Findley Flyer 8/5/21
Engage-Connect-Grow
It was wonderful seeing our families for "Meet and Greet" and to see the excitement of our students as we begin another school year.
It has been a tradition to allow families in the building on the first day of school, but with the current situation with COVID-19 and the increase in numbers, we will refrain from having parents walk students to their classrooms. We always have plenty of staff available to assist students to their classrooms.
If you have any questions prior to the first day of school, please reach out to your child's teacher.
Camille Christopher
Principal
Engage-Connect-Grow
Important Dates
8/9-First Day of School
8/18-PTA Executive Board Meeting-9:30 am
8/24-Virtual Curriculum Night (TAG, ESOL, Special Education, and PreK)
8/25-Virtual Curriculum Night (Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th)
8/26-Virtual Curriculum Night (1st, 3rd, and 5th)
9/6-Labor Day Holiday-Schools Closed
9/20-Late Start Day
COVID-19 Mitigation
Masks
- Per our district, masks are optional (when conditions allow) but are recommended for those who are not vaccinated.
- Masks are required on school buses.
- If you would like your child to wear a mask, please communicate expectations with your child. It is always a good idea to send your child to school with an extra mask in case it gets wet or dirty during the school day.
- Schools located in municipalities where the rate of infection exceeds 100 per 100,000 residents will require all students, personnel, and visitors to wear masks until such time as the level of spread drops. Data will be taken from the FCBOH Epidemiology Reports. Reports are posted every Wednesday by the Fulton County Board of Health. The August 4 report shows Johns Creek at 98 per 100,000.
Wellness and Hygiene
Signage in each bathroom on appropriate hand washing.
Hand sanitizing stations around the building.
Paper towel dispensers in bathrooms.
Frequent handwashing throughout the day (for example after arrival, before and after snack).
Restricted use of water fountains/encouraged use of water bottles. Students may use the water fill stations for water bottles.
Health Services
- All persons who are sick will be expected to stay at home.
- Students reporting to the clinic will have their temperature taken.
- Our school will have a room to isolate symptomatic persons.
Classroom and Work Space Sanitation
Teachers and staff have been trained on how to properly sanitize the classrooms/work spaces throughout the day.
Teachers have been provided with district approved products for cleaning classrooms.
Visitors and Volunteers
In order to limit direct contact, we will will allow essential visitors and volunteers.
- Until further notice, we will not allow lunch visitors. We will be utilizing more space in our food court to encourage more distance between the students.
- We will be not have classroom volunteers until further notice.
Reporting
- All FCS staff and students are required to report a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, a pending COVID-19 test result (regardless of the reason for testing), and a direct contact with person who is COVID-19 positive.
- FCS student/parents must use the Parent Reporting Portal to make the COVID-19 report.
2021-2022 School Year Health Services Letter
Late Start Days
For Findley Oaks, late start means that the classes will start at 8:40 am. Students who arrive after 8:40 am will be considered tardy. Parents have the option to have their child(ren) ride the bus which will run at the normally scheduled time. We will have our normal carpool time from 7:10-7:40 am and then again from 8:20-8:40.
The first late start day is Monday, September 20. To view the FCS calendar and other late start days, click here.
Who do I Contact for Questions or Concerns?
- David Applegate- The Instructional Support Teacher (IST) coordinates programs and service delivery for special education students. He coordinates educational testing for students who are referred for special education services. Parents with questions about the special education process should contact the IST for information. applegated@fultonschools.org
- Cindy Lamb-The Assistant Principal who oversees student information (Infinite Campus, Parent Portal), grading, standardized testing, discipline. lamb@fultonschools.org
- Kate Hernandez-The School Counselor works with school personnel to foster a positive learning environment for children. The counselor assists parents in understanding children and in developing positive attitudes, techniques, and strategies essential for constructive child rearing. The counselor assists parents and children in obtaining special school and/or community services and helps conduct the SST and testing programs. hernandezk@fultonschools.org
- Colleen Greathouse-The Curriculum Support Teacher (CST) Parents with questions involving curriculum, class placement, and diagnostic placement assessments are invited to contact the Curriculum Support Teacher for information. greathousec@fultonschools.org
3. If further assistance is still needed, contact the Principal, Camille Christopher. christopherc@fultonschools.org
Digital Citizenship
Technology plays a growing role in the lives of students, particularly during this time in which their education is increasingly reliant on technology. While students are often quite adept at using tech tools, navigating the online world can sometimes be more complicated. All K-5 students will participate in hands-on instruction at the beginning of the school year to develop strong digital citizenship skills. The lessons, developed by Fulton County Schools in partnership with Common Sense Media, lay the groundwork for students to successfully use technology to enhance their learning and their lives as they grow older. The school-based instruction is just one component to developing good digital citizens. Parents and guardians are encouraged to play an active role in their student’s use of technology at home. To that end, we ask that you take a moment to review the attached Acceptable Use Policy with your student. Fulton County Schools maintains an Acceptable Use Policy that applies to not just use of physical devices, but also use of the district's network and online platforms such as Office 365. Please sign and return the policy to your student’s homeroom teacher by September 7.
I also invite you to explore our digital citizenship platform for additional resources on a variety of topics relevant to elementary school students. You can access the information here: https://tinyurl.com/dcfindley
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have regarding digital citizenship.
Amy Rubin
Media and Educational Technology Instructor
Student Absence Forms
Pre-approved absence forms must be submitted 5 days prior to the absence.
Participate remote absences must be requested prior to the start of the school day.
Student absence forms must be submitted within 5 days of returning to school from an absence.
Parent Portal Access
New parents will not be able to set up their parent portal account until after rollover, on August 4th. Instructions on how to setup your account can be found on the Fulton County website.
