Midway Mustang Memo
August 2019
Mustang Families
Dear Families,
Welcome back and welcome to Midway to our new families! How exciting to see our students return from summer break with joy and enthusiasm! Many thanks to our amazing PTO for sponsoring our Ice Cream Social event! Open House was a huge success with most of our families in attendance.
If you did not get a chance to join PTO or purchase some spirit wear at Open House, you will have an opportunity on August 27th or 29th at our first Academic Student Led Teams and Curriculum Nights. Second, fourth, and fifth grades will meet on Tuesday, August 27, at 6:00, and Kindergarten, first, and third grades will meet on Thursday, August 29, at 6:00. Please be there to support you learner’s social, emotional, and academic success.
We continue to have a focus on literacy as we spread the love for reading among our learners. When you read aloud with your child you build reading skills, instill the love for books, and get to spend some quality time together! Setting a regular time to read together, after dinner or before bedtime for example, can be a quiet and enjoyable end to the day. Taking turns reading helps your youngster build fluency as you model for them. For young readers, if there is a sentence pattern let your child finish the sentence looking at picture clues. Above all, make reading together enjoyable—use character voices, be playful, and treasure the time together.
We need your help! Please see the Sign Up Genius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0548ABAC2AA75-read1 to support our Kindergarten, 1st, & 3rd graders with the Read To/With Me initiative. Our goal is for each of our Read To Me kiddos to have 500 books read to them in 30 school days as well as help some of our 1st and 3rd graders gain some extra practice in order to grow their reading skills with a caring adult. That caring adult is YOU Thank you for taking a few minutes to provide a rich literacy experience to our Mustangs!
As we begin this new school year, thank you for getting your students to school on time (a student who rides the bus is never counted tardy!). If your child is sick with fever or vomiting, they must stay home for at least 24 hours for their own well-being and that of others. Remember to send a note to the teacher about the student’s illness and absence so that it will be excused. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office. Thank you for partnering with us! Here is an article with tips about student attendance and being successful in school .
Important Dates
August 27th: Curriculum Night/ASLT 2nd, 4th, 5th
August 29th: Curriculum Night/ASLT K, 1st, 3rd
August 30th: Early Release
September 2nd: Labor Day
September 30-October 4: Fall Break
Save the Date
Sat October 12, 2019
EVENT: 5K RUN/WALK
Shiloh Point Elementary School
8145 Majors Road
Cumming, GA US 30041
DESCRIPTION
Packet Pick Up is available on Friday from 11:30am to 6:00pm at the Board of Education on Dahlonega Highway in Cumming, GA. -OR- on race day at Shiloh Point Elementary School starting at 6:30 AM!
Strollers are welcome, but please no animals. Packet pickup will be on Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Forsyth County Board of Education offices at 1120 Dahlonega Hwy, Cumming, GA 30040. Please make every attempt to pick up your packet (bib, t-shirt, swag bag) on Friday so that registration is quick and easy on Saturday. Thank you!
START TIME: 8:00am EDT
Price: $25.00 Race Fee + $3.00 SignUp Fee
Registration: Registration ends October 12, 2019 at 8:30am EDT
Signup https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Cumming/BYOT
All participants who register by September 25 are guaranteed a shirt.
Over 2000 families in Forsyth County do not have Internet in their homes. With so much of the schoolwork requiring online access, we want to make a difference in the lives of those who do not have the same privileges as others.
In 2019, students are expected to study and complete assignments online whenever there is an inclement weather day. Can you imagine what it would be like to have no Internet access - even for one day?
In five years, the Forsyth BYOT Benefit has raised over $220,000 to put Internet in the homes and devices in the hands of students without them. This has been accomplished through the efforts of our sponsors, golfers, runners and volunteers.
Please help us do more for those who need us!
Midway PTO
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the first PTO meeting held prior to each ASLT night on August 27th & 29th!
We are looking for volunteers to help with PTO events and functions. If you would like to become more involved, we would LOVE to hear from you. Visit our website http://www.midwaypto.org and find our Volunteer section. You can also email us at midwayschoolpto@gmail.com.
· We love to see you sporting your SPIRIT WEAR! We still have tumblers, magnets and some shirts left. Please see the SPIRIT WEAR section on our website, and send us an email if you see something you like.
· If you ask to connect your Kroger Plus card to Midway Elementary, they will donate a certain percentage of the profits to our school. You can find out more about how to do this if you CLICK HERE.
· Watch out for information coming home soon about International Fun Day.
Thank you from all of us!
Counselor's Corner
Welcome to the new school year. We are currently meeting all our new students and beginning lessons in classes. We are working on many things with our students such as listening, problem solving, test taking skills, and following directions. Not only do we teach lessons in the classrooms, we also offer small groups and individual support. We work closely with teachers and staff to meet the needs of our children. This year, Ms. Dricsoll will be the primary counselor for Kdg – 2nd. Dr. Collins will be the primary counselor for 3rd-5th.
