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Dolvin Diary
August 10, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Dolvin Families,
Welcome back! It is such a joy to have our dolphins back in the building as we kick off a fantastic new year! For families returning to Dolvin – welcome back, and for new families – I hope you find Dolvin to be a warm and welcoming environment where you children thrive.
I want to give a shoutout to the Dolvin Foundation who have been hard at work updating our playground. Last spring, they were successful in lobbying Fulton County to have our playground repaved. Then over the summer, parents assisted in the planning and preparation for playground markings. Students now have colorful games, paths, and centers to use while they are outside for recess. Thank you to the Foundation parents who spearheaded this effort, as well as to all Dolvin parents who contributed funds to the Dolvin Foundation, making this possible. Our PTA parents also need a shoutout! They continued the upkeep on our garden over the summer keeping it a beautiful learning space for our students. PTA has also updated the Gaga Ball pit, adding rubber mulch to soften the playing surface for our students.
This is a rather lengthy Diary today – please read it through as it contains a number of important informational items.
Your proud principal,
Karen
Assistant Principal's Message
It is critical for students to attend school and engage in the learning process to achieve their full potential. Chronic absenteeism (missing 18 or more school days per year) is a primary cause of lower academic achievement even when the absences are excused.
Parents and Guardians will be notified regularly when students are absent. Infinite Campus (IC) will send an email when an absence occurs. In addition, an automatic phone call will be made when your child is absent. Below shows when parent contact will be made. When students miss 5% or 10% of school, parents will receive additional text messages and letters about student attendance.
Elementary attendance messages begin going out around 10:45 a.m. on the day of the absence. If your student is not present by 10:30 a.m., they will be marked with an "A" (for absent) in our attendance system, and you will receive an automated phone call and email message to the designated contact info you provided in Infinite Campus. This includes excused absences that are approved in advance.
If your student was late to school that day, it is possible they are marked absent that morning prior to the out-going call but then changed in the system to "present" later in the day. Errors can occur and if you feel you received a phone call by mistake, contact the front office to verify that your student's attendance record is accurate. If your student's absence was unexpected, please remember to contact your child’s school by sending in a note or email so the absence can be marked "excused" in the system.
For the full attendance policy visit: https://www.fultonschools.org/attendancematters
Parents please acknowledge receipt
Fulton County Schools’ Student Code of Conduct & Discipline Handbook is available online in PDF format (click here). Once you have read the electronic version and have reviewed the contents with your student(s), please take a moment to complete the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form by using the provided link to access Infinite Campus' Parent Portal.
Here is a link with instructions on how to complete the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form (Link). All parents MUST sign this form found within your INFINTE CAMPUS PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL ACCOUNT. If you would like a paper copy of the Handbook, you or your student can pick up one in your school's front office.
Staff members new to Dolvin:
Andrew Barber - Music Teacher (Itinerant 1 day/week)
Andrew Barber is originally from Snellville, Georgia where he grew up and attended school in Gwinnett. This will be Andrew's third year of teaching and second year teaching in Fulton as an itinerant music teacher. Prior to teaching elementary, Andrew taught high school band in South Florida. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Georgia where he spent much of his time playing saxophone in the Redcoat Marching Band as well as clarinet in the prestigious Hodgson Wind Ensemble. Mr. Barber is still an active musician within the community and plays clarinet with the Atlanta Wind Symphony. Mr. Barber resides in Atlanta with an awesome roommate who also works in Fulton Schools! In his free time, Andrew enjoys going to the gym, spending time with friends and family, playing tennis, kayaking, and eating good food.
Danie Fincher - Music Teacher
Daniel Fincher is the new music teacher at Dolvin Elementary. He has been an educator for 24 years. All of those years have been spent in in the Floyd County School system in Rome, Georgia. Mr. Fincher earned his Bachelor's Degree in Education from Shorter College in 1998. He went on to earn his Master's Degree from Walden University. Mr. Fincher taught third grade for 15 years, after which time he went on to obtain his certification in music education. He has taught elementary music since that time, with his most recent 7 year stint as music teacher at Model Elementary in Rome. Mr. Fincher has one son, Ethan, age 16. When not teaching, he loves singing, walking, traveling and baking. Mr. Fincher loves teaching music, and is excited to be a part of the Dolvin Family!
