Morningstar-final publish v2.pdf - Resident Interactive
Morningstar-final publish v2.pdf - Resident Interactive
Morningstar-final publish v2.pdf - Resident Interactive
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Summer 2011<br />
MORNINGSIDE<br />
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL<br />
Hello Morningside Family!<br />
Welcome back from what I hope was<br />
a stupendous summer! On a personal<br />
note, my summer has been a busy and<br />
eventful one in awesome ways. I have<br />
had opportunities to meet with some of<br />
our school leaders, I have been planning<br />
with the PTA, and I have also been busy<br />
selecting new staff for our new school<br />
year. As some of you may know, a group of teachers, our school<br />
counselor, our instructional coach and I are in an Education Specialist<br />
Degree program with Piedmont College. We spent a lot of<br />
our summer in class taking courses on school reform and communication.<br />
The classes have been very valuable, we will actually use<br />
some our knowledge to train our MES staff throughout the school<br />
year. We have been working diligently to plan an incredible year<br />
for our student body.<br />
As with most school years, we have experienced some loss in<br />
staff. As a result, we have been in the process of carefully selecting<br />
replacements. Our art teacher, Joanne Farrell and our media<br />
specialist, Betty Meek have both decided to retire at the end of<br />
last school year. We appreciate their years of service to our school<br />
community and wish them the very best retirement. Additionally,<br />
we have two staff members who have left Morningside to work in<br />
other departments of the Atlanta Public School System. One of<br />
our former fourth grade teachers, Tommy Firesheets and a former<br />
first grade teacher, Christie Woodrum will no longer be a part<br />
of our MES faculty. We wish them well as they move forward<br />
in their educational careers. Additionally, we have some familiar<br />
faces in different places. Bianca Jones will leave her fabulous first<br />
grade position to join the sensational challenge team; Mark Miller<br />
will leave the challenge team to take on the position as our media<br />
specialist; Leigh Ann Bliss will serve our 4th and 5th grade students<br />
in a support role. We also welcome Amy Bitcover to our staff as<br />
our new art teacher. We are thrilled with these changes and are confident<br />
that they will add value to our MES magic. Let us be sure to<br />
welcome our new staff with open arms and provide them with a big<br />
Morningside welcome!<br />
As I mentally prepare for what will be my sixth year at MES, I<br />
find myself feeling full of enthusiasm and excitement for what I<br />
know will be a year of vigor and vivaciousness. Our newly elected<br />
PTA board is fully prepared to carry on the long lasting legacy of<br />
love and learning that has consistently proven effective throughout<br />
decades. Fabulous plans for this school year are in the works and<br />
the PTA has hit the ground running. Our new Boosterthon fundraiser<br />
promises to be a success and our students will benefit from<br />
not only having the opportunity to experience raising revenue for<br />
their school but will also benefit from experiencing body and mind<br />
strengthening, a sense of community building, and leadership skills.<br />
The testimonials that are listed on the website for this fundraiser<br />
are pretty impressive. I strongly feel that our school will have a full<br />
day of exhilaration and neighborly fun during this event. Additionally,<br />
we look forward to supporting our MES Foundation as they<br />
will assist our teachers with funding classroom projects by offering<br />
grants to teachers and they will assist with providing professional<br />
development/teacher training for our instructional staff as well.<br />
You are encouraged to read more about the MES Foundation on<br />
our school’s website to become familiar with its purpose and vision.<br />
As I close I want to encourage<br />
each of you to do your best<br />
to contribute to our school<br />
in some kind of way. Maybe<br />
your contribution will be in<br />
the form of a monetary donation,<br />
maybe you will serve as<br />
a room parent, or you may<br />
consider working on a parent workday. Your contribution may be<br />
small or large. Your support may come frequent or intermittent.<br />
Nonetheless, your involvement is needed. Please visit our website<br />
frequently and learn all that you possibly can about your child’s<br />
school. Reach out to your child’s teacher to find out how you can<br />
help. Sign up to be a parent reader for your<br />
child’s class. Your child would absolutely<br />
love that. I look forward to seeing each and<br />
every one of you parents at our PTA meetings<br />
and throughout the year. Let us work<br />
together to make this the very best school<br />
year for your child/children.<br />
Kind regards,<br />
Rebecca Pruitt
CRCT<br />
The Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) is given to third, fourth, and fifth grade students in the Atlanta Public School System.<br />
The purpose of this standardized test is to determine the level of curriculum mastery within each student. The state of Georgia has established<br />
grade level standards for each grade level and categorizes the rate of mastery into three levels. The three levels include does not meet, meets, and<br />
exceed grade level standards. The CRCT is given in the areas of reading, math, English/language arts, social studies, and science. Traditionally<br />
Morningside (MES) has always been fortunate to have had its student body to score considerably high on this assessment. However, it is<br />
with great pleasure and excitement that we share this year’s phenomenal results and increases. There were several areas that MES experienced<br />
double digit gains in the exceeds category of the CRCT. The table below indicates this year’s and last year’s results as they relate to the “exceeds”<br />
category.<br />
Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test 2011 Results<br />
Content Area Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5<br />
Exceeds<br />
Meets &<br />
Exceeds<br />
Exceeds<br />
Meets &<br />
Exceeds<br />
Exceeds<br />
Meets &<br />
Exceeds<br />
Reading 74% 95% 70% 98% 84% 99%<br />
Language Arts 62% 96% 67% 97% 81% 98%<br />
Math 65% 92% 75% 93% 88% 96%<br />
Science 77% 97% 79% 96% 94% 96%<br />
Social Studies 72% 95% 63% 95% 86% 96%<br />
Grade<br />
Reading<br />
2010<br />
Reading<br />
2011<br />
