Eagle Updates
Principal Lorraine Johnson
Madras Middle School
Email: MadrasNews@cowetaschools.org
Website: http://www.cowetaschools.net/mms
Location: 240 Edgeworth Road, Newnan, GA, United States
Phone: 770-254-2744
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MadrasEagles
Twitter: @MadrasEagles
Dear Parents,
We can't thank you enough for your patience and support as we've all worked to navigate teaching and learning from home for nine weeks. As stated before, we know this has not been an easy time for many of our families, and we appreciate all the things you've done to support your child and our school during the closure.
For our eighth graders, we know they have missed the final few months with their teachers and friends before moving on to their respective high schools in August. Missing out on end-of-year activities, field trips, and their semiformal have been particularly difficult and emotional for students (as well as our staff). We're going to miss this group we have become so close to the last three years, but we know they will do great things and they will be difference makers! We hope parents and students will stop by or drop us a line when they have good news to share in the future. We love celebrating our students' successes both inside and outside of the classroom, and they will always be Eagles!
This is not the way any of us would have chosen to end the school year. Our hearts will hurt as we say goodbye from the pick-up line next week, but please know how much we have missed our students and how much we're looking forward to being together again!
Stay healthy, and have a safe and happy summer. If I can answer any questions for you or can help in any way, please email me at lorraine.johnson@cowetaschools.net
Picking Up Student Belongings
Great news! We now have approved dates for families to pick up their students' belongings left at school. Please review the scheduled times below, along with the directions beforehand. We've worked to try to streamline this as much as possible, so we are hopeful that it will run smoothly. If you have questions, please email one of the Madras administrators before the first pick-up day on May 26th.
Scheduled Pick-Up Dates
May 26th - 8th grade
- 2:00-3:00 PM - Team ONEder (Xydias, Dudley, Heath, Hahn)
- 3:00-4:00 PM - Team Excelsior (Carter, Farmer, DeGroot McRae)
- 4:00-5:00 PM - Team Synergy (Costa, Bence, McConnell, Welch)
- 5:00-6:00 PM - Any 8th grade family who missed an earlier time
May 27th - 7th grade
- 2:00-3:00 PM - Team Fortitude (Benton, Foncannon, Ballard, Teagle)
- 3:00-4:00 PM - Team Excellence (Bagnell, Lau, Sandlin, Reed)
- 4:00-5:00 PM - Team Warriors (Chaves, Berry, Moss, Galatian)
- 5:00-6:00 PM - Any 7th grade family who missed an earlier time
May 28th - 6th grade
- 2:00-3:00 PM - Team Courage (Sibley, Page, Hitt, Prangley)
- 3:00-4:00 PM - Team Legend (Hitchcock, Edmondson, Kipp, Hester)
- 4:00-5:00 PM - Team Mindset (Schober, Cole, Goodwin, Fairchild)
- 5:00-6:00 PM - Any 6th grade family who missed an earlier time
Before Coming to School
- Write you student's name on a piece of paper and place it in the windshield (visible to staff). If you have an instrument, prescription medication, or yearbook to pick up, please indicate that on the paper as well.
- Gather all items that belong to the school and have them ready to drop off (such as textbooks, uniforms, library books).
- If your child has a Chromebook and charger at home, he/she should keep it for the summer. Only students who will not be returning to a Coweta County school will need to return Chromebooks during pick-up.
- If you have more than one student at Madras, we are asking that you pick your student's items with your older student's belongings. Please email your children's homeroom teachers so they can group the items together.
Day of Pick-Up
- Please pull into the school's entrance off of Frank Cook Road, and follow it to the back of the school on the track (car rider area).
- Pull around to the staff members directing traffic and so they can show you where to pull in.
- Make sure your paper (with student name, HR, and and any additional items needed such as an instrument, yearbook, or prescription medication) is visible in the windshild and a staff member will let teachers know to bring your child's items directly to the car.
- Please hand any school items to staff before you leave.
