Principal Parker Weekly
Weekly Newsletter from Mr. Parker, Principal of TRMS
Email: ParkerK@fultonschools.org
Website: www.fultonschools.org/taylorroadms
Location: 5150 Taylor Road, Johns Creek, GA, USA
Phone: 470.254.7090
Twitter: @TaylorRoadWay
March 3, 2022
Supporting Taylor Road!
First - my thoughts are with Ukraine and the families we have at Taylor Road who share loved ones in that land. Please know the Taylor Road family is here for you.
Next -- a thank you. Earlier this semester I asked students and staff to refocus on a cell-phone free zone inside Taylor Road. I asked students to remove their headphones, earbuds and hoods in the hallways. And students responded positively to my request - we have good kids at TRMS! Please remind your students we continue those expectations going into the Spring and thank them for their compliance.
Also, I worry about car pool safety. I know the line is long, and that can frustrate parents who need to get on with the day. As buses (with some exceptions) are here in plenty of time to start the day, I wish more would consider that option. If your family must car pool, please drive slowly on campus. Also, please do not drop children in the parking lot, as my staff has noticed an uptick of students coming from all over the lot. Take care of each other and all students can be safe.
Finally, it continues to be an honor to have your family joining us as 2022 continues. My vision remains to have everyone feel proud to be a part of the Taylor Road community. I am a proud principal!
PBIS values: Be responsible -- Be respectful - Be proactive
This week's learning: Misreading a Child's Future
In this Kappan article, Ben Levin (University of Toronto) says it’s true that poverty, parental education, family interactions, and ethnicity are strongly correlated with students falling
behind in school, dropping out, and not going on to post-secondary education. But all too many educators and parents make the mistake of using these aggregate correlations to predict that a particular eight-year-old will not be successful in life.
This is a serious error, says Levin: “Many studies have found that a large number of students defy negative expectations based on their backgrounds.” One Canadian study found that nearly 40 percent of young adolescents with very low reading skills were in post-secondary education six years later, and an American study of failing third graders found that more than 75 percent eventually graduated from high school, including 70 percent from low-SES families. “In every study of this kind,” he says, “a significant number of students who seem to have everything against them end up having good results.”
It’s not that poverty and other factors aren’t important, or that we shouldn’t be working hard
to alleviate social inequalities, or that schools can by themselves overcome entering disadvantages, says Levin: “What is important to keep in mind is that we just don’t know how people’s lives will turn out. So, while many people in jail come from high-poverty backgrounds, most people who grow up in poverty don’t end up in jail. For educators, there is a very heartening message in this research. What it says, very clearly, is that our work matters.” Small actions by teachers—or just doing their jobs well—can make a tremendous difference to struggling children.
“All this means that schools and educators should be very cautious about thinking we can predict any student’s future,” Levin concludes, “and even more cautious if that belief leads us, or the student, to lower expectations.”
"The One-Legged High Jumper and the Perils of Prediction” by Ben Levin in Phi Delta Kappan, October 2012 (Vol. 94, #2, pp. 74–75).
SHARE -- See it. Hear it. And Report it Every time.
Thank you for sharing your family with us.
Remember to follow us on Twitter @TaylorRoadWay and @Proud_Tigers and on Facebook for updates. We will also continue our traditional Messenger newsletter, along with weekly principal emails. You can always find more information on our website.
I love my job!
Core values of TRMS: Engagement, Rigor, and Relationships
Congratulations to the TRMS Mathcounts Students
TRMS had two students who completed in the Regional MATHCOUNTS Chapter Competition who placed within the top 10% of the Capital Chapter. Caroline Huang placed sixth and Brady Zhang placed second out of ninety-six mathletes! Brady and Caroline represented TRMS well, and as a result, they have been invited to participate in the MATHCOUNTS State Competition on Monday, March 21st. Advancing mathletes will compete at the MATHCOUNTS State Competition to earn a spot at the 2022 Raytheon Technologies MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Washington, DC.
