, wrote grants to the Elyria Schools Endowment Fund for innovative programs that they would like to implement in their classroom, or in the school.

Veteran¡¯s Day is coming up November 11. Don¡¯t forget to take the time to thank all of those individuals who have served our country. Thank you veterans!


OCTOBER, 2007

As we begin the month of October we have many exciting events happening at Ely School. These events and activities are mentioned throughout the newsletter. If you ever misplace your copy of the newsletter, we have extra copies in the office, and a copy of the newsletter is available online.

Every Friday, from now until the Cleveland Indians are finished with their postseason (which hopefully will be the World Series), will be Cleveland Indians Day at school. Students are encouraged to wear their Indians shirts, hats, etc. If students don¡¯t have any Indians merchandise, they can simply wear red!

A final copy of our school¡¯s Continuous Improvement Plan will soon be posted on our school website. The annual ¡°CIP at a Glance¡± will be included in the November newsletter.

Thank you to all of the parents that have responded to the recruiting efforts by the Ely Pride Parents Group for volunteers! The response has been great! Thank you for all of your support in their activities to benefit all of our students at Ely School!


SEPTEMBER 2007

Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year! Our school year is off to a great start and it has been a pleasure to see so many smiling students, parents and staff to start the year.

Our current enrollment is 345 students. This is a decrease of about 25 students from opening day last year. We currently only have classes for students in grades 1-6, as the district eliminated our half day kindergarten program at the end of last school year.

We have several new staff members at Ely this year. Ms. Della Hollan is our new school secretary. She was previously a secretary at Cascade Elementary. Mr. Dan Wirth is our new evening custodian. He previously was a substitute custodian for the district. Our new band teacher is Mr. Brian King. He has worked in the Elyria Schools before and will be here on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. We also welcome back Mrs. Ana Beltran as our occupational therapist. Welcome to all of our new staff members!

I am looking forward to our upcoming Open House. It is a chance for everyone to see the school, and learn more about your child¡¯s upcoming school year.

On page two of the newsletter, you will find information about our school¡¯s performance on the Ohio Department of Education¡¯s Local Report Card. I am very excited at how well our students performed last year. We achieved our highest score ever. We couldn¡¯t have done it without the hard work of our staff and students, and the support from all of you. Thank you for all of your continued support to Ely School!

From the principal¡¯s desk,

Dr. Jack M. Dibee, Jr.