PGES Pride Press October 2024

We have been recognized by Solution Tree as a Promising Practices Professional Learning Community at Work® (PLC) school for our success in raising student achievement. Our commitment to implementing the PLC process has been a major contributing factor in making a visible, positive impact on student learning. This accomplishment is a direct result of the high level of collaboration our teachers engage in every day and their relentless commitment to student learning. I am incredibly proud of them and this achievement for our school.

Our beginning of the year benchmark assessments are complete. These tests help us to know the needs of our students and will later reveal the impact of our instruction. Teachers will share specifically where your child is during conference time. We have plans in place to make great progress this year. Stay tuned to hear about the growth students are making. Below are our beginning of the year proficiency numbers.

Reading

K 41% in Initial Sound Fluency

1st 52% in Oral Ready Fluency

2nd 61% in Reading Composite

3rd 66% in Reading Composite

4th 70% in Reading Composite

Math

K 60% in Number Naming Fluency

1st 30% in Math Fact Fluency

2nd 56% in Math Composite

3rd 78%in Math Composite

4th 69% in Math Composite

This is how the school and district will communicate with YOU and how you can communicate with US!

• Keep track of news, activities, and events in one place.
• Communicate directly with your child's teacher.
• Send attendance messages directly to our Attendance Secretary, Kristen Brown.
• Receive alerts from the district office concerning weather delays and closings.

Oct. 4th will be an early dismissal day at 11:30...PGS MAC will be open until 6pm. Sign up by Oct. 2nd as spaces are limited to 20 students due to staffing. A waitlist will be available.

Fall Break is October 7th-11th

MAC will be held at Johnson Elementary.

A morning and afternoon snack will be provided for your child, but you must provide a lunch and drink each day.You are only charged for the days that your child attends at a rate of $42.00 a day per child.

Please click HERE if you would like to register. You will need to register each of your children individually. Registration is due by Monday, September 30th. If you register after that date you will be charged an additional $10.00 per day drop in fee.

Please contact Angela Kennedy with any questions. kennedyang@fssd.org

Life just got a little easier! When your child is absent simply send a quick Parent Square message in the app to our Attendance Secretary, Kristen Brown. She will be able to immediately attach the message to your child’s Skyward record which will help avoid the daily absence notifications. Still send any Dr. Notes to school but a message on Parent Square eliminates the need for any handwritten parent notes, emails, or calls to the school.

October is such a lovely month, but it can be tricky to dress for. The cool mornings may require a sweatshirt or a light jacket, but please have your student wear a lighter layer underneath so they are comfortable with warm afternoon temperatures and in PE class.. As a reminder, sneakers are needed for daily PE and outside play.

If your student wears prescription glasses, it is important that they wear them at school. If you have been notified or you notice that your student has not been wearing their glasses at school, please have a conversation with your student about the importance of wearing their glasses at school.

Wondering if you should send your student to school when they are not feeling well??? Visit the Student Health Services section on the FSD website for the full list of illness guidelines or give Nurse B a call at 615-472-3906 to discuss any concerns. To let us know that your student will be absent or has an appointment, please send a message via Parent Square to Kristen Brown or email Kristen at brownkri@fssd.org. If your student has a note from their doctor, please send the note to school.

In our October guidance classes, we will focus on personal safety by covering essential rules to help students identify potentially unsafe situations and recognize inappropriate contact. We will also teach them how to respond and communicate effectively with a trusted adult if they need assistance. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Welcome to the PAWS (Positive Action With Support) Report! This is where you can find information about our school-wide positive behavior support program, otherwise known as PBIS. At the beginning of the year, it is so important to teach our students our school-wide expectations. We have specific expectations for the hallway, classroom, cafeteria, and playground. You may see them posted on banners throughout the hallways. In addition, we had a bus parked at PGE in August so our teachers could teach bus expectations to students. Research indicates having high expectations of students leads to increased student motivation and improved academic outcomes while also forming important building blocks for a positive school culture. Our hope is that knowing and following these common expectations helps your child feel safe, secure, and confident.

TOPIC:Video – How Much Tech Is Too Much For Your Child?

You can help us at dismissal by doing the following:

• Always bring your placard. If you need a new one just ask the office.

• If you have a PGM student, don’t park in the first 2 lanes

• Pull ALL the way up to the car in front of you.

Urgent need: Car Dismissal Volunteers

Poplar Grove School is in need of volunteers for car rider dismissal every day from 2:00-2:30. This fills a HUGE need for our school. Volunteers will use Google Sheets to identify who is in the car rider line and communicate to teachers. This is a rain or shine commitment, so thank you! You will need to download the app, and we will teach you the rest. This is a great way to get to know friends at our school, and it is so appreciated. Reach out to Dr. Erickson to volunteer.

Need homework help? The homework hotline is available to help in any language. They are open until 8:00 PM. You can call 615.298.6636 or reach them online at www.homeworkhotline.info. They are also available for consistent tutoring. This is a wonderful FREE resource.

We are always looking for great substitutes. Being a substitute offers a ton of flexibility. Substitutes can pick their days, specific classes, grades, or school they are interested in working with.

