Nolan News
May 2023
PRINICIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Owl Nation,
We have reached the final month of another school year. Despite the many changes, our students and staff have persevered together and grown stronger as a result. Teachers have been challenged to adapt lesson delivery approaches to keep students engaged. Support staff have taken on additional roles and responsibilities to assist students with various parts of their day. Students have also supported one another both socially and emotionally. And parents, guardians and caregivers have been there every step of the way to support their children and the school staff. It has definitely been a team effort that has allowed the school community at Nolan to maintain focus.
As we wind down the year, I would like to take this opportunity to wish our 5th grade students a fond farewell and success as they move on to academic and extra-curricular opportunities in middle school. I would also like to acknowledge staff who will be leaving Nolan at the end of the school year. I wish you best of luck and thank you for the lasting impact you’ve had on the staff and students at Love T. Nolan Elementary School. I would also like to extend best wishes to all students and families who will be moving away and leaving our school community.
As we prepare for next school year, we are excited to welcome our incoming Pre-K and Kindergarten students. In addition to our returning staff, there will also be new faces on staff next year. Our hope is that we can continue to soar to higher heights that we’ve grown accustomed to in years past as we thrive together in 2023-2024.
.
With that, I would like to wish students, parents & caregivers, and school staff a safe, restful and rewarding summer. Hopefully we will all get the opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends and come back to school with a sense of rejuvenation in the fall.
Respectfully and with gratitude,
Dr. Brown
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, MS.HARPER
How do I set up my parent portal account? https://www.fultonschools.org/infinitecampus
· Parents must register the first time they are accessing their account. All students have access to Campus Student via ClassLink.
· All portal accounts require a 1-time activation to create your ID and password. You must be a parent/guardian of a current FCS student to activate an account
· To sign up, you must know your child’s student ID#.
· Call the school if you have any questions.
Summer Learning Experience:
Summer school (face to face) will be held at Love T Nolan. It will be a combined school with Bethune Elem. For 3rd, 4th & 5thgrade scholars only! Registration form will be sent home next week.
Required to attend Summer Learning:
3rd Grade Student who received the below grade level indicator on reading milestones
5th Grade Student who received the below grade level indicator for reading milestones or a level 1 on math milestones
Recommended to attend Summer Learning:
3rd grade student who received level 1 on math milestones
4th grade student who received the below grade level indicator on reading milestones and/or level 1 in math milestones
3rd- 5th grade student is performing 2 or more year(s) below grade level on iReady in Reading and/or math (teacher recommendation and/or other data points were also used to determine if this invitation should be sent)
3rd- 5th grade student is being recommended by their teacher
3rd- 5th grade student is being considered for retention
3rd- 5th grade Adapted Curriculum student who did not master one or more Unique Learning Benchmarks
Please consult with the school for additional information.
DEAN OF STUDENTS, MS.BARLOW
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEACHER, MRS.SPIVEY
According to Brain Balance, students with learning disabilities, social challenges and behavioral issues must find ways to overcome them to obtain academic and social success. Some of the most common struggles students face in middle school are making friends and classroom changes.
This summer begin preparing your scholar for middle school by practicing friendship development skills. As a family role-play conversation and teach your child how to converse and ask probing questions. Other ways to make friends include joining clubs, joining the band, trying out for sports such as basketball, football, and cheerleading. Before you know it, your scholar will rush home to tell you all the new friends they have made.
Unlike elementary school, middle school students change classes and have several teachers. To pile it on, there is a bell schedule and classes may not be in the same area. Students can become frustrated and overwhelmed. To alleviate anxiety and frustration, provide your scholar with a school map and note the location of their classes. After school, you can even have your scholar practice by showing you the classes they should attend each period.
These are just a few tips to prepare your scholar for success in middle school. As always reach out to your scholar’s homeroom teacher, the school counselor, and/or an administrator for additional ways to make the middle school transition a smooth one.
MATH COACH, MS.DARDEN
Making Summer Learning FUN!
Summer is upon us and students are getting ready for a well-deserved break. The pleasant weather and time off will make summer a favorite time of the year, however learning doesn’t have to stop just because school is on summer break. The dreaded “summer slide” in learning is largely felt in math. Incorporating fun math-related activities into your summer schedule can help offset the impact of time away from the classroom.
