February 8, 2024

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Friday, February 9th - Teacher Lunch/Brunch Out Continues!

In February, we are honoring our teachers and staff with a lunch out with their teams! This was started last year and was one of our most popular events - loved by both the volunteers and the teachers alike. We have had four days of successful Teacher Lunches thus far - Special Areas teachers, Kindergarten, Paraprofessionals, and 1st Grade staff have all enjoyed their lunchees out, with the help from 38 volunteers! This is very special to our MES staff and our volunteers enjoy it as well!

There is still time to volunteer for the remaining lunches (dates listed below). During these time slots, volunteers will typically work in groups of two to three people per class to oversee the classes for a short time while the teachers enjoy their lunch break with their colleagues. Volunteers will receive a short training from an administrator or designee who will be available to the volunteer team during their time on campus. Volunteers will also spend a few minutes with the classroom teacher for organization. Volunteer teams will have one hour in the classroom with work provided by the teachers and one hour of lunch and recess supervision. What a great way to help a teacher, work with our amazing kids, and get an inside view of life at Morningside!

The remaining schedule for these lunch breaks is as follows:

• 4th Grade: February 9th
• Volunteers still needed for Mr. Hatcher, Ms. Hood, and Ms. Khalili (one each)
• 2nd Grade: February 13th
• Volunteers still needed for Ms. Holmes and Ms. Nordmann (2 needed)
• 3rd Grade: February 15th
• Volunteers still needed for Ms. Milam (2 needed) and Ms. Varino
• 5th Grade: February 16th
• Volunteers still needed for Ms. Blair, Ms. Taylor (2 needed), and Ms. Slater
• GATE Teachers: February 29th
• Volunteers still needed for Ms. Cherry, Mr. Duncan, and Mr. Hatcher

Please click here to view the exact dates and times and to submit the volunteer form to sign up. Our teachers are so appreciative of this very generous effort by volunteers, contacts, and organizers. Volunteers are welcome to volunteer for multiple days in order to get an inside glimpse of the life of a teacher!

Please contact Principal Sofianos with additional questions.

Friday, February 9th - Principal Coffee Talk

The next Principal Coffee Talk will be held on Friday, February 9th at 12pm in the MES Auditorium - please join us for this special BYO "lunch and learn" session! All coffee talks will also be live streamed to our YouTube channel if you cannot attend in person.

Please save the date for the remaining Principal Coffee Talks for this school year (all at 8am in MES Auditorium unless otherwise noted): March 15th and April 26th. There will also be a special coffee talk, to be scheduled, which will be focused on Howard Middle School.

Friday, February 9th - 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, February 9th! 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.

Friday, February 9th and Saturday, February 10th - Dine Out for MES at Casseroles

Need an easy dinner option over the weekend? Please consider picking up dinner (or lunch!) from Casseroles in Morningside Village on Friday, February 9th or Saturday, February 10th. Simply mention "MES" during check out and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the MES PTA.

Thanks for your ongoing support of the MES PTA through these community partnerships!

Tuesday, February 12th - Last Day to Submit Artwork for Street Expressions: MES Street Art Showcase for Black History Month

We welcome every student, parent, and faculty member at Morningside to take part in Street Expressions, our new MES Street Art Showcase! This is not a contest, but simply an optional display of the wonderful talent we have here at MES through the many colors of culture and expression of our young artists in our celebration of Black History.

You can create your street artwork on paper, canvas, posterboard, cardboard, fabric, small plastic sheets, recycled objects, small acrylic sheets, or other materials. You must attach a brief description/artist statement on your creation with your submission. Additional information, including a sample Artist Statement form and links to examples of Atlanta Street Art can be found here as well as in the flyers sent home in this week's Wednesday Take Home Folders. Artwork will be displayed through the “streets” of MES during the entire month of February - we can't wait to see what our talented community creates!

Submit your artwork for display no later than Monday, February 12th to the front office. There will be a box for drop-off. For questions you may reach out to Ms. Nelson and/or Mrs. Relyea with the MES Cultural Awareness Committee.

Tuesday , February 13th & Thursday, February 15th - Family Science Night!

Can I get a robot to clean my room? What's the perfect motion to break a karate board? How are big heavy airplanes able to stay up in the sky? Find out the answers to all these questions and more at MES's Family Science Night (FSN)!

