Elkins Pointe Middle SchoolMarch 16, 2015

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This week at Elkins Pointe

 

 

 

Hello Titans!

 

As always, last week was a joy here at the Pointe. Our Governance Council voted to approve our budget for 2015-2016, our Drama Performances were absolutely stellar, and the instruction taking place was top notch! Several of our teachers attended conferences with the Ron Clark Academy and AMLE on Friday, since we had planned on students being out of the building at the time the registrations took place. They all came back rejuvenated and bursting with ideas to improve their practices!

 

Let's Celebrate!

 

Sweet N Sour 

 

Congratulations to Mr. Dehart for putting on an absolutely fabulous "Sweet N Sour" performance!  Both nights were heavily attended, with both faculty and students dazzling the crowd with their star-studded performances.     

 

Yearbook News

 

Way to go Ms. Suckow!  Ms. Suckow and her yearbook staff were prominently featured in the latest edition of the Jostens Look Book.  This is an annual publication and features the best of the best from the Jostens family.  Less than five percent of over 18,000 schools that publish with Jostens are selected.  Titans are truly the best of the best!

 

Odyssey of the Mind

 

Congrats to Ms. Vining's Odyssey of the Mind club who competed last weekend and got 6th place in the state competition!  They are all 6th graders and have been working hard, since the beginning of the school year, in preparation for this competition.    

 

 

 

State Technology Competition

 

Who says that girls can't be Techies, too?  Congrats to Tech Team members, Priya Soneji (1st place in Robotics) and Andrea Billeter (2nd place in Non-multimedia Applications)! They participated in the State Technology Competition this past Saturday in Macon, GA. Go Titans!

 

Go Titans!   

 

Our school is featured in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website!  The main page (http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/index.html) of their website shows Japan's prime minister with other presidents/prime ministers from various countries. Our school is featured in the kids' section - http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/kids/kuni/usa_at_2015.html.  The pages are in Japanese, but can be easily translated into English with the right click of your mouse.


    

Informational Items

 

21st Century Learning Corner

by Anne Sexton, School Technology Specialist 

 

Fulton County Schools is currently training teachers in the use of Safari Montage, a virtual learning platform for teachers and students. Teachers can now create lesson modules containing audio, video, documents, and images and  share those with students to deliver a depth and breadth of content that would not be available from a traditional textbook. We are very excited about this enhancement to the teachers' toolkit.

 

Last week Ms. Crowe's Spanish classes prepared for their next chapter,"Te presento a mi familia" by viewing some video clips about Los Angeles that she posted on Safari Montage. This background information will give them a better understanding of the cultural aspects of the lesson. Ms. Crowe received positive feedback from her students on the way the content was delivered in a concise, easy to use way.  

 

Stay tuned for more on Safari Montage in the coming months!

 

Talent Show

 

THIS THURSDAY is our Talent Show! Come on out to enjoy the fun and see our talented Titans perform!


International Night

 

Ready, set... mark your calendar for our International Night!  This fabulous night is on Wednesday, March 25th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  This extravaganza is free and will take place in the gym and cafeteria.  Our students represent over 45 countries, and our faculty represents over 10 countries!  Bring your whole family to celebrate the diversity of our school and feast on international food from homes and local restaurants.  You will also enjoy live performances from many cultures, experience cultural music, play cultural games, and have an opportunity to purchase souvenirs from our World Market.  Tickets for food and activities will be sold at the door for $0.25 each. Most food items range from 4-6 tickets.  Come see what the Titans are all about!

 

BOTT time... Battle of the Titans!   

 

That's right! Don't forget that our annual BATTLE OF THE TITANS is the Friday before Spring Break. This day is full of fun, fellowship, and competition. The students absolutely love the day ... which is partially all about getting somebody to "sign your shirt" for a keepsake in the future. Parents please click here to order a t-shirt for your child to participate in a day of fun-filled competition. Please remember that attendance is expected, so any absences will still be subject to the excuse process.

 

Pajamas in school?... yes!    

 

The 7th grade is hosting a pajama pants fundraiser on Friday, March 20.  The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money for their future field trips.   Click here for more info.