If you are having issues logging in and needs to reset their password, they will do that through the Infinite Campus recovery. The Service Desk cannot reset parent passwords.
The Parent Portal will Go Live on Thursday, August 5th at 4:00. You will be able to see your student’s schedules then.
Dismissal Procedures
Please be patient the first few days of school as dismissal is always a little longer as our students learn the dismissal routines.
Dismissal Numbers – Use this number to pick up your child in carpool OR if your PK, K, or 1st, grader is a walker.
- ALL students will be assigned a dismissal number according to their household. Parents you will only have ONE number for all your students. If you have been assigned more than one number, please email Chriss Kolls @ KollsC@fultonschools.org
- Dismissal Numbers will be distributed during Meet and Greet.
- Participated in Virtual Meet and Greet – Parents will receive an email from their child’s teacher with the assigned Dismissal Number. Student will receive the tag on the first day of school. If you are picking your child up on Day 1, please make a temporary card with your child’s number on it and bring it with you.
- If you are picking up in carpool, please put the card on your dashboard so the staff member can see it.
- If you are picking up your walker, show it to the staff member as requested.
Walker Procedures
- At dismissal, parents will gather outside the building at the designated location.
- Parents will show their dismissal number to the staff who will then release the student to the parent. If an older sibling is picking up the PK, K or 1st grader they can meet at the designated areas list below.
- Findley Chase – front – parents meet by the crosswalk;
- Findley Chase – back – parents meet at Door #5; siblings meet inside recess door
- Wellington – meet at Door # 5; siblings meet inside recess door
- Please be sure anyone you designate to pick up your child has your dismissal number. Students will not be released without the proper dismissal card. You will be asked to come into the building and show ID in order to get your child.
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students do not need a parent/guardian to present a tag as they are permitted to walk home without a parent/guardian.
Carpool Procedures
- Display your Dismissal number on passenger side visor.
- Drop off is from 7:10 am-7:40 am.
- Please drive slowly and do not pass other vehicles.
- Stay inside your vehicle.
- Do not use your cell phone while picking up/dropping off students.
- Children must enter and exit on the right side of the vehicle.
- If you arrive after 7:40 AM, please park your car and escort your child to the main office.
- Students are not allowed to re-enter the building once they are dismissed.
Carpool Arrival
Findley Oaks has two carpool lines – carpool line 1 in the front of the school and
carpool line 2 in the back of the school. Line 1 is always open. Line 2 is open AFTER all the buses have arrived in the morning. After the buses have departed we will put a sign up that says,“ Carpool Lines 1 and 2 are now OPEN”. At that time, you turn right at the stop sign and proceed around the circle and pull up to the red line by the Food Court doors. Staff members will be on hand to direct you and the students to the correct location. Students will enter the building through the Food Court. Please drop students off in the designated drop off zone only. Students may not be dropped off in the circle and may not enter the doors by the playground. As you leave this line you will turn left to exit the school property. Please be aware of traffic coming from the front of the school.
Bus Procedures
- Parents will look up the bus stop information here.
- Bus tags will be available at Meet and Greet.
- If you attend virtual Meet and Greet, your child will receive a bus tag the first day of school.
Afterschool Care
- Findley Oaks will have two on-site childcare programs this year: YMCA and The Tutor Shop. Students attending these will go directly from the classroom to the designated locations. Parents register directly with these organizations.
- There are multiple local daycares that pick students up at Findley Oaks at dismissal. Parents register directly with the daycare.
- It is your responsibility to let the daycare know that your child will not be riding with them if your child is absent or checked out early from school. Our dismissal process is significantly slowed down when we must look for a child.
Students are not permitted to re-enter the building once they are dismissed.
Forgotten homework, notebooks, lunch boxes, etc. can be retrieved the next day.
Change of Dismissal Information
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 “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 are provided on the Findley Oaks website or can be requested from the classroom teacher at any time. Please remember bus changes will be made on an emergency basis only.
If there is a need to change your child’s dismissal during the school day, 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.
Student Handbook
Stay Updated With All Things Findley Oaks!
We want to make sure that you are receiving communications and that you are informed of all of the latest information.
What to expect:
- Homeroom teachers will send weekly newsletters every Friday.
- The Findley Flyer will go out the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. (beginning August 5).
- There may be times that the school will send other communications via Blackboard as needed.
- The PTA will send a newsletter weekly. Be sure that you have registered to receive communications from the PTA.
Social Media:
- Follow us on Twitter @FindleyOaks
- Follow the PTA on Twitter @FindleyoaksPTA
- Follow the PTA on Facebook Findley Oaks PTA
Provide Feedback on the New K-12 Mathematics Standards
The Georgia Department of Education posted new K-12 Mathematics Standards for a 30-day public comment period through August 23. If approved, the standards will be implemented in the 2022-23 school year, following a year of teacher training.
The draft standards and additional information can be found at the following links:
The State Board of Education is scheduled to vote on adoption of the standards at its August meeting.
Here Comes the Bus
2021-2022 FCS Student Code of Conduct
Fulton County Schools is making its Student Code of Conduct & Discipline Handbook available online in PDF format (click the link below). Once you have read the electronic version and have reviewed the contents with your student(s), please take a moment to complete the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form by using the provided link below. All parents and student (over 10 years old) MUST sign this form found within your INFINTE CAMPUS PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL ACCOUNT. This form will be available AFTER Aug 2, 2021. If you would like a paper copy of the Handbook, you or your student can pick one up in your school's front office.
MISSION, VISION, AND MOTTO
Mission: Engage. Connect. Grow
Vision: To create a school community of engaged, connected, and growing learners.
Motto: From Tiny Acorns Grow Mighty Oaks