Congratulations to these students and their teacher, Ms. Watola!
Our Community’s Diversity Brought To Life Through Stories!
The TRMS Cultural Diversity Committee is inviting parents, relatives, and community members to help enrich our school’s social studies curriculum with live and in person testimonials. We are trying to assemble a panel/series of speakers who have impactful stories they would be willing to share with our students and our community.
Learning history from real people who were involved in or witness to real events helps to paint a deeper picture of that history and to bring those events to life.
Our rich and diverse school community surely has so many stories to share which would be relevant to either units of study in our social studies classes or important cultural events on our calendar. Some of our social studies classes will be/are beginning units on World War II and then moving into studies of the Civil Rights Era.
Simultaneously, while we are nearing the end of February and Black History Month, we will be entering Women’s History Month in March and Arab American Heritage Month in April, which will also coincide with the Muslim month-long observance and fasting of Ramadan. And closer to the end of April on the 28th will be Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is the Jewish memorialization of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
If you or a relative of yours has a real-life event or important historical story to tell that will educate and inform our diverse school community, please contact our social studies teacher and co-chair of the diversity committee, Dr. Aquil Bayyan, who can help coordinate your appearance at school. We look forward to hearing from you and to hearing your family’s important story told!
School Governance Council Candidates Wanted - Deadline Extended Until March 13th
Parents,
It is time for the election of new members to our School Governance Council. The School Governance Council has both parent/guardian and teacher positions open for election. Parents or guardians of students who will be attending our school during both the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years are eligible to run for the parent/guardian SGC positions. We will have openings for 2 parent/guardian members next year.
Our School Governance Council (SGC) plays a critical role in the success of our school. The SGC works with school leadership and the community to help determine the long-term direction of the school, design innovative solutions to increase academic achievement, and serve as school ambassadors to the local community. Specifically, the School Governance Council has the following powers:
- Create, approve, and monitor the implementation of the school strategic plan
- Manage the Request for Flexibility process
- Approve the annual budget recommendations and related allocations
- Participate in the hiring of the principal, in the case of a vacancy
- Provide annual feedback to the Area Superintendent on principal performance
If you are interested in running for a position on the School Governance Council, please complete and submit a Parent/Guardian Candidate Declaration Form. Forms are available until Sunday, March 13th.
We are very excited about the work and value-add of our SGC. We hope that you will consider running for a position! The Candidate Declaration period ends March 2nd and voting will take place March 23-March 30. In the meantime, if you would like more information about the charter system or SGC elections visit our school’s website or our Charter System Overview. There is some additional information below as well.
Additional Information:
Are there any qualifications I must meet in order to run for a seat on the School Governance Council?
Yes, if running for a parent/guardian position, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be designated as a parent or guardian in Fulton’s Student Information System.
- You must have a child who attends the school for two consecutive years.
- You may not be an employee of the school.
- You cannot run for or participate on more than one School Governance Council at the same time.
- Only one family member may serve on a school’s School Governance Council at the same time, except for student members, who may have a family member that serves on the Council (See Fulton County Schools Code of Conduct for definition of “family.”).
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You cannot be an elected official from any government entity.
- Upon election you will be fingerprinted and subject to a criminal background check.
Are there specific requirements or rules School Governance Council members must follow?
Yes, School Governance Council members must:
- Attend at least 75% of the School Governance Council’s scheduled meetings. The meeting schedule should be published for the entire year at the beginning of the fiscal year.
- Serve, actively, on at least one committee of the Council, attending at least 75% of the scheduled committee meetings (the schedule should be published for the entire year at the beginning of each fiscal year) and carry out activities within the committee structure.
- Act as an ambassador for the school by interacting regularly with the school community.
School Nutrition to begin accepting Meal Eligibility Applications to support P-EBT Benefits
To support P-EBT eligibility benefits for students, the School Nutrition Program will process Free & Reduced Price Meal applications. By completing an application it may help you to qualify for P-EBT Benefits for next year, however it is unknown at this time if P-EBT benefits will be extended for another year. Thanks to USDA waivers, students will continue to receive school meals at no charge this school year.