Have you downloaded the new app for Box Tops? They have made it so easy for our school to earn money with the Box Tops for Education program!

It’s as easy as ...

1. Shop at your favorite stores

2. Scan your receipt in the app

3. Poplar Grove gets money!

Happy scanning!

Tips for Students

• Stay at least ten feet — five giant steps — away from the curb.

• Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board.

• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.

• Exit the bus after it stops and look left-right-left for cars before crossing a street.

Tips for Parents

• Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. You should slow down and prepare to stop your vehicle.

• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. You must stop your car and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving, before you can start driving again.

Don't keep the secret to yourself, share this message so others can know how to become part of our PGS family, too!

Are you looking for a school where you can watch your children learn and grow under the same roof from kindergarten to 8th grade? Want a school that feels like an extension of your family? Does a school with one drop off and pick up location/time for all your children, kindergarten through 8th grade seem like a dream come true?

If you are new to the area, thinking of moving, considering a school change, or just want to see for yourself the amazing programs your FSD public schools offer, schedule a tour the week of Oct. 21-25. Tours are scheduled during the school day so prospective families can see the school in operation and witness the exceptional teaching and learning environment. This is a great opportunity to meet the principal, visit classrooms, tour the building, and learn about the academic, related arts, enrichment, and extracurricular offerings in our school. Participants will see first-hand how the curriculum is paced to provide each student with opportunities for success and how it is taught by teachers who understand the importance of building relationships and providing experiences to last a lifetime.

Enrollment for students outside of the PGES zone or outside the FSD:

If you want an exceptional educational program in our renowned school, but you live outside of the PGES zone or the FSD, your children are welcome, too! Please visit the FSD website to learn about our Out of Zone Process or Low Tuition-based Enrollment. We’re looking forward to meeting you the week of October 21-25!

The 2024-2025 Yearbook is available to order NOW! Early bird pricing is available through December so click HERE for the lowest price of the year. Yearbooks will be delivered to the school in May.

We are treating PGS staff to brownies and milk on Wednesday, Oct. 16th as they deserve all the brownie points! We are asking families to drop off by Tuesday, Oct. 15th. Click HERE to be taken to the sign-up sheet.

Centennial is hosting a Youth Cheer and Dance Clinic on September 28 from 9:00-12:00. This event is open to Kindergarten through 8th grades. Cost to attend is $65.00 Register by September 13 to ensure your child's t-shirt size. Click HERE to register or click the photo to be taken to the registration page.

October 2nd is National Custodian Day! Please consider having your child draw a picture or write a note of appreciation for our custodians: Mr. Rusty, Mr. Charlie, Ms. Connie, Mr. Jose, and Mr. Leo.

If you were not here on Picture Day or need to retake your pictures, come dressed and ready to smile on Wednesday, October 2nd!

Come join us for our 2nd Pride Time of the year on Friday, October 4 at 7:30.

Ahoy: Calling all pirates to the National School Lunch Week, Oct. 14th-18th

The week will be full of fun, adventures, and maybe even some hidden treasures.

Don't be afraid, we won't make you walk the plank.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. October 16 wear pink or a pink ribbon to school as we show our support.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 4:00-7:00pm

NEW LOCATION!!

1122 Murfreesboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064

Order in the dining room, drive-thru, or on the app! Be sure to tell them you are with Poplar Grove. Look for a flyer to come home before the 17th with the special code for Chick-Fil-A app.

Eat More Chicken!

Report Cards will be sent home with students on Friday, October 18th.

Your child’s teacher will be contacting you regarding a conference time. Please take this time to participate in partnering in your child’s education.

Things to remember:

• Growth! We’re all in the beginning stages of development and progress.
• If you see a “tardy” listed on the attendance section remember that FSSD considers a tardy “arriving late” OR “leaving early”.

The Franklin Special School District will conduct its Remote Learning Drill on Tuesday, October 22. This will be a regular school day; however, all K-8 students will bring home their assigned tablet/laptop. Students will be asked to complete a simple digital assignment on the device to fulfill the drill requirement.

PTO Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7:45 am. We hope you can join us in the MS cafeteria.

Poplar Grove Middle School is holding its annual fundraiser, Fall Fest, on Friday, October 25th. Much like Groovin' at the Grove, there will be a Bake Sale, and Elementary classes are invited to come and shop! Please consider sending money with your child on 10/27 to purchase baked goods and help support PGMS. Thank you for your help!

Wear Blue and Orange on Monday, October 28 for FSD Founders Day.

Fall parties are October 31st

4th Grade Parties: 12:40-1:20

Kindergarten Parade at 1:15

Kindergarten-3rd Grade Parties 1:30-2:15

Due to allergies, we must preplan the food items that will be served. Room parents will be communicating via email with a list of items you can send in for the party. Thanks for helping us make it a fun and safe day. No costumes please, other than for the PreK and Kindergarten parade which will begin at 1:15.

November 11-15 - This will be our annual Scholastic Book Fair which raises money for both PGES and PGMS library media centers.

November 13 - Thanksgiving Lunch

November 14 - Kindergarten Program & Family Literacy Night