Eagle Family Weekly News

We have hurt for the entire Apalachee community as though we know them well. Our deepest condolences are with every family that was impacted by the senseless act of violence that occurred last week.

As a mom and an educator, these events are especially difficult. What I want our families to know is summed up here:

1. We will maintain our safety plan with diligence and daily effort.
   
   
2. We practice safety drills differently at East Lake. I vowed last spring that we were going to do all we can to ensure our students and staff are prepared to respond in the event of an emergency. In August, we started scenario-based lockdown drills and included our district safety team for valuable feedback as our plan unfolds. These will continue throughout the year.
   
   
3. WE LOVE YOUR KID. Guaranteed, every educator at East Lake (and beyond!) has already thought about how they can protect your child in the event of an emergency. We have thought about what we might say while we hide every student. We have thought about furniture placement and how fast we can get our kids quiet. Hard truth: we have hugged our own families tightly knowing that, in that nightmare of a moment, we would give our own life to protect our school babies. No one is perfect. No plan is perfect. We hope to never be faced with those decisions. But please know that we are committed to being our very best so that we can protect your very best. We really do love your kid.
   
   
4. It takes a village. Our district has been committed to improving safety measures for our students and staff in recent years. We have certainly amped up security with measures that include: locked interior and exterior doors, fingertip access to call 911, enhanced security cameras, metal detectors at sporting events, and so much more. We are grateful for this and we anticipate continued improvements. WE NEED YOU TOO. Please stop complaining about bringing clear bags to large events. Please talk to your student about making safe choices and reporting when they see someone not doing what they should. As I said before, no one is perfect. No plan is perfect. But it won't get better unless we are all on board! I am always happy to hear your suggestions and feedback. We truly appreciate your partnership!
   
   
5. If you see something, say something! If you hear something, say something! We need to know if you have information / tea / 411 / whatever you're calling it nowadays that something could be happening. You can always call the school, but we also have an anonymous tip line that can be used if you prefer. I've included that flyer below.

Thank you for trusting us with your child. I say it often, but it truly is an honor and a privilege to serve your family on your student's educational adventure.

More Talk, Less Tech: Will You Give me 20?

As my son is heading off to the Navy soon, I find that our moments with both kids at home are precious. I also find that, if we are not intentional with our time, we lose them while scrolling, texting, snapchatting, or shopping on our cell phones. Do you see that at your house too?

It's a habit to reach for the phone, even while watching tv. So...I have a challenge for you: can you put your phones down, turn off the tv, and spend 20 minutes as a family every day this week? 20 minutes. JUST TWENTY MINUTES. You can play a board game, read a book, have a dance marathon, walk outside, write a thank you note, eat dinner around the table and TALK as a family. Whatever you decide, I encourage you to set a timer as you build this new habit.

For every day that you enjoy 20 minutes of tech-free family time, please fill out this brief form. I will personally provide some prizes for families that are randomly selected by drawing. Each form is one entry, so the more days you honor the More Talk: Less Tech Challenge, the better your chances are at winning.

Morning Drop-Off: Bus Lane Update

We were informed on Friday that, effective immediately, the bus lane will be closed at 7:30 a.m. for morning drop-off. Please plan accordingly.

Our Champions are MADE: Motivated, Achievement-Focused, Determined, Exceptional.

Thank you for trusting us with your student's educational adventure.

Let's make this a great week, East Lake!

Dana Flowers

Principal

We had THREE incredible days of hosting grandparents and loving on them with some pancakes and fun!

Our breakfast with grandparents wouldn't be possible without this team pictured below (and a few others who joined in on other days)! This event is coordinated by the counselors.

Thank you, Ms. May and Ms. Jenkins for rallying the troops and planning in excellence!

We had a great visit with Dr. Pace, our new HCS Superintendent. Special shout out to Ms. Oxendine, Ms. Murphy, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Santana for unexpectedly hosting Dr. Pace + 3 BOE members + Chief of Leadership Services + Communication team members on Friday. They were AWESOME! Each classroom was a bright example of the learning that happens throughout our building every single day!

As a Principal, I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to know that we could have walked into ANY classroom and seen some great things happening. That doesn't happen by chance though. Our team is truly working to meet the needs of every student...we know we aren't perfect, but we are getting even better every day!

Monday:

• 5th Grade Parents
• Virtual Meeting to discuss the Tybee Island trip
• Link will be provided by your homeroom teacher
• Board of Education meeting, 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday:

• PTO Meeting, 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday: Patriots Day

• All students & staff are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue on this day.
• First Responder Celebration
• We are excited to host our 2nd Annual First Responders Celebration on Wednesday, September 11th! See the invitation below. Click here to RSVP.

Thursday:

• Thankful Thursday! Please have your student write a thank you note for a teacher or staff member to let them know what a difference they make at East Lake.

Friday:

• School Council

Dear Wonderful Parents,

As we embark on another exciting week of learning, we want to sprinkle a little fun into a very important lesson: learning our home address! 🗺️

Why is knowing our address so important, you ask? Well, it’s not just about finding our way home after a day of adventures; it’s also a key part of safety and independence for our little explorers! 🚀

Here are some whimsical ways to make learning the address a delightful experience:

1. **Sing It Out Loud! 🎶**: Create a catchy tune or jingle with your address. Singing makes everything more memorable!

