September 7, 2023

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Friday, September 8 - No Place For Hate: Buddy Bench Dedication

The No Place for Hate Committee invites you to join your student during their lunch period on Friday, September 8th for the dedication of the newly installed Buddy Bench on the MES Playground!

Students will recite and sign the No Place for Hate Pledge and we will have a countdown to reveal the new buddy bench donated to MES by EcoPlay Structures. 

No Place for Hate® is an initiative of the Anti-Defamation League offered free to schools. The initiative is designed to rally the entire school around the goal of creating a welcoming community committed to stopping all forms of bias and bullying. APS implemented the No Place For Hate program District-wide in 2015.

The No Place for Hate Committee is also looking for parent volunteers to assist with the ceremony during each lunch period. Please email Halley Blythe if interested. 

Friday, September 8 - MES International Festival Volunteers Meeting

We are excited about our first festival of the year, the return of the International Festival on Saturday, September 30th from 11am to 2pm. According to our recent survey, our community represents at least 52 countries! In order to ensure that we can have tables for as many of these countries as possible, we will need a lot of volunteer support, so please read on for more details about how you can get involved:

MES International Fest Volunteer Sign-Up

There are several ways to help out with this year's International Fest:

• Event Set-Up and/or Breakdown
• General event volunteer to fill in where needed or at underrepresented tables
• Volunteer by Country in one of the following roles (please indicate your preferred role during sign-up):
• 1-2 Table Leads per table
• Up to 6 Table Volunteers per table
• Unlimited number of Table Supporters, who are people who cannot volunteer during the event but want to support by donating, providing artifacts and/or décor, and more

We can only have tables for the countries that have volunteers, so we need you! We'd love to have all of the countries from our survey represented! If you're interested in helping out, please click the button below. Specific volunteer times related to set up will be determined once we know how many tables we have. Breakdown will be immediately following the event.

NOTE: There will be a volunteers' meeting at 8am on Friday, September 8th. Please make every effort to attend! Please email Shraddha Srivastav Strennen if you'd like to volunteer but cannot attend this meeting. You can learn more about International Fest on the MES International Fest website. For questions about this event, please email Shraddha Srivastav Strennen.

NEW NEWS! Waffle House is coming to International Festival! Want some?

It wouldn't be an Atlanta festival without a little Waffle House! Since the festival is 11am-2pm we thought it would be good to have lunch for purchase. Click on this link and let us know if you want some yummy goodness! This isn't a commitment, just a way to help the organizing ensure we have enough food for the event.

Sunday, September 9 - Kindergarten Bowling Social

If you RSVP'd, we look forward to seeing you for the first Kindergarten Social of the year - Bowling!

Kindergarteners and their families are welcome to join us from 1:00-2:00 pm at Midtown Bowl on Saturday, September 9th. You need to have RSVP'd by 9/1 to attend. Unfortunately, Midtown Bowl can NOT accommodate payment on site or additional bowlers the day of the event. If you've missed this occasion, don't worry, there will be more opportunities to come soon.

Monday, September 11 - Monthly MES GO Team Meeting

On Monday, September 11th, we will have our first MES GO Team Meeting at 5pm. The meeting will be available to attend in-person in our library and also live streamed via the MES YouTube channel, which can be found HERE. You are welcome to come to the school to view the meeting, watch it live, or watch the recording at a later time. The agenda for this meeting, as well as the protocol for signing up to speak during the public comment period can be found on the MES GO Team webpage.

Tuesday, September 12 - GATE Testing Information Meeting

If you are interested in learning more about Gifted and Talented at MES, please mark your calendars for our fall informational meeting:

GATE Testing Informational Meeting

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 

8:00am- 9:00am

Morningside Auditorium

This meeting is open to all MES parents and guardians who are interested in the testing process for Gifted services. Please come to learn more about the program, the approach, to ask any questions you may have and to meet some of the teachers. Please also feel free to visit the Atlanta Public Schools Gifted and Talented website for more information, including answers to frequently asked questions about how we identify, serve, enrich, and support gifted students

Please note: the Parent Referral Window for GATE testing will run from September 1st- 30th. The live link for the parent referral can be found here, under the GATE tab on the Morningside Elementary School website.

