May 2, 2024

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Now through Friday, May 10th - Georgia Milestones Testing

Starting earlier this week and continuing through Friday, May 10th, our students in grades 3-5 are in the process of taking their annual Georgia Milestones assessments (sometimes referred to as GMAS). The remaining 2024 testing schedule will be as follows:

Grades 3 and 5

• Friday, May 3rd - GMAS Math Section 2
• Monday, May 6th - GMAS Science Sections 1 & 2 (**5th Grade ONLY)

Grade 4

• Monday, May 6th - GMAS ELA Section 1
• Tuesday, May 7th - GMAS ELA Section 2
• Wednesday, May 8th - GMAS ELA Section 3
• Thursday, May 9th - GMAS Math Section 1
• Friday, May 10th - GMAS Math Section 2

Please note that it is very important for all students to participate in the Georgia Milestones End of Grade assessments. Student-level results may be used by instructors to tailor instruction and provide intervention opportunities to better meet the needs of your child. Our Dolphins have worked so hard this, and it's time for them to show what they know!

Testing will begin promptly at 8:00 AM on all testing days. Our school schedule will shift slightly to accommodate all test takers. Teachers will communicate the shift in schedule via email.

For a refresher about GMAS, please check out the recording and slide presentation from Mr. Baron during our Testing at MES Parent University session earlier this year. Additional details can be found on the MES Georgia Milestones webpage. For additional questions, please contact Mr. Baron.

Friday, May 3rd - Lost and Found Donation Day

Are you missing a water bottle or coat? Please be sure to look for it before the next donation day on Friday, May 3rd! The Lost and Found is now located near the cafeteria, along the hallway to the library - simply check in the office before swinging by to claim your items. Please note that we will NOT donate any items that are labeled, as the front office staff will work to reunite all labeled items with their owners.

Please see opportunities to volunteer to help with Lost and Found HERE.

Monday, May 6th - Final MES GO Team Meeting of the 2023-2024 School Year!

The final MES GO Team meeting for the 2023-2024 school year will take place on Monday, May 6th at 5pm for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting will be held virtually as well as livestreamed on the MES YouTube page for those who would like to watch. Recordings from past meetings can also be viewed on the YouTube page at any time.

The agendas for these meetings, as well as past meeting materials and the protocol for signing up to speak during the public comment period can be found on the MES GO Team webpage.

Monday, May 6th - Sunny the R.E.A.D. Program Dog Returns to MES!

Our Dolphins have been working so hard on their Georgia Milestones assessments (older grades) and other year-end assignments (all grades). To help receive stress and inject some fun into the day, Sunny, the R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dog) Program dog will be visiting MES during select recess times throughout the week of May 6th through the 10th.

Of course, while Sunny is a trained therapy dog, we recognize that not everyone enjoys interacting with even the best behaved dogs. If you do NOT want your child to participate in this activity, particularly if they have allergies, please send a quick email to their homeroom teacher and to Scott La Salle, the school social worker, at scott.lasalle@atlanta.k12.ga.us. Thanks!

Thursday, May 9th - Last Day to Submit Class Assignment Input Forms for 2024-2025!

We have already received so many input forms from parents - 57 as of today! While you can place your trust in your child's current teacher(s) to make careful choices about class placement for next year, the MES Admin team also values your input as part of this process, should you opt to share it.

If you have a student currently in grades K-4 and you wish to give us additional information regarding your child that may influence the class placement decisions, please complete the following input form by the end of the day on Thursday, May 9th. Please note that this form is NOT for incoming kindergarten or new students - there is a different form available for these students!

All submitted forms come directly to Principal Sofianos, who reads every single entry and compiles the information for each homeroom teacher to consider. Note that requests for a specific teacher are not accepted as it discounts other important criteria and can affect overall classroom composition. There may also be unknown staff changes that make it impossible to honor these requests. 

Even MORE New Campus Projects Happening at MES!

This week, we're shining the spotlight on two more exciting MES PTA and MES Foundation-supported projects designed to create a new musical-themed portion of our outdoor campus. Music teacher Ms. Relyea and MES parent Lindsey Checker (who happens to be a professional woodworker & artist) are collaborating to create a 'musical fence' on the hill above the school amphitheater. Fifth grade general music students contributed to this effort by using the design-thinking process to propose musical elements for a section of the fence. Using the student designs as inspiration, Ms. Relyea and Lindsey are bringing their vision to life thanks to support from the PTA! If you're on campus this month, look up to see the work in progress.

Speaking of the amphitheater, MES is ALSO getting a new outdoors mural thanks to support from the MES Foundation. Local artist Muhammad Yungai will be onsite for the next two weeks painting an amazing original mural showcasing global music elements - many of which MES students study! Our students even studied Yungai's work during the school's Black History Month art projects earlier this year. A video will be played on the morning announcements introducing all of our Dolphins to Yungai as they watch the mural take shape.

Meet Muhammad Yungai in the video created for MES here & check out more of his work on his website at https://www.artofyungai.com/.

Muhammad Yungai preparing for the amphitheater for the new mural

Lindsey Checker hard at work on the new fence installation

Visit the MES Story Walk Now through May 23rd!

In what is quickly becoming a favorite year-end tradition at Morningside, our librarian Mr. Rawls has set up a new Story Walk along the Morningside Nature Trail for our students, families, friends, and neighbors to enjoy! While you walk immersed in nature, you'll be able to read this year's featured book What Makes Us Human by Victor D. O. Santos and Anna Forlati. The Story Walk will remain set up until Thursday, May 23rd.

