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Nickajack  2014-2015  Beat

This Newsletter is jointly sponsored by the PTA and the NES Foundation. 
Stay Current: Visit NickajackPTA.org  and Like us on Facebook.

 

Issue: 2014-064
 

November 3, 2014



In This Issue
School Council
Elections November 4th
Standard School Attire Policy
Nominations Needed
Food Drive
Los Bravos Night
Square 1 Art Orders
America Recycles
Vinings School of Art
PTA Book Fair is Coming!
Griffin's Got Talent!
National PTA Reflections Contest
Local Author Visits
Order Yearbooks
Mark Your Calendar
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Announcing New School Council Parent Members
For 2014 - 2015 School Year

Thank you to those that were able to cast their vote for the two open positions on the NES School Council.  Nickajack welcomes parents Alecia McLochlin and Bruce Nicholson to the school council.  

A school council functions as an advisory body, offering recommendations and assistance to the school principal and whenever appropriate, the superintendent and Cobb County Board of Education on any matter relating to Student achievement and school improvement.
Elections: Tuesday, November 4th
Schools are Closed,  Please Vote!

Vote In addition to state and county seats up for election, the Cobb County School District School Board Post 2 seat, which represents Nickajack Elementary, is also up for election. 

There are 2 candidates running for the CCSD School Board Post 2 position. Education is a priority for our community, and this is your chance to be heard. Click on the candidates name below to learn more about each one. 

Susan Thayer    and     Kenya Pierre
Butter Braids Order Pick Up This Week
Wed. Nov 5th and Thurs. Nov. 6th

For those of you that submitted Butter Braids order forms and payments, your orders will be available for pick up this week in the cafeteria on the following days:
  • Wednesday, November 5th - 2:30 - 5:00 PM
  • Thursday, November 6th - 2:30 - 4:00 PM
Thank you for supporting the Relay for Life Fundraiser!  

Questions?  Please contact Beth Smith at
beth.smith@cobbk12.org or call the front office.
Last Chance - Share your  Opinion on the Standard School Attire Policy
Survey Deadline, Thursday, November 6th

Parents NES School Council needs your feedback! If you have not already, please take the time to share your opinion on school attire by completing a brief survey.  Our goal is to get enough feedback within the next few weeks to make a determination on whether to implement a Standard School Attire policy in the 2015-2016 school year.  

If you've attended Curriculum Night, NESF Great Skate, or Family Engineering Night you may have seen a table with information regarding this topic.  To see what other area schools have a SSA policy click here and to see sample policies click here.  

Please click this link to complete a short two-question survey.

If it is determined a policy is going to be implemented, details will be shared in January/February 2015 so that you can prepare accordingly.

Questions?  Please contact Eric Rosen at nickajackeric@gmail.com.
Outstanding Parent Volunteer Nominations
Please submit by Friday, November 7th

Do you know a parent volunteer that goes above and beyond for our students and school? Please consider nominating them to be recognized at the upcoming Character Assemblies.  

Research shows that students with involved parents are more likely to attend class regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, earn higher grades and test scores, and graduate and attend post-secondary education.

Please submit your nominations to Portia Carter by November 7th. Please include a short paragraph describing what your nominee does to make them an outstanding volunteer, and please include their student's name, grade, and teacher name if known. 
Food Drive for The Center for Family Resources
Please donate November 10th - 17th

Nickajack will be collecting food items for The Center for Family Resources, which provides over 1,500 Thanksgiving baskets to Cobb families each year.  Thanksgiving week can be more financially stressful when students are home from school for more than just a holiday meal.  Through participation in the annual Thanks for Giving food drive, our generous community captures the true spirit of Thanksgiving! 

With the harvesting hands and a helping heart, please consider donating one of the following items to our food drive:
  • Canned Gravy
  • Canned Cranberry Sauce
  • Canned Potatoes
  • Canned Green/Yellow Vegetables
  • Canned Pumpkin Pie Mix
  • Canned Milk
  • Canned Meat, Tuna, or Ham
  • Canned Fruit
  • Canned Soup
Beginning November 10th, please send any food items that you would like to donate to school with your child.  There will be collection barrels located outside the main office.  Thank you for your generosity!  

Questions? Please contact Nicole Weber at 678-842-5814, ext. 230.
PTA Los Bravos Night
Tuesday, November 11th, 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Come out for the "best fajitas" in town!

