Wolf Creek Weekly
Building Pathways To Success
From The Principal's Desk February 25, 2018
Greetings!
Thanks for another great week!
ThanksThanksThanks! We have 167 parent surveys completed!! Let's exceed our goal of 200 this year! See details below.
Thank you so much for participating in this year’s WCES Fun Run! As of right now we have collected 85% of what was pledged. There is still over $4,740.50 in outstanding pledges.
Please help us reach our 100% collection goal! The second Due Date for pledges is Thursday, March 1st. Checks can be written to the Wolf Creek Elementary PTA. Pledges can be turned into your student’s teacher or into the front office. Also, sponsors are able to pay online if an email address was entered at the time of the pledge.
Thank you again for all you’ve done to make this a fun, successful program!
Students are continuing to participate in Benchmark 2 testing over the next few weeks. They will participate in County Benchmark Assessments Make Ups for 3rd - 5th grade in Math, Science, SS, and Science. Students will complete iReady Benchmarks in 3rd -5th March 1st - 8th. Parents are encouraged to ask you child's teacher about Benchmarks results and schedule conferences as needed to get updates.
We have about 5 weeks before our GMAS testing for grades 3rd - 5th. Check out the Georgia DOE website for information regarding the Georgia Milestones testing in April. Remember, testing is on line! Students will have constructed and Extended response questions. See a few links below for tips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPnt9AFaTdc
https://app.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/466878/1054513
http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-Assessment-System.aspx
Our Spring Book Fair is here this week! Join us and pick up exciting new books for students!
Please help us to remind our students about our Wolf Pack Principles. Ask them each day how they contribute to our positive school climate and culture by being the exemplars for others.
Please check the school website for updates and calendar events. Reminder, we have 142 parents that have completed the Georgia Parent Survey. Please see more information below.
We are looking forward to a great week!
Thanks for all you do! Let's Go Wolves!
In Partnership,
Principal Glass
IMPORTANT! School Parking, Traffic and Pedestrian Safety
We need your support. Our school parking lots are very busy in the mornings. We want to make sure that everyone is safe when accessing the school. We have a long drop off line but it moves swiftly at 7:10 AM. The short wait for drop off will require patience and caution. Students are allowed to enter the building at 7:10 AM. Please refrain from early drop offs. Staff members are not in place to receive students until 7:10 AM.
The car rider loop is in the front of the building. Please utilize the loop to drop students off. Please refrain from allowing students to get out of vehicles before reaching the designated drop off points. (We have staff members stationed to assist. ) This will help keep students from crossing in the parking lot unattended and from running down the sidewalk. The entry way to the school was designed as a right turn only entry. We have an officer stationed there for convenience and safety. All traffic should enter the grounds and go to the right with the flow of traffic around the car rider loop. Left turns into the parking area is prohibited. We want everyone to be safe.
The back parking lot is designated for parking and walking students into the building. We ask that you use the middle lane, park your vehicle and escort your child into the building. Remember to stop at the front office to sign in if you are waking your child to class or breakfast. Please do not use the bus ramp.
We will add staff in the areas of concern to assist with the flow of traffic. We ask that you be patient and arrive early enough for drop off each morning.
Students are tardy at 7:41 AM. They must be in the building at this time to avoid tardy notices. Parents are asked to park in an available parking space, escort their child into the building and sign them in tardy.
We appreciate your support. Let's work together to keep everyone safe.
Join us for Black History Month Spirit Week
Black History Program
Honoring Our Living Legends
Exceptional Children's Week March 5th - 10th
Exceptional Education Week
March 5th-10th, 2018
“Connecting Educators, Students and Communities”
Wolf Creek ES
Theme - What I AM - WilliAM
We will celebrate Exceptional Children's Week March 5th - 10th. The SEC department would like to invite you to join us in celebrating. Please see the Customink link below for t-shirts if you would like one.
