August 2023 Edition 11
SEPTEMBER 2023-2024 EDITION 2
Alpha Notes
Welcome back to another edition of the Howling Herald! August was an incredible month at Whitlow, and we have much to look forward to in September!
Everyone has settled in following the first couple of weeks of back-to-school excitement, and the teaching, the learning, and the fun are forging ahead in full force. Our students are doing a phenomenal job of demonstrating the "Whitlow Way" (Be a Leader, Be Respectful, and Be a Problem Solver), as well as really digging in to their new learning.
We had an amazing kick off to this year's PTO fundraiser, with awesome support from PTO and from so many families. We are really looking forward to using the funds raised to provide all grade levels with additional STEM resources, as well as getting started on a multi-year improvement project for both of our playgrounds. Thank you again for the incredible support from PTO and from all parents!
Another piece of exciting news from August…we selected Whitlow’s 2023-2034 Teacher of the Year! The selection committee raved about the classroom observations and interviews they held with our top 3 TOTY nominees: Emily Crandall (Kindergarten), Amberly Wood (5th grade), and Suzette Harris (EIP). Whitlow is so proud of all three of the final nominees, and we knew that any choice made by the committee would be an outstanding choice! The Whitlow students and staff are thrilled to have Suzette Harris represent our school as this year’s Teacher of the Year! Congratulations to ALL nominees and to Ms. Harris for being a shining example of teaching excellence at Whitlow Elementary.
Following on the coattails of an Awesome August, we have some Sensational September opportunities for student and parent involvement!
Please join us on September 14th for Curriculum Night. Curriculum Night provides parents with an opportunity to learn more about the curriculum standards and expectations for each grade level in Math, English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. This is a great chance to gain perspective on what your child(ren) will be learning between now and May. Curriculum Night will provide you with an overview of the standards and resources to support your child’s learning, and the information will be presented that evening in a group format. But rest assured, you will be given the opportunity to come in for individual parent conferences in October to discuss specifics on how your child is progressing…be on the lookout for more information on October Parent Conferences, coming soon!
And how excited is everyone for the kick-off of our first semester clubs!! Whitlow is proud to offer a variety of clubs for students who want to explore various interests, learn something new, or just interact with different students outside of their homeroom. Be sure to check out what all we are offering and sign your child up for a new experience.
Read on through the Herald for more upcoming events and information. It’s only the beginning of September, and there’s already so much to be excited about and proud of at Whitlow!
Go Wolves!
Dawn Bush
Mrs. Dawn Bush
Whitlow Elementary School
Principal
Cache Connection- News You Can Use
School Start Time- 8:20 a.m.
Carline begins unloading at 7:50 a.m. Gates close prior to 8:20a.m.
School Dismissal Time- 3:00 p.m.
Carline begins loading at 3:00p.m. Carline ends by 3:15p.m.
Latest time to check out- 2:45p.m.
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Attendance
From the Whitlow School Counseling Team
Parents Responsibilities Regarding Attendance: It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school in writing of the date and reason for their child’s absence within 5 school days of the absence. The parent / guardian must note the student’s name, the date(s) of absence(s), and the reason for the absence.Students with excessive absences may be required to present a note from a doctor or the Health Department to be considered excused. (FCS Attendance Policy)
Per FCS policy: After 5 unexcused absences the school will mail an attendance letter home to notify the parents of the accumulating unexcused absences. If the unexcused absences continue, the School Counselor, School Administrator, or the school’s Social Worker will reach out to the family to see how we can best support the child being at school more regularly. If unexcused absences continue to occur after this conversation, the school Social Worker will meet with the parent/guardian to develop a more formal plan (contract) to help ensure the student attends school more regularly. The school’s Social Worker does have the final authority, (after 10 unexcused absences) if all other attempts have been unsuccessful, to file charges with the state court for noncompliance with the state’s compulsory attendance laws.
Please make every effort to send your child to school when they are well. Of course, if your child has a fever or vomiting within the last 24 hours, they will need to stay home. If you are not sure if your child should come to school due to illness, please contact your pediatrician or our School Nurse, Mrs. Victoria Jackson, for guidance.
If your child has a medically documented condition that requires them to miss school on a frequent basis, please notify your child’s teacher so that we can create a specific attendance plan for your child if needed.
