November 30, 2023

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December 4th through 8th - Inclusive Schools Week!

Join us to celebrate this very important week December 4-8th! There will be a variety of activities within classrooms happening across the school.

Please show your support by having your student(s)/child(ren) wear NAVY BLUE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6th! 

Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population. Inclusive Schools Week allows us all to take a moment to applaud the progress we’ve made toward building more inclusive school communities while pledging to continue our work toward becoming a more inclusive society.

This year’s Inclusive Schools Week 2023 theme is: Draw Me In. Many children begin to communicate through the language of art even before using words. We’ve often heard, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

The need to belong is a basic need of all students and an integral component of effective inclusive schools. To be inclusive implies a fundamental commitment to building relationships among students, families, educators, and the community to support safe and positive learning environments.

Artist and muralist, Kyle Holbrook, founder of Moving the Lives of Kids, has joined the Inclusive Schools Network to share his vision and knowledge of public art as a way to reach and include all kids. As we celebrate Inclusive Schools Week 2023, let us ALL respond—Draw Me In!

December 4th and December 11th - MES GO Team Meetings

The MES GO Team will meet twice this month in order to complete their strategic planning work as well as the usual agenda items for the monthly meetings:

• Monday, December 4th at 3pm - MES GO Team Work Session (held in person in the Amy Snowden Mather Library and livestreamed on the MES YouTube page)
• Monday, December 11th at 5pm - MES GO Team Monthly Meeting (livestreamed on YouTube ONLY)

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 7th - Kindergarten Visiting Author/Illustrator: Mike Lowery!

To support the Kinder week of STEAM learning building houses and bridges for Gingerbread Men, there will be a visiting author/illustrator on Thursday, December 7, 2023! Mike Lowery, illustrator of the Gingerbread Man Loose in the School Series, will visit with our Kindergarten students in a special assembly. This event is students only please.

His presentation may include a directed drawing, or general information about being an author and illustrator. Mr. Lowery has come to our school in years past and has always been a big hit! Be sure to ask your Kinder child all about it!

December 7th - Fun Flannel Day

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!

The first Spirit Day will be Fun Flannel Day on Thursday, December 7th, when everyone in our school community is urged to wear their favorite flannel as we ease towards Winter Break!

There will also be three additional Spirit Days the following week:

• 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 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 on December 7th and 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 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 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.

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.

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!

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. Student Calendars for School Years 2025-2026, SY 2026-2027, and SY 2027-2028 (Survey closes December 5th) Share your priorities regarding the student calendar.

Survey Link

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

Survey Link

3. 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

4. Amp Up APS! Districtwide Equity Student Survey (Survey closes November 30, 2023) If you have a 4th-12th grade student, please encourage them to share their unique perspective and help shape the district's efforts to advance equity for all. Students can access the survey by entering their Network ID in MyBackPack.

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.

Atlanta Board of Education Meeting

The next monthly APS Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, December 4th 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.

APS Parent C.A.F.E. Meeting with Superintendent Dr. Battle

Please join Dr. Battle for this free Parent C.A.F.E. session hosted by the Department of Education which will focus on discussions with parents and caregivers of students with disability about bridging the connection from home to school. Please RSVP using the QR code on the flyer below.

Click here to view the below flyer in Spanish.

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.