New Hope Elementary School

October - December, 2013

www.whitfield.k12.ga.us/nhe Carla Maret- Principal Patricia Lamb-Assistant Principal
*** CALENDAR OF EVENTS *** Date
Oct. 21 Oct. 22 Oct. 23 Oct. 25 Oct. 28- Nov. 1 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 12 Nov. 14 Nov. 15 Nov. 21 Nov. 25-29 Dec. 2-9 Dec. 5 Dec. 19 Dec. 20 Dec. 23-Jan. 6

Event
Report cards Title I Parent Meeting- 2:00 Early Dismissal- 11:50 rd 3 Grade Field Trip- Rock City th 4 Grade Field Trip- Booth Museum Red Ribbon Week Fall Parties (times vary based on grade level) nd PTO Night/2 Grade Program; 6:30 nd K & 2 Grade Field Trip Progress Reports Fall Carnival Chorus- Mall Field Trip 10:45-1:45 Thanksgiving Luncheon- for parents of students in grades K, 2, and 4 Thanksgiving Holidays Toy Drive PTO Night/K Program; 6:30 Holiday Class Parties Christmas Luncheon- for parents of students in grades 1,3, and 5 Early Dismissal- 11:50 Holiday Break

From the Principal

What a great start to the 2013-14 school year! We are excited about all the great learning opportunities for the students and adults. This year brings about some new changes. Please join me in welcoming into our New Hope community the following new staff members: Teresa Brown (Counselor), Denise Ziegler (ELL), Donna Richards (ESS), Karen Streett (Media Clerk), and Patricia Lamb (Assistant Principal). These new staff members have already become an integral part of our New Hope Family. At NHE, our students have met the achievement standards set by the state guidelines. As a result, our school has not been identified as a Priority, Focus, or Alert school in need of improvement. For more information regarding the achievement standards and the ESEA Flexibility Waiver/College and Career Readiness Performance Index please go to the Georgia Department of Education link on our school website. You can also search the information by system and by individual school at http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/CCRPI/Pages/default.aspx. We are also proud of the fact that all of our staff members and paraprofessionals at New Hope are highly qualified as required by Georgia DOE. As a parent, you have the right to request information concerning professional qualifications of any teacher or paraprofessional who works with your child. If you have any questions about professional qualification, please contact the office and ask to speak to Mrs. Maret. It is our goal to work collaboratively with you, the parent. We ask that you stay in close contact with your childs teacher throughout the year. Please feel free to contact teachers with questions and/or concerns as they arise. Our goal is for your child to have a successful and joyful year.

New Hope Believes

*We believe that when students are provided a safe, clean, and nurturing environment, they will learn and experience academic success. *We believe learning stems from a mutual respect between faculty and staff, teachers and students, and school and community. *We believe engaging work provides students with a deeper understanding, mastery, and ability to transfer skills to everyday experiences. *We believe state standards, student needs, and learning styles are embedded in the design of engaging lessons. *We believe that teachers plan collaboratively to design and to present engaging standards-based instruction using a variety of strategies and models. *We believe technological resources are utilized as a tool to support the curriculum in order to promote student success in a technologically driven society.

Title I Parent Involvement Policy

The Title I Parent Involvement Policy can be found in the Student Handbook on our school website. Please take time to go to www.whitfield.k12.ga.us/nhe look over the policy. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Maret or Mrs. Lamb.

Parent Resource Center

Feel free to visit our Parent Resource Center located directly across the atrium from the front doors. You may check out educational games, resources and strategy materials to help your child succeed in school.

Important Things to Do to Help the School

Please send a note with the childs name, date, and how they are to get home when afternoon dismissal procedures have changed. Without a note, the student will be asked to do what he or she normally does in the afternoon. Children should be in school unless they are ill. However, there are occasions when exceptional circumstances might also constitute a valid absence. It is important that parents contact the school ahead of time if their child is going to be absent for any reason other than illness. Punctual and regular attendance is important to your childs progress in

New Hopes Mission

We will provide an optimistic environment where students are nurtured and engaged in meaningful, challenging work that will prepare them for an ever changing world.

