February 2022
There is So Much to Love at Chestatee Elementary School
A Letter From Dr. Tennies, Our Principal
Welcome February!
Beauregard Lee is very much in the spotlight on February 2nd. This groundhog didn’t see his shadow, so he is predicting change on the horizon and an early spring. I would love more sunshine and warmer temperatures. I am not sure about the reliability of this weather forecast, but I do know some changes are on the horizon and are worth sharing.
- Our district is currently planning for the next school year. Part of this process is an analysis of poverty data within schools’ attendance zones. It has been determined that Chestatee will no longer meet the criteria for eligibility to be a schoolwide Title I school for the 2022-2023 school year. We will continue to serve our families and meet all of our student needs with school and district resources. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
- Our morning carline is going to begin 5 minutes earlier on Monday, February 7th at 7:05am (instead of 7:10am.) We hope this extra 5 minutes will be impactful for the morning routine of getting to class on time. Traffic continues to be very heavy in front of the school in the morning. School start time is 7:40am. Additionally, we have been consulting with our Safety Office regarding the traffic lights on 306 to see if there is anything that can be done to favorably improve arrivals into the school parking lot.
- Our Snowflake Ball, sponsored by the PTO, is a magical evening of dancing, quite a Cinderella experience. This was rescheduled from January and is on the calendar for Friday, March 25th. We hope you will be able to join us for this special event. Look for more information to come.
Thank you for being a vital part of our community @ the T.
Together we are Chestatee!
Kindly,
Dr. Polly Tennies
Principal
Chestatee Elementary School
770-887-2341 ext. 722004
Fun Activities Coming February 7-11!
Building Community with Students
Join Our Next Coffee with the Counselors: Wednesday, February 23rd. We had a great discussion in January!
In building community, we often use the term, "Be a Buddy- Not a Bully." We were very excited to participate in our first, "Greatest Kindness Week Ever" in October to celebrate kindness at the T! The Kindness Grant funds our Buddy Benches on the playground.
We are So Proud of Our January High Flyers for Being Charitable!
Congrats to Pre-K, Kindergarten, First and Second Grade High Flyers!
Congrats to Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade High Flyers!
There's So Much to Love at the T!
Starting with a Visible Principal
Loving on Teachers with Snacks Delivered
Working Together to Help Teachers: APTT Prep
Studying Historical Figures Like MLK Jr.
Enjoying the Snow and Winter Weather
Making Snow When the Real Stuff Melts
Presenting Our First Science Fair
Partnering with Families with APTT
Recognizing Young Author Winners!
Kindergarten- Devyn
First Grade- Ryan
Second Grade- Addison
Third Grade- Avery
Fourth Grade- Rucker
Fifth Grade- Courtney
Celebrating 100 Days of School
Recognizing Positive Office Referrals
Greeting in Car Line
Congratulations to our Staff Member of the Month for January: Kelley Crandall!
We are proud to announce kindergarten teacher, Kelley Crandall, as our January Staff Member of the Month!
Mrs. Kelley Crandall’s is a graduate of The University of West Florida with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. This is her 21st year teaching and her 12th year at Chestatee. Although she has taught kindergarten through eighth grade, kindergarten is her favorite. Helping both parents and her sweet students adjust to the new expectations of elementary school is one of the pieces of teaching kindergarten she treasures most. Mrs. Crandall believes that communication and building connections is key to a successful year!
Kelley and her husband, Steve, live in the Chestatee community with their daughter, Lucy. They just bought their new home last summer and feel proud to be in North Forsyth. Lucy went to Chestatee from kindergarten thru fifth grade and is now an eighth grader at Little Mill Middle School. Kelley values her family and loves spending time together.
Mrs. Crandall has earned many nominations in the past few years. Her families love how she helps her students to feel special and loved during their first school experience. She teaches the foundational skills but also knows how to challenge students to think. Her team appreciates Kelley’s laid-back, calm demeanor, and she has a lot of great experiences to bring to the table.
We are very grateful that Kelley is part of our amazing Chestatee staff. Congratulations to Mrs. Kelley Crandall!
A big thank you to our business partners, Ultimate Auto Glass and Electronics, and Mathnasium of Coal Mountain for sponsoring our Chestatee Staff Member of the Month Program!
Teacher and Staff Member of the Month Nominations
2021-22 PTO Information!
Our PTO is a GREAT Way to Get Involved!
Our PTO board members raise money to help teachers and our school.
You can support our PTO through our fundraiser, events, and spirit wear.
There are no membership dues this year.
Email Our Amazing PTO to get Involved! chestateeelementarypto@yahoo.com
PTO Virtual Bingo Night is Coming Friday, February 25th!
What's Coming Up at the T?
Mid-Winter Break February 18-22
Friday, February 25th
Purchase Bingo cards on My Payments Plus. PTO will send them home each Friday before 2/25.
Science Night at the T! March 15
Come do science experiments with the NFHS Science Ambassadors!
Important Cafeteria Information
Our Communi-T-y is the BEST!
Thank You Garey Clark and Andrea Hancock!