Additional Options
If you're unable to pick up your child's belongings at the assigned time, we currently have two additional options.
- You can give another parent permission to pick items up for you. If you would like to do this, complete the following form as confirmation no later than Friday, May 22nd . (This is required if someone is doing this for you, and any damaged items will not be the responsiblity of the school.)
- With the current uncertainty of school office hours this summer, items will be at our school available for pick up during Open House in August. (Tentatively scheduled for August 5th from 10:00 AM to noon.) If this changes, we will announce this on our website at: https://mms.cowetaschools.net/
Chromebook Repairs
If your child had a Chromebook being repaired before the closures, we now have directions regarding pick-ups. Thirty-six have been returned so far, and our technology specialist, Georgette Cooper has emailed parents whose students have Chromebooks that are ready.
If you have received an email from Ms. Cooper stating that your child's Chromebook has been repaired, you can pick it up at the Food Services Warehouse at 170 Werz Industrial Drive (across the street from the Central Office building.)
The schedule for picking up Chromebooks is provided for you below.
The week of May 26 to May 29, Chromebooks can be picked up during the following hours:
- Tuesday, May 26, 9:00-12:00 (noon)
- Wednesday, May 27, 1:00-4:00 PM
- Thursday, May 28, 1:00-4:00 PM
- Friday, May 29, 9:00-12:00 (noon)
Then starting Tuesday June 2nd, the warehouse will be open for pick up or drop off as follows:
- Every Tuesday, 9:00-12:00 (noon)
- Every Thursday, 1:00-4:00 PM
End-of-Year Reminders and Updates
Student Honors: Since we were unable to hold traditional honors programs during the closure, administrators and team teachers have been working to create recognition presentations to celebrate our students at the end of the year. These will be shared with them via Google Classroom by next Thursday, and Honors Certificates will be distributed on pick-up days next week.
Report Cards: Team teachers contacted families regarding student progress and semester grades during the closure. Parents and students can view final grading reports via Infinite Campus Parent and Student Portals on May 29th. If a paper copy is needed, parents can email the principal or the registrar.
Sixth Grade Orientation: (Originally scheduled for March 24th) Our administrative team, counselors, and Eagle Ambassadors are currently working on a comprehensive virtual orientation that will be posted on our website by the end of May.
Yearbooks: If you did not pre-purchase a yearbook, we have a few extras you can purchase as you come through through the car rider line on pick-up day (first come; first serve). They are $50, and a staff member will write parents a receipt and hand them a yearbook. Available while supplies last.
Athletics and Summer Practices: We are following state, district, and GHSA guidance regarding all athletics including those that typically include spring or summer conditioning such as football, volleyball, and pep squad. Currently we have no new information, but updates will be forwarded to parents as soon as we receive them.
Refunds: Mr. Dawkins, our bookkeeper, has been working on issuing refunds to families for the Eighth Grade Semiformal and Chorus Braves Tickets. Refunds are being mailed to your home, and many of you should have begun receiving them. If you have a question, please email Mr. Dawkins at: john.dawkins@cowetaschools.net
Counseling Needs: Our administrators and counselors have worked to check in with families of students in need while schools are closed. If your family has a specific need this summer, please contact a counselor or administrator via email (listed on our MMS website).
HIgh School Courses for Upcoming 8th Graders (Spanish and American Govt) See expanded information in article below. The deadline is June 5th.
Required Immunizations for ALL 7th Grade Students
Attentional ALL Rising 7th Graders:
The Georgia Department of Human Resources has issued an immunization update regarding Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) and Meningococcal immunizations.
Starting July 1, 2014 all children who were born on or after January 1, 2002 who are entering the seventh grade are required to have a
- Tdap and a Meningococcal immunization
- an updated immunization certificate (Form 3231) reflecting the administration dates of the two additional vaccines.