Be sure to sign in for Nickajack, 10% of all sales will go back to your PTA.

Los Bravos Restaurant is located in the Highland Station Shopping Plaza next to Publix off the East West Connector and S. Cobb Drive.

Thank you advance for supporting our Platinum PTA Pal and your PTA! 
Square 1 Art: Order Your Student's Art
Online orders only, deadline is November 14th

Square 1 Art catalogs were sent home last week, giving you the opportunity to order keepsake's with your student's artwork. Complete details are on the back page of the catalog, and the deadline is November 14th.  A portion of all orders will go to back to Nickajack to help fund supplies for our art department.

Questions? Please contact our Art Teacher, 
Ms. Bonadonna.

Washable markers are needed!  The current stock of thick washable markers in the art classroom is very low, please send in a box if you are able to contribute to this supply, it is greatly appreciated!
 
America Recycles Day (ARD) November 15th
Read for Recycling Across Georgia Nov. 10th - 14th

Reading and Recycling are important habits to form.  The Georgia Recycling Coalition is excited to encourage both reading and recycling through the Read for Recycling program.

ARD is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the U.S. Annually, ARD is held on November 15th.  Visit  www.americarecyclesday.org for complete ARD information.

For the first time in Georgia, during the week of Nov. 10th -14th, school students are encouraged to read books that celebrate, educate, and encourage waste reduction activities for prizes and Nickajack is joining the movement!

Join us as we promote recycling AND reading during the PTA Book Fair!  There are three ways you can join in:
  1. Recycle! Bring your recycling to school, we will have receptacles for the following items just outside the Media Center during the book fair for you convenience:
    • Printer ink cartridges
    • Aluminum cans
    • Newspapers and magazines
    • Plastic water bottles
    • Elmers glue sticks (empty)
    • Crayola and Sharpie markers 
  2. Donate books! Donate any gently used books from your students's collection to the book drive to support Giving a Hand, Inc. and the NES Media Center.  Books will be divided between the NES Media Center and Giving a Hand, Inc. based on appropriateness of the books.  Giving a Hand, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help other non-profit public schools, churches, and those living in poverty to continue to help their constituency.  Find out more at www.givingahandinc.org.
  3. Read!  Read a minimum of five books about waste reduction/recycling, log them, and write one fun fact about each book on the attached reading journal. Instructions are also included for you to turn in your reading journal by Tuesday, Nov. 25th to be eligible for one of six randomly drawn $50 gift cards from Barnes and Noble out of all participating schools.  Click here for the reading journal. 

 

Questions? Please contact Faye Yost.

PTA Spotlight: Vinings School of Art
Offering Camps Nov. 4th and Thanksgiving Week!

Vinings School of Art offers children's group classes for ages 2-15 years costing between $10-$15 per one hour class in:
  • Fine Arts (drawing, painting, sculpture-making, clay work, print-making)
  • Spanish Language Arts (6 different levels of children's Spanish grammar and language study)
  • Dramatic Arts (limited to 8 students, children learn to create & perform a unique script)
  • Music Education & Learning to Play Piano (1 hr. group class is limited to 4 students, $15 per hour)
  • Private Lessons in any of the above are available for an additional fee
Single session art class "drop-ins" 1st time, 1 hour, $15 (siblings $12) including art supplies.  After school and Saturday mornings! Join us for special Art and Fitness (fitness is done in the gym of the dance studio next door).  Choose a day(s): 1/2 day, full day, extended day on:

Camp Days: Nov. 4, Nov. 24, Nov 25, Nov 26, Dec 22, Dec 23, Jan 5
 
Schedule and Pricing are available by calling 678-213-4278 or at  www.viningsschoolofart.com.
PTA Scholastic Book Fair Is Coming!
Gift certificates available, Volunteers needed!

The book fair is here next week,  November 10th-14th, and Gift Certificates go on sale this week!  Book Fair flyers are going home this week, and gift certificates will be available to purchase this Thursday and Friday morning in the lobby, 7:20am-7:50am. Gift Certificates are ideal to help teachers to stock their classroom libraries, or for friends and family!  They will be available in increments of $5 (cash only please) and are exclusive to the Fall Book Fair, which will be located in the Media Center November 10th-14th. 

