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Elevate News | February 5, 2026

Posted Date: 02/05/26 (12:32 PM)
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ART CLASS
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This year, I have had the privilege of teaching a wonderful group of middle school artists who are not only developing their creative skills, but also growing into thoughtful, confident, and engaged individuals. My students consistently demonstrate curiosity, perseverance, and a willingness to take creative risks, which has made the classroom a dynamic and inspiring learning environment.

During the Fall 2025 semester, I taught Fundamental Art, 2-D Art, and Multimedia Art, where students explored foundational techniques, visual literacy, and creative problem-solving. Through hands-on projects, critiques, and collaborative discussions, students actively engaged in the learning process and learned to reflect on their own artistic choices.


In the Spring 2026 semester, I am teaching Fundamental Art, 3-D Art, and Digital Art. These courses allow students to deepen their understanding of artistic concepts while working with a variety of materials, tools, and technologies. Students are encouraged to experiment, think critically, and make meaningful connections between art and their own experiences. Across all classes, student engagement is emphasized through project-based learning, creative exploration, and opportunities for self-expression, supporting both artistic growth and lifelong learning skills.

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Ms. Downard
Grades 4-8 Art Teacher 

DATES AT A GLANCE
Fri, Feb 6 Hearing & Vision Testing (Kindergarten)
Feb 9-11 Kindness Week
Mon, Feb 9 EMS Fun Run Pep Rally

Basketball Team Pizza Party
Tues, Feb 10 SM & TS Fun Run Pep Rallies

Military Dinner with the Directors
Wed, Feb 11 SM Assembly

EMS Basketball Game (Gold Team)
Thurs, Feb 12 EMS Basketball Game (Blue Team)
Feb 12, 13, & 16 No School (Staff Development Day & President's Day Weekend)
Feb 17 ELO-P Session 4 Begins

CALENDAR QUICK LINKS
Academic Calendar
Schoolwide Events Calendar
Athletics Calendars
ELO-P Calendar

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COMMUNITY COOKBOOKS
Don’t miss out—order your cookbook by tomorrow (Friday, February 6) and support our third graders. This cookbook is filled with over 50 family recipes representing the diverse cultures and traditions of our school community.
Order here!

EMS BASKETBALL PIZZA PARTY
Calling the EMS Basketball Teams and their families. You are invited to a Team Bonding Pizza Party this Monday, February 9, 4 pm. Get all the details here.

EMS SPRING CHEER TEAM SIGN UPS
Join the EMS Cheer Team! Details here.

ELO-P UPDATES
Session 4 Lottery Sign ups here.
Spring Program details here.
Summer Program details here. More details to be sent over the coming months.

COUNSELORS NEWSLETTER
Hot off the press - check out the K-5 Counselors Corner Newsletter!

ELEVATE SCHOOL WILL BE OPEN ON FEBRUARY 26
In light of recent news about a planned strike in the San Diego area, we want to clarify our school schedule. While San Diego Unified schools will be closed on Thursday, February 26, Elevate School operates independently and will remain open with a regular instructional day. Please note that Monday, March 9 remains a non-school day for Elevate students.

 
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Tuesday, February 10, 6:00-7:00 PM
We warmly invite our military-connected families to a special evening at Elevate! Enjoy dinner, dessert, and meaningful conversation as you connect with school leadership and fellow military families in our community. You’ll hear from our Military Liaison, Mrs. Hinton and our Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC), Allison Beggs, as they share how Elevate supports military students and families, along with an overview of our upcoming Purple Up Week.

Details & RSVP link here.

 

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The week of February 9-11, Elevate will be celebrating Kindness Week, a time dedicated to building empathy, connection, and a positive school culture across our entire campus. Throughout the week, students will participate in activities that encourage kindness toward themselves, others, and our larger community.

Monday, Feb 9: Kindness Shines Bright Day
Students are encouraged to wear bright/neon colors to show how kindness can shine. This is also the first day of our food drive!

Tuesday, Feb 10: Donation Day
Students are encouraged to bring canned food items as part of our food drive supporting the San Diego Food Bank.

Wednesday, Feb 11: Kind Hearts Day
Students may wear pink, red, or white, or include hearts in their clothing or accessories to represent caring and compassion. This is the last day of our food drive.

Volunteers Needed - click here to sign up to volunteer!

 

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Our school is excited to kick off the Golden Eagles Fun Run, our biggest fundraiser of the year and it’s all about movement, leadership, and school spirit! Our two-week program focuses on fitness and leadership, culminating in an exciting Fun Run event where students will hit the track to cross the finish line for a great cause.  

To read more about the awesome updates by doing the Fun Run in-house, click here.

Volunteers Needed! Cheerleaders Welcome!
To learn more about the many volunteer opportunities or how you can be a cheerleader for the Fun Run, click here!

FUN RUN DAY & TIMES
Thursday, 2/26 | EMS Run
  • 6th & 7th Grade (9:30-10:15) **UPDATED TIME**
  • 8th Grade (12:00-12:45) **UPDATED TIME**
Friday, 2/27 | SM & TS Runs
  • SM - Kindergarten & 1st Grade (8:25–9:10)
  • SM - 2nd & 3rd Grade (9:15–10:00)
  • TS - 4th & 5th Grade (2:05–2:50)

Advertise your business 
We are looking for business sponsors to partner with us in providing an incredible experience for our students. Whether you're a small business owner, part of a larger corporation, or know someone who might be interested, we have various sponsorship levels available that provide a special opportunity to partner with and support our Elevate families.

If you or someone you know might be interested in a sponsorship role, please contact our Foundation President, Shukky Sanni, at president@elevateschoolfoundation.org to start the conversation.

HABIT OF THE WEEK
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ELEVATE SPIRIT STORE
Grab some Elevate gear today! The Elevate School Foundation (TESF) has set up an awesome online Spirit Store with branded attire, reusable water bottles, hats, and more! Ten percent of each purchase will go directly to the foundation which supports Elevate's Mission.

QUICK LINKS
Elevate School cultivates leaders and positive changemakers by inspiring students to be excellent in academics, exceptional in leadership, expansive in creativity, and engaged in community.
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