May 10, 2013

Hello, Titans!

We have had a week full of good news here at Elkins. Our 2012 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) reports were released this week, where we received a score of 90.9 out of 100 points! We are so pleased and looking forward to an even better score for this year's 2013 results, especially after our first glance at CRCT results. Though we do not have individual student reports yet, we can see that our percentage of students exceeding expectations improved greatly this year, with gains in eleven out of fifteen subjects/grade levels. A couple of our areas increased by more than ten percent. Excellent data to support a piece of our vision: differentiating instruction for both intervention and rigor.

Celebrations: 

• Our band and chorus performances this week were stellar. After both performances, parents came up and made comments about how great our music program is. As I type this, I'm getting ready to head over the Roswell HS for the orchestra concert, and I am so excited.
• I am just so proud of CCRPI and CRCT that I couldn't wait till this section, as I usually do. But one more great tidbit, 68 of our students scored a PERFECT score on the CRCT in at least one of their subjects. That means that more than 5% of our students are achieving perfect scores!

Be In the Know:

• For all rising 9th grade students and parents interested in information about running Cross Country at Milton High School in the fall, there is a meeting scheduled for Monday, May 13th at 7:00 pm in the Milton cafeteria. Students and parents are encouraged to attend this meeting to meet the coaches, learn about the summer runs, hear about summer get-togethers as well as learn about the fall XC season and schedule. If you cannot attend but would like more information, please email miltonxc@miltonxc.org
• As we approach summer, please start thinking about keeping your students engaged in learning for the summer months. Here is the link to the Fulton County Summer Reading Lists to share with your students: https://sites.google.com/site/fcssummerread/. More details to come on expectations from both EPMS and high schools as well.
• Remember that students who owe fines or books to the Media Center need to turn them in, as fines follow students to the next school year.
• We will collect textbooks during the last week of school. It's time to look under their beds and dig around to find those missing books. That way they will be ready and able to avoid fines for the books.
• The Roswell Police Department has joined forces with The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in support of National Missing Children's Day which is honored annually on May 25th. The Take 25 Campaign is a grassroots effort to bring attention to National Missing Children's Day, and it runs the entire month of May. The Campaign is designed to bring awareness to children's safety issues by encouraging educators, public safety personnel and parents to speak with children for 25 minutes about safety. Attached are a few flyers (provided in English and Spanish) to encourage conversation, and your help would certainly be appreciated. Take a moment to review these flyers (click here) because a simple conversation could save a child's life. For more information please visit www.take25.org.
• Here are a few reminders about the clinic and closing out the school year as well:
  • Parents: Please pick up any medications that your child has in the clinic. Any medications that are left on the last day will be discarded.
  • For the 2013-2014 school year, if your child will need to take medications at school, the necessary forms need to be filled out. Any prescription medications require a doctor signature and the SHS-1 or SHS-2 form filled out. Non-prescription medications dispensed in the clinic also require the SHS-1 form. Middle School students can carry Acetaminophen, Antacids, Aspirin, Cough or Throat Lozenges, Ibuprofen, Midol and Oral Antihistamines if the SHS-2 form is filled out and returned to the clinic. These forms can be found on the Elkins Pointe website or the Fulton Co. Schools website.
  • If a child has a medical need such as diabetes, asthma, peanut allergy, etc., additional forms are required. Please contact the clinic at Ext. 137 with any questions.
• There is a lacrosse camp this summer for students who will attend Milton HS.  Click here to learn more.

Did You Know:

Did you know that some of the 6th grade math classes are venturing into entrepreneurship? The students were approached by their Financial Investor teachers and asked to present a development plan for a new business idea! Students have completed cost analysis research to determine how best to complete the development of the business. In another week students will present their floor plan, billboards, and 3-D models to the class and defend their business ideas, much like the television show Shark Tank. Click here to check out their hard work so far!

Have a great weekend, Titans!