This year's event will take place at MES over two nights in mid-February:

Grades K-2: February 13th 6:00 - 8:00pm

Grades 3-5: February 15th 6:00 - 8:00pm

Please note that pre-registration for this event is now CLOSED. Families who pre-registered for this event will receive their personalized session schedules for the evening via email beginning on February 11th. If you missed registration and would still like to participate in the event, we'd LOVE to see you! Please arrive by 5:45pm on your appropriate night to receive a committee-generated schedule.

Family Science Night Volunteers Needed!

As with prior FSN events, volunteers are a key part of making sure this event runs smoothly and is a wonderful experience for all involved. If you are available to help with one or both nights, please click here to sign up!

Please email [email protected] if you have questions about the event.

February 19th to 23rd: No School for Winter Break!

Remainder! Winter break is coming soon. We'll all miss each other while we are away, but wish you and your family a wonderful break.

School is back in session on Monday, February 26th.

Monday, February 26th: Tickets Go On Sale for MES Night Out with Atlanta United!

Save the date and set your alarms! Our next MES Night Out with Atlanta United will take place on Saturday, April 20th when our Atlanta United Five Stripes will take on FC Cincinnati beginning at 7:30pm at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The MES PTA has reserved a block of 300 seats (all of section 227!) for this game. Ticket sales for these seats will open at 6pm on Monday, February 26th via the MES PTA Square Site. These tickets WILL sell out, and quickly, so do not delay!

The Amy Snowden Mather Library is Getting a New Mural!

Professional muralist Lenia Castro will be installing a new mural in the Amy Snowden Mather Library throughout the week of February 5th. Lenia is the artist who designed and painted the mural outside the library over the summer - and this time she'll be working while students are in school.

Talented fourth grader Reid Johnson helped create a video to help us get to know Lenia and learn about her process. The entire Dolphin community is invited to come by to see the new mural in progress.

Check out the video, "Meet Lenia Castro - MES is getting a new mural!" which will be shared with students in their classrooms as well. Thank you, Reid!

Thanks to MES librarian Mr. Rawls and the PTA for their support for this exciting project! It's going to be a very beautiful, colorful and inspiring addition to our beloved library at MES!

Tickets are on sale NOW for the 2024 Bust a Move Bash!

We're throwing it back to the 80s and 90s - the days of neon windbreakers, boomboxes blazin', and gravity-defying moves! Clear your calendars as we'll be rappin' about the good old days with our community while raising funds for all the epic stuff the PTA makes happen for our Morningside crew!

When: March 16th, 2024

• Patron Sponsor Reception: 6:00 - 7:00pm
• Bust a Move Bash: 7:00 - 11:00pm

Where: The Carlyle, 1919 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

Recommended Attire: Casual 80s or 90s Attire

Event Website: Click Here!

Join us for a super cool night featuring:

• A Totally Rad Silent and Live Auction
• Catered Dinner from da bomb Ibiza Catering
• Open Bar for most tickets/sponsorships
• Live band 'Members Only' performing all the hits from the 80s and 90s
• Awesome Costume Contest
• Glamour Shots Photo Booth

You're not going to want to sit this one out... so don't just stand there - BUST A MOVE! We are currently selling tickets and family/corporate sponsorships to this year's Bust a Move Bash on the official event website, Here!

Additional details about the available sponsorship and ticket packages can be found by clicking the links below:

• Bust a Move Bash Family Sponsorship Details
• Bust a Move Bash Corporate Sponsorship Details

For information please visit the Bust a Move Bash webpage or contact the Bust a Move Bash co-chairs Fabricio Moraes and Justin Hubbarth.

Seeking Candidates for PTA Executive Team!

Have you thought about joining the MES PTA leadership team? We are currently seeking candidates to join our amazing PTA for the 2024-2025 school year!

Open positions include Co-President, VP Communications, VP Enrichment, VP Community, VP Operations, and VP SWAG. If any of these might be the right fit for you, or you would like to nominate a candidate, please contact the Nominating Committee at [email protected].

Georgia Student Health Survey for Grades 3-5

The Georgia Student Health Survey (GSHS) is an anonymous, statewide survey instrument created by the Georgia Department of Education in collaboration with other state partners. The GSHS is administered online each year to students in grades 3-12. Elementary students (grades 3-5) participate in a short survey. Survey results assist in the identification of safety, climate, and health issues that impact student achievement and help guide school prevention and intervention strategies.

To opt out your student (grades 3-5 ONLY), please complete and return THIS OPT OUT FORM to your student's homeroom teacher by Tuesday, February 13th.

State of Georgia Parent Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete the Georgia Parent Survey. This survey makes up a part of our school climate STAR rating and is confidential. The results from this survey will arrive from the state of Georgia in either summer or fall of the next school year and are used to celebrate successes, as well as make improvements to the school experience for students, families, and staff. 

