Cartersville Elementary School

Happy May! Thank you for your support getting our students here on time and ready for testing this week. Our 5th grade students will finish testing Monday 5/5 with the GMAS Science Assessment. We are excited to complete our state testing requirement and begin celebrating all of the learning and progress our students have made this year. We hope you will be able to join us for some of the celebrations as we conclude the 24-25 school year. See below for information about field days, class parties, our 5th grade walk, and summer camp opportunities for your child. Also remember next week, May 5th-9th is teacher appreciation week! Let's show our teachers how much we appreciate all they do!

As we head into May and the end of the school year, please remember student attendance is still important. We are excited to raffle off two bicycles for students with no unexcused absences during the month of May. In addition, we will have summer prizes for the classes with the highest monthly attendance percentage in each grade. Even though learning may look different following state testing, opportunities to celebrate and connect with peers is critical to students' social and relational development and growth. We hope you can join your child to celebrate their learning this school year!

~Mrs. Bryant

Please see the year-at-a-glance calendar below provided at Open House with important dates for this school year. While we anticipate these dates to remain the same, please note changes could occur throughout the school year. Please be sure to reference the CES Monthly Newsletters with the most up-to-date information.

*Calendar last updated: April 7, 2025

· Our school day is from 7:40-2:40. Doors open at 7:15 each morning.

· Early checkouts are not permitted after 2:10 pm for student safety.

· Please remember to send in a written and signed note for all transportation changes.

· All visitors must come through the main office and bring a photo ID to sign in.

· If your child is absent from school, a note must be turned in within 3 days of the absence. You may e-mail doctor's excuse notes to Sabrina McWhorter at smcwhorter2@cartersvilleschools.org

· All medications requiring administration at school must be brought to the school by a parent or guardian.

· No outside food or drink may be ordered and sent to the school for students; however, parents may bring food with them for a lunch visit with their child in our cafeteria.

· Be sure to check your child's grade frequently on Infinite Campus, once available. Progress reports will go home at 9-weeks, and report cards will be issued each semester.

· We kindly request all families picking their students up in cars, use the car rider line each afternoon. Car tags are available in the front office. This is for the supervision and safety of our students.

April 28th - GMAS - ELA Section 1

April 28th - SGC meeting

April 29th - GMAS - ELA Section 2

April 29th - Purple Rain Singers rehearsal

April 29th -Art Club - Group 1

April 30th - GMAS - ELA Section 3

May 1st - GMAS Math Section 1

May 1st - Art Club - Group 2

May 1st - Purple Rain Singers rehearsal

May 2nd - GMAS Math Section 2

May 5th - May 9th - Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5th - Tech Club

May 6th - Art Club - Group 3

May 6th - Purple Rain Singers Rehearsal

May 7th - ESOL Field Trip

May 7th - 4th Grade In-house field trip with GA Power

May 8th - Rising 4th Grade transitions meetings at 9:30 and 6:00

May 8th - Art Club - Group 4

May 8th - Purple Rain Singers Rehearsal

May 9th - All library books due

May 12th - 3rd Grade tours of CES

May 12th - 5th Grade tours of CMS

May 12th - Board Meeting at CHS

May 13th - Star Student Breakfast

May 13th - Mentor Canes lunch

May 13th - Purple Rain Singers rehearsal

May 13th - Purple Rain Singers Concert - 6:00 pm at Crosspoint City Church

May 14th - 5th Grade Field Day (moved to Friday due to weather)

May 15th - Safety Patrol meeting/celebration

May 15th - 4th Grade Field Day

May 16th - 4th grade PBIS event

May 16th - 5th Grade Field Day

May 19th - 4th Grade End-of-year Class Parties

May 19th - 5th Grade PBIS event

May 20th - 5th Grade Walk and End-of-year Class Parties

May 21st - Last Day of School (Half-day for students)

Parents, please help us remind our students to follow the school dress code during these final weeks of school. The following is posted in CES Handbook which is available online at: Student Handbook / Student Handbooks

DRESS CODE All students are expected to be neat, clean, and appropriately dressed for all school activities. Clothing and appearance should not distract from the instructional program. Good judgment should be a key word. Please note the following guidelines:

• Shoes must be worn at all times. Sandals are allowed; flip flops and high heels are discouraged.

• Halter tops, tank tops, spaghetti straps, see-through clothing, and clothing which shows the midriff are not permitted.

• Shorts are acceptable provided they are not too short.

• Jogging shorts, Lycra-Spandex cycling shorts and swimwear are not permitted.

• Hats and other head coverings are not to be worn in the building.

• Articles of clothing which advertise or display the symbols of drugs, weapons, tobacco products or alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

• Clothing which displays obscene language or symbols is not permitted.

• Emblems, insignia, badges, or other symbols, which unreasonably distract students or disrupt the operation of the school, are prohibited.

• Students should avoid extreme hairstyles and colors which may distract from the learning environment.

• All clothing must be worn in the manner in which it was intended to be worn.

• Belts must be worn if pants/shorts are oversized.

• Students should wear athletic shoes in P.E. (ex. tennis/running/sports shoes).

• Shoes that contain roller devices are not permitted.

• No see-through holes above the knees that the students' skin or under garment can be seen.

