• PTSA INTEREST MEEING TODAY AT 6 P.M.
• 5 NEW MENTOR PROGRAMS!!!

• We Need Your Input, Take the Survey!

• Spades Tournament: September 26th!

• Annual Title I Parent Meeting Presentation

• How to Build a Supportive Network for Your Scholar

• Notes From the Principal's Office

• September is Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month!

• September is Attendance Awareness Month!

• Family Engagement Calendar

• Parents of Graduating Champions

• Free Family Counseling

• Empower Your Champion!

• Fulton County School District Parent-Family Engagement Plan

• Device Fines (Please Pay Special Attention)

• Voter Registration
  

• COVID Reporting Portal
• Student Code of Conduct, click here

Parent & Family Engagement Opportunities:

• Register to Volunteer, click here

Dive in to be an informed, engaged, and empowered Champion!

https://bit.ly/Input-Survey_MS_HS_2023

Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/bannekerhs

Find Us On Facebook @Benjamin Banneker HS

Mr. Golden earned his bachelor's degree from Florida Memorial University, a master's degree from Union Institute & University, and an Educational Specialist degree from Wingate University. Mr. Golden began his professional education career as a teacher assistant with Miami-Dade County Public Schools during his undergraduate studies in 1988. He continued his career in education as a general education and music teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Launching his career as a music educator, Mr. Golden moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2004 to teach at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He began his career in educational leadership in 2006 as an assistant principal and then a principal in 2011. He was named the principal at Lebanon Road Elementary School in 2011. In 2014, he was appointed principal at Northridge Middle School, and in 2020, principal at David W. Butler High School.

Mr. Golden has a “children-first mentality” and believes that all students can grow and achieve when the school, home, and community unite. This is embodied in his service as an instructional leader who fosters a family-oriented environment for students, staff, parents, and community members. Mr. Golden is the proud father to three daughters, a grandfather to a five-year-old grandson, and a one-year-old granddaughter. He is thrilled to start his journey as principal at Banneker High School.

Principal Golden looks forward to building effective and impactful relationships with students, dedicated teachers and staff, and a caring community and fully embraces Banneker's motto: “Striving for Excellence. Learning for life.:

• Early Dismissal Procedure

We make every effort to ensure that our scholars are safe at all times. Parents, please, when you come to check your scholar out for early dismissal, please bring your State-issued photo ID. Only those identified in your scholars' records are able to check them out. Anyone checking a student out must be identified in their school records and must have a State-issued photo ID. If you need to add someone to your student's records to be able to pick them up, please send a copy of their ID and their full name to our data clerk, Ms. Willingham at willingham@fultonschools.org. For our scholars' safety, we will not release any student to anyone who is not listed in their records to pick them up.

• Student Tardiness and Late Drop Off to School

We need our students who are car riders or who choose to take public transportation, to arrive at school on time. There are several students that are arriving well past 30 – 45 minutes late. This will affect their instructional time and will eventually turn into a disciplinary incident.

• Banneker HS Daily Schedule: The school day starts at 8:10 am and ends at 3:30 pm.

• Morning Parent Drop Off: Parents cannot drop off students before 7:45 am as we need to ensure staff is available to provide appropriate supervision.

• College Board Account

To ensure your scholar can view his\her PSAT/NMSQT scores as soon as they are available, please ensure that your scholar creates a College Board Account. Please click on or copy and paste the link below into your browser to complete a College Board Account. https://pages.collegeboard.org/account-help/why-create-college-board-account

Scholars should not create multiple accounts. If your scholar has forgotten which email address, he\she used to create an account, or already has multiple accounts, please have your scholar contact College Board customer service at 866-315-6068.

Please contact Mr. Rolle at rollea@fultonschools.org with any questions.

• Social Media

Unfortunately, altercations happen in all schools and social settings, but please encourage your child not to be a part of it nor record and post any of these instances on social media. We must work in partnership to make our school safe and secure for all stakeholders. Please monitor your child’s social media accounts and activity. This is necessary to keep you and the school informed of any potential safety issues or conflicts. Please report any such issues to the school immediately.

