MUSTANG NEWS

HELLO SEPTEMBER!!!!

I hope that you enjoyed your extended weekend this past week. It was short, but another great week of teaching and learning at the VERY BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in all of Fulton County Schools!!!!!

Today was a day of celebration!!! We celebrated our first group of Student Leaders through Mustang of the Month! We celebrated Mustangs of the Month! Thank you to the many parents that came out this morning to help celebrate these students. Please enjoy a few pictures from our celebration today!

Please review our updates for the week ahead.

• FALL PICTURE DAY: Smile for the camera! 😁😁😁Picture Day will be on Tuesday, September 10th. Ordering information was provided to parents on Thursday, August 29th. Additional order forms may be accessed at our Front Desk.
  
  
• FAMILY KARAOKE NIGHT!!! We are excited to announce our upcoming family karaoke night taking place on September 19th. Additional information is included on the flyer below. We have 15 performers and have space for just a few more. Please contact Mrs. Brown brownlk@fultonschools.org to register as a performer. We look forward to seeing you there!
  
  
• HANDICAP PARKING SPACES: Handicap parking spaces are designated exclusively for individuals who possess valid handicap permits. It is essential to respect these designated areas and refrain from parking in them unless you have the appropriate permit. This ensures that these critical parking spots remain accessible to those who genuinely require them. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in maintaining the availability of these spaces for individuals with the appropriate parking permits.
  
  
• GRANDPARENT'S DAY is still SOLD OUT! Tickets were provided to all families as of September 6th. *Remember, only paid guests with tickets will be permitted entry to the event.
  
  
• ATTENDANCE AWARENESS SPIRIT WEEK: As shared in our newsletter last week, September is Attendance Awareness Month. Every day in school is an opportunity for growth and learning. By prioritizing and supporting regular attendance, we can help our children thrive both academically and personally. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
  
  What better way to bring awareness to attendance than with a SPIRIT WEEK!!! We love spirit weeks in schools 😉 and displayed below are our daily themes. Most importantly, I can't wait to see which class has THE BEST ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER! There may be a prize waiting!!!!

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. A safe learning environment is critical for effective teaching and learning. When students and staff are not distracted or worried about safety, they are in a better mindset to keep their attention on educational goals.

Fulton County Schools is committed to providing safe and secure learning environments and will continue to PREPARE our PEOPLE with the TOOLS to reinforce safety in our schools.

Click the link below to learn more:

Dear Parents/Community:

Schools should always be a safe place. Our hearts are heavy with grief for the Barrow County community, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families and individuals affected by this heartbreaking incident.

We understand an event like this can raise concerns about the safety of our own schools. Unfortunately, threats on social media are not uncommon after such tragedies and, sadly, some online threats have been received by several of our schools. Where these instances occurred, notifications are being sent to the community by the impacted schools’ leadership. These posts are taken very seriously by law enforcement and the school district. Individuals engaged in creating or promoting these posts face criminal charges and serious school discipline.

At a time when our entire community should be focusing on supporting each other, these anonymous online posts are a distraction from learning and create unnecessary concerns in an already anxious environment. We urge you to discuss the importance of responsible online behavior with your children.

Please be assured, Fulton County Schools (FCS) is actively collaborating with local law enforcement to address any potential threats, while increasing patrols and visibility on our campuses in coordination with the FCS Police Department for the rest of the week and beyond.

Additionally, the district has been continuously working to strengthen our safety protocols and have made significant investments in this area over the years. You can find a detailed overview of our efforts to maintain a safe learning environment on the FCS website, under A Culture of Safety. This includes information on our Safety Plans & Drills, and ongoing Investments in Safety.

We are committed to providing a safe environment where all students can thrive. At Fulton County Schools, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Thank you for your trust and partnership in keeping our schools safe.