As of today, we have only had NINE people do this survey, so please check it out today!

Parent/Guardian Survey: CLICK HERE

The Yearbook Needs Your Photos to be Amazing!

The MES yearbook team is hard at work on the 2023-2024 yearbook! We would love to see all our students represented in the book, so we need your help. Please send pictures you have taken this year to [email protected]. This includes candids taken at MES, any MES events (e.g. Monster Bash, Thanksgiving feast, book character day, red ribbon week, international fest, Boosterthon, spelling bee), and class events (holiday parties and field trips). If you have great pictures from the year, we would love to include them in the yearbook!

When you send us your pictures, please tell us the names of the children pictured, grade and the event it was from. We can't wait to see what special memories you've captured.

Please contact Martha Decker with any questions.

Prospective Student Opportunities!

With the flip of the calendar to 2024, many families are already starting to think ahead to the next school year, when a new group of Rising Kindergarteners and other incoming students will be joining our Dolphin Pod! Here are two opportunities to learn more about the school that may be of interest if you will have a new MES Dolphin during the 2024-2025 school year:

Sign Ups Open Now for Spring School Tours!

As Rising Kindergarten families begin to look ahead to next year, and friends and neighbors consider joining our MES Dolphin pod, we recognize that there is interest in touring the school to inform these important decisions. We will be holding school tours for interested families on the following dates this spring:



• Friday, February 16th
• Monday, March 18th
• Wednesday, April 10th

All tours will be led by MES administrators and will take place from 8:30 - 9:30am. If you are interested in joining one of these tours, please sign up in advance here.

Join the Rising K Facebook Group for 2024!

If you have a Rising Kindergartener or other incoming MES students that will be joining us in August 2024, please consider joining our private Rising K Facebook Group. Within this group, dedicated PTA parents and fellow Rising K parents will be sharing information over the coming months to ensure that all of our new families feel well prepared for the new school year, including information on:

• Key dates and instructions for registering for the 2024/2025 school year
• Meetings and events that may be relevant to new/prospective parents
• Everything you need to prepare for the first day of school

And much more! We're looking forward to getting to know everyone more within this private group!

Morning Carpool Drop Off Reminder!

Friendly Reminders: 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, especially as we are a major route to Emory. We have even noticed a few cars dropping off students in the middle of the street! This is extremely unsafe for our children during a very busy time of increased traffic. We also ask that you please be kind and considerate community members to our neighbors near the school. The use of their driveways is not acceptable and we have received direct complaints.

You can find the carpool route on the MES website Transportation page, as well as in the graphic below. Please note that there should be no "cut through turns" in the middle of the Barclay Median. Please drive to the end of Barclay and make the turn around there. Thank you!

MES Principal Blog

Posts on Principal Sofiano's Principal's Blog highlight the latest happenings at Morningside, including an inside view of the work of our amazing students and wonderful staff. Reminders about blog posts will continue to be sent through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal straight to your phones and email inboxes, but you can also bookmark the Principal's Blog and check it out at any time! If you are not getting blog notices on your email or phone, contact Charlette Jackson in the front office to update your information.

David T. Howard Middle School Principal Coffee Talk - Friday, February 9th

David T. Howard Middle School Principal Dr. Hollis will host her next monthly Principal's Coffee on Friday, February 9th at 9:45am in the Howard Middle School Media Center. All Rising Rams families (or "Ramilies") are invited to attend these meetings in order to learn about life in middle school.



Rising Rams families, and anyone interested in following events happening at the middle school can subscribe to the weekly Rams Report newsletter here.

2024 Pre-K Lottery Open Now!

Looking to jumpstart your child's educational journey? The Pre-K lottery application window for the 2024-2025 school year opens on February 1st at 9 a.m. through March 1st. The lottery drawing will take place on March 15th.



For more information on the application process, eligibility, and required documents, visit the APS Early Learning website.

APS Adult Education Classes Available for FREE

Discover APS's free Adult Education Program, where we support individuals in navigating the official Georgia High School Equivalency (HSE) Program, formerly known as the GED Testing Program. From selecting a high school equivalency pathway to test preparation, class enrollment, and short-term training opportunities, APS is dedicated to guiding adults through every step.

Additionally, our program extends beyond HSE with English as a Second Language and citizenship classes held at multiple Atlanta/Fulton County locations.



To learn more and enroll, click HERE and share the information with those who can benefit.

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 2024 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.