Suhela Ghanie – Fifth Grade Teacher
Suhela Ghanie has been an educator for 27 years both in the United States and abroad. She has her Specialist degree in School Leadership from the University of North Georgia and a Master's degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her career includes teaching children for fourteen years in Fulton County public schools as an elementary teacher, three years in Forsyth County public schools as an Instructional Technology Specialist, three years in the Atlanta Jewish Academy, six years as an elementary French teacher in the American International School, and two years teaching French to children and adults at Alliance Francaise. Throughout her life Ms. Ghanie has lived in and traveled to many different places around the world. These experiences are frequently applied through her student's academics to inspire passion for learning, creativity and appreciating diversity. Ms. Ghanie has two children, Karishma is twenty six years old and Karina is eighteen years old. When Ms. Ghanie is not teaching, she enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling, art and taking photographs of nature.
Risa Martin – PreK Paraprofessional
Risa Martin recently moved to the United States arriving in Georgia where her husband grew up and his family lives. Ms. Martin grew up in Kyoto, Japan and attended Kyoto Tachibana University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her cats. She is excited to work at Dolvin!
Melissa McLean – Fourth Grade Teacher
Melissa McLean has worked in Fulton County for the past 18 years in a variety of teaching roles including Classroom Teacher, Special Education Teacher, STEAM Lab Teacher, and Early Intervention Teacher. She has a passion for teaching and learning, and loves to learn new skills and strategies to expand her knowledge for the benefit of all her students.
Mrs. McLean and her family have lived in the North Fulton area since 2004. She has very busy family with a lot of different interests such as soccer, golf, kayaking, and traveling. Her favorite things to do are reading a good book at a beach and listening to the waves.
Elizabeth Ortiz – Teacher
Elizabeth Ortiz is excited to join the Dolvin community this year! She graduated from the University of Georgia with both her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Elementary Education. This will be her third year of teaching and she looks forward to meeting the amazing staff and students. Mrs. Ortiz got married this summer in the Dominican Republic. She lives with her husband in Alpharetta where they enjoy going for walks, trying new restaurants, and traveling. You can almost always find her crafting or walking the aisles of Target in the summer.
Jaclyn Perilman – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher
Jaclyn Perilman graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, for undergraduate studies and obtained her Master’s degree at Smith College in Northampton, MA. Prior to moving to Georgia in 2021, she devoted 13 years to Clarke Schools for Speech and Hearing in New York City. In addition to teaching, she also provide services to children (from infancy to age 3) through the state of Georgia. She and her husband have 2 children: Caleb (8) and Mia (6). When Mrs. Perilman is not working, she enjoys reading, riding her Peloton, and traveling with her family.
Meg Porter – Art Teacher (Itinerant 1 day/week)
Meg Porter is a native Californian and a resident of Georgia since 2005. She is an Art graduate of Georgia State University and is currently studying P-12 Education at Mercer University. People and kids are her passion with art following closely behind. She loves being able to gift a child with confidence through the art process, and thinks it is one of the most magical moments to see pride blossom in a student. Ms. Porter has two children who are eighteen years apart, and five animals (including one dog Nora, three cats, and a snake named Taco). She loves to read and play video games, and is super excited to meet everyone!
Ruchira Roy – Instructional Paraprofessional
Born and raised in India and living in the US for 20 years, Mrs. Roy has had a longtime passion for education and loves working with children. She has spent 13 of the past 20 years teaching. When Mrs. Roy isn’t working, she loves gardening, traveling, reading, dancing and spending time with her two children. She is so excited to be a part of the Dolvin family!
