East Clayton Elementary School

Students will dismiss at 12:55 tomorrow due to inclement weather. All after-school activities are cancelled. The PTA meeting scheduled for tomorrow night will be rescheduled to another time. The YMCA will communicate after-school care decisions.

Christmas Break is just a couple of days away!🎄🎁 For students following the traditional school calendar, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 is an early release day. Then students will be out of school from Thursday, December 21, 2023 - Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Students return to school on Wednesday, January 2, 2024.

Happy Friday, Explorer Families! We appreciate all of you who came out last night to celebrate PTA's Winter Wonderland. It was such a wonderful evening filled with spirit and festivity. Thank you to the PTA and all families who donated items and time to make the evening a success! Congrats to the ECES Chorus who did an amazing job on the performance! If you would like to sponsor a child this holiday season, please sign up in the front office or use the QR code on the flyer below. We have several families in need of sponsorship. Return the gifts and the ornament to the front office by December 13th. If you have any questions please contact Jadelyne McBroom, East Clayton School counselor at 919-550-5311 ext.6806 or jadelynemcbroom@johnston.k12.nc.us https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hcdUOKRAv7E0luhNEpc3dBoOFJBryW8zuibrAI31XFU/edit Next week we will continue with our Countdown to Winter Break fun! Please join in the festivities by having your child participate in the dress-up days. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday, Explorer Families! We have several announcements of events going on this week. Be sure to follow the Countdown to Winter Break calendar for some fun dress-up opportunities. On Monday, fundraiser items from the PTA's fall fundraiser will be delivered to the school. Pick up for the items shipped to school will be between 2:45-3:45pm in the Media Center. We will not be sending items home on the bus. If you are unable to pick up items at that time, please call the front office to make other arrangements. Some of the items require refrigeration, so we will not be able to keep them for long. School pictures from 11/28 are now available to view and order online! You should have received an email from Jostens with information to order. View and order at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login EAST CLAYTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Event Code: FE277023 Progress reports will come home on Thursday of this week along with MVPA results for grades 3-5. Please communicate with your child's teacher if you have any concerns. On Thursday, our PTA will host the annual Winter Wonderland from 5pm-7pm. Activities will include the Book Fair shopping, Vendor Event, Food Trucks, Arts & Crafts, Bingo, Dance Party, and Pictures with Santa. This event is free to attend, so we hope you will come out for some holiday fun with your family. Our PTA has a link on their Facebook page for donations they still need for the event. Do not leave that evening without checking the Lost & Found for any items your child may have misplaced throughout the year! Please check out the PTA's newsletter for information on upcoming events. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EtWiyUnj0yeUruJUWV5PCVmg5n3RUxlG/view We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Book Fair starts today! Use the e-wallet to add funds directly to your child's account for use at the Book Fair. Cash is also accepted. The Book Fair will also be open at PTA's Winter Wonderland on December 7th. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/eastclaytonelementaryschool

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all JCPS campuses will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 22 - Friday, Nov. 24. 🦃

Happy Friday, Explorer Families! Thank you to all of the families who have supported our PTA's fundraiser. We are close to reaching our goal of $10,000 for improvements to our cafeteria. Please turn in any catalog orders to the front office. Our ship to school orders will be available for pick up the week of December 4th. We will contact you when they arrive. Just a reminder that schools will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on November 22nd-24th. Makeup pictures will be on November 28th and we will also have class pictures on that day. We hope you and your family have a safe and restful holiday. We continue to be thankful for our Explorer community.