Here are a few tips to help your student be successful in school by healthychildren.org:
· Create healthy habits: make sure your child gets enough sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and doesn’t spend too much time on TV or devices.
· Stick to a routine
· Have a place where their back pack and other school items are stored so nothing gets lost in the morning rush.
· Have a “work” spot where your child can do their academic work and read.
· Read, read, read
· Look for learning opportunities throughout the day. For example, when cooking have your child help with measuring out the ingredients, find the colored cars while you’re driving, count the number of school busses they see, or solve riddles.
We look forward to working with our Midway families this year.
Dr. Collins & Ms. Driscoll
Watch Dog Dads
Dads we need you!
WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Prior to the day of their participation, WatchDOGS are given a schedule of their involvement. On their service day they are to wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S t-shirt safely identifying them as WATCHDOGS.
For more information or to apply, please visit the Midway Elementary Website.
News from Nurse Monahan
What a great start to the 2019-20 school year! For our new families, if your child was seen at the nurse during the school day they should come home with a clinic slip that explains why they were sent and what the nurse did.
Pain relievers, nasal spray and cough drops in the clinic for your student can help avoid phone calls home and help the student return to class. However, be aware that students are not allowed to carry any medication, including over the counter products. Parents must bring all medication to the clinic and fill out an authorization form. We appreciate your understanding as this is for the safety of all students.
The clinic has been busy with students who have headaches, sore throats and cold symptoms. Remember to keep your student home if they have a temperature greater than 100, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea or just feel generally unwell to participate in the days activities. Please remember to contact the teacher and/or nurse of any contagious illnesses like flu, hand-foot-mouth or strep throat.
Visit the school nurse website under student resources on the Midway home page for clinic information.
Kelly Monahan RN
From the Midway Café
Welcome from the Mustang Café!
The Lunch Lady Squad is so excited to be back! It’s wonderful to see all our old friends and new faces too. Our new students are learning café procedures and doing great! Everyone is starting to settle into daily routines. We hope you are too.
Just a few reminders from the café. We serve breakfast from 7:50 – 8:20 am each morning. Cost is $1.50. Lunch prices remain the same as last year at $2.60. Funding your child’s account may be done by sending in cash or check to the school, marked for the café, or at mypaymentsplus.com with a credit or debit card.
The best way to find our menu is with the Meal Viewer App. It’s the most reliable, up-to-date info on what we’re serving each day because it’s school specific. It’s a free download & also contains the nutrition/allergen information on everything we serve. Menus are still posted on our website as well.
Our Harvests of the Month for August are peaches & cantaloupes. Each month we highlight certain fruits or veggies and learn nutrition information about them and why they’re good for us. We hope to help encourage each student to make good, healthy choices for their growing bodies.
Please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email me if I can be of any assistance. I’m here from 5:30am – 2pm each day!
We’re here for you and so glad you’re here and part of our Midway family!! Hope to see ya soon!
Chris Pruitt
Café ManagerTechnology Information
Parents have an important role in online safely as well. At Forsyth County Schools, we value the rich learning experiences that technology brings to our classrooms. We believe that our students must be taught how to use online resources responsibly. With parents and guardians as our partners, we can help our students to gain skills, understanding, and mind-sets that will enable them to be responsible and safe in digital environments. Please follow this link for more information on how Forsyth County and parents can help their students stay safe in a digital world.
Use your student's log in when looking at Itslearning. Parents can see the planner and other information as a student this way. Here is a parent info guide for Itslearning.
Please contact Jennifer Lundstrum if you have any other questions.
Classlink
MyOn
Dreambox
Book Fair is Coming!
Book Fair will be in the media center from Oct 10th (set up day) -Oct 18th (Pack up day). Students can purchase books from Oct 14th -17th.
More announcements about special events during book fair coming soon!
We can't run the book fair without help! If anyone can volunteer, please contact Mr. Greg Orr at gborr@forsyth.k12.ga.us or call him at 770-475-6670 ext. 760301
General Reminders
We already have a growing collection of items in the lost and found. Please write your child's name inside their jackets, sweaters, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc!
REMIND
Get up to date info from Midway on your phone!
Want to be the first to know about school notices & reminders? You can receive a text message right on your phone by texting @midwayfam to the number 573 828 4436
Midway Elementary
School Handbook
Forsyth County Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or gender in employment decisions or educational programs and activities.
Midway Elementary School
Email: jlundstrum@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Website: www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/midway
Location: 4805 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta, GA, United States
Phone: 770-475-6670
Facebook: facebook.com/midwayes
Twitter: @MidwayES