· Day One – Finding Dori Movie and popcorn
· Thursday - Performance 3/8/2018, 9:00 AM Wolf Creek ES– Musical Performance
Yes I Can nominations
Famous People Presentation
Refreshments afterwards with each class
· Balloon release Thursday Afternoon - Buddy Bench dedication
· Weekly Activities -Each Day will represent a color for the Exceptionality
Special Education/Services Table – Information table available to stakeholders
· Friday -Ice Cream Social and Station Rotation / Life as a student with disabilities ( 1-2 pm)
Instructional Make Up Days
Parents,
Fulton County Schools has announced its plan to make up some of the days lost this year due to inclement weather. Our teachers and staff value the instructional time spent with students, and are committed to using it wisely, but due to our district’s charter status, Fulton County Schools have flexibility with holding make-up days and will not make up all of the time lost. Instead, there is a plan that uses the designated inclement weather days on the school calendar as well as a piloted “Digital Learning Day” for at-home learning.
There will be three make-up days – February 16, March 9 and March 12. The upcoming President’s Day holiday and Spring Break are not affected, and the school year also will still end before Memorial Day.
February 16 was announced earlier this year as a make-up day due to Hurricane Irma school closures, but the district determined that March 12 will be a second make-up day for the recent snow/ice closures. A third make-up day – March 9 – will be a piloted Digital Learning Day, where students will work independently from home on schoolwork and projects using district-issued mobile devices or home technology. We are still working on the specifics of the March 9 Digital Learning Day and will communicate them in the next few weeks.
As you know, a few years ago Fulton County Schools began a device roll out that pairs students with mobile learning devices, such as a tablet or laptop. At the elementary level, students share mobile devices while at school, and in middle and high schools, students are given their own device and can use it at home.
For the Digital Learning Day on March 9, teachers will consider students’ home access to technology and internet, and our school district also will work with learning partners on ways students can access technology outside of school or home. In a few weeks, we will share our plan on how Digital Learning Day will be implemented and how you can support your child. We’re excited to see our school district consider the use of Digital Learning Days and look forward to providing feedback on how it worked for our students and teachers.
The next few months will be busy for our classrooms, but for now, rest assured that our students will get back on track when it comes to learning this semester.
See Fulton County Schools' Website for more information:
http://www.fultonschools.org/en/news/Pages/FCSNews.aspx?item=187
Sincerely,
Dionne C. Glass
Principal
Upcoming Events
2/22-3/2 Spring Book Fair
2/27 Black History Program 3rd - 5th 9:00 AM , K- 2nd 6:00 PM
3/2 Picture Day!
3/2 Read Across America Day - Grandparents are invited to read to classes (Contact Dr. Huff, METI for more information)
3/2 Grandparents Luncheon - Recognizing our Living Legends
3/6 GMAS March Madness with Problem Solving Parent Workshop 6:00 PM
3/9 Digital Learning Day - Students off from school but will be working at home on Digital Learning activities (Snow Make Up Day)
3/14 Strong4Life school visit
3/22 Spring Towards Your Future Dance 3:00 - 4:30 PM
3/22 Report Card Distribution
3/26 College and Career Readiness Week
3/26 2018-2019 PK Registration
3/28 PK Lottery Drawing
3/28 & 3/29 Kindergarten Registration
3/30 Student Papers Go Home
4/2-4/6 Spring Break Week - No School
Weekly Fundraisers:
Wednesday - Chic Fil A biscuit Sales (Morning Car rider loop)
Friday - Chic Fil A cookie sales
College and Career Readiness
We will celebrate College and Career Readiness by wearing college and university t-shirts and paraphernalia on the noted days below. Have your child join us by representing our many great colleges and universities. Thanks for participating as we continue to expose them to the endless opportunities after graduation.
January 23rd
February 20th
March 20th
April 20th
April 24th
May 15th
Technology In School
Cell phones/iPads/tablets/etc. reminder - We understand the need for cell phones for some of our students. As they are utilized to notify parents after school, if the need arises. Students are allowed to bring technology devices to school, if needed. However, all technology devices should be kept in student book bags unless teachers have asked for them to be used for classroom instruction. We ask that students do not carry cell phones/iPads/tablets on their person during the instructional day. All students are supervised by an adult at all times during the instructional day. If there is an emergency and the need arises to use the telephone, front office personnel can assist. For more information, please see the school handbook on the school website.
READ, READ, READ!
We are still reading! Don't forget to send your pictures to your child's teacher on Class Dojo so we can post them on the School Story feed. #WCESReadingRocks
Check out MackinVIA on your child's Launchpad account. ManckinVIA has books for students and can be used to read at home. Many of these books are AR as well. Please take full advantage of this resource. Let's keep our students reading and passing AR tests.
