Medlock Bridge Mustang Message
We educate and inspire all students to be lifelong learners!
February 17, 2020
From the Principal's Desk
MBES Community,
Congratulations are in order! On Wednesday of last week, we named Rachel Jackson our 2019-20 Teacher of the Year and Britani Ashkeboussi our Professional Employee of the Year! Ms. Jackson is a Kindergarten teacher who is known for being kind, caring, and consistent. She is a Medlock Bridge mainstay with well over a decade of service to our students and community. Ms. Ashkeboussi has been a Speech Language Pathologist at Medlock Bridge for the past three years. She brings incredible value to the students, parents, and staff she serves. Congratulations to our winners, finalists, and nominees for our annual awards!
The MBES School Governance Council (SGC) is seeking at least one more parent to declare their candidacy for the elected parent positions on next year's council. SGC is a great way to get involved in the decision making process for our school and to help guide our strategic direction. Please see article below for more details. Thank you for your consideration!
This week brings celebrations of Art and Science at Medlock Bridge! On Wednesday, February 19th, we will gather at Shakerag Elementary School to see our "Through My Eyes" school level winners move on to the cluster award ceremony. On Thursday, February 20th, Medlock Bridge will host Family STEM Night. STEM Night is always one of our most popular events with plenty of interactive experiences for students of all ages. We look forward to seeing you there!
Have a great week!
Matt Vance
Georgia Parent Survey
UPDATE: Thank you to the 55 families who have already shared about their experiences at Medlock Bridge Elementary!
Let's share the news about our amazing school! The Georgia Parent Survey is used to calculate the School Climate Star Rating. In 2019, Medlock Bridge earned a 5-Star Climate Rating for the first time!
The survey contains 24 questions. Parents may complete the survey using their personal computer, smartphone, or tablet. Survey responses are anonymous, self-reported, and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis.
Georgia Parent Survey: https://gshs.gadoe.org/parents
Important Dates
February - Black History Month
Monday, February 17th
Presidents Day Holiday (school closed)
Tuesday, February 18th
Linda McCain Community Meeting @ Shakerag Elementary School, 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, February 19th
Wellness Wednesday - No homework for students - spend additional time with friends and family.
Strong4Life Team will visit our school again - during Morning Announcements, PE, and Lunch Time
Through My Eyes Cluster Award Ceremony @ Shakerag Elementary School, 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 20th
Stem Night @ Medlock Bridge, 4 p.m to 6 p.m.
Spirit Night @ Burger 21 - Percent of sales goes back to Medlock Bridge ES!
Friday, February 21st
School Store - Room 401 from 7:10 a.m. - 7:40 a.m.
Tuesday, February 25th
Progress Skills Checklists go home in Tuesday Folders
Wednesday, February 26th
Globetrotter Passport Check
Wellness Wednesday - No homework for students - spend additional time with friends and family.
Thursday, February 27th
Kindergarten Field Trip
Friday, February 28th
School Store - Room 401 from 7:10 a.m. - 7:40 a.m.
***Looking Ahead***
Friday, March 13, 2020
Teacher Workday, no school for Fulton County students.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
No school for Fulton County students. Changed to a Teacher Work Day due to Statewide Election.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
(state-wide election) will be a student Digital Learning Day and a teacher professional development day.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
(state-wide election) will be a student Digital Learning Day and a teacher professional development day.
Cafeteria News
School Governance Council Elections
Medlock Bridge will be electing representatives to serve on the School Governance Council. We will be electing parent/guardian positions and teacher positions for our spring election. Our School Governance Council has a leadership role in the governance of the school. The Council works with the principal in setting the long-term vision and strategy for the school. They are responsible for approving the school’s strategic plan and budget recommendations, as well as designing innovative solutions to increase academic achievement and meet the unique needs of our school community.
Elections for the parent/guardian and teacher positions on the School Governance Council will be held March 17th – March 24th. Candidates interested in running for an elected position on the Council must complete a candidate declaration form and submit by February 26th.
Candidate forms may be submitted electronically or by mail (get a copy of the form from the school’s front office and follow mailing instructions on the back of the form).
Please click here for the candidate declaration form and more information on the SGC election process!
2020-2021 PRE-K REGISTRATION
Pre-K registration is March 2nd – March 3rd. The Pre-K Lottery will be held on March 5th at 1:00 p.m. in room 131.
Children must be 4 by September 1, 2020 in order to be eligible for the Pre-K program. Due to the limited number of seats available in Pre-K, selection will be by lottery to determine placement. The Pre-K lottery is not on a first come first serve process and all applications received on March 2nd and 3rd will be processed together. Students living in the Medlock Bridge attendance zone will be given priority. If there are extra spots available we will then choose students from out of our attendance zone.
Please visit https://www.fultonschools.org/enrollment for details on registration and documents needed for enrollment.
NEW STUDENT GRADES K - 5 2020-2021 REGISTRATION
Registration for new students in grades K – 5 will be held on April 1st from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and April 2nd from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Currently enrolled MBES Pre-K students do not need to attend kindergarten registration.
Please visit https://www.fultonschools.org/enrollment for details on registration and documents needed for enrollment.
7 Mindsets - Attitude of Gratitude
We teach the Whole Child through our Social Emotional Learning curriculum, 7 Mindsets!
Click here for more information.
Parent University @ Abbotts Hill Elementary
Parent University:
Our next Parent University session is scheduled for March 19, 2020 at Abbotts Hill Elementary School from 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Please come to the front desk and we will guide you to the classroom.
