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Eagle Wings

Week of September 23rd

Eagle Wings Week of September 23rd

Principal's Message

Greetings Eagle Families,


We've now completed 7 weeks in the nest! Last week our 3rd graders were busy learning new vocabulary in their reading lessons and our 2nd graders enjoyed a field trip to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Some of our students enjoyed a visit by Officer Morton from the Alpharetta Police Department. Officer Morton will be working with our school this year through the Alpharetta Police Department's Community Outreach department.


This week we'll have our Eagle Dash Kick Off. We'll be raising funds for additional playground equipment as well as school enhancements (i.e., new cafeteria sound system, updated signage for our PBIS matrixes, etc.). Please keep an eye out for information coming home and be sure to check out our PTO's website as well!


Yours in partnership,

Ms. Crawford

2nd Grade goes to Chattahoochee Nature Center

Important Dates

September:

23 – 30 MAP testing (4th grade only)

26 - Eagle Dash Rally

27 - Family Book Night @6-7pm in Media Center

27 - Movie Night @7:30pm on front field

30 - Fall Book Fair begins


October:

1-4 - Fall Book Fair

1 – 4 MAP testing (4th grade only)

9 – Eagle Dash

14 - 15 Fall break (no students)

16 - Professional Development Day (no students)

21 – PK Vision Screening 8:30-10:00

22 – Math Night @5pm in cafeteria

25 -- Vision Screening (1st, 3rd, 5th grade)

Save the Date

From the Media Center

Fall Book Fair is Sept.30-Oct.4!

Save the date for our Fall Book Fair! AES Media Center will host the Literati Book Fair from September 30 - October 4. There will be a Family Book Fair Night from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM before the Family Movie Night.


Our online fair is now open! You can shop now until October 4th. Access this link to purchase digital gift cards for students to use during the fair.


Still have funds from the Scholastic Book Fair? They never expire! You should receive email reminders about your balance. You can log in and purchase materials online.


Interested in volunteering? Sign up here: Fall 2024 Book Fair Volunteers Sign Up


Thank you to all who have volunteered! Ms. Falkenberg will send a follow up email soon.

From Our Counselor

Safety Update

In an effort to continue to keep the safety of our students and staff as our top priority, I wanted to take a moment to remind our school community of the following processes we already have in place:


  • Ringing the bell (now located on the right side of doors) when needing to come to the front office
  • Having your ID on you and prepared to show prior to entering the building
    • Please note, if you do not have your ID, you will not be allowed to enter the building
  • Not holding the front door open for others
  • Checking in and out at the front office
  • Exiting the building through the front doors only


Also, I want to share that we are up to date on practicing all our drills including a hard lock down. We conducted this drill last month using our Centegix badge system, which was installed in every Fulton County school last year. Every staff member at AES wears a Centegix badge which is a panic alert system that allows users to discreetly request help by pressing a button. If a staff member continues to press the button, it sounds alarms in every room in the school instructing everyone to lock down. It also alerts local police and county leadership. If the button is pressed only 3 times, it alerts only school leadership for help (we use this if there is a medical emergency).


What you can do to help:


Keep your child's emergency contact information up to date

Inform your child's school immediately if your phone number, address or email address changes. You may be called and emailed during an emergency. Additionally, children will only be released to adults listed on the emergency information form.


Talk with your child

Take a few moments and discuss with your student about listening and following directions at all times and especially during an emergency. Click here for helpful information about Talking To Your Children About Violence.


Report any safety concerns

Safety in Fulton Schools - Fulton County School System


Please reach out to Ms. Silverman, AP, (silvermanj@fultonschools.org) with any questions regarding safety in our building.

Reminders

Morning Carpool & Arrival

A few important reminders about morning arrival:

  • No left turn is allowed onto Mayfield between 7:10 and 7:40 a.m. Please adhere to the posted signs and traffic laws.
  • Carpool ends at 7:35 a.m. If you arrive after 7:35 a.m., you will have to park and walk your child in the front door. If the bell rings during this time, you'll need to sign your child in on the Checkmate system outside the front door.

Transportation Changes:

Transportation changes should be provided to your child's teacher on the "Notes from Home" pad you received in your red folder during open house. Please keep in mind that changes in transportation must be in writing and EMAILED to the front office (toppint@fultonschools.org).


