News from Elkins Pointe Middle School Edition 2013-2014 Issue 15

January 10, 2014

Hello, Titans!

I hope that all of you had a lovely holiday full of family, friendship, and relaxation. Personally, I was in Florida for two weeks with my family and enjoyed every minute of it. (Though I think the freezing cold upon my return was a bit abrupt!) Although we had a short week this week, it was a good one. The students settled into their classes quickly, and we got right to work. Everyone is rejuvenated and ready for second semester.

This week at EPMS

Let's celebrate!

I am pleased to announce that with our Toys for Tots drive through the band program, we were able to donate over 200 toys to needy children for the holiday season! Thank you to everyone who donated.
Additionally, our staff participated in a fundraiser just before the break so that we were able to support our homeless families for the holidays. As a result of our staff donations (and a few parents who learned of our fundraiser), we were able to support those families in need so that they could have a better holiday.
Congratulations to Media Specialist Susan Grigsby for being selected as a participant in the Dream Classroom Cadre! She will receive training in innovative approaches to classroom instruction and serve as a leader in the district to support others as they imagine and implement classrooms of the future. She will also be presenting at ISTE's 2014 National Conference. We are so lucky to have her as part of our staff!
Do you have student celebrations? Please be sure to let me know when your students have accomplishments so that I can share with the community.

Informational Items:

8th grade ITBS scores will be placed in the mail to go home on Monday or Tuesday of next week. I apologize for the delay, but with the shortened week, we were unable to get things processed as quickly as we hoped. Remember, if your child was at a different school in October, that school will have the ITBS scores for your child.
Was your 8th grader invited to a WRITING BOOTCAMP this Saturday? Teachers identified students who could use a bit of extra support before the 8th Grade Georgia Writing Assessment on January 22nd. If your child was invited, please take advantage of this unique opportunity.
Do you have trouble supporting your child with their Math Homework? Fulton County has recently posted resources to the Parent Portal on the Fulton County webpage. Take some time to check it out: http://portal.fultonschools.org/Parents/Pages/ParentMathResources.aspx. The link is accessible on the Parent Portal, in the Quick Links at the bottom of the page, simply titled "Math Resources" for future reference.
On January 28th, we will have our first Parent Night presentation focusing on the Common Core math curriculum. Susan Baker, the STEM Program Specialist for the Northwest Learning Community will be presenting. Click here for more details in English and Spanish and mark your calendars for this important event.
We are excited to offer Golf Squad Spring at Elkins Pointe Middle this semester with the start date on Thursday, March 6th for an eight week semester. This activity encourages boys and girls of all skill levels to participate and build the social and technical skill necessary to enjoy golf for a lifetime. Additional information on Golf Squad can be found at www.golfsquad.com. For specific info (dates, times, cost, etc) and online registration, click on the Elkins Pointe Middle page here: http://golfsquad.com/programs/georgia/greater-atlanta-2/elkins-pointe.
And finally, what are you doing on January 20th? The E.P.M.S. Beautification Committee is hosting a "Day of Service" on Jan. 20, 2014 from 9-1:00pm here at Elkins Pointe Middle School. This event is sponsored by the "Hands on Atlanta" organization. We are going to be cleaning up planter beds in the front of the school and putting down mulch. We are also going to be painting science tables, cleaning up the "Titan Trail," building picnic tables and planter boxes, and improving an outdoor eating area. Click here for additional details on registration. I hope to see you there!

Special Announcement:

I am pleased to announce a new Business Partnership for EPMS: Crossville Veterinary Hospital. To kick off this new partnership, CVH would like to help us update a computer lab! Dr. Denning wants me to share:

" For every family that becomes a customer of our veterinary hospital, we will donate $25 on their first visit and $10 for each subsequent visit. Send your friends or family members and we will give them the same credit when they mention our Elkins Pointe Middle School Partnership." Click these links for more information about the fundraiser and their business.

Upcoming Dates:

January 16 - Report Cards for First Semester come home (with Summer School Letter attached, if needed.)
January 17 - 8th grade AIDS Awareness Assembly during Connections
January 17 - On Pointe 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony
January 22 - 8th Grade Georgia Writing Assessment
January 22 - PTSA General Meeting @ 8:30am
January 23 - 7th Grade African Drums Performance 3rd Period
January 28 - 6th Grade Honors Breakfast
January 30 - 7th Grade Honors Breakfast
February 4 - 8th Grade Honors Breakfast

Local Club Opportunities:

Introducing Milton Guard Tuesdays! 14 practices, 3 optional weekend events, 1 performance - and a whole lot of fun! A great way to learn, hone, and enhance your Guard skills for next fall and beyond! Open to all 8th - 12th graders zoned for Milton interested in Guard. For new AND experienced guard participants. NO COSTS! Starts Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 4:30 with an informational meeting in the Milton Band room for students and parents followed by the first practice from 5:00.- 6:30. For more information and to indicate interest in participation, please email guardvp@miltonband.org. Click here to view the flyer.
Winter USTA Junior Tennis Teams! Blue Dragon Tennis, the new high performance junior tennis academy created by USPTA/USPTR/USTA HP Certified Instructors Robb Julian and Iztok Bombac, is now accepting players for Winter USTA Junior Tennis Teams in the 18u, 14u, and 12u age groups. 18u and 12u teams will be based out of the Edenwilde subdivision. The 14u team will be out of the Wexford subdivision. Both are approximately 2 miles from Elkins Pointe Middle School. Starting January 13th. Click here for more details.
Rising RHS Freshman Football Meeting: There will be an informational (player only) meeting for rising freshmen with Coach Ford and other RHS coaches next week. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 5:30pm in PE Room 06 ( hallway is on back side of Aux Gym) at Roswell High School. If you should have any questions, please contact Tracy Chuck at tracytchuck@yahoo.com or Kim Donaldson at kmdrd@aol.com.