The Free & Reduced Price Meal application is online for parents/guardians that wish to apply for meal benefits.
Visit www.fulton.schoollunchapp.com to begin the online application.
Milestones Testing Days
April 26: ELA Part 2 (all grades)
April 27: ELA Part 3 (all grades)
April 29: Algebra I EOC (students in Algebra I Honors)
May 2: Math Part 1 (all grades)
May 3: Math Part 2 (all grades)
May 5: Science EOG/Physical Science EOC (8th grade)
May 6: Social Studies (8th grade)
Backpacks of Love
At TRMS we have a program called “backpacks of love”. The purpose of this program is to provide assistance by donating non-perishable items to our families. The participants’ names are known only to the counselors and social worker. Once every two weeks a backpack with food items are available to go home. A student can carry the backpack home, or the parent can pick it up at the front office. All we need to know is if you would like to participate, how many adults are in the house, how many children are in the house, and if there are any dietary allergies such as peanut butter. We can only provide for a certain number of families so the sooner you reply the better. We will respond regardless of whether you are in the program or if supplies run out.
6th grade Counselor- Mr. Fredric Johnson
7th grade Counselor- Mrs. Alexcia Massey
8th grade Counselor- Mrs. Cindy Sabula
Please support our efforts by ordering See's Candies. This opportunity is available until March 25th.
Supporting our work --
These generous voluntary donations will be used exclusively to purchase academic programs or supplies to support student learning or to purchase learning opportunities for our Teachers to enhance their ability to educate our students. Please enter any amount that you are comfortable donating. Thank you for supporting Taylor Road Middle School.
TRMS Staff Recognition Donation 21-22
Donation to be used by TRMS specifically for Staff recognition and awards. Any amount you wish to donate will be appreciated. Thank you for your support of our Taylor Road Middle School teachers.
Taylor Road is on Facebook!
Important Dates
February 24: PTA Spirit Night @ Culvers, 5 – 8 PM
February 28: Early Release Day (Bell Schedule)
March 1: PTA Celebration for Honor Roll Students
March 2: Basketball Games v. Webb Bridge MS, TRMS gym, 5:30 PM
March 4: Basketball Games v. Sandy Springs MS, TRMS gym, 5:30 PM
March 9: Chorus Showcase Concert, TRMS Gym, 6:00 PM
March 10: 8th Grade Dance
March 11: Teacher Work Day - No School For Students
March 12: Pet Walk, 10:00 AM
March 14: Professional Learning Day - No School for Students
March 16: PTA Meeting, 6:00 PM
March 19: Middle School Track Meet, Milton HS
March 21: Early Release Day
The buck stops here
See our duties divided among the administrators responsible (click photo below). We continually modify and update this chart. It is also available on the TRMS website.
We are here to help - always!
If you feel any concerns - or know someone who does - please know Taylor Road is filled with people who care. I encourage you to reach out via this website link to report concerns to me personally at any time. I immediately receive email notification of all submitted concerns, and I promise to respond quickly. The report remains anonymous, unless you choose to share your identity and allow me to respond.
Fulton Schools also has a Quick Tip app to report issues to district leaders and school police. Please continue to reach out. It is never a bother or a hardship to show we care.
Finally, there are any number of resources for stakeholders. Please follow this link for more information. Do not hesitate; ask for help.
#TheTRWayForward
As we define our way forward, the administrative team welcomes input. Remember, I continue to use #TheTRWayForward to tag Twitter posts that represent my vision for Taylor Road.
Follow me personally @TaylorRoadWay on Twitter. I am excited about #TheTRWayForward
Thanks for supporting TRMS!
Relationships - Rigor - Engagement
Email: parkerk@fultonschools.org
Website: www.fultonschools.org/taylorroadms
Location: 5150 Taylor Road, Johns Creek, GA, USA
Phone: 470-254-7090
Twitter: @TaylorRoadWay