Parents may send a note or doctor’s excuse with their child when the child returns from being absent or they can email their child’s teacher with the excuse if they would prefer. If parents choose to send an email to the teacher regarding attendance, they should also include our Attendance Clerk in the email ( whitlowreceptionist@forsyth.k12.ga.us)
(Quick Tip: Sometimes students forget to turn in the attendance notes that parents send in to the school with them in the mornings. To help avoid this you can always email the teacher directly to let them know that an absence excuse is coming in with your child today)
Research continues to show that students who attend school regularly have stronger academic and social skills.
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Helpful Tools
Canvas
What is Canvas?
Canvas is a learning management system that replaced itslearning. This school year, all teachers and students will use Canvas on a daily basis. Similar to itslearning, your child will access Canvas on his/her ClassLink dashboard to access courses, instructional materials, assignments, and important dates at anytime. For more information, click here.
My Payments Plus + School Pay
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Fall Club Registration Opens Today!
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PBIS
PBIS Parent Corner
You may have heard your child say something about being given a token because he or she was following the Whitlow Way. The foundation of our PBIS program is the Whitlow Way, and it is comprised of three principles : Be a Leader, Be Respectful, and Be a Problem Solver. The school's behavior expectations come directly from these three areas, and students talk about the Whitlow Way daily in their classroom meetings. We are encouraging all parents to have conversations at home with their children about the Whitlow Way to reinforce what we are teaching here at school. We are better when we all work together.
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Buy your yearbook early
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STEM T-Shirts
Students are given a STEM Squad shirt when they enroll at Whitlow as they join their squad. If your student has outgrown their shirt, please use the School Pay link below to order a new one!
Note: New shirts should only be ordered if your child's current STEM Squad shirt no longer fits or needs to be refreshed.
The link will take you to School Pay, where you will find Whitlow Elementary and select STEM Squad shirt. The cost is $10. Once your payment has processed, we will get your student their new shirt and send it home.
Pack Tracker- Happenings Around the School
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Leaders of the Pack
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Wolfpack Dads
Calling all Dads, Granddads, and Uncles
If you missed our Wolfpack Dad breakfast last month and are interested in joining our pack, please click on the link HERE. Thank you!
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Meet our Alpha Dogs
Meet Lola, Chance, and Lily Bear
Meet Lola, Chance, and Lily Bear, the four-legged members of Whitlow’s pack. Lola, a Bernedoodle, has been at Whitlow since Fall of 2022. You will often see Lola walking the halls, greeting students and parents as they enter the building, visiting classrooms, and rewarding positive behaviors. Chance, a Chocolate Lab, spends his days in the Media Center. He listens to students read, helps them pick out books, hangs out in the Makerspace, and loves to learn with everyone during STEM Specials. Lily Bear, a Newfiedoodle, love to go on walks and watch TV.
Lola, Chance, and Lily Bear are all “Off Leash” trained and certified Canine Good Citizen therapy dogs. They continue to develop and strengthen their skills by attending advanced classes regularly.
Why Therapy Dogs?
Therapy dogs and their handlers work as a team and are trained to interact with people and their environments. Research has shown that therapy dogs can help develop social skills and confidence, promote engagement in learning activities, improve gross motor skills, enhance executive functioning skills, and improve reading skills. Therapy dogs can also reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, leading to improved learning outcomes. Therapy dogs can help students regulate their emotions.
We are so excited for the opportunity to have these special pups at Whitlow; Ask your child if they have gotten to meet them… they sure are making students smile!
Den Dates- Upcoming Events
Thurs 9/14
Curriculum Night
Please choose one session to attend:
5:15p-5:45p
6:00p-6:30p
Wed 9/20
Family Connect Night- No homework! Plan to go to dinner to support Whitlow and Sliceability :)
Thurs 9/21
Cub Scouts Meeting
9/20 & 9/21 Days of Awesomeness
Pack Partners
PTO- Parent Teacher Organization
Days of Awesomeness 9/20 & 9/21- We need parent volunteers
Thank you for your support in our Next Level Fundraiser! We celebrate your amazing kid' success with our DAY OF AWESOMENESS - an interactive field day where kids get to be kids and play on our massive obstacle courses. It's a laughing, dancing, unforgettable kind of day!! Let's step it up! If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here. A schedule will be provided to your teacher for the scheduled day and time per grade level. We will also send out this schedule soon.