Hembree Highlights

Hello Hawks!

Hembree Springs is a special place. I know I say it every week, and its true! Once again the state of Georgia has recognized us again as a Title 1 Distinguished school. This is an honor for the top 5% of Title 1 schools.

We have had a lot happening this week and a lot in the coming weeks. Please check out the amazing Hispanic Heritage display in the media center by Mrs. Soberanis. Hispanic Heritage Month is important to Hembree Springs because almost half of our population has Hispanic and/or Latin roots! Please check out our demographics in the graph below.

Since I am shouting out great news about Hembree Springs, I also want to share that Hembree Springs PTA was awarded the distinguished recognition by National PTA of the School of Excellence. Thank you parents and families for all the work you do!

What is National PTA School of Excellence?

National PTA School of Excellence recognition program opens the lines of communication and critical thinking within school communities to make data-driven decisions that yield positive, long-term results. School of Excellence is committed to supporting and recognizing partnerships between local PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. -pta.org

In closing, Hembree Springs is special for many reasons like our diversity, achievement, and community. Thank you all for making it the hidden gem of Roswell.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sincerely,

AJ Smith

Principal

Hembree Springs ES

smithaj3@fultonschools.org

470-254-2905 - office

678-525-7704 - cell

10/5 Reflections Submission Deadline

10/17 Hembree Perk- (ELL Parent Workshop) @7:40-8:40am

10/20 PTA Trunk or Treat @5:30-7:00pm (outside playground, trunks, costume parade)

10/24 Reflections Awards Ceremony @8:00-8:30am - note date change (Media Center)

11/3 Title I Literacy Night/PTA Books for Ownership Event/Star Night @6:00-8:30pm

11/13-11/17 Hembree Springs Book Fair

11/14 Hembree Perk @7:40-8:40am (Title I- Technology)

Hembree Springs has earned the Title 1 Distinguished designation for the state of Georgia for the 2022-2023 school year. This is an honor for the top 5% performing Title 1 Schools in the state. Hembree Springs has earned this prestigious award for 3 out of the last 4 school years. Hembree Springs is one of three schools out the Fulton County School District for the SY23. We will go onto to the national selection and we are hoping that we will rise to the top for the nation as well!

Congratulations to teachers, staff, students, and families on making Hembree Springs Elementary a Georgia Title 1 Distinguished School!

FCS requires all parents and students ages 10 and up to sign the 23-24 Code of Conduct. While there is an online option through Infinite Campus, we are also asking that HSES parents sign a paper copy of the Code of Conduct Parent and Student Receipt Acknowledgement Form. Teachers included this form in the Open House folders, but we understand that you may need another copy. Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if you need another copy to sign, and he/she will send it home with your child. We are hoping to have all signed Code of Conduct forms returned to school by October 1st. Reach out to Morgan Tew, Assistant Principal, with any questions. Mrs. Tew, TewM@fultonschools.org

iReady has added a new feature this year that allows schools to share students’ Diagnostic results digitally by providing access to the For Families report directly on students’ iReady dashboard. Families will have digital access to the For Families report after logging in to their student’s iReady dashboard and entering our district report code: 1HX9DP on the top right-hand corner of the For Families tab. This code is applicable to all students throughout the district. Click this link https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/understanding-your-students-i-ready-diagnostic-results/ for more information.

Results will also be shared during parent conferences in October. For any questions please reach out to Carrie McAtee at McAtee@fultonschools.org

Fulton County Schools is providing self-paced and interactive parent/family learning to support early literacy development at home through a series of engaging online experiences. These Parent Units are no more than 20 minutes from start to finish to complete. In the unit, an easy-to-replicate strategy is provided for parents/families to use at home to support literacy development.

Each Parent Unit will launch one at a time throughout the school year releasing Friday, September 30th! These units are designed to support PK -2 parents and their families and will focus on different topics:

Literacy:

Unit 1: Oral Language

Unit 2: Vocabulary

Unit 3: Reading with your child

Writing :

Unit 4: Early Writing Development (PK – K)

Unit 5: Beginning Writing Development (1st – 2nd)

Unit 6: Transitional Writing Development (2nd -3rd)

Unit 7: Advanced Writing Development (4th / 5th grade and above)

Multiple languages will be provided as well as additional supportive resources. The units and resources can be found on the district website https://www.fultonschools.org/parentunits and are also linked at the bottom of all elementary school websites. Parents will have the opportunity to earn a certificate for completing each unit.

If you have any questions about the units, please reach out to Becca Goddard goddardr@fultonschools.org

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying Prevention Month is a nationwide call to action around educating communities to their roles in bullying prevention and to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Everyone can share in the efforts to Stop Bullying and Stand Up for Kindness. We will be kicking off the month of October on Monday, October 2nd by encouraging all staff and students to WEAR ROYAL BLUE!