Marilyn Warmack – First Grade Teacher
Mrs. Warmack is excited to join the Dolvin family as a first grade teacher! She has been in education for over 30 years, and has taught in Alabama and most recently in Gwinnett County. Mrs. Warmack has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education. She also has a Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as certification in School Leadership. Mrs. Warmack has taught kindergarten, third grade, math specials, EIP, and first grade. She and her husband Eric and have two children, Kelsie and Kyle. Kelsie is a Spelman College graduate and has spent the last four years living in New York, working with Estée Lauder and Companies. Kyle is a senior honor student at Morehouse College. When she isn’t doing all things first grade, Mrs. Warmack enjoys shopping, attending her son’s football games, traveling, and spending time with family.
Attention parents of Kindergarten and/or Second Grade Students
It is now Board Policy of Fulton County Schools that all Kindergarten and 2nd grade students must have updated Proof of Residency on file. These documents must then be verified in person at the school.
To accomplish this:
Go to your parent portal and click on: MORE->ONLINE REGISTRATION -> CURRENT YEAR EXISTING STUDENT (Start). You will then create an online registration form for the sole purpose of updating your proof of residency. The application will be for Census Update. Please upload two current proofs (in PDF Format if possible) where directed. Be sure to submit the application. This is also a great time to update any emergency contact information. New-to-Dolvin students may have done this step during the registration process.
Proof of Residency must include two items:
- A current water or electric bill.
AND one of the following:
- Current Home Mortgage Bill
- Home Sales Contract signed by both parties
- Current Apartment/House Lease signed by both parties
- Section eight/HUD Housing Document
- Current HOA Bill
Kindergarten and second grade parents must come to school with the original uploaded documents to be verified by September 7th to avoid withdrawal from Fulton County Schools. Please come to Dolvin to complete this process if you have not already done so during the second week of school, 8/14 - 8/18 during the hours of 8 am - 1 pm.
DOCUMENTS DUE
If your child was provisionally enrolled, please remember to submit your missing documents to Lisa Carper at carper@fultonschools.org no later than September 7, 2023, in order to avoid withdrawal.
Advanced Studies/TAG Department
All Fulton County students are screened for the gifted program twice a year. Read here to find out more details about the process.
Carpool Protocols
Morning carpool operates on the Jones Bridge side of the building. We rely very heavily on parent cooperation to keep it running smoothly. As marked in the map below, we ask parents to pull up as far as possible (the first car being at the red star / end of the awning) before letting children out of vehicles. If your child needs extra assistance or time getting out of the car, please park in the upper Jones Bridge lot to provide them your assistance. When turning into the upper parking lot, please use your signal so Mrs. Halron (stationed there) will move to allow you through. We ask parents not to park in the lower parking lot to walk their children in – it is a safety concern in the flow of carpool traffic.
Afternoon carpool will remain on the Buice side of the building as in previous years.
Who should you contact with your concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, the first point of contact should always be your child’s teacher. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of the administrative team.
Mrs. Allison Polaski- Instruction Support Teacher (IST), polaski@fultonschools.org
- Mrs. Polaski coordinates programs and service delivery for our special education students. Questions about special education services at Dolvin should be addressed to the IST.
Mrs. Amber Fisher- School Counselor, fishera@fultonschools.org
- Mrs. Fisher works with school personnel to foster a positive learning environment for our students. She provides classroom guidance instruction and works with students individually and in small groups as needed. Mrs. Fisher is the 504 chair.
Mrs. Jennifer Shaffer- Administrative Assistant, shafferj@fultonschools.org
- Mrs. Shaffer coordinates and leads Student Support Team (SST) meetings. She co-leads Dolvin’s Student Tech Team, and helps manage student technology.
Mrs. Carrie Halron- Curriculum Support Teacher (CST), halron@fultonschools.org
- Mrs. Halron is the point of contact for questions regarding curriculum, continuous achievement, and class placements.
Mrs. Shelley Noles- Literacy Coach, noless@fultonschools.org
- Mrs. Noles supports teachers with collecting, analyzing and interpreting data to guide instructional decisions. She provides literacy coaching to teachers in Kindergarten through second grade.
