EVENTS & PROGRAMS

The PTA sponsors a variety of events and programs throughout the school year to create an enriching school environment for all Ellis students.

events

Welcome Back Picnic - August 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

At the beginning of the school year we encourage all families to join us at the Welcome Back Picnic, a place to come and meet other Ellis families, staff, and the PTA, as well as make new friends. Grab your dinner from various food trucks. Join us on Friday, August 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Music will start at 5:15 p.m.

Past Events

Movie Night - October 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Join Ellis families on Friday, October 4, 2024, to watch the movie Elemental (rated PG). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the movie will start at 7 p.m. Bring your own blankets, chairs and water, and set up a comfortable spot in the grassy area across from Kinderland. Candy, soda, and popcorn will be sold for $1; we will accept cash and electronic payments.

Trunk or Treat - October 29, 5:30-7 p.m.

Join us on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 5:30-7 p.m., for a fun Halloween celebration where Ellis students can collect some treats.

Honk Honk! Bring your decorated car to our first Ellis Trunk or Treat event. Trunk or Treat is similar to Trick or Treat, except kids collect goodies from cars rather than houses.

Our planning committee will be meeting on Friday mornings after dropoff. Email info@ellispta.org if you’d like to help plan.

The PTA will provide you with treats to hand out, but you may bring your own if you'd prefer. Costumes are optional; you are welcome to dress up and join the fun!

Cars need to arrive at the main parking lot between 4-5 p.m. The lot will be closed to car traffic from 5-7 p.m. Trunk or Treaters will arrive at 5:30 p.m. Please plan for your car to be on campus from 5-7:15 p.m so we have enough time to clear folks out of the parking lot so you can safely exit. Sign up if you'd like to decorate your car trunk and hand out treats!

Winter Wonderland - December 12, 5:30-7 p.m.

Celebrate the winter holidays with the Ellis community on Thursday, December 12 from 5-7 p.m.! During this free event, we invite Ellis families to drop in to the decorated multipurpose room to enjoy hot chocolate, listen to festive music, ham it up at the photobooth stations, and complete a variety of crafts.

Please note that this is not a drop-off event. We kindly ask that you supervise your children at all times.

Virtual Talent Show

Our virtual talent show on Thursday, February 27, 2025, allows more diverse talents to be showcased. Students submit a one-minute clip of their talent and we compile it into a show for the entire school to enjoy. Talents have included baking, drawing, song and dance, music, solving a Rubik's Cube, and even snowboarding and rock climbing.

Submission Guidelines for Virtual Talent Show

Submission Deadline: February 11, 2025

Talent Show Date: February 27, 2025

Video Submission Guidelines:

Maximum length: 1 minute
Orientation: Landscape (horizontal)
Video format preferred: MP4
Please name the video file using your child's name

No other faces should appear in the video, only the participant
Please dress appropriately
Appropriate behavior is required (dance moves, hand gestures, etc.)
If the video contains music, please make sure there are either no lyrics or it’s a KidzBop version

Important: Parents must complete this mandatory consent form for participation.

If you do not complete the form, we cannot include your child’s video in the Talent Show.

To submit your child’s video, email it to: talentshow@ellispta.org. Please include your child’s name in the subject line.

Family Picnic - Friday, March 7, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The PTA will sponsor a family picnic for families to socialize and play on Friday, March 7, 2025 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

You can bring food from home, or buy dinner from the food trucks on site: Grillman Food Truck, El Sabroson, and The Waffle Roost. Treat your kids to a Kona Ice for dessert!

We will have games out for the kids to play with and giveaways as well. We hope to see you there!

Walk-a-Thon - Friday, March 21

Our Ellis Walk-a-Thon fundraiser will open on Friday, March 7 for sign ups on MyBooster.com. Our fundraising goal is to raise $40,000 for field trips and transportation, assemblies, science programs, teacher grants, Scholastic news, after school programs, and special events.