Dolphins Do Good Committee Meeting

Are you curious about the Dolphins Do Good Committee and initiative at MES? Please come to our first committee meeting on Thursday, September 14th at 8:00 AM in the MES Cafeteria!

Here you will learn how you can help to plan community service projects for MES students and community! We need your interest, passion and great ideas to make this another wonderful and successful year for Dolphins Do Good!

We will gather do discuss our community service initiatives for the 2023-2024 school year. If you can not attend, no problem! Please contact either Lorraine Hatch or Ashley Tucker and we will fill you in. Hope to see you there!

Friday, September 15th - Principal Coffee Talk

The first Principal Coffee Talk for this school year will be held on Friday, September 15th at 8am in the MES Auditorium! All coffee talks will also be live streamed to our YouTube channel if you cannot attend in person. During these meetings, topics will include the latest news from MES, as well as special speakers and visits from our staff. The first coffee talk will also include some data, news from each of our two assistant principals, a visit from our new counselor, as well as time for questions and answers. See you then!

Please save the date for the remaining Principal Coffee Talks for this school year (all at 8am in MES Auditorium unless otherwise noted): October 27th, January 19th, February 9th (BYO Lunch & Learn at Noon), March 15th, and April 26th. There will also be a special coffee talk, to be scheduled, which will be focused on Howard Middle School.

Sunday, September 17th - 1st Grade Bowling Social

Please join us for our first, 1st Grade Social of the year!

First Graders and their families are invited to join us on Sunday, September 17,2023 from 1:00-2:00 pm at Midtown Bowl, located at 1936 Piedmont Circle NE.



A flyer was sent home to first grade families last week as well, but we've had an issue with the QR code. If you have already RSVP'd, we have your information, don't worry! If you still need to reply, please RSVP to the EVITE instead where you will also find additional details and the Venmo link. The suggested donation is $10.00 per person bowling. Midtown Bowl can not accommodate additional bowlers or payment the day of the event.

Please RSVP and Venmo donation by September 8th. If financial assistance is needed to participate, please contact Anita Garland.

We look forward to spending time with you and your families!

September 18th - 22nd - MES Book Fair!

The 2023 MES In Person Book Fair will be September 18 - 22, 2023.

Visit the book fair webpage for all details



Buy a Book for a Class Library: 

Visit the Teacher Book Bins at the fair! These bins will be full of book titles selected by each teacher that will enhance their classroom library. Consider purchasing a book from a bin for a classroom library. After purchasing a book from a teacher book bin, buyers write their name on a sticker inside the book and hand deliver the book to the teacher!

Volunteer for the book fair:

We need your help to run the fair! We are looking for volunteers to help students find books. This is a hands- on volunteer experience with any student who needs help. View the browse / buy schedule on the web if you’d like to volunteer during your students browse/buy shift. Just remember, when volunteering you are helping the whole class. 

Simultaneous Electronic Book Fair:

An Electronic Book Fair is open until September 22, 2022. Search for “Morningside Elementary School” and then start shopping! Anything purchased from the Electronic fair will be shipped to the school the week after the fair and delivered to students in their classroom. 

BASC-3/BESS Starts September 18th

APS is committed to creating a culture of student support and the needs of the whole child. In our continuing efforts to support the well-being of all students, all schools will be administering a universal screener of social, emotional & behavioral health. There are two key parts of the screener for all students, as well as a third portion specifically for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. The two key parts include a brief rating scale for the teacher to complete and a parent/guardian rating that you will be invited to complete. Note that this portion is optional - it is up to parents and guardians to decide whether or not to complete the BASC-3/BESS rating scale for their children. Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will also complete a self-rating that will take 5 – 15 minutes to finish. Together, this information helps us understand the needs of all students, and to make effective plans to support those needs at the school, class, and individual levels.

No action is required at this time if you agree with your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade student(s) completing the self-rating scale portion of the BASC-3 BESS. If you would prefer that your upper grade student NOT complete the self-rating scale, please complete the opt-out form which was sent home in your Wednesday folder. Extra opt-out forms will also be available in the front office.