Early Pick-Up:

When picking up your student early for appointments, you will need to present your driver’s license for safety and security. Early checkout will end at 1:30 pm.


AES Family Handbook:

CLICK HERE to access our Family Handbook and take a moment review some of the practices we adhere to here at AES. By doing so, that helps all of us be (and stay) on the same page!

Lunch/Item Drop-Off

We know mornings can be hectic and lunch or other items can get left behind. Don't worry! There is a cart outside the front door where you can drop things off. Please put your child's name, teacher and grade and items will be brought in daily by 10:30 a.m.

Attendance Matters

Positive school attendance helps students to stay 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.

Positive school attendance is directly connected to increased student engagement.

1. Building a Supportive Community: Encouraging your child to attend school regularly becomes easier when they feel a sense of belonging within the school community.

2. Celebrating Achievements: Acknowledging your child's successes, both academically and personally, can significantly boost their motivation to attend school.

3. Engaging Learning Experiences: An engaging classroom environment plays a pivotal role in motivating students to attend school regularly. Support teachers in their efforts to create interactive lessons, hands-on activities, and discussions that spark your child's curiosity.

4. Involvement in Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities offer students a chance to explore their interests beyond the classroom. Encourage your child to participate in clubs, sports, arts, or other activities that align with their passions. The excitement of these extracurriculars can motivate them to attend school consistently.

5. Recognizing Improvement: If your child has struggled with attendance in the past, celebrate their efforts to improve. Recognize their progress and emphasize the positive impact regular attendance can have on their academic journey.

Remember, your involvement as parents and guardians is an essential factor in creating a positive and engaging school environment. Together, we can foster an atmosphere where students are excited to come to school, engage in learning, and build a foundation for a successful future.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in ensuring the success of your child's education. For more information on FCS attendance policies please visit the FCS Attendance Matters Website or reach out to our school social worker, Randi Downey, LCSW, downeyr@fultonschools.org, 470-317-8530.

Code of Conduct

The new 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct is available on the Fulton County Schools website. Click Here for quick access. Ensure that you and your Eagle review this important document.


The Fulton County Schools Code of Conduct is now ready for parents to review and sign in Infinite Campus. Families need to complete their digital attestation through the Parent Portal by accessing the documents tagged "NEEDS ATTENTION."


Here is a (link) with instructions on how to complete the Acknowledgment of Receipt Form. All parents and students (over 10 years old) MUST sign this form found within their INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL ACCOUNT.

From the PTO

PTO Newsletter

PTO now has their own newsletter. Be sure to click on the link and read all about the great things PTO does to help AES!

https://secure.smore.com/n/7tr6wc

From FCS

The Fulton County Board of Education met on Thursday, September 19, 2024 for its regularly scheduled work session at the South Learning Center. The full agenda is available online via BoardDocs. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS homepage, with recordings available within 48 hours.

Superintendent’s Report
In a passionate plea to parents, Dr. Mike Looney asked them to support the district’s new “Report, don’t repost” campaign, which he says is critical to the safety of our schools. According to the superintendent, every zone in our district at all levels (elementary, middle, and high school) has been impacted by social media threats and anonymous threats, which have tripled since the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School earlier this month.

Dr. Looney gave a real-life example, describing a situation at an FCS high school that went into a hard lockdown when a gun was reported. That gun ended up being a BB gun, but administrators did not know at the time the gun was not real. The hard lockdown disrupted the entire school day, frightening both students and parents. Dr. Looney implored parents talk to their children about the use of social media and having cellphones in school, reminding them ‘If you see/hear something, say something.’ Do not make it worse by posting inaccurate information online. We cannot let social media, cell phones in schools and reposting false information wreak havoc in our district. We must work together to keep our schools safe.

Dr. Looney also noted that September is Attendance Awareness Month stressing the importance of good attendance and being in school on time.

School Closure/Consolidation
Executive Director of Operational Planning Tarika Peeks presented data showing enrollment as a district is on a downward trend in Fulton County, resulting in excess classroom space throughout the school system. Specifically, the most significant decline in student population is at the elementary school level, but middle and high schools also are impacted.

Ms. Peeks shared that Board Policy FDB requires a review of schools that meet certain criteria – such as low enrollment or aging building conditions – to be considered for consolidation or closure. Neighboring schools also are reviewed for available space and whether they can accommodate additional students. The policy states that schools with enrollment below specific thresholds (elementary schools - 450 students, middle schools - 600 students, and high schools - 700 students) are administratively expensive to maintain, operationally inefficient, and cannot effectively support the staff and resources needed for an optimal educational program.

