October 19, 2023

Ver esto en español

用中文（简体）查看

October 23rd – 27th - Red Ribbon Week



Each year schools across the United States show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the red ribbon. October 23rd- the 31st marks Red Ribbon Week, which raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs faced by individuals, families, and communities. During Red Ribbon Week, students around the nation pledge to increase their knowledge by learning more about the destructive effects of drug abuse, and renew their commitment to live a healthy, drug free lifestyle.

The counseling department along with the administrative team are teaming up to further bring forth awareness by celebrating each day of Red Ribbon Week. Each daily theme promotes sound decision making, strengthening unity, and employing a healthy lifestyle. Please plan to participate in the following themed days:

• Monday October 23rd - Wear red to show that we are ready to be all that we can be!
• Tuesday October 24th - Wear a college shirt or dress for your future career
• Wednesday October 25th - Wear a hat and/or mismatched or colorful sock day
• Thursday October 26th - Wear a colorful outfit or your favorite color
• Friday October 27th - Show your school spirit by wearing MES spirit wear or our school colors!

October 23rd - 27th - Certified Visiting Dog Visits Morningside

During the week of October 23-27, we will have a certified dog visiting students during recess time! The children will have the opportunity to interact with the dog.

If you do NOT want your student to be a participant during the event, please email our school social worker, Scott LaSalle and your child's classroom teacher by Friday, October 20 at the latest. Otherwise, your student will be allowed to interact with the dog during their recess period. All children and dog interactions will be under appropriate adult supervision.

October 25 - Official Dedication of the Amy Snowden Mather Library

Please join us on Wednesday, October 25th from 5-6pm as we officially dedicate our library to Morningside teacher, Amy Snowden Mather. Mrs. Mather passed away on August 10, 2022. Mrs. Mather was a beloved teacher who spent her entire career at Morningside, and taught generations of students. Her passions as a teacher included American history and children’s literature. Please join us as we honor her commitment to children and her 33-year legacy at Morningside. Parking will be available in our garage, as well as any available spots near the school and at Haygood. 

Friday, October 27th - Principal Coffee Talk

The next Principal Coffee Talk will be held on Friday, October 27th at 8am in the MES Auditorium! All coffee talks will also be live streamed to our YouTube channel if you cannot attend in person. This meeting will feature a VERY special speaker - Principal Hollis from Howard Middle School! This coffee talk will be of interest to not just the 4th and 5th grade parents, but to everyone. It is never too early for our K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade families to learn about life in middle school. Principal Sofianos (a huge Howard Middle School/all things middle school fan!) is very excited about this opportunity to hear directly from Principal Hollis about our present and future kids at Howard. 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): 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.

Saturday, October 28th - Monster Bash!

The Monster Bash is lurking ever closer, and the excitement is palpable! Make sure you've secured your wristbands for this unforgettable event on October 28th from 11am to 4pm. With vendors, games, and a haunted house, it's a day you won't want to miss. In case you missed yesterday's Special Edition Digital Dolphin, here are some important details to know:

Wristbands are on sale now!

Entrance to the Monster Bash is FREE, although there is a small fees for the rides and games. General Admission Wristbands can be purchased for children ages 4 and up to gain unlimited access to Monster Bash games and rides. Wristbands also include five tear-off tabs that can be used for popcorn, cotton candy, a haunted house trip, and other spooky and fun surprises. Kids three and under are free and do not require a wristband for activities.

Prepay for your wristbands at the MES Online Store at a discounted price using the button below, or you can purchase them full price on the day of the Monster Bash at the wristband sales desk/entrance.

**Note that for this year, Square (credit card/debit card) purchases will need to be greater than $5. Cash will need to be used for purchases under $5**

Pricing for General Admission Wristbands:

• Presale: $20 (ends Thursday, October 26th at 5pm) (Credit / Debit only)
• Day-of: $25 (Credit / Debit preferred)
• 
  

Please note: You can purchase wristbands in person or pick up wristbands purchased via the MES Online Store on Thursday morning, October 26th from 7-7:45am at the school.  

Volunteers Needed!

An event full of this much fun is dependent on volunteers to ensure the event is a success! We are looking for volunteers to assist with set up on Friday, October 27th as well as during and after the event on Saturday, October 28th. Please click through to the Monster Bash Volunteer SignUp Genius using the button below to review the open volunteer opportunities and to sign up for one or more slots.

We are grateful for any and all the support you can provide in the week leading up to the event and on the day. Please contact the Monster Bash Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Brooks with questions.

5th Grade Haunted House--Student Sign Up

Calling all 5th graders who would love to participate in the amazing 5th-grade Haunted House fun! The theme this year is Stranger Things and we need hosts/tour guides, zombies, and kids who make the whole thing work! There's now a sign up genius for them to join in the scary-fun craziness! Please help them sign up here!

For questions about the Haunted House, please contact Matt Fox.

