Medlock Bridge Mustang Message
We educate and inspire all students to be lifelong learners!
February 25, 2019
From the Principal's Desk
Medlock Bridge Community,
The anniversary of the tragedy at Parkland, Florida reminds us all of the importance of school safety and security. I want to take a moment to remind you of the many safety precautions that Medlock Bridge and Fulton County Schools take to keep your children safe. All doors are locked at all times, Fulton Schools Police Officers regularly patrol the campus, and we take students through several safety drills throughout the year, including Lockdown Drills. All guests to the building are vetted at sign in using ID check software. Our front door is equipped with a doorbell, camera, and intercom. We encourage all community members to download the Fulton County app that features a "Quick Tip" reporting tool (click the picture for more details).
Matt Vance
Georgia Parent Survey
UPDATE: There are only 4 days left to take this survey!!
Black History Month
Georgia Milestones
Georgia Department of Education provides Study Guides to help students prepare for Georgia Milestones. They are a resource for parents and students. They contain practice questions and learning activities for each content area. The standards identified in the Study/Resource Guides address a sampling of the state-mandated content standards. You can also visit their site to review the Assessment Guide for each test.
Some positive changes have been made to the Georgia Milestones Testing window. The schedule allows for a full week of instruction after students return from Spring Break and reduces daily testing time. The county is also required to use a new caching system this year, and the system's need for schools to limit device traffic necessitated these changes in schedule. The testing dates for each grade level are listed here:
3rd Grade Milestones: April 15-19
4th Grade Milestones: May 6-10
5th Grade Milestones: April 15-23
A more complete calendar will be sent out closer to the date of the test.
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 11th – March 18th. Candidates interested in running for an elected position on the Council must complete a candidate declaration form and submit by February 27th.
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!
State of Our School
Listening Sessions
February 13, 2019 @ 9am - Grades 4 and 5
February 28, 2019 @ 9am - Grades 2 and 3
March 7, 2019 @ 9am - Grades K and 1
Additionally, please remember that all School Governance Council meetings are public. We welcome public comment at every meeting. You can also use our School Governance Council Virtual Comment Box to share your comments. A summary of these comments will be shared at the next School Governance Council Meeting.
7 Mindsets - Attitude of Gratitude
Release Day - Thank you!
Important Dates
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Progress Skills Checklists Go Home
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
"Through My Eyes" Awards Reception
6:00 pm
Thursday, February 28, 2019
STEM Night - 4:00 pm - 6:00pm
PTO Spirit Night - City BBQ
March 4th - 8th
Read Across America - See Activities Below - Celebrate Dr. Seuss!
Wednesday, March 6th
Spring Picture Day
Friday, March 8th, 2019
Changed to a regular school day in Fulton County. Was previously a teacher work day.
"Yes, I Can" Awards Ceremony
Family Movie Night
Read Across America
In honor of Dr. Seuss, Across America will be celebrated the week of March 4th. Below is a list of activities that our Student Council has arranged for MBES students and staff.
Monday, March 4th - Cat in the Hat - wear crazy hats
Tuesday, March 5th - Oh, the Places You'll Go! - wear career outfit
Wednesday, March 6th - If I ran the Zoo - bring a small stuffed animal
Thursday, March 7th - Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book - wear pajamas
Friday, March 8th - Favorite Book Character Day.
Spring Picture Day
2019-2020 Pre-K Registration
Pre-K registration is March 18th – March 22nd. Children must be 4 by September 1, 2018 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 between March 18th and March 22nd will be processed together. Students living in the Medlock Bridge attendance zone will be chosen first.
If there are extra spots available we will then choose students from out of our attendance zone. The lottery will be held at 1:00 p.m. in room 131 on March 26th.
Documentation for Registration
In order to register, you will need your child’s original birth certificate with raised seal, Social Security card, and 2 proofs of residency (contract on house, home mortgage bill, house lease, or an apartment lease showing the occupant names, AND a current water or electric bill), parent state issued drivers license or passport.
New Student Grades K - 5 2019-2020 Registration
Registration for new students in grades K – 5 will be held on March 27th from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and March 28th from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Currently enrolled MBES Pre-K students do not need to attend kindergarten registration.
Documentation for Registration
In order to register, you will need your child’s original birth certificate with raised seal, Social Security card, and 2 proofs of residency (contract on house, home mortgage bill, house lease, or an apartment lease showing the occupant names, AND a current water or electric bill), parent state issued drivers license or passport.
Parents of Rising 6th Grade Students! - Transition Events
Whether your rising 6th grader will be attending River Trail or Autrey Mill Middle School, both have important resources for you and your child.
