January 11, 2024

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Friday, January 12th - Submission Deadline for Writing and Art Work for Inclusion in the Dolphins Got Talent! Showcase

One more chance to unleash your inner star during the return of the MES Student Talent Show, now with the new name: Dolphins Got Talent!

At our school, we believe every student possesses a unique talent waiting to shine, and that includes all of our writers and visual artists as well! The Dolphins Got Talent committee is currently accepting submissions of poetry, drawings, paintings, written pieces, and other physical artwork to be displayed during and after the talent showcase, which will take place on Saturday, January 27th, 2024 in the MES Auditorium! Materials for display can be dropped off in the designated bin in the Front Office now through Friday, January 12th. If you have larger items to submit, please contact Lindsey Checker to coordinate a pick up. For more details on the show, please visit the Dolphins Got Talent! webpage.

Any questions? Contact the PTA Dolphins Got Talent Co-Chairs: Blair Boyd Zant and Sanjam Duggal.

Monday, January 15th - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In both honor and celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, all Atlanta Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 15th.

Friday, January 19th - 100th Day of School!

Our MES Dolphins are 100 Days Smarter! Please check your emails from classroom teachers to learn more about how each grade-level and class is choosing to mark this milestone day!

Friday, January 19th - Principal Coffee Talk

The next Principal Coffee Talk will be held on Friday, January 19th at 8am in the MES Auditorium! All coffee talks will also be live streamed to our YouTube channel if you cannot attend in person. Please join Principal Sofianos to learn more about all the exciting plans for the second half of the school year!

Please save the date for the remaining Principal Coffee Talks for this school year (all at 8am in MES Auditorium unless otherwise noted): 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.

January 22nd - MES GO Team Meeting

The MES GO Team will meet this Monday, January 22nd at 5pm for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting will be held in person in the Amy Snowden Mather Library at MES as well as livestreamed on the MES YouTube page for those who would like to watch. Recordings from past meetings can also be viewed on the YouTube page at any time.

The agendas for these meetings, as well as past meeting materials and the protocol for signing up to speak during the public comment period can be found on the MES GO Team webpage.

January 23rd and 24th - Dine Out for MES at Varuni Napoli

Looking to take a break from making dinner for a night (or maybe two!)? Please consider dining at the Midtown location of Varuni Napoli on January 23rd and 24th from 5 to 8pm and 15% of the proceeds will be donated to the MES PTA when you mention "Morningside Elementary". Please note that this offer is for dine in orders ONLY; take out and delivery orders are not eligible.

Thursday, January 25th - PTA General Meeting

Mark your calendars for the MES PTA’s next General Meeting on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 8am! The meeting agenda will be shared closer to the meeting date, but one thing that will be on the agenda for sure is the election of a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is charged with preparing the slate of PTA Executive Committee Officers for the 2024-25 school year. The Nominating Committee is composed of 5 members and 1 alternate. The work of the Nominating Committee is primarily done in February and March, with meeting schedules agreed upon by the committee once selected. You must be a member of the PTA to serve on the Nominating Committee.



Please contact Jane Myung Park before the January 25th PTA meeting if you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee!

Morningside Reading Bowl is Moving On to the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl!

If you read Wednesday's Principal's Blog, you know that our MES Reading Bowl Team was victorious at our Midtown Cluster reading competition! The team of 4th and 5th graders will now move on to compete for the championship on Saturday, January 27th at the APS 2024 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl! Coaches Assistant Principal Dr. Sinclair, 2nd grade teacher Julillian Davis, and parent volunteer Brandy Alexander are so proud of the team and all their preparation and hard work!

Comfort Bags for People Experiencing Homelessness: A Dolphins Do Good + No Place For Hate® Project

In January and February the entire MES community will have the opportunity to take part in a community-wide service project to provide a comfort bag of hygiene items to people experiencing homelessness. This is an expansion of a program that MES has participated in for many years called Homeless at Heart. This year there is a classroom learning component and an opportunity for parents and caregivers to pitch in!

Classroom Activity: On February 7, MES will participate in the Global School Play Day and students will pack comfort bags which will be donated to various organizations that provide resources to people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta.

We need your help!

Please donate items by helping us fulfill a 'wish' registry found HERE to gather the needed items to create comfort bags for people experiencing homelessness. All items will be shipped directly to the PTA Dolphins Do Good committee.

