Hello, Titans!

As always, a lovely and productive week here at Elkins Pointe Middle School. Report cards went home this week, and we started a new 9 weeks. We have a lot to celebrate today, including this morning's announcement that our very own Miyuki Johnson has been selected as the Northwest Learning Community TEACHER OF THE YEAR and is now eligible to compete with the other three learning community's Teachers of the Year for the District-Wide Teacher of the Year. We are so very excited for her and proud to have her as a Titan. おめでとうございます, Johnson Sensei!

The Celebrations Continue!

• We are so very pleased and proud to announce that four of our students placed at the State Level Competition for PTSA Reflections this year! Congratulations to Gabrielle DuChateau, Owen Carney,  Elizabeth Nicholson , and Danny Tavers on their achievement. We are fearful that we may have missed some other students in this list, as the information has come to us piece by piece, so if your child placed at the state level as well, please let us know. Their work will be on display along with the other winners at the High Museum of Art on March 23rd from 1:00 - 5:30. Way to go, Titans!
• Teacher Rossie Kennedy has the exciting honor of attending the 2014 Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program at the US Space & Rocket Center in Alabama this summer. This is a highly selective program, and we cannot wait to see what she brings back from the experience! 
• The staff was once again victorious in the Staff v Student Basketball Game, with a score of 57-50. Such a fun game, and a great tradition continues. I tweeted the photo yesterday, so if you'd like to check it out, be sure to follow us @elkinspointe 
• We are wishing good luck to Ida Klausen at the Eastern Sectional Swim Meet at GA Tech Aquatic Center. This competition is between State and National level, so we cannot wait to hear how she does! 
• The Roswell Santos U14 Girls soccer team won their division in the 2014 Red Diamond Vulcan Cup soccer tournament held in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 8-9. The undefeated team swept their division by scoring a total of 9 goals and allowing only 2 goals. EPMS 8th grade students on the team include Sara Beth Hansard, Molly Mishler and Laura Azzi. Great job, ladies!
• Student Liam Frank made us proud once again at the Math Counts Competition this week, placing 10th in the entire state of Georgia, out of 100's of students. He has represented EPMS well during his time here, and we are certain he will continue on to do great things!
• And last but certainly not least, congratulations to our Band Program for bringing home STRAIGHT SUPERIORS at the Large Group Performance Evaluation, rounding out the honor for the entire program. That's right, Band, Chorus, and Orchestra all received straight superiors this year, which means that our entire program received perfect ratings. What an amazing accomplishment!
  
   

• March 27 - Rising 6th grade Parent Night (5:15 for TAG; 6:00 All Parents)
• March 27 - International Night
• March 29 - Track Meet
• March 29 - Saturday School, 9:00 - 1:00, Math and ELA, Invitation/Summer School Only
• April 1 - Spring Pictures, pre-paid only
• April 7-11 - Spring Break 
• April 17 - Teacher and Employee of the Year Breakfast Celebration
• April 19 - Saturday School, 9:00 - 1:00, Sci and SocSt only, Invitation/Summer School Only
• April 22 - 28 - CRCT Testing (no excused absences)
• April 23 - Linda Schultz Community Board Meeting @ RHS, 6:30pm
• April 29 - Progress Reports go home / Summer School Registration Begins
• April 29 - Chorus Field Trip
• Other Date Changes / Major Events:
• May 2 - 8th GR Career Day (1st and 2nd pd only)
• May 9 - Battle of the Titans
• May 16 - 8th Grade Dance
• May 20-22 Final Exams (no excused absences)
• May 23 - Last Day of School / Graduation Ceremonies

Spring is here. This change of seasons is always a good time to talk about safety precautions for your children. The days are longer now, which gives more daylight for your child to play outside. Also, many of our children now leave for school when it's dark outside. In light of several news broadcasts I have seen recently, I want to remind you that it is very important that we do all we can to make sure their trip is safe and uneventful. We believe that our communities are still very safe places to live and play. However, please remind your children to always be aware of their surroundings and to report any unusual contact they have with strangers. Encourage them to talk with you or a school staff member if something doesn't seem right in their surroundings. Also, please also ask your child to be careful when walking to/from a bus stop or while waiting for the bus to arrive. Many drivers are also adjusting to the season change, so children need to be especially careful when they are near busy streets. We take children's safety very seriously - both at school and in the community. Thank you for partnering with us to keep everyone safe. As always, my door is open if you wish to talk about safety concerns or other school matters.