• Reporting School Safety Issues

There have been several reported incidents in the Atlanta Metropolitan area where weapons have been found in schools. Even with clear and mesh bookbags, please check your child’s bags daily and talk to them about the dangers and consequences of carrying weapons. We also ask all our students to report any suspicious activity or chatter about weapons or dangerous situations. They can do this anonymously through the Fulton County Schools Tip Line, using the below link:

https://www.fultonschools.org/fcstipline

There are also posters with QR Codes located throughout the school (also attached) that students can use to access the Tip Line. Additionally, students can access this Tip Line directly from their student devices.

Remember, if students SEE or HEAR anything about school threats, weapons, violence, bullying, drugs, self-harm, or have other school safety suspicions or concerns, they should REPORT it EVERY time, anonymously using the SHARE TIP LINE. Please do not use this to ask general questions. It is for SAFETY CONCERNS only.

Door Alarms

In the interest of safety and security, we have had alarms installed on all exterior doors with the exception of a few entry/exit points. Please remind your children that they are to enter and exit from the school through the front doors and bus ramp areas only, and only during authorized times. No student should ever open the door for ANYONE to enter the building.

We have several students who attempt to leave campus during the school day. First, they are not authorized to do so. Also, students have been exiting through exterior doors in unauthorized areas. Please be aware that disciplinary action will follow for any student who leaves campus during the school day without proper credentials (i.e. worked-based learning, dual enrollment, etc.), any student who leaves from an unauthorized area, or any student who opens any door, allowing any person to gain entrance into the school building.

This is a very serious matter as our number one goal is to keep our students and faculty safe. You will also see more security measures put in place to strengthen safety and security. Thank you for your help and partnership in this effort.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

Vincent G. Golden

Principal

Parents as always, we need your partnership. Please talk to your students about reporting any conflicts that have occurred or potentially may occur, immediately to the Administration. Our goal is always to avoid student conflict and focus on student academic and social growth. Additionally, please continue to encourage students to use social media appropriately and not to create or instigate conflict. No student can afford to miss any instructional hours because of verbal or physical confrontations. I also encourage parents to reach out to us with any potential issues that you become aware of. Thank you again for your partnership!

According to the CDC, suicide is among the leading causes of death for people ages 10-66 and is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-14.

During the month of September, your school can find ways to unite and promote suicide prevention and awareness. It is said that investment in suicide education, prevention, and research assists with decreasing the number of untimely deaths each year. Therefore, the time is now to ensure we are doing our part.

September 1-30 | Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September 10 | World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10-16 | National Suicide Prevention Week

During the month of September we are dedicated to teaching students to ACT- Acknowledge, Care and Tell. Knowing the signs of suicide, understanding the importance of practicing self-care or showing a friend you care, and understanding when to tell are all the first steps to saving a life.

September is Attendance Awareness Month where we spotlight the power of positive school attendance in our school community. This year we will be focusing on promoting the importance of positive attendance where we focus on our 3-prong attendance campaign: Connected to School, Engaged in Learning, and Achieving Success.

• Connected to School: When students have positive attendance, they have increased opportunities for connections within the school community. Attending school regularly cultivates friendships, relationships with teachers, and a sense of belonging at school.

• Engaged in Learning: Attending school regularly allows students to participate in discussions, hands-on projects, and collaborative activities that enrich their learning experiences. Each student’s active engagement in learning shapes their individual educational journey.

• Achieving Success: Success is built one day at a time. By showing up consistently, students take vital steps toward achieving their goals. Every lesson attended, every concept mastered, contributes to a strong academic foundation.

The Noble Hands Center which includes our clothes closet and grocery story needs volunteers to staff the center when it's open. Click here to register with Fulton County as a volunteer, then reach out to Igola Jordan for additional information at richardsoni@fultonschools.org.