SEPTEMBER 2024

• September: Hispanic Heritage Month
• September 2nd: Labor Day - School Closed/No School for Students
• September 3rd: Teacher Workday - No School for Students
• September 4th: Professional Development Day - No School for Students
• September 6th: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
• September 9th-13th: Suicide Prevention Week
• September 9th: Grandparents Day Brunch - Sponsored by PTA
• September 10th: Fall Picture Day
• September 13th: 4.5 Week Progress Report (Viewable in Parent Portal)
• September 19th: Family Karaoke Night
  
• September 20th: Safety Patrol Ceremony at 8:30 am
  
• September 23rd: Boy Scouts of America Classroom Visits
• September 24th: Annual Title I Meeting at 5:30 PM
  Curriculum Night immediately following the Title I Meeting

OCTOBER 2024

• October 4th: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
• October 13th - October 18th: National School Lunch Week
• October 14th-15th: Fall Break - SCHOOL CLOSED
• October 15th: Professional Development Day - No School for Students
• October 18th: 9- Week Grades Reporting (Viewable in Parent Portal)
• October 20th - October 25th: School Bus Safety Week
• October 22nd: Title I Parent Workshop - Literacy
• October 23rd: Fall Picture Retakes
• October 23rd-October 31st: Red Ribbon Week
• October 30th: Trunk 'R Treat

As we observe Attendance Awareness Month, it's crucial to highlight how everyday attendance significantly impacts our children's educational journey. Consistent school attendance is more than just a routine—it's a key factor in their academic and social development.

Why Attendance Matters:

• Academic Achievement: Studies show that students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve academic success. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students who miss 10 or more days of school in a year are significantly less likely to graduate on time. In fact, students who miss 10-20% of the school year (18 or more days) are at risk of falling behind in their studies.
• Social Skills Development: Regular attendance helps children build strong relationships with peers and teachers. The National Center for Children in Poverty found that students with consistent attendance are more engaged in school and participate more in classroom activities.
• Long-Term Success: Data from the National Education Association indicates that students who develop good attendance habits early on are more likely to succeed in higher education and future employment. Regular attendance helps build discipline, time management, and commitment—skills valuable for lifelong success.

How You Can Help:

• Create a Routine: Establish a consistent daily schedule that includes time for homework, extracurricular activities, and adequate rest. This helps children understand the importance of routine and punctuality.
• Monitor Attendance: Keep track of your child’s attendance records and address any issues promptly. If your child is struggling with frequent absences, don’t hesitate to reach out to school staff for support and resources.
• Communicate with Us: If there are barriers to regular attendance, such as health concerns or family challenges, let us know. We are here to work with you to find solutions and provide assistance where needed.
  
  

Every day in school is an opportunity for growth and learning. By prioritizing and supporting regular attendance, we can help our children thrive both academically and personally.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

• SCHOOL HOURS are 7:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. Our school front office is opened 7:00 am - 3:30 pm daily.
• MORNING ARRIVAL PROCEDURES: Morning arrival for students is 7:10 am-7:40 am. Students arriving after 7:40 am will be marked tardy as the instructional daily begins promptly at 7:40 am. ** Students should not be dropped off prior to 7:10 am as we do not offer before school care.
  
• 🚩🚩🚩MORNING ARRIVAL....SCHOOL STARTS AT 7:40 AM: We have a significant number of tardy students in our school.
  

  We kindly request that you ensure your child arrives at school on time each day. Timeliness is crucial for your student's success and helps foster a positive learning environment. Thank you for your cooperation and support in this matter.

• BREAKFAST/LUNCH: 📌NEW❗ Breakfast and lunch are completely free for all Cliftondale students. Breakfast is available for all students 7:10 am - 7:40 am. During school hours, students may not have restaurant food in any FCS cafeteria at any given time.
  

• DISMISSAL: Parents can check students out early anytime up until 2:00 pm.

• TRANSPORTATION CHANGES: Please keep in mind that changes in transportation must be in writing and shared with your child’s homeroom teacher and the front office staff.