Parent Resource Center - Open Daily 8:00 - 4:00 PM
Please stop by our Parent Resource Center. We have great resources for check-out that you can use at home to assist your child. Let us know what you need. We look forward to your visits. For more information, please contact, Ms. Sims, our Parent Liaison. SimsN@fultonschools.org.
Georgia Parent Survey
Wooohooo!!!! 167 surveys completed! You rock, parents! We have passed our 150 mark! Let's exceed our goal of 200 up from 150 last year. I know we can do it. Don't slow down and tell a friend. Thanks so much for your participation. Let's do it!
Parents, the 2017 -18 Georgia Parent Survey is open for this school year. The Georgia Parent Survey contains 24 questions. Parents may complete the survey using their personal computer, smartphone or tablet. For parents that do not have access to the Internet, you may use computers at the school. Please visit our Parent Resource Center. Be reminded that this rating is open to the public and establishes the overall climate rating for our school community. We want to ensure that we are supporting our school in the most positive way. As shared in our results from last year, we had an awesome 2016-17 school year and want to do even better this year. If there are specific concerns, we ask that you contact the school directly and allow the school to address those concerns. Copies of the 2016-17 results are available in our Parent Resource Center.
All parents are encouraged to participate in the Georgia Parent Survey because the data will be used as part of the calculation of the School Climate Star Rating. Survey responses are anonymous and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis. The Georgia Parent Survey is also available in Spanish. Parents may select the Spanish version within the survey. Results from the Georgia Parent Survey will not be available to the public. The Georgia Parent Survey link is posted below.
Georgia Parent Survey:
Thanks for your support.
We are a Leader In Me School!
Uniforms! Thanks for your participation.
Attendance Awareness and School Safety
We need your help. Be reminded, early checkouts before 11:15 AM are considered absences. Check-ins after 11:15 AM are considered absences. Also, please send in doctor's excuses for all absences that are medical so that they are coded accurately. Parent notes for illnesses are accepted as well, but be mindful of the number of notes regarding absences regarding illnesses that are not supported by a note from the doctor's office.
We still need your patience and support as we execute the morning drop off process and afternoon pick up. The cafeteria doors close at 7:35 AM each morning. Breakfast ends at that time. Get them there early for breakfast!
Please help us by using the car rider loop in the front of the building for all student drop-offs in the mornings. The car rider loop moves fast but it does require some wait time and patience. This is the safest area for student drop offs. We have assigned staff to support students as they get out of cars. The bus ramp in the back is reserved for buses only. If parents are using the parking lot near the bus ramp area for parking, they are asked to park their vehicles and escort their child into the building. Students should not be dropped off and allowed to run across the bus ramp to enter the building. We want students to be safe. We had a few cars moving fairly fast in this area. This is a safety concern. Remember, the doors open at 7:10 AM for student arrival. Thanks in advance for your support. If we have parents that can volunteer in for morning arrival, please let us know. We could use the extra hands and eyes to ensure safety for the students.
Thanks for your support!
REMINDERS
- Check the school calendar.
- Headphones are needed to accommodate our increased use of technology. Students using their own earbuds helps to keep us safe. Support your child's teacher with supplying your child with a pair of inexpensive earbuds for technology usage.
- Don't forget to register in the Home Access Center to receive access to your child's attendance and grades. You can receive your Home Access Center code from Ms. Lyles, the School Data Clerk. This is a highly sensitive code and must be signed out.
- Check for homework and sign your child's agenda each night.
- Student projects from home are looking great! Thanks for your support.
- Ask your child about his Essential Questions daily. These EQ's align to their curriculum standards being taught in class daily.
- Georgia Milestones Assessments Resources - http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-Assessment-System.aspx
- Make sure your child knows his/her math facts and sight words. Ask your child's teacher how you can help them to master these skills. Ask about the number of sight words your child knows at K- 2nd. Research indicates that by 3rd grade students should be reading to learn instead of learning to read. Learning math facts helps students conquer the more difficult math concepts that require students to apply certain skills. Students are know longer only asked to simply add/subtract or multiply/divide. They are now required to explain the how and why behind the math. See more information regarding Georgia Performance Standards here: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Pages/default.aspx and here: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Pages/Parents.aspx
- Remember to sign up for Class Dojo. This is a school wide expectations. It is an effective school-home communication tool that each teacher uses with their class.