Volunteers are still needed! Help is needed with set up, cashiering, general assistance with students and shoppers, and break down.  Please consider a shift of one hour or more if you can! Volunteers will receive 10% off book fair purchases, please click here for shifts that work best with your schedule.

Book Fair Hours:
  • Mornings Nov. 10th-14th: 7:20 am to 7:45 am
  • During Friends & Family Luncheon: Tuesday & Wednesday, Nov. 11th & 12th, 10:30 am -1:30 pm
  • Afternoons: Nov. 10th -12th: 2:15 pm to 4:00 pm
  • Open late Thursday, Nov. 13th: 2:15 pm-6:00 pm
Questions?  Contact PTA Book Fair Committee: Sarah Lyons at sarahlyons@gmail.com,  or Faye Yost at faye.yost@cobbk12.org, or LaShana Clark at lashanaclark@gmail.com. 
Griffin's Got Talent!
Wednesday, November 19th

The PTSA annual talent show, Griffin's Got Talent will be taking place on Wed. Nov 19th at 7:00 PM in the Griffin Theater.  Advance tickets will go on sale Thurs. Nov. 6th for $5.  You won't want to miss seeing the superb talent at Griffin Middle School!!  Some of our very own Nickajack Alumni will be performing!  This is a perfect opportunity to come check out your middle school option.

Interested?  Please email NES & GMS parent Faye Yost at fayeyost@yahoo.com for advance tickets.  Tickets will be sold at the door the night of the show for $7. 
2014 National PTA Reflections Contest
Winners Announced!

Thank you to everyone that participated in the 2014 National PTA Reflections contest, a national arts recognition and achievement program for students.

We appreciate all of the hard work from the students and we had a large number of amazing entries in many categories.  Also, thank you to Ms. Bonadonna for allowing her 3rd and 4th grade art classes to participate in the visual arts category. 

We had a total of 43 entries for our three judges at the school level.  There are 17 pieces that won in their category and will move forward to the Jessye Coleman Council where they will be judged in November.  Artwork and literature pieces from the school competition will be on display in the library.  Good luck to all of the winners moving forward!

The list of winners can be found here on the PTA Website.
Local Author Visits Nickajack
Jenny L. Cote speaks to 3rd-5th Graders
jenny cote


Jenny L. Cote visited Nickajack Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 27th and presented her Creative Writing Workshop to all of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students.  The students were all very excited about learning how to improve their writing skills.   The students were also very excited about purchasing her novels. 


 

Please click here for the order form to purchase any of her novels through the PTA.   Books purchased through this order form will be shipped to the school and students can pick up the books at the PTA Book Fair.   Please turn in order forms and checks made payable to the NES PTA to the black box in an orange PTA envelope by November 7th.  Her books can also be purchased at Barnes & Noble or on Amazon, however, if you purchase a book via the PTA, the books will be autographed by Ms. Cote and "pawtographed" by Max & Liz, who were the inspiration for her writing.   Ms. Cote will also make a donation back to the PTA for every book purchased. 

Order 2014-15 Yearbooks Now!
Now on sale for $25

Order your yearbook now in order to get it for only $25.  That's $25 for a 92-page full color, hard cover book, full of smiles and school day memories! Prices will go up as time goes on so order now!

Order yours online now by clicking here,
and purchase with Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or PayPal. Add personalization for an extra $4. 
The yearbooks will be distributed at the end of the school year but must be ordered now for this low price!  

Great pictures needed! We always need classroom candids and great school event photos. Currently, our new yearbook site is being set up for direct uploading capabilities (NOTE: we are NOT using RePlayit anymore). Keep a look out for new uploading instructions in upcoming issues of The Beat and on the PTA Website Until then, photos can be emailed to the Yearbook editor at nes2014yearbook@gmail.com

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer with the Yearbook committee, please email Tracey Byrde at traybrzezinski@yahoo.com.
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Events      
  • 11/04 - School Holiday (Elections)
  • 11/10-14: Fall Scholastic Book Fair
  • 11/11 - Los Bravos Spirit Night
  • 11/11 - Friends & Family Luncheon, Grades 1,3,5
  • 11/12 - Friends & Family Lunchenon, Grades Pre-K,K,2,4
  • 11/18 - Chick-fil-A Spirit Night, 4th grade hosting
  • 11/24-28: Holiday, no school

More news and updates, as well as the PTA calendar snapshot for the school year, can be found on the NES PTA Website and the NES PTA Facebook Page