Principal's Message

Terry Ellifritz, Principal, Greenacres Elementary

Next year, Greenacres Elementary will have a new Principal, Sue Rasmussen. We are looking forward to her arrival in August. Meanwhile, we are going to miss, Mrs. Ellifritz, our current principal, who is retiring effective this summer.

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community,

Welcome to Greenacres Elementary and another exciting year filled with many new learning opportunities.

The Greenacres area is one of the fastest growing communities in the Spokane Valley. Our Kindergarten classes remain at the Central Valley Kindergarten Center again this year to allow for the much needed space necessary to house our first through fifth grade students. The three portable classrooms house one self contained special education class, and the other two house two of our four fifth grade classrooms.

Space definitely continues to be an issue at Greenacres. Our two media specialists teach six classes simultaneously (two at a time) while our occupational, physical, and speech therapists work with students in a locker room. Lunch remains in the classrooms due to the number of students scheduled for health and fitness classes in the gym.  Although space continues to be an issue, students, parents, and staff remain extremely positive and Greenacres continues to provide an optimal leaning experience for all students.

Greenacres’ teachers are all highly qualified dedicated professionals working closely with parents and community volunteers in a partnership to insure student success. The teachers feel extremely fortunate this year to have one hour each week on Thursday mornings set aside for collaboration. This is a time for teachers to work collaboratively to examine and develop student assessments, discuss best practices, and plan interventions for students needing additional time and support.

At Greenacres, we offer a wide array of academic classes that provide additional support for students both before, during, and after school. Student success is highly dependent upon the relationship that exists between parent and teacher as well as parent involvement in school activities. We highly encourage parents to become involved in their child’s education. Regular parent teacher conferences are held in the fall and spring for all parents. Our door is always open and we hope that you will take the time to communicate with your child’s teacher on a regular basis.

Greenacres students in all grades are required to read with an adult for 20-30 minutes. Research indicates that reading with your child and interacting with them as they read by discussing the vocabulary and asking questions about what was read is the greatest gift your can give your child.

The staff is very concerned with the number of students each year that fail to complete classroom and homework assignments. Without the practice that homework allows, students very often are unable to grasp new concepts introduced. It is critical that all students develop a positive attitude toward learning and their ability to succeed.

Greenacres has a very supportive community with a very active PTSA that contributes substantially to the achievement of our goals. Through partnerships with local business such as Allstate Insurance, Big Daddy’s, and community organizations such as the Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club and Junior Achievement we are able to achieve greater student success. We would like to extend an invitation to parents as well as our community to attend the many school sponsored activities outside the school day such as the school carnival, bingo nights, book fairs, Art on the Green, grade level music performances, Mother Read/Father Read Family nights, and Junior Achievement Day to name just a few.

Our staff looks forward to meeting and working with all the Greenacres’ families throughout the school year.  Please don’t hesitate to call or stop by as questions or concerns arise.

Terry Ellifritz, Principal