Your voice matters! JCPS is partnering with Research Triangle Institute to help create our new strategic plan and we need YOUR INPUT to shape our vision for schools, students, and families! Today is the last day to make your voice heard! Complete the community questionnaire here: https://bit.ly/3Qr6Z46

Melanie Trudnos earned the Character Education Award for the character trait of respect! Trudnos is a fifth grader at East Clayton Elementary, and consistently displays a genuine willingness to listen to others, value diverse perspectives, and treat everyone with kindness and consideration. In the classroom, she actively engages in discussions that promote an inclusive environment, where every voice is heard and respected. She takes time to understand the viewpoints of her classmates, even if they differ from their own, and responds with empathy and open-mindedness. Great job Melanie Trudnos!👏 #CharacterEducation

JCPS wants to thank all Johnston County veterans who have served in the US Armed Forces! We are forever grateful to you for your unwavering commitment and dedication to the United States. Thank you!🇺🇸

A big round of applause for Laurie Kallenbach, our November Classified Employee of the Month! A receptionist at East Clayton Elementary, Kallenbach is the first person everyone sees when they enter the school, and she always make the best first impression. Kallenbach handles almost everything, and does it with a smile. Kallenbach knows all the students by name, and is invested in building relationships with their families. Thank you for all you do Ms. Kallenbach!👏👏👏

Happy Friday, Explorer Families! Here's some updates for the coming week. Our fundraiser is in full swing, and we’re so excited to see all of the amazing participation! If you haven’t already, please get your student registered at www.fundshoppe.com. It only takes a few minutes, and your student can be part of the fun as we all join together to help our school. Fundraising packets came home last week. Get Started TODAY: Register your student at www.fundshoppe.com to get your own family’s personal shopping link. Share, share… and share some more! It’s simple to share your link through text or email and post on social media. Let’s get the word out! Create a quick video about our fundraiser and share it on social media to get people excited to help your student make a different at their school (and earn rewards)! Shop for yourself and your family. There’s something for everyone! On Monday, students will receive their 1st quarter report cards. Now is a great time to schedule a conference with your child's teacher to discuss progress. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, our 3rd-5th graders will take the MVP assessments. These assessments mimic the EOGs and provide us with excellent information about your child's progress toward grade level standards. Please have your child at school on time and encourage them to work their hardest on the tests. We are making a lot of progress towards our reading challenge; students have now read over 106,000 minutes toward the million minute goal for the year. Keep reading and filling out those reading logs each night! Just a reminder that there is no school on Friday, November 10th to honor Veteran's Day. Thank you to all of our staff and families who have served in the military or who continue to serve. We appreciate your service. Don't forget to visit the PTA's newsletter for the week. There's great information about happenings at the school and ways for you to be involved in the PTA fun, including Parents' Night Out this weekend. https://drive.google.com/file/d/19xqb6Rf6mO3dD_pQWA8TYOt9sRsCVztW/view?usp=sharing Have a great weekend!

Your voice matters! JCPS is partnering with RTI to help create our new strategic plan and we need YOUR INPUT to shape our vision for schools, students, and families. Click here to complete the community questionnaire: https://bit.ly/3Qr6Z46

We’re so excited to be supporting our PTA with a product sales fundraiser to raise money for improvements to our stage. Your child will be coming home with a fundraising packet that has all of the details, including how they can earn fun rewards for their efforts! Check your student’s backpack for your fundraising packet. Then take these 3 easy steps to help our school: Register your student at www.fundshoppe.com to get your own personal shopping link. Share your link with family and friends via email, text, and social media using the share wizard tools on www.fundshoppe.com. Shop for yourself and your family. Consider any upcoming holidays or birthdays you might need a gift for and make it a double bonus! There are hundreds of high-quality items to choose from, so there’s truly something for everyone! Also, please remember that tomorrow is picture day! Attached are some FAQs to help you with the day. Please remember to NOT wear green as the background is green. https://shop.jostenspix.com/faqs?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=All%20Subscribers&utm_term=Sec4_FAQ_Button&utm_content=Sec4_FAQ_Button&utm_content=518665&utm_campaign=JPIX_MER912895880_Picture_Day_is_Coming_S2_EN__ES_20231030&utm_id=f160bbb3-cd60-48aa-8e21-9c736ca3e82a&sfmc_id=291425947&sfmc_activityid=8736dfe6-6e37-4bc5-a8bd-40de32035cb1 Have a great evening!

