March 8, 2013

Hello, Titans!

We've had a great week, full of celebrations as usual. We look forward to meeting our rising Titans next week, with Sweet Apple and Mimosa visiting us to tour the school. It's hard to believe it's that time of the year already, isn't it? We have lots of information this week, so please take the time to read carefully.

CELEBRATIONS:

• We are pleased to report that our very first ModelUN team did quite well in Savannah this week, bringing home four Honorable Mentions. Congratulations to France General Assembly members Noah Piper, Kate McFarland, and Brianna Marshall, Israel General Assembly members James Ellis and Jake Moody, and India Security Council members Sam McFarland and Robert Turko. A special thank you to Ms. Taylor and Ms. Simpson for all of their hard work with the team as they prepared!
• Good luck to the following students who will compete at the State Finals this weekend for the Technology Competition in Macon: 

• School Boards in Georgia will be honored the week of March 18 - 22, 2013 for their service to public education for all children. Our own school board member Linda Schultz supports EPMS in so many ways, and I feel lucky to have her in our corner. Please take a moment to send her a note of thanks.
• Our work with student use of technology at EPMS is getting us results. Not only are more students engaged in lessons due to the "fun" of technology, but we're achieving in competitions (above), and we increased the percentage of students scoring proficient on the 21st Century Skills Assessment by 20% this school year. Great news!
• Congratulations to Megha Khosla, our oratorical contest winner. The International Optimist Club Oratorical Contest is for elementary and middle school students. The topic of this year's oration is "Why My Voice is Important." She will go on to compete for The North Atlanta Optimist Club at Holy Innocents Church on Saturday March  16th at 10:00 am. Good luck, Megha!
• Former EPMS student Theresa Kilian, class of 2009 (Elkins Pointe), recently received approval of her project from the Girl Scouts Council of Greater Atlanta.  Her project is entitled "Women in Roswell: The First Hundred Years." It will be on display at the City of Roswell library, March 5 - 31, 2013.  Theresa is a senior at Roswell High School and will attend Georgia Tech in the fall.
• Congratulations to Sandra Kennedy who competed in the 2013 JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) National Indoor Championships on February 22nd. Sandra won first place for the 14 and under age division. On February 23rd and 24th , Sandra competed in the 44th National  Indoor Championships.  She again won first place for the 14 and under age division. Way to go!
• We are excited about our Kizuna Event here on Monday night, March 11th. The students and teacher from Japan will present, along with our former EPMS students who traveled there last summer, about this unique experience. There will be an article in this Sunday's AJC, as well as this write up, if you are interested in more details: http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/26136/japanese-student-visit-marks-2nd-earthquaketsunami-anniversary/
• Last month's Leadership Essentials recipient is Mrs. Linda Manley. We have selected her for this award because of her innate leadership. Not only is she an exemplary teacher, but a role model for her peers. We are lucky to have her!
• Next week we will be celebrating our Teacher and Employee of the Year at a breakfast graciously provided by our P.T.A. If you have not taken the time to congratulate Mrs. A.J. Smith or Mrs. Christine Vicente, please do so the next time that you see them.

BE IN THE KNOW:

• Don't forget the Band Pre-Festival Concert this coming Tuesday night at 6:30pm in the Auditorium. Hope to see you there!
• Do you have a student that will attend Milton HS who is interested in Junior Eagles football or cheerleading? Click here for details (Cheerleading or Football).
• Roswell HS Parents, here Mr. Huff has a note for you:
• Dear Parents,  I hope this email finds you well today.  I hope your child had a great experience meeting the Roswell High Counselors as they prepare our future Hornets for high school.  I'm excited about getting to know your children next year as they begin their new educational journey.  Rest assured we do our best to make their high school experience one filled with academic rigor as they prepare for post-secondary school and an experience filled with all of the excitement from high school life.If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please send your inquiries to askroswellcounselors@gmail.com.  And if you need me for anything, please feel free to call or email me. Sincerely, Jerome Huff, Principal, Roswell High School
• Fulton County Supporters of the Gifted announce their Spring Lecture: "How Georgia's New Teacher Effectiveness Keys System Can Help Your Gifted Child" on March 19th and 21st. Click here for more details.
• Business Partner CAGE RAGE is hosting a Middle School Dance next Friday, the 15th. Click here for details.
• Remind your students to have a little fun while supporting the 6th Grade Field Trip. This week we will host a Hat Day on Tuesday and a Pajama Day on Thursday. Students who choose to join in the fun will give $1 toward the fundraiser before school in the atrium.
• Volunteer Opportunities - Elkins Pointe Middle School: We are looking to fill the 2013-2014 Elkins Pointe Middle School PTA Board.  The positions we are looking to fill are President or Co Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and (5) Vice Presidents.   Please contact one of the following PTA Nomination Committee members by 3 p.m. Friday, March 15.   If you are not seeking a Board position but wish to be more involved as an event chairperson or serve on a committee, we still want to hear from you!  
  • Marnie Allen (Sweet Apple parent)   marnie4@comcast.net
  • Casey Mellor (Sweet Apple parent)   caseymellor@hotmail.com
  • Suellen Moody (Hembree Springs parent)  smoody10@gmail.com
  • Yvonne Lambert (former Sweet Apple parent)   lambertfour@yahoo.com
  • Quinda  Smith (former Esther Jackson parent/Mimosa liaison)  Quinda.Smith@wellpoint.com or QLSmith1062@yahoo.com
  • Ann Vance (former Fulton Science Academy)  annvance5@att.net
• Are you interested in joining us for our Golf Tournament and Fundraiser on April 13th? Click here to view the registration form.
• Thursday after school we will have our Staff vs. Student Basketball Game. If your child is interested in staying for the fun, be sure that they have a permission form.
• Progress Reports come home on March 21st, please be sure to check Home Access Center and keep up with your child's grades in advance so that we can keep those grades up!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Do you know why we fly the flags in our front Atrium? Do you know how those countries were selected? Those flags represent the native countries of the students who attended EPMS the year that we opened. Today, if we updated the flags, we would easily add another dozen, and continue to change constantly. This is the colorful fabric of the Roswell Community, and part of what makes Elkins Pointe Middle School so special. Have you signed up to help with International Night yet? Do you have artifacts, crafts, or talents that you could showcase for the event? Or maybe you would just like to cook a dish from your country and bring it in for others to try? Please contact Johnson Sensei (Johnsonmi@fultonschools.org) if you would like to help us make this event a special one. March 21st is approaching quickly, and she needs your help.

Your partner in education,

Principal

Elkins Pointe Middle School

Empowering Students for Tomorrow's Global Society