Mr. Andy Stein- Assistant Principal, steina@fultonschools.org
- Mr. Stein oversees student information (Infinite Campus, Parent Portal), grading, standardized testing, discipline, and transportation.
If further assistance is still needed after reaching out to a member of the administrative team, please contact the principal, Ms. Karen Cooke, cookek1@fultonschools.org.
Entering the Building
As part of FCS Safety procedures, we are required to ask anyone entering the building why they are here. When a visitor rings the bell, our front office secretary Terri (or whoever answers the door) will ask “How may I help you” even if she knows you very well. Please briefly share your reason for visiting the school, and she will let you in. We appreciate your cooperation on this very important safety item.
Parent Volunteers
We welcome and greatly appreciate our volunteers at Dolvin! If you would like to be a volunteer, you must complete the Volunteer Registration Application prior to volunteering. For volunteer information and frequently asked questions on the Fulton County Schools website, click HERE.
Please note the following as stated on the Fulton County Website:
Per Board Policy IFCD, all volunteers who will be working with students of the school must complete a Volunteer Registration Application on an bi-annual basis. Furthermore, school volunteers are mandated reporters of abuse pursuant to OCGA 19-7-5.
All persons interested in volunteering in the Fulton County School District must complete an application every two years. Even if a person has completed an application in the past. To keep in compliance with State Law and best practices, we will require everyone to re-register/register every two years based on the following volunteer service periods.
Volunteer Service Periods:
June 2022 thru May 2024
June 2024 thru May 2026
The registration process can be found on the FCS District Website under Community/Partners and Volunteers. In accordance with State Law, all volunteers must be current with the Child Abuse Reporting Protocol Training before being allowed to volunteer in our schools. All applicants must wait 24 hours after applying for application processing. Applicants should be prepared to spend about 10-15 minutes for the training and application process. It is very important that volunteers enter their full legal name as it appears on government issued ID. Please do not use nicknames or goes by names on the application.
Please click HERE to begin the online Volunteer Registration Application. Thank you.
Georgia Milestones
Each Spring, students in grades 3, 4 and 5 take the Georgia Milestones Assessment in English Language Arts and Math. Fifth grade students also take the Science Milestones Assessment. Our 2023 Milestones results have been shared and we are extremely proud of them. In English Language Arts, 80% of our students scored proficient (level 3) or distinguished (level 4) and 93% of students scored above a beginning level (level 1). In the state of Georgia, 38% of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students scored proficient or distinguished in English Language Arts. In Math, 82% of our students scored proficient or distinguished and 96% of our students scored above a level 1. In comparison, of the students in the state of Georgia, 42% of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students scored proficient or distinguished in Math.
Resources in Different Languages
Parent Opportunities
Community Meetings with Kristin McCabe 2023 - 2024
COVID-19 Case Reporting
· Staff and students are to report positive COVID-19 test results through their respective COVID portals.
· The FCS COVID-19 Response Team will investigate all reports in consultation with public health officials.
Scan the QR Code or click HERE to report a positive COVID-19 test for
a FCS STUDENT
Sickness & Isolating Protocol
1. Everyone who is sick is expected to stay home. Those who become sick at school or work will be sent home.
2. Per Centers for Disease Control and Georgia Department of Public Health guidelines, all persons with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis are required to isolate. Guidance for isolation will be provided by the FCS case investigators and Fulton County Board of Health case investigators.
Vaccinations
• Vaccinations/boosters for age-eligible students and employees are recommended, but not required.
Handwashing
• Staff and students should wash their hands frequently and cover their mouths/noses when coughing and/or sneezing.
• Hand sanitizer stations are available in schools and buildings.
Bus Safety
• Hand sanitizer stations are affixed to the bus frame.
Enhanced Cleaning
• Custodians routinely clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.
Facility Safety
• HVAC systems have been adjusted to increase ventilation in accordance with CDC and industry recommendations.
• Water bottles from home are encouraged.
• Contact-free payment for meals is available using www.MyPaymentsPlus.com.