Hi Parents,

It was an exceptional time learning about Digital Citizenship in the Media Center this week! We had great conversations and discussions about what it means to be a good Digital Citizen. Good Digital Citizens are those who are safe and responsible when going online. The lessons used to teach Digital Citizenship across Fulton County come from Common Sense Media and are taught in an age-appropriate manner. We focus on finding balance, being upstanding citizens while online, being kind and responsible, being careful of the tracks we leave online, and using our head to ask questions and not believe everything we see. Common Sense Media has excellent resources for parents and educators.

Below, you’ll find links to Common Sense Media where you can find articles and other tools and resources you will hopefully find helpful. You will also find a link to the Hembree Springs Media Center page where you will find more information about Digital Citizenship and what we do in the Media Center. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Soberanis at soberanis@fultonschools.org. We will continue our lessons on Digital Citizenship for next couple of weeks.

Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between | Common Sense Media

https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/11541

Our students and staff have been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. I wanted to share just one way our students are learning about and celebrating Hispanic Americans.

Georgia’s Pre-K Program launched in 1992 as a small pilot program by Governor Zell Miller. At the time, Georgia’s Pre-K served 750 four-year-old children in the state. Now, 30 years later, the lottery-funded program has laid a solid foundation for academic excellence and future success in the lives of more than 2 million children in Georgia.

Georgia’s Pre-K was the nation’s first state-funded universal preschool program for four-year-olds, and is a voluntary, no-cost program. Every four-year-old in Georgia is eligible for Georgia’s Pre-K Program regardless of parental income. The program continues to be nationally recognized for its success.

Georgia Pre-K Week was born out of the 2009-2010 recession, after the program was nearly eliminated by the Georgia Legislature due to funding constraints. Since then, Voices for Georgia’s Children, along with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, has hosted an annual week-long celebration of Georgia’s Pre-K Program.

Georgia Pre-K Week is an opportunity for legislators and leaders around the state to visit with and/or read a children’s book to students in Pre-K classrooms within their local communities. This engagement allows state leaders a first-hand experience into the early education classroom.

[Copied directly from: https://georgiavoices.org/georgia-pre-k-week/ ]

In honor of GA Pre-K week next week, please check out the video below.

Our wonderful cafeteria staff have worked hard and earned a score of 100 on the most recent health inspection on Monday, September 25, 2023. Our kitchen and cafeteria are well maintained for our students. Please join me in congratulating Linda Hill and her team on this very important score!

Calling All Students: Enter the 2023-24 PTA Reflections Project!

Llamando a todos los estudiantes: ¡Participe en el Proyecto de Reflexiones de la PTA 2023-24!

Unleash your imagination and showcase your talent!

¡Da rienda suelta a tu imaginación y demuestra tu talento!

Are you a student with a passion for art, music, dance, photography, film, or literature? Do you want to express yourself and have your work recognized? Join the PTA Reflections Project and let your creativity shine!

What is the PTA Reflections Project? The PTA Reflections Project is a nationwide arts program that encourages students to explore their artistic abilities and express themselves through various mediums. It's a chance for you to showcase your unique perspective and be recognized for your talent.

How to Participate:

1. Choose a category: Visual Arts, Music Composition, Dance Choreography, Photography, Film Production, or Literature.

2. Create an original piece that reflects this year's theme: “I am hopeful because…”

3. Submit your entry in the Hembree Springs lobby area or your teacher by Thursday, October 5th, 2023.

4. Get a chance to win awards, scholarships, and have your work showcased at the state and national level!

Why Participate?

- Develop your artistic skills and explore your creativity.

- Gain recognition for your talent and receive awards.

- Have the opportunity to win prizes.

- Showcase your work at Hembree Springs.

Important Dates:

- Project Kick-off: Monday, September 11, 2023

- Reflections Workshops @ HSES cafe’ at 7:10am-7:40am on 9/12, 9/13, 9/20 & 9/21

- Submission Deadline: Thursday, October 5, 2023

- Awards Ceremony: Tuesday, October 24, 2023

For more information and official rules, visit https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections

¿Eres un estudiante apasionado por el arte, la música, la danza, la fotografía, el cine o la literatura? ¿Quieres expresarte y que tu trabajo sea reconocido? ¡Únase al Proyecto de Reflexiones de la PTA y deje que su creatividad brille!

¿Qué es el Proyecto de Reflexiones de la PTA? El Proyecto de Reflexiones de la PTA es un programa de arte a nivel nacional que alienta a los estudiantes a explorar sus habilidades artísticas y expresarse a través de medios diversos. Es una oportunidad para que muestres tu perspectiva única y seas reconocido por tu talento.

Cómo participar:

1. Elige una categoría: Artes Visuales, Composición Musical, Coreografía de Danza, Fotografía, Producción Cinematográfica o Literatura.

2. Crea una pieza original que refleje el tema de este año: "Tengo esperanza porque..."

3. Envíe su entrada en el área del vestíbulo de Hembree Springs o su maestro antes del jueves 5 de octubre de 2023.

4. ¡Obtenga la oportunidad de ganar premios, becas y exhibir su trabajo a nivel estatal y nacional!

