Pulse on Peachtree
May 7th Newsletter
Principal's Message
Two more weeks and we conclude the 21-22 school year! We are excited for the 8th graders to have a week to celebrate the year and have some fun during their special week. We are also eager for the fun and competition of Patriot Games. Please free free to volunteer (info below) and see your child “in action” during the events.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our incredible mothers! Thank you for all you’ve done, all you do and all you will continue to do for our child(ren).
COVID Cases
We have seen an increase in cases as we returned from the weekend this past week. We kindly ask that you keep students at home if they have any cold-like symptoms to help us prevent the spread. Students and staff are suggested to wear masks as well.
For information on isolation/quarantine guidelines, please visit the website below:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html
STEM Program Re-certified!!
Congratulations are in order for our STEM Academy!! Every 5 years, the program goes through recertification through an organization called Cognia. We presented a school portfolio of the program and conducted interviews with stakeholders as part of the process. Academic Coach Laurie Smith led our recertification initiative: partnering with teachers, parents, community partners and admin. We are extremely pleased to announce we have been re-certified!!
Teacher Appreciation Week - Thank you PTSO!
This week would not have been possible without the help of our PTSO and the many volunteers that took the time to shower our teachers with appreciation. Thank you to all that supported!
Our students had the opportunity to learn about a variety of career fields with volunteer speakers visiting classrooms on Friday. Many of our students shared with me that they felt inspired and happy that they got to learn about careers they had never considered.
Thank you to Ms. Maria Carter for taking the lead on career day and coordinating all the logistics to make it happen. Thank you to our student guides that escorted our speakers to their classrooms. Thank you to our PTSO for the breakfast and lunch our speakers were provided. And finally, thank you to all the speakers below for taking the time out of their day to inspire our youth!
We would like to continue to expand on this event and make it a Peachtree tradition. All feedback is welcome!
I'm also very excited to let you all know that we have been voted into the MAAC, which is really great for sports opportunities at Peachtree. THANK YOU to our PTSO and Jeff Cantwell for the work to make this a possibility.
We will have the opportunity to expand the sports we offer as listed below:
Fall
- Cross Country
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Softball - Already established
Spring
- Tennis
- Golf
- ***NEW***Girls Flag Football
Upcoming Dates
May 10th: Parent Workshop on Vaping at 6pm in Cafeteria
May 10th: 8th Grade Patriot Games (moved from the 11th to 10th)
May 12th: 7th Grade Patriot Games
May 13th: 6th Grade Patriot Games
May 20th: Last Day of School (early release day)
**All dates are subject to change.
Rising 9th grade: AP information night
Team Spotlight: Girls Soccer
Congrats to the girls soccer team for finishing 3rd in their Dekalb County season. They finished with a 5-2 record-- their only losses being to the #1 and #2 seeds! Peachtree played Henderson on Monday, May 2. They ended the game with a 0-0 tie which lead to two rounds of penalty kicks. Our unstoppable goalie, 6th grader Gabbi deRoux, had already won MVP of the game for having five amazing saves, but she did it again during penalty kicks. Any team will tell you that PKs are not where you want to end up, but these girls faced the challenge head on. After two rounds (nine kicks), Peachtree lost 4-5. We are so incredibly proud of this amazing team for putting in the hard work and determination needed to get this far. We look forward to the All-Star game where Charlotte Rueckel, Delany Hixon, and Jojana Tueme will represent Peachtree!
Team Spotlight: Boys Soccer
Student Spotlight: Robert Holmes
Orchestra Spring Concert
6th Grade:
7th Grade:
8th Grade:
https://youtu.be/NuxBXI6G9M0National Better Hearing and Speech Month
May is national Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM), and this year's theme is Connecting People. School-based Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) work with children 3-5 years old as well as students in grades K-12. SLPs help students effectively use their speech and language skills to be successful within the educational environment. Educational audiologists address the listening needs of children in a school setting. They diagnose and treat hearing loss and other hearing-related conditions. They also recommend accommodations to help students do well in school.
Here are some specific areas where speech-language pathologists and audiologists work with students:
- Speech—Children may substitute one sound for another, leave sounds out, add sounds, or change a sound. It may be hard for others to understand them.
- Language—A child may have problems with expressing themselves, understanding others, and reading and/or writing.
- Fluency (Stuttering) – A child may get stuck on certain sounds or words. They also may have tension or negative feelings about talking. This can get in the way of how they talk to others.
- Cognition—A child may have difficulties with attention, memory, problem-solving abilities, organizational skills, and judgment.
- Voice—A child might lose his/her voice frequently or use a hoarse or breathy voice. They could also speak with strain or effort.
- Social Communication – A child may have difficulty understanding how others feel or following the rules of a conversation, such as knowing how to take turns.