• ATTENDANCE: MATTERS: Regular attendance in elementary school is important for a student's academic and personal growth. Attendance is important! Please be sure to send your student to school every day! If your student is sick, please email a note to your child's teacher and our data clerk, Ms. Allen at allenk3@fultonschools.org

• 📌Excessive late student arrivals, excessive early check-outs, and/or excessive late pickups will result in your student being withdrawn from Cliftondale ES until your residency documentation have been resubmitted to the school.📌

• Please be alert at all times! We have students exiting vehicles, parents and students crossing the street, and staff supporting students as they exit their vehicle. Please be attentive to all mustangs.
• Please do not park in the car rider loop. The car rider loop is for quick drop offs only. If you would like to exit your vehicle and escort your child into the school, please park in a nearby visitors parking space. Parents may escort students to class up until 7:35 am daily.
• For morning drop-off, parents are expected to ONLY use the car rider loop where staff members are monitoring students. Parents SHOULD NOT release students from their vehicles in the parking lot.
• Parents SHOULD NOT park along any red curb.
• Parents SHOULD NOT pass other vehicles in the car rider line or while in the school parking lot.
• Please have your student ready to exit from the passenger side of the vehicle. This means, make sure his/her bookbag and other belongs are ready and easily accessible. This speeds up the process tremendously!
• For car rider drop off & pickup, please pull all the way forward to cone #1.
• Help your student learn his/her car rider number for afternoon pickup.
• Please be patient!

Our PTA needs YOU! Click the link provided to join! https://bit.ly/CESPTAMember

In addition to your child's teacher, our curriculum team is here to support you! If you have questions pertaining the curriculum, understanding a specific skill/standard, need additional strategies to support your child at home, please feel free to reach out to one of our curriculum team experts. They are here for you and happy to support you and your Mustang! Each month, we will share resources with parents so that you can support your child at home. Please connect with each of us if you have any questions.

Curriculum Support Teacher: Yazmin Hicks- hicksz@fultonschools.org
-Curriculum Administrator for all curriculum/content areas and PK

Instructional Support Teacher: Dr. Shabo- shabog@fultonschools.org
-Special Needs Administrator

Literacy Coach: Mrs. Kalista- kalista@fultonschools.org

Literacy Coach: Ms. Johnson- johnsonkr1@fultonschools.org

Math Coach: Mrs. Everett - everettba@fultonschools.org

Parents are encouraged to volunteer at Cliftondale Elementary School. All parents who want to volunteer in the classroom will be required to contact the teacher, our parent liaison or CST to schedule the day and time they will volunteer. When parents volunteer in the classroom, there must be a clear understanding for expectations. Teachers are not allowed to share confidential information with volunteers. While serving as a class volunteer or chaperoning a field trip or other school-sponsored activity/event, parents/guardian may not bring others or student siblings while performing volunteer duties. Volunteers are not permitted to disciple students. Rather, volunteers must notify the teacher or nearest school official.

A Supervised School Volunteer is a non-paid individual who contributes their time and effort to actively supporting school functions under the direct supervision and guidance of school staff. The category of Supervised Volunteer includes, but is not limited to, one who performs duties that an employee could perform, such as making copies, filing, sorting, assisting with lunch duty, media center or front office tasks, and school day field trips.

All persons interested in volunteering in the Fulton County School District must complete an application every two years. Even if a person has completed an application in the past. To keep in compliance with State Law and best practices, we will require everyone to re-register/register every two years based on the following volunteer service periods.

Parents should visit My Payments Plus to add money to their child's account in order for your student to purchase snacks and extra food portions.

Student Success Skills are a set of standards that will be taught in all schools, to all students, by all teachers throughout the school year. These standards include six skills that are broken down into several standards across grade levels. Teaching these skills will support students in creating a foundation for managing emotions, healthy relationships, understanding and empathizing with others, being responsible and safe, and learning to cope with difficult life situations

HOME CONNECTION - Student Success Skills can also support parents and caregivers as they help their student manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, and make responsible decisions. Home Connection letters and other resources are available to provide tips and strategies to reinforce learned skills at home

***The Student Success Skills Inventory is used to measure student growth across Student Success Skill standards as a result of Rethink Ed lessons. Students in 3rd-5th grades will complete the 15-20 item pre-inventory between August 26, 2024 - September 13, 2024. The post-inventory will take place between April 14, 2025 - April 25, 2025. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. The inventory is pushed out to students using the Illuminate platform. 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.