Below you will find some fun summer activities:
· Students can exercise their brains as well as their muscles as they try to beat their best times at running, hiking, swimming, biking, etc.
· Children can earn money by doing extra chores around the house or for neighbors. Adding up their earnings, whether they are planning for a purchase or just want to see how much they can save can teach valuable math and life skills.
· Sports can be a fun way to get the whole family involved in learning math. Tracking wins and losses of your favorite team is a great way to develop a child’s math skills.
· You can find age-appropriate, kid-friendly recipes online. Consider making anything from pre-packaged pudding to homemade lasagna depending on your child's interest and abilities in the kitchen to practice adding, multiplying, converting units of measurement, fractions, and time.
· Students can have fun learning with math "brain teasers"
· Create a family competition with learning Bingo games
K-2 LITERACY COACH, MRS.DAWSON
Greetings Parents,
We are almost at the finish line! As we are preparing to wrap up the school year, we spend some of our time engaged in assessments. It is imperative that we measure what we were responsible for teaching our scholars each year. Here at Nolan, we inspect what we expect! While scholars in grades 3-5 have the GMAS as their primary end of year assessment, students in grades K-2 have benchmarks that they need to meet too. Fulton County administers the iReady Diagnostic assessment three times each year; Beginning of the year (BOY), Middle of the year (MOY) and End of the year (EOY). I am pleased to say that 76% of our Kindergarten, 45% of our first grade and 42% of our second-grade scholars scored at or above grade level. At the BOY assessment window, K-2 scored below 20%. Way to grow Nolan Owls! I can hardly wait to see how we perform next year.
3-5 LITERACY COACH, MRS. THOMAS
Greetings Nolan Family,
The school year is quickly coming to an end. Many of us look forward to splashing in the pool, running in the yard, playing at the park, and relaxing with friends during the summer. Let’s add another fun activity to our summer to do list. Reading during the summer allows scholars to catch up and get ahead on some important reading skills. Research shows that children who do not read over the summer months lose at least two months of reading development skills. This is often referred to as the summer slide. Looking for some ways to encourage reading this summer. Below you will find links to some fun summer reading activities that you can enjoy with your scholars.
COUNSELING CORNER WITH MS.DENSLEY
As we prepare to enter into Summer Break here are some tips to help your child stay academically prepared throughout the summer:
1. Check in with your child’s teacher
Before the school year ends, check in with your child’s teacher to see where he or she stands academically. There may be skills that your child has not quite mastered or areas of weaknesses that could be further strengthened. Ask your child’s teachers what they’d recommend doing to work on those skills over the summer months.
2. Keep a schedule
One of the more difficult aspects of the summer months is the lack of a schedule that the school day provides. If your child is not enrolled in a summer program during the day, it can be easy for him or her to fall out of a normal routine. Sit down with your child before the summer begins to set clear expectations of how his or her days should look. Help your child make a clear schedule of what her or she will do throughout the day and when to wake up and go to bed. While the schedule doesn’t need to be elaborate or finely detailed, it can at least establish some clear expectations of what your child should do each day.
3. Keep up the learning
Going along with the schedule idea, set clear times within the day when there can be learning and review. Online courses, like iread/ iready, can provide quality, age-appropriate content for your child that can match what he or she learns during the school year. Within the schedule that you set up, creating 15- to 30-minute blocks of time where your child has focused learning will make a difference in the long run if done consistently!
4. Take educational outings
Learning doesn’t have to be restricted to the home! Take educational outings to such destinations as to your local history, science, or art museum. Learn something new and let your child explore a topic of interest. Even vacations and trips can cultivate learning; engage your child by asking him or her to research the area you will be visiting and its local history.
5. Read, read, read
Cultivate a love of reading by taking regular trips to the library. Let your child choose books and get recommendations from the children’s or youth librarian. Read alongside your child and encourage a love of reading by exposing him or her to many great books.
6. Have fun together!
Lastly, have fun together! It is summer, after all. There are all sorts of amazing benefits to playtime that your children can gain from, so be sure to let those summer days be filled with fun in the sun. Remember, a little "do nothing" time is good for everyone!
SOCIAL WORKER CENTRAL, MS.KENDRICK
PARENT LIAISON, MS.NEWELL
Love T. Nolan
Location: 2725 Creel Road, Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone: 4702547950
Twitter: @WeAreNolanOwls