GES Title I Tips

We have almost completed our first nine weeks of school and we are off to a great start! The beginning of the year is full of Title I information and meetings. I truly appreciate you all taking the time to participate in the many required events. Annual Meeting, Fall Survey, Fall Parent Advisory Council and Family-School Compacts must all be completed by October 31st. We want all GES families to be involved in our Title I program and in an effort to bring this important information to everyone, we are hosting many of our meetings online. Please continue to participate in the online meetings provide your feedback through the meeting evaluations. We value your input into our Title I program. The goal of our Title I program is to help you fully engage in your child's education.

In this issue we will share the results from our 1st Semester FAST meeting and our Fall PAC meeting. Our Family-School Compacts will be discussed and we will share tips on how to maximize your Parent-Teacher Conference times. Parents should have met or are planning to meet with their child's teacher to discuss their child's Fall Benchmark assessment and their progress and growth so far this school year.

• October 3rd @ 6:00 pm - PTO Meeting
• October 6th - 7th - 5th Grade to Camp Lookout
• October 7th - End of the 1st Nine Weeks

• October 10th - 14th - Fall Break: NO SCHOOL
• October 18th - APEX Field Trip
• October 25th - Report Cards Go Home
• October 28th - PBIS Reward Day
• October 31st - Halloween

The 2022-2023 Family-School Compacts were approved at the Fall PAC Meeting held online on September 27th. Signature pages have been sent home with your student and it is very important that we have 100% of the Compact Signature pages signed and returned by October 28th. Students who have a completed Compact Signature page on file by October 28th will receive a special treat!

356 students and their families participated in the 1st Semester F.A.S.T. Meeting. That is over 61% of our school enrollment. Thank you to each family who viewed the teacher videos and reviewed their child's Fall MAP Benchmark Data. Meeting minutes and evaluation results are on the GES Website under the Title I Meetings & Events tab or by clicking HERE. Please make sure you schedule a parent-teacher conference with your child's teacher to discuss any questions or concerns you have regarding the Fall Benchmark.

We have the following volunteer opportunities available to our parent volunteers:

• ASAP - 1st grade decodable books: putting these together in the parent workroom or at home
• October 26th - Hearing & Vision Screening: help our school nurse keep the kids in line and quiet during the screenings
• October 28th - PBIS Reward Day: Come help our students celebrate their positive behavior!

Please click the button below to sign-up or contact Marissa Watson if you have any questions.

Thank you to all of the awesome parents and grandparents who have been volunteering their time and talents at GES. Our book fair, APEX fun run and much more could not have pulled off without your help!

A special thanks to these volunteers for putting together Kindergarten decodables, Grandparent's Day crafts, and working in the Parent Resource Workroom in September:

Cassandra Hise, Coda Owens, Savannah Lively, Carolyn West, Teresa Wilhoite, Dionne Jones, Dee Dee Perkins, Mary Faulkner, Kayla Chadwick, and Laura Brooks. You guys are awesome!

As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Both you and your child's teacher have at least one thing in common: You both want your child to learn and succeed in the classroom. When parents and teachers partner together students improve both academically and behaviorally. One of the most important ways to build this partnership is through regular, two-way communication. A great way to achieve this is through parent-teacher conferences. Here are some tips to improve your next parent-teacher conference.

Before the conference:

• be on time or a little early
• talk with your child about how they feel they are doing in school
• make a list of questions you would like to ask your child's teacher
• think of ways you can support your child and their teacher at home

At the conference:

• talk and listen. Tell the teacher how your child is at home and listen to how they are at school. Remember, you both want your child to succeed
• learn how they are doing and focus on how they can do even better
• ask for ideas on how to help your child at home
• be mindful of your conference time.

After the conference:

• make a plan to follow up and check back in with your child's teacher to review your child's progress
• put the plan into action. Commit to helping you child at home using the strategies discussed in the conference.
• talk to your child about what you learned during the conference and discuss how you will be helping them at home

GES parents are encouraged to meet with their child's teacher throughout the year and not just when a problem arises. F.A.S.T. meetings provide a great opportunity for teachers and families to meet, so take advantage!

Parents are always welcome and have the right to contact the school and request a meeting at any time. Please contact Mrs. Sholl, Marissa Watson, or your child’s teacher by phone, email, or written note to request a meeting or provide input.

GES Teachers are highly qualified. Parents have the right to request teacher and paraprofessional qualifications. For more information, please contact the school office.

For the 2022-23 school year, GES has received $154,810 in Title I funds. 85% of these funds are spent on the salaries for our full-time Academic Coach and our part-time Parent Involvement Coordinator. 13% is used to purchase student technology including iReady, Brain POP, Reading Eggs, IXL Math and Reading, and Flocabulary. 1% is used for teacher training and the final 1% is used for parent workroom supplies. If you would like to provide input or have any questions on how Title I funds are being spent, please contact our Principal, Mrs. Sholl, or our Parent Involvement Coordinator, Marissa Watson. Title I Budget Handout.

Kerri Sholl, Principal

• ksholl.ges@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Jenny Mountjoy, Assistant Principal

• jmountjoy.ges@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Rebecca West, Academic Coach

• rwest.ges@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Marissa Watson, Parent Involvement Coordinator

• mwatson.ges@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Email: mwatson.ges@catoosa.k12.ga.us
Website: https://ges.catoosa.k12.ga.us/
Location: 944 Graysville Road, Ringgold, GA, USA
Phone: 706-937-3147