2. **Treasure Hunt! 🗝️**: Turn it into a treasure hunt! Hide clues around the house that lead to different parts of your address. Each clue can be a fun fact about your home!

3. **Artistic Flair! 🎨**: Have your child draw a map of your neighborhood, marking your home with a big, colorful star. This will help them visualize where they live!

4. **Story Time! 📖**: Incorporate your address into a fun story. Maybe your house is a castle, and you’re the royal family living there!

5. **Practice Makes Perfect! 🏆**: Set aside a few minutes each day to practice saying the address together. The more they say it, the more confident they’ll become!

Let’s work together to make this learning journey enjoyable and memorable for our children. Thank you for your support and creativity in helping them master this essential skill!

Happy learning, and may your adventures be filled with joy! 🌟

Warm regards,

Mrs. Varian

NO SCHOOL from September 16 - 20.

One of the most common complaints we get during events are related to the district Clear Bag Policies. It does not seem to matter how we advertise and request preparation, we frequently meet with disgruntled families who are inconvenienced and frustrated.

East Lake family, please know we do our very best to comply with these safety measures as required by Henry County Schools.

During all large events, clear bag policies will continue to be expected & enforced to the

best of our ability.

Are we perfect? No.

Are district personnel exempt from this policy? No.

Should we all do our best in an effort of maximize safety for all during each event? Yes.

When attending an event, please know that we are doing our best to prepare for you in excellence. We want your full experience to be one that is fun and memorable. Please plan ahead and comply with the expectations. Please check out the images below for additional details on what is acceptable on entry. Please note that large bags, including diaper bags, should be clear.

Our first meeting is this Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

I am so proud of our Eagles! We had our first lockdown drills of the year on Friday. Our students and staff couldn't have done a better job in planning and following directions. I am so proud!

Things for parents to know:

• There are no entry or exits to the building during either a soft or hard lockdown. There are lights by the main entry points to indicate that no entries will be permitted. Please know that in the event of a lockdown, you should wait inside your vehicle until we are in an all-clear.
• In the event of an actual emergency, parents/guardians will be contacted with official information from East Lake Elementary / Henry County Schools. It is best NOT to report to the school until official instructions are received. We need to ensure emergency vehicles have clear paths to access our building.
• If you are in the building during a safety drill or during an actual incident, it is expected that you also follow instructions by school staff. Once a lockdown begins (even for a safety drill) there are no entries or exits of students, staff, or school visitors permitted.
• Our students often react based on their understanding of adult behavior. If you are in the building for a lockdown and become agitated, anxious, or dramatic, that will likely spark fear and anxiety for our students. Please breathe deeply, remain quiet, and do not use your phone. We will communicate information as it is available and appropriate to share.

For those that might like some additional details regarding our campus alert system, I have shared one of our safety posters. Thank you for reviewing this and for checking out additional safety tips for parents at this link.

In an effort to provide a special, most enjoyable lunch experience for our families, we have moved the Eagle Family Café to the front of the school. We had our first families join us this week! This does look a little different, but I hope that everyone will enjoy this dining experience with their students!

To clarify the process of the new café:

• Families will sign in at the front office the way they always did.
  
• Your student's teacher will be informed that they have a lunch guest.
• Your student will meet you in the café for lunch. You can hear each other talk and enjoy some conversation and laughter.
• Your student will rejoin their class at the end of the lunch period.
• Lunch Guests are not permitted to leave the front office or Family Café areas. At the end of the lunch period, guests will sign out at the front office and will exit those doors as usual.

Answers to questions we received this week:

Can students buy ice cream?

• As a general rule, the student should not plan to purchase ice cream on days they have lunch guests. This is simply due to the logistics of walking back and forth and losing conversational time with their lunch guests. If you feel it is imperative for them to purchase ice cream, you can notify the office at check-in. As long as ice cream is being sold that day, we can provide instructions on when to send your student.
  
  

What about Friday Feather Drawings?

• No one loves Feather Drawing Fridays as much as I do! If students are located in the Eagle Family Café and their name is drawn, they will still receive their visit to the prize cart. It is true that they will miss out on all the cheers from their friends, but we will still make sure to celebrate their awesomeness. If that is something extra important to your student, I encourage you to schedule lunch visits on any other day of the week.
  
  

Please let me know if you have any ideas to make this an even better opportunity for our students and lunch guests. We appreciate our families and look forward to seeing you soon!

• We recognize two parties per year in our classrooms. Outside of those school-planned events, parents may not bring outside food to share with students who are not their own.
• For birthday celebrations, parents may choose to send in Goody Bags for each classmate (without any food or candy within) for teachers to distribute. This allows all students to participate regardless of food allergy, etc.
• Neither teachers nor students are permitted to delivery birthday (or any other) invitations to students in the class.

• Student cell phones (and other digital devices, including AirPods and smart watches) are to be turned off and left in student backpacks for the duration of the school day, which includes transportation on the school bus.

Each year, there are adjustments made to the HCS Code of Conduct. This is the guide used to determine consequences for behavior violations, and can be a helpful reference tool for conversations with school staff and with families.