The Eagle Eye

Heards Ferry Families -

Changes in Second Grade

I have some bittersweet news to share this week. Ms. Erin Gillis, 2nd grade teacher, has been promoted to the role of Literacy Coach at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School. While I know she will be deeply missed at Heards Ferry, I celebrate her accomplishment. At this time of year it is difficult to find high-quality available teachers. Therefore, we have made the decision to collapse her classroom and integrate her students into the remaining four second grade classrooms. All families in Ms. Gillis' class have received a phone call regarding their child's new homeroom placement. I'd like to extend my sincere apologies to parents of second grade students who did not receive an email yesterday regarding the change to the grade level. That was the result of a miscommunication on our end. Ms. Gillis' last day at Heards Ferry will be Friday, February 14th.

Georgia School Climate Survey

Your voice matters! Help us create a safe, supportive, and thriving environment for our students by participating in the Georgia School Climate Survey.

This quick, anonymous survey gathers feedback on our school’s learning environment, safety, relationships, and overall climate. Your insights directly influence decisions to improve programs, policies, and culture—and impact school ratings with the State of Georgia.

Please take a few moments to complete the survey by March 31, 2025. https://survey.gadoe.org/FM?sid=A3F7F8E2

Please respond as your participation directly impacts our school ratings with the State of Georgia.

Students in grades 3-5 will also take the survey - the date has yet to be determined.

Thank you for your partnership in making our school the best it can be!

Your proud principal,

Karen

Dear Heards Ferry Elementary School Community,

We wanted to reach out on behalf of the Heards Ferry School Governance Council (SGC) to quickly introduce ourselves as well as to remind those interested in serving that the application window for parents and teachers is now open.

The SGC is a part of the Fulton County school leadership model meant to further collaboration with Heards Ferry (HFE) parents, staff, and community members to drive our school and student’s success.

We hope to empower all HFE stakeholders to actively participate in key decisions, including approving the school’s strategic plan, managing the budget, allocating Charter school dollars, and providing support to our school’s leadership team.

This school year, we have funded expanding the administrative team by providing more resources for salaries, improving teacher training by allocating dollars for specific off campus trainings, and even partnered with HFE’s Eagle Alliance to purchase a high-definition laser projector for the gym to create an immersive learning experience for our students.

This year, we have 2 parent seats as well as 1 teacher seat open. For those interested, please visit (https://www.fultonschools.org/our-district/charter-system/elections). If you have any questions on the SGC in general or on applying, please reach out to Nathan Madigan (madiganna@fultonschools.org).

Sincerely,

Nathan Madigan – Chair

School Governance Council

Father of Poppy (2nd grade) and Lottie (Kindergarten)

The following communication is from the district regarding Valentine's Day. Please do not send in any homemade treats or any store-bought treats that are not individually wrapped in their original sealed package. Your child’s teacher will be communicating what their classroom will be doing for a Valentine’s Day exchange if they have not done so already.

Dear Parents or Guardians,

As we approach Valentine’s Day, it is important to ensure that all homemade candy, desserts, baked goods, or other edible items are not to be sold or distributed during school hours, and that appropriate store-bought items are delivered to the administration. Please know that taking this measure will help us maintain a safe environment for all students with allergies, etc. You can help us protect your student(s) by requesting that they not eat anything given to them by another person, anything that they have not brought from your home or anything not in its original sealed package.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping all of our students safe at school!

Have a staff member you'd like to recognize? Please submit your kudos HERE and they will be shared with the individual!

I hope you enjoy these tips for launching your young writers at home.

From "Launching Young Writers" By: Colorin Colorado

Here are some important things to remember as you support your child with writing at home:

· Allow time- Good writers need a lot or time to prepare and research before they write. Be patient as they are getting started.

· Respond to your child's writing- Show you are interested in what your child expresses either verbally or on paper. Try to focus on "what" they have written rather than "how" it was written. It's best to ignore minor errors especially if your child is at the stage where they are just getting ideas together.

· Praise your child! Is their writing accurate? Descriptive? Original? Creative?

· Don't write for your child or rewrite their work. Meeting a deadline and taking responsibility for the finished product is an important part of the writing process. It is also important that your child feel a sense of ownership for their writing.

· As your child gets older, ask questions to help clarify details and organize thoughts. Circle back to the objective of the writing task.

· Only provide spelling help when your child is ready for it. It is ok for younger kids to sound spell words. (Ex. "haf" for "have") Model correct spelling when you write and provide help when your child begins asking more questions about letters and spelling.

· Practice, practice, practice! Writing takes a lot of practice and isn't easy! Plenty of opportunities to write allow for the best chance to improve.

· Read together. Reading supports writing and vice versa.

Your efforts now will be the difference in helping your child succeed! 🙂

In our next newsletter, I will share tips on how to support your child's vocabulary. I hope these ideas are helpful!

Please reach out to Jennifer Hidock (Literacy Coach) hidockj@fultonschools.org with any questions.

Elementary students at HFE continue to earn PBIS points by SOARing—showing Safe, On-task, Accountable, and Respectful behavior throughout the school day. They can use their points to shop at class stores, the SOAR store, the book vending machine, and other exciting rewards. By making positive choices, students not only enjoy fun incentives but also help create a respectful and responsible school community!

Ask your child today if they used their points to buy something from the school site or the teacher store. You can check your students points on Classlink.

For further information, please reach out to Assistant Principal Lori Dunagan.

Next Eagle Alliance Meeting

We look forward to seeing you at the Eagle Alliance meeting next Wednesday, 2/12 at 7:45 am in the Cafeteria. Mrs. Dunagan will present an overview of spring testing and Mrs. Janusz will provide an overview of the PBIS program and Student Success Skills. We will also enjoy a performance by HFE’s Orff Ensemble.

VIP Day for Pre-K and Kindergarten

VIP Day for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten is Thursday, 2/13 from 12:00-12:45 pm for Kindergarten and 1:00-1:45 pm for Pre-Kindergarten. Each student is invited to ask one VIP guest to attend. Please RSVP with your child’s VIP HERE, and if you’re available to volunteer that day, please sign up HERE. Thank you to our sponsor, Jewish Kids Group!

Spirit Night at Breadwinner Cafe

Skip dinner prep and embrace soup season with a midweek lunch, dinner, or takeout at Breadwinner Café for our first Spirit Night of the year on Thursday, 2/20 until 7:00 p.m. Mention you are with Heards Ferry (HFE Spirit Day) and 10% of all in-store and online sales (*not including UberEats or other third party services*) will go to support the Eagle Alliance!

2025-2026 Pre-K Lottery

The Pre-K Lottery Application is open now through 3/5/25. To be eligible, your child must be 4 years old as of 11:59p on 9/1/25 and live in the FCS schools’ attendance zone. You can learn more HERE.

Eagle Walk Brick Campaign

Time is running out to purchase a brick in the Eagle Walk. Leave your family’s legacy on HFE’s Eagle Walk with your family name or the name of anyone you wish to honor or remember. This opportunity only comes along once every two years!

Parent Handbook

The 24-25 Parent Handbook can be found on the Heards Ferry website under "Students and Families" https://heardsferry.fultonschools.org/

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.