During the months of September and October, the Noble Hands SAFE Center will introduce 5 new mentor programs at Banneker. Most of the mentor groups will meet twice a month for an hour-long session. They are:

• Phenomenal Women (PW) educates, equips, empowers, and supports underserved women and girls to live a healthier, fulfilled lifestyle by making well-informed decisions about their mind, body, fiscal and spiritual health. PW's goal is to positively affect the complete life cycle of women from their youth into adulthood. Students will experience guess speakers, cultural excursions and off campus workshop. Capacity (20-25)
• Be Gr8rr Gems: designed to teach girl's self-love through a curriculum created to demonstrate "power moves" that foster confident, strength, self-discipline, and self-awareness through sisterhood. Capacity (10-15)
• 100 Black Men of South Atlanta: designed to improve the quality of the student's life by supporting and enhancing educational and economic opportunities designed specifically for African American youth in the Atlanta community. Capacity (20-25)
• Stand-up Fulton: offered via the SAFE Centers at Banneker, Tri-Cities and North Springs. The mentors will be selected from Fulton County Central Office staff members and will meet with their mentees for lunch in the SAFE Center 2 x per month to offer support. (Capacity 15)
• Upward Bound (Atlanta Metropolitan State College/Fulton County: The second of its kind at Banneker, offers support to 1st time college students. The program offers Dual Enrollment Opportunities, a 6-week summer program on a college campus, a Summer Bridge for Senior (includes 2 Atlanta Metro classes), college tours, and SAT/ACT/College Application Fee Waivers. Application Required- 2.5 GPA (Capacity 15)

Parents, here's what you need to do:

Email your scholar's name and the program you are interested in to Mrs. Jordan at richardsoni@fultonschools.org

SAFE Center Staff will:

• Speak with the student to determine the interest level
• Speak with the parent to obtain consent
• Connect the student with the organization
• Support the mentor group with the logistics of creating passes for students during their sessions if during school hours.

For more information, please contact:

Igola Richardson, Ed.S., NBCT

Noble Hands SAFE Center Coordinator

470-254-3404 (office)

470-254-3418 (fax)

Welcome to the home stretch. It's time to celebrate all the hard work you and your scholar have invested in producing another champion equipped to enter the next phase of an impactful and productive journey in life. Below is a special section for you and your champion keep up to date with all the information graduating Seniors need, just click on the link below:

If for any reason a scholar's device is lost, stolen, or damaged during the time it is issued to the scholar, whether intentionally or due to negligence, parents and scholars are responsible for the following fines:

*Full replacement cost for devices includes the device, all accessories, software licenses, and setup.

• Lost/Damaged Devices

• Lost/stolen $250

• Damaged $100

• Lost/Damaged Accessories: $30 per accessory

These fines apply to instances of willful alteration of the device, its operating system, or network functionality either through the download of applications or by any other means. Additional disciplinary consequences for this behavior include up to 10 days out of school suspension if such tampering is determined to be part of a habitual pattern of behavior on the part of the scholar. Please see sections 18 E – 18F in the Code of Conduct for further discussion.

Theft:

If the device is stolen during the time that it is issued to the scholar, parents and scholars will be responsible for filing a police report and submitting it to the school administration. A fine for this device may still be accessed, depending on the situation.

Failure to Return a Device or Accessories upon Withdrawal from the School:

A scholar who fails to return a device or any accessories without reporting them lost or stolen will be responsible for the full replacement cost of the items that were not returned.

Sometimes messages youth need to hear are better received when they come from others. Below is a video to share with your scholar to give them some additional inspiration and be empowered:

In the interest of our scholars' safety, headgear will no longer be allowed. This includes hats, hoods, and full-face masks covering the head. Only standard masks will be allowed. If your child wears any of these items, they will be confiscated. We will issue masks to students who need and desire to wear them.

