April – May 2023 Dragon Flyer

April – May 2023



If you would like to help with teacher lunches, snack cart, etc. but do not have time to shop or bring items to the school this is a GREAT way to contribute. Thank you for donating to the many events the PTA has throughout the year for the teachers, staff, and students!
Click the button above to donate or it can be found at the top of the PTA webpage. https://mycespta.org/

Memphis in May Day



Each year, Memphis in May International Festival aims to bring the world to Memphis and Memphis to the world. Collierville Elementary students will be celebrating Memphis in May International Festival with “Memphis in May Day” on Friday, May 5th, 2023.

This year, the Memphis in May International Festival is excited to celebrate Malaysia. Memphis in May Day is the perfect chance to help students explore another country’s history, culture, geography, politics and lifestyle.

If you have any questions please contact Cristina at culturalarts@mycespta.org.

Important Dates

Apr 7Good Friday -NO SCHOOL
Apr 10NO SCHOOL
Apr 20General Membership Meeting 6:00pm
in the CES gym
Apr 22Fair In The Lair
10am- 2pm
Apr 27Kindergarten Kick Off
May 5Memphis in May Day
May 11 – 12Field Day
May 17Kindergarten Program
May 195th grade program & dance
May 241/2 Day of School before SUMMER!

PTA General Membership Meeting📝

6:00 PM in the CES GYM

Dragon Dozen Scholarships, Cultural Arts Awards,
2023-2024 PTA board announced, PTA Awards

📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Families,

It’s hard to believe that we are in the last quarter of the 22-23 school year. When I look back
on this school year, I am so proud of all that we have accomplished as a school community. We
started with a common vision – to forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a
love for learning, and serve as future leaders. This vision led us to implementing a House
System from the ground up. It took a great deal of time and effort from so many to make this
vision a reality. And WOW have our expectations been blown out of the water. The impact our
House System has had on our students, staff, and community has been immense. We are so
proud of what we have accomplished.

Coming up April 17 – April 25, students in 2 nd through 5 th grade will be taking the end of the year
State Assessment: TCAP. Please do your best to make sure your child is well prepared each day
by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep, eat a balanced breakfast, and arrive to school on
time. Let’s set our students up for success. This is a time for our students to show what they
know. I could not be prouder of the fact that our teachers have continued to teach with
excellence and prepare our students for the future. While I hope all our students do their very
best on the assessments, no test can measure the incredible growth they have shown. They
have been through tough times and have come out more resilient, more compassionate, and
ready to take on the world.

We have some exciting events coming up this last quarter! I am looking forward to Fair in the
Lair on April 22 – a day of fun, games, bouncy houses, a silent auction, and food! We will also
have our first ever House Field Day! Students will be able to earn points for their houses
throughout the games and activities. I am so grateful for our incredible PTA and CES staff who
make these events possible.

As we look to the 23-24 school year, we look forward to even more incredible things as we
continue to build a community school where we surround our Little Dragons with love and an
exceptional education.

I hope all our families have an incredible last quarter and summer vacation! Be safe, have fun,
and we can’t wait to see all of you next fall.

Go Dragons!
Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Family and students –

We are in the home stretch for summer! We are ready to finish out the year strong with Fair in the Lair, end of the year Kindergarten and 5 th grade programs, Field Day, and Memphis in May Day.

In April, we will have our spring fundraiser, Fair in the Lair, and spring Dragon Wear. We hope to see everyone April 22 for bounce houses, carnival games, silent auction, art auction, book fair, and food!

I want to say a special thanks to our board this year. Each one of you have worked tirelessly to support our
students and teachers and to make CES a fun place to be. Thank you so much to each one of you for the time, effort, and energy you have put into your positions and the PTA. It has truly been an honor knowing and working with all of you!

If you are interested in joining the PTA Board next year, I encourage you to fill out an application. The PTA is a
great way to get involved and make friends while supporting our school. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun doing it!

We send all our announcements through ParentSquare and post on our Facebook page. Join us there to not miss a thing!

Thanks,
Laura Wiseman


president@mycespta.org

Fair In The Lair

Save the Date: April 22, 2023 10am-2pm

PTA Volunteer Form for 2023-2024

Click here to download a volunteer form

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • At Collierville Elementary School, we surround our Little Dragons with love, hold them to high expectations, and engage them in rigorous instruction.

Vision

  • At Collierville Elementary School, we will forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a love for learning, and serve as future leaders.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.

🏀🏸🏆 Field Day ⚽️🏓👟

Field Day Times:

Thursday, May 11

9:30-10:45 -1st Grade

11:15-12:30-5th Grade

1:30-2:45- 3rd Grade

Friday, May 12

9:30-10:45 – Kindergarten 

11:15-12:30 – 4th Grade

1:30-2:45 – 2nd Grade


PTA Board 2022-2023

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentLaura Wisemanpresident@mycespta.org
Past Presidentpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentAmanda Cantrellvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryLindsey Guillsecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerHeather Summerstreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianLindsey Tilsonparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsAlyssa Martincommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsAndrea McGheecommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Ayala Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearBrittany Stregerdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsAutumn Freidelfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsJaime Halupnikfundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetySara Highthealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianEmily Pinnerhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityJala Walkerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeGina Johnsonlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipMilly Mountmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementLydia Farmerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorTenoria Westvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeWhitney ThrowerN/A
Member at Large Ashley WagnerN/A
Member at Large N/A
Member at LargeN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

A DRAGON sized THANK YOU to our Sponsors!

Platinum

•901 Floors
•Republic Roofing & Restoration
•Maureen Fraser with John Green & Co Realtors
•American Veterans Restoration
•M&M Roofing, LLC

Gold

•Patriot Mortgage
•Stix
•Ginny Mount School of Dance
•Collierville First Baptist Church
•Your Window Guy
•Collierville Vision Center
•Joyce McKenzie with Crye-Leike Realtors
•Campbell Clinic
•Choate’s HVAC & Plumbing
•Bricks & Minifigs

Silver

•Chris Woods Construction Co Inc

Bronze

•Saddle Creek Orthodontics
•Brad & Keri Blair
•Urgent Care for Children

December 2022 – January 2023 Dragon Flyer

December 2022 – January 2023




If you would like to help with teacher lunches, snack cart, etc. but do not have time to shop or bring items to the school this is a GREAT way to contribute. Thank you for donating to the many events the PTA has throughout the year for the teachers, staff and students!
Click the button above to donate or it can be found at the top of the PTA webpage. https://mycespta.org/

Calling all CES Alumni ~~~ Dragon Dozen Scholarship

The Dragon Dozen Scholarship is awarded annually to two Collierville High School seniors by the Collierville
Elementary School PTA. This year, the CES PTA will be offering two $1,000 scholarships. Scholarships will be paid directly to the University to which the applicant will be attending.

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements to be considered for the Dragon Dozen Scholarship:
» Be a Dragon for their entire educational career K–12 (CES, CMS/WCMS, CHS).
» Provide three letters of recommendation: two recommendations from teachers and one from another source (volunteer work, coach, church, etc.).
» Write a 300 word essay on “What it means to be a Dragon.”
» Turn in application by Friday, March 10, 2023.
» Scholarships will be notified and awarded at the General Membership meeting on April 20, 2023 at 6:00pm

For additional information or a scholarship packet please see the guidance counselors at CHS or email president@mycespta.org.

Important Dates

Dec 1Spelling Bee
Dec 15Class Parties
Dec 16 1/2 Day of School
Jan 3Students return
Jan 16MLK Day- NO SCHOOL
Feb 16PTA General Membership Meeting @ 6:00pm
Feb 18Teacher Pancake Breakfast
Feb 20President’s Day- NO SCHOOL
Feb 23Parent Conferences

📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Family,

It’s hard to believe that we have started the second semester of this school year! 

We had a wonderful quarter 2 here at CES!  It started with Red Ribbon Week and our annual Dragon Dash.  Students and staff had a blast dressing up for our theme days during Red Ribbon Week.  There were lots of crazy house colors, halloween costumes, and even a few Triwizards!  Dragon Dash was a HUGE success!  It was great to be able to have it outside and we were so happy to be able to have our parents join us to run with their child at the track this year!  We raised over $40,000! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Land for being this years Teacher of the year! CES is fortunate to have her as one of our music teachers.

Family house night is coming up Thursday, January 26th. Due to the remarkable amount of responses we had to divide it into 2 sessions. It will be a fun evening of events complete with chant offs. We are looking forward to showing you what the house system hype is all about!

All the best,

Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Parents & Students,
I can’t believe we have already started the second semester! Every year things seem to go by
faster and faster. The PTA is so grateful for the support from teachers, admin, students, and
parents for all our activities during the first semester. With out you all, we couldn’t do what we
do!
We held our annual Dragon Dash fundraiser in October. We raised $46, 280.01 exceeded our
goal!! Thank you to all the parents and grandparents for coming out to support your Little
Dragons for this fun event. Jaime Halupnik, our Fundraising Events Chairperson, did an
incredible job planning a fun day for our Little Dragons. Katie Cockrell, our Fundraising
Sponsorship Chairperson, secured incredible donations from local businesses. Please take a
close look at our list of sponsors. Visit their businesses and thank them for supporting our
school. All the money we raised stays at CES to be used for PTA sponsored events and for
items needed in the school.
We have an exciting second semester planned! We have Fair in the Lair coming up on April
22nd. This event is a carnival type family day that is always a lot of fun. We will have another
Donuts with Dragons, Memphis in May Day, and Teacher Appreciation Week, and new this year
we will be hosting a family movie night! Please follow our Facebook page to stay up to date on
any information you may need.
I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season, we look forward to a great 2023.