E/LA<br />
2010<br />
E/LA<br />
2011<br />
Math<br />
2010<br />
Math<br />
2011<br />
Science<br />
2010<br />
Science<br />
2011<br />
Social<br />
Studies<br />
2010<br />
Third 67% 74% 62% 62% 64% 66% 67% 77% 54% 72%<br />
Social<br />
Studies<br />
2011<br />
Fourth 62% 70% 63% 67% 64% 75% 87% 79% 59% 63%<br />
Fifth 68% 84% 77% 81% 79% 88% 82% 94% 71% 86%<br />
As you can see, our reading scores increased at least seven percentage points in each tested grade level. We are pleased with our English/Language<br />
Arts (E/LA) results, but we are going to look to see what we can do to provide more rigor in this area. Our math scores are holding<br />
steady with quite an increase in fourth and fifth grades. We currently use the Everyday Math program which proves effective. Astronomical increases<br />
took place in both fourth and fifth grade science. This rate of student achievement is quite impressive. Lastly, social studies experienced<br />
gains in all three grade levels. Our third grade program experienced an 18%age point increase and our fifth grade experienced a 15%age point<br />
increase, which is quite awesome. We congratulate all students, parents, and teachers for a job well done last school year.<br />
2
Thank You for What You Do<br />
Laurie Luckmann<br />
Teacher of the year is a special recognition that is given once a year<br />
to a teacher that has been nominated and voted by his/her peers. As<br />
with any election, the Teacher of the Year (TOTY) award is given<br />
for several reasons. It is our belief that this year’s TOTY (as with so<br />
many of ours at MES) was selected because not only is she well liked,<br />
but she is an extremely hard worker as well. Laurie Luckmann is the<br />
kind of teacher who embraces the opportunity to work aggressively<br />
with our low achieving students, she works creatively to encourage<br />
students to work beyond their potential, and she gracefully works<br />
with her teammates to plan creative lessons for their grade level. Laurie<br />
is the proud mother of two wonderful children who are Morningsiders<br />
as well. Laurie loves MES so much that she constantly finds<br />
ways to contribute to our school community. She worked tirelessly<br />
on building our first and only leveled bookroom for our staff and<br />
students. Because of her commitment to education, our school now<br />
has over 1,000 titles of a mixture of books that are leveled. This<br />
library allows our students to read books that are specifically on his/<br />
her reading level. This initiative was greatly appreciated as it has had<br />
a direct impact on the whole school. In addition to this accomplishment,<br />
Laurie is constantly in talks with the administrative team to<br />
find and to introduce ways that we can address early intervention<br />
needs that cause some of our students to struggle with the learning<br />
process in the regular education program. The Student Support<br />
Team applauds Laurie for graciously allowing a fifth grade student to<br />
go to her third grade class to close some achievement gaps in spelling.<br />
Morningside has always thrived because of dedicated teachers<br />
like Laurie Luckmann. She is a parent who does not mind working<br />
during a MES parent workday, she leads the MES Girl Scout Troop<br />
3538, she works with the PTA, and she does not mind making a<br />
splash at the Halloween Carnival’s dunk tank. As with many of us,<br />
she finds it easy and enjoyable to work at MES because the school<br />
community consists of people that are supportive, accepting,<br />
and nurturing. We congratulate Ms.<br />
Laurie Luckmann for this wonderful<br />
achievement and we wish her success<br />
in her educational career. Thank you<br />
for what you do Laurie Luckmann!<br />
3
Morningside School Staff 2011-2012<br />
Administrative Team<br />
Rebecca Pruitt, Principal<br />
Myana Solomon, Assistant Principal<br />
Kindergarten Team<br />
Sheila Baxter-Holmes<br />
Gena Cochran<br />
Mia Oglesby<br />
Gail Williams<br />
Wendy Westwood<br />
First Grade Team<br />
Laurie Guerino<br />
Marva Nelson<br />
Shantrice Dean<br />
Teresa Westwood<br />
Toki Huff<br />
Verna Morgan<br />
Second Grade Team<br />
Allyson Atwell<br />
Cindy Cherry<br />
Karen Locascio<br />
Stella Mercker<br />
Monique Nordmann<br />
Leslie Nelson<br />
Emmakate Young<br />
Third Grade Team<br />
Allison Espelosin<br />
Ernestine Inman<br />
Jon Bookspun<br />
Laurie Luckmann<br />
Rachel Willis<br />
Fourth Grade Team<br />
Kristen Duncan<br />
Megan Hayes<br />
Amy Mather<br />
Ameila Morel<br />
Fifth Grade Team<br />
Ed Braun<br />
Jacqueline Henry<br />
Kelly Lecceardone<br />
Val Taylor<br />
Early Intervention Program & Support<br />
Kelli Balloon<br />
Carrie Roetger<br />
Leigh Ann Bliss<br />
Challenge Program<br />
Beth Burney<br />
Allie Coker<br />
Bianca Jones<br />
Program for Exceptional Children (PEC)<br />
Open Position –Autism<br />
Wilhemena Register- Lead Teacher<br />
Annette Ransom - Resource<br />
Roger Cleckley– Speech<br />
Sarah Shirley – Occupational Therapy<br />
Art<br />
Amy Bitcover<br />
Music<br />
Mark Belloto<br />
Carlton Strother<br />
Totka Valkova (orchestra)<br />
Rick Rodriguez (band)<br />
Spanish<br />
Amira Espana<br />
Marie Isabel Jameson<br />
Jose Martinez<br />
Lourdes Santiago<br />
English as a Second Language<br />
Donna Cutshall<br />
Dawan Barfield (Interpreter)<br />
Physical Education<br />
Cheryl Carter<br />
Aly Nussear<br />
Media Specialist<br />
Mark Miller<br />
School Counselor<br />
Aazam Salehi<br />
Gwen Hodges<br />
Paraprofessionals<br />
Janice Albert<br />
Clara Bradford<br />
Rita Hardy<br />
Wesley Holland<br />
Yolanda Leake<br />
Kathy Moore<br />
Jacqueline Pass<br />
Keisha Reese<br />
Danya Wilson<br />
Office Staff<br />
Laurie Dunaway, School Secretary/Registrar<br />
Janice Giddens, Front Office Clerk<br />
Cassondra Petty, School Nurse<br />
Bonita Spight-Williams,<br />
School Administrative Manager<br />
Building Mechanic<br />
Mike Harris<br />
Cafeteria Manager<br />
Vangeline Smith<br />
MES Welcomes Our New Art Teacher<br />
Amy Bitcover has many years’ experience as an art educator and as a professional artist. She studied at<br />
the Rhode Island School of Design at the University of Rhode Island, and received a Masters in Education<br />
at Boston State College. She has taught elementary art and has also served as an adjunct professor<br />
at Oglethorpe University. She has expertise in teaching diverse students, developing curriculum and<br />
she has the ability to instill confidence, competence, and a joy for learning in all students. We look<br />