On February 2, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, families are invited to come to MES to help sort the items to get ready for the in-class service project. This is a GREAT do-it-together, hands-on activity for you and your students. This is a drop-in event and we appreciate any assistance your family is able to provide.

On February 7, from 7:45-9:30 AM, we need floaters and in-class volunteers to help students pack the bags. Parent Volunteer Sign-up HERE

Questions? Email Lorraine Hatch or Ashley Tucker.

The Deadline to Purchase MES Yearbook is Fast Approaching - Don't Delay!

The deadline to purchase your 2023-2024 MES yearbook is approaching quickly. Please make your purchase by Wednesday, February 7th! The cost is $45. Click here to order your MES yearbook today!



The Yearbook Needs Your Photos to be Amazing!

The MES yearbook team is hard at work on the 2023-2024 yearbook! We would love to see all our students represented in the book, so we need your help. Please send pictures you have taken this year to [email protected]. This includes candids taken at MES, any MES events (e.g. Monster Bash, Thanksgiving feast, book character day, red ribbon week, international fest, Boosterthon, spelling bee), and class events (holiday parties and field trips). If you have great pictures from the year, we would love to include them in the yearbook!

When you send us your pictures, please tell us the names of the children pictured, grade and the event it was from. We can't wait to see what special memories you've captured.

Please contact Martha Decker before February 7th with any questions.

Save the Date for the MES Bust A Move Bash and Auction: Saturday, March 16th at The Carlyle

We're throwin' it back to the 80s and 90s - the days of neon windbreakers, boomboxes blazin', and gravity-defying moves. Clear your calendar, as we'll be rappin' about the good old days!

Our posse's been workin' hard but we need your help to make this a killer event! If you have or know someone that has potential interesting items or experiences to donate (i.e. sports tickets, fine art, sports memorabilia, gift cards, concert tickets, summer camps, private chef experiences, summer homes, etc) please contact our silent auction lead, Lori Brown at [email protected].

Let's bust a move for Morningside and make this the most bodacious bash the city's ever seen!

For questions about the Bust a Move Bash, please contact the event co-chairs Fabricio Moraes and Justin Hubbarth.

Morning Carpool Drop Off Reminder!

Friendly Reminders: 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, especially as we are a major route to Emory. We have even noticed a few cars dropping off students in the middle of the street! This is extremely unsafe for our children during a very busy time of increased traffic. We also ask that you please be kind and considerate community members to our neighbors near the school. The use of their driveways is not acceptable and we have received direct complaints.

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

MES Principal Blog

You may have noticed a bit more action on the Principal's Blog since the start of the year - that's because Principal Sofianos has set a New Year's goal for more blogging in 2024! Thus far, she has posted five blogs over the course of the 6 days we've been back at school. These posts highlight the latest happenings at Morningside, including an inside view of the work of our amazing students and wonderful staff.

Reminders about these posts will continue to be sent through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal straight to your phones and email inboxes, but you can also bookmark her Principal's Blog and check it out at any time! If you are not getting blog notices on your email or phone, contact the Charlette Jackson in the front office to update your information.

David T. Howard Middle School Principal Coffee Talk - Friday, January 12

David T. Howard Middle School Principal Dr. Hollis will host her next monthly Principal's Coffee on Friday, January 12th at 9:45am in the Howard Middle School Media Center. All Rising Rams families (or "Ramilies") are invited to attend these meetings in order to learn about life in middle school.



Rising Rams families, and anyone interested in following events happening at the middle school can subscribe to the weekly Rams Report newsletter here.

2024 Pre-K Lottery Coming Soon

Looking to jumpstart your child's educational journey? The Pre-K lottery application window for the 2024-2025 school year opens on February 1st at 9 a.m. through March 1st. The lottery drawing will take place on March 15th.



For more information on the application process, eligibility, and required documents, visit the APS Early Learning website.

APS Adult Education Classes Available for FREE

Discover APS's free Adult Education Program, where we support individuals in navigating the official Georgia High School Equivalency (HSE) Program, formerly known as the GED Testing Program. From selecting a high school equivalency pathway to test preparation, class enrollment, and short-term training opportunities, APS is dedicated to guiding adults through every step.

Additionally, our program extends beyond HSE with English as a Second Language and citizenship classes held at multiple Atlanta/Fulton County locations.



To learn more and enroll, click HERE and share the information with those who can benefit.

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 2024 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.