¿Por qué participar?

- Desarrolla tus habilidades artísticas y explora tu creatividad.

- Obtén reconocimiento por tu talento y recibe premios.

- Tener la oportunidad de ganar premios.

- Muestra tu trabajo en Hembree Springs.

Fechas importantes:

- Inicio del proyecto: lunes 11 de septiembre de 2023

- Talleres de Reflexiones @ HSES café' a las 7:10am-7:40am el 9/12, 9/13, 9/20 y 9/21

- Fecha límite de presentación: jueves, 5 de octubre de 2023

- Ceremonia de premiación: martes, 17 de octubre de 2023 @ 8am-8:30am

Para más información y reglas oficiales, visita https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections

Parents of 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders! Three times a year, your child has the choice to participate in a book club. The kids read the books on their own, and then an adult moderator will join them for lunch in their classrooms to discuss it.

These are the books we'll be reading:

3rd grade book - The Case of the Snack Snatcher by Liam O'Donnell

4th grade book - A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Clues by Stacia Deutsch
5th grade book - City Spies by James Ponti

If you'd like your child to participate, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/pgKQuwzTWGiFfFiL9

If you have multiple children in these grades, please fill out separate forms for each.

Questions: email sfuchs@gmail.com

Please join us for our October 20th Fall Trunk or Treat from 5:30-7:00pm . Would you like to sponsor a trunk? Sign up here! https://bit.ly/48pL8Cl

Please check out the flyer below regarding the new digital signature process for the School-Family Compact. Signatures need to be entered into Infinite Campus for all parents and students age 10 and up by 10/13. If you have questions please reach out to:

Lucy M. Gilbert

Title I Parent Liaison

gilbertL2@fultonschools.org

Thank you to everyone who sent in their bubble mailers. Keep on sending them in. Thank you so much for your support of your child's art program.

Mrs. Stowers

Visual Arts Teacher

You might have received an email from Artsonia regarding your child's artwork. Each week, I upload a grade-level's artwork to the Artsonia website. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Parents and family can view the art online, maintain a digital art gallery, leave comments, and order keepsakes featuring the artwork (20% of all purchases are donated back to your child’s school). You also gain access to hundreds of virtual art classes for your child to enjoy from home. Please reach out to Mrs. Stowers (the art teacher at Hembree Springs) if you have any questions. StowersL@fultonschools.org

If you have not already, please make sure you've completed the Volunteer Registration Application through Fulton County Schools:

https://www.fultonschools.org/volunteer

Grown Ups on the Ground

Have you ever wanted to join in at Recess? Well, now’s your chance! PTA will provide the supplies; you help provide the fun. Join the kids for a game of Freeze Tag, Hopscotch or Basketball. Have a special skill or game like you’d like to share? Then sign up for Parent’s Pick. Each week slots will be available for each grade and their recess times. If you have any questions, please reach out to staffsupport@hembreespringspta.org. See you on the grounds!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054FADAD2FAAFD0-grownups

Media Center

Mrs. Soberanis is looking for one volunteer every other Tuesday, 8 am - 9 am, to help with shelving. She thinks the shelving will take about 20 minutes. Sign up for a slot here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054FADAD2FAAFD0-media1

Trunk or Treat

Trunk or Treat is scheduled for 10/20, 5:30 pm. We are looking for volunteers to serve on the organizing committee. Please email sfuchs@gmail.com if you'd like to serve on the committee!

Book Clubs

Book club is held three times a year, for 3rd, 4th, or 5th grades (one day in November, January, & April). We are looking for a committee head - hand out the books to kids who signed up and find volunteers to discuss the book with the students during lunch time. It's super fun! Please email sfuchs@gmail.com if you'd like to be the committee head.

Spirit Nights

Our VP of Business Partners, Tamika Whitted, is looking for someone to organize Spirit Nights - one night a month for November, January, February, March, & April. We have a list of contacts! Just need someone to set up the dates, help advertise them, and collect the check afterwards. Please email Tamika at business@hembreespringspta.org if you'd like to take this on!

Grant Writing

Please email sfuchs@gmail.com if you'd like to help with grant writing. We are applying for three grants with a deadline of October 4th, so this will start immediately.

• Ages: 7-13

• Practices Schedule: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 6pm-7:15pm (first practice late Oct/early November at the Roswell HS wrestling room at 6:00pm)

• Location: Roswell High School 11595 King Road, Roswell, GA, 30075

• Dues:

• ~$225 Program Fee - Please use this link for sign up https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dEzBjGO1dyAGUlCRBQsWxXD82vhxm7I9rEF_lDdRAxg/viewform?edit_requested=true

• Roswell Youth Wrestling Website for additional information: https://roswellwrestling.com/youth.html

• Head Coach: Alex Foti

• Assistant Coaches: Matthew Varnado, Clint Fleetwood and Henry Bradley

Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/hembreespringses
Location: 815 Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, USA
Phone: 470-254-2902