forward to seeing her lead our art program this coming school year. We are confident that you will be<br />
pleased with her work.<br />
4
From the PTA Co-Presidents<br />
Welcome to another fantastic year at MES! We<br />
are looking forward to having a magical year that<br />
is fun filled, productive and successful for our<br />
MES staff, parents and especially our children.<br />
Your PTA Executive Committee has been hard<br />
at work since this spring and through the summer<br />
gearing up for the 2011-12 school year. We<br />
have been meeting with various committee chairs, having planning<br />
discussions with the teachers and Principle Pruitt, and working out<br />
details in preparation for some exciting changes to some fundraising<br />
activities. The teachers and Principle Pruitt appreciate and<br />
recognize the importance of the MES parents and the role you take<br />
in achieving the shared goal of meeting learning objectives and<br />
strengthening our children’s learning environment. Our goal as a<br />
PTA is to use fundraising, communication and parent involvement<br />
to enhance the education experience of each child at MES.<br />
This issue of <strong>Morningstar</strong> highlights some important back to school<br />
information as well as some of the terrific MES events on the<br />
horizon including a new Boosterthon Fun Run this fall, Summer<br />
Reading and Math celebrations, the infamous Halloween Carnival,<br />
Cultural events for all grade levels, Wellness events in the garden<br />
and a spectacular Auction next spring. In support of our teachers,<br />
our PTA will provide curricular materials and classroom supplies.<br />
All of which could not happen without the hard work of the staff,<br />
administration and parents like YOU. We have many volunteer<br />
roles including spending some time at a Parent Work Day for<br />
seasonal clean-up of the school, helping with any of the fundraising<br />
events and assisting teachers in their classrooms.<br />
We cannot express enough how important it is to have parents<br />
involved with the MES PTA. The PTA appreciates the time and<br />
talents of the volunteers, and we believe that everyone has a gift to<br />
share with Morningside. It starts by joining the PTA, continues by<br />
offering your support through volunteering and ends with us looking<br />
back at the 2011-12 school year and saying “Wow! We made<br />
great strides!” and “This was our children’s best year yet!” Please<br />
visit the MES website and contact Volunteer Coordinator, Amy<br />
Hartman (amyohartman@bellsouth.net.) for more information.<br />
2011 – 2012 PTA Executive Committee<br />
Kimberly Humphrey, Co-President<br />
kdelynnh@yahoo.com<br />
David Runyan, Co-President<br />
lukelab1@comcast.net<br />
Rebecca Pruitt, Principal<br />
rpruitt@atlanta.k12.ga.us<br />
Gail Price, Co-President Elect<br />
gailanddave2@comcast.net<br />
Joy Spangler, Co-President Elect<br />
joyspangler@bellsouth.net<br />
Stephanie Boswell, Vice-President for Fundraising<br />
sboswell2@att.net<br />
Astrid Horlbeck, Vice-President for Enrichment<br />
astridahorlbeck@gmail.com<br />
Amy Chambers, Vice-President for Operations<br />
atchamb@yahoo.com<br />
Lane Chalfant, Vice-President for Communications<br />
flchalfant@bellsouth.net<br />
Lauren Brown, Treasurer<br />
ltbrown@earthlink.net<br />
Holly Stevens, Secretary<br />
hollybstevens@gmail.com<br />
Tad Christian, Parliamentarian<br />
Kstater@comcast.net<br />
Laurie Luckmann, Teacher Representative<br />
lluckmann@atlanta.k12.ga.us<br />
Thank you for your support and help us keep the magic in the<br />
2011-12 school year.<br />
See you soon!<br />
Kimberly Humphrey and David Runyan<br />
PTA Co-Presidents<br />
Your P.T.A. needs you!<br />
5
6<br />
Back to School Calendar<br />
Kindergarten and New First Grader Orientation<br />
Wednesday, August 3rd<br />
9:00–11:00 a.m.<br />
This two-hour student orientation is designed to welcome Morningside’s<br />
kindergarteners and new first graders to our wonderful<br />
school. Our newest 2011-12 students will meet some classmates,<br />
learn their way around the building, and end their tour with a<br />
snack and free time at our wonderful playground. After this orientation,<br />
your child will feel right at home at the Friday Meet and<br />
Greet and ready for the first day of school.<br />
To help keep this event focused on the kindergarten and new first<br />
graders, parents are asked—as much as possible—to make other<br />
childcare arrangements for siblings. If you have questions or<br />
comments, or to volunteer for this event, please contact Margaret<br />
Brackett at margaretbrackett@comcast.net or Polly Bowman at<br />
pfbowman@comcast.net.<br />
New Parent Orientation<br />
Thursday, August 4th<br />
6:00 p.m.<br />
Auditorium<br />
Join us at Morningside for a comprehensive orientation specifically<br />
geared for parents of new students. MES Principal Rebecca<br />
Pruitt will answer questions about your child’s first days of school,<br />
expectations, and school procedures. You will also meet members<br />
of the 2011-12 MES PTA Executive Committee and learn more<br />
about the benefits and volunteer opportunities available through<br />
our PTA. Note that this event is for parents only.<br />
Meet and Greet<br />
All Students<br />
Friday, August 5th<br />
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon<br />
Meet and Greet is the time for all students and parents to meet<br />
their teachers for the 2011-12 school year. Parents and caregivers<br />
can sign up to volunteer in their child’s classroom, join a PTA committee,<br />
buy the new MES t shirts, obtain information about bus<br />
stops and carpool, and more. Don’t miss this fun and informative<br />
time!<br />
First Day of School<br />
Monday, August 8th<br />
BE THERE by 7:50 a.m.<br />
The principal and teachers highly recommend that students be<br />
in the classroom and ready to start the school day by 7:50 a.m.<br />
School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m., so arriving a few minutes<br />
early ensures a smooth transition from backpack to desk, and allows<br />
everyone to start the day on a positive note.<br />
Coffee and Kleenex<br />
Monday, August 8th<br />
8:00 a.m. Media Center<br />
After dropping off your student in their classroom, join fellow<br />
parents and PTA representatives in the Media Center for complimentary<br />
coffee, Kleenex, and plenty of encouragement. This is a<br />
long-standing tradition at Morningside, and everyone is welcome.<br />
Back to School Night<br />
Tuesday, August 23rd<br />
6:00 p.m.<br />