Administration reserves the right to determine if items of clothing or student appearance are too casual, too revealing or too distracting. In the event of an infringement of the dress code, parents may be called to bring appropriate clothing.

We would love to hear from you! Cartersville Elementary School has a specific Family Engagement Plan, School Improvement Plan, and Parent/School compact, which are reviewed annually. We would love your feedback to better support our families, students, and community as a whole. Please visit the CES Family Engagement website to review the Family Engagement Plan and Parent/School Compact at: Family Engagement / Compact & Parent/Family Engagement Policy. The School Improvement Plan can be viewed at: School Improvement / School Improvement Plan

After reviewing both documents, please complete our survey at: https://forms.office.com/r/RTPmZvbK33

If you have any questions about either document or any issues completing the survey, please reach out to Mrs. Bryant at bbryant@cartersvilleschools.org.

Our CES Field Days for 2025 will be held at Dellinger Park on the following dates:

4th Grade - Thursday, May 15th

5th Grade - Friday, May 16th

Please make sure students wear comfortable tennis shoes, wear sunscreen, and bring a water bottle for the event. Parents are invited to join us at Dellinger park for the event! Snow cones will be available for $2! Look for pre-pay sheets as the event gets closer! Parents who wish to purchase a lunch at the park should bring $4 - cash only.

Please mark your calendars for the following spring testing dates for Cartersville Elementary School:

GMAS testing -

April 28th - GMAS ELA Section 1

April 29th - GMAS ELA Section 2

April 30th - GMAS ELAS Section 3

May 1st - GMAS Math Section 1

May 2nd - GMAS Math Section 2

May 5th - GMAS Science (Sections 1 & 2) - 5th grade only

*If you would like to review the online tools students will use on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade assessments, you can visit http://www.gaexperienceonline.com/. Note the Georgia Experience Online site is set up by grade bands and items do not necessarily represent the specific grade-level content that students learn daily in their classrooms. The primary purpose is to let students experience, firsthand, the functionality of the online testing platform.

If you have any questions about GMAS testing, please contact our testing coordinator, Gary Morris, at gmorris@cartersvilleschools.org.

*We know this can be an anxious time for students, so please help us remind them they have been preparing for this all year. We simply ask they do their best! You can help us from home by:

• Being in attendance and on-time to school each testing day.
• Making sure your child receives a good night's sleep before each test.
• Encouraging them to simply do their best.
• Eating a healthy breakfast each morning. (Breakfast is available at school each day and will be free for all students on their testing days!)

As warmer weather approaches, students and families will be spending more time outdoors. While fresh air and outdoor play are great for health, it's important to be aware of the potential risk posed by ticks. These tiny arachnids can carry diseases, making it essential to understand how to prevent tick bites and what to do if one occurs. Ticks are small, parasitic insects that attach to the skin and feed on blood. See the attached document below for more information about how to stay healthy and prevent tick bites this spring. By staying informed and taking precautions, we can enjoy the outdoors safely while reducing the risk of tick-borne illnesses. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider.

For more information on tickborne illnesses and tick identification, go to the following website: https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/zvbd/tbd

Stay safe and healthy,

Marcie Garrett, RN, BSN

Cartersville Elementary School Nurse

Please see the information below and download the registration form if your child would like to participate in summer basketball camp.

Registration Link

We would love to have you join our PTC program! There are multiple ways to be involved and support our school, and we'd love for you to be part! Our next PTC meeting date will be shared on the GroupMe! There will be lots of opportunities to help with our end of year activities such as Teacher Appreciation Week, field days, end-of-year parties, and more! Please check the GroupMe and sign up to volunteer when you can!

*Please reach out to 770-891-2203 if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities!

If you have not completed this step already, please complete the Annual Information Update inside the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. You will not be able to access schedules, grades, or attendance information until this step is complete. See the image below with instructions.

Payments for school nutrition accounts can be set up and accessed at www.myschoolbucks.com. Please remember to check your student's lunch balance and pay or replenish funds as needed. You can also fill out your free/reduced lunch form on MySchoolApps - Home Page. The school nutrition website and additional information can be found at https://www.cartersvilleschools.org/domain/63. If you have any questions about balances or charges or free/reduced meals you may contact Christina Nichols at cnichols@cartersvilleschools.org.

The May lunch menu can be found at: Cartersville Elementary School - MealViewer Schools

Each month we will share the Capturing Kids' Hearts Newsletter for the month. Attached are the English and Spanish parent newsletters highlighting Being Leadworthy with Integrity - our focus for May.

This month, we are challenging students to choose to do the right thing, no matter who is watching. We each aim to live with the ability and willingness to exist with honesty and excellence. We want to partner with you to highlight your child’s integrity. As you do this month’s activities, look for opportunities to celebrate your child’s integrity and character growth.

Please visit the link below to learn how to access this voluntary opportunity.

K-12 Student Accident Insurance (kandkinsurance.com)

Our students use Clever to house most of their academic resources and this portal can be accessed from home! Attached below are instructions for how to access your child’s Clever homepage.

Email: bbryant@cartersvilleschools.org
Website: https://www.cartersvilleschools.org/ces
Location: 340 Old Mill Road, Cartersville, GA, USA
Phone: 770-382-0983