Thanks,
Laura Wiseman

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • At Collierville Elementary School, we surround our Little Dragons with love, hold them to high expectations, and engage them in rigorous instruction.

Vision

  • At Collierville Elementary School, we will forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a love for learning, and serve as future leaders.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.


Dragon Dash Wrap Up

We would like to thank everyone for their participation in this year’s Dragon Dash. Without the support of our students, parents, teachers and faculty we would not be able to do all the wonderful things that we do for the school and the faculty. This year we raised $46,280.01 Congratulations Little Dragons!

PTA Board 2022-2023

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentLaura Wisemanpresident@mycespta.org
Past Presidentpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentAmanda Cantrellvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryLindsey Guillsecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerHeather Summerstreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianLindsey Tilsonparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsAlyssa Martincommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsAndrea McGheecommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Ayala Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearBrittany Stregerdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsAutumn Freidelfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsJaime Halupnikfundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetySarah Highthealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianEmily Pinnerhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityJala Walkerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeGina Johnsonlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipMilly Mountmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementLydia Farmerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bach specialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorTenoria Westvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeWhitney ThrowerN/A
Member at Large Ashley WagnerN/A
Member at Large N/A
Member at LargeN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

A DRAGON sized THANK YOU to our Sponsors!

Platinum

•901 Floors
•Republic Roofing & Restoration
•Maureen Fraser with John Green & Co Realtors
•American Veterans Restoration
•M&M Roofing, LLC

Gold

•Patriot Mortgage
•Stix
•Ginny Mount School of Dance
•Collierville First Baptist Church
•Your Window Guy
•Collierville Vision Center
•Joyce McKenzie with Crye-Leike Realtors
•Campbell Clinic
•Choate’s HVAC & Plumbing
•Bricks & Minifigs

Silver

•Chris Woods Construction Co Inc

Bronze

•Saddle Creek Orthodontics
•Brad & Keri Blair
•Urgent Care for Children

October – November 2022 Dragon Flyer

October – November 2022





National Walk to School Day


Cultural Arts: Reflections Contest

Does your child enjoy art, music, and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films, and taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections! This year’s theme, “Show Your Voice!”, calls for your own unique interpretation through the arts. You can email the PTA Cultural Arts Chair (Cristina Ayala Smith) at culturalarts@mycespta.org to get the submission guidelines and an entry form. For inspiration, visit the Reflections virtual art gallery and learn more about prizes and scholarships  at PTA.org/Reflections/Awards. 


📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Families,

It’s hard to believe we are wrapping up our first quarter of the school year. We kicked off the 2022-2023 school year with a bang by unveiling our new CES House System! Our goal with the House System is to make every student feel like they are a part of a family here at CES. We have also been teaching our students Dragon Scales in our Friday House Meetings. We want our students to not only receive an exceptional education, but we also want to prepare them for the future by helping them be good citizens. We want our students to be kind, empathetic, generous, and to put others before themselves. We want to develop the kind of manners and soft skills that will help them in relationships and future opportunities. We believe in forging dragons that will serve as future leaders.

The first quarter saw the return of many in-person events from our curriculum nights to our PTA membership meetings. Our 5th graders recently gave an incredible performance that highlighted each individual House. We loved having our grandparents join us for Grandparent’s Day. We also have such a wonderful turnout for our family events, and we feel so blessed to have such a supportive community that is truly invested in our students and their success.

Our teachers are doing incredible things in the classroom to make learning fun and engaging for our students! From classroom transformations and expert hours, our teachers are the best of the best! We are who we are because of the people who have dedicated their time, energy, and love into making this school an amazing place to learn for our students.

We are looking forward to an incredible quarter two with Dragon Dash, Donuts with Dragons, and many other events on the horizon. Thank you for your continuous support of our Little Dragons and for the part you play in making CES the best!

Go Dragons!

-J. Michael Ruiz


✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragons & parents!

We have had a great start to the school year so far. The schools theme this year is “4 Houses, 1 School” and has implemented the House System with each student being sorted into one of four houses: Altruismo, Amistad, Isibindi, and Reveur. The PTA was excited to be able to help with the sorting ceremony that took place on September 9th. The Students had so much fun getting sorted and celebrating with their respective houses! Keep an eye out for information about different house activities throughout the year.

The PTA was also excited to welcome our Little Dragons and their grandparents for Grandparents Day on September 8th and 9th. The weather was beautiful and our guests were able to enjoy coffee (courtesy of Collierville First Baptist Church)” and donuts with their Little Dragons. If you were unable to attend, no worries! We have Donuts with Dragons coming up on October 20th and 21st!

Our Fundraising Events Chair, Jaime Halupnik, is in planning mode for Dragon Dash, our first fundraiser that will take place on October 28th. In keeping with the school’s theme and for all of you Harry Potter fans out there, the theme will be “Triwizard Dragon Dash”! This will be a fun run for the students and will help raise money for the PTA in the process. Parents are encouraged to attend and run with their child. We will kick off with a pep rally during school on October 7th. More information will be sent home in the coming days.

Congratulations to the class winners of our membership drive: Mrs. Jaffee, Mrs. Argiro, Mrs. L. Green, Mrs. Richards, and Ms. Jernigan! Each class was the first in their grade to reach 100% membership and will receive popsicles for the students and Starbucks for the teacher! No class in 3rd or 4th grade has reached 100% yet. If you have not joined, there is still time! Just click here to join today!

And finally, a huge Dragon Sized Thank You to all of our Corporate Sponsors! We appreciate your continued support and generosity. Without businesses like you, the PTA could not put on the events or support our teachers and students like we do. We appreciate you!

We have so many fun things happening this year! Be sure to follow our Facebook page for information about all of our upcoming events. And as always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Laura Wiseman

president@mycespta.org


House Helper Week: October 3-7


📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • At Collierville Elementary School we surround our Little Dragons with love, hold them to high expectations, and engage them in rigorous instruction.

Vision

  • At Collierville Elementary School we will forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a love for learning, and serve as future leaders.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Red Ribbon Week: October 24-28

More info coming soon!

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.


Dragon Dash

October 28, 2022

🐉 Parents are welcome to come!
🐉 More information will come home in your students Wednesday folder.

PTA Board 2022-2023

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA, we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentLaura Wisemanpresident@mycespta.org
Past PresidentMilly Mountpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentAmanda Cantrellvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryLindsey Guillsecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerHeather Summerstreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianLindsay Tilsonparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsAlyssa Martincommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsAndrea McGheecommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Ayala Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearBrittany Stregerdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsAutumn Friedelfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsJamie Halupnik/
Michelle Lamansky
fundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetySarah Highthealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianEmily Pinnerhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityJala Walkerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeGina Johnsonlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipMilly Mountmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementLydia Farmerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorTenoria Westvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeWhitney ThrowerN/A
Member at Large Ashley WagnerN/A
Member at Large Beth PrieurN/A
Member at LargeN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

August – September 2022 Dragon Flyer


📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Families,

Welcome back to school! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful summer and found time to make some lasting memories with your loved ones. We at CES are excited about the start of a new school year! Our faculty and staff have been hard at work to build some new and exciting traditions for our students. Last year, many of our teachers traveled to the Ron Clark Academy, an innovative and highly engaging school, where we learned about how a house system can help ALL students feel connected, increase confidence and motivation, and prepare them for the future. We are excited to bring the house system to CES this fall and can’t wait to share more details with you soon.

As a faculty, we also updated our mission and vision, and we are excited to share that with you.

Our MISSION: At Collierville Elementary School we surround our Little Dragons with love, hold them to high expectations, and engage them in rigorous instruction.

Our VISION: At Collierville Elementary School we will forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a love for learning, and serve as future leaders.

We are excited to welcome some new faces to CES! We will be sharing more about these new Dragons through our social media accounts and through ParentSquare. Be on the lookout!

Upcoming Dates:

  • August 8 – First day of school for grades 1-5
  • August 8-11 – Kindergarten screenings and stagger week
  • August 15 – First day of school for kindergarten
  • August 15 @ 9:15am – Kindergarten Coffee (for all K parents) in the cafeteria
  • August 18 @5:30pm – Back to School Night
  • August 25 & 26 – Fall Pictures
  • August 29 – September 2 – House Hype Week!
  • September 2 – House Sorting Ceremony!

I consider it a great honor to be serving as the principal of Collierville Elementary School. I look forward to continuing the tradition of academic excellence and creating an environment where our students feel loved and accepted. If I can be of help in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jruiz@colliervilleschools.org. I am looking forward to another incredible year!

Go Dragons!

J. Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Welcome back Little Dragon families! We hope everyone had a wonderful summer. For all our new families, we want to extend a warm welcome to Collierville Elementary School — we are so glad you’re here! This is the first of six editions of the PTA’s Dragon Flyer newsletter. We include all important upcoming dates and events to mark on your calendars, as well as showcasing all the fun things the PTA is doing. Be sure to take a look to stay up to date on all the happenings! You can also follow our Facebook page, Collierville Elementary School PTA. Not on Facebook? No worries! We will also send email updates via the ParentSquare app.

We were excited to kick off the 2022-2023 school year by welcoming back all of our teachers with a catered Chick-Fil-A breakfast on July 27th, organized by our Hospitality Chair, Jala Walker. We were thrilled to be able to speak about our Impact Grant program, which through the PTA’s fundraising efforts we were able to provide each classroom and specialty teacher money to purchase things they need for their classroom. And new this year, we were also able to provide each grade level with money to purchase new recess equipment!

