Findley Flyer- August 29, 2019
Findley Oaks Elementary-Home of the Findley Falcons!
Message from Mrs. Christopher
It was great to see many of you at our curriculum nights last week. I hope that you had an opportunity to get to know the teacher(s) and learn about the wonderful things that the children will be learning this year.
I want to remind you that there is no school on Monday, September 2 (Labor Day) and Tuesday,, September 3 (Release Day).
On Wednesday, September 4 our students and teachers will have the opportunity to engage in workshops with Greg Tang, Jr. Also, you won't want to miss the Family Math Night with Greg Tang, Jr. that evening from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm. More information is provided in this newsletter.
Have a relaxing Labor Day weekend!
Camille Christopher
Proud Principal
Important Dates
Friday, August 30
- Spirit Night-Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Shop, 4:00 pm-10:00 pm
Monday, September 2
- Labor Day-School closed for holiday
Tuesday, September 3
- Release Day-No school for students
Wednesday, September 4
- Family Math Night with Greg Tang-5:30 pm-6:30 pm, Food Court. More information about this event is in this flyer.
Tuesday, September 10
- Coffee with Mrs. Christopher and the PTA-8:30 am-9:30 am, A145
- PTA Board Meeting-9:30 am, A145
- SGC Cross Council Meeting-5:00 pm, Northview HS
Thursday, September 12
- Picture Day
- Spirit Night-Burger 21, 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
Tuesday, September 17
- Linda McCain Board Meeting-9:30 am, Findley Oaks ES Media Center
Thursday, September 19
- 5th Grade trip to Rock Eagle
Friday, September 20
- 5th Grade trip to Rock Eagle
Monday, September 23
- Hearing and Vision Screenings
Wednesday, September 25
- Community Night-Spend time with family and friends. No homework assigned and no graded assessments the following day.
- Walk to School Wednesday
Friday, September 27
- Fun Run Pep Rally-8:30 am, Cafeteria
District March Calendar Update
During their August 22 School Board meeting, the Board of Education approved a change to the 2019-2020 school calendar. March 24, originally scheduled as a regular school day, is now a Teacher Workday due to the presidential primary which will be held on the same day. Students will not report to school on March 24.
The community is invited to provide input about the calendar during upcoming Board community meetings or send an email to boardservices@fultonschools.org. Any additional calendar revisions will be addressed once community feedback is received. Superintendent Looney and the Board will discuss long-term solutions regarding election days during the September Board meeting.
Coffee with Principal Christopher and the PTA
Carpool Reminders
In order to facilitate the loading and unloading of car riders, we ask that you follow the staff directions and pull as far to the front of the loading/unloading area as possible. If you are unloading in carpool line 1 please do not allow your student to get out of the car before you have reached the flagpole, as there is no supervision of that area. Please do NOT pull around other cars loading/unloading students. Please wait until the car in front of you moves and follow in a single line.
Do not drop off or pick up students in the back of the school. All students should use the carpool lane.
Here Comes the Bus
"Here Comes the Bus" is a free, easy-to-use website and app that enables you to see the location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This way, you know when the bus is near your stop, so you can send your child out at just the right time. No more worrying about whether your child has missed the bus!
Click the link for more information: https://www.fultonschools.org/Page/7389
Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Findley Oaks Elementary encourages all students to attend school every day and on time. Attendance is an extremely important aspect of academic success. The College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) scores at Findley Oaks Elementary are based in part on attendance. In addition to this, poor attendance has direct links to poor educational outcomes. It is therefore important that students limit their absences from school to receive maximum educational impact.
The Georgia Board of Education lawfully excuses students for the following reasons: personal illness, death in the immediate family, and special recognized holidays observed by their faith. If an absence meets these requirements, a student must bring a written excuse signed by a parent/guardian the day the student returns to school.
We ask that parents please support this important aspect of education and assist in getting your children to school every day and on time.
If you have any question or concerns regarding attendance, please contact our School Social Worker.
Thank you,
Kaitlyn Jimenez
School Social Worker
678-815-3088
Pre-Approved Absences
The district allows excused absences for the following:
Absences not exceeding a cumulative total of six (6) days per school year for the following reasons, but only if the absence has been pre-approved by the principal or designee:
- scholarship interviews/college visitations
- travel opportunity with educational benefits
- graduation or wedding of an immediate family member
- specialized, supplemental or extracurricular experience
- other circumstances that are mutually agreeable to the parent and principal
Hearing and Vision Screenings
All students in Fulton County are required to pass a hearing and/or vision screening throughout their elementary career. Our screenings will take place on September 23.
1st graders will have their hearing screened.
3rd graders will have both their hearing and vision screened.
5th graders will have their vision screened.
Parents will be notified if a child does not pass a screening.
Message From the Counselor, Kate Hernandez
Counselor’s Corner:
Our character word for the months of August and September is KINDNESS. Kindness means showing care and concern for others well-being and happiness. In order to start the year with kindness, we are issuing a school-wide challenge for each homeroom. Students will work to reach 100 acts of kindness before the end of September. All homerooms who reach this goal will receive an incentive. Parents, you can use these discussion questions to talk about kindness with your child:
-What does it mean to be kind?
-How do you feel when someone is being kind to you?
