Sagamore Hills ES Principal's Post

Greetings parents,

As we wrap up another amazing week, I am reminded of how much goes into creating a positive and meaningful school experience for every child. It truly takes all of us, our teachers and staff, our families, and our school leadership working together toward the same goal.

Each week brings opportunities to listen, learn, problem-solve, and find ways to make Sagamore Hills even stronger. I am grateful for the conversations, ideas, and perspectives that help us continue to grow.

As we move forward, I hope we will continue to lean in with appreciation, extend grace to one another, and celebrate progress that make a difference for our students. Thank you for continuing to walk alongside us as we create a school where our Wildcats can learn, grow, and thrive.

Next week, we will begin MAP testing on Tuesday, August 25th. Please be sure your child arrives to school by 7:45am each day. Thank you!

Be well,

Ms. Freeman

Curriculum Night is Thursday, August 27th from 5:30-7:00pm!

Curriculum Night is a parent/guardian-only event. This evening is designed to provide families with important information about curriculum, classroom expectations, and the school year ahead.

A note from the Foundation:

Your babysitters are already booked! Join us August 27th immediately following Sagamore Hills Elementary Curriculum Night at The Grove 2761 Lavista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033. Come meet the Sagamore Foundation and learn more about ways to get involved! This is a casual parent-only social event. Light appetizers provided. Email president@sagamorehillsfoundation.org with any questions!

Dear Parents,

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) administers the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment three times annually: in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. The DCSD Assessment Administration Department has scheduled the Fall MAP testing window from Monday, August 24- Friday, September 4, 2026. Sagamore Hills will begin testing on Tuesday, August 25th.

The MAP Growth assessments, developed by NWEA®, are adaptive, computer-based tests. The difficulty of each question adjusts based on the accuracy of the student's previous response, providing a personalized assessment experience. The content aligns with the Georgia Department of Education curriculum and reflects material covered in the classroom.

Students in grades K-2 take the MAP assessments in Reading and Math. Students in grades 3-5 take the MAP assessments in Reading, Math, Science, and Language Usage.

Students with accommodations outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 Individual Accommodation Plan (504-IAP), or English Learner Testing Participation Committee Plan (EL-TPC) will receive these accommodations during the Fall MAP assessment as specified in their plans.

MAP results from Fall 2026, Winter 2027, and Spring 2027 assessments will serve as valuable instructional tools for teachers and will also be used to determine Gifted eligibility for students in Grades K-11.

For additional information about MAP Growth, please visit https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/. Should you have any questions, please contact our school testing coordinator/Assistant Principal, Mrs. Fassinger, at 678-874-7502/jennifer_fassinger@dekalbschoolsga.org.

Sincerely,

Ms. Freeman, Principal

Our Sagamore Hills Fun Run Fundraiser is coming soon!

On September 9, 2026, we are kicking off our fun run fundraiser, and we cannot wait. This will be our biggest fundraiser of the year, and because we partner with Activate, a non-profit fun run, our school gets to keep more of every dollar we raise.

Every dollar goes right back to our classrooms to support teaching and learning. Keep an eye out for more information coming home soon, and get ready to cheer our kids on! Let's go Sagamore!

Learn more by watching the video below.

4th and 5th Graders can now join our soccer team!

⚽ Elementary Soccer is BACK for the 2026-2027 school year! 🙌

Registration is now open for 4th/5th grade elementary students ready to hit the field this fall.

📅 Registration Window: August 13 – September 13
⚽ First Day of Practice: September 21
🏆 First Contest: October 17

Register today: https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/Sh1cMp

We’re looking forward to another great season of elementary athletics! ⚽

Our August ROAR Superstore will open on August 31st.

The ROAR Superstore is full of prizes where students can cash in their ROAR bucks to purchase items.

We are in need of parent volunteers to run the store. Click below to sign up. Thanks

Parents may come to have lunch with their child starting September 8th.

We need to ensure our cafeteria routines and procedures are in place before allowing visitors in.

Thank you for understanding!

Dear Sagamore Hills Families,

As we prepare for another exciting school year, we are always looking for ways to make things easier for our families while ensuring our students continue to have meaningful learning experiences.

One piece of feedback we received many times from parents last school year was the desire to reduce the number of requests for money throughout the school year. We listened!

New this year, each grade level will have one Class Dues payment that will cover many of the activities and events students participate in throughout the year. Rather than sending home multiple payment requests, families will make one payment that covers the items listed below.

PreK – 4th Grade: $75
Your child's class dues will cover:

- Two field trips
- Field Day T-shirt
- Classroom activities and special projects throughout the year

5th Grade: $250
Your child's class dues will cover:

- Overnight trip to the Fortson 4-H Center
- Yearbook
- Field Day T-shirt
- 5th Grade Week activities

We strongly encourage families to pay online through MySchoolBucks, which provides a safe, secure, and convenient way to submit payments.