All students will be face-to-face this year, Fulton County Schools will not offer a virtual option at the student's school of record. However, please rest assured that our team is doing everything in our power to keep your children along with our faculty and staff safe. Hand sanitizing stations remain throughout the building, and we continue to update procedures for enhanced cleaning and social distancing when possible. Additionally, masks are suggested for all students, staff, and visitors as COVID numbers in our area have been on the rise. You may check COVID numbers and COVID trending for each area at the Fulton County Board of Health Epidemiology Division at the following website https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/covid-19/epidemiology-reports

COVID Reporting for Parents

The Fulton County Board of Health (FCBOH) and Fulton County Schools have developed an online portal for FCS parents/guardians to report student COVID-19-related cases. Please report to the FCBOH when your student is COVID-19 positive, has a pending COVID-19 test result, or has been in direct contact with a COVID-19 positive person. Also, please use this resource for official reporting rather than alerting the school and/or teacher. If you must engage the school/teacher, please do so after you have made an official report to the FCBOH.

To ensure the protection of our school community, please do not allow your child to attend a school or school-sponsored event when they are ill and/or have any of the above COVID-19 concerns. Please reference the attached flyer and consider posting it in a visible location for easy access.

You can also use the link below for quick access to report any student-related COVID-19 issues. COVID-19-related issues include students testing for COVID-19 for any reason, being exposed to or having direct contact with individuals testing positive for COVID-19, or students testing positive for COVID-19 themselves.

Parent (Student) COVID-19 Reporting Portal

Click here for tools and information that will equip you to help your scholar with conflict resolution.

The School-Family Compact:

The School-Family Compact is an agreement that parents, students, and teachers develop together. The Compact explains how parents and teachers will partner together to ensure that all students receive the individual support they need to reach and exceed grade-level academic standards. It is jointly developed with input from parents, staff, students, and the community to support the academic success of our scholars. To provide your input, click here.

How the Parent-Family Engagement Plan (PFEP) is used?

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Benjamin Banneker High School receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement plan that contains information required by section 1116(b) and (c) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The policy establishes the school’s expectations for parent and family engagement and describes how the school will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities, and it is incorporated into the school’s plan submitted to the local educational agency (LEA). The district has a similar plan.

Look for all three of these very important engagement tools to be delivered to you via email. They are also available via the school website.

When you receive your email, please reply with, "I have received Banneker's School-Family Compact, the Parent Family Engagement Plan (PFEP), and the District's PFEP." Also, include your scholar's name and grade.

We want to keep parents engaged in a variety of ways, so please become our friend on Facebook.

The resources below will provide you tools and information that will equip you to support your scholars at home. Feel free to share other resources you discover so that we grow together! Send your discoveries to neale@fultonschools.org.

"I’d like to give you some pointers for assisting your child with studying. As a parent of three children, I get it—this can be tough, especially when you don’t know the content well yourself. I have some advice on how to help, no matter how much—or how little—you understand about a subject. Click here for the full article.

Engaging in relationships with your scholar's teachers will have a positive impact on your child's academic success. Click here to learn how to build better relationships with teachers.

How many times have you asked your child, “How was school today?” and been frustrated by the lack of response? As a parent, I’m guilty of asking my son this question all the time, even though I usually don’t get much in return. Sometimes (to be honest), I haven’t had the energy for a real conversation. Other times, I just can’t think of what to ask. As a teacher, I have often wished that kids would share stories of the awesome things we were doing with their parents, but I couldn’t figure out how to make that happen...for the full article, click here

Having a daily routine will help your scholar develop discipline and increase their capacity to focus throughout the school year and in their life endeavors. Click here for tools that will help you help your scholar shape a routine for a successful year!

The internet is a powerful part of our lives with a wealth of opportunities to learn and explore, but with it comes great responsibility. Click here for resources and tools on how to help your scholar build and maintain a responsible digital footprint and reputation.

Learn what copyright policy is and help your scholar avoid violating it. Click here.