-What is something you did once that showed kindness?
-What are some kind things that you can say to people?
Please let me know if you have any questions and thanks for your help in promoting acts of kindness!
Family Math Night
We are so excited to welcome Greg Tang, Jr. to Findley Oaks on Wednesday, September 4th. Greg will be with us all day long! During the day, he and his team will work with teachers and students on word problems and enrichment activities. He will also host an after school event! This one-hour event will offer students and families the opportunity to rotate through different math stations/games that will help us all begin to think about numbers and math in new and better ways. Join us in a fun, family event where we will all learn and play together
Family Math Night will take place in the Cafeteria on Wednesday, September 4th from 5:30-6:30pm. RSVP here.
Check out some of the TangMath Games here: https://tangmath.com/pages/games
Media Center Information
For information about our Media Center visit this link. https://www.smore.com/n0nts-findley-oaks-media-center
TAG Screening Information
Volunteer at Findley Oaks!
We always welcome volunteers, but it is important that all volunteers are registered.
Click here to begin the volunteer registration process: https://www.fultonschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=9539
Cafeteria News
Student Breakfast - $1.10
Student Lunch - $2.45
Adult Breakfast - $1.60
Adult Lunch - $3.45
Learn more about school nutrition here. As a reminder, free and reduced meal applications must be completed each year.
Arrival and Dismissal
School hours are 7:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. Please do not bring children to school prior to 7:00 a.m. as no supervision is available. Those arriving between 7:00 and 7:10 a.m. will wait in the cafeteria until 7:10 a.m. Students are not permitted in classrooms until 7:10 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 2:20 p.m. with the following staggered schedule:
Day care van riders and car riders are dismissed at 2:20 p.m. followed by buses.
When buses have been dismissed after-school programs, walkers, and bike riders are dismissed.
Dismissal begins at 2:20 pm.
Changing Dismissal Method-If a student has a need to leave the school in a manner different from his/her normal routine, it will be necessary for the student to bring a letter of permission or a "Change of Dismissal" form from the student's parent/guardian to the classroom teacher. This should be sent prior to the date of need or immediately upon arrival to school the day of the change. Change of Dismissal forms were provided at Sneak Peek, and can be requested from the classroom teacher at any time or found on our website. Please remember bus changes will be made on an emergency basis only.
Last minute dismissal change: If there is a need to change your child’s dismissal during the school day and you have not submitted a change of dismissal form in advance, please send an email to 160-DismissalFOE@fultonschools.org. Emails to the teachers and phone calls will not be accepted. Change of dismissal will not be accepted after 2:00 pm. This should only be used for a current day dismissal and not for permanent changes.
You can access more information regarding arrival and dismissal through the Findley Oaks Student Handbook which can be found on our website: Student Handbook
Message from Richard Woods, State School Superintendent
Dear Georgia education stakeholders,
I continue to hear questions and concerns about our K-12 standards from parents, educators, and students. Many are concerned about whether the standards are age- and developmentally appropriate, and whether they present a realistic amount of content for teachers to deliver in one year.
Along with Governor Brian Kemp, I am committed to ensuring the best possible standards in our classrooms. Today, the Georgia Department of Education is launching a survey to seek feedback on the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Mathematics and English Language Arts.
Surveys
Complete the surveys:
• Mathematics
• English Language Arts
Together with the Governor’s Office, our goal is to lead an open, collaborative process with true feedback offered by all stakeholders – including classroom teachers and other educational leaders, parents, students, business and industry, and higher education. We ask that you answer the survey questions based on your experience with the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence for Mathematics and ELA.
My deepest thanks for your support of Georgia’s public schools and your honest feedback.
Sincerely,
Richard Woods
State School Superintendent
School Governance Council Information
Visit the SGC page on our website for the latest information and for a list of SGC members: SGC Page
The October 30 SGC meeting is open for public comment. The meeting will begin at 3:00 pm in room A145.
September 3
February 14
March 16
The county calendar does not include the additional dates above so please mark your calendars and plan accordingly.
PTA Information
LAST CALL for Falcon Fund contributions! If you have not yet had a chance to contribute, please visit the PTA website by 8/31.
Join us for an ice cream social! It's this Friday, 8/30, 4 to 10 p.m., at Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Shop, 11720 Medlock Bridge Rd.
Don’t miss our Annual Portrait Event with Tanner Photography! Click here for more information and to sign up.
Interested in volunteering? Visit our Volunteer page for current opportunities.
Running Club Information
Community News
Daisy Scout Troop Registration Information
We are excited to form our own Girl Scouts Daisy Troop this year! We went to the annual registration meeting at JCUMC 8/25/2019 and we received some information (refer to attachments). Please feel free to spread the word among our kindergarten families who might be interested in joining our troop!
If you are interested, please go to the link below to register, at your earliest convenience. We don't have a troop number yet, so you can either skip the step for choosing a troop, or choose TBD (which is what I did).
Please feel free to let me know if you have any question. We are looking forward to a great Daisy year together!
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Sophie Li
770-380-8638
Findley Oaks Elementary School
Website: www.findleyoakselementary.net
Location: 5880 Findley Chase Drive, Johns Creek, GA, USA
Phone: 470-254-3800
Twitter: @FindleyOaks