The PTA Board of Managers has been hard at work planning for this school year! Please see important dates for August and September below:

August

  • 8th: First Day for Students
  • 8th-12th: Kindergarten Screening/Staggered Days
  • 15th: Kindergarten Coffee in the Cafeteria (for parents of Kindergarteners)
  • 18th: Back to School Night

September

  • 5th: Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
  • 8th: Grandparents Day for last names A-L @ 7:45am on the Football Field
  • 9th: Grandparents Day for last names M-Z @ 7:45am on the Football Field
  • 22nd: Parent Conferences 4:15-7:15pm
  • 26th: Professional Development Day for teacher – NO SCHOOL
  • 29th: General Membership Meeting @ 6:00pm in the gym

Be sure to mark your calendars for our biggest fall fundraiser, Dragon Dash, coming up on October 28th! Parents are invited to join their Little Dragons down at the track as they run 4 laps to raise money that directly funds the PTA’s budget. This money as well as the money raised at our spring fundraiser, Fair In The Lair, helps the PTA to put on events such as Grandparents Day, Donuts with Dragons, Walk to School Day, and Memphis in May. They are also used to fund the above-mentioned teacher impact grant program and Wishlist items. Wishlist items are things specifically requested by the school and PTA. More information will be sent home regarding fundraisers later in the year, so be on the lookout!

The beginning of a new school year means it’s time to renew or purchase your PTA membership! Every year, our goal is to have 100% membership, which means there is a membership for every student, staff, and faculty member at CES! If you have more than one student at CES, we encourage you to purchase one to represent each student. Anyone can be a member of the PTA: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors! There are two ways to sign up — via a QR code that will be emailed out (simply scan and sign up online) or the membership form that will be sent home during the first weeks of school (fill out and return back to school with your student with cash/check payment). If you have any questions, please reach out to our Membership Chair, Lydia Farmer via email at membership@mycespta.org

We are looking forward to a great year! If at any time you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone on the PTA board. We are here to help!

Sincerely,

Laura Wiseman

President, CES PTA 2022-2023

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • At Collierville Elementary School we surround our Little Dragons with love, hold them to high expectations, and engage them in rigorous instruction.

Vision

  • At Collierville Elementary School we will forge Little Dragons who demonstrate strong character, a love for learning, and serve as future leaders.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

💰 Impact Grants

In 2011, the CES-PTA began the IMPACT Grant Program. IMPACT Grants are awarded to CES faculty every year to provide additional support to CES students. Each year the CES-PTA hosts the annual Fair in the Lair/Book-fair along with all Dragonwear sales to provide funding for the IMPACT program.

Great news! We will be awarding IMPACT Grants to CES faculty totaling $20,350 with an additional $6500 that is new this year and will go towards grade level recess equipment. 🎉 These grants will have a profound impact on your students. Thank you for supporting these events and this important initiative at CES.

CES faculty can pick up a reimbursement sheet in the lounge and turn them in to the Treasurer’s PTA box. Please reach out to Heather Summers for more details or any questions. Treasurer@mycespta.org.

Heather Summers
CES-PTA Treasurer 2022-2023

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.

👩‍🏫 Welcome New Little Dragon Faculty and Staff 👨‍🏫

  • Katie Gabb – Art
  • Erica Gilmer – 5th Grade
  • Sean Greene – PE
  • Natalie Jewell – Occupational Therapist
  • Cher Johnson – 4th Grade
  • Jennifer King – Kindergarten
  • Erika Myers – Nutrition Tech
  • Clint Petrowski – Plant Manager
  • Melissa Polly – Kindergarten
  • Beth Prieur – Parent & Community Involvement Coordinator
  • Lauren Pumphrey – 2nd Grade Interim
  • Allyson Ruddick – 3rd Grade Interim
  • Megan Schubert – Kindergarten
  • Katy Thomas – Kindergarten
  • Elizabeth Whitby – 5th Grade
  • Sherrell Wiseman – Attendance Operator

Transportation Information

Students are allowed on campus beginning at 8:40 a.m. All external doors are locked promptly at 9:00 a.m. After 8:59 a.m. you cannot drop your child off on campus – you must escort your child to the office for check-in. Dismissal will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. each day.  

Car Riders

Car riders enter and exit in the rear parking lot. Returning families, please continue to use your car rider numbers from last year. New families will were assigned car rider numbers on  Orientation Day.  The car rider line begins on White Road, turns onto Carruthers, and then turns left on Burrows (see map). You will enter the parking lot from there. There is NO LEFT TURN from White Road or Burrows to Burrows during car rider line. Parents, please DO NOT turn left into the line in the mornings or afternoons. Please proceed down White Road and, if necessary, down Hermitage Trail until you reach the end of the line. Interrupting the line will cause a slow down in the process. PTA volunteers will be out to help direct traffic.  During drop-off and pick-up please postpone any phone calls while waiting in the car line.  During pick-up we are required to place your child in the back seat.

Bus Riders

Bus riders enter and exit at the North side of the building (K-1 Hall).

Walkers / Bike Riders

Walkers/bike riders enter and exit at the end of the building closest to their home, North (K-1 Hall) or South (2-3 Hall). No students should be walking in front of the building on Peterson Lake Road.

PTA Board 2022-2023

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentLaura Wisemanpresident@mycespta.org
Past PresidentMilly Mountpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentAmanda Cantrellvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryLindsey Guillsecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerHeather Summerstreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianLindsay Tilsonparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsAlyssa Martincommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsAndrea McGheecommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Ayala Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearBrittany Stregerdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsAutumn Friedelfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsJamie Halupnik/
Michelle Lamansky
fundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetySarah Highthealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianEmily Pinnerhistorian@mycespta.org
Hospitalityhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeGina Johnsonlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipLydia Farmermembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementBeth Prieur/
Jala Walker
parentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorTenoria Westvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeWhitney ThrowerN/A
Member at Large Ashley WagnerN/A
Member at Large N/A
Member at LargeN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

Summer Edition 2022 Dragon Flyer

Summer Edition 2022



📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Families,

Thank you all for a wonderful school year!  Though we began with some challenges, our community always remained focused on what is most important: our students.  We aim to create an environment at CES where all students feel safe and loved.  When you walk the halls of CES, you will see children and adults who are smiling and excited to be at school.  You will see parents volunteering and investing their time and energy into helping CES be exceptional for the students and staff.  We are an incredible school because of the people who make up our Little Dragon community.

As we head off into summer, we hope that our students and families will find time to have fun and recharge.  Play is so important for a child’s development, and we hope our students have plenty of time to do just that.  Our teachers and staff have been hard at work to bring some new and exciting things to CES next year!  We can’t wait to share with you our vision and journey for the future of CES.

Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education.  At CES we believe that every dragon has a story, and we thank you for sharing your stories with us.  If we can ever be of assistance to you and your child, please do not hesitate to reach out.  We know that together we are better!

Wishing all of our Little Dragons a wonderful, safe summer!

All the best,

Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Who is glad summer is here?!  I hope you are able to slow your pace and enjoy a less structured season with your family. As of June 30, I roll off as President of our PTA. I have been so grateful for my time serving here. I have gotten to see firsthand how hard our teachers and staff worked throughout a pandemic and its aftermath to keep our Little Dragons on track, learning and growing. I am so proud to call CES home for my kids, and I know their years here will impact them forever. I look forward to serving next school year as Vice President. I hope if you are looking for ways to get involved you will reach out to me or someone else on the board. We do what we do because we love our school and the community it has built.

Enjoy your summer…August 8 will be here before you know it!

Maroon and White,
Amanda Cantrell
president@mycespta.org

Message from Incoming PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Parents and Students,

My names Laura Wiseman and I am so excited to be transitioning into the role of PTA President for the 2022-2023 school year. My husband Neil and I moved to Collierville 10 years ago when he came to work for the Town of Collierville . We fell in love immediately and are proud to call Collierville home. We have two daughters, Avery and Maysen. Avery is 11 and was a proud Little Dragon all through elementary school and will be in 6th grade at West Collierville Middle. Maysen is 9 and will be in the 4th grade. I also teach preschool at Collierville First Baptist.

The PTA Board is already in full swing planning for next year. We have many exciting events planned for our Little Dragons and their families! Our two biggest fundraising events are Dragon Dash which takes place in the fall and Fair in the Lair which happens in the spring. All the money raised from these events come straight back to the school in the form of impact grants for our teachers, funding for our other events throughout the year, class shirts for the students, new recess equipment for each grade level, treat cart days for our teachers among other things. The PTA is proud to host such events as Grandparents Day, Donuts with Dragons, and Walk to School Day in both the fall and spring.

I look forward to being able to meet and engage with as many of you as possible. The PTA is always open to input from parents, so please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns. It’s going to be a great year!

Dragon Love,
Laura Wiseman

Collierville Elementary School has two options available to purchase school supplies for the 2022-2023 school year.

1 – Purchase supplies yourself at your retailer of choice. The above pictures provide a guide on what items to purchase based on your student’s grade.

2-Purchase the pre-packaged Kidz School Box through Knowledge Tree. Please click on the link below to place your order.

https://www.kidzschoolbox.com/collierville-elem

unnamed.jpg

Coming August 2022…

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership, and life.

Vision

  • Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become lifelong learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.

Good Luck Next Year to our 5th Graders!

📝 Citizenship Essay Awards 📝

The theme for the essay was “Celebrate Our Country by…” The second place
winner was Fletcher Woodward and the first place winner was Summit Freidel.