The Support for the Spring Fundraiser has been Amazing! Here are the Results in Less than 1 Week!
- Kids love the huggers.
- Teachers love the money donated directly back to their classrooms to buy goods.
- Families can donate gift cards or earn money for the school through purchases.
- We raised a huge amount last year, and teachers asked for this one again.
- All fundraisers are optional. We are so grateful for all the ways our families support Chestatee!
Donations and a Dream Made the BouTique Possible
Partners in Ed- Faye and Rusty Tarsches from Mathnasium of Coal Mountain Support Our School!
Mathnasium Word Problems of the Month
Lower Elementary:
Question: Olivia had an excellent fishing day. She caught 4 snappers, 6 mackerels, 1 grouper, and 1 soggy boot. She threw half the snappers and half the mackerels back into the ocean. How many fish did she take home?
Upper Elementary:
Question: Harvey goes to a theme park where tokens cost 75 cents. A roller coaster ride costs 2 tokens. A ride on the Ferris wheel costs 3 tokens. Harvey rides the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel 7 times each. How much did Harvey spend on rides?
Lower Elementary:
Question: Olivia had an excellent fishing day. She caught 4 snappers, 6 mackerels, 1 grouper, and 1 soggy boot. She threw half the snappers and half the mackerels back into the ocean. How many fish did she take home?
Answer: 6
Solution: Olivia caught 4 snappers + 6 mackerels + 1 grouper = 11 fish. She threw back half of 4 = 2 snappers and half of 6 = 3 mackerels, 5 fish altogether. So, Olivia took home 11 – 5 = 6 fish.
Upper Elementary:
Question: Harvey goes to a theme park where tokens cost 75 cents. A roller coaster ride costs 2 tokens. A ride on the Ferris wheel costs 3 tokens. Harvey rides the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel 7 times each. How much did Harvey spend on rides?
Answer: $26.25
Solution: Two tokens for the roller coaster cost 75 cents x 2 = $1.50. Three tokens for the Ferris wheel cost 75 cents x 3 = $2.25. The total cost for 7 rides on the roller coaster cost $1.50 x 7 = $10.50, and 7 rides on the Ferris wheel cost $2.25 x 7 = $15.75. So, Harvey spent $10.50 + $15.75 = $26.25.
Community Opportunities
Watch DOGS Kick OFF- Postponed!
We have 2 options for WDs:
Carline Help:
Wear a WD shirt (we have one to borrow if needed), and help on car line by smiling, greeting kids, and helping them get out of the car.
We have high hopes of this option returning this spring!
Spend the Day:
Wear a WD shirt. We'll have a schedule for you to follow helping students around the school. Enjoy lunch with your child, recess time, car or bus line, and helping small groups of students in classrooms.
Signup for the day.... Coming Soon
Questions? Contact Meg Killingsworth
770-887-2341 ext. 723002
A Few Words From our Family Engagement Coordinator
Dear Chestatee Families,
Welcome to February- the middle of winter! Winter can be a hard time sometimes. There's less sunlight, and it's cold. Spring seems a bit away. I find myself tired and even lethargic sometimes. I miss the warmer weather and longer days. Sometimes I even find myself getting a little grumpy.
Have you ever heard a song and thought, "I love that song so much. That song needs to be my mantra!" The song below is by one of my favorite bands, For King and Country. I hear it every day. It's one of my favorites. Thanks to You Tube, I could share the video in this month's newsletter. This song reminds me to find joy. Joy in family. Joy in school. Joy in little things. Joy in life. Our families, our students, and our staff bring me joy!
Someone once taught me that I determine my feelings. And I don't want to be tired or grumpy. So I'm going to find some ways to make winter better. This will include some sunshine, some exercise, and something fun in our near future that I can look forward to....
And in the meantime, I'm going to remember what brings me joy and keep listening to my song.
Here are some of the lyrics:
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay
I need that joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay
And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Oh, I choose joy
I hope you can take some time each day to find a little joy.
See you soon,
Meg
Meg Killingsworth
770-887-2341 ext. 723002
The FORCE is in the Partnership Between Home and School!
Parent Help Videos are on Our Website!
Families In Action!
We Love Seeing Families Together or Working at Home!
Shylan is practicing her APTT game with the help of her huggers!
REMEMBER THE MOMENTS BIG and SMALL!
From the best friend, to the teacher who inspired your child beyond belief, these years are theirs to live.
Don't Forget....
Box Tops/ Soup Labels
The procedure will be changing in the near future (we will keep you posted!)
For now, keep filling out your Box Top Sheets and turn them in to Ms. Donna in the front office.
Kroger and Publix will donate money too...
Publix Partners with Chestatee also. You only need to put your phone number in as you checkout. Publix will donate a certain percentage of their profits to Chestatee from your purchase!
We love our Partners in Education!
Chestatee Elementary School
Email: chestateees@gmail.com
Website: http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/site/default.aspx?domainid=260
Location: 6945 Keith Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA, United States
Phone: 770-887-2341
Facebook: facebook.com/ChestateeES
Twitter: @chestateees