July 29, 2023

Ver esto en español

用中文（简体）查看

Available Now - Teacher Assignments and School Bus Routes

Teacher Assignments

Teacher assignments are now available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal for all returning MES students in grades 1-5. However, Rising Kindergarten and new MES families should have received their teacher assignments via U.S. mail earlier this week. All incoming MES students can also find our their assigned teachers now by checking out the lists currently posted on the main doors to the school. Students are listed in alphabetical order. Please note that for security reasons, we ask that you do NOT post photos of the teacher assignment lists online, including in the private MES Facebook group.

School Bus Routes

School bus routes were published by APS on Wednesday, July 26th and can be viewed here. Please note that some of the times may be adjusted as drivers learn their routes, but the general routes and bus numbers are now set! *NOTE: Buses will depart MES at 2:45pm. Until revised times are posted, assume that all afternoon stops are 10 minutes later than listed. Please be patient the first week of school as buses *may* depart a few minutes late from MES.

Friday, July 28 - Transportation Forms Available

MES will once again be using PikMyApp to manage the dismissal process for ALL students (including bus riders, walkers, carpool, and Morningside After School). PikMyKid is used throughout the year to set up default dismissal options, change dismissal options as needed, and alert the school when you have arrived to pick up your students. MES has a ton of information on PikMyKid available on their website, here.

In order for your students to show up in your account in PikMyKid, you MUST submit a new Transportation Form for the 2023-2024 school year for each child you have attending MES. Transportation Forms for this year are now available HERE. A notification to complete this form will be sent via Infinite Campus once the 2023-2024 forms are available. Please note that you will need the name of your student's teacher and their assigned bus numbers (if applicable) to complete this form. MES administrators are asking that all Transportation Forms are submitted PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ON AUGUST 1st.

Once you have submitted your Transportation Forms, PLEASE BE PATIENT. MES administrators will be working quickly over the weekend and throughout the first week of school to activate each student's profile within the app. As Mr. Baron says, TRUST THE PROCESS. If you've set up the app and submitted your Transportation Forms, your students will magically appear within the app within a few days. There is no need to submit the form more than once for each student.

If you are looking for additional details about transportation at MES, including the updated map for carline and the walker pad, arrival and dismissal procedures, and more, please visit the MES Transportation webpage.

Sunday, July 30 - MES PTA Parent Work Day



To make sure our campus is looking it’s best, the MES PTA is organizing a parent work day this Sunday, July 30th from 9am to noon. Over the course of the morning, we’ll be raking, cleaning, planting and more all throughout our campus. The more volunteers we get, the more we can accomplish!

If you are interested in helping out, please fill out this Sign Up Genius so we know to expect you. Don’t forget your sunscreen and work gloves!

Monday, July 31 - Meet the Teacher Day

Once you know who your teacher will be, the next step is to meet them! Meet the Teacher Day will be on Monday, July 31st during the following times:

• Families with last names that start with A-M: 9-10am
• Families with last names that start with N-Z: 10-11am

Meet the Teacher Day is a great opportunity to see the school, help your child find their classroom (using our colored dots wayfinding system!), drop off all of those new school supplies, and of course, get to know your new teachers. With our return to the newly renovated East Rock Springs campus, this is sure to be an exciting morning for everyone!

Meet the Teachers Day will end promptly at 11am so that our teachers have time to complete all of their last minute school preparations. If you have multiple students/classrooms to visit, please be sure to plan enough time to complete the rounds before 11am.

NOTE: If you ordered school supply kits through the school last spring, they will be delivered to your homes prior to the first day of school. If you still need to shop for school supplies ahead of Meet the Teacher day, the school supply lists for each grade are here.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Tuesday, August 1st!

We can't wait to see everyone's smiling faces on Tuesday, August 1st as we open the doors to a new school year! As a reminder, on Day One, you are welcome to walk your child to the classroom. After Day One, no matter the transportation method, our MES students walk to the class on their own, without a parent. We have trained adults ready to assist, with much expertise in transitioning our students to their classes. Kids also love following the dots on their own!

Parking on Day 1

Parking on the MES East Rock Springs campus is very limited, and the school is asking that all on campus parking spots be reserved for MES staff. Parents are also asked to NOT park on East Rock Springs in front of the school as this is where the school buses unload in the mornings. Please be respectful of our neighbors when parking near the school and walking up to campus, on Day 1 and whenever you come to visit us on campus.

Coffee and Kleenex

After your students are settled into their new classrooms, please join us for a longstanding MES tradition: Coffee and Kleenex! The MES PTA will be providing the coffee and MES administrators will stop by to say hello. This is a great way to kick off the school year by getting to know your fellow MES parents!

School Hours

School hours at MES for the 2023-2024 school year are:

• School Hours - 7:45 am - 2:45 pm
• Car Line Doors Open - 7:20 am
• School Starts/Tardy Bell - 7:45 am
• Notify School of Change in Dismissal (via PikMyKid app) - 2:00 pm
• Dismissal - 2:45 pm

School Breakfast and Lunch

Please be sure that your students are prepared for the day by eating a healthy breakfast and bringing their lunches to school. If your students would prefer to purchase one or both of these meals, they may do so in the cafeteria. Breakfast is available as a "grab and go" option from 7:15-7:45am, while lunches are available for purchase during the grade level lunch periods. Students will use the My School Bucks app to pay for meals throughout the year, so please be sure to set up and per-load their accounts before the first day of school!

