Comet Connection

Dear Magill Families,

Do you set goals in your personal life? How often do you visit and adjust your goals based on your level of success? Do you find that setting goals help keep you focused on accomplishing them and making your dreams come true?

At Magill Elementary School we believe that goal setting is very important for school improvement. As educators, we set continuous improvement goals for ourselves so we can grow as professionals and help our students grow as scholars. Our school sets goals to increase student achievement. Take a look at our Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI) goals based on our district's Blueprint for the Future based on the strategic priorities of Empathy, Equity, Effectiveness, and Excellence:

1. Empathy - Goal 1B: Staff and Student Wellbeing

• At Magill ES, we will promote student and staff well-being through prioritizing self-care, physical and mental health, and social-emotional learning.

2. Equity - Goal 2A: Multi-Tiered System of Supports

• We will implement a comprehensive framework to fully operationalize a multi-tiered system of support to address academic and non-academic student needs and remove barriers to success.

3. Equity - Goal 2B: Opportunity and Access

• We will work to expand student opportunities to engage in and have access to 1) high-quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum, 2) advanced coursework, and 3) enrichment activities.

4. Effectiveness - Goal 3A: Results-Based Evaluation System

• Our school staff will redesign the Results-Based Evaluation System (RBES) by redefining the inputs, behaviors, and outcomes that determine the standards for student success.

5. Excellence - Goal 4A: The Preferred Education Destination

• We will aim to be the first choice of students and families for excellent schools and the employer of choice for educators and staff to fulfill their careers.
  

Students should be involved in goal setting as well. It's never too early to start. Help them set individual goals for self-improvement. As you prepare to meet with your student's teachers for conferences, be thinking about your student's strengths and areas for growth. Work with the teachers to set academic, behavioral, and social-emotional goals as needed for your scholars. Let’s work together to make our students well-rounded individuals.

Also, consider establishing family improvement goals with your student's help. For example, you might set a goal to read as a family and conduct a book study. You might also decide to set a goal to be a healthier family. Steps you can take to accomplish this goal are going for walks together, not eating sweets until the weekend, or giving up carbonated drinks. The possibilities are endless! Good luck in attaining your goals!

Yours in partnership,

Dr. Guerlène Merisme

Proud Principal

Please make sure your scholars read for a MINIMUM of 20 minutes per night in grades K-2 and 40 minutes per night in grades 3-5. Take a look at this chart below to see how reading at night affects student achievement.

Does your child have high self-esteem? Students with low self-esteem run the risk of falling behind their peers because they may not be willing to take academic risks, they may give up when lessons are challenging, and ultimately lose the desire to learn. Children with positive self-esteem will engage in activities, will not give up when they face challenges, will treat others well, and will not give in to peer pressure. At Magill, we believe in teaching students to show perseverance in the face of challenges. Our teachers work hard to provide students with appropriately rigorous instruction that enhances their critical thinking skills. We encourage students to try their best and not to quit when things get difficult. What can parents do to help boost children’s self-esteem and build a firm foundation for learning? Allow your children to come up with solutions to problems on their own when it is appropriate. Praise your children often for a job well done, be specific in your praise, and tell your children why you are proud of them.

Our comets SOAR at Magill! Every day, students work on being better versions of themselves who are kind to others, show compassion, and follow the rules.

Take a look at our Behavior Expectations.

Have you considered using a behavior matrix at home? Students can SOAR at home, too. Here's a sample matrix template you can use to reinforce behavior expectations at home.

Come Check Us Out!

The Parent Center has resources available for you to check out. You can borrow books, games, and more to help your scholar learn at home.

If there are any questions or concerns, please contact:

Nakia Miller, Assistant Principal @ 770-554-1030 or nakia.miller@gcpsk12.org

Here are some of our upcoming events we'd like all our families to attend:

• 10/21 Fall Festival
• 11/17 Sparkles Family Skate Night

Parent Lunches: We are keeping a close eye on COVID-19 transmission rates and will let you know when parents will be invited to have lunch with their students. We look forward to having parent lunches in the near future.

Be sure to check your students' bookbags for pertinent information regarding school events. Here are a few of our upcoming events:

October

• 10/6-10/10 Fall Break
• 10/12 School Council Meeting
• 10/12-10/14 Field Days
• 10/19-10/20 Early Release
• 10/31 Book Character Dress-Up Day

November Preview

• 11/8 Digital Learning Day
• 11/15 Fall Picture Retake Day
• 11/16-11/18 Book Mobile Visit
• 11/21-11/25 Thanksgiving Break

Check-Out Policy

Kindergarten- 1 Book

1st-5th grade -2 Books

Every class is registered for weekly or bi-weekly checkout!

****Lost or damaged books are $3.00 for magazines, $5.00 for paperback and $15.00 for hard cover per GCPS Policy.****

Gwinnett County Communique is an online magazine with news and stories about, your classrooms, your schools and your community!

http://gcps-communique.com/

Please log on or sign up for mypaymentplus.com to sign and acknowledge Magill's Title I The Plan, The Promise document which outlines the partnership among students, families, and staff as we work together to help students reach their academic goals.

Empowering Lifelong Learners

Email: guerlene.merisme@gcpsk12.org
Website: www.jcmagill.org
Location: J. C. Magill Elementary School, Brushy Fork Road Southwest, Loganville, GA, USA
Phone: 770-554-1030
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcmagill/
Twitter: @jcmagilles