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication—A child may need or choose to use other ways to communicate besides talking. Options include pointing or gesturing, using picture boards, and using speech-generating devices.
- Feeding and Swallowing—Students may need help to eat and swallow safely. Feeding and swallowing problems can lead to other health issues and interfere with a child’s ability to learn.
Please take a moment to celebrate Better Speech and Hearing Month and the contributions made by our Speech Language Pathologists: Ms. Taylor Peña and Ms. Traci Johnson!
Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Jewish American Heritage Month reflects on the contributions of the Jewish people over its almost 250-year history. Like many in the United States, their culture and history go far beyond the founding date of the country. Jewish American Heritage Month also looks at the history of injustice the Jewish people have had to overcome for centuries, not just in America but around the world.
Please join us in acknowledging Jewish American Heritage Month American Heritage Month!
Patriot Games are back!
8th Grade: May 10th, Tuesday
7th Grade: May 12th, Thursday
6th Grade: May 13th, Friday
Students will be provided with school lunch but we will also have pizza, snacks and drinks for sale!
To help make Patriot Games a roaring success, we need parent volunteers! Please click on the Sign Up Genius link below to sign up for a volunteer shift on one (or all) of these fun days!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA4AB2DA75-patriot
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Post Patriot Game Cooldown and Hang Out!
Families and students are welcome to join our PTSO on the track each day after Patriot Games from 3:45-4:45pm.
* Kona Ice will be there for families to purchase a sweet treat (about $5 per cup, cash or credit card accepted).
* DHS & Peachtree Club Sports will be on the field to share information about the awesome opportunities for 6th-9th graders! (Football, Lacrosse, Golf, Softball, and Ultimate Frisbee!)
* The fun will continue with frisbees, footballs, pool golf, and more on the field!
Parking Tip: Park at Brook Run Park in the southside lot across from the track or in the spaces near the baseball fields. If you want to park at Peachtree Middle, you’ll need to come to school by 3:30pm to find a space in the parking lot before the carpool line gets too long.
Parent Workshop on Vaping - May 10th 6pm
Call all rising 8th and 9th graders!
Do you love running? Or are you interested in learning to run? 8th grade students at Peachtree Middle have the opportunity to join the Dunwoody High School Wildcat Cross Country team next fall.
Come to an interest meeting after school on Tuesday, May 17th in the Media Center to learn about the DHS XC Team, meet the Coaches and Captains and find out about summer training.
We hope to see you there!
To find out more about XC, please check our website, which will continue to be updated over the summer. https://dunwoodycrosscountry.weebly.com
Peachtree 8th grade Week
We know our 8th grade class had a rather extraordinary middle school experience given that this was their only full year in the building. We want to celebrate their hard work and reward their accomplishments! Below is the schedule for 8th grade week. For students to participate, we ask that you partner with us in ensuring their grades in all classes are 70+ and that they have no behavior referrals.
We know this is going to be a fun, deserving week for them and will need parent volunteers that are willing to devote their time. We will partner with our PTSO to coordinate and communicate volunteer opportunities.
Click on the photo to enlarge.
PAC Upcoming Meetings
Meetings are offered hybrid. In-person will be in our conference room. Virtual link is included in our agendas below. All families are welcome to join and listen. To participate in the meeting, non-PAC members are able to speak during public comment.
http://www.peachtreems.dekalb.k12.ga.us/PrincipalAdvisoryCouncilPAC.aspx
summer school programs
Use the PDF files below to click the REGISTER links.
Attention Softball Players
Community Resources
Dunwoody High School Summer Fencing Camp
When: June 13th-17th from 9:00AM-12PM
Where: Dunwoody High School
Fee: $250
Interested in fencing and learning a new sport? No previous fencing experience required and equipment will be provided. Snacks and a Camp T-Shirt will be given.
Open to 6th-12th grade students.
En garde!
To register please click here:
The Pave Foundation
The Pave Foundation, Inc. is excited to share that our signature “Preparing Our Girls for Center Stage” STEAM Summer Camp will be held July 11 – 15, 2022 at The Commons, First Congregational Church, UCC, 125 Ellis Street, Downtown Atlanta.
If you know a girl aged 10 – 14, we would love to have her (and a friend) spend this special week with us. We are partnering with STEM Compass and have planned a safe, fun, challenging affordable week of STEM programming, dance, personal and leadership development. A few limited camperships will be made available.
Here is the registration link: https://www.thepavefoundation.org/events/2022camp.
Please pass along this information to neighbors, friends, family and schools.
Gail Tusan Washington
Founder and Chair, Board of Directors
The Pave Foundation, Inc.
Peachtree Middle School
DCSD Website: https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/
Instagram: @Principal.Perez
Website: www.peachtreems.dekalb.k12.ga.us
Location: Peachtree Middle School, North Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone: (678)676 - 7702