The Eagle Eye
August 23rd, 2024
From Ms. Cooke's Desk
The third week of school has proven to be an exciting one! Today we had pep rallies celebrating our PBIS kick-off. Mrs. Adler, Mrs. Janusz, and Mrs. Dunagan led students in a recap of our PBIS rules while showcasing their dance moves! Ask your child to tell you what SOAR stands for. Our fifth graders also had "Immigration Day" with students dressing up to represent immigrant families from around the world arriving in America. This is what I love about elementary school - the joy that exists when learning is fun, engaging, and relevant.
Earlier this week our IB Coordinator, Mrs. Yancey, led Eagle Alliance parents through an informative presentation on the IB PYP program at Heards Ferry. If you weren't able to join us, I'm including her presentation below.
Don't forget - Curriculum Night is next week (August 29). Teachers will provide two sessions for parents: 5:45-6:15 pm and 6:30-7:00 pm.
Have a great weekend!
Your proud principal -
Karen
News from Mrs. Dunagan
Parent Handbook
The 24-25 Parent Handbook can be found on the Heards Ferry website under "Students and Families" https://heardsferry.fultonschools.org/
Coming October 1st - New Check In Process for Late Students
Beginning October 1st , students who arrive late to school will need to be escorted into the building with an adult. The adult will need to check in their student on the Checkmate Kiosk located in the lobby. We will no longer be issuing paper tardy slips. CheckMate is an automated attendance kiosk for families that allows them to check in/out of schools in real time. It integrates with Infinite Campus and provides attendance reports. More information to come
Lunch Visitors - Beginning September 5th
Parents are welcome to eat lunch in the front lobby with their child. Please be sure that you sign in at the office. Students are not permitted to bring a friend with them to the lunch table. Food and drink from outside vendors are not allowed.
Safety and Security Reminders
Valid Identification
Parents please be reminded that Fulton County Board Policy KM Visitors and Volunteers to Schools states that all visitors and volunteers who enter a Fulton County Schools campus must sign in at the front office with valid identification. Please make sure to have your driver’s license with you when coming to check out your child.
Holding Doors Open
Parents please don’t hold the front door open for others to enter once you are buzzed in. Each person needs to be buzzed in separately.
Volunteer Training
ALL volunteers in the school must complete mandatory volunteer training before being allowed in the classroom. Upon entering the school to volunteer you will be asked to show your ID, sign in on our computer, and wear a name tag for the duration of your visit. Please make sure the name tag is clearly visible at all times.
Volunteer training must be completed every two years.
Visit the Fulton County Schools Volunteer site for more information and to complete the training.
Student Success Skills
In our mission to serve the whole child, Fulton County Schools utilizes Rethink Ed’s Student Success Skills to ensure students are fully prepared to engage in social setting both inside the school and beyond the classroom. SSS covers six domains such as self-management, awareness of self and others, and social skills. Lessons focus on goal setting, resilience, self-control, friendships, respect, etc.
On August 30th, HFE students in grade 3-5 will complete the Student Success Skills Inventory pre-inventory. The 15-20 item inventory is used to measure student growth across Student Success Skill standards as a result of Rethink Ed lessons. Students in grade 3-5 will complete the 15-20 item pre-inventory August 30th. The post-inventory will take place between April 14, 2025 - April 25, 2025. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. Parents can choose to opt their student out of the inventory. To opt out, parents must submit a written request to opt out to the school principal.
Contact person for questions: Khaki Janusz
Literacy Coach Corner
Research Based Ways to Support Your Young Reader at Home
The Simple View of Reading is a basic way to think about how to get your child to read and comprehend.
Decoding x Language Comprehension= Reading Comprehension
Decoding- a child’s ability to look at letters and words on a page and turn the letters or words into speech.
Language Comprehension- a child’s ability to understand the meaning of words and speech.
How can I help with decoding at home?
· Ask your child what letter represents the /a/ sound? (You can do this with any sound)
· Segment words to build phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the smallest sounds in spoken language called phonemes.
Here are the steps:
1. Choose a word and say it out loud (ex. dog)
2. Talk about the meaning of the word (We have a dog with soft fur.)
3. Tap the phonemes of the word together (/d//o//g/)
4. Ask how many sounds does the word have? (3)
5. Say the word together again (dog)
For questions, contact Mrs. Hidock
Student Government
Student Government is back! Please click here to learn more. Please note that all 4th and 5th grade students will participate in an information session, so they should be familiar with the process to apply. Applications are due Monday (9/9).
For questions, please contact Mrs. Aronowitz or Mrs. Murdock
Eagle Alliance News
STEAM Club Sign-up
The registration lottery for Steam Club will close on Wednesday, 8/28 at 2pm. 4th and 5th graders are eligible and can sign up HERE.
Chorus Registration
Registration for 4th & 5th grade Chorus closes on 8/30, sign up HERE. Everyone who registers for this EA sponsored activity will be able to participate.
Field Trip Shirts
The Eagle Alliance provides free field trip t-shirts to all students. Please complete the Field Trip T-shirt Order Form by 9/5 to ensure your child receives the correct size t-shirt.
Birthdays at HFE
There are many ways to celebrate your student’s birthday at HFE. Click HERE for more information, and please note that the deadline for Birthday Book Club orders is 9/15.
Join the EA
We are 85% of the way to our membership goal - thank you for partnering with us! Join the Eagle Alliance by 9/6 and be entered into a drawing for tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game.