Thursday, August 3 - MES Parent Orientation

There is so much to know about "school" that the MES Admin Team has decided to add this meeting tailored for our school and parents, with a focus on school safety as well as how to build strong parent-teacher-school connections. We'll also spend some time talking about the plans for MES as we return “home”. This session is intended for ALL parents, new and veteran, with content curated by MES staff - including teachers, our school resource officer and our support staff. 

This orientation will happen via a Zoom meeting for MES parents only, so that we can share our safety plans transparently and securely. The Zoom link will be sent directly to parents via our Campus Parent Portal text & email system. The recording will be available afterwards via a secure link shared only with our MES staff and parents.  

Friday, August 4 - Kindergarten Parent Welcome

Please join us for this special session tailored to kindergarten parents and guardians. There will be a special visit from the teachers, as well as helpful information and lots of time for questions and answers! This event will be hosted in the MES Auditorium.

Monday, August 7 - Last Day to Buy a Brick to Support the MES Garden

The MES Garden Brick Sale is back!

As some of our Dolphin families may remember from last spring, our beloved garden space at MES took a bit of a beating during the recent renovation and now needs a bit of love to bring it back to its full potential. To raise money for this effort, our PTA SWAG team is once again giving people the opportunity to “buy” bricks in our garden pathway. This is a great way to leave a message to future classes and support your school at the same time!

We are selling two sizes of bricks during this sale:

- Standard bricks (4x8) are $250 and can include up to three lines of text

- Large bricks (8x8) are $500 and can include up to five lines of text

Bricks can be purchased on the PTA Square Site. More details can be found on the Garden page of the MES website. For questions about the brick sale, please contact Jackie Townley.

Thanks for all your support as we work to bring back our outdoor learning space!

Thursday, August 10 - PTA General Meeting

Mark your calendars for the PTA’s first general meeting on Thursday, August 10 at 8am in the MES Auditorium. All visitors must check in at the front office upon arrival. This meeting will also be livestreamed via the MES Facebook Page for those who cannot attend in person.

We are sure to have lots of exciting agenda items, including introducing the new Executive Board for the 2023-2024 school year, sharing PTA priorities and ideas for the new year, and voting to approve the budget. You can learn more about the MES PTA here.

Join the MES PTA in 2023-2024!

PTA Memberships for 2023-2024 are on sale now via the PTA Square Site. Becoming a voting member of the PTA will cost $10 for teachers and parents and $5 for non-certified paraprofessionals employed at MES. These one-time membership fees help support the work of the PTA throughout the year, so thank you for becoming a paying member!

SAVE THE DATE - Back to School Night!

Back to School Night will be split across two nights this year. Please save the following dates to join us for this exciting evening where parents will learn more about life at MES directly from their children's teachers:

• Tuesday, August 22 - Grades K – 2 Back to School Night
• Thursday, August 24 - Grades 3 – 5 Back to School Night

MES PTA Help Wanted for the 2023-2024 School Year!

Open PTA Committee Chair Positions

A PTA like ours cannot do all of the awesome things we do without a lot of support from our parents and community members. Our PTA is currently looking to fill the following open Committee Chair positions as soon as possible:

• Monster Bash Committee Chair
• Boosterthon/Dolphin Dash Committtee Chair
• MES Arts Showcase (WAVES) Committee Chair

Please visit the MES PTA Current Volunteer Needs webpage to read more about each of these positions. Thanks!

Parent Classroom Volunteer Sign Ups

This year, it is our goal that each classroom teacher at MES us supported by a regular team of parent classroom volunteers. This team will include at least one Room Parent, Social Chair, SWAG Liaision (that's Sustainability, Wellness, and Garden), and a Yearbook Liaision. Sign ups for these positions will open on Monday, August 7th via Membership Toolkit. More details on parent volunteers at MES can be found here.

MES Principal Blog

Principal Sofianos has been busy updating her blog this summer, with some help from Assistant Principals Dr. Sinclair and Mr. Baron! Be sure to keep up with all the school news straight from the principal's desk by bookmarking her Principal's Blog and checking back often!

APS Board of Education Monthly Meeting - Monday, August 7

The next monthly APS Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, August 7th from 2:30-8:00pm. All meetings are held at the Atlanta Public Schools Center for Learning and Leadership Auditorium and are typically livestreamed via the APS Board of Education Facebook Page. Interested parties are welcome to provide comments during the Community Meeting portion (which begins at 6:00pm) by signing up in person from 5:00-5:50pm.

Stay Up to Date with the APS Midtown Cluster

Click HERE for resources directly related to our cluster.

Stay Up to Date with the 2023-2024 APS Calendar 

Click HERE to view the district calendar and start planning for all the breaks.

Click HERE to view the Atlanta BOE 2023 Calendar.

Thank you to our 2022-2023 Diamond Dolphin, Dolphin, and Platinum-level sponsors for supporting our school!

Sponsorships for 2023-2024 will be available soon!

For more information about Dolphin Donors, please click HERE.