Please attend this parent-centered evening which includes meeting<br />
the entire MES faculty and time with your child’s teacher in the<br />
classroom. The PTA will also have a brief meeting to approve the<br />
2011-12 budget and introduce the 2011-12 Executive Committee.<br />
*A note about MES orientation events: Your MES teachers and<br />
PTA volunteers work hard to put together orientation events that<br />
meet your needs, with a combination of student-centered and<br />
parent-centered events. Please make every effort to attend the<br />
parent-centered events without children and attend the student-oriented<br />
events with your kids. If you have questions or suggestions<br />
for improving these events in the future, please contact Kimberly<br />
Humphrey at kdelynnh@yahoo.com.<br />
“Learning is Magic”…The Spirit of MES<br />
What a magical year the 2011-2012<br />
School Year is sure to be! This Fall we<br />
will be introducing our newest theme<br />
in spirit wear, as “Learning is Magic.”<br />
It will be centered on fifth grader<br />
Sophia Zook’s winning t-shirt design.<br />
You will definitely want to pick up this<br />
year’s t-shirt, but also keep an eye out<br />
for our newest additions in Morningside<br />
gear. Along with the t-shirts, pencils,<br />
and water bottles, we’ll be introducing<br />
Morningside Tervis tumblers and<br />
student pencil pouches. And for the<br />
moms, you’ll definitely want to pick up<br />
the newest “Mommy” design specifically made for Morningside.<br />
Opportunities to purchase spirit gear will be at Kindergarten and<br />
New First Graders Orientation on August 3rd, New Parent Orientation<br />
on August 4th, at Meet and Greet on August 5th and Back<br />
to School Night on August 23rd. Just in case you miss these events,<br />
keep an eye out for other dates in<br />
your Digital Dolphin<br />
and a flyer in your<br />
child’s backpack the<br />
first week of school.<br />
You will definitely want<br />
to outfit your child for<br />
Spirit day on Fridays,<br />
so plan on stopping by<br />
to see what items we’ve<br />
pulled out of our magic<br />
hat this year!<br />
Anna Lentz and Lori Lott<br />
Spirit Chairs
Operations<br />
It takes a lot of planning and teamwork by parents, teachers, students<br />
and administrators to make Morningside Elementary School a success.<br />
The various PTA Operations Committees support teachers and<br />
administrators by helping to ensure the school’s smooth day-to-day<br />
operations. Here is an overview of what these committees have in<br />
store for this school year.<br />
Amy Schroeder, Media Center Volunteer Liaison, will recruit and<br />
train Media Center volunteers for regular weekly shifts and special<br />
projects. This committee will also sponsor informational sessions for<br />
parents on how to use available APS online research tools.<br />
The Welcome Desk Committee, chaired by Jennifer Pye, will continue<br />
to provide visitors with a warm welcome and assistance.<br />
The Laminating Committee, headed by Christa Martin, will schedule<br />
volunteers to provide administrative support to fulfill teachers’ laminating<br />
needs.<br />
The Special Needs Committee, chaired by Michelle Constantinides,<br />
will continue to support students in the Program for Exceptional<br />
Children (PEC). The committee arranges topical speakers and hosts<br />
opportunities for parents of PEC children to exchange ideas and<br />
information. It also works with the school counselor, Aazam Salehi,<br />
on the Acts of Kindness Award, sponsoring this annual recognition of<br />
students.<br />
Special Needs Committee<br />
Sometimes students struggle academically or have physical limitations<br />
that affect their ability to perform successfully at school. These students<br />
may need additional educational instruction or interventions.<br />
Parents who think their child may need additional services should discuss<br />
their concerns with their child’s teacher as soon as possible. The<br />
Special Needs Committee supports those students and their families<br />
with educational and informational Lunch and Learn series, a Google<br />
group that shares information about Special Services in APS as well as<br />
community resources, and additional support as needed. To encourage<br />
parents to share information and further support the committee’s<br />
goals, this year we are offering special support groups under the following<br />
headings:<br />
l Autism Support - Linda Mullen, Parent Contact - linda.mullen@<br />
me.com<br />
l Ms. Standifer, Teacher Contact<br />
l ADD/ADHA Support - Rogers Barry, Parent Contact - rogerspbarry@gmail.com<br />
l Ms. Mather & Ms. Roetger, Teacher Contacts<br />
l Speech Support - Emily Compton , Parent Contact - emily@zode.<br />
net<br />
l Mr. Cleckley, Teacher Contact<br />
l Reading & Math Support - Bob Silvia - Parent Contact - rsilvia@<br />
yahoo.com<br />
l Ms. Balloon, Teacher Contact<br />
These support groups offer additional information and support<br />
through direct support from the teacher and sharing information<br />
from school and community programs. If you have interest in participating,<br />
please email the parent contact.<br />
An overview of the Student Support Services at Morningside will be<br />
presented at our first Lunch and Learn, Wednesday August 17th at<br />
11:30 a.m. in the Media Center and is available for viewing on the<br />
MES website under Enrichment and Clubs - Special Needs Committee.<br />
For further information, please contact Michelle Constantinides via<br />
email, michelle.constantinides@gmail.com or by phone, 404-502-<br />
0725.<br />
Parent Work Day Committee, co-chaired by Ben Bunyard and Eric<br />
Lowery-North, will organize parent workdays in the fall and spring<br />
as well as assist administrators with projects throughout the year. The<br />
first parent work day will be on Sunday, August 14, from 1:00-5:00<br />
p.m.<br />
The Hospitality Committee, co-chaired by Becky Fite and Emily<br />
Compton, will help keep us refreshed at principal coffees and other<br />
meetings.<br />
The purpose of the Teacher Appreciation Committee, co-chaired<br />
by Nancy King and Yvonne Gibney is to let our teachers know how<br />
much Morningside students and parents appreciate their hard work<br />
and dedication. The committee will host teacher appreciation events<br />
throughout the year, culminating in a luncheon for National Teacher<br />
Appreciation Day in May. By hosting book swaps, treating the teachers<br />
to Valentine’s Day goodies and more, the committee will show<br />
