Unless otherwise noted, details for all of these events can be found in the MES Upcoming Events section below. All information pertaining to the new elementary school can be found below in the New Midtown Cluster Elementary School Section.

Friday, September 30

• Smoothie Day (SWAG Committee)
• Deadline for GATE Parent Referral
• Per APS, MAS and Extracurriculars are cancelled. Please change dismissal in PikMyKid prior to 2PM!!

Sunday, October 2

• Kindergarten Playdate
• 1st Grade Playdate

Monday, October 3

• 4^th Grade Field Trip

Tuesday, October 4

• Hat Day sponsored by Student Council

Wednesday, October 5

• Walk To School Day! This Wednesday!

Friday, October 7

• First Friday Spirit Day - NEON DAY

Sunday, October 16

• 4th Grade Social - RESCHEDULED from Oct 1

Wednesday, October 19 – Friday, October 21

• Parents in PE Week (Correction: This will run all day for the week. Please see Coach Corso's Webpage below for details.)

Thursday, October 20

• Deadline For Art Submissions - Annual Pumpkin Auction - Monster Bash

Friday, October 28

• Book Character Day

Saturday, October 29

• MES Monster Bash 2022

Open Now: the MES Foundation Annual Appeal! See all the details in the MES News and Reminders Section below!

COVID-19 Data Update

SURVEILLANCE TESTING: 

This week on Monday, 9/26/22, 226 students and 71 staff members were tested through surveillance testing with 1 student testing positive.

2 students and 41 staff members were tested on Wednesday, 9/28/22 with 0 testing positive.

SELF REPORTS: 

Additionally, between 9/22/22 and 9/29/22, we received 2 self-reported COVID cases through the self-report form.

If your child receives a positive test result, please fill out a self report form HERE.

SURVEILLANCE TESTING OPT IN CONSENT FORMS:

Student Consent Form ENGLISH   SPANISH

OPT OUT OF SURVEILLANCE TESTING:

To opt out of surveillance testing, please send an email with your name, your student's name, and your student's date of birth to Viral Solutions - [email protected]. Please copy Nurse Petty on this email as well - [email protected].



Monday, September 19 - Friday, October 7: BASC-3 BESS Screener Window

Atlanta Public Schools is committed to creating a culture of student support, and supporting the needs of the whole child. One way we are addressing the whole child is by identifying student strengths and areas for growth relative to social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

In our continuing efforts to support the well-being of all students, we will administer a universal screener of social, emotional & behavioral health. The universal screener that was chosen by the District to help identify student strengths and areas for growth is the BASC-3 Behavior and Emotional Screening Scale (BASC-3 BESS).

For more information about the BESS Screener, please click HERE

Friday, September 30 - Smoothie Day

The SWAG team is excited to teach the kids about nutrition by making smoothies for the entire school during each grade's recess period! Be sure to ask your child what kind of smoothie they tasted!

Sunday, October 2 - Grade Level Playdates

*NOTE: Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Ian, these events will have a "morning of" call. Organizers will reach out to room parents should the event be cancelled.

1st Grade Playdate

Location: Sidney Marcus Park: 786 Cumberland Rd NE, Atlanta Georgia

Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Join us for a 1st Grade Playdate! Popsicles will be provided.

Any Questions? Contact Mallory Rahman or Zach Juno

Kindergarten Playdate

Location: McClatchey Park: Avery Dr. and Westminister NE, Atlanta Georgia

Time: 2:00pm

Join us for a Kindergarten Playdate! Popsicles will be provided.

Any Questions? Contact Halley Blythe

Tuesday, October 4 - Hat Day Sponsored By Student Council

Our annual Hat Day will be on Tuesday October 4^th. Wear you favorite headgear to show off your HATitude.

There will be a $1 suggested donation participation fee.

Wednesday, October 5 - Walk To School Day! This Wednesday!

Come celebrate Walk to School Day at MES! We will have coffee for adults (please remember your reusable mugs!) and sidewalk chalk for the students!

Don't live close enough to walk? Just park and walk a few blocks to get your steps in! See you then!

Friday, October 7 - First Friday Spirit Day

The future is BRIGHT for Morningside Dolphins! Show your school spirit on NEON DAY with your brightest, loudest gear and accessories! Stay tuned for more exciting school spirit events the first Friday of each month.

Please reach out to Jeanie Joye with any questions.

Sunday, October 16 - Fall 4th Grade Social

The 4th Grade Fall Social has been rescheduled in light of hurricane Ian's potential impact on Atlanta weather this Saturday.

The new date & time is, Sunday, October 16th, from 2-4pm at McClatchey Park in Ansley. The address is: 55-199 E Park Lane, Atlanta 30309. Hope to see everyone then!

