Crabapple Crossing Elementary

Dear Parents,

GLO has certainly made this an extra exciting time for me to be a part of CCE! Last Friday’s assembly was so much fun for the students and staff. The hallway decorations, the parent volunteers, and the student enthusiasm are all very impressive. A huge THANKS to the school community for your support of our school and PT0 fundraiser. Please enjoy a few pictures below.

I hope that you all have a great holiday weekend! Please remember that there is no school for students on Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday is a Release Day for our staff. Teachers will be working in teams in the areas of literacy and math as they plan together to meet instructional goals for our students. Below in this newsletter, you will find a section provided by Ms. Moore, CST, and Mrs. Jones, Literacy Coach, with an explanation of some of the curriculum items the staff will be working on during our Release Day.

Mrs. Jones, Literacy Coach, and Ms. Moore, CST

October 15th is a Release Day for CCES. Our staff will be engaged in professional development activities during the day. Following is a description of the work that we will be doing:

• Teachers will be working with their grade level teams to plan instruction using the Standards Mastery Framework. (SMF) The Standards Mastery Framework is a set of tools for collaborative teams to plan joyful learning experiences for students, meaningful instruction, and assessments. This framework includes learning maps with prioritized standards, proficiency scales, and evidence blueprints.
• Teachers will be working with their grade level teams to create literacy tools for their current reading and writing units. These tools will align with the prioritized standards for each unit and will be used for small group instruction. Teachers will upload the tools to Microsoft Teams so that they will be able to access and share them with other staff members.

Career Day for grades 2-5 will be on Friday, October 18 from 8:00-10:30 AM. We are looking for volunteers to present about their career for approximately 25 minutes to a few classrooms.

A light breakfast and refreshments will be served at 8:00 and presentations will begin at 8:30. By filling out this form, you are committing to the two hour time frame of 8:30-10:30. You will not be presenting for the full two hours, unless that is your request. A presentation schedule will be sent out as we get closer to the event.

Please sign up here to let us know you are interested in presenting; https://forms.gle/cBPWnTXpopZaBRQY9

Please note that grades K & 1 will participate in "Careers on Wheels," so they will not have speakers in their classrooms. If you are a parent of a K or 1st grader, you will present in another classroom. We look forward to seeing you on Career Day! If you have any questions, please contact School Counselor, Jessica Lundy at LundyJ@fultonschools.org

Research tells us that children need a well-rounded, balanced diet of literacy instruction. What does this look like at CCES? We implement the Units of Study workshop model where students receive direct instruction in the skills of proficient readers and writers every day. Reading and writing work hand in hand as fundamentals in every child’s education.

In our primary grades (K-2), phonics is taught directly for 20 minutes each day. To have an impact, phonics instruction needs to be targeted and explicit. Studies tell us that phonics matters because it enables reading and writing, so the transfer of phonics skills to reading and writing is key. Additionally, teachers work to facilitate this transfer by embedding phonics small group activities into reading and writing workshop.

Our 3-5 classrooms benefit from 20 minutes of daily instruction in word study – including grammar, vocabulary, morphology and roots. This helps our upper grade students navigate the increasingly complex terminology that they encounter in higher level texts. Just as in phonics instruction, these skills are reinforced during reading and writing workshop.

Other components that are part of our balanced approach to literacy include daily interactive read aloud sessions, shared reading, interactive writing and shared writing. Embedding all of these components throughout the school day gives our students a comprehensive literacy experience here at CCES. If you have questions regarding literacy instruction at our school, please reach out to our Literacy Coach, Sarah Jones at jonessj@fultonschools.org.

Thank you!

Students in grades 3 and 5 will be taking the IOWA Assessments the week of October 21st through October 25th. The purpose of this norm-referenced test (NRT) is to obtain information about how the performance of Georgia’s/Fulton’s students compare with that of students in a national sample, an external reference group. Score reports for these assessments are expected to arrive at CCE in late November. The results are used for evaluation, decision-making, and instructional improvement.

Testing will take place from 7:50 am until approximately 11:00 am. To ensure that your child has an opportunity to perform at his or her best, you can help by taking the steps listed below.

1. Ensure your child is present and on time each morning. Avoid scheduling doctor/dentist appointments during the testing period.

2. Discuss the importance of testing with your son/daughter in a supportive, nurturing manner.

3. Limit evening activities prior to testing so that adequate time is provided for rest.

4. Provide a nutritious breakfast at home or encourage your son/daughter to eat breakfast at school.

5. In the event an emergency arises, please contact your student’s teacher.

Thank you for your cooperation during testing. If you have questions regarding any aspect of testing, please contact the school at (470) 254-7055 or your child’s teacher.

We will have no guests for lunch during the testing window.

Our Fall fundraiser The Greatest GLO on Earth is going strong!!! Thanks to everyone who has donated so far and especially to all of the kids who are earning money selling homemade items and doing jobs at home. Parents - please mark your calendar for our GLO lunches on October 10th and 17th. Come get Gloccessorized and enjoy lunch with your child on stage!

What is GLO all about? Check out this video that was shown at curriculum night last month: https://vimeo.com/357715419.

This week we celebrated the 3 teams who won our staff membership challenge in August. The first 3 teams to have all members join PTO won prizes. Congratulations to the following:

1st place - 2nd grade won lunch from Laurel & May

2nd place - Specials won a treat box from I Canita Cake bakery

3rd place - Kindergarten won a cookie tray & ice cream cups from Publix

And, we are so thankful for ALL 64 staff members who joined PTO (so far) this year!

It’s not too late for families to join PTO for $30! Click here to join. Please contact us at pto.colts@gmail.com with any questions, suggestions or concerns! Also, follow us on Twitter at @CCES_Colts_PTO or on Facebook by searching Crabapple Crossing Elementary School - Colts.

Registration for the Jr. Hornets Wrestling Team is now open for all children ages 7-14 in the Roswell area. The season will begin Nov. 4th and practices will be every Monday and Thursday from 6 - 7:30 PM. A Free Clinic is being held on Oct. 20th for new potential wrestlers who want to come give it a try. To register please visit our website: http://roswellwrestlingclub.com/registration/. Feel free to contact us hennekk@gmail.com if you have any questions.

10/4-10/18 Glo Fundraising

10/11 Teacher Work Day - No School for Students

10/14 Columbus Day - No School

10/15 Release Day - No School for Students

10/15 Katie Reeves' Community Meeting, Milton HS, 7 pm

10/16 Katha Stuart's Community Meeting, Roswell HS, 6:30 pm

10/17 GLO Lunch

10/18 GLO Walk to School Day & Box Tops Due

10/18 GLO Fundraising Ends

10/18 Career Day

10/21-10/25 IOWA Testing for 3rd & 5th grade students, no lunch visitors please

10/28 11/1 Red Ribbon Week- details coming soon

11/6 Picture Re-takes (change from original date)

Email: masterson@fultonschools.org
Website: www.crabapplecrossing.org
Location: 12775 Birmingham Highway, Milton, GA 30004, United States
Phone: 470-254-7055