We appreciate your partnership and support as we continue working to simplify processes for our families while providing enriching experiences for every Wildcat. Thank you for helping us make this school year a wonderful one!

With gratitude,
Ms. Freeman

Parents - you have the option of paying class dues in full or making 2 separate payments. We would like all dues to be paid by end of September.

Exceptional Education Class Dues (Roberts, Smith, Hargrove, Cooper)

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2KUXHMSLS9

Pre-K Full Payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BDH74OBEHET5

Pre-K Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTRO172HIS7S

Kindergarten Full Payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2NOJF1GT38

Kindergarten Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQFWEQ5VBEE

1st Grade Full Payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2PFNJYVDQ4

1st Grade Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQ9E1H9P7L8

2nd Grade Full payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2QZX8IP1LY

2nd grade Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQBG2ZJJ6IP

3rd Grade Full payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2RC9ALRKB5

3rd grade Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQBVI5ZMT1D

4th Grade Full Payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2SSXEHHNUP

4th grade Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQCKGZAGQXO

5th Grade Full payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BD2TBONDJE0Q

5th grade Half payment

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPFYE60476N_ZZ6BTQDH17NPZLF

***Please download the handbook using the attachment below and save it to refer to throughout the school year.

Thank you for continuing to partner with us in ensuring our school year runs smoothly!

Thank you for supporting our teachers! Please consider purchasing an item off of their wishlist to support teaching and learning this school year!

Don’t miss a moment of the magic happening at Sagamore Hills! Follow us on Facebook to see highlights of student learning, school events, and the incredible things our Wildcats are doing every day. 💙💛
Like and follow us: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AmVi4se2G/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Please review and save the list below so you are aware who to contact when questions arise.

Please keep in mind that we have a communication protocol at Sagamore Hills for concerns.

• If you have a concern about your student/class, you should email your child's teacher directly first!
• If the concern/issue continues, you should email the Assistant Principal: Ms. Fassinger.
• If you continue having concerns, please reach out directly to Ms. Freeman, Principal.

Skipping a step above will actually slow down the process of getting help for

your child, as the person you contact will have to back-track and gather additional information.

By starting with the person who spends the most time with your child – the teacher – you are

most likely to get the information you need and reach a solution more quickly.

If you have questions regarding any of the following items below - please contact the person listed.

• Membership Toolkit - Mr. David Lomba: website@sagamorehillsfoundation.org
• Spiritwear - Ms. Cristina Fundora: spiritwear@sagamorehillsfoundation.org
• Foundation Volunteer opportunities - Ms. Allison Porter: president@sagamorehillsfoundation.org
• Reporting your child's absence from school - email your child's homeroom teacher AND our school registrar, Ms. Jamila Stewart: jamila_stewart@dekalbschoolsga.org
• Changes in transportation - email your child's homeroom teacher AND our school secretary, Ms. Jamila Stewart: jamila_stewart@dekalbschoolsga.org. This must be done by 10am!
• Questions for the school nurse - contact Nurse Mency Theodore: mency_theodore@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• Questions about school lunch - contact our Assistant cafeteria manager, Ms. Sade Agbara: morenike_okanlawon@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• General questions pertaining to your child's class - email your child's homeroom teacher
• Questions related to school counseling and/or 504s - email one of our school counselors: Ms. Ashley Witeczek (PreK-4th): ashley_m_witeczek@dekalbschoolsga.org or Mr. Sean Patrick (5th grade and all 504 plans): sean_patrick@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• Questions related to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and requesting additional interventions for academic support, contact Adrienne Toliver: adrienne_toliver@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• Questions pertaining to our Special Education program: contact Ms. Jericka Harden: Jericka_K_Harden@dekalbschoolsga.org
• Questions about gifted eligibility - please contact Dr. Kristy Shackelford: kristy_shackelford@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• Questions pertaining to After School Academy (ASA) - please contact the co-directors: Ms. Cherri Latimer: and Ms. Unique Hankins: saghiles-asacademy@dekalbschoolsga.org.
• Questions pertaining to class schedules, progress reports, assessments, and report cards - email our Assistant Principal, Ms. Jennifer Fassinger: jennifer_fassinger@dekalbschoolsga.org
• Questions pertaining to schoolwide operations - email Principal, Ms. Freeman: tonya_edwards@dekalbschoolsga.org

Email: tonya_edwards@dekalbschoolsga.org
Website: https://www.sagamorehillses.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 1865 Alderbrook Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: (678) 874-7502
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AmVi4se2G/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Twitter: @Sagamore_Hills