Breakfast and Lunch at Dolvin
School Breakfast & Lunch Meal Prices SY23-24
School meals offer all 5 food groups at an incredibly wallet-friendly price. Prices cover food and operational expenses to prepare the food.
*For families that qualify for reduced meals during SY23-24, households will not be required to pay the reduced price of $0.30 for breakfast and the $0.40 for lunch due to Georgia Department of Education funding that will be used to cover these costs.
- At Elementary and Middle Schools, the meal price includes up to 1 entrée, 1 fruit side, up to 2 vegetable sides, and 1 milk choice.
- At High Schools, the meal price includes up to 1 entrée, up to 2 fruit sides, up to 2 vegetable sides, and 1 milk choice.
All students can decline food groups, as long as there is at least a ½ cup of fruit or vegetable plus 2 other food groups on the tray. For the same price, students may select 3, 4, or all 5 food groups for a complete meal!
The Free & Reduced Meal Benefits Program is a part of the National Child Nutrition Program. This program makes Free or Reduced Priced meals available to qualifying households. Qualifications are based on the gross income of all household members and the number of persons living in the house. A NEW application must be completed for the 2023-2024 school year. Households are responsible for payment of meals until the Free and Reduced Meal Application is approved. Applications are available online at www.fulton.schoollunchapp.com and in paper from any school cafeteria. If able, families are encouraged to complete the online application to help expedite the application approval process.
Households are encouraged to prepay for student meals and extra sales using MyPaymentsPlus. Benefits of MyPaymentsPlus include online availability 24/7, viewing student account balances and purchase history, and setting up low-balance alerts. Visit www.mypaymentsplus.com to sign up and get started. Cash or check payments can also be made at your student’s school in the cafeteria.
Dates to Remember
August 10
Spirit Day
August 18
All Pro Dads Meeting 7:00 a.m.
Parent Coffee 9:00 a.m.
August 22
Curriculum Night/Pre-K - 2nd Grade 6:30 p.m.
August 23
Curriculum Night/3rd - 5th Grade 6:30 p.m.
August 25
Parent Coffee 9:00 a.m.
Pre-K and Kindergarten Ice Cream Social 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
September 1 - 15
Book Fair
September 4
Labor Day - (schools closed)
Stay In Touch With Dolvin
Dolvin Website: dolvin.org
Dolvin PTA Website: dolvinpta.org
Dolvin PTA Email: dolvinpta@gmail.com
Dolvin Foundation Website: dolvinfoundation.org
Teacher's blogs
Twitter (X): Follow us at @DolvinES
Dolvin Diary - A new issue comes out the first and third Thursday of the month. Please read to keep up with current events at the school.
Peachjar: Various flyers are sent home via Peachjar.
Dolvin-specific flyers come to your inbox on Thursdays. All can be viewed following the link
on the homepage at dolvin.org or click HERE.
LED Sign: Located on the corner of Buice Road and Jones Bridge Road.
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Happy New Schoolyear! The Foundation was busy this summer with the Phase 1 install of durable playground markings, our Sponsor drive, and our Spirit Shirt project. (You may have seen some of this year's shirts already!) We are so thrilled to provide Spirit Shirts at no cost to families or staff. Students will be receiving theirs soon! (Make sure to keep track of them, as they will be used throughout the year for field trips, the spring Fun Run, Field Day, and more!)
It was so amazing seeing everyone at Sneak Peek - it was a great kickoff to our annual Direct Giving campaign. We got to give away some fun bonus incentives, and we even awarded our giant plush dolphin to our first $1000 donor family!
Be sure to check out our revamped Incentive Package for this year - especially if you're interested in a Lego Challenge Night at Bricks & Minifigs, or RESERVED PARKING for both Curriculum Nights (only 3 spots left!).
Find us online at:
After School Program At Dolvin
Spelling Bee Competition
REGISTER 👇 FREE ENTRY
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lbYXx-LWTpaxYMsIbhQaxdmOaRx0QmNCO5G6ceRYqQc/edit?pli=1
Please see the below PDF for Spelling Bee prize information.