The Champion Chatt

Happy New Year Champion families!

I hope this January message finds you having had a wonderful winter break and shared time with family and friends. It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the 25-26 school year! When our staff met on Monday, January 5th, we took time to celebrate the successes we’ve experienced in semester 1 and to look at both our College and Career Readiness Performance (CCRPI) data, as well as our more recent universal screening i-Ready data in order to make halftime adjustments for a successful second semester.

Thank you to those of you who have taken time to complete the GA School Climate survey for families prior to our winter break. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts and ratings for the current processes in place at Chattahoochee. Please find the QR code and link below if you are interested in completing this survey. Teachers and staff had the opportunity to complete their own climate surveys at the beginning of this month. Providing a voice to all stakeholders in our school improvement process is of the utmost importance. Therefore, students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will have an opportunity to complete a student survey in early February.

In addition to supporting the continued progress of all of our Champion students, we will be looking forward to the events which are part of the spring season in the life of a school. These include planning for staffing and program changes, preparation for successful ACCESS and GA Milestones administrations, and the special moments that come with transition meetings and fifth grade promotion activities. This month, we are especially excited about BINGO night (sponsored by the CHA PTO) on Friday, January 23rd. Please note other upcoming events of interest listed in this edition of the Champion CHATT.

As always, we sincerely appreciate the partnerships we have with each of our families and our community partners as well. We look forward to seeing our visitors and volunteers in the building.

Jill Short

Direct link to Georgia School Climate Survey for Chattahoochee Elementary: https://survey.gadoe.org/FM?sid=BC1ADFED

We will be recognizing students in March who consistently lead like a Champion. Those students who have 3 or fewer attendance marks and no major behavior referrals between January 6 and March 2 will be invited to the surprise recognition taking place during Pathways on March 5. Let’s all be present and lead like a Champion!

This Month’s Digital Citizenship Focus: Media Literacy

Our students are learning to become smart, responsible consumers of media! Using Neptune Navigate, teachers guide discussions and activities that help students understand the messages they see every day—from ads and social media posts to videos and websites.

What is Media Literacy?
It’s the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media thoughtfully. Students are asking key questions like:

Who created this message?
Why did they make it?
Can I trust this source?

They’re also learning practical tips, such as:

Skip It, Don’t Click It! when faced with pop-up ads.
Look for trustworthy sources (like sites ending in .gov, .org, or .edu).
Check before sharing—because not everything online is true!

By practicing these skills, students become better thinkers and safer digital citizens.

Parent Tip:
Help your child practice media literacy at home by asking questions together when you see ads or posts online:

Who made this?
Why do they want me to see it?
Is it helpful or trying to influence me?

These conversations build critical thinking and make your child a savvy media detective!

Playground Progress & Upcoming PTO Events 🎉

Over the holiday break, our PTO was excited to begin executing our playground enhancement project! A huge shoutout and heartfelt thank-you to Benjamin Romero with Retaining Walls & Landscapes Group, LLC, who generously volunteered his time, team, and equipment to help create a new and improved Gaga Ball pit. The kids are absolutely loving it!!

Looking ahead, PTO Bingo Night is coming up on Friday, January 23rd from 6:00–8:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM). We are currently seeking volunteers to help make this event a success so please consider helping before, during, or after Bingo by clicking here. We need lots of help! Families can look forward to lots of fun Bingo prizes, exciting raffle baskets, and even a couple of bicycles! Concessions will be available for purchase, including candy, snacks, and water. Please note this is a cash-only event to help expedite sales due to the expected turnout. For full details, visit: https://www.ptoces.com/events-1.

And don’t forget to save the date for our Family Dance on February 27th, hosted at East Forsyth High School—more details coming soon!

Thank you for your continued support of PTO and our school 💙

Yearbooks are on sale now! Please visit www.chatyearbook.com for more information on ordering, deadlines, and submitting yearbook photos!

Come join us at Chattahoochee on Saturday, January 10th from 10:30am - 12:30 pm! The Community Clinic will be here from 10:30-12:30. The Place will be here with food support from 11:30-12:30. Non-perishable food boxes will also be available for anyone who would like! Forsyth County Public Library Bookmobile will be here from 11:30-12:30 for book check out and crafts! ALL families are welcome! We can’t wait to see you!

This January, we look forward to connecting with families in many meaningful ways—joining your child for lunch, volunteering on campus, participating as Watch D.O.G.S., and coming together for our Family Bingo Night on Friday, January 23rd, from 6:00–8:00 PM. These moments help strengthen the home–school connection and create joyful memories for our students, families, and school community!

We are incredibly grateful for our families and the important role you play in your child’s success. Your support, involvement, and encouragement make a lasting difference every day. If your family needs any instructional resources to support learning at home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kim at ksarfaty@forsyth.k12.ga.us or Belinda at bbator@forsyth.k12.ga.us. We are always here to help and partner with you.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our school family—we can’t wait to make 2026 a fantastic year together!

Heritage Night is coming on Friday, March 20th from 6:00pm-7:30pm!

Please complete this survey if you are interested in being part of this event.

If you are interested in volunteering or partnering with us, we would love to have you! Scan the QR code below to see how to be involved! If you’re interested in learning more about our impact levels and contributing in some way, here is some helpful information.

Watch D.O.G.S.

We love and appreciate our WATCH D.O.G.S! Come spend the day with us serving as a positive male role model through our school! Please use this link to sign up to serve as a Watchdog: https://volunteer.forsythpartnerconnect.org/need/detail/?need_id=1126763

If you have any questions, please contact Kim Sarfaty at ksarfaty@forsyth.k12.ga.us or at 770-781-2240 ext.152103, and she will help. We can’t wait to see you soon!

Absence Reminders

If your student is marked absent and you use our school QR code attendance form to indicate a medical excuse, please remember that the actual medical documentation must be submitted to the front office.

You may send the medical excuse in one of the following ways:

Email it directly to the front office (chattattendance@forsyth.k12.ga.us), or
Send it through your student’s teacher

This helps us ensure that all absences are properly documented and excused. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping us maintain accurate attendance records.

Chattahoochee Spirit Rock

The Chattahoochee Spirit Rock is ready to roll for the 2025-2026 school year! 😄 Families may sign-up for an opportunity to paint our rock, sharing birthday, congratulatory, and inspiring messages for their special Champion. Here is the sign up to reserve your day to paint the rock with your special message or picture: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E45A4A829AAF85-50987870-wearethe#/

Families will provide their own paint, and reservation will be complete once you pay $20 through this School Pay link: https://schoolpay.com/pay/for/CHATTAHOOCHEE--CHAMPION-ROCK-PAINTING-20/SyicRC

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kim Sarfaty - ksarfaty@forsyth.k12.ga.us.