December 7, 2023

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December 7th & 8th - Dolphins Got Talent! Live Auditions

It’s time to unleash your inner star and showcase your talents at Dolphins Got Talent! Whether you’re a singer, dancer, musician, author or artist, we want to see you shine.



Participation interest forms were due by November 29th, so the registration is now closed. Participants who indicated they are performing a live act will be sent a link for Audition SignUps very soon!

Auditions for live acts will be held today (December 7th) and tomorrow (December 8th) from 3-6pm in the MES Auditorium. There are no cuts, so this is a great opportunity for our performers to get some early feedback on their acts.

The final showcase will take place on Saturday, January 27th, 2024, at the MES Auditorium. Visual Art & Writing will be showcased from 9:30a to 10:30a, followed by live act performances starting at 12pm (2 shows). 

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

December 8th - School Picture Make Up Day

GCI will be back on campus Friday, December 8th, 2023 for make-up day pictures. Picture proofs from Tuesday, October 17th were sent home in prior to Thanksgiving, along with instructions related to School Picture Make Up Day. You may choose to have your student take a make-up picture if you are not pleased with the result!

To order pictures, please download THIS FORM and send directly to GCI as instructed on the order form.

Week of December 11th to 15th - Holiday Spirit Days

This year, the MES Admin Team has planned fun, fellowship, and appreciation activities for our staff during each of the eleven school days of December. Principal Sofianos and her team have planned a series of special Spirit Days during the month of December and they would love to have the MES students join in!

Please plan for your students to participate in the following three Spirit Days:



• Monday, December 11th - Ugly Sweater/Shirt Day: Who will be the most creative or wear the ugliest shirt?
• Tuesday, December 12th - Satin, Sequins, & Sparkle Day: Celebrate New Year's Eve in your sharpest formal wear!
• Friday, December 15th - Pajamas/Comfy Clothes Day: Let's imagine we're cozy by the fireplace as we teach and learn on this last day before Winter Break!

December 11th - MES GO Team Meeting

The MES GO Team will meet this Monday, December 11th at 5pm for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting will be livestreamed on the livestreamed on the MES YouTube page for those who would like to watch. Recordings from past meetings, including the work session that was held on Monday, December 11th 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 (December 11th meeting ONLY) can be found on the MES GO Team webpage.

December 11th - Deadline to Contribute to the Annual Staff Holiday Gift Collection

Show some Holiday Love to the MES Staff and Specials Teachers with a donation to the PTA's collection by Monday, December 11th. This school-wide holiday collection covers all of the wonderful people who help make our school such a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow, including:

• Custodial staff
• Administrative and office staff
• Teachers of both Specials (PE, Art, Music) and Super Specials (STEM, Library, Spanish),
• GATE, EIP, ESOL, and Special Education teachers
• The school social worker, psychologist, and nurse
• Bus drivers

As always, no amount is too small, and giving is completely optional. If you would like to contribute you may do so via the MES Square Site.

Note that gift collections for classroom teachers will be organized on a class by class basis by the class parents.

December 11th through 13th - Dine Out for MES at Doc Chey's

Looking for an easy dinner during this busy time of year? Please plan to stop by Doc Chey's in Morningside Village anytime between Monday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 13th and 25% of your overall purchase will be donated back to the MES PTA when you mention MES. This offer applies to dine in or take out only; it is not valid for delivery orders.

December 12th - Last Day to Contrbute to the MES Student Council Canned Food Drive

Student Council will be sponsoring a canned food drive through December 12th. Please plan to send in any type of canned food item with your students (cans ONLY please, no boxed food). Student council members will also be visiting the classrooms to talk about the canned food drive with students!

December 13th - Staff Appreciation Cookie Party

Calling All Bakers and Sweet Treat Lovers!

In addition to the above mentioned gift collection, the Staff Appreciation Committee will also be hosting a Cookie Party on Wednesday, December 13th from 10:20am - 2pm. Please help our amazing staff stock up on sweets for the holiday season by signing up to contribute baked goods HERE!

Please plan to drop off your contributions after school on Tuesday. December 12th at the walker pad or before school on Wednesday, December 13th.

Homemade or store bought is completely fine, but please label for those with allergies!