Did someone say Trick or Treat?! It's Halloween, and we want to make sure everyone has fun, while staying safe . Check out these tips!👻

Happy Friday Explorer Families! Thank you to all of the families who attended today's Explorer Experience. We had a lot of fun and it was quite the celebration as we recognized our recipients for Collaboration. Our Explorers looked great in their new tee shirts--thank you to our PTA for supporting us! Next month, we will focus on the core skill of Responsibility. Please discuss this word with your child and help them point out their responsible actions at home. Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday for our Teacher Workday. On Tuesday, students in Kindergarten and 1st grade will show us their Halloween spirit with an indoor costume parade. Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade are invited to wear their costumes to school. We need these costumes to be comfortable and school appropriate with no pretend weapons or masks of any kind. Students in other grades are not allowed to wear costumes, but are asked to wear their Halloween themed shirts or colors as spectators in our K-1 costume parade. Also on Tuesday, our students'' reading logs are due for October. Please work this weekend to help your child complete their log to help our school reach a million minutes this year! The grade with the most participation this month will earn extra recess! Finally, be sure to check your child's folders for our Fundraiser packet. We are partnering this year with Boosterthon for a product sales fundraiser. The magazine has lots of options for holiday gifts or home gadgets. Please register your child and help them earn prizes for their efforts! Our PTA is raising money to help us upgrade our audio/visual system in the cafeteria, plus some cafeteria aesthetic changes. Follow us on social media for more information about our fundraiser. Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday, Explorer Families! Here are some upcoming announcements for next week! On Monday, please check bookbags for your child's very own Explorer Experience shirt! These shirts are each grade level's team color to represent their Explorer team animal. Thank you to our PTA for supporting this initiative for all of our students! We ask that students wear their new team shirt for every Explorer Experience assembly that we have. Please be sure that you have joined our PTA to support all of their hard work for our school. Beginning on Monday, we will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week with this year's theme, "Be Kind to Your Mind and Live Drug Free." On Monday, students are asked to wear red to kick off the week. On Tuesday, wear your craziest mixed up outfit to show that you won't get mixed up in drugs. On Wednesday, scare away drugs by wearing a superhero or character shirt. On Thursday, put drugs to sleep by wearing your pajamas. And on Friday, we will wear our new team shirts by showing that Explorers are Against Drugs! We will be celebrating our students who have demonstrated our core skill of collaboration at this month's assembly on Friday. Thank you to the North Side Fire Department for their visits this week. 2nd grade will visit on Thursday. This week is the end of the 1st quarter. Please reach out to teachers to set up conferences for any concerns that you may have. Be sure to finalize this month's reading logs. The class with the most minutes will earn an extra recess. Students who completed logs for September and October will get to spin the prize wheel! Please visit the link in the email to see the PTA newsletter for this week. Thank you to all of our students who have donated pumpkins for our front entrance! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fDv1HBqicunW5dF5-glUtavhkKpDaL0Z/view?usp=sharing Have a great weekend. We will see all of our Explorers on Monday!

Students are getting ready for Red Ribbon Week® 2023, Oct. 23-27! This year’s theme is "Be Kind To Your Mind. Live Drug Free." JCPS believes in a drug free future for all of it students! Here are some fun activities the celebration going all week long, as we encourage everyone to pledge to live drug free! https://bit.ly/3tKyRc8 #BeKindToYourMindLiveDrugFree #RedRibbonWeek

Get your outfits ready! #RedRibbonWeek

Lauren Sabo is up next for #NationalPrincipalsMonth! Ms. Sabo is beginning her second year as principal of East Clayton Elementary, and the wonderful Explorer community! She knows that with hard work, dedication, and positive empowerment, anything is possible! Ms. Sabo is steadfast in working together to build a strong community of learning excellence. Explorers, make some noise for your principal, Ms. Lauren Sabo!!🥳🎈