While Policy FDB does not require the Board to close or consolidate schools, it does instruct district staff to identify schools meeting those criteria and share a list with the Board for discussion. Nine schools each have 450 or fewer students enrolled, face a continued declining enrollment projection, and/or have aging facility conditions.

After a review of the schools’ data, Board members directed FCS staff to begin engaging the community about the possible school closure and consolidation of two schools: Parklane Elementary School in the south Fulton region and Spalding Drive Elementary School in the Sandy Springs region. Data for the north Fulton region also was examined, and Board members directed staff to postpone a similar conversation with the community until 2027 so that recommendations can be incorporated into the next five-year capital plan.
For the Parklane Elementary School and Spalding Drive Elementary School conversations, community meetings will be held in October, November and December to collect input for drawing new attendance boundaries in the affected schools’ attendance zones and to balance enrollments among neighboring schools. The formal recommendation will be presented to the School Board for a vote in February 2025, with changes occurring with the 2025-2026 school year. Board members also will receive feedback at their monthly community meetings.

The presentation, which includes facility condition/classification for all schools as well as a sub-set of elementary and middle schools with declining enrollments, can be found here. For more information you can email planning@fultonschools.org.

CSI/TSI/ATSI Update
Chief of Staff Cliff Jones began this month’s update on the Comprehensive and Target Support and Improvement and lowest 25% schools report by giving a high-level summary of staff’s work to identify areas of improvement and the schools’ initial plans to address areas of improvement. Zone superintendents in zones 1 through 5 then spoke about their work related to the goal of having no Fulton County school in the lowest 25% in the state and no schools on any improvement list.

Mr. Jones reminded the Board the district currently has eight schools on various lists: five traditional schools, two non-traditional schools, and one charter school. Our one tier IV Comprehensive Support and Improvement School (CSI) is College Park Elementary. There are four other CSIs based on graduation rate and achievement.

The first category is related to graduation rate, and there are three high schools with graduation rates below 67%: Independence, FAVE, and Skyview. The second category is related to student achievement in the lowest 5% of all Title 1 schools in the state. Conley Hills Elementary School is the only school in this category.

The new category, which was introduced last year by the state, is Additional Targeted Support and Improvement School (ATSI). These schools identified for special education are Banneker High School, Brookview Elementary School and Seaborn Lee Elementary School.

According to Mr. Jones, this year this district broadened its focus on school support to include the lowest 25% of schools in the state based on Georgia College and Career Readiness Performance index (CCRPI) content mastery scores. There are 20 total schools in the district that fit the description previously mentioned: 10 elementary, five middle, and five high schools.

After kicking off the presentation, zone superintendents Dr. Cherisse Campbell (Zone1), Dr. Jason Stamper (Zone 2), Ron Maxwell (Zone 3), Alexandra Bates (Zone 4) and Angela Parham (Zone 5) discussed methods being implemented to advance school improvement by deepening principal support and emphasizing support for special education, English learners and academic programs. Click here to see the full presentation.

Board Recognitions
Each month the Fulton County Board of Education recognizes outstanding students, staff, and schools honored at the state, national, or international level. Honorees must have placed first at the regional or state level or be among the top finishers at the national or international level.

  • Congratulations to River Trail Middle School student Minakshi Chilagani on winning first place in the 2024 Georgia School Bus Safety Poster Contest and second place in the national competition.
  • Congratulations to Chattahoochee High School students Prinsha Chanda and Caroline Huang on winning first place at the 2024 National Beta Club Convention.

2024-25 Community Meetings with Board Members
Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all members of the community. The sessions provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give Board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns. Click here to see the meeting schedules of all Board members.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Community Info

Alpharetta Jr. Basketball Tryouts

Boys:

Sunday, September 15th and 22nd

6th Grade-1:00-2:30

7th/8th Grade-2:30-4:00

Girls:

Sunday, September 22nd-4:30-6:00

Tuesday, September 24th-6:30-8:00

Tryouts will be held at the Alpharetta High School Gym


Register at www.jlbballtryouts.net

Cathy Crawford - Principal
Alpharetta Elementary School