![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/handwritten02.5d9241fd.jpg)
Panther Press
New Prospect Elementary School Newsletter
August 10, 2021
Welcome Back!
Hello Panther Families!
There are not enough words to describe the amazing two days we've had here at school! I can’t tell you how excited I am to have the best part of this school back…your kids! Your students have already got to know their teachers, their peers and the routines here at school, while starting to learn too!
Mrs. Mathas and I will be going into every classroom to read to the students. We will be reading Buckets, Dippers and Lids-Secrets to Your Happiness while introducing our New Prospect Mission-Grow-Celebrate-Matter. The book talks about how we are all a bucket with an invisible lid. We use our "lid" to proceed and keep the happiness in our bucket. Our Panthers will learn what gives happiness, what takes some away and what protects it. Mrs. Mathas and I will discuss kindness, self-control, resilience, empathy and forgiveness.
This week we have also been practicing our rules and procedures to keep us safe in school like our P.A.W.S. (Pride, Attitude, Wise Choice, Safety). We had and will continue having school-wide safety drills, and soon we will have our first Pep Rally where all of our houses (earth, wind, fire & air) are represented! Please pre-order your child's house shirt using the link below so we can all show our school spirit!
The staff and I are excited to share more with you on what we do here at New Prospect that makes us so special in weeks to come. I am so honored to be here every single day!
Although we are all getting settled in, remember class placement is not final till after the 10 day count. This means that your child's teacher might be changing. You will be notified of this change by phone if it affects your child. These changes come as a result of teacher allocations provided to us by the district. These allocations are determined by the number of students who show up within the first 10 days of the school year.
As always, reach out if you have any questions!
Amy Lemons
Principal
Pre-Order your House Shirt ASAP!
All Students will wear House Shirts to pep rallies, field trips, field day and more!
Order online at newprospectpta.org/houseshirts
PLEASE VISIT PTA’S WEBSITE: newprospectpta.org
(Don’t forget to set up your account to access the website!)
· DONATE: All donations from joining the PTA are used to enrich the school environment and host school and community events. By joining PTA, you will be offering your support to our amazing school and there is no obligation to volunteer!
· GET INVOLVED: If you are interested in becoming more involved this new school year, PTA would love your help! Please click the volunteer link on the PTA website homepage and share your volunteer interests.
· SPIRIT WEAR: Show your Panther pride and purchase spirit wear for your student and family! Available for purchase until August 27th.
Upcoming Events:
TOMORROW August 11th: First Spirit Night at Mama's Pizza & Screaming Nuts 7am-6pm
August 20th-Back to School Bash-5:30-8pm
August 27th-Pep Rally (Wear House Colors)
September 6th-No School-Labor Day
September 9th-Curriculum Night
September 13th--22nd-Fall Bookfair
September 14th-Fall Picture Day
Reminder: Please Remember to Have your Students Bring A Water Bottle Every Day! Drinking Fountains are Closed!
Learning about the Media Center
We are having a blast learning about the Media Center this week and checking out books! Some students will take their books home and some will keep them in the classroom. To see what your student has checked out and when they are due you may have them login to Classlink > eLibrary > Follett Destiny and click their name in the top right corner. Happy reading!!
Mrs. Dennis and Ms. Marshall in the Media Center
New Staff Members & Teachers
Kara Jethi, 4th Grade Teacher
Hello New Prospect Community.
I am Ms. Jethi and I am ecstatic to be joining the New Prospect community! I want to share a little bit about myself. I recently moved from St. Louis, Missouri, where I spent the majority of my life. My family and I are very excited for our new adventure in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia.
I have been teaching elementary education for the last 7 years and have loved every minute. I have a bachelor’s degree in History from Saint Louis University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Webster University. I have a passion for learning and can’t wait to learn and grow with the New Prospect Community. I believe learning is about taking chances, making mistakes and getting messy (Ms. Frizzle). With the right mindset, we can accomplish anything. I know this will be an amazing year with you all!
When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my six wonderful nieces and nephews. I love being active and participating in outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and team sports. I am a huge St. Louis Blues Hockey fan and was beyond thrilled when they brought the Stanley Cup to St. Louis in 2019. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places, both local and foreign. On the weekends, I love to travel through cooking and often try new recipes from all over the world. I also have a passion for learning about space and the natural sciences. You can often find me gardening and growing as many veggies as possible. I have a wonderful husband(Sorav) and two wonderful but goofy dogs (Buster and Max). In addition, I enjoy upgrading and doing DIY projects on our home.
