Hello, Titans!

Well spring is in the air, both literally and figuratively! The students are bursting at the seams, ready for a break. The teachers are working hard, getting ready for CRCT. And all of us are ready for some rest. So I will keep this as short as I can, so that we can all start enjoying our break sooner than later. Please note some very unique community opportunities at the end - don't miss out!

• Thursday's Roswell Rotary Luncheon was extra special this week, where the EPMS Interact Club was recognized for receiving the BEST OVERALL MS CLUB at the recent regional conference! Pictured here is a nice moment of celebration and recognition. Interact President Andrew Schoppenhorst represented us well and gave a great speech. We are so proud of all of our Interact students as well as our amazing sponsors for all of their support!

• We are quite happy to share additional good news from the Eastern Sectional Southern Zone age group Swim meet at Georgia Tech recently. Emma Scheider and Raunak Khosla also competed and represented Elkins Pointe Middle School quite well! Both young ladies swam in multiple events and beat their own personal best times at the event. Emma also made the finals in the 200 Butterfly. We are so proud of all of our athletes!
• We would also like to congratulate our very own teaching assistant George Conway, who was recently selected by the American Legion  Alpharetta Post 201 to accompany one of our World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. as his personal guardian. Approximately 60 veterans were honored with this all expenses paid trip to view the WWII Memorial, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Memorials and the Tombs of the Unknown Soldier. It was an amazing honor for Mr. Conway to be selected as part of this trip, and we are so proud to have him as part of the EPMS team.

• Have you heard of the "Hold Your Breath Game?" Unfortunately, this is a trend that becomes popular from time to time but is very dangerous to those who participate. Students hold their breath until they become dizzy or pass out, and some versions even involve hitting one another in the chest or choking one another to heighten the experience. For obvious reasons, this is a very concerning game, and it has started to surface recently in the community - thankfully not at EPMS. As always, I just want to keep you aware so that, together, we can keep our children safe.
• A note from Milton High School: Why take Latin in High School? So many reasons! Click here to learn more.
• Have you taken your parent survey yet? Remember that these will help inform not only the Title I plan but our School Governance Council's work on our 3-year strategic plan. Please take a moment to share your opinion with us: http://school.fultonschools.org/ms/elkinspointe/Pages/ParentSurvey.aspx
• Remember that student athletes are required to have yearly physicals.I wanted to make sure that you received the invitation to the FREE physicals that Resurgens Orthopaedics is performing in cooperation with North Fulton Hospital. Attached is the flyer.  Please help spread the word to any athletes that may be interested.  The athlete can print the physical form from the website and bring their completed form on the day of the physicals. Saturday, April 26 from 8am - 12pm, North Fulton Hospital.
• Stay involved - even in middle school! Click the links for tips on parent involvement, in both English and Spanish.  
• Though we all need some rest over Spring Break, do not forget that CRCT testing is right around the corner upon our return. Many parents have reached out asking for online resources to help their children study and prepare, so we have put together a list or resources. Click here for details.
• During CRCT, we will operate by a different bell schedule to maximize instructional time. Please make note of the schedule for April 22-28:

			8:50-11:30	11:34-12:24 8th lunch	12:28-1:18 6th lunch	1:22-2:12 7th lunch	2:16-3:06	3:10-4:00
4/22	Tuesday	Reading	CRCT	4th	5th	6th	1st	2nd
4/23	Wednesday	ELA	CRCT	4th	5th	6th	2nd	3rd
4/24	Thursday	Math	CRCT	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
4/25	Friday	Science	CRCT	4th	5th	6th	1st	8th
4/28	Monday	Soc. St.	CRCT	4th	5th	6th	7th	3rd

• Are you interested in your child attending a summer camp hosted by the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety and Alpharetta Police AthLeague? This is an AMAZING opportunity that is available to our students who are registered for the PALS program. This summer camp includes everything from CPR Training to Budgeting to Suicide Prevention, lasts the majority of the summer, and is going to have an amazing impact on our community. Our former School Resource Officer Vincent Johnson has given us the courtesy of early information since chances are all of the spots will fill up before Spring Break is over due to the limited space. Don't miss out! Click here to view the flyer and here to view the schedule
• Are you interested in your child learning more about the importance of Digital Citizenship? In this day and age of technology and social media, we are constantly discussing this with our students. But I must say that this presentation offered by The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Georgia CyberSafety Initiative is one of the most impactful presentations I have ever seen. I highly recommend this event if you are available on April 27th or 29th. Click here for more info.
• Are you doing spring cleaning? DON'T THROW OUT THOSE SHOES! A local girl scout troop is collecting shoes for those in need. So rather than throwing those shoes out or bringing them to Goodwill or NFCC, please bring them to EPMS so that we can help support these girls in their effort. This link will take you to more information: http://www.kintera.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dkLVKbOOLjK8E&b=8509049&ct=13720893