The Bulldog 9.5.24
September 5, 2024
Note from Mrs. Lockwood
Another great week of teaching and learning at Clairemont Elementary! It was great to see everyone on Tuesday after a nice long weekend.
This Friday is the first-ever Battle of the Bands. Come out and support our very own Clairemont band at 6:45 p.m. at Legacy Park. The school with the biggest turnout will win a $1,000 music grant. We won the mascot fun run, so let’s see if we can clinch a Battle of the Bands win too!
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our fall Parent-Teacher conferences. Conferences are a structured tradition that supports student success. Everyone at the table is a partner. Our conference window is Monday, September 30 through Friday, October 11. You will receive an email or notification from your child's teacher by Monday afternoon with information regarding how to sign up for a virtual or in-person conference. Be sure to record the time and date of your child’s conference in your calendar, and plan to arrive five minutes early.
During the conference, your child’s teacher will share information regarding how your child has adapted to the classroom routines, as well as results from beginning-of-the-year screeners and assessments. Teachers will also provide time for you to share about your child's strengths and your hopes and dreams for them during this school year.
Thank you for collaborating with us! We look forward to your child's continued growth and success.
Events at a glance:
Friday, September 6: Battle of the Bands, 5-9 p.m.
Wednesday, September 11: Fall Picture Day
Friday, September 13: Walk and Roll
Monday and Tuesday, September 16-17: Musical Auditions, 2:45-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 18: Spirit Night at Raging Burrito
Friday, September 20: Early Release Day, 12:50 p.m.
Monday, September 23-Friday, September 27: FALL BREAK
Rather than asking parents to send in money throughout the year to cover various classroom costs (e.g., learning celebrations and classroom celebrations), we would like to collect classroom funds at one time. This year, to make the funds equitable, the Clairemont Room Parent Coordinator is collecting one Class Fund Pool to divide equally among all classes. These funds go directly to supporting teachers by providing equal funds for teacher birthdays, holidays, teacher appreciation, and end-of-year gifts.
We are suggesting a one-time donation of $10-20 per child, but we appreciate any amount you are comfortable giving. This is not an official request from the school, and contributions are totally voluntary and optional.
If you would like to contribute, please donate via Venmo to Leslie Herman, room parent coordinator, at @lrherman (confirmation code 6165) by September 30th, 2024. Please put “Clairemont Room Fund” as a note when sending in your donation.
Leslie will confirm receipt of contributions. Please contact her with the information below if you have any questions or concerns or if you need another method of payment besides Venmo (such as Zelle, CashApp, PayPal, etc.).
Leslie Herman
410-591-6165
Important Information about Gifted Review
Each fall semester, the Gifted Review Team looks at existing student data to discuss students’ needs and determine if further evaluation for gifted identification is needed. If you are interested in having the team discuss your child’s needs, you may complete a Recommendation for Review Form (found at the website below) and turn it in to the Gifted & Talented Specialist at your child’s school before Wednesday, October 2. No additional information is needed.
The Gifted & Talented Specialist for Clairemont ES is Tom Seetoo. For more detailed information about the review process and to obtain a copy of the Recommendation for Review Form, please contact the Gifted & Talented Specialist for your school at tseetoo@csdecatur.net or visit the Gifted & Talented Services webpage.
Tips that can help parents reduce the amount of tardies
Arriving to school on time every day is extremely important. Our school day starts at 8:20 a.m. Students are engaged in learning from the moment they walk in to their classroom. Students who are chronically tardy and absent tend to struggle academically.
Trying to get kids ready for school can be stressful for children and parents. Here are a few great suggestions from Seemamago.com that could help reduce the stress and struggle of getting your child to school on time. If you would like to read the entire article, please go to https://www.seemamago.com/stress-free-morning-kids/.
Make Sure All Gadgets are Put Away
Tablets, phones, 3DS, Xbox… there are a million distractions surrounding kids these days. You can make it a lot easier for them to resist these distractions by removing them from their sight when they wake up.
Practice Stretching Together or Doing a Small Exercise
A good morning stretch feels good for everybody. Get on the floor with your kids and try some morning stretches. Throw in a few easy yoga poses that you can both do and help get their blood flowing.
Make a Morning Checklist
Most kids are visual learners! Make the morning easier for you both by making a colorful checklist. Have them come up with ideas of what they need to do to get ready in the mornings and write that down. Let them decorate the list, and hang it in their room. Then every morning they get up, they have something fun to look at and know exactly what they need to do. And in turn, fewer things to remind them about!
Think First & Stay Safe
Dear parents and guardians,
We all share a common goal for our children to be safe and protected from harm. Related to that goal, school counselors are required by GA Code § 20-2-134 to present annual personal safety lessons designed to prevent sexual abuse, assault awareness and prevention education. The Think First & Stay Safe™ program is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education through interactive classroom lessons, role-playing and corresponding activities. Think First & Stay Safe™ enables students to take an active and necessary role in protecting themselves from abuse, assault, and exploitation. A committee of school counselors reviewed the program and selected it for our students.
Due to the importance of this topic, I want you to know when and how you may preview the materials prior to them being presented in your child's class. The school counselor will offer the sexual abuse prevention and safety lessons to all students during the month of September. The materials will be available for preview on the Clairemont school counseling page. Ms. Pratt will host a virtual preview session on September 10 at 11 a.m. Join the meeting with video call link: https://meet.google.com/spg-kupq-yfn or dial: (US) +1 650-449-9896 PIN: 811 354 062#
You can also learn more about the program and research behind this program at www.childluresprevention.com. Please be aware that more information is provided on the website than is actually used in CSD. The plan for CSD includes: the key concepts are taught at all grade levels, each grade reviews what was learned in the previous grade(s) and then learns additional safety information. See the chart in the image above for specifics.
Unless written documentation is received from the parent/guardian, your child will participate in the lesson. If you prefer that your child not participate in the sexual abuse and safety prevention lessons, or if you have any questions or concerns, please email Ms. Pratt, school counselor, at cpratt@csdecatur.net.
Sincerely,
Charmaine Pratt
School Counselor
Get social with us!
Stay up-to-date with all the Clairemont PTA news and see pictures of our fun events by following the PTA on Facebook and Instagram. You can find all things Clairemont PTA, as well as the form to join, at the Clairemont PTA website.