All rising 7th graders born on or after January 1, 2002, must have ONE of the following:
A current , up-to-date DHR Immunization Form 3231 reflecting the additional one dose of Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine and one Meningococcal conjugate vaccine have been administered OR
A signed immunization waiver (available at the school for eligible students only) granting an extension of 30 calendar days OR
A notarized affidavit affirming a religious belief conflict.
If you have any questions regarding your student’s immunization status, contact your child’s physician, the local Health Department, or the school nurse (Kate Caswell). We encourage you to attend to this promptly to avoid the “back to school” rush. Your new certificate can be obtained while your child is still in sixth grade and issued to the school.
Spanish I/Government Information for Rising Eighth Graders
Dear Parents of Rising 8th Grade Students:
This upcoming academic year, Madras will offer two courses at the middle school for credit at the high school level. These courses meet the 9-12 grade Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and the Georgia Performance Standards for Modern Languages (GPS) and will be taught by high school and middle school certified teachers holding a valid 6-12 grade Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) certification in the subject area. These courses will follow Georgia course requirements as well as any associated End of Course Test or Student Learning Objective (SLO) requirements. This is a great opportunity for your student to earn high school credit at the middle school level.
At Madras we will offer Spanish I and American Government/Civics. These courses are year-long (two-semester courses during connections) offered for high school credit to 8th grade students. Enrollment is on a space-available basis (by lottery) and requires parental permission/approval. Middle school teachers, counselors, and administrators will work collaboratively in the identification of 8th grade students requesting enrollment who have demonstrated readiness for high school coursework and student requirements. You should know that once the student is enrolled, we will only honor parent requests for schedule changes before the end of the 1st semester. A student dropping out of a year-long class for high school credit and completing just one semester will receive the grade earned up to that point. That grade will be reflected on the student’s middle school report card as a regular middle school course.
High school level courses taken and passed in middle school will count towards the total units required to graduate from high school. The grade earned will post to the transcript and become a part of the student’s overall GPA. However, as per current HOPE scholarship guidelines, this grade will not be used to calculate HOPE scholarship eligibility. Please become familiar with HOPE guidelines and future HOPE changes so that you know how this might affect your child.
Again, this is an opportunity for your child to earn high school credit during the 8th grade year. If you would like your student to be considered for enrollment in either of these classes, you must submit a request by June 5, 2020 at:https://forms.gle/6D3ZGmkLRDPwzLek6 and complete and return the parent letter.
Parents of students enrolled will be contacted via email (at the email address submitted via parent’s online request) by the end of June. If you have questions, please email a Madras administrator.
Media Notes
Karen Pitts, Media Specialist
Thank you so much for your support of our first ever online Scholastic Book Fair. We were able to put books in the hands of students and obtain some free books for our Library Media Center.
Please return any Library books that you may have checked out during our pick up at the school next week.
Our summer reading incentive program is ready to begin! This year we are offering a digital choice board where students will have twelve activities to choose from. Students may select three activities that they would like to complete. If they share those activities with Mrs. Karen Pitts, they will be entered into the drawing to win Book Fair dollars for our next Scholastic Book Fair.
Please continue to check our Library Media Center website for resources and updates all summer! You may also follow the Library Media Center on Instagram and Twitter for updates and book ideas.
Website: madrasreadingeagles.weebly.com
Instagram: @madrasreadingeagles
Twitter: @madrasreadingea,
Thank you for your support of literacy at Madras Middle School. Have a great summer!
Congratulations to Noah Watson!
Young Georgia Author Regional Winner (Advancing to State)
Congrats, Aria Pigatt, Bonnie Kanner, & Azie Collett!
First Place in the 2020 Coweta County Innovations Shark Tank AND People's Choice Award!
Thank You, Parents!
- President, Amy Brandon
- Vice-President (and Spirit Wear), Deana Young
- Treasurer, Carol Becker
- Hospitality, Shannon Stewart
- Co-Hospitality, Heather Buckley
- Membership, Karen Nuno
- Snack 'n Chat, Katie Brown
- School Store, Andrea Jackson
- Box Tops, Jamie Bowne/Gina Johnson
Summer Meal Program
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