Fair in the Lair Wrap Up

📷 🎨 ✏️Cultural Arts Reflection Awards 📷 🎨 ✏️

• First Place Photography- Mia Woods
• First Place Literature- Loretta Nash
• Second Place Literature- Nolan Guill
• First Place Visual Arts– James Robbins
• Second Place Visual Arts– Sunshine Jordan
• Third Place Visual Arts– Aurelius Ayala Smith
• Fourth Place Visual Arts– Olivia Guill

PTA Lifetime Achievement Award 2021-2022

Tyler Salyer

Memphis In May: Ghana Wrap Up

PTA Board 2022-2023

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentLaura Wisemanpresident@mycespta.org
Past PresidentMilly Mountpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentAmanda Cantrellvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryLindsey Guillsecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerHeather Summerstreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianLindsay Tilsonparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsAlyssa Martincommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsAndrea McGheecommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Ayala Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearBrittany Stregerdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsAutumn Freidelfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsJaime Halupnik/
Michelle Lamansky
fundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetySarah Highthealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianEmily Pinnerhistorian@mycespta.org
Hospitalityhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeGina Johnsonlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipLydia Farmermembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementBeth Prieur/ Jala Walkerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorTenoria Westvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeWhitney ThrowerN/A
Member at Large Ashley WagnerN/A
Member at Large N/A
Member at LargeN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

December 2021 – January 2022 Dragon Flyer

December 2021 – January 2022




If you would like to help with teacher lunches, snack cart, etc. but do not have time to shop or bring items to the school this is a GREAT way to contribute. Thank you for donating to the many events the PTA has throughout the year for the teachers, staff and students!
Click the button above to donate or it can be found at the top of the PTA webpage. https://mycespta.org/

Calling all CES Alumni ~~~ Dragon Dozen Scholarship

The Dragon Dozen Scholarship is awarded annually to two Collierville High School seniors by the Collierville
Elementary School PTA. This year, the CES PTA will be offering two $1,000 scholarships. Scholarships will be paid directly to the University to which the applicant will be attending.

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements to be considered for the Dragon Dozen Scholarship:
» Be a Dragon for their entire educational career K–12 (CES, CMS/WCMS, CHS and CVA).
» Provide three letters of recommendation: two recommendations from teachers and one from another source (volunteer work, coach, church, etc.).
» Write a 300 word essay on “What it means to be a Dragon.”
» Turn in application by Sunday, March 6, 2022.
» Scholarships will be notified and awarded at the General Membership meeting on April 14, 2022 at 6:30pm

For additional information or a scholarship packet please see the guidance counselors at CHS or email president@mycespta.org.

Important Dates

Dec 16Class Holiday Parties
Dec 171/2 Day of School
Jan 4 Students Return to School
Jan 11Spelling Bee
Jan 17MLK Day- NO SCHOOL
Feb 19CES Teacher Breakfast
Feb 21President’s Day -NO SCHOOL
Feb 24Parent Conferences 4:15-7:15
Mar 4Dragon’s Love to Read Day
Mar 7-11Teacher Appreciation Week
Mar 14-18Spring Break – NO SCHOOL
Mar 24-25Donuts with Dragons

📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Family,

It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up our first semester of this school year!  In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, I could not let the opportunity pass me by to express my gratitude for the incredible community that makes up CES.  I am so thankful for our students who are the reason we come to work every day, for the teachers who go above and beyond to make learning fun and engaging for our students, and for our families who support the work we do in so many ways.  CES truly is a special place.

We’ve had a wonderful quarter 2 here at CES!  It started with Red Ribbon Week and our annual Dragon Dash.  Students and staff had a blast dressing up for our theme days during Red Ribbon Week.  There were lots of crazy socks, wacky outfits, and even a few Cats in Hats!  Dragon Dash was a HUGE success!  The rain could not keep the fun and excitement away, and we were so happy to be able to have our parents join us this year!  We smashed our goal of $30,000 – raising over $40,000!  Yes, that means I will become a human sundae before the end of this quarter!

In November, we celebrated Veterans Day by welcoming local veterans, including some of our parents, to come speak to our 4th and 5th graders about what it means to them to serve our country.  It was an honor to host them, and we are so grateful for their service!  Once again, our Little Dragons stepped up and showed their generosity during our Food Drive. As a school, we were able to donate 2600 lbs of food to the Collierville Food Bank!  What an awesome way for our students to give back!  We also announced that CES has been awarded the Apple Distinguished School designation for another 3 years!  We are so proud of the daily work our teachers do to use technology as a resource for creating opportunities for our students to experience.  It is a huge honor and not one that many schools are able to attain.

Most recently, we were able to host the return of our Open House and Book Fair.  It was awesome to see so many of our families in the building!  Our students were so excited to share the incredible things they have been learning about and the work they have been creating.  When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will wind down quarter 2 with a lot more learning and holiday festivities.  We can’t wait for another great semester.  CES is the best!

Happy Holidays Little Dragon families!

All the best,

Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Parents & Students,

As we round out the first semester, I am so proud of our school. Our teachers and staff continue to impress me with how flexible they can be every single day. They continue to love our kids well while teaching them in the oddest of times. Things are on the way to becoming more and more “normal,” and I hope we never forget how our teachers persevered for our kids during this time. I continue to pray for our families that have been deeply affected by Covid 19, and I hope our community can continue to be a support system for them.

We held our annual Dragon Dash fundraiser in October. We exceeded our budget goal by $10,000!!! We were so grateful to welcome parents back on campus for this fun event. Andrea McGhee, our Fundraising Events Chairperson, did an incredible job planning a fun day for our Little Dragons. Katie Cockrell, our Fundraising Sponsorship Chairperson, secured incredible donations from local businesses. Please take a close look at our list of sponsors. Visit their businesses and thank them for supporting our school. All the money we raised stays at CES to be used for PTA sponsored events and for items needed in the school.

We are moving forward with our schedule in hopes that all the scheduled events will take place. We have Fair in the Lair planned for April 16. This event is a carnival type family day that is always a lot of fun. We will have another Donuts with Dragons day, Memphis in May day, and Teacher Appreciation Week. Please follow our facebook page to stay up to date on any information you may need.

I would love to encourage everyone to continue offering grace when there is confusion, a helping hand when there is a need, and a kind word any chance you can. We will continue to be in this together, so here’s to 2022!

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Love in Maroon and White,

Amanda Cantrell
president@mycespta.org

What’s Been Happening?

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership, and life.

Vision

  • Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become lifelong learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.



Mr. Ruiz will be participating in the human ice cream sundae event soon!

Dragon Dash Wrap Up

We would like to thank everyone for their participation in this year’s Dragon Dash. Without the support of our students, parents, teachers and faculty we would not be able to do all the wonderful things that we do for the school and the faculty. This year we raised over $40,000. Congratulations Little
Dragons!

PTA Board 2021-2022

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentAmanda Cantrellpresident@mycespta.org
Past Presidentpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentLaura Wisemanvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryJami Dickenssecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerMilly Mounttreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianAutumn Freidelparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsLindsey Guillcommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsMegan Tomscommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearSarah Hightdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsKimberly Allenfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsAndrea McGheefundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetyJaime Halupnikhealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianCandice Busbyhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityAshley Wagnerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeMelissa Brownlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipBeth Prieurmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementWhitney Throwerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorLindsey Tilsonvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeBrooke McDuffyN/A
Member at Large Isabelle GiraldoN/A
Member at Large Rachel Davis N/A
Member at LargeAnne CalderwoodN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

October – November 2021 Dragon Flyer

October – November 2021


Donuts with Dragons

Students with the last name beginning with A-L
➡︎Thursday October 21 ~ 7:45am
At the CES football fields

Students with the last name beginning with M-Z
➡︎Friday October 22 ~ 7:45am
At the CES football fields

Every Little Dragon is welcome to bring ONE special adult to Donuts with Dragons

RSVP information coming soon

Important Dates

Oct 4-8Parent Pal Appreciation Week
Oct 6Walk to School Day
Oct 8Dragon Dash Pep Rally
Oct 11-15Fall Break- NO SCHOOL
Oct 21-22Donuts with Dragons
Oct 23Race for the Ville
Oct 25-29Red Ribbon Week
Oct 29DRAGON DASH
Nov 10Fall Clean Up Day
Nov 11Veteran’s Day Celebration
Nov 18Open House & Book Fair
Nov 22-26Thanksgiving Break-NO SCHOOL
Dec 2Spelling Bee
Dec 171/2 Day of School

National Walk to School Day

Cultural Arts: Reflections Contest

Do you enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films and taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections! This year’s theme, “I Will Change the World By…,” calls for your own unique interpretation through the arts. You can email the PTA Cultural Arts Chair at culturalarts@mycespta.org to get a submission guidelines and an entry form. Please return by October 1st 2021. For inspiration, visit the Reflections virtual art gallery and learn more about prizes and scholarships  at PTA.org/Reflections/Awards. 

We will be giving out a sweet treat from Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery to every child who enters the Reflections program.


📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Family,

I am so grateful for the incredible community we have here at CES!  We have amazing students who love their school, wonderful teachers and staff who care for our students every day, and fantastic parents who support the work that we do.  The tragedy that happened in our community last week has reminded all of us not to take for granted the blessings that we have and the loved ones we hold close.  I am so thankful to all of those who keep our students safe every day.  We love our Little Dragons and count it a privilege to help them learn and grow.