And that's not all! You can still sign up to contribute to both the Annual Bake Sale and the Monster Bash Pumpkin Auction. More details about these opportunities and much, much more is available on the Monster Bash webpage.

October 31st – Book Character Day

On Tuesday, October 31st, we will have our annual “Book Character Day”. Students and staff (and parents!) are invited to dress as their favorite book characters! This is an annual event with many teachers already planning their attire. 

We are also collecting any costumes, hats, props for our gently used “Book Character Day Closet” for students who may forget or need something to join in on the fun for this special day. Please put those in a bag labeled Book Character Day and send those to the front office by October 30th. Book Character Day is a great event to promote our love of reading! 

*Reminder* that costumes including any form of play weapon are not allowed.

If you have any questions, please email Principal Sofianos.  

October 31st - Our Chef's Table

We are excited to announce that a Chef’s Table event will be coming to our school!

The Chef’s Table is a taste testing event held during lunch on October 31st. Students can try small samples of new menu items that may be offered in the cafeteria in upcoming weeks!

The process is informal, and students can pick up a sample of the featured food item during lunchtime and give their feedback. Please note that these small samples are not intended to replace your child's regular lunch.



Questions can be directed to Ms. Clems for assistance.

November 1st - Deadline to Pre-Order Meals for the MES Thanksgiving Family Luncheon

After a long hiatus, our annual Thanksgiving celebration is back! In the spirit of thankfulness, MES will be hosting the Nutrition Department’s annual Thanksgiving Family Luncheon the week prior to Thanksgiving Break. This special celebration will allow students and their families to enjoy traditional Thanksgiving menu offerings. Parents are invited to dine with their students on their class's assigned date, which will be either Monday, November 13th or Wednesday, November 15th (grade levels will be split in order to accommodate all visitors and guests; full class schedule here).

**NOTE** If you are aware of a student(s) whose family is unable to attend, you may invite students in the class to join with you and your own student**

IMPORTANT!!!! PREPAYMENT IS REQUIRED BY NOVEMBER 1, 2023. Meals are $6.50 per guest. Students who purchase lunch will enter their lunch numbers. Thanksgiving Luncheon orders can be placed in one of two ways:

Online:

1) Visit MySchoolBucks

2) Once you visit the site, click on the school store, then the featured item with the Nutrition Department logo. Note that if you do not have a MySchoolBucks account, you will need to create one there first.

Check/Money Order:

Guests who are not able to make an online payment may send in a money order or cashier’s check made payable to “APS Nutrition.” Please place the money order or cashier’s check for the total amount ($6.50/meal x number of guests) in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, teacher’s name, and the number of guests on the envelope. Checks/money orders must be turned in to make the deadline of November 1, 2023.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Assistant Principal Brian Baron.

Report Cards!

First Quarter Report Cards are available in the Campus Parent Portal (aka Infinite Campus) and will also be sent home in next week’s Wednesday folders. In elementary school, students receive a final grade at the end of the school year in each of the subjects, as well as quarterly updates/report cards to share progress with parents and guardians. If you have any questions on this quarter’s report card, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s).

Save the Date for Boosterthon and the Dolphin Dash Fun Run!

Mark those calendars now!

Throughout the year, the MES PTA works hard to improve and enhance the school experience for our students, teachers, and staff. We love doing this work, but unfortunately, we can’t do it without funding. Starting in 2003, the primary fundraiser for the MES PTA has been our annual Boosterthon. This single event, which will take place this year from November 9th through the 17th, raises the money used to power the majority of PTA initiatives each year. Last fall, our Boosterthon raised over $125,000 from our generous supporters!

For now, please mark your calendars to cheer on your runners on during our concluding event, the Dolphin Dash Fun Run on Friday, November 17th. Note that this event is the last day before Thanksgiving Break, so please plan for your kids to be at school that day so they can take part in the fun! The full event schedule by grade will be available as we get closer to the date.

Please share any questions with Mallory Rahman.

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 Advisory Team Meeting

The next Midtown Cluster Advisory Team meeting will take place on Thursday, October 19th at 4:30pm. The agenda for this meeting, as well as the upcoming meeting schedule and other relevant documents can be found on the Midtown Cluster Advisory Team webpage.

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)

You're Invited to the Million Bazillion Live Tour at David T. Howard Middle School!

Our friends at David T. Howard Middle School have been chosen as one of just 60 schools nationwide to be awarded a visit from Million Bazillion Live, the podcast about money for kids and families. Howard would like to extend an invitation to Morningside families to come attend the show on Friday, October 27th at Howard Middle School. Guests should plan to arrive by 6:00pm for the 6:30pm show.

If you'd like to join us for this unforgettable evening of family fun, financial literacy, games, prizes, and more, please RSVP here. This game show-themed event is a great way for you and your kids to learn about money and have fun doing it!

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.