The Walk-a-Thon will be held on Friday, March 21, 2025. TK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade will walk from 8:15-9:30 a.m. Third, 4th and 5th grade will walk from 10:15-11:30 a.m.

We need help with prize distribution, set up, cheering on the kids, and clean up.

Thank you to all of our Community Partners for sponsoring the Walk-a-Thon t-shirt for all students.

International Night - Friday, May 9, 4:30-7 p.m.

Ellis is made up of many different cultures, and during International Night, many families volunteer to showcase their home country. Country ambassadors staff booths to educate and share delicacies from their home country, and volunteers perform cultural dances. We've had representatives from China, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, and more.

STEAM Night, May 29, 5-6:30 p.m.

Join us on Thursday, May 29 from 5-6:30 p.m. for a school-wide glow-in-the-dark art exhibit, as well as hands-on activities including Legos, motors, magnet tiles, straw rockets, bubbles, reactions, catapults, 3D drawing, and more!

Please consider signing up to volunteer for this event; we need your help to make it a success!

Brought to us by:

Ellis PTA, Cupertino Fremont Sunnyvale Council of PTAs, Sunnyvale Education Foundation, and Synopsis Outreach Foundation.

programs

Project Cornerstone

Ellis has Project Cornerstone to build a strong and vibrant school community. It is a YMCA community project to create an environment where all youth grow up feeling valued, respected, and known.

Science Programs

This year the PTA funded:

TK/Kindergarten: an Environmental Volunteers hands-on science class and Schoolyard Snoop
1st, 2nd and 4th grade students: an Environmental Volunteers hands-on science class and field trip
3rd and 5th grades: a field trip to De Anza College Planetarium

Guest instructors from Enviromental Volunteers lead 90-minute hands-on science lessons with multiple stations. Various grade level topics include Weather and Climate, Power Generation, Water on the Move, and more.

Assemblies

The PTA will pay to bring the following assemblies onto campus this year:

Wildmind Science animal assembly
A BMX stunt and bike safety assembly
Forces in Motion assembly
Walk Through California for all 4th graders to learn about California state history
Walk Through the Revolution for all 5th graders to learn about the American Revolution

Field Trips

The PTA pays for the entrance fees and buses to enable all our students to go on field trips. Last year, Ellis students participated in these field trips by grade level:

Kindergarten - San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum and De Anza College Planetarium
1st - Ardenwood Historic Farm, AMC movie theater, and De Anza College Planetarium
2nd - Happy Hollow Park and Zoo and a play at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts
3rd - The Tech Interactive, AMC movie theater, and De Anza College Planetarium
4th - Roaring Camp Railroads and a play at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts
5th - San Francisco Exploratorium, AMC movie theater, and De Anza College Planetarium

Teacher Grants & Support Staff Grants

The PTA gives all teachers $20 per student to enhance learning in the classroom. The PTA also gives generous contributions to other members of the staff who work alongside students, the library, and more.

Scholastic News & Science Spin Magazines

The PTA pays for an annual subscription for Scholastic News magazines and Science Spin supplements in all classrooms. These weekly magazines provide fun educational facts and grade-level reading for all students.

Additional School Programs

The PTA provides funding for additional school-organized events. We hope to sponsor a Reading Night and a STEAM Night, as well as provide snacks to third, fourth and fifth graders during state testing.

Teacher and Staff Appreciation

Each month we coordinate a staff appreciation brunch where families contribute store-bought food. We also plan Teacher Appreciation Week in May and in general say a big thank you to all of our wonderful teachers and staff.

Coffee with the Principals

Every two months, we host a morning meeting with the Principal and Assistant Principal, where we can hear updates on current issues facing the school. It provides an opportunity for parents to ask questions and for the PTA to share information on upcoming programs and events. Join us in the Multipurpose Room on these dates:

August 30, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
October 18, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
January 10, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
March 14, 2025, 8:30 a.m.

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