I can’t tell you all how excited I am to start the 2021-2022 school year at New Prospect. LET’S GO PANTHERS!
Working Together,
Kara Jethi :)
Samantha Barilla, 4th Grade Teacher
Hello New Prospect Community-
I am Samantha Barilla and I am so excited and grateful to be joining the New Prospect community! A little about myself- I moved down to the Atlanta area a year ago from Northwest Indiana. I was craving a new adventure, having spent my whole life in Indiana, and I have found that new adventure here in Georgia. I am looking forward to my continued adventures and exploring the area- especially the beautiful places to hike.
I have been teaching elementary education for the last 4 years and have loved every minute. I have a bachelor's degree in Elementary/Special Education from Purdue University. Prior to teaching 4th grade this year, I taught 3rd grade in Indiana and most recently taught kindergarten-aged kids at a private school down here in Georgia. I am most looking forward to learning alongside and growing with my students this year. I hope to instill in them a growth mindset and establish positive self-esteem that will carry them as learners for years to come.
When I am not teaching, I enjoy hiking, reading, cooking, and spending time with my dog, Mabel. I am always looking for new places to explore and new recipes to try. I especially love cooking Italian food- with a last name like Barilla, I have a pasta reputation to uphold (next time you are at the grocery store, look for my name in the pasta aisle). I am constantly growing as a learner myself as I am teaching myself Italian (through an app on my phone) as well as ukulele. I also consider myself a runner who has hopes to run a half-marathon (hopefully) this coming school year and maybe even a marathon one day.
I am so excited to start the 2021-2022 school year here at New Prospect. I look forward to meeting you all and working together to help each and every student become the best version of themselves.
Ashley Nash, Chris 180 Counselor
Hello! I am so happy to be new to the team at New Prospect through CHRIS 180 and would like to briefly introduce myself. My name is Ashley Nash, I am 35 years old and was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga. I am a wife of 15 years and a mother of 3, two girls (Kennedy and Alexandria,) and one son, Roman.
My professional background consists of both public education experience and counseling/mental health/crisis stabilization. I completed my B.S. in Psychology at Clayton State University while simultaneously working in public education with Clayton County Public Schools. During my 15 years with CCPS, my duties ranged from Site Coordination for the ASEP Program, to classroom teaching and social work.
I went on to enroll and complete an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Mercer University in Atlanta, Ga. My counseling career has consisted primarily of working with children experiencing acute psychiatric distress in inpatient care at Laurel Heights Hospital, though I have also worked in private practice, community counseling, and adult substance abuse. Family and systems therapy is a critical part of working with children in any setting, and I look forward to helping your students achieve optimal healthy functioning and flourish in both their family systems and educational environments.
Regards,
Ashley Nash, M.S., NCC
Action Needed: Code of Conduct
Fulton County Schools has made its Student Code of Conduct & Discipline Handbook available online in PDF format, and it can be accessed by clicking here. Once you have read the electronic version and have reviewed the contents with your child(ren), please take a moment to complete the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form in Infinite Campus. All parents and students (over 10 years old) MUST sign this form found within your Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal account.
A few updates for Parents at NPE
Face to Face OR Virtual Meetings
We are excited to share that New Prospect Staff can give parents the option of meeting for conferences, SSTs, IEPs and other parent meetings using Microsoft Teams. This allows parents more flexibility when it comes to work, caring for little ones at home, while minimizing exposure. Teachers and Staff must also offer the opportunity for an in person meeting but may choose to use Teams if it works for all parties.
NPE Parent Communication Update
This year it is our goal to improve and streamline our parent communication to help ensure both teachers and families are on the same page to support their child in any grade.
Emails: K-5 teachers will all be sending home a weekly email on Friday to let you know of any specific updates the following week for their classroom. Within this email will also be a link to the grade level blog.
Grade Level Website: K-5 teachers will all utilize a grade level website that will house a grade level blog as well as content resources. The weekly blog will communicate what is expected to be taught the upcoming week in all classrooms in the grade. This blog will be updated every Friday and will be something all grade levels will be building upon throughout the year to contain resources for both you as a parent and your child. The website will contain key instructional information to keep you in the loop in supporting your child academically. We are very excited to see these website grow this year as a great support for families.