Not sure what a Story Walk is? Well, it's a new way to encourage people to read, courtesy of the creative mind of Mr. Rawls! Mr. Rawls has carefully separated the pages and drawings from this year's chosen book and mounted them (in order!) on weather-proof signs along the Morningside Nature Trail. Simply start at the beginning, reading each page as you walk along!

The entrance to the trail can be found at 990 Plymouth Road NE. At the beginning of the trail, you'll see a sign marked "START HERE". On this same sign, you'll find a QR code to scan with your smart phone or other device to open a set of questions to use with your child after reading the book. Make it a family outing or a playdate with a classmate! And be sure to spread the word to neigbors, classmates, and friends - Story Walks are for EVERYONE to enjoy!

Registration Reminders for Next Year!

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is currently in the process of updating student information and pre-registering students for the 2024-2025 school year. This process ensures that each school has adequate information about the anticipated student body to guide planning for next year as well as maintaining up-to-date records for all students. APS, MES, and all of the Midtown Cluster appreciates all of our families for addressing these requests in a timely manner!

Rising 6th Grade Registration

Atlanta Public Schools requires all parents or guardians to re-register (including providing proof of residency) their children when entering 6th grade, including all students continuing on from MES to Howard Middle School. If you have a Rising 6th grader and have not yet done so, please log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account and select "More" followed by "Online Registration for Existing Students" to complete the registration process. If you are having difficulty completing online registration, please contact Howard Middle School at 404-802-3200 or by emailing DTHRegistration@atlanta.k12.ga.us to request a virtual or in-person registration appointment. Rising 6th grade students who do not complete Online Registration will not receive class assignments for the 2024-2025 school year and may be withdrawn from school at the end of the current school year.

Parent Portal accounts can be accessed by clicking here (or using the button below!). The APS Parent Portal Help Page can be found here, just in case you need it.

Rising Rams families should also join the Howard Class of 2027 Facebook Group to keep with all of the latest information.

Rising Kindergarten Registration

Online registration is also open now for Rising Kindergartners who will be starting school in August 2024! Families with children who will be five years old before September 1, 2024 should complete Kindergarten registration via the APS Kindergarten Registration website, which can also be accessed by clicking the button below. If you are having trouble with online enrollment, please contact Ms. Aquilla Jones (the MES school clerk) via email at aquilla.jones@atlanta.k12.ga.us.

Additional details about Kindergarten registration, Dolphin Splash, and much more can be found in the MES Rising K Facebook Group.

Morning Carpool Drop Off Reminder!

Thank you to our carpool families who arrive early and create a space for our staff to enter the parking garage located underneath the main school building! Many of our MES staff members arrive between 7 and 7:15am and we very much appreciate the mindfulness of our carpool families in leaving the garage drive open.

As a reminder, please remember that even if you are running late, there is no drop off allowed on East Rock Springs Road as it is extremely unsafe.

You can find the carpool route on the MES website Transportation page. Please note that there should be no "cut through turns" in the middle of the Barclay Median. Please drive to the end of Barclay and make the turn around there to avoid creating unnecessary traffic back ups and dangerous merging situations. Thank you!

MES Principal Blog

Posts on Principal Sofiano's Principal's Blog highlight the latest happenings at Morningside, including an inside view of the work of our amazing students and wonderful staff. Reminders about blog posts will continue to be sent through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal straight to your phones and email inboxes, but you can also bookmark the Principal's Blog and check it out at any time! If you are not getting blog notices on your email or phone, contact Charlette Jackson in the front office to update your information.

Atlanta Board of Education Meeting - Monday, May 6th

The next monthly APS Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, May 6th from 2:30-8:00pm. All meetings are held at the Atlanta Public Schools Center for Learning and Leadership Auditorium and are typically livestreamed via the APS Board of Education Facebook Page. Interested parties are welcome to provide comments during the Community Meeting portion (which begins at 6:00pm) by signing up in person from 5:00-5:50pm.

Join the Howard Middle School PTO Executive Board!

At Howard, the process for selecting PTO members is unique. Instead of directly voting for specific positions, members vote for candidates for the Executive Board. The Executive Board then internally decides on the allocation of positions among its members. And unlike elementary school where you are there for up to six years, you are only in middle school for THREE years so we'd love to have our rising 6th grade parents join the board!

You can find more information about the Howard Middle School on their webpage. Please email alisonmassa@gmail.com with any questions.

APS Adult Education Classes Available for FREE

Discover APS's free Adult Education Program, where we support individuals in navigating the official Georgia High School Equivalency (HSE) Program, formerly known as the GED Testing Program. From selecting a high school equivalency pathway to test preparation, class enrollment, and short-term training opportunities, APS is dedicated to guiding adults through every step.

Additionally, our program extends beyond HSE with English as a Second Language and citizenship classes held at multiple Atlanta/Fulton County locations.



To learn more and enroll, click HERE and share the information with those who can benefit.

Stay Up to Date with the APS Midtown Cluster

Click HERE for resources directly related to our cluster.

Stay Up to Date with the 2023-2024 APS Calendar 

Click HERE to view the district calendar and start planning for all the breaks.

Click HERE to view the Atlanta BOE 2024 Calendar.

Thank you to our 2023-2024 Diamond Dolphin, Dolphin, and Platinum-level sponsors for supporting our school!

For more information about Dolphin Donors, please click HERE.