Dear Clay Hill Families,

Happy New Year! I hope your winter break was filled with rest, joy, and wonderful moments with your loved ones. As we prepare to open our doors for the start of the third quarter, our faculty and staff are energized and eager to welcome our students back to the classroom.

The second half of the school year is a pivotal time for growth. Upon our return, we will jump right back into strong academic instruction across all grade levels. To ensure we are monitoring and meeting every child’s needs, we will also resume our midyear state assessments in kindergarten, fifth, and sixth grades. These evaluations are essential tools that help us celebrate how far your children have come and identify how we can best support their continued progress through the spring.

Our success as a school is a direct reflection of our community. We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing support and engagement—whether you are volunteering, helping with homework, or simply cheering on your student’s achievements. Your partnership makes Clay Hill a special place to learn.

Let’s make this quarter the best one yet!

Sincerely,

Adele Reed

Our character focus for November and December was Mindfulness. Mindfulness means reflecting on our own learning and academic behaviors, understanding different perspectives, and thinking about how our words and actions affect others so we can express ourselves thoughtfully, yet effectively. Congratulations to our students who were recognized during our December Character MVP awards!

January's focus characteristic is Intentionality. Students will learn the value of goal-setting, anticipating challenges and planning accordingly, connecting actions to goals, and persevering through difficult tasks. We are proud to build strong citizens at CHE, and we cannot wait to see who our January MVPs will be!

We are excited about the spring elementary track season and the opportunity for our young athletes to hone their skills and compete against students from across the district in a variety of track and field events. CHE Track Team members will experience disciplined goal-setting and resilience through the challenge to improve personal physical limits within a supportive, team-oriented environment. Most of all, Track Team is FUN! We hope to see many 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students at tryouts during the week of January 12. CHE will compete in the Elementary Track Meet at Middleburg High School on Saturday, February 21. Click the image below to print a permission form for tryouts, OR look for a printed copy in this week's Tuesday Folder.

Parents may also complete the Track Tryout Permission Form HERE to allow their child to participate in tryouts and track.

With the successful rollout of Apptegy, the CCDS is excited about the direction of our district communications. While we explored sunsetting Synergy Mail over the break, recent system requirements within the Synergy platform mean we will keep that feature active for the remainder of the school year. Our goal is to ensure a stable environment for families as we prioritize Apptegy as our primary tool moving forward. Parents may continue communication through Synergy mail, but we will be transitioning away in the next school year. Apptegy is now the primary communication tool for parents and teachers.

 Check out this link to our CCDS Resource Page for more information and support with Apptegy.

We've had so much fun with the Sunshine State Young Readers this year, and great literacy experiences continue this quarter withy Storm Dragons and Benny Ramirez and the Nearly Departed! We will celebrate these titles in March, along with our other SSYRA texts as we prepare for the annual Battle of the Books and SSYRA Reader Recognitions!

Take the Chick-fil-A Challenge by reading all 15 SSYRA titles and passing the test for each title in  Ms. Lowans' Google Classroom by May 8 for a special luncheon and celebration on May 15!

The latest Virtual Parent Academy session was focused on "Synergy for Parents: Grades & Report Cards."  The video is only 15 minutes long, making it easy for busy parents to fit into their schedules.

Volunteers can assist before, during, or after school, and we know that our students are FAR more successful when we are blessed with strong engagement from our parents and caregivers!

CCDS Volunteer Registration is NOW available! Click the link below to access the CCDS Volunteer Information and Registration page!

Be a part of what makes our school great: the support of our parents and caregivers! Students achieve more when the adults in their lives engage in their education. We'd love to have YOU with us! Join the PVO today!

Clay Hill Elementary School

Email: adele.reed@myoneclay.net
Website: https://www.oneclay.net/che
Address: 6345 C.R. 218, Jacksonville, 32234
Phone: 904-336-0775 / Fax: 904-336-0777