Please email Stephanie Mayfield with any questions.

Friday, December 15th - Lost and Found Donation Day

Are you missing a water bottle or coat? Please be sure to look for it before the next donation day on Friday, December 15th! The Lost and Found is now located near the cafeteria, along the hallway to the library - simply check in the office before swinging by to claim your items. Please note that we will NOT donate any items that are labeled, as the front office staff will work to reunite all labeled items with their owners.

Please see opportunities to volunteer to help with Lost and Found HERE.

December 15th - Last Day of School before Holiday Break!

We hope that everyone has a warm and restful winter break and we'll see you back at MES for the second half of the school year on Wednesday, January 3rd!

PTA Nominating Committee and Next 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!

Save the Date for the Next Monthly MES Book Club Meeting!

The MES Monthly Book Club is off to a tremendous success, with more than 60 of our young readers participating in November's meeting. During that meeting, the December Book of the Month was announced: "The Eyes and the Wild" by Dave Eggers. The MES Book Club will meet right after we return to school on Thursday, January 4th at 2:45pm in the Amy Snowden Mather Library at MES for the discussion of December's book. You can RSVP to attend this meeting here.

Limited copies of the book can be checked out from the school library, purchased from your favorite local book retailer, or borrowed from the public library. Additional details about the book club, including a summary of December's book can be found on the MES Library webpage.

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.

Boosterthon: We did it, THANK YOU!

Last month, you helped us hit our Boosterthon goal out of the park through your tireless efforts to raise funds that will directly benefit your students. THANK YOU to every person in our community who made a pledge and/or helped students collect pledges. And, of course, we thank our students who stretched themselves to achieve an unbelievable amount of pledges. If you thought these kids could run, you should have seen how they danced!  

2023 Program Stats

Total Raised: $110,000

Student Participation: 84% 

Top Class in the School

Ms. Hatcher's 4th grade class raised the most. All the classes below will enjoy a pizza party!

Top Class from Each Grade

Kindergarten: Ms. Georges

1st Grade: Ms. Westwood

2nd Grade: Ms. O'Neill

3rd Grade: Ms. Varino

4th Grade: Ms. Hatcher

5th Grade: Ms. Blair

To celebrate us reaching our goal we had some addition fun with kids, which you can see in the linked video below:

https://vimeo.com/891147236/9377fbbf49?share=copy 

The funds raised will help support the PTA’s mission to make every child’s potential a reality by funding items in the PTA’s annual budget and all the amazing programming we have planned for our students and staff.

Calling all STEAM Enthusiasts!

Share your passion for your STEAM-related work or hobby by volunteering to be a presenter at Family Science Night (or recommend a friend you think might be great!). This year's event will take place from 6:00 - 8:00pm on Tuesday, February 13th (for grades K-2) and Thursday, February 15th (grades 3-5).

If you are interested in being a presenter or just have questions about the event, please contact the Family Science Night Committee at [email protected].

Yard Sign Recycling Is Back!

Do you have yard signs that need to be recycled? The MES Swag Committee is still collecting yard signs! The city won't take them in our blue bins, so please consider brining them to be properly recycled at MES. Simply look for our bins at the front doors of the school to drop off your signs for recycling!

The SWAG Committee is also looking for help delivering the collected signs to the CHaRM donation center. If you can help assist with this task, please sign up HERE! There's a smooth process to follow if you're able to help.

For questions, please contact Jackie Townley.

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!

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!

Please Participate! APS Crucial Matters Surveys are Open NOW!

At APS, we are committed to creating an educational environment that meets the needs and expectations of our diverse community. To achieve this, we need your input on several crucial matters. We acknowledge that surveys can sometimes feel overwhelming, but please bear with us - your perspective is invaluable.

Here are the surveys we kindly ask you to complete at your earliest convenience:

1. Superintendent Search Survey: Contribute to developing the profile of the next superintendent.

Survey Link

2. Annual Family Engagement Feedback (Survey closes December 8th)

Let us know what is and isn't working with your school's family engagement efforts.

Survey Link

We understand that it may seem like a lot of surveys, but each one plays a crucial role in enhancing the educational experience for all students. Your insights guide us in making informed decisions that positively impact the entire APS community.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the success of our district.

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.