Self-Esteem: Building Resiliency, Confidence, and Self-love in Your Children.
Come join in the conversation to talk about Overcoming hurdles and obstacles while still maintaining and acknowledging self-worth for all of our children. This discussion will give you concrete practices to utilize at home with your children to build confidence, increase problem solving and intrinsic motivation, and feel worthy of love and acceptance in their lives.
This is an opportunity to come with any questions you may have and to learn more from Summit Counseling Center.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP by sending an email to consolom@fultonschools.org and state how many people will be attending.
Bus Safety Update
Parents, this is a reminder that students are prohibited from using items during the operation of the school bus which might interfere with the school bus communications equipment or the school bus driver’s operation of the bus per the Fulton County Code of Conduct Rule 20: Interference with School Bus. Please take this opportunity to discuss with your children.
All code of conduct rules applies on school provided transportation and at school bus stops. Students may not violate any direction of the school bus driver. Students may not disrupt the environment of the bus or bus stop in any manner, including but not limited to loud or boisterous behavior; failure to remain silent at railroad crossings; using emergency exits improperly; riding an unauthorized bus; disembarking at an unauthorized stop; throwing objects in the bus, or into or out of the bus; extending body parts or objects outside of the bus; drinking/eating/chewing gum; interference with District recording equipment; [failure to wear seatbelts where fitted on buses, or unbuckling of seatbelts before reaching the destination,] and failure to remain seated.
Additionally, students are prohibited from using items during the operation of a school bus in a manner which might interfere with the school bus communications equipment or the school bus driver's operation of the bus. These items include but are not limited to cell phones; pagers; audible radios; tape or compact disc players without head-phones; mirrors; lasers, or flash cameras. (Consequences may include confiscation of device.) Cell phone use will not be allowed during the operation of the bus because it interferes with the operational technology. However, cell phones may be used with the special permission of the principal, supervising teacher, or bus driver while the student is on the bus waiting to depart the starting location or when the bus returns to its final destination after athletic events, fields trips, or other special situation deemed appropriate by the principal, supervising teacher, or bus driver.
School Store
Dear Parents,
Student council sponsors a school store where students can purchase items such as: Slime, stress balls, pencils, erasers, and so much more. The store is open most Fridays from 7:10-7:35 a.m. Items cost between $0.25 - $2.00. Please support our school by allowing your child to shop at our school store!
Thank you,
Caleb C.
MBES Student Council Member
Carpool
As the weather gets colder, there are more parents dropping off their children through carpool. We are happy to offer carpool drop-off and enjoy seeing you all in the morning! Please remember that due to the increased volume during cold weather, the carpool line will be long and there will be delays. Consider arriving closer to 7:10am to avoid the rush that occurs at 7:40am. In the interest of safety and efficiency, here are a few reminders of how our carpool works.
1. Carpool is open from 7:10am until 7:40am. Parents who arrive before 7:10am should keep children in their cars until the 7:10am bell. At 7:40am, carpool must close to allow staff to return to duties with children inside building. You will notice that the "horseshoe" closes and parents are able to drive through to the top parking lot.
2. When dropping off, please pull all the way through the "horseshoe." Doing so will allow more cars to pull into the "horseshoe," maximizing the space we have available to accept drop-offs and avoid dangerous traffic back-ups.
3. For the safety of all children involved, please only drop your child off once your car is on the "horseshoe." This prevents students from walking dangerously close to traffic. There should also be a staff member close by to assist your children as they exit your car.
4. When making a left turn into the school, please wait until there is space to pull your car all the way on to campus. Doing so allows Medlock Bridge neighborhood cars to drive through the carpool line when necessary.
5. School begins at 7:40am. If you arrive after the 7:40am bell, please walk your child in to the front office to sign in.
For attendance purposes, a student is counted tardy if they enter the building after the 7:40am bell. Students entering the building after the 7:40am bell will be issued a blue pass from the front office. Students riding the bus in the morning are never counted tardy, so if you are concerned about tardies please consider having your student ride the bus.
Severe Weather
We regularly see school closings in January and February for weather. The school system has several options available to respond to severe weather. School may be closed outright throughout the county or closings might be localized to the portion of the county impacted. School may be delayed by two hours to allow ice on roads to thaw. There is also a chance that schools may need to close early once students are already in the building. In all cases, you will receive a phone call and email from Fulton County Schools and in some cases a follow up communication from Medlock Bridge.
Parents, please be reminded that you have communicated on your child's green card how they will go home in the case of an early closing. We will accept changes on the day of an early closing when necessary, but we would love to know in advance if possible. If you feel you need to update your child's green card for this or another purpose, please communicate with your child's teacher.
Digital Learning Days
Fulton County is exploring the use of Digital Learning Days when inclement weather prevents students from physically going to school. Most grade levels already have their tentative Digital Learning Day plans posted to their websites. If a cancelled school day is to be a Digital Learning Day, you will receive an email from me advising as such. Students will be provided adequate time to complete the assigned work in case power outages or any other circumstances prevent them from completing the work on the actual Digital Learning Day.
Medlock Bridge Elementary School
Email: vancem@fultonschools.org
Website: http://school.fultonschools.org/es/medlockbridge/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 10215 Medlock Bridge Parkway, Johns Creek, GA, United States
Phone: 4702542980
Twitter: @MBESPrincipal