In order to support learning, Fulton County Schools provides devices for students. Like a textbook, the device is an instructional resource to support learning. Students with devices are expected to follow the guidelines within our Code of Conduct, our user agreement document, as well as school and classroom policies and procedures regarding behavior and technology usage. Please review the 2024-2025 Device Agreement document with your students and send the signed copy back to school. All students received a printed copy, and an electronic copy is attached here

Title I schools receive federal money to provide additional resources to:

• Support student instruction
• Improve teaching strategies
• Increase family engagement
  

Visit our Title I School Page on our school website for additional information.

A strong parent-teacher partnership will benefit you, the teacher, and most importantly, the child(ren). Research shows that children thrive when their families are involved in their care and education so, please read and consider using one if not all the strategies in the article below to strengthen your relationships with your child(ren)'s teacher(s) to prepare them for more success.

Parents, family members and friends are not allowed to bring in cakes, balloon bouquets, flowers, goodie bags, gifts, pizza, or any other type of treat to celebrate a student birthday. Teachers are not allowed to celebrate birthdays in the class with a party or a snack either. Rather, parents may purchase a Smart Celebrations Package from the cafeteria. This can be done to student birthdays and/or any other classroom celebrations. Smart Celebration packets should be purchased in the cafeteria at least (2) days in advance. Please contact our Nutrition Manager, Ms. Curry at curryd1@fultonschools.org

Are you registered for your Campus Parent Portal Account? If not, REGISTER TODAY! Everything you need as a parent is contained in the parent portal. You can monitor your student's grades throughout the school year, review your child's schedule, download progress reports and report cards, update your contact information, register other students within your household, withdrawal your student and so much more! If you already have an account, you do not need to register again. New users should click the link provided to register: Parent Portal Registration

*Please note, if you DO NOT have an email address on file, you will be unable to register via the provided link. Please call the school and ask for our Data Clerk, Ms. Allen.

"Here Comes The Bus App" is a free, easy-to-use website and app that enables you to see the location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This way, you know when the bus is near your stop, so you can send your child out at just the right time. No more worrying about whether your child has missed the bus! If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's assigned bus or bus stop, please contact FCS Transportation Department at 470-254-6060 OR contact our supervisor:

Cheowana Henderson, Supervisor
Hendersonc1@fultonschools.org

Charisse Weigner, Special Needs Supervisor
weignerc@fultonschools.org

• The app will request a school code, which is 87428
• How do you access your student's student ID number? Parents may access their child's student ID number from the parent portal in Infinite Campus.
  
• If you add your child and the bus number or bus stop is incorrect, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson
• If you add your child and their is no bus route displayed, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson.

School safety remains a top priority for us in Fulton County Schools. We take maintaining a safe and secure learning environment very serious. I expect all Cliftondale students, parents and staff members act in a manner that keeps everyone safe. Parents are expected to read the electronic version of our Code of Conduct with their student(s) and complete the Acknowledgment of Receipt Form by using the provided link to access Infinite Campus' Parent Portal. Please download the instructions on how to complete the Acknowledgment of Receipt Form. All parents and students (over 10 years old) MUST sign this form found within your INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL ACCOUNT. If you would like a paper copy of the Handbook, you or your student can pick up one in your school's front office. When incidence of misconduct arise, consequences will be assigned based on the infraction as detailed within the Code of Conduct.

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.

Principal: Mrs. Canty- cantya@fultonschools.org

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Long- longt@fultonschools.org

Curriculum Support Teacher: Yazmin Hicks- hicksz@fultonschools.org

School Counselor: Tanya Hall - hallt5@fultonschools.org

Instructional Support Teacher: Dr. Shabo- shabog@fultonschools.org

Literacy Coach: Mrs. Kalista- kalista@fultonschools.org
Literacy Coach: Ms. Johnson- johnsonkr1@fultonschools.org

Math Coach: Mrs. Everett - everettba@fultonschools.org

Parent Liaison: Ms. Render- renderhh@fultonschools.org

School Social Worker: Dr. Carver- carvera@fultonschools.org