Update from Principal Boyd
February 3, 2023
From Principal Boyd
Happy Friday!
In full transparency, this has been an emotional week for me. Watching the video of what happened to Tyre Nichols in Memphis has affected me in a way that I have trouble putting into words. With this being the start of Black History Month, I continue to long for the day where we are all treated as human beings and loved for who we are as individuals.
As a woman of color, leading this diverse neighborhood school is a privilege that I do not take for granted. I will continue to foster a school environment of peace, love, and acceptance at Esther Jackson Elementary.
"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it. Showcase it and you will start believing in it."
Jesse Owens
Thank you for trusting me with your scholars.
Attendance Matters
Congratulations to the winning attendance homeroom classes for the month of January:
PreK - Sheerin
Kinder - Bowie
First - Sather
Second - Cleveland
Third - Vitagliano
Fourth - Fraser
Fifth - Niles
Please help us to build the habit of good attendance. School success goes hand in hand with good attendance.
Spirit Wear
Our PTA is selling another round of EJ Spirit Wear. If you would like to order, please use the following link: https://estherjackson.memberhub.com/store/items/793606
Casserole Fundraiser for PTA
One of our EJ parents owns A Peach of a Party in Roswell where she serves the most amazing casseroles! Support your neighborhood school and get something you will actually want and enjoy.
Pick up orders at EJ on 2/15 between 2:00 pm & 3:00 pm
OR
Pick up orders at A Peach of a Party 2/13/23 - 2/17/23 between 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, 2/18/23 between 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 108-E Oak Street, Roswell GA
OR
Home Delivery in EJES District on 2/15/23 (add $5.00)
I was gifted the Poppy Seed Chicken casserole at Bingo Night and I may or may not have eaten the entire casserole in two days by myself!
Click here to shop online.
PreK Registration
The 2023-2024 Pre-Kindergarten Lottery application is scheduled for March 1, 2023 through March 17, 2023. Individual school lotteries will be held virtually March 27 – March 29 with notification from schools to parents by the end of the day on March 31, 2023.
As a reminder:
- The only students eligible for the FCS Pre-K program are those who are 4 years old on or before September 1, 2023.
- Parents may ONLY register for Georgia’s Pre-K classes through the lottery application process. The link and QR code will be on the flyers and will only work between March 1, 2023 at 12:01 am and March 17, 2023 at 11:59 pm.
- All students within the FCS school zone are eligible to participate in the lottery for enrollment in a Pre-K class.
- FCS Pre-K classrooms are funded through DECAL Bright from the Start. Classes are pending until state funding is awarded.
Electronic flyers will be available and distributed, as well as a detailed timeline for the Lottery and Registration process soon. Stay tuned...
Reading Bowl
Our EJ scholars participated in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl on Saturday, 1/28. These students read multiple books and competed with other schools across the District. They gave up their Saturday morning to come to EJ to compete and I am so proud of them!
Harlem Wizards
The Harlem Wizards are coming to Centennial High School this Sunday, February 5th, at 3:00 p.m. Our own Ms. Merkle, Ms. Williams, Ms. Brown, and Mr. Flemming will be playing in the game and I will be on the sidelines cheering them on)!
Click here to order tickets
Parent University
We hosted a virtual Parent University on Monday on school assessments. Because this was a rescheduled date, we had low participation.
We are hoping to make our students parents aware of the GA Milestone and the importance of these test. If you missed the meeting you can still go through the presentation and email question to Frank Perez at perezf@fultonschools.org
Parent University - Assessment Presentation
Parent University - Assessment Presentation - Spanish
Please if you didn’t take the survey in the presentation, click the link or type in your browser or scan the QR code below to access and complete our brief evaluation survey about this meeting/event. Your feedback helps us improve the services and events we offer to build your confidence and ability to academically support your child(ren) at home and partner with the school in their education.
When you open the survey:
1. Select Language on the right side of the page.
2. Select Elementary School
3. Select our school: Esther Jackson Elementary
4. Choose your role: staff, I am both a parent and a teacher at this school
5. Select Testing & Assessment Night/Workshop as the meeting you attended
6. Complete the remainder of the survey
https://bit.ly/FCSEvaluation_Survey
Summer Learning Site
Summer Learning 2023 will serve students in grades 3-12. Summer Learning dates are set by Cabinet and Esther Jackson has been identified as a summer learning site. Below are the dates for summer learning and registration information. More details coming soon.
Face-to-Face Summer Learning 2023
Registration Dates: March 1 – May 25
Late Registration Dates: May 30 & June 2
Student Dates: June 5 – July 3
Testing Dates: July 5 – July 10
Staff Dates: May 30, June 2, and June 5 – July 10
Elementary Hours
Student Hours: 7:40 – 11:40
Staff Hours: 7:10 – 12:40
Code of Conduct 2022-2023 Parent Survey
Each year, the District solicits feedback from employees and parents on the Code of Conduct. If you are interested in giving feedback, please use the following link:
Code of Conduct 2022-2023 Parent Survey
Valentine's Day
If students bring valentine cards for classmates, please have them bring cards for entire class.
As we approach this popular day, it is important to ensure that all homemade candy, desserts, baked goods, or other edible items are not to be sold or distributed during school hours, and that appropriate store-bought items are delivered to the administration. Please know that taking this measure will help us maintain a safe environment for all students with allergies, etc. You can help us protect your student(s) by requesting that they not eat anything given to them by another person, anything that they have not brought from your home or anything not in its original sealed package.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping all of our students safe at school!
Jaguar Spotlight
This week I am highlighting a few amazing staff members:
Julieta (PreK), Marina (3rd), and Kenneth (4th) - These students took our attendance challenge and won a Kindle Tablet! I am so proud of them.
Mr. Flemming - Mr. Flemming joined our team in November and has done a great job of supporting school culture. He recently started a Recycle Club and it is such a job to see our scholars doing their part by encouraging others to recycle. Thank you for your leadership, Mr. Flemming!
Attendance Tablet Winners
Attendance Tablet Winner
Teacher and Staff Recognition
The role of an educator is extremely rewarding and sometimes tough. it is so important that we always show appreciation to our EJ staff.
If you would like to recognize an EJ staff member, please complete this short form: https://tinyurl.com/StaffRecognitionEJ We would love to hear from you!
Principal Feedback
Parents, please use this link to provide feedback on how we can better serve you. I welcome questions, suggestions, concerns, and of course positive messages about EJ or any staff member. Please do not include questions about your student(s) performance. Instead, contact your student's teacher.
Dates to Remember
February 5 - Harlem Wizards game at Centennial HS @3:00 p.m.
February 6 - Start of Counselor Appreciation Week
February 10 - Progress Reports in Parent Portal
February 14 - Valentine's Day
February 15 - College and Career Day
February 15 - Katha Stuart Community Meeting @Sweet Apple ES, 9:30 a.m.
February 20 - President's Day - NO SCHOOL!
February 21 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!
February 24 - Black History Bowl
February 27-March 1 - TAG Tybee Island Trip