EAST PAULDING MIDDLE SCHOOL
August 2, 2018
PARENT NEWSLETTER
Newsletter Update
Moving forward, I will send our Parent Newsletter every other week. My goal is to communicate regularly to keep you informed with the happenings within East Paulding Middle School.
Important Upcoming Dates
August 15 - Fall Fundraiser Kickoff
August 22 - Fall Fundraiser Ends
August 28 - PTSA Back to School Dance: 4:00-5:30pm
September 11 - Bullying Awareness Night & PTSA Meeting - 6:45pm - Gym
October 2 - Fall Pictures
Reading Inventory Assessment
Class Meetings
School Attendance
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Academics and the Fundamentals of Learning
Requirements to Participate in our Fun Days
Class, School and State Assessments (Tests)
PBIS
Technology Use Expectations (BYOT)
Bullying
Kindness
Strength ~ Honor ~ Courage
Our main focus with Strength, Honor, and Courage will connect to our mission to end bullying in our school. Our staff members all wore their stop bullying t-shirts to display unity and create an awareness of the power students have to help stop bullying. We need our students and our parents to help us with this mission!
If you want to help us spread the message, you can purchase a stop bullying t-shirt by logging on to RevTrack and placing your order. All t-shirts are $12.
RevTrak
Pay club dues, field trip fees, and band and chorus dues. You can also make a $25 donation to opt out of fundraising throughout the year. As mentioned above, you can purchase a shirt and help East Paulding Middle School create a culture where students lead the charge in eliminating bullying.
Drop off and Pick Up Times
As you have probably discovered, afternoon dismissal can bring many challenges when you factor in the fact that our school is located on a major state highway. Car rider dismissal begins at 3:35 each afternoon, and will typically last until approximately 4:00. We will always do our best to complete dismissal in a timely manner, but we are subject to circumstances beyond our control that can extend that time such as the amount of car rider traffic and the current day's traffic conditions on Highway 92.
If you live in the East Paulding Middle School district, I want to encourage you to utilize bus transportation. When parents utilize bus transportation for their students, we see a decrease in overall traffic which will speed up the dismissal process for everyone. Additionally, students who ride the bus in the morning never have to worry about being counted as tardy to school. The added benefit of using the bus in the mornings includes you (the parent) being able to leave for work earlier and not having to worry about the later drop off time.
EPMS School Improvement Plan
Below are the key pieces of our School Improvement Plan. We have several areas of focus, and I will do my best to explain them in parent-friendly terms.
Goal #1 - We will increase the number of students who read at a proficient or advanced level. We will utilize lexile scores from the Reading inventory (RI) assessment to monitor this goal. The Reading Inventory will be given to students four times throughout the year. We will provide specific support to help students during our NBI period each day from 8:43-9:38 as well as during traditional instructional period through all contents on a weekly basis. This Needs Based Instruction plan will begin in September.
Goal #2 - We will increase the number of students who score a Level 3 (proficient) or Level 4 (distinguished) on the Language Arts EOG Assessment. We are hopeful that our focus on literacy will have a natural, positive impact on our overall ELA scores on the annual Milestones assessments.
Goal #3 - We will increase the number of students who score at a proficient or advanced level on the Math Inventory assessment. We will utilize quantile scores from the Math inventory (MI) assessment to monitor this goal. The Math Inventory will be given to students two times during the year. We will provide specific support to help students during our NBI period each day from 8:43-9:38 as well as during their traditional math class on a daily basis. This Needs Based Instruction plan will begin in September.
Goal #4 - We will increase the number of students who score a Level 3 (proficient) or Level 4 (distinguished) on the Math EOG Assessment. We are hopeful that the support we provide students during NBi and their traditional math course will have a natural, positive impact on our overall Math scores on the annual Milestones assessments.
Goal #5 - We will provide professional learning and training to our staff to help us reduce the amount of perceived bullying occurrences in our school. We will utilize PBIS, character education, bullying prevention, and diversity and inclusion strategies to grow a positive climate and culture at East Paulding Middle School.
I would appreciate any feedback regarding our current School Improvement Plan. This is a "living" document that can be revised throughout the year to meet our building and student needs. You can provide your feedback by emailing Mr. Alverson at the email address listed below. We want to hear from you!
Canvas Access for Parents
Parent Portal
Don't forget to visit the link below to learn about Parent Portal. If you visit the portal now, you can find detailed information about your students historical testing data, including Milestones results. New courses will open to parents and students on Tuesday, August 13, 2018.
Follow or Like us on Social Media
Contact Information for Tom Alverson
Email: talverson@paulding.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/Domain/29
Phone: 770-443-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/eastpauldingmiddleschool
Twitter: @epmsraiders