Morningside teachers they are appreciated year round.<br />
Laura Shepherd will lead informative Campus Tours once a month<br />
and host tours at the fall and spring Prospective Parent Meetings with<br />
the MES staff and Principal Rebecca Pruitt. If you know someone<br />
who is new to the school, or will be soon, encourage them to visit for<br />
a tour or meeting.<br />
Amber Ackerman, chair of the Backpacks Committee, will work<br />
to ensure that children of all economic backgrounds have necessary<br />
school supplies.<br />
Helping our children safely get to and from school is an important<br />
goal of ours. Look for information about walk-to-school days – and<br />
incentives to get students walking – from Ash Parker and Marshall<br />
Hunter, who co-chair the Safe Routes to School Committee.<br />
Julie Maxwell, chair of the Bus Transportation Committee, will have<br />
bus route and ride-along information at Meet and Greet on August 5.<br />
Finally, our Fifth Grade Committee, co-chaired by Beth Downes and<br />
Adrienne Maxim will work with our terrific fifth-graders to make<br />
their <strong>final</strong> year at MES memorable. Among the activities will be the<br />
traditional skate night, penny drive, hat days, movie night and basketball<br />
challenge, as well as some exciting new initiatives. Once again,<br />
the fifth graders’ year will culminate in a fun and educational trip to<br />
Blue Ridge, Georgia.<br />
These events and programs help make Morningside a great place for<br />
our children, teachers and staff, and these activities depend upon our<br />
willing and wonderful parent volunteers. There are so many volunteer<br />
opportunities that there truly is a place for everyone. So whether you<br />
can give a few hours of your time or want to make a bigger commitment,<br />
please consider volunteering.<br />
Amy Chambers<br />
Vice President for Operations<br />
atchamb@yahoo.com<br />
7
Fundraising<br />
Morningside is one special place! And this year is<br />
going to be amazing throughout the school year. The<br />
Fundraising committee has been hard at work all summer,<br />
planning ways to generate revenue for our future plans<br />
at Morningside. The PTA provides avenues to help support our school<br />
and aid in efforts to make it a better place.<br />
We are kicking off the school year with a new exciting event that will<br />
create enthusiasm, promote exercise, and raise money! One of the<br />
highlights of this event is that students are taught positive messages<br />
that will build confidence. The Boosterthon Fun Run date is set for<br />
September 8th. Get moving and join us!<br />
Don’t forget about joining your fellow MES Braves fans at the 2011<br />
MES night at the Braves on Friday, September 16th.<br />
On October 22rd, the annual Halloween Carnival will spook you,<br />
surprise you and excite you! The day will be filled with a frightening<br />
Haunted House, great games, and bouncing bungees. Get your<br />
costumes ready!<br />
For the second year in a row, the chili cook-off will please your palate<br />
and warm your heart. Start working on your chili recipe and your appetite<br />
for the November event.<br />
Dine Outs will certainly be a part of the school year again. Local restaurants<br />
offering wonderful evenings for our family and friends that<br />
directly benefit our school.<br />
Pull out your scissors and clip those pink boxtops! And when you<br />
shop at Publix, swipe your green Publix card…this is an easy way to<br />
support our school.<br />
The biggest event of the year is the MES Auction. It only happens<br />
every other year and you don’t want to miss it! On March 23rd,<br />
Morningside parents will enjoy an evening full of excitement guaranteed<br />
to impress. Gather up a group of friends and be part of this<br />
fabulous “scene”! Mark those calendars…March 23, 2012!<br />
Of course, our school would not be the same without showing off<br />
our children’s talents. Start practicing for the Talent Show in March it<br />
sneaks up on us every year!.<br />
Don’t forget to show your support by sporting our new Spirit items.<br />
Creating “Magic at Morningside” is our theme for 2011-2012. We<br />
have fantastic items this year, be on the lookout for new t-shirts for<br />
kids and adults.<br />
And we must not forget how fortunate we are to have supportive<br />
and generous businesses and organizations that continue to help our<br />
school in so many ways. Please remember to thank the businesses<br />
that are listed on our Community Partnerships page on the MES<br />
website.<br />
We certainly would like for you to help our committee this year,<br />
please contact Stephanie Boswell at sboswell2@att.net. It is a great<br />
way to improve our school and meet other Morningside parents! Get<br />
involved!! Join the PTA today!<br />
Boosterthon Comes to MES as New Fall Fundraiser!<br />
MES is thrilled to host the first annual MES “Boosterthon Fun Run”<br />
fundraiser this fall. With the Boosterthon Fun Run, the student is<br />
the STAR! Imagine a program that wraps fitness, leadership, and<br />
character together in an unforgettable experience hosted on our own<br />
MES campus. Students will learn that fitness is fun and learn lifelong<br />
character lessons during the fun run pledging period. Proceeds from<br />
this fundraiser will go toward supporting curricular workbooks and<br />
materials, classroom enrichment and Cultural Arts events for all grade<br />
levels throughout the school year.<br />
What about wrapping paper, normally sold in the fall Innisbrook will<br />
still be offered for online sales only during the fall. See the website for<br />
details, www.morningsideschool.org.<br />
The Boosterthon event will<br />
kick-off with a prep rally<br />
on Monday, August 29th,<br />
ending with the Fun Run<br />
on Thursday, September<br />
8th (during school hours).<br />
Each day during the pledging<br />
period the children<br />
will be exposed to a short<br />
character lesson presented<br />
by the Boosterthon crew.<br />
The Boosterthon theme for<br />
2011-12 is “EPIC Adventure”.<br />
On the September<br />
8th, we’ll end the event<br />
with the children participating in a spectacular 35 lap run/walk where<br />
we encourage all parents to attend. (Each lap will be approximately<br />
1/16 of a mile.)<br />
While supporting MES during this fundraiser, students can earn some<br />
fabulous prizes, like the highly anticipated Fur Bus and Ice Cream<br />
social. Plus all children, regardless of participation, will receive a<br />
Boosterthon t-shirt. A banner contest for each classroom will also be<br />