Career Day!
Career Day is Friday December 3rd ! Do you want to help students learn more about potential careers? We are looking for volunteers that are able to come in and share information about their jobs with students on Friday December 3rd from 8-9:45am, spending about 15 minutes each with four different classes. Feel free to bring in hands-on materials, show videos & other visual aids to help students understand what it is that you do and why you chose the career. Please contact Christina McLeod if you interested or need more information: mcleodcr@fultonschools.org
What is iReady?
What is i-Ready?
i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.
i-Ready Instruction provides students with lessons based on their individual strengths and areas for growth. These lessons are interactive and provide strategic supports to keep your child engaged as they learn.
What can I do to help?
To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:
- Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.
- Try their best on each question and try not to rush.
- Try not to worry about questions they do not know—remind them that it is expected they will get only about half of the questions correct.
- Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish.
- [If you are using i-Ready for Mathematics, include, “Use paper and pencil to show work for math questions.”]
To support your child’s learning in Online Instruction, you can:
- Discuss your child’s progress on their i-Ready lessons.
- Celebrate your child’s learning and growth.
- Encourage them to use i-Ready at home.
- They will need access to a computer or iPad®, internet, and their login information. To check if your system meets i-Ready system requirements, please visit i-Ready.com/Support to run a system check.
Thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! We look forward to sharing i-Ready information with you throughout the year. If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact the school. You can also learn more about i-Ready by visiting i-ReadyCentral.com/FamilyCenter.
We are looking for volunteers for our counseling advisory council
An advisory council is a group of stakeholders selected to advise and assist with school counseling program implementation. The council meets at least twice a year and maintains an agenda and minutes for each meeting. *Advisory councils assist school counselors by:
*Advising on program goals
*Reviewing program results
*Making recommendations about the school counseling program
*Advocating and engaging in public relations for the school *counseling program
*Advocating for resources
We are scheduled to meet from 7-8am on Friday 9/3/21 and 4/29/22 . If you would like to learn more about New Prospect’s School Counseling Program, have suggestions, or are interested in any of these areas, please contact Christina McLeod @ mcleodcr@fultonschools.org
From your CST Ms. Z
Hello Panther Parents!
I am so excited for another school year as your Curriculum Support Teacher (CST)! This is my 4th year as CST and 6th year at New Prospect. I previously have taught 4th grade at NPE, and 2nd and Kindergarten in Alabama. My goal as CST is to support the teachers in their instructional planning and curriculum, oversee all student placement, and ensure your child is getting the instruction they need to be successful.
Please reach out if you have any questions- I am here to support not only the teachers, but you as well!
~ Ms. Diana Zarzour
Updated Attendance Policy
For students in Fulton County Schools (FCS) to learn and achieve to their fullest potential, it is critical they attend school and are engaged in the learning process. Student absences, whether excused or unexcused, impact a child’s ability to succeed in school.
FCS has implemented a new attendance notification process. Parents/guardians will be notified more often on absences, regardless of whether a student is excused or unexcused. Families will be notified of student absences via daily robocalls. Students who accumulate multiple absences will receive letters to notify them of missed learning time, and staff will follow up with supportive strategies for families and students.
Elementary School students’ attendance is taken within the first hour of the instructional day to record who is physically present. Students must be present for half of the instructional day to be marked present for the day. Students must be present for 50% or more of the day to be marked present.
We understand that students get sick, have family emergencies, and things do come up. If a parent needs to excuse a student from attendance, notify the child’s school as soon as possible. The following must be included in a written note or email sent to New Prospect ES:
Student Name
Student FCS ID Number (lunch number)
Parent/Guardian Name
Parent/Guardian Email & Phone Number
Reason for Excuse
Parents/guardians can monitor their child’s attendance using Infinite Campus. More detailed information about our attendance policy can be found here. We look forward to seeing your student in school every day to ensure a successful school year.
"First Day Paperwork is Now Online
1. Campus Parent Portal Link: https://www.fultonschools.org/infinitecampus
2. My Payment Plus Flyer Flyer Link: https://nutrition.fultonschools.org/MyPaymentsPlusFaq
3. School of Nutrition Link: https://nutrition.fultonschools.org/
4. Here Comes the Bus Link: https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/7389