Tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Burgess-Peterson Academy media center, LEAP (Linking Education and the Public) will be resuming its monthly meetings.  LEAP is another name for EACA's Education Committee.  We have an ambitious agenda for the year, and still have plenty of work to do.  In order to have a great community, we need to have great schools that both attract new families and convince families already residing here to stay when their children reach school age.
 
In addition to learning more about daycare options and our schools and conveying that information to the public, LEAP also sponsors activities that bring children and their families together.  While that isn't explicitly stated in this year's goals, it is part of our ongoing mission to bring kids and their parents together so that we can build the relationships necessary to support the changes we seek in area schools. 
 
Our agenda for this next meeting will focus on assigning items yet to be accomplished to volunteers.  Don't feel that you need to invest lots of time to participate.  If you can assist with one goal or even a part of one goal, we'll be further along as a community.  We'll also be discussing how we can have a direct impact on the children at Burgess-Peterson, specifically how we can work with the school's two new business partners to improve academic achievement.
 
If you can't make the LEAP meeting but would like to get involved or be added to our e-mail list, drop a note to education@eaca.net.
 

We'll also be talking on Tuesday about the new Atlanta Public Schools website!  For more information, view the latest issue of Talk Up APS.

 

For a consolidated view of all your local school choices, visit the EACA Schools page at http://eaca.net/index/about_east_atlanta/schools.

Zodiac - Layli Philips
Thursday, January 22nd - 7:00 p.m.
Astrology: A New You in the New Year
Facilitated by Layli Phillips

Layli Phillips explains how you can use astrology to change your life. Learn more about this ancient science, and how it can improve your life in 2009. Free discussion.

How to Write a Novel
Tuesday, January 27th - 7:30 p.m.
With author Sheri Joseph

Award-winning author Sheri Joseph will discuss her novel writing process. If you've been thinking about writing a novel, this is a great opportunity to meet a novelist and ask her questions.

Josef's first book was the story cycle Bear Me Safely Over (Grove Press, 2003, 272 pp., pbk., new $13.00). Her second book was the novel Stray (MacAdam Cage, 2008, 444 pp., new $14.00), which includes characters from Bear Me Safely Over, is also available.

Sheri Joseph teaches graduate and undergraduate fiction writing classes and serves as fiction editor of Five Points literary magazine. Her recently published novel, Stray, was awarded the Grub Street National Book Prize. Her cycle of stories, Bear Me Safely Over, was a Booksense 76 selection in both hardcover and paperback. "The Elixir," a story included in Bear Me Safely Over, was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. She has been awarded fellowships from the Sewanee Writers' Conference, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, The Kenyon Writers' Workshop, the Hawthornden International Retreat for Writers (in Scotland), the MacDowell Colony, and Yaddo. Check out Sheri out on

Let us introduce you to our studio, classes and instructors!  Location:  In Little Azio's Plaze on the corner of Ormewood & Moreland on the 2nd floor.

Atlanta Charter Middle School
As public schools, charter schools comply with state and federal regulations, and their admissions are open to all.  The school's size is limited by its charter. Presently, the Atlanta Charter Middle School serves 130 students. For the 2009-2010 school year, ACMS will enroll a new class of entering sixth grade students, as well as fill whatever openings may arise in the seventh and eighth grades.
 
Since East Atlanta is in The Atlanta Charter Middle School's primary attendance zone, registration begins on Monday, February 2, 2009 and concludes on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 4:00 PM.  Once the first registration period is over, a second registration period for the remainder of the city of Atlanta will begin on March 2nd.
 
You must attend a mandatory Information Session if you wish to register your child.  All students in the primary attendance zone that register during the first registration period have an equal chance of being enrolled, so there is no rush to register prior to attending an information session.
 
Information Sessions are currently scheduled at the school on the following dates and times (RSVP to Maria Larson at mlarson@atlantachartermiddle.com or 678-904-0051):

•  Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM
•  Tuesday, February 17, 2009 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM
•  Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM

If you are unable to attend one of the information sessions but are still interested in applying, please contact the school's principal, Matt Underwood, at munderwood@atlantachartermiddle.com or (678) 904-0051.
 
For registration details and applications, visit http://atlantachartermiddle.com/content/enrollment.php

Neighborhood Charter School
Registration for the Neighborhood Charter School (K-5) for East Atlanta families will begin on March 2nd and conclude on March 16th.

 

On March 12th, there will be two information sessions (in the NCS Media Center)  at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm.  Feel free to wait until after the information sessions to register your child, as it makes no difference when you register during the two week period.

Since East Atlanta is in the secondary attendance zone for NCS, it is highly recommended that you not wait past March 16th to register. The final registration period does not begin until April 13th, and at that point registration is open to all families in the city of Atlanta. Only Grant Park and Ormewood Park are in the primary attendance zone for NCS.

For more information about the registration process, visit http://www.neighborhoodcharter.com/enroll.html

Beginning in January, the Atlanta Charter Middle School (ACMS) will launch its enrollment season for the 2009-2010 school year.  Interested families can visit the school's website at www.atlantachartermiddle.com and click on "Enrollment Information" link to find out more about the enrollment process, upcoming information sessions, and visiting the school.

Imagine Wesley will be hosting Open House meetings and campus tours on the below dates from 6:30-8:30 p.m.:

• Thursday, January 29, 2009
• Thursday, February 12, 2009
• Thursday, February 26, 2009

2009-2010 registration has begun and the list of information needed to submit an application can be found here on the Imagine Wesley website.

 

The Atlanta Education Fund (AEF) is holding several small community discussions throughout the City of Atlanta to talk about Atlanta Public Schools.

Objectives of these small community discussions include informing parent participants about the performance of APS schools, using the district's performance metrics/data; and also soliciting ideas and suggestions about how to best increase meaningful community and parent engagement/involvement in APS.

For further information about the event and on the Atlanta Education Fund, click here.

 

At each month's EACA meeting, we present the monthly crime statistics for our area along with year-to-date trends and analysis. This year we will begin publishing the weekly crime reports in the EACA newsletter.

• Week 1 Crime Report
• Week 2 Crime Report

 

If you have additional questions, please direct them to securitypatrol@eaca.net, or call EACA Public Safety Chair Myron Polster at 404-429-8815.

Join or renew your EACA membership today! Annual dues are $10 per household. As an EACA member, you can vote at EACA meetings on topics of interest within our community. Additionally, there are numerous local business who offer discounts to EACA members. See the official list of EACA member discounts and take advantage of them by showing your 2009 membership card throughout the Village.

You can sign up for your 2009 EACA membership and order EACA Yard Signs on-line! Pay electronically through your online banking site or via Paypal HERE.

 

Contact Information:
E-mail: newsletter@eaca.net
Website: http://eaca.net

Submissions:
If you're interested in submitting an article to the EACA weekly newsletter, send it to newsletter@eaca.net by the end of the day on Friday. Include relevant dates, times, locations and contact information, as well as details of the event or announcement.