part of the excitement.<br />
We are so excited to be hosting this new event and really encourage<br />
your child’s participation to make this fundraiser a big success. Be<br />
on the lookout for more information on the Fun Run at MES on<br />
our return to school. Also, please let us know if you would like to<br />
help with the banner design for your child’s class or help the day of<br />
the Fun Run. For more information, please contact Astrid Horlbeck<br />
astridahorlbeck@gmail.com. Also, feel free to visit the Boosterthon<br />
website at http://boosterthon.com/.<br />
Astrid Horlbeck<br />
Boosterthon Chair<br />
Thank you,<br />
Stephanie Boswell<br />
Vice President for Fundraising<br />
8
Halloween Carnival<br />
Get ready for the Morningside Monster<br />
Bash Halloween Carnival. Mark your<br />
calendars for Saturday, October 22, from<br />
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the 23nd annual Morningside Halloween<br />
Carnival. Rain or shine! This family-friendly event brings out the<br />
entire community. The proceeds benefit the Morningside PTA and<br />
the wonderful enrichment programs at Morningside. We’re SUPER<br />
excited about all the games and inflatables that will once again haunt<br />
the school grounds. Don’t miss the Fifth Grade’s famous Haunted<br />
House, which helps to fund their year-end educational trip to Blue<br />
Ridge. The Halloween Carnival is one of the ways that our school<br />
reaches out to the entire neighborhood and beyond.<br />
To make this year’s carnival a huge success, we need YOU! There are<br />
three areas critical to the carnival’s success: business sponsors, family<br />
donations, and volunteers to actually make it happen. We need<br />
multiple business sponsors to make cash contributions. Historically,<br />
we have been supported by large and small neighborhood and parent-owned<br />
businesses, and family donations help defray the costs and<br />
enhance the quality of the activities. Stay tuned for more information<br />
on business sponsorship opportunities and family donations. It takes<br />
hundreds of volunteers to make an event like the Halloween Carnival<br />
run smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering for the carnival or<br />
heading a subcommittee, please contact Laura Levy at joesop0918@<br />
yahoo.com or Megan Hodgson at meganhodgson@comcast.net .<br />
Thank you.<br />
Laura Levy and Megan Hodgson<br />
Carnival Chairs<br />
Mark your calendars for….<br />
THE MES Auction<br />
It only happens once every two years<br />
so you don’t want to miss Morningside’s<br />
Auction on March 23, 2012!<br />
The 2011-2012 MES Auction will directly benefit the playground<br />
at the front of the school. If you haven’t noticed it could use a little<br />
help! We are DREAMING big so we need you to save the date to<br />
participate! Imagine a giant climbing web and a thick, green field of<br />
turf for playing soccer, dodge ball or tag.<br />
The night is guaranteed to be filled with exciting entertainment<br />
and auction items that everyone will want to<br />
bid on. From class art work to vacations, you will have<br />
fun bidding against your MES friends. And don’t forget<br />
your dancing shoes!<br />
Many hands have been hard at work to plan this wonderful evening,<br />
if you would like to help make this event the best ever…please<br />
contact Nancy Castle at nancy@nancycastle.com or Stacy Pignetti at<br />
jppsp@aol.com<br />
Nancy Castle and Stacy Pignetti<br />
2012 MES Auction Chairs<br />
Enrichment<br />
The PTA Enrichment committees are planning another spectacular<br />
year of programs and opportunities for your children. All of these<br />
programs are funded exclusively through the PTA and provide an array<br />
of creative experiences to enhance learning. Take a look at what is<br />
coming up for this school year:<br />
The Summer Reading and Math Challenge Program will recognize<br />
students who have read at least 5 chapter books or 10 picture books<br />
and/or have completed their math logs over the summer. All students<br />
who give a list of these books and/or completed math logs to their<br />
homeroom teacher will be eligible to attend an ice cream celebration<br />
and if a student accomplishes both reading and math there will be an<br />
additional reward. Please contact Nancy Jordak at jordak@bellsouth.<br />
net to help scoop some fun.<br />
The Visiting Authors Program will again be bringing local authors to<br />
the students to discuss their works and writing processes. Anna Winer<br />
will be coordinating with the grade levels and Media Center to bring<br />
some talented writers to Morningside.<br />
The Scholastic Book Fair will be held in our Media<br />
Center during the week of January 23–27, 2012. Look<br />
for our theme later this Fall, when we send out more<br />
details. The Book Fair is a wonderful way to get kids<br />
excited about reading. All the proceeds of the sale go<br />
directly back to the school to purchase books and other<br />
literacy needs. For more information about our exciting<br />
Book Fair contact Golfo Vastakis or Stephanie Marinac.<br />
The Book Swap will take place during March. The Book Swap gives<br />
children the opportunity to trade in books they have already read for<br />
something new to enjoy. Adrienne Maxim will be looking for volunteers<br />
to help out.<br />
The Cultural Arts Committee, chaired by Kim Aschmeyer, is excited<br />
to work with teacher representatives to coordinate cultural experiences<br />
for each grade level throughout the year. Each event is selected to<br />
enhance a theme within the curriculum, embracing a wide range of<br />
performers and styles. In addition, Morningside will again be pleased<br />
to host the Atlanta Opera for a school wide performance. These<br />
programs are a wonderful opportunity for the children to experience<br />
many different art forms.<br />
The MES Chess Club, chaired by Kevin Maxim, will continue to<br />
meet each Wednesday at 7:25 a.m. in the auditorium. Chess club is<br />
open to all ages and abilities. No need to sign up, just stop in and play.<br />
Back by popular demand, Family Science Night will<br />
return in February, bringing in local scientists for hands-on<br />
science learning workshops. Last year we had 45 presenters<br />
volunteer to provide more than 800 students and their families with<br />
entertaining and educational lessons. Keely Muse and Amy Hartman<br />
will head up the Kindergarten- 2nd grade night and Shira Newman<br />
and Lauren Taylor will head up the 3rd - 5th grade night. The success<br />