It has been a fantastic first quarter here at CES!  CES was announced as a Reward School by the State of Tennessee for outstanding scores in achievement and growth.  Our students and teachers worked hard last year and were able to demonstrate their learning and growth – even in the middle of a pandemic.  We were also able to welcome many of our students’ grandparents to CES for donuts and coffee on the football field.  Many community members came to CES to read to our students for Little Dragons Love to Read Day.  For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month our students were able to wear their PJs to school for a fundraiser, and as a school, we raised over $5,000 dollars to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Growing up as a missionary kid in Taiwan, I learned to speak Chinese. I have loved teaching our students new Chinese words every week through our morning announcements.  They are quick learners and will speak to me in Chinese as I walk through the halls of CES.  As I have visited our classrooms, I have been so impressed with our teachers who do a fantastic job of making learning fun for our students.  2nd grade had their first annual Olympic Games as they are studying the Greek culture.  The students had so much fun jumping over hurdles and running relay races! CES truly is an incredible place to be!

I am looking forward to quarter 2 and all the fun things we have planned for our students.  Thank you all for your continued support.  We are grateful to be partners with you in your children’s education.

All the best,

Michael Ruiz

✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Parents & Students –

We have had such a great start to the school year. It has not always been easy, but our Little Dragons have proven to be ready, respectful, and responsible. Our school theme this year is “Every Dragon has a Story.” Our hope is that Little Dragons are quick to listen and quick to help when needs arise.

We had a wonderful time at our Grandparent’s Day on the Football Field. The weather could not have been better, and it was so fun to invite the grandparents on to campus for breakfast.

We have started planning for Dragon Dash! It will be held October 29 during the school day. Going along with the school theme, the Dragon Dash theme is “Seuss on the Loose!” We truly hope to provide a fun day for our students and raise money in the process. All the money we raise during DD goes directly back into the school to fund the PTA budget for the year. This covers things like new playground equipment, tables for classrooms, and all of the events PTA hosts. There will be more information coming home soon, so be on the lookout!


Thank you to our Little Dragon Corporate Sponsors. We have many community business members who have graciously pledged their financial support for our school. Every year it amazes me how generous our community is, especially coming off such a hard year for small businesses. Stop by these businesses and let them know the little dragon students appreciate them.

Have you paid your $7 per person membership dues this school year? It is our yearly goal to have 100% participation school-wide. Beth Prieur can give you a classroom update as to how close you are to 100%. Drop her an email: memebership@mycespta.org.  You can also sign up for PTA memberships online at: mycespta.org.

The cultural arts Reflections contest, Parent Pal week, Donuts with Dragons, and Teacher Treat Carts are a few other things we are excited about offering this semester. Check out our facebook page for more information and look for blue papers in your child’s folder. As always, please reach out with any ideas or concerns you may have.

Maroon and White,

Amanda Cantrell

president@mycespta.org

Parent Pal Week: October 4-8

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership, and life.

Vision

  • Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become lifelong learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

Red Ribbon Week: October 25-29

more information coming soon

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.


Dragon Dash

October 29, 2021

🐉 Parents are welcome to come this year.
🐉 More information will come home in your students Wednesday folder.

PTA Board 2021-2022

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentAmanda Cantrellpresident@mycespta.org
Past Presidentpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentLaura Wisemanvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryJami Dickenssecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerMilly Mounttreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianAutumn Freidelparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsLindsey Guillcommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsMegan Tomscommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearSarah Hightdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsKimberly Allenfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsAndrea McGheefundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetyJaime Halupnikhealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianCandice Busbyhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityAshley Wagnerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeMelissa Brownlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipBeth Prieurmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementWhitney Throwerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorLindsey Tilsonvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeBrooke McDuffyN/A
Member at Large Isabelle GiraldoN/A
Member at Large Rachel Davis N/A
Member at LargeAnne CalderwoodN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

August – September 2021 Dragon Flyer

August – September 2021


Grandparents Day

Students with the last name beginning with A-L
➡︎Thursday September 9 ~ 7:45am
In the CES Cafeteria

Students with the last name beginning with M-Z
➡︎Friday September 10 ~ 7:45am
In the CES Cafeteria

RSVP information coming soon

Important Dates

Aug 91st Day for Students
Aug 10-12Kindergarten Screening
Aug 12Virtual Back to School Night (1st – 5th grade)
Aug 16-19Kindergarten Staggered Week
Aug 23First Day for Kindergarten
Aug 23Virtual Back to School Night for Kindergarten
Sept 6Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
Sept 9-10Grandparents Day
Sept 17D.E.A.R Day
Sept 23Parent Conferences
Sept 27Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL
Sept 30CES PTA General Membership Meeting
Oct 4-8Parent Pal Appreciation Week
Oct 6Walk to School Day
Oct 8Dragon Dash Pep Rally
Oct 11-15Fall Break- NO SCHOOL

📨 A Note from Mr. Ruiz

Dear Little Dragon Families,

I want to extend a BIG welcome to all of our new and returning families!  It is a great honor to be serving as your new principal, and I look forward to working alongside each of you in helping our students thrive here at Collierville Elementary School.  It was so wonderful meeting many of you during our Meet the Teacher and Principal day. I am glad our Little Dragons and their families were able to meet their teachers in person this year. We can’t wait to meet all of our students as they come back to school on August 9th!

There are a lot of exciting things in store for this new school year including the opening of our brand-new gym later in the year!  We could not be more excited for our students to have access to this new state-of-the-art facility.  Construction is underway and the excitement builds as we see progress being made.  We are grateful for the many people who made this new gym a reality! We are also excited to open back up our playgrounds for our students to enjoy during recess.  One of my favorite past times is playing kickball with my 5th graders at recess time.  I hope to get out there and play again with all our Little Dragons!

At CES we know that “Every Dragon Has a Story”.  We have students who come from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds.  We know that all of our students have so many different talents and gifts; we also recognize that many have faced hardships and challenges.  No matter where our students have been, we want all of our students to feel at home at CES.  Every Little Dragon has a story that is special and unique, and we celebrate each one of them.

It’s time to open up the doors to the 2021-2022 school year!  Welcome back Little Dragons!  Let’s have a great year!

Your Principal,

J. Michael Ruiz

More information coming soon!

✉️ Message from PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Parents & Students –

Welcome back, Little Dragon Families! As you can see from this Dragon Flyer edition, we are again choosing to “go green” by utilizing emails as our way of distributing our newsletter. You can also stay up to date by following the CES PTA facebook page and by downloading the ParentSquare app.

The two big PTA dates for next school year are Dragon Dash on October 29, 2021 and Fair in the Lair on April 23, 2022. These are our two fundraisers for the year, and they fund our budget as well as teacher impact grants.  We will also have an opening of the new gym, Donuts with Dragons, and a few other fun things throughout the year.

Dragon Dash….dust off your tennis shoes parents, we invite you to join the Little Dragons as they run 4 laps around the track for our fall fundraiser on October 29th. This fundraiser funds our budget and provides wish list items – – what’s that, you are wondering? Our budget allows the PTA to have events for the students such as Grandparent’s Day, Donuts with Dragons, Memphis in May day, Walk and Bike to school day and many other fun and educational events. Wishlist items are items requested by the school and our principal. A few examples of things we have been able to provide in the past are collaborative learning tables for every classroom, Promethean Boards for most classrooms, restocked grade level recess supplies, and educational learning seminars and conferences for our teachers and staff.

Now that August is here it’s time to renew your PTA memberships. Our goal each year is to have 100% memberships – that means a membership for each student, staff, and faculty member at CES. If you have more than one student at CES please consider purchasing enough memberships to represent each student. Anyone can be a PTA member; parents, students, grandparents, aunts/uncles, and even neighbors. Your membership ensures you will stay connected to the PTA throughout the school year, but I promise we will not hound you for money or volunteering time. The membership roster is how we build our email data base each year. Beth Prieur is our membership chair; drop her an email if you have any questions: membership@mycespta.org.

Speaking of volunteering, we have multiple areas at CES that rely on our loyal and loving volunteers. We need volunteers in the health room, cafeteria, copy room, and library. If you have a few extra hours here or there, please contact Lindsay Tilson at volunteercoordinator@mycespta.org.

2021-22 is going to be a great year for our Little Dragons. Please know I have a great board of volunteers that help make each PTA event a success. They are the behind the scenes brains, creativity, and muscle that pull off an amazing school year for our kids and teachers. If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all just a click away via our CES PTA emails (see the list of officers later in this edition for specific email). Don’t hesitate to drop us an email with a question or concern.

Maroon and White,

Amanda Cantrell

president@mycespta.org

📜 Mission, Vision, & Beliefs

Mission

  • Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership, and life.

Vision

  • Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become lifelong learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs

  • Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.
  • Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.
  • All relationships matter and are essential to learning.
  • Every learner is different. As educators we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.
  • Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.
  • A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community.
  • Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.
  • When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.

🎯 PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

💰 Impact Grants

In 2011, the CES-PTA began the IMPACT Grant Program. IMPACT Grants are awarded to CES faculty every year to provide additional support to CES students. Each year the CES-PTA hosts the annual Fair in the Lair/Book-fair along with all Dragonwear sales to provide funding for the IMPACT program.

Great news! We will be awarding IMPACT Grants to CES faculty totaling $19,425.00. 🎉 These grants will have a profound impact on your students. Thank you for supporting these events and this important initiative at CES.

CES faculty can pick up a reimbursement sheet in the lounge and turn them in to the Treasurer’s PTA box. Please reach out to Milly Mount for more details or any questions. Treasurer@mycespta.org.

Milly Mount
CES-PTA Treasurer 2021-22

Giving Back Through Kroger 🛒

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com
2. Create an account or Sign-in.
3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.
4. Click on “My account.”
5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”
6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.