If you have any questions, please email Counselor Oseni at [email protected].

The MES Foundation Needs Your Support!

The Morningside Elementary School Foundation’s annual donation appeal runs through early October. Yard signs are popping up all over the neighborhood - get yours by making a donation of at least $250. Donors that contribute at least $500 will be invited to our Fall Social on November 8th.

Did you know?

Nearly 20 percent of the Morningside Foundation’s support goes to teacher training so our fabulous teachers can continue to develop their skills. Such training includes Orton Gillingham reading training, Dyslexia Resource Trust consultation, and attendance at professional conferences.

Donate today to help support our teachers.

Every donation helps and money raised this year will be spent this year. Please consider supporting the MES Foundation. Click HERE to learn more about the MES Foundation and donate.

Help Save WAVES - Committee Chair(s) Needed ASAP!

The MES PTA has an urgent need for a Committee Chair (or co-Chairs) for our annual WAVES talent show! WAVES is an amazing opportunity for our young artists, writers, musicians, and performers to showcase their talents on the big stage. As they say in the theater, the show must go on - but it can't do that without someone to pull it all together!

In order to allow sufficient time for planning and preparation ahead of our show in late January, we need to identify a Committee Chair no later than Fall Break (that's just one month away!). To learn more about this position, please visit the WAVES webpage on the MES website. You can also reach out to our past WAVES chairs with any questions you might have at [email protected].

If you are interested in this position, please contact our VP of Enrichment, Anne-Marie DeBacker.

Thank you for helping to shine the spotlight on our talented Dolphins this year!

Morningside Birthday Book Club

It’s time to begin our biggest fundraiser for the school library - Birthday Book Club! Be on the lookout for a paper copy of a flyer to be sent home this week or next with all the details, or you can download and print a copy at home by clicking here now. Raising money for the library benefits ALL students; this helps keep our collection fresh with updated series, new releases, and replacement copies of beloved books that are torn and tattered.

NEW THIS YEAR - There’s a new option to pay online - scan the QR code on the form to pay using School Cash Online. If you pay online, we still need a paper copy of your child’s information - just check the box that says PAID ONLINE. Thanks for supporting our library program!

Morning Carpool Drop Off Reminder!

Friendly Reminder: The ONLY safe and acceptable method of dropping off students in carpool is through our designated carpool route. There is no drop off allowed on East Rock Springs Road as it is extremely unsafe with traffic patterns. We have even noticed a few cars dropping off students in the middle of the street, which is extremely unsafe for our children during a very busy time of increased traffic. 

You can find the carpool route on the MES website Transportation page. Thank you!

STEAM Partner Interest Form 2023-2024

We need YOUR expertise, experience and help to shine a light on STEAM/STEM amazing Careers!!

We are looking for partners who are willing to share their STEAM/STEM career with students in any way that will help bring it to life:

• field trip opportunity
• in person speaker
• facilitated hands-on class project
• zoom speaker
• donation of supplies for a project
• OR sharing resources or contacts

If it is you or someone you know can help, please complete the form here or share it to help our MES students grow in their knowledge of diverse STEAM/STEM careers!

Technology Tips: Infinite Campus Parent Portal

One of the main apps that MES uses to communicate with parents is Infinite Campus, which we call the Parent Portal. The Parent Portal is an easy-to-use, secure communications tool that enables parents to access attendance records and grades for their students. Once you set up your account, you will be able to use this same account all the way through high school graduation! If you have any younger children, they will be added to the Parent Portal when they enter our school. There are some helpful links here for things like a forgotten password or if you still need to create your account. 

The Parent Portal is also the system that Principal Sofianos uses to send school related emergency or other messages. Be sure to create your account so that you can change your contact information if needed. It is important that you receive APS and MES messages at the email and phone number that is correct and most convenient for you. 



Please check your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account today to ensure everything is up to date!

MES Principal Blog

Principal Sofianos has been busy updating her blog this year, 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!

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 2023-2024 Diamond Dolphin, Dolphin, and Platinum-level sponsors for supporting our school!

For more information about Dolphin Donors, please click HERE.