of Family Science Night depends completely on volunteers! Please<br />
contact Astrid Horlbeck astridahorlbeck@gmail.com<br />
if you are interested in helping to make this favorite<br />
event a continued success.<br />
9
10<br />
Do you have a new and innovative idea to enhance the learning at<br />
MES The Morningside PTA has allocated monies for our 2011-<br />
2012 Grants Program. This program is designed to encourage<br />
our MES community (teacher, staff, parent and student) to apply<br />
for financial assistance for programs that will enhance the learning<br />
environment through new and inventive methods. Over the years,<br />
the committee awarded grants to a wide range of programs including<br />
heath & wellness, cultural events, curriculum support, etc... Grant<br />
applications can be found on the MES website under Enrichment<br />
and Clubs - Grants. The Grants Committee will accept applications<br />
in 1 cycle during the Fall. The PTA Grants Committee is chaired by<br />
Michelle Constantinides.<br />
The Green Team will be co-chaired this year by Willa<br />
Paton-Smith, Shannon Skinner, and Lynette Slovensky<br />
with a continued focus on reducing waste, improving<br />
recycling efforts and conserving energy. Back again this<br />
year at the August Meet & Greet will be our promotion<br />
of Waste Free Lunches. Reducing the use of disposables, plastic<br />
baggies, and excess packaging in our children’s lunches can greatly<br />
reduce the volume of trash we send each day to the landfill. Stop by<br />
the Green Team table at Meet & Greet to purchase affordable lunch<br />
packaging products that are all PBA free.<br />
We’ll have tips to help your family put your best “green” foot forward<br />
this school year. Also, look for the Green Team and Student Council<br />
to partner again this year on a fall recycling drive. We invite everyone<br />
to support the effort to make MES a greener school!<br />
Our Wellness Committee chairs, Erin Richmond and Elizabeth Lietz,<br />
will be working to encourage fitness and healthily eating habits for<br />
students, staff, and the entire MES community. We will resume Wellness<br />
Wednesday’s, Fresh Fruit Friday’s and continue our monthly food<br />
tastings, with the help of our sponsors Rosebud and Murphy’s, where<br />
students sample a delicious recipe featuring a vegetable currently being<br />
grown in the garden. We are passionate about promoting healthy<br />
living for our school.<br />
MES has a wonderful Garden program that allows students the opportunity<br />
to plant, nurture and taste the wonder of fresh vegetables.<br />
Supported by the PTA, Schoolyard Sprouts, Murphy’s, Rosebud,<br />
Whole Foods Briarcliff and Farmer D Organics, the garden is an<br />
outdoor learning environment for students year round.<br />
Carrie Roetger, a veteran Morningside teacher, works coordinating<br />
curriculum each month with the grade level teachers. The garden<br />
experience includes lessons on soil and water, social studies, weather,<br />
temperature, growing local food, composting, grids in the garden,<br />
greenhouse gardening, and much more. The curriculum was developed<br />
for Schoolyard Sprouts by the Georgia State University Department<br />
of Dietetics to meet APS guidelines, and can be found on the<br />
Schoolyard Sprouts website, www.schoolyardsprouts.org. Throughout<br />
the year, the garden committee is always looking for volunteers to<br />
help with classes in the garden, regular garden maintenance, or to<br />
work on special work days. Stop by and see what’s growing!<br />
All of our Enrichment programs focus on providing rewarding and<br />
exciting educational experiences for our children. We are looking<br />
forward to another fabulous year. Many thanks to the parent volunteers<br />
who work hard to make these events happen and to the PTA<br />
fundraising team for raising the money needed to support them. We<br />
always need more volunteers, so if you see a program you are interested<br />
in, please come join in.<br />
Astrid Horlbeck<br />
Vice President for Enrichment<br />
astridahorlbeck@gmail.com<br />
COMMUNICATIONS<br />
Stay in touch with Morningside! It is our goal to make sure that<br />
every Morningside family is well aware of the terrific things going on<br />
at school each week. Here are the ways we communicate with our<br />
school community:<br />
Digital Dolphin<br />
This weekly e-mail newsletter includes brief descriptions of what is<br />
happening at school. It is delivered to your inbox over the weekend<br />
so that you can get ready for the week ahead. To sign up for the<br />
Digital Dolphin, go to the school website, www.morningsideschool.<br />
org, and enter your e-mail address in the box on the home page. At<br />
the printing of this newsletter, there is still a need for a Digital Dolphin<br />
editor or co-editors. Annelle Dunn is the returning editor of the<br />
Digital Dolphin<br />
Morningside Memo<br />
The Morningside Memo comes out early each month. Look for it in<br />
your child’s Wednesday folder. The Memo keeps you up-to-date about<br />
all the things going on. It features updates from our principal and<br />
PTA, overviews of upcoming activities, tips from our school counselor<br />
and articles from our Wellness and Green committees and much<br />
more. Our Memo team includes Scott Edelman and Judith Cavill as<br />
co-editors, and Gisela Mesbahi as graphic designer.<br />
www.morningsideschool.org<br />
Be sure to bookmark the MES website. This is the fastest way to find<br />
out about what’s going on at school. There are calendars, forms, supply<br />
lists, copies of newsletters and more. Get in the habit of using the website;<br />
you’ll be glad you did! The website is managed by Michael Schulz.<br />
<strong>Morningstar</strong><br />
This newsletter, which you are currently reading, is <strong>publish</strong>ed each<br />
summer to kick off the school year. Our <strong>Morningstar</strong> team includes<br />
Lane Chalfant and Gisela Mesbahi.<br />
Bulletin Board<br />
If you are walking the halls, check out the latest news on the PTA<br />
bulletin board located outside of the auditorium. The board is maintained<br />
by Julia Rafter.<br />
Yearbook<br />
Distributed in May, the yearbook is a wonderful memento of life at<br />
Morningside. Leslie Muscarella heads up the yearbook team.<br />
Calendar<br />
The calendar is maintained by Debbie Mobley. She will be the PTA<br />
representative on the SLAM (School Logistics and Management)<br />
committee and will be the point of contact for all PTA scheduling.<br />
The calendar chair is the PTA representative on the SLAM.