- Inquire with your child's teacher about how they are communicating with parents regarding school updates, homework and class events. Each grade level has a consistent communication tool. Some use newsletters, websites, remind 101, weekly homework sheets, etc. We want to make sure you are informed of school news.
- Check out your child's Fulton County Launch Pad site. Here you will find online tools that you can use at home with your child. launchpad.fultonschools.org Encourage your child to practice the online keyboarding tool. Most of our assessments are online now. Students would benefit from practicing keyboarding.
Title 1 News
Thanks for an awesome turn out at last week's parent Reading Strategies workshop!
See the schedule of future workshops below.
March Madness with Problem Solving –Tuesday, March 6, 2018 @ 5:30 p.m.
The emphasis of this workshop is to assist parents in working with their child on critical thinking skills as they relate to math. Materials for at home grade-level practice with be provided.
Annual Title I Parent Input Meeting –Tuesday, April 25, 2018 @ 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Parents were invited to learn about the Title I program and provide feedback on the School-Family Compact and School, Parent, and Family Engagement Plan. Allocation of reserved Title I funds for parental involvement discussed.
Avoid the Summer Slumps – Tuesday, May 8, 2018, @ 6:00 p.m.
Ideas and resources to assist students in staying on track academically during the summer months.
Wolf Creek is a Schoolwide Title 1 school this year. Last year as a first year school, we were a Targeted Assistance school. See more information regarding Title 1 at : http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/acd/supportserv/TitleI/Pages/default.aspx
What is Title I?
Title I is a federally funded program designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic standards and state academic assessments.
The Title I mission is to ensure that each child successfully meets or exceeds Georgia's proficient and advanced levels of student performance and meets or exceeds expectations on local, state, and national assessments.
Our Title 1 funds have afforded us the opportunities to:
Host Extended Learning Program for at risk students
Purchase technology for students - iPad Carts, Virtual Learning tools
Add teachers and a Parent Liaison to the staff
Purchase classroom resources to enhance learning for all students
Our Title 1 Schoolwide plan and budget has been approved by the State Department! We are looking forward to providing more resources to enhance our school instructional program this year.
Thanks for your support.
Thanks PTA! You ROCK!
Wolf Creek Elementary PTA News
NEEDED! Volunteers to support upcoming PTA events and officers for vacant positions. Please contact PTA for more information.
Check out PTA information at our PTA Facebook page and on our school website under the PTA tab. Let's make this year another great year with increased membership and support.
Our Custom Ink Year round campaign is complete, and is currently open for orders. Here's the permanent link Wolf Creek Spirit Gear
Join us with just a minimum commitment of PTA dues of $20.00. There are also options for making monetary pledges on the PTA membership form. Our PTA is sponsoring our Grade Level Spirit t-shirts and the school uniform initiative. We hope you will support us!
If you are interested in being apart of the PTA, please contact them at:
wolfcreekelementarypta@gmail.com
Follow us: Instagram @wolfcreekpta and Facebook @wolfcreekelementarypta
and let the team know.
Thanks PTA!
Our School Day Start/End Times
Thanks in advance for your support in ensuring that our students get to school each day on time and ready for instruction. Breakfast begins at 7:10 a.m. and ends at 7:35 a.m. daily so that we can ensure that students are in class on time to begin their instructional day. School instructional hours are from 7:40 a.m. —2:20 p.m. each day. Parents are asked to escort their children inside and sign them in if they are tardy. Help us protect the instructional day. Please limit early dismissal/check-outs. If needed, please do so before 2:00 PM. Remember keep your child’s pick up and emergency contacts updated and to sign in during each visit. ID is required for anyone visiting or checking your child our of school.
Wolf Creek Elementary School
Check out our school website for our school calendar and school updates.
A. Nicole Canty, Assistant Principal
Website: http://school.fultonschools.org/es/wolfcreek/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 4440 Derrick Road, Atlanta, GA 30349, United States
Phone: 470.254.2760
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfcreekwolves/
Twitter: @wolfcreekwolves