September 14, 2023

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Friday, September 15th - Principal Coffee Talk

The first Principal Coffee Talk for this school year will be held on Friday, September 15th at 8am in the MES Auditorium! All coffee talks will also be live streamed to our YouTube channel if you cannot attend in person. During these meetings, topics will include the latest news from MES, as well as special speakers and visits from our staff. The first coffee talk will also include some data, news from each of our two assistant principals, a visit from our new counselor, as well as time for questions and answers. See you then!

Please save the date for the remaining Principal Coffee Talks for this school year (all at 8am in MES Auditorium unless otherwise noted): October 27th, January 19th, 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.

Sunday, September 17th - 1st Grade Bowling Social

Please join us for our first, 1st Grade Social of the year!

First Graders and their families who have RSVP'd are invited to join us on Sunday, September 17,2023 from 1:00-2:00 pm at Midtown Bowl, located at 1936 Piedmont Circle NE. The RSVP window has closed, but if you've missed it never fear - there's more great opportunities to get together coming!

September 18th - 22nd - MES Book Fair!

The 2023 MES In Person Book Fair will be

NEXT WEEK ~ September 18 - 22, 2023.

Visit the Book Fair webpage for all details



When to shop

• During School Hours Monday - Thursday: Students visit the book fair twice with their class during school hours, once to browse and once to buy. Caretakers are welcome to join their students during their scheduled book fair class times or shop anytime without their student. Visit the Book Fair webpage for an explanation of Browse and Buy days and the class shopping schedule.
• Outside School Hours: Wednesday, September 20th from 2:45 - 6:30 p.m. and Friday, September 22nd from 7:20 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Note that students may shop with their caretakers during the Friday hours with teacher permission but caretakers can come any time up until 10am.
• Anytime up until Friday, September 22nd via the Electronic Book Fair. Anything purchased from the Electronic fair will be shipped to the school the week after the fair and delivered to students in their classroom. 

Forms of Payment

There are four forms of payment listed on the Book Fair webpage. Please note that checks are very difficult as we cannot make change from a check. Consider purchasing a gift card instead! Cash and credit card will also be accepted. 

Buy a Book for a Class Library

Visit the Teacher Book Bins at the Book Fair! These bins will be full of book titles selected by each teacher that will enhance their classroom library. Consider purchasing a book from a bin for a classroom library.

Donations

• Donate to the Book Voucher Program: Any donation helps ensure every single child has the opportunity to select a special new book.
• Keep the change: Cash donations taken at the register help support the cost of book vouchers for students who have need. 
• Direct donation to the Voucher program: Please Venmo Emily Jordan and include "book vouchers" in your subject note.
• Donate outgrown book: Back by popular demand! Make room on your shelves for new books by donating ones that you've outgrown to Children Read Atlanta via the collection bins at the Book Fair.

Friday, September 22 - 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, September 22nd! 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.

Saturday, September 23 - 2nd Grade Bowling Social

Calling all MES 2nd graders and their families - it's your turn for a bowling social! This event will take place at Midtown Bowl on Saturday, September 23rd from 12:30-1:30pm. There is a $10 fee for all bowlers which must be prepaid via Venmo to Mallory Rahman. Payments will serve as your RSVP for this event and must be received by Monday, September 18th. Siblings and adults are welcome to join in bowling as long as payment is sent for all bowlers. If you need another way to pay or need financial assistance, please contact Mallory Rahman. And if you prefer to just come hang out and socialize (at no cost!), that's fine too!

Friday, September 29 - EIP Parent Information Session

Please consider attending this event for an overview of the Early Intervention Program.

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: MES Café

An interpreter will be present. If you have any questions, please reach out to Master Teacher Leader, Marva Nelson.

Saturday, September 30 - MES International Festival

We are excited about our first festival of the year, the return of the International Festival on Saturday, September 30th from 11am to 2pm. We have a wonderfully representative 40 country tables! What am awesome community we have! Some tables only have 1 volunteer (including the USA), so have a peek and see if you can help. Any time or good ideas welcome! The last day to sign up to help is September 20th, so please don't delay.

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! Want some?

It wouldn't be an Atlanta festival without a little Waffle House! Since the festival is 11am-2pm we thought it would be good to have lunch for purchase. Click on this link and let us know if you want some yummy goodness! This isn't a commitment, just a way to help the organizing ensure we have enough food for the event.

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!

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].

The MES Foundation Needs Your Support!

Will you support the Morningside Elementary School Foundation with a donation to foster teaching excellence and enhance student achievement through strategic investments in curriculum, teacher training, building enhancements, and technology programs?

The generosity of our donors allows the Foundation to quickly and nimbly fulfill needs at the school that would not be met otherwise - helping us retain teachers, create dynamic experiences for all students, and ensure Morningside is one of the top elementary schools in Georgia. 

Click here to Donate

P.S. Does the image from our yard sign this year look familiar? MESF loved the new mural design outside the media center so much that it inspired our yard signs and car magnets for our campaign this year.

Help Save WAVES - Committee Chair(s) Needed ASAP!

The MES PTA has an urgent need for a Committee Chair (or co-Chairs) for our annual WAVES talent show! WAVES is an amazing opportunity for our young artists, writers, musicians, and performers to showcase their talents on the big stage. As they say in the theater, the show must go on - but it can't do that without someone to pull it all together!

In order to allow sufficient time for planning and preparation ahead of our show in late January, we need to identify a Committee Chair no later than Fall Break (that's just one month away!). To learn more about this position, please visit the WAVES webpage on the MES website. You can also reach out to our past WAVES chairs with any questions you might have at [email protected].

If you are interested in this position, please contact our VP of Enrichment, Anne-Marie DeBacker.

Thank you for helping to shine the spotlight on our talented Dolphins this year!

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!

Midtown Cluster Night - TONIGHT!

Midtown Cluster Night is an opportunity for all of the students in the Midtown Cluster to come together as a community and cheer on the Midtown Nights football team! The game is tonight, Thursday September 14th, at Henderson Stadium at Midtown High School, with kick off set to take place at 7pm. Be sure to keep an eye out for our MES Dolphins performing with the other cluster choruses before the game and with the cluster bands throughout the game and at halftime!

Note: All Midtown Cluster students wearing their school shirts will be admitted to the game for free!

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.