Other Sources of Information<br />
Look for the PTA MES New Parent Guide with your registration<br />
information. This has a lot of information for both parents and<br />
students. The updated Volunteer, Officer and Chairperson Guide<br />
is available on the website as well. This resource answers questions<br />
about planning events at MES and goes into more detail about our<br />
communication vehicles outlined above.<br />
We are always on the lookout for people interested in layout, design,<br />
editing and writing. We also could use people that like work. You<br />
would be folding and distributing the Memo each month. If you’d<br />
like to help, please contact Lane Chalfant at flchalfant@bellsouth.net.<br />
Lane Chalfant<br />
Vice President for Communications<br />
Parking & Safety<br />
Let’s start the new school year right with good safety and parking<br />
habits.<br />
Whenever you park at the school, please take care to avoid the carpool<br />
and bus lanes. No parking is allowed on East Rock Springs Road.<br />
There are a few parking spaces along the side of the school near the<br />
carpool entrance.<br />
Parents may park at Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church in<br />
the part of the parking lot (closer to East Rock Springs) when walking<br />
students to school, picking them up, or visiting the school to volunteer.<br />
If you park at Haygood, please walk your child to the school<br />
and do not drop off your child in the parking lot or along East Sussex.<br />
There is no parking or stopping along East Sussex between the church<br />
and the parking lot. For the safety of the children as well as for the<br />
upkeep of the Haygood grounds, please do not allow children or pets<br />
to walk on the church steps or grass. We appreciate having Haygood<br />
as such a terrific friend and neighbor, allowing all of us – including<br />
staff and teachers – use of their parking property.<br />
To park in the neighborhood, please abide by parking regulations as<br />
posted on street signs. NEVER drop your child off in the bus lane, on<br />
East Rock Springs, East Sussex, or Barclay. If you cannot walk your<br />
child to the school, please go to the carpool lane. Please remember<br />
that there are children all around you, and drive slowly on neighborhood<br />
streets and in the parking lot. While it is important that<br />
everyone arrive at school on time, it is most important that everyone<br />
arrives safely!<br />
What is the Role of the Morningside Foundation<br />
While the PTA provides a number of outstanding enrichment activities<br />
and programs for our children each school year, the Morningside<br />
Foundation adds another layer of support that sustains what makes<br />
Morningside Elementary unique. The mission of the Foundation is<br />
to financially support and preserve the academically-excellent experience<br />
and strong teaching environment for every current and future<br />
student at Morningside Elementary School.<br />
The Morningside Foundation will continue to build and preserve the<br />
culture of strong teaching at MES. We believe that teacher excellence<br />
is at the core of every successful school, including Morningside. To<br />
demonstrate this commitment, the Foundation will fund numerous<br />
professional development opportunities for Morningside educators.<br />
This summer, over the Fourth of July weekend, the Foundation sent<br />
3 teachers to an educational conference in Boston. The ASCD (formerly<br />
the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)<br />
is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best<br />
practices and policies for educators to learn, teach, and lead. These<br />
teachers, Gail Williams (K), Bianca Jones (4), and Jackie Henry (5),<br />
will return to Morningside this fall, full of ideas and energy to share<br />
with the entire staff. It is our objective, with the help of Ms. Pruitt<br />
and the Foundation’s teacher representative, to continue to find and<br />
fund these opportunities for growth.<br />
In addition to supporting teaching excellence, the Foundation will<br />
assume funding for academic enrichment in instructional technology.<br />
This emphasis will vary grade-by-grade, and will continue to evolve as<br />
the year progresses.<br />
In order for Morningside to sustain and endure as such an amazing<br />
school, the Foundation needs your financial support. Please consider<br />
how you can contribute to the success of not only your child’s education,<br />
but of all of the children at Morningside, for now and years to<br />
come.<br />
If you are interested in making contribution, or if you have questions<br />
about the Morningside Foundation, please contact any of the Foundation<br />
Board members listed below or email foundation@morningsideschool.org.<br />
Mike McCool, Ron Yabroudy, Cathy Tilman, Brian Williams, Chris<br />
Edmonds, Kirsten Hadley, Tim Fox, Chip Benton, Kevin Lyman,<br />
Ross Mansbach, Kimberly Humphrey (PTA Rep), Becky Pruitt<br />
(Principal)<br />
Quick Links<br />
Morningside Elementary: www.morningsideschool.org<br />
Atlanta Public Schools: www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/atlantaps<br />
Inclement Weather & School<br />
Closings through TWITTER!<br />
Search for “apsupdate” and click “follow”<br />
Meal Pay: www.mealpayplus.com<br />
Council of Intown<br />
Neighborhoods and Schools: www.cinsatlanta.org<br />
Georgia Performance Standards: www.georgiastandards.org<br />
Infinite Campus:<br />
https://ic.apsk12.org/campus/portal/atlanta.jsp<br />
Schoolyard Sprouts:<br />
www.schoolyardsprouts.org<br />
11
Before the school year begins…<br />
b A school supply list, by grade, is available on the MES website.<br />
Your child’s teacher will also let you know if additional supplies<br />
are needed.<br />
b The week before school starts, class lists will be posted on the<br />
website.<br />
b Don’t forget to sign up on the website to receive the Digital<br />
Dolphin – the weekly email newsletter – to stay informed of all<br />
things happening at Morningside!<br />
<strong>Morningstar</strong> is a publication of the Morningside Elementary School PTA.<br />
MORNINGSIDE<br />
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL<br />
growing the future one child at a time<br />
Morningside Elementary School<br />
1053 East Rock Springs Road, NE<br />
Atlanta, GA 30306<br />
www.morningsideschool.org