Autrey Mill MS will host MBES students on 3/28/19 during the school day. Autrey Mill will host a parent night on 4/24/19 at 6pm. Please stay tuned to http://school.fultonschools.org/ms/autreymill/Pages/default.aspx for more transition event information.
River Trail Middle School will be having a Parent Night on 3/18/19 at 6 pm that is not to be missed! MBES students who will be attending River Trail will visit on 3/13/19 during the school day. Please stay tuned to http://school.fultonschools.org/ms/rivertrail/Pages/default.aspx for more transition event information.
News From The Counselor
Camp MAGIK for bereaved children & adolescents
Camp MAGIK, a healing camp for bereaved children and adolescents, is announcing its spring 2019 camp sessions. Our spring sessions will be held at The Calvin Center in Hampton April 12-14, 2019 and at The Cherokee Retreat Center in Cartersville May 3-5, 2019. Applications need to be postmarked, emailed, or faxed to us no later than April 3 and April 24 respectively. We will provide free transportation to camp and back – if needed.
Camp MAGIK is well suited to all youth ages 7 through 18 who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or other close loved one, especially youth who have experienced traumatic death. Professional bereavement counselors, trained in grief and trauma, lead all counseling sessions. This will be our 25th year providing this evidence based service to the community.
There is also a retreat available for adults who want to process their own grief with other adults who are grieving – please see attachment.
Our camp sessions are FREE OF CHARGE to all participating children and adolescents. Please share this information/announcement with families you feel may benefit from this FREE service for bereaved children and with other professionals as you see fit. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Think First & Stay Safe
As of today, over 50% of our classrooms have received the Think First & Stay Safe presentation. As parents, the most important responsibility we have is to keep our children safe and happy. The best way to prevent child exploitation is to have open, honest discussions on a regular basis. These conversations begin at home. Please see the links below for resources and information regarding Think First and Stay Safe.
https://childluresprevention.com/downloads/
Understanding The Grooming Process
Missing Child Early Response System
Tips for Safeguarding Your Child
Curriculum Matters
iReady Reading & Math Update
How Can I Help My Child at Home?
Research shows that 45 minutes or more of iReady improve students' underlying knowledge of reading & math. Fulton County is fully committed to students using iReady in both core subject to personalize learning including filling in gap areas and extending learning. iReady teaches, practices with and assesses students on areas deemed requiring attention as a direct result of their most recent diagnostic testing.
* If your child has iReady reading or math assigned for homework, please have them do it!
* Monitor your child's "minutes" on the program each week. If you see on Thursday or Friday that it is less than 45 minutes per subject, do some "catch up" over the weekend.
* Encourage your child by celebrating lessons passed.
What if my child is on iRead Reading (and not iReady Reading)?
The same applies for iRead that applies to iReady:
* iRead is researched based ;
* iRead fills the phonics gaps students are lacking to promote stronger reading & writing;
* iRead should be done a minimum of 45 minutes per week;
* Celebrate with your child when lessons are passed!
More information? Please contact me at
Patty Neumeister, Curriculum Support Teacher
Change of Dismissal Procedures
The school day ends at 2:20 p.m. Please avoid early checkouts as instruction goes on until 2:15. However, if your child must be checked out early, your child should be checked out before 2:00 p.m. After 2:00, students will be sent home using normal dismissal procedures so as not to interfere with the school-wide dismissal process.
Any student leaving before the regular dismissal time may only be signed out through the office by a custodial parent. If someone other than the custodial parent is signing out the student, the dismissal note must state the name of the person checking out the student.
All dismissal changes must be in writing. Send a note with your child in the morning on the day of the change of dismissal. No changes will be accepted through email or phone call. Faxes will be accepted only in case of an emergency and with notification to the front office (470-254-2980). Faxes will require a photo id along with the request and must be received by 1:00 pm.
Please be prepared to show your photo identification when checking out students through the office.
Johns Creek High School Presents Guys and Dolls
Performance Dates: March 14 – 16, 2019
The eccentric romantic comedy, Guys and Dolls will light the stage at Johns Creek High School from March 14 through 16, 2019.
Set in the 1930s in the bustling streets of New York, we follow the story of gambler Nathan Detroit as he tries to find a new home for his illegal craps game while the police are breathing down his neck. In need of mucho dinero to make the biggest crap game in the big apple happen, he makes a bet with the high rolling gambler, Sky.
Premiering in 1950, Guys and Dolls remains one the most loved theatrical productions from the last century. It is a classic piece drawn from the short stories of Damon Runyon. Come out and support high school theater as Johns Creek reimagines this Broadway classic this March.
Student Council Delivers Valentine's Treats To Our Neighbors
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