school. A written excuse is required for each absence and must be brought by the child when he/she returns to school. Excused absences are those for illness, injury, a death in the family, medical, dental, legal appointments, or religious observances. It is important to schedule medical and dental appointments outside the school day if at all possible, as they do interrupt the learning process. If you have questions regarding attendance, please contact the school. **Please call the SCHOOL OFFICE when your child is absent. Someone is in the front office at 7:00AM. The Whitfield County Schools Attendance Procedures states that a parent will be contacted when a student has missed 5, 10, and 15 days. If you send a doctors excuse each time your child goes to the doctor, we are able to provide better records should your child miss more than 5 days. This is also good practice for whenever a childs is checked out early for a doctors appointment. For the purposes of perfect attendance, the Whitfield County Board of Education has determined that a combination of five unexcused early check-outs and/or unexcused tardies will equal one unexcused absence; this will count against perfect attendance, therefore, the student will not receive a perfect attendance certificate.

My Childs Lunch Account?

We are pleased to offer an exciting new option to help make your life easier. mySchoolBucks.com is an on-line system that will allow you to make deposits into your childs meal accounts. You will be alerted by email when your childs account becomes low of funds. If you are in need of

assistance for lunch, please be sure to fill out the free/reduced lunch form immediately. Balances of unpaid funds up until a parent qualifies for free/reduced lunch assistance will be the obligation of the parent to pay. If you have any questions, please contact the office or cafeteria for help.

How Can I Get News Regarding Events at the School?

New Hope Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NewHopeElementary New Hope Website: www.whitfield.k12.ga.us/nhe New Hope App: Type the following on web browser on mobile device. Then follow directions to get the app on your phone. This app will link you to the website, Facebook, calendar of events, and phone number to the school. http://newhopeelementary.mobapp.at To receive text message from the school for upcoming events and school closings text the appropriate code listed below (based on grade level) to (706)508-4302. Kindergarten Parents: @nhek st 1 Grade Parents: @6a0f9 nd 2 Grade Parents: @f5e85 rd 3 Grade Parents: @6a7f1 th 4 Grade Parents: @nhe4 th 5 Grade Parents: @47e6f Standard text messaging rates apply.

We understand that addresses and phone numbers change throughout the year. It is vitally important that we receive up to date information when it changes. The school must have access to a phone number to contact parents in the event of emergencies. Please send the changed information to your childs teacher as soon as it changes.

Changes in afternoon departure

We cannot accept calls after 1:45PM to change how a student goes home. We must have time to contact the teacher and give time for the student to prepare for the change.

Ways To Help..
Box Tops for Education have helped Americas schools earn over $175 million in just over 10 years. Go to www.boxtops4education.com to learn how you can make a difference for your school with Box Tops. Our school can earn up to $60,000 per year! We will be participating in this program this year, so keep clipping those box tops and bring them in weekly or monthly. To implement a better way of record keeping, please place the box tops in a zip lock bag and write your childs name and teacher on the outside.

Required Mandated Reporter Training for Volunteers and Parents Going on Field Trips
Georgia Law now requires volunteers in schools to be mandated reporters of suspected child abuse. School volunteers or chaperones of school sponsored events must receive this training before assisting school personnel. If you have any questions, please call the school. To complete the training, view an online presentation and print the certificate verifying completion of presentation at http://preventchildabusega.org/.

LOST ITEMS:
Please mark all jackets and personal items (bookbags, lunch boxes, etc) with your childs name. Also, should your child lose something, remind them to check the lost and found area. At the end of the nine-week grading period, all items left in lost and found will be donated to Providence Ministries.

PTO Officers and Opportunities

We are pleased to have the following ladies serving as our PTO Officers this year: Presidents- LeAnn Hammontree and Frances Caylor Vice-President- Sharon Ewing and Janean Fowler Secretary- Misty Hulsey Treasurer- Lynn Hutchinson If you would like to volunteer at the upcoming PTO Fall Festival th on November 15 , please let your childs teacher know.

Visitors on Campus
All visitors must sign in the atrium. You will need to wear a visitors badge. DO NOT GO DIRECTLY TO THE CLASSROOMS. This is for the safety of all students and staff. Thanks you for your help and cooperation.

Medication at School
All students who need to take medication at school must have written instructions from parent and the medication must stay in the office. If prescription medication is required on a daily basis for an extended amount of time, please request a Medication Form from the office to be filled out by the parent and signed.

Car Riders
Adults cannot pick up students in the car rider line without a New Hope Car Rider Sign in the window. Parents are welcome to get as many signs as needed from the front desk. Please help us by having your car rider sign in the front window in view. Thank you in advance for your help with this.