👩‍🏫 Welcome New Little Dragon Faculty and Staff 👨‍🏫

  • Michael Ruiz, Principal
  • Luanda Harrold, 3rd Grade
  • Sarah Faught, Interim-4th Grade
  • Lori Jernigan, 5th Grade
  • Hunter Steele, Interim-5th Grade
  • Bethany Holland, Counselor
  • Staci Jones, ESL
  • Tiffany Wuzzardo, Gifted
  • Bronwen Kirk, Library
  • Lisa Plunkett, Intervention

Transportation Information

Students are allowed on campus beginning at 8:40 a.m. All external doors are locked promptly at 9:00 a.m. After 8:59 a.m. you cannot drop your child off on campus – you must escort your child to the office for check-in. Dismissal will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. each day. The Little Dragon family wants our students to dismiss as safely as possible. It is going to take some time for our students to get used to dismissing from school while social distancing. As a result, we will need as many staff as possible in the building supporting students as they learn our new procedures. Once our students understand the procedures for a safe dismissal, we will begin to look at how we can modify the way parents pick up their children in order to make dismissal more efficient. We anticipate if changes will be made, they will occur after Labor Day. 

Car Riders

Car riders enter and exit in the rear parking lot. Returning families, please continue to use your car rider numbers from last year. New families will were assigned car rider numbers on  Orientation Day.  The car rider line begins on White Road, turns onto Carruthers, and then turns left on Burrows (see map). You will enter the parking lot from there. There is NO LEFT TURN from White Road or Burrows to Burrows during car rider line. Parents, please DO NOT turn left into the line in the mornings or afternoons. Please proceed down White Road and, if necessary, down Hermitage Trail until you reach the end of the line. Interrupting the line will cause a slow down in the process. PTA volunteers will be out to help direct traffic.  During drop-off and pick-up please postpone any phone calls while waiting in the car line.  During pick-up we are required to place your child in the back seat. Important change in procedures; CES faculty will signal when it is clear for a child to exit/enter their car. The child will open and close their own car door.

Bus Riders

Bus riders enter an exit at the North side of the building (K-1 Hall).

Walkers / Bike Riders

Walkers/bike riders enter and exit at the end of the building closest to their home, North (K-1 Hall) or South (2-3 Hall). No students should be walking in front of the building on Peterson Lake Road.

PTA Board 2021-2022

If you have any questions about any aspect of PTA we are all are just a click away via our CES PTA emails.

PresidentAmanda Cantrellpresident@mycespta.org
Past Presidentpastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice PresidentLaura Wisemanvicepresident@mycespta.org
SecretaryJami Dickenssecretary@mycespta.org
TreasurerMilly Mounttreasurer@mycespta.org
ParliamentarianAutumn Freidelparliamentarian@mycespta.org
CommunicationsLindsey Guillcommunications@mycespta.org
Community Affairs/EventsMegan Tomscommunityaffairs@mycespta.org
Cultural ArtsCristina Smithculturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon WearSarah Hightdragonwear@mycespta.org
Family EventsKimberly Allenfamilyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising EventsAndrea McGheefundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising SponsorKatie Cockrellfundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & SafetyJaime Halupnikhealthandsafety@mycespta.org
HistorianCandice Busbyhistorian@mycespta.org
HospitalityAshley Wagnerhospitality@mycespta.org
LegislativeMelissa Brownlegislative@mycespta.org
MembershipBeth Prieurmembership@mycespta.org
Parent InvolvementWhitney Throwerparentinvolvement@mycespta.org
Special EventsAmber Bachspecialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer CoordinatorLindsey Tilsonvolunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Member at LargeBrooke McDuffyN/A
Member at Large Isabelle GiraldoN/A
Member at Large Rachel Davis N/A
Member at LargeAnne CalderwoodN/A

✏️ Box Tops for Education

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We are so excited to be back with our Little Dragons! We may be in need of volunteers this school year pending school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please click the button below to fill out the online form.

Thanks so much!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 CES PTA Membership Form

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership.

Our goal is 100% membership in PTA, including parents, teachers and any adult who wants CES to be a strong, positive educational experience. The PTA provides many resources that enhance the quality of our students’ education.

You can support CES by buying one or more PTA memberships for each child you have enrolled at CES.

Click the button below to join the PTA today!

⭐️ CES PTA Sponsorship Form ⭐️

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business!

There are four levels of sponsorship available. Click below for more information about how to support CES with your sponsorship today!

Dragon Flyer – April / May 2021

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A Message from the Principal

 

The Little Dragon Family,

We are in the home stretch of the school year, and what a year we’ve had! I cannot thank you enough for all you do to support Collierville Elementary School and those that give of themselves each day so that every Little Dragon can have a bright future. I especially want to thank you for making our faculty and staff feel special during Teacher Appreciation Week. We have the BEST faculty and staff in the town, and your kind words and gifts meant a lot.

We are working through end-of-the-year celebrations and events. Our goal is to keep all students safe while still keeping as many of our traditions that make CES such a special place. More information will be communicated by your child’s teacher as it becomes available.

State testing is coming up for third through fifth grades. Please make sure your child is well-rested, has a great breakfast, and is encouraged to do their best on the test. However, also make sure your child knows that how they do on an assessment does not define how amazing and wonderful they are as a person. The last thing we want for any child is for him/her to stress over how well he/she is going to do. While we are a school that is proud of the high-test scores we’ve had in the past (we’ve led the district in growth and have been recognized as a Tennessee Reward School), we recognize that no assessment can measure the great things about your child that make him or her unique and special. A test cannot tell you how much your child is loved or cared for at Collierville Elementary, nor does it take into account the challenges a child may face outside of the school and parents’ control. This year more than ever, we are proud of what every child has been able to overcome to make it through the school year. We hope you will encourage your child every single day to do their best academically but even more so to be a friend to those in need and have compassion toward others.

I am always a phone call or email away. I try to frequently post and share some of the great things going on at school on the CES Twitter account. You can follow us at @CESLittleDragon.

Every Dragon. Every Day.
Tyler Salyer


A Message from the PTA President

Hello Little Dragon Family and students –
We are in the home stretch for summer! Our Little Dragons have proven to be resilient, tough, and brave in the face of such a weird time. Thank you, teachers, for keeping our kids safe, healthy, and learning every day!

In April, we will have our spring fundraiser (a paint party), Dragon Dance, and spring Dragon Wear. The Virtual Paint Party is happening next Thursday night. A special thanks to our amazing art teachers, Mrs. Hanks and Mr. Miller, for helping make this event happen. We can’t wait to see everyone’s Town Square paintings! On April 15 and 16, we will have a fun time set aside called Dragon Dance! We hope this gives the kids an opportunity to have some fun at the end of this crazy year! Our Dragon Wear is currently for sale, and we have cute tees, tanks, and SOCKS!!

I want to say a special thanks to our board this year. Most PTA events have had to be totally reimagined-the board has taken on the challenge and made it an incredible year. They have worked tirelessly for our students and teachers to do things like a painted obstacle course on the bus lane, Donuts with Dragons, Teacher Appreciation Week, Dragon Dance, Dragon Dash, a virtual Paint Party, Dragon Wear, Teacher Treat Cart monthly…and I could go on and on. Thank you so very much to each and every one of you for being hard-working, being creative, being flexible, and most of all being good representatives of CES to our community.

If you are interested in joining the PTA Board next year, there will be applications out soon. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun doing it!

We send all of our announcements through PeachJar and post on our Facebook page. Join us there to not miss a thing!

Maroon and White,
Amanda Cantrell

president@mycespta.org


A HUGE Thank you to our 2020/2021 Corporate Sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Michael Green, John Green & Co., REALTORS

M&M Construction

Republic Roofing and Restoration

 

GOLD SPONSORS

Ginny Mount School of Dance

Maureen Fraser, John Green & Co., REALTORS

Carrie Moore, Allstate Insurance

Bricks and Minifigs

DogTopia

Nu-Life Floor Care, LLC

Collierville First Baptist Church

Choate’s Air Conditioning, Heating, & Plumbing

STIX – Hibachi, Sushi, Asian Restaurant

Pace Lawn and Landscape

Yancey Farms Partners

American Veterans Restoration

901 Floors

 

GENERAL SPONSORS

TB Tees

John Worley Builders


Important Dates

 

April 2 Good Friday – NO SCHOOL
April 5 NO SCHOOL – Donuts with Dragons
April 6 Dragon Wear Orders Due
April 8 Virtual Paint Party
April 15 General Membership Meeting
April 15 and 16 Dragon Dance
May 3 and 4 Field Days
May 14 Memphis in May Day
May 26 1/2 Day of School – Last Day

General Membership Meeting

April 15, 2021

Check back on Facebook for more details.


Donuts with Dragons

Call 901-861-4404 to pre-order


Spring 2021 Dragon Wear


Dragon Dance 2021


Virtual Paint Party

This year, Mrs. Hanks and Mr. Miller will host a virtual paint party! The deadline for order was Friday, March 26. Paint kits should go home on April 6. We hope you enjoy this fun evening. And thank you, as always, for your support for our school!


Reflections Contest Winners


Teacher Braggin’ Dragons

We all know we have the best teachers around! We are switching things up this year and giving the kids an opportunity to brag on the lead Dragons for all their hard work and dedication each and every day. It’s been a challenging year, but our teachers and staff continue to go above and beyond to serve our kids and families. What a great opportunity to teach the kids to keep fighting for the good, keep being kind, keep caring and showing love.  Send in this Braggin’ Dragon to the front office bragging on a teacher or staff member. We will display them in the teacher’s lounge on a bulletin board and give them to the teacher after it has been displayed.

Click Here to Download Printable Braggin’ Dragons.