Any Questions? Contact Julie Tracy

Wednesday, October 19 -Friday, October 21 - Parents In PE Week

Location: MES GYM

Join us for a special week of fun and fitness in Physical Education. Come and participate with your child’s PE class to experience how they are learning to lead physically active and healthy lives!

Bring Your Parents to PE is an event designed to give parents an opportunity to experience the same physical education program their child participates in at Morningside.

Please visit Coach Corso's Bring Your Parents To PE Week for more information

Friday, October 28 - Book Character Day

Children and staff are encouraged to dress as their favorite book character on Friday, 10/28/22. This is an annual event and lots of fun! It is encouraged to bring the book that highlights the character if possible.  Start your planning for this special day.  

Saturday, October 29 - MES Monster Bash 2022!

Save the Date!

The leaves are starting to turn, there’s a chill in the air, and that means that Morningside’s most-anticipated event of the year, the Monster Bash, is just a few weeks away! This year's event will feature rides, the 5th Grade haunted house, yummy treats, a pumpkin auction, face painting, games and so much more!

When: Saturday, October 29th from 11:00am to 4:00pm

Where: Morningside at Inman Fields: 774 Virginia Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

We need your help!

Lots of volunteers are needed to make the Monster Bash a success, so please sign up for one more of the following:

• SIGN UP to help on the day of the event by working one or more shifts
• Bake sale bakers/donations - reach out to Bake Sale Team Lead, Ashley Kurzweil.
• 5th Grade Haunted House (5th grade students and parents only) - reach out to Haunted House Lead, Jonathan Low.

Annual Pumpkin Auction

Calling all artists or crafters! We need your help to make pumpkins for our annual MES monster bash pumpkin auction. If you'd like to participate, just paint a plastic (ever lasting) pumpkin by October 20th.

If you have questions or need help getting a pumpkin, contact Heather Low. Proceeds will benefit the media center and art department.

New MES Family Engagement Team!

Looking for parents to volunteer in our MES Family Engagement Leadership Team. This is a new team for our school, made up of 1-2 teacher reps, 2-3 parent reps, plus other staff and led by Parent Liaison Paula Chiodi.

The purpose of this team is to increase parent and family engagement for all of our MES students. Meetings will be held during the school day.

Please let Paula Chiodi know if you are interested.

Yearbook Update

HAVE YOU ORDERED YOUR YEARBOOK YET?

If not, you can order your yearbook HERE. Prices go up again on Oct 29.

COVER DESIGN CONTEST RESULTS

The votes are in, and the winner of our yearbook cover design contest is Arjun Vaitla! We had a total of 30 submissions this year, and we were blown away by all the amazing artwork. Thank you to everyone who participated! All submitted art will be featured in the yearbook in one way or another.

FIFTH GRADE ADS

5th grade parents, commemorate your child's last year at MES with a special recognition advertisement in the back of the yearbook. Purchase and create your ad directly through Jostens (1/4 page ads are $60 and 1/2 page ads are $110). Don't delay though - the deadline for ads is November 7!

FIFTH GRADE BABY PICTURES

While you are looking for pictures for your ad, pick out your favorite baby picture of your child and send it to us! 5th graders traditionally have their baby pictures displayed on the spread across from their portrait shots. This is separate from the recognition ad, so please send ONE baby picture to [email protected] and include your child's name!

Backpack Buddies

Thanks to our friends at Congregation Shearith Israel, this new program is available for any students/families that would like food assistance. Special backpacks would be provided so students could receive various non-perishable items each weekend.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact school social worker, Scott LaSalle at 404-802-8981. You can also email.

Parent Referral for GATE Testing

The window to request a parent referral for Gifted Eligibility Testing this school year is open from September 1 through September 30.

Please visit these links for:

1) Parent Referral Informational Video

2) Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (in English)

3) Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (en Espanol)

3) Online “Request for Parent Referral” Form

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Duncan at [email protected]

Global Day of Play

Mark your Calendar for another special event this coming February, 2023. Our 2nd Annual Global Day of Play will be February 1st, 2023. Let’s join kids from around the world and play all day!! Teachers may be seeking parent volunteers so it may be helpful to “hold” this date on your calendar as a possible volunteer day at MES!  

From the Principal's Desk!

If you are available, please attend the next Principal Coffee Talk on Friday, October 21st at 8am. 



Slide with the information shared at the coffee talk will be posted after the session. Please click HERE to view Principal Sofianos' blog posts!



Stay Up to Date with the 2022-2023 APS Calendar

Click HERE to view and start planning for all the breaks

Click HERE to view the Atlanta BOE 2022 Meeting Schedule