Today is the day your and your 12th-grade scholar should be researching and applying for financial aid for college. Click here for tips.

The College Board offers your scholar the opportunity to earn up to $40,000 for college when they complete their step-by-step scholarship program. For more information, click here.

School Counselors are responsible for assisting in the social, emotional, academic, and college and career development of high school students. Counselors engage in classroom guidance, individual student meetings, and small group lessons, to further develop our students.

Students’ guidance counselors are assigned alphabetically, by their last name:

Dr. Beaty-A-Di: beatyz1@fultonschools.org

Ms. Sutherland: Do-Johnakin: sutherlandk@fultonschools.org

Ms. Muneer: Johnson-Q: muneerfa@fultonschools.org

Mr. Lawrence: R-Z: lawrencee@fultonschools.org

Ms. Onuoha: 10th-12th Grade 3DE: onuohan@fultonschools.org

Students must earn the following number of credits to be promoted to the next grade level:

• 10th grade: 5 credits
• 11th grade: 11 credits
• 12th grade: 17 credits

Mr. Silver serves as the School Social Worker for the 9th and 12th grade students. He is in the building EVERYDAY Monday-Friday. My role as a School Social Worker is to act as a liaison between students, Fulton County Schools and parents by administering conferences, home visits, and additional activities. His main goal is to be your child's champion by putting them first!

What are the responsibilities of the School Social Worker?

The School Social Worker serves as the liaison between the home, the school, and the community at large. The School Social Worker also acts as an advocate for students and their families.

What does a School Social Worker do?

A School Social Worker alleviates obstacles at home and school that interfere with students’ learning capabilities. The School Social Worker works together with the school administration, teachers, staff, students, parents, on numerous issues in order for students to achieve academically.

What types of issues do School Social Workers address?

Academics Parent Support Community Resources

Health Attendance Abuse/Neglect/Domestic Violence

Economic Needs Homelessness Emotional /Social Issues

It is extremely important that you have your children at the school every morning by 8 am. School starts officially at 8:10 am. Students are marked absent if they are not in their seats when the bell rings. If your child misses at least 2 periods in a full day, he or she will be considered absent for the entire day. Banneker's school days consist of four 90-minute class periods. If your child is absent from two (periods), they have missed half of the seat time minutes according to the Fulton County Board of Education policy.

Some of you have or will receive a letter from Banneker's School Social Work Department in regard to your child’s attendance. If you have received a letter, please feel free to reach out to me and schedule a phone conference about your child’s absences.

I am here to work with you in any way possible. Please feel free to reach out to me, if you have ANY questions in regard to your child’s attendance and or personal needs to facilitate their success at Benjamin Banneker High School.

Mr. Carlton Silver Jr

silverc1@fultonschools.org

470-254-3547

Grades 9th & 12th

Fulton County Schools has partnered with the Odyssey Family Counseling Center to provide school-based counseling services to students! Students who may benefit from counseling should be referred regardless of their insurance status. Odyssey Family Counseling Center has an on-site mental health clinician that is here in the building two days out of the week. Please feel free to reach out to your School Social Workers if you have any questions or are interested in receiving services.

Fulton County has created a one-pager highlighting all the new and exciting things happening in Fulton County Schools. Click here to review it.

Collaborative Structured Reading (CSR) is a multi-component reading approach developed to help students improve their reading comprehension. Its overall goal is to improve reading comprehension in a way that maximizes student engagement.

For the past four weeks, your 9th -11th-grade students have been using the CSR strategy in their Personalization Block classes. They work together in a collaborative setting to read grade-level informative text, identify unfamiliar vocabulary and use fix-up strategies to understand the text.

The texts are focused on a range of topics that are relative to the students' lives such as social justice, environmental issues, and personal development. An example of one of the fix-up strategies or clunk cards is below:

For more information and resources please reach out to your scholars’ teacher or a grade-level administrator.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary FCC program to help households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org.

