September 29, 2023

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Saturday, September 30 - MES International Festival

40 different country tables, Irish dancers, Bollywood, Capoeira, Caribbean dancers and stilt performers are all going to be at International Fest on Saturday, September 30 from 11am-2pm! You should be there too! Join us for the first fun, outdoor event of the year!

The event is in the interior courtyard (enter through the main doors of the school). In the event of inclement weather the festival will move indoors.

You can learn more about International Fest on the MES International Fest website. For questions about this event, please email Shraddha Srivastav Strennen.

DON'T FORGET! Waffle House is coming to International Festival! Since the festival is 11am-2pm we thought it would be good to have lunch for purchase.

September 30 - Last Day for GATE Referral

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.

Please also 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

Saturday, September 30 - 3rd Grade Meet Up

Come hang with your 3rd grade friends on Saturday, September 30th beginning at 3pm - right after the amazing International Festival!

Please consider walking to the park if possible due to lack of parking. We will have an ice cream vendor (available for purchase), so please RSVP to help us with head count. See you then!

Monday, October 2 - LAST CALL for the the MES Foundation Annual Appeal!

The MES Foundation annual fundraising campaign is ending, so please consider donating to join us in our mission to keep Morningside as one of the top elementary schools in Georgia.

What does MESF fund? 

Curricula investments include digital curriculum programs that deliver “just right” learning -- iXL for math and language arts and Wordly Wise for vocabulary-building, as well as Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Handwriting and other programs such as STEMscopes and Lexia. 

Teacher training is one of our biggest funding areas, and Foundation funding is the main reason why over 70% of our teaching staff have some level of Orton-Gillingham (“O-G”) training. It is a powerful tool that enables our teachers to help ALL children read, write, and spell better, with an even greater impact on those children who may need more support.

Technology investments last year included a new A/V system to elevate the beautiful-but-original stage to the next level, as well as other important tools for our new STEAM lab to equip our children for the technology their futures require.

Facilities improvements were added in recent years to help supplement needs arising from moving schools twice in the past five years. Most recently, MESF funded the awesome new climbing wall for Coach Corso’s PE classes and practical-but-important window blinds for certain classrooms not covered by the APS-provided budget. 

I’m in! How do I donate? 

We’re glad you asked! To make a donation, please visit www.morningsideschoolfoundation.org/donate

THANK YOU for all that you do as parents to make MES the dynamic and supportive learning environment we know and love!

October 2nd & 4th - Parent University: Shifts in Reading at MES

Please join Ms. Laurie Luckmann (MES's instructional coach) and Mr. Michael Rawls (the MES Librarian) for a conversation about reading acquisition and approaches to reading at MES. Sessions will also talk about how you can utilize the MES library to help support your child's reading journey.

We will have two sessions: one geared for reading in K-1st grade and a second for reading in 2nd-5th grade.

• MES Library, October 2 (2nd-5th grade) 8-9AM
• MES Library, October 4 (K-1st grade) 8-9AM

October 4th - Walk, Bike, Roll to School Day!

National Walk To School Day is October 4th! Set those alarms a few minutes earlier and let’s hope for great weather, because we'd love to see all of our MES Dolphins walking, biking, rolling, (swimming?) their way to school as we mark this fun day! Side walk chalk, coffee, and fun before school will start at 7:20am.



See you there!

October 6th - Hat Day (Student Council Fundraiser)!

Do your students want to let their creative sides shine? Bring a one dollar bill to school on October 6th to participate in Morningside’s Hat Day and wear your most creative hat. Thank you for supporting the MES Student Council!

October 9-13th - NO SCHOOL - Fall Break

Reminder that school will be closed during the week of October 9-13th for Fall Break. However, many teachers are scheduling parent-teacher conferences during this time, so please be on the look out for more details from your homeroom teachers!

October 16th - Monthly GO Team Meeting

The next monthly MES GO Team meeting will be held on Monday, October 16th at 5pm. MES families and community members are welcome to attend in-person in our library. This meeting will also be live streamed via the MES YouTube channel, where you can watch the meeting live or watch the recording at a later time.

The agenda for this meeting, 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.

October 17th - School Picture Day

Say cheese! School Picture Day will be on Tuesday, October 17th, just after we return from Fall Break. Additional details about how to order pictures will be sent home in Wednesday Take Home folders.

**Reminder to NOT wear GREEN on picture day, as it won't show up against the green screen backdrop!**

Thank YOU - The MES Book Fair was a HUGE Success!

With your help all classroom library books were purchased, Mr. Rawls can purchase more books for the MES Library, and hundreds of books will be donated to Children Read Atlanta.

Any books purchased from the Electronic Book Fair will be delivered to students in their classroom a week or two after the fair.

SAVE THE DATE: Monster Bash 2023 is Creeping Into Town on Saturday, October 28th!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 28 from 11AM to 4PM! The Monster Bash is creeping closer, and it's time to prepare for the spookiest shindig in town. Get ready for thrilling vendors, heart-pounding rides, and delectable treats.

Stay tuned every Thursday for more tantalizing updates!

Start Planning Ahead Now for the Annual Pumpkin Auction!

Calling all artists! Decorated Pumpkins are needed for the Pumpkin Auction to be held at the Monster Bash. If you would like to donate a decorated craft pumpkin for the auction, please contact Jill Cobb.

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].

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!

Atlanta Board of Education Meeting

The next monthly APS Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, October 2nd 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.

Department of Special Education Parent Listening Session!

Sesiones De Escucha Para Padres De Otoño!

APS Department of Special Education would like to invite you to our Fall Parent Listening Sessions to Communicate and Collaborate.

English-language Session: October 24th 5:30 PM on Zoom (more details here)

El Departamento de Educación Especial de APS desea invitarlo a nuestras sesiones de escucha de padres de otoño para comunicarse y colaborar.

Sesión en español: Octubre 25 7:30 PM Zoom (más detalles aquí)

CINS Reps Needed for Morningside!

The Council for Intown Schools (or CINS) is currently looking for 1-2 representatives from Morningside Elementary School that are willing to engage with the community. The CINS committee is comprised of representatives from each school within the Midtown Cluster. CINS was founded in 1978 by a few moms wanting to help support the schools in what was then the "Grady" Cluster. Over 40 years later, CINS is still committed to supporting the whole cluster. To learn more about CINS, please visit the CINS Facebook page.

If you are interested in becoming a representative, please contact [email protected].

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.