October Newsletter 2019
Chestatee Elementary School
A Letter From Dr. Tennies, Our Principal
Welcome back families!
I hope your Fall Break was relaxing and gave all of our students a chance to recharge and get ready for a wonderful October. There are some great activities at school this month, and I would like to highlight two for you.
We are excited to have Parent Teacher Conferences this month. Conferences provide a chance to meet with the teacher, ask questions, and find out more about your child’s progress in the first quarter. Taking the time to meet with the teacher helps clarify strengths and pinpoint areas for growth. Our first quarter report cards will be issued this month and will also be a topic of conversation. See your teacher for options on meeting days and times. I highly recommend Parent Teacher Conferences.
Another event we are looking forward to this month is our first Support Staff Open House on Thursday, October 17th from 5 to 6pm. Last year we received feedback from families that they wanted to meet our teachers who serve in collaborative roles. If you want to connect with our pathway teachers (Art, music, PE, Media, Science and Audio Visual) as well as other support staff (Gifted, Interrelated, EIP, ESOL, Title 1, Speech, etc.), this is an opportunity to informally meet, greet, and visit within their classrooms. Our PTO is planning a special event following the Open House from 6-7:30. I’ll let them share their details, but I will say there will be costumes and candy in our hallways—I hope you can make it!
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Dr. Polly Tennies
Principal
Congratulations to our Teacher of the Year, Lori Faulkner!
Lori grew up in the Chestatee community and actually went to Chestatee herself. Her own dad graduated from Chestatee when it was a K-12 school, and she has deep roots in this area. She is married to Shad and has three children: Braxton, Mary Kate, and Hudson. All three of her kids went through Chestatee too! Lori is involved in her church and loves shopping. She is fluent in Spanish and has been an asset in our school as a teacher and staff member.
This is Lori's 13th year at Chestatee. Mrs. Faulkner received her Bachelor's degree from North Georgia and her Master's from Lesley University. She has taught middle school Spanish, elementary Spanish, and ESOL. She is very excited to continue teaching ESOL at Chestatee. She loves her students and families.
We are very proud to have Mrs. Lori Faulkner represent Chestatee at the district level. The Forsyth County Teacher of the Year will be named in March. Congratulations, Mrs. Faulkner!
Amazing things Happen at the T!
BOOK FAIR IS COMING!
If you would like to volunteer to help Mrs. Wiggins with the Book Fair, sign up NOW!
We appreciate your help making our book fair a success!
https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/experience/login/DdmbtQQYx
What's New at the T?
Harvesting green beans from our greenhouse with Mrs. Johnson!
Congratulations to our lunchroom staff!
VOLUNTEER CORNER
Highlighted Volunteer Group for the Month
Our media center volunteers help us so much! Checking books out, shelving books, laminating and helping Mrs. Wiggins are important jobs! Mrs. Wiggins would love you to contact her if you are interested.
Email Sarah Wiggins at swiggins@forsyth.k12.ga.us to sign up!
Teacher/Staff Member of the Month Nominations
Do you want to recognize and celebrate the exemplary teaching and contributions by Chestatee Elementary teachers and staff? Click here to write a nomination.
Congratulations to our October Staff Member of the Month-Hannah Fowler
Hannah has received several nominations already this year. They all have a common theme. She makes learning fun for her students, communicates and partners with her families, and makes the transition to Chestatee for new students easy. Hannah creates a respectful, positive environment for her first graders. Her classroom is a pleasure to visit!
This will be Ms. Fowler's 3rd year teaching at Chestatee. Ms. Fowler received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from the University of North Georgia. She has had the wonderful opportunity to teach Title I and first grade, and she loves being a part of the Chestatee family! Hannah lives in Dawsonville and is active in her church. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and loves her time on the beach and drinking her sweet treats from Starbucks! We are lucky to have Ms. Hannah Fowler at Chestatee! Congratulations, Ms. Fowler!
Being respectful at the T!
Passion First
Check out Mrs. Water's and Mrs. Brookshire's Wellness class!
Free and Reduced Lunch
Dear Family,
Free and reduced meal applications must be filled out each new school year.
Previous years applications expire 9/12/19.
If you need assistance this school year, please fill out the application soon.
There are 2 ways to apply:
1. Fill out the paper copy enclosed and return it to the school.
2. Apply online at this link: https;//frapps.horizonsolana.com/FORC01
If you would like help filling, please contact Deb Mason or Meg Killingsworth. They will be happy to assist you!
Deb Mason
770-887-2341 ext. 722131
Meg Killingsworth
770-887-2341 ext. 722302
What's Coming up at the T?
Save the Date!
Wed 10/23 and Thurs 10/24 Early Release Days
Friday 10/25: Professional Development Day/ No school for students
October 17
5:00-6:00 Bring the kids and visit the support staff teachers and Pathways team. Meet these teachers and see their classrooms.
6:00-7:00 The PTO will be selling dinner in the cafeteria. Come by any time in this hour.
6:30-7:30 Door and Treat: Go door to door for goodies and treats and see some of your favorite characters!
Our Communi-T-y is the BEST!
Education Foundation! These funds will be used to buy more books for third, fourth, and fifth graders in our Battle of the Books Respectful Reading Program led by fifth grade teacher, Kim Ware. What a great surprise!
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 in 3 different ways.
1. Look for sign-ups throughout the year to help at events.
2. Become a member by joining PTO with your membership dues.
3. Support a school fundraiser!
Thank you for your support with our Eagle Dash!
A Few Words From our Family Engagement Coordinator
A Word from Our Family Engagement Coordinator
October is the month for Parent/ Teacher Conferences, and we are so excited! We had great practice with our family-school partnerships in September with Academic Parent Teacher Teams. I am proud to say that 745 students were represented in classroom APTT meetings on the actual Thursday nights. 56 more students had a family member come by for a makeup session to get the data and activities for practice. Makeup sessions are on-going, so if you haven’t received the information and still would like it, please don’t hesitate to contact me! September brought over 800 of our kids’ families to Chestatee to partner with our staff. We should be proud, Chestatee!!
Individual conferences are coming and bring an even bigger crowd. It is always nice to discuss progress and growth. Our staff is already busy preparing. In some grade levels, teachers start early to guarantee enough time for each student. Our Early Release Days are Wednesday 10/23 and Thursday 10/24, but you will likely be invited in before and even after those days. We want you to pick a time that works with your schedule.
After serving as the Family Engagement Coordinator for 5 years, I often think about what I would change if I went back to the classroom. My partnerships with families would be at the top of my list, and these would look very different this time around. I remember as a classroom teacher, I often spent my 15-20 minutes with families rattling through MY observations, MY data, MY notes. In looking back, I realized that I often didn’t take the time to get each parent’s perspective of the child’s progress. Many of you are so great in speaking up with questions and stories to share your perspective or get clarification. For those of you who might be a little shy in speaking up, I’d love you to try the Share 1/ Ask 1 Approach.
Share 1/ Ask 1 Approach
Share at least 1 story, success, or perspective about the year so far.
Ask at least 1 question to the teacher.
Conferences are a great example of the power of partnership. As your child’s first teacher, role model, and guide, you have a lot to add to the conversation! Your child’s teacher will be glad to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you have. Here’s to a great month of conferences!
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