Click here for free or reduced passes to major attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, the Alliance Theater, and historic sites! You must have a library card.

Get a library card here. The branch nearest to Banneker is the Gladys S. Dennard Library, 4055 Flat Shoals Road, Union City, GA 30291. Phone: 404-613-3092

1. Checked on the District website: https://www.fultonschools.org

2. Checked the School's Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/bannekerhs

3. Read Dr. Stamper's Weekly Email to Parents

These sources empower you with the information you need. Should you need further support, please reach out to us!

Title I is a federally funded program designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic standards and state academic assessments.

The Title I program focuses on the academic needs of the most disadvantaged students.

Parents Right to Know

Parents cannot drop off students before 7:45 am as we need to ensure staff is available to provide appropriate supervision.

As of August 22, 2023, we will begin strictly enforcing our classroom tardy policy. Students will have had two weeks to learn their schedule and the school layout. We need our students in class and on time. There are always several staff members on the hallways to assist students if they need help navigating their way to class, but they must move directly to class and be ready for instruction; every minute is valuable. Please encourage your child to report to class each period, on time.

Parents, we need your help to make sure your child adheres to the dress code daily to ensure no instructional time is missed. The Banneker High School dress code is based on the Fulton County Schools dress code. Based on the interest of climate and order, this dress code has been reviewed with them and is also in the Student Handbook.

The following will not be allowed:

• Spandex
• Leggings
• Jeggings
• Midriffs
• Shirts with backs out
• Spaghetti straps
• Sagging pants,
• Jeans with rips above the knee
• Do-rags
• Bandanas
• Bonnets
• Clothing related to gang paraphernalia or that promotes drugs, alcohol, violence, sex Any other prohibited item as identified by the Fulton County Schools dress code policy

Hats or hoodies may not be worn in the hallways or as students travel throughout the building. This is a safety issue that hinders our capability to quickly identify students, especially in this season when masks are required.

You may access your child’s schedule in Infinite Campus. Please register for Infinite Campus using the below link/information. Infinite Campus is a wonderful tool that helps you track your child’s schedule grades, attendance, and overall progress. If you have any issues or questions, please contact our Parent Liaison, Erika Neal, at 470-254-3405 or NealE@fultonschools.org

Enter your email address below to receive parent portal activation information

https://campus.fultonschools.org/campus/K12_Custom/cParent/cParentLookUp.jsp?appName=fulton

The Transportation Department has placed all bus information on the Fulton County Schools website. Simply type in your address, and it will give you all route information along with pick-up and drop-off times. Click here to get your bus information.

All students must carry CLEAR or MESH book bags. This is done to keep everyone safe. If your child does not have a clear or mesh backpack/bookbag, we can provide them one, free of charge. We will collect the backpacks/bookbags of all students who bring them to campus and return them to them when they exit the building. However, if the same students continue to bring backpacks/bookbags that are not mesh or clear, their bags will be confiscated and only returned to the parent.

Outside food (this includes Uber Eats, Door Dash, Grub Hub, Postmates, etc.) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Also, students are not permitted to bring outside food, for sale or distribution, for any reason. This includes homemade meals/dinners, treats, birthday cakes, prepackaged items, and meals provided by delivery services like those listed above.

Any violation of this policy will result in these items being confiscated by school officials and held until further notice or discarded. Violation of this policy is also a Tier II offense in our student code of conduct and could result in disciplinary action. I know this may sound extreme, but the overall intent is to keep our students safe. Several students have food allergies coupled with the fact that outside items may be compromised.

Students may certainly bring their own lunch from home for their individual consumption but must not share with other students. However, please do not send food to school for your child using any services like those listed above.

I am here to help you with tools and information that will empower you to support your scholar at home as they evolve to being champions. Please mark your calendars for our parent workshops, follow us on Facebook and become our partner for success!

Email: neal@fultonschools.org
Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/bannekerhs
Phone: 470-254-3405
Facebook: facebook.com/BenjaminBannkerHS