Teacher Amazon Wishlists

The Collierville Elementary PTA is teaming up with our school’s faculty to help supply our classrooms and to provide an easy way to gift our teachers. Click the image above or click here to be directed to our teacher directory to view their Amazon Wishlist. By using the provided Smile.Amazon link, 0.5% of your purchase will also be given back to Collierville Elementary PTA. This will provide even more opportunites for our school!

Thank you so much for your support and appreciation!


CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We may be in need of PTA volunteers this school year pending social distancing guidelines, school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please fill out the online form.

We will also try to post any available opportunities via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Thanks so much!

volunteercoordinator@mycespta.org


Join the PTA of Collierville Elementary School

For sixty years, Collierville Elementary has provided the students of the community with an outstanding education. The faculty, staff, and administration consistently receive straight A’s on their school report card. This school is still strong in providing quality education and it’s located just down the street from your house. It’s up to us as a community to help keep CES the strong educational institution it is.

The PTA at Collierville Elementary has many areas where we need extra parental support. Most of the events that your child participates in are provided with help through the PTA. All funds raised by the CES-PTA help provide items that enrich your child’s education—from reading materials to advancements in technology. The PTA plays a vital role at your child’s school.

The PTA also provides many opportunities to serve our community and students. Our volunteer staff helps monitor the cafeteria, make copies for the teachers every week in the copy room, provide meals at various functions through our hospitality committee, take care of the school grounds through our beautification committee, and provide first aid and assistance to students in the school health room.

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership. 

Our Goal: 100% Membership

Where does the money go?

National PTA Dues $2.25
State PTA Dues $2.00
CES PTA  $2.75

 

You can feel out this online form OR send in your membership fees with your student in an envelope marked CES-PTA Membership.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP


CES PTA Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business! 

Five Levels of Sponsorship 

*Platinum Sponsor ($1,250): Receives name on plaque posted in the school, recognition at our general meetings, a sign near car rider line, space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, banner at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Gold Sponsor ($600): Receives a sign near car rider line, space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Silver Sponsor ($400): Receives space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Bronze Sponsor ($250): Receives recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*General Sponsor ($100): Receives recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A SPONSOR


Giving Back Through Kroger

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com

2. Create an account or Sign-in.

3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.

4. Click on “My account.”

5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”

6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.


Box Tops for Education

App Icon

Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

 


What’s Been Happening!

THANK YOU to all who celebrated our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week!  It was truly an amazing week and all of our teachers received so much love from all of us!


2020 – 2021 Collierville Elementary School PTA Board

President Amanda Cantrell president@mycespta.org
Past President Milly Mount pastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice President Laura Wiseman vicepresident@mycespta.org
Secretary Jami Dickens secretary@mycespta.org
Treasurer Brooke McDuffy treasurer@mycespta.org
Parliamentarian Melissa Brown parliamentarian@mycespta.org
Communications Emily Clemmer communications@mycespta.org
Cultural Arts Anne Calderwood culturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon Wear Ashley Wagner dragonwear@mycespta.org
Family Events Kimberly Allen familyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising Events Andrea McGhee fundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising Sponsor Katie Cockrell fundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & Safety Jaime Halupnik healthandsafety@mycespta.org
Historian Isabel Giraldo historian@mycespta.org
Hospitality Rachel Davis hospitality@mycespta.org
Legislative Autumn Freidel legislative@mycespta.org
Membership Allyson McLean membership@mycespta.org
Special Events Amber Bach specialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer Coordinator Lindsay Tilson volunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Parent Involvement Whitney Thrower parentinvolvement@mycespta.org

CES Mission and Vision

Mission

Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership,and life.

Vision
Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become life learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs
Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.

Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.

All relationships matter and are essential to learning. Every learner is different. As educators
we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.

Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.

A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community. 

Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.

When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.


PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure
for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual
education.


Stay Connected

Dragon Flyer – October / November 2020 edition

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A Message from the Principal

The Little Dragon Family,

We’re heading into the busiest time of the year, both at home and school. While this has been a first semester filled with a variety of emotions, we are grateful to be back in the building and see so many smiling faces each day. As we begin to go through the fall season, I started thinking about all the things I am thankful for at Collierville Elementary. 

  • I am thankful for our students that have made the most out of a difficult situation. We really underestimated how well they would do with social distancing, washing hands, and wearing a mask all day! They have been rock stars!!! Our students that are in the building are doing everything they can to ensure they keep themselves and others safe. 
  • I am thankful for all the work our virtual students are doing at home as well. They get up every day and use their device to learn in new and exciting ways. I’ve heard nothing but great things from the teachers in our district that have CES students. Y’all are making the entire Little Dragon Family proud! 
  • I am thankful for parents that love their kids and want the best for their education. I’m thankful that our parents trust us to teach their child, keep their child safe, and help them get through a time filled with uncertainty. I’m grateful for the parent that’s able to help their child with their homework each night and for the parent that’s working a double shift so their child can have experiences they never did. This year I have also learned a new appreciation for the parent that is working at home with their child so they don’t fall behind. YOU are making a difference! 
  • I am thankful for a staff that puts their love for children first. For a staff that realizes students are coming from a variety of different places right now and need a safe place to learn. I am thankful for those teachers that continue to teach even though they don’t get the pay or thanks they deserve. I am thankful that no matter how they have to teach our kids, our teachers are constantly learning, growing, and adapting to do what’s best for students. 
  • I am thankful for a PTA that does more behind the scenes than anyone could ever know. For people that take time away from work and their families to volunteer to help with events, raise money for our school, and honor our teachers. I am thankful for parents who are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure every Little Dragon has an amazing experience at Collierville E. 
  • I am thankful for para professionals (you may know them as assistants), both regular ed. and special ed., that do whatever is asked of them and so much more to keep things running smoothly. These people work so hard and go above and beyond each day to ensure CES is the best school it can be. 
  • I am thankful for an office staff that greets every parent with a smile. They do anything that’s asked of them and so many other things, like staying late to ensure every child has made it home safely. 
  • I am thankful for Officer Loggins and to the Collierville Police Department for providing an officer to keep our school safe. Officer Loggins makes it a priority to interact with all students and helps out with all sorts of things around the building. He truly has the heart of a dragon!    
  • I am thankful for three assistant principals that live out, “Dragons Support Dragons.” They are an encouragement to so many people and sacrifice so much to ensure our kids have the best experience possible. 

I know there are people I have missed, and I could go on and on about the people that make a difference in the Little Dragon family. I want to encourage you to take some time out of your busy schedule and send one thank you note to someone at the school. You never know when you’re going to be the encouragement that person needs.

Every Dragon. Every Day.

Tyler Salyer


A Message from the PTA President

It has been such a great start to the school year. Our teachers and students (in person and CVA) have adapted so well to everything thrown at them. It has not always been easy, but our Little Dragons have  proven to be ready, respectful, and responsible even during the weirdest year ever. 

We have started planning for Dragon Dash! It will be held October 30 during the school day. We have made plans to allow for social distancing, and we invite our CVA students to join us virtually. We truly hope to provide a fun day for our students and raise money in the process. All the money we raise during DD goes directly back into the school. There will be more information coming home soon!

Thank you to our Little Dragon Corporate Sponsors. We have many community business members who have graciously pledged their financial support for our school. Every year it amazes me how generous our community is, especially this year. Stop by these businesses, and let them know the little dragon students appreciate them.

Have you paid your $7 per person membership dues this school year? It is our yearly goal to have 100% participation school-wide. Allyson McLean can give you a classroom update as to how close you are to 100%. Drop her an email: membership@mycespta.org. You can also sign up for PTA memberships online at: mycespta.org.

The cultural arts Reflections contest, Parent Pal week, and Teacher Treat Carts are a few other things we are excited about offering this semester. Check out our Facebook page for more information, and look for blue papers in your child’s folder. As always, please reach out with any ideas or concerns you may have. 

Maroon and White,

Amanda Cantrell

president@mycespta.org


A HUGE Thank you to our 2020/2021 Corporate Sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Michael Green, John Green & Co., REALTORS

M&M Construction

 

GOLD SPONSORS

Ginny Mount School of Dance

Maureen Fraser, John Green & Co., REALTORS

Carrie Moore, Allstate Insurance

Bricks and Minifigs

DogTopia

Nu-Life Floor Care, LLC

Collierville First Baptist Church

Choate’s Air Conditioning, Heating, & Plumbing

STIX – Hibachi, Sushi, Asian Restaurant

Pace Lawn and Landscape

Yancey Farms Partners

 

GENERAL SPONSORS

TB Tees

John Worley Builders


Important Dates

 

October 5-9 Parent Pal Week
October 9 Teacher Treat Cart
October 12-16 Fall Break – No School
October 26-30 Red Ribbon Week
October 30 Dragon Dash
November 3 Election Day – No School
November 13 Teacher Treat Cart
November 23-27 Thanksgiving Break – No School
December 11 Teacher Treat Cart
December 18 1/2 Day of School

 



Red Ribbon Week 2020

What is Red Ribbon Week?

It is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.  Show your personal commitment to a drug-free lifestyle through the symbol of the Red Ribbon.  Collierville Elementary will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 26 – October 30, 2020.

Why?

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a DRUG-FREE AMERICA.

During Red Ribbon Week, our CES Little Dragons will be able to show their support and take a visible stand against drugs by participating in the following dress up days.  

(PLEASE NOTE: Dragon Dash and Red Ribbon Week are the same week this year so the dress up days are the same!)