 

Parent Workshop

 

Did you miss out on the Parent Workshop regarding Writing and the new Milestones assessment last week? Don't worry! We are working to get the video online and plan to include a link to the presentation next week.

 

LSGC News

 

Remember that we will be selecting new members for our Local School Governance Council before the end of the year. The 1 year term positions are coming to a close. Are you interested in being more involved in the decision making process for the school? Now is your chance! Stay tuned for details in future newsletters.

 

Georgia Milestones Testing

  

 

GA Milestones Testing will begin exactly one month from today. Hopefully you have stayed involved in discussions throughout the year and know some of the changes that are coming our way with the new testing, but here are a few reminders:

 

  • Expect more rigorous test questions that require a deeper level of critical thinking, drawing connections between different reading passages, and open-ended questions as well. Because the test questions are far more than multiple choice on the new test, we anticipate that scoring will take much longer, and results may not be available until the middle of Fall semester.
  • Because of online testing, students will test in either the morning or the afternoon. Make sure your child brings a healthy lunch to school each day to keep their energy up for afternoon testing.
  • The testing window lasts for two weeks because some of the students take an online version of the test, and computer lab space is limited. Because of this, the county allots two days for each subject test. Note that student groups testing online will be TAG, ESOL, and Special Education. Our schedule is tentatively set to hold all testing on the first day of each subject, allowing for one "regular" day between each test. We hope this will allow for students to rest, study, and recuperate each time - in addition to handle make ups.
    • 4/16 - 4/17 - ELA Sections 1 & 2
    • 4/20-4/21 - ELA Section 3 Writing
    • 4/22 - 4/23 - Math Sections 1 & 2
    • 4/24 - Make Up Day
    • 4/27 - 4/28 - Science Sections 1 & 2
    • 4/29 - 4/30 - Social Studies Sections 1&2
    • 5/1 - Make Up Day
Community News

The Latino College and STEM Fair  

 

Awesome and free opportunity.... don't miss this one!  The Latino College and STEM Fair is a great opportunity for our Hispanic community to learn about opportunities to attend college and apply for scholarships. The event free event for students and parents. Childcare and transportation is also free!  The event will take place on March 28th, from 9:30-2:30 at the Georgia Tech Student Center.   For more information please contact our Spanish teacher Profe Araujo at araujom@fultonschools.org or visit her at the school.

 

Attention rising 7th & 8th grade girls   

 

You are invited to our TEC (Technology, Engineering & Computer) Camp, which will be held from June 1 - 5, 2015 on the Georgia Tech campus.   This fun and interactive camp is hosted by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering Program and is designed to give girls an early introduction to the exciting world of engineering with the hope of inspiring them to eventually consider college majors and careers as engineers.  Click here for more information about the camp.  

 

Calling all Cheerleaders!   

 

Roswell High School tryouts will start on March 30th - April 2nd.   If interested for the fall, please stop by the front office and pick up an informational packet. You can also visit the RHS Cheerleading website at roswellhornetcheer.shutterfly.com. Go to the "tryout" tab to download the forms.  For additional questions, please contact Susan Jones at susanjones1234@bellsouth.net or at 404-934-9719.

 

Roswell Junior Hornets Cheerleading  

 

Roswell Junior Hornets Cheerleadingwill be holding a parent meeting on Tuesday March 31st, at Crabapple Middle school at 6:00.  Tryouts will start on April 13th- 17th.  Go Hornets!

 

Upcoming Dates

  • 3/19 -Rising 6th Grade Parent Orientation @ 6pm (TAG @ 5:15), Students welcome
  • 3/19 - Talent Show
  • 3/19 - Progress Reports Go Home
  • 3/20 - 7th Grade Pajama Fundraiser
  • 3/21 - Writing Workshop - invite only
  • 3/24 - Kakehashi Event (Welcome Japanese Exchange Students)
  • 3/25 - International Night
  • 3/27 - 8th Grade field trip to MHS or RHS
  • 3/28 - Writing Workshop - invite only
  • 4/3 - Battle of the Titans
  • 4/6 - 4/10 - Spring Break
  • 4/16 - 4/30 - GA Milestones Testing

Have a great week, Titans!

 

Sincerely,
  
  sig  


Melinda Springman, Ed. S.

Principal
Elkins Pointe Middle School