Monday, October 26 “Red-y to be Drug Free!” (Wear Red)
Tuesday, October 27 Team Up Against Drugs! (Wear your favorite team gear)
Wednesday, October 28 Stay Drug Free to Follow Your Dreams! (Wear Pajamas)
Thursday, October 29 Drugs are Scary! Just Say No! – (Wear your Halloween Costume no weapons or scary costumes, please)
Friday, October 30 Dragon Dash Away From Drugs! – Wear your class t-shirt

 

Contact us for more details: healthandsafety@mycespta.org


The Collierville Elementary School PTA wants to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. Keeping them competitive in today’s environment is of great value to everyone.  For this to be accomplished, it will require the financial assistance from the members of our community. 

 

The PTA sponsors two fundraisers each year. Our major fundraiser is our Dragon Dash, which will take place on October 30.  Our children are raising funds for their school while focusing on physical fitness. All of the funds raised will stay with Collierville Elementary School.   Dragon Dash will partner with Get Movin’ Crew again as our virtual fundraising platform.  More details on how to get your child set-up will be coming soon. 

 

Social Distancing guidelines will be followed. Because of this, parents will not be allowed to come. Classes will have staggered start times to minimize contact. 

 

CVA students will also have an opportunity to participate in a virtual run.  These instructions will be emailed out a couple weeks prior to the event date. 

 

Let’s get excited about Dragon Dash 2020!

More details to come!


Unfortunately, due to social distancing we will not be having our normal, in-person Walk to School Day on October 7 . However, we would love for our CVA students to email us a picture of them “walking to school” (their couch, kitchen table, etc.) to be used in the yearbook and social media.

Thank y’all for participating!

healthandsafety@mycespta.org


Fall Dragon Wear

 
 

National PTA Reflections Contest

 

The Reflections Program provides students from across the country the opportunity to be creative in developing artwork in any (or all) of six art categories: dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Students work on their own to create artwork which best relates their vision of a theme which is

“I Matter Because…”

 

There are multiple levels at which the students may be recognized for their work, including Collierville Elementary PTA, Tennessee, and ultimately, for the best in each category for each division, National.

 

Interested?  Please complete this interest form and submit back to your child’s teacher. 

 

Students will then receive an entry form with guidelines for participation for their selected category of interest. 

 

For questions, please contact Anne at culturalarts@mycespta.org.


Teacher Braggin’ Dragons

We all know we have the best teachers around! We are switching things up this year and giving the kids an opportunity to brag on the lead Dragons for all their hard work and dedication each and every day. It’s been a challenging year, but our teachers and staff continue to go above and beyond to serve our kids and families. What a great opportunity to teach the kids to keep fighting for the good, keep being kind, keep caring and showing love.  Send in this Braggin’ Dragon to the front office bragging on a teacher or staff member. We will display them in the teacher’s lounge on a bulletin board and give them to the teacher after it has been displayed.

Click Here to Download Printable Braggin’ Dragons.


Teacher Amazon Wishlists

The Collierville Elementary PTA is teaming up with our school’s faculty to help supply our classrooms and to provide an easy way to gift our teachers. Click the image above or click here to be directed to our teacher directory to view their Amazon Wishlist. By using the provided Smile.Amazon link, 0.5% of your purchase will also be given back to Collierville Elementary PTA. This will provide even more opportunites for our school!

Thank you so much for your support and appreciation!



Tennessee PTA Life Achievement Award

The Tennessee PTA Life Achievement Award is the highest honor form Tennessee PTA.

It is given to a person who acts as a tireless advocate for children’s education, health, and well-being and exemplifies the mission of PTA.

This recognition and thanks is to that special person who goes above and beyond for all children.

In 2020 we are proud to award this honor to two individuals.

Mrs. Sherre Perez

Mr. Michael Green

We thank you both for your dedication and commitment to the CES-PTA and the little dragons.


CES-PTA Volunteer Opportunity

We may be in need of PTA volunteers this school year pending social distancing guidelines, school safety measures and health precautions. Should the opportunity arise, please consider sharing some time with us. 

If you or someone you know would like to help out, please fill out the online form.

We will also try to post any available opportunities via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Thanks so much!

volunteercoordinator@mycespta.org


Join the PTA of Collierville Elementary School

For sixty years, Collierville Elementary has provided the students of the community with an outstanding education. The faculty, staff, and administration consistently receive straight A’s on their school report card. This school is still strong in providing quality education and it’s located just down the street from your house. It’s up to us as a community to help keep CES the strong educational institution it is.

The PTA at Collierville Elementary has many areas where we need extra parental support. Most of the events that your child participates in are provided with help through the PTA. All funds raised by the CES-PTA help provide items that enrich your child’s education—from reading materials to advancements in technology. The PTA plays a vital role at your child’s school.

The PTA also provides many opportunities to serve our community and students. Our volunteer staff helps monitor the cafeteria, make copies for the teachers every week in the copy room, provide meals at various functions through our hospitality committee, take care of the school grounds through our beautification committee, and provide first aid and assistance to students in the school health room.

We need your help. A strong PTA represents involved parents and families who care about their school and their community. Join the PTA today. The cost is $7.00 per membership. 

Our Goal: 100% Membership

Where does the money go?

National PTA Dues $2.25
State PTA Dues $2.00
CES PTA  $2.75

 

You can feel out this online form OR send in your membership fees with your student in an envelope marked CES-PTA Membership.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP


CES PTA Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

The Collierville Elementary School PTA works to assist our school in providing our children with quality educational opportunities. For this to be accomplished, the financial assistance of community members is essential to reach our goals. In order to achieve our fundraising goal, we need your help. Contributions from the Collierville business community have been a tremendous value to CES. We kindly ask for your assistance this year to help us meet the educational needs of our children. Any amount you are able to donate is very much appreciated. Help our school! Help your business! 

Five Levels of Sponsorship 

*Platinum Sponsor ($1,250): Receives name on plaque posted in the school, recognition at our general meetings, a sign near car rider line, space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, banner at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Gold Sponsor ($600): Receives a sign near car rider line, space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Silver Sponsor ($400): Receives space on the Dragon Dash t-shirt, recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*Bronze Sponsor ($250): Receives recognition at PTA sponsored events, recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website 

*General Sponsor ($100): Receives recognition in Dragon Flyer & CES PTA website

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A SPONSOR


Giving Back Through Kroger

Follow these simple steps to register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to CES PTA.

1. Go to Kroger.com

2. Create an account or Sign-in.

3. Register your Kroger Plus Card with your account.

4. Click on “My account.”

5. Under “Account Settings” select “Community rewards.”

6. Under “Find your organization” search for Collierville Elementary 1 PTA.

After that you are ready! Now when you swipe your card you are automatically giving back to Collierville Elementary School.


Box Tops for Education

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Participating in the Collierville Elementary Box Tops program is one of the easiest ways to support CES.  All money earned from the Box Tops program goes directly to the school.  Small amounts can really add up!  

No more clipping! No more sending Box Tops to school.  All you need is your phone. Download the new Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then simply scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app will automatically credit our school’s Box Tops earnings online. 

 


What’s Been Happening!

Before students came back, PTA members painted an obstacle course outside for recess use. Here is Blister showing off how fast he can make it through!

Teacher Treat Carts

   

A HUGE thank you to Hewlett & Dunn Boot & Jean Co. for providing dinner for our teachers during Parent /Teacher conferences!

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2020 – 2021 Collierville Elementary School PTA Board

President Amanda Cantrell president@mycespta.org
Past President Milly Mount pastpresident@mycespta.org
Vice President Laura Wiseman vicepresident@mycespta.org
Secretary Jami Dickens secretary@mycespta.org
Treasurer Brooke McDuffy treasurer@mycespta.org
Parliamentarian Melissa Brown parliamentarian@mycespta.org
Communications Emily Clemmer communications@mycespta.org
Cultural Arts Anne Calderwood culturalarts@mycespta.org
Dragon Wear Ashley Wagner dragonwear@mycespta.org
Family Events Kimberly Allen familyevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising Events Andrea McGhee fundraisingevents@mycespta.org
Fundraising Sponsor Katie Cockrell fundraisingsponsor@mycespta.org
Health & Safety Jaime Halupnik healthandsafety@mycespta.org
Historian Isabel Giraldo historian@mycespta.org
Hospitality Rachel Davis hospitality@mycespta.org
Legislative Autumn Freidel legislative@mycespta.org
Membership Allyson McLean membership@mycespta.org
Special Events Amber Bach specialevents@mycespta.org
Volunteer Coordinator Lindsay Tilson volunteercoordinator@mycespta.org
Parent Involvement Whitney Thrower parentinvolvement@mycespta.org

CES Mission and Vision

Mission

Collierville Elementary School equips Little Dragons with the skills necessary to be successful in learning, leadership,and life.

Vision
Collierville Elementary School will inspire every Little Dragon to be thriving and confident students who become life learners and contributing citizens in their community.

Beliefs
Collierville Elementary School understands the importance of the development of the whole child.

Educators reflect upon teaching practices for the purpose of professional growth and the continued enhancement of quality instruction as well as engage in on-going professional development and work collaboratively to share the knowledge we acquire.

All relationships matter and are essential to learning. Every learner is different. As educators
we meet each child where they are and allow them to be active participants in their learning.

Each of us must do our part to create a safe, respectful and positive environment that encourages learning and risk-taking.

A commitment to student success is a shared responsibility among students, parents, educators, staff, and the community. 

Every child deserves to have someone that loves them.

When you set high expectations, all will rise to the challenge by working hard, taking risks, and persevering.


PTA Objectives

1. To promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school, community, and place of worship.
2. To raise the standard of home life.
3. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
4. To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
5. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure
for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual
education.


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