Panther Press

January 23rd and 24th felt like a dream come to life!

To truly set the stage, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders had the incredible opportunity to perform on the beautiful stage at Innovation Academy. The expectations I had—and those of every audience member —were not just met, but beyond exceeded.

Our school community came together to create a magical, joy‑filled production of Finding Nemo, and the talent our students displayed was nothing short of breathtaking.

We were honored to welcome several special guests who joined us for the show:

• Lillie Pozatek, Zone 2 School Board Member
• Dr. Brannon Gaskins, Chief Academic Officer, Fulton County Schools
• Dr. Kibbey Crumbley, Zone 7 Area Superintendent, Fulton County Schools

This production was a shining example of what happens when an entire community pours its heart into children’s growth. From creativity and confidence to teamwork and joy, our students showcased the very best of what performing arts inspire.

A HUGE thank‑you to our incredible parent volunteers—every costume, prop, set detail, and moment of backstage magic reflected your love and dedication. A special shoutout goes to Kristin Kray, our lead parent volunteer who helped bring this underwater world to life! The set and costumes have been talked about for weeks!

And of course, our dream team of staff who guided students every step of the way:
Whitney Christopher King, Director

Shannon King, Assistant Director
Jessica Pereira, Music Director

We are also deeply grateful to Mr. Scott Kent and Mrs. Jessica Ludy of Innovation Academy for generously hosting our performance in their beautiful space.

But the biggest applause goes to our students—brave, creative, hardworking, and full of heart. They sang, danced, acted, learned, stretched, and shined. They are the reason New Prospect is such a special place.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this production an ocean of joy. Until our next adventure… we’re proud to say we definitely found Nemo!

Thank you for the amazing pictures above from Jamie Jones!

Amy Lemons

Principal

Mrs. Davis has some truly incredible news to share!

In September, Mrs. Davis received a grant from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, which made it possible for six student teams to participate in the Plant the Moon Jr. Challenge. Four 3rd‑grade classes and two 5th‑grade classes took part in this exciting STEM competition.

Through the grant, students were provided with lunar regolith simulant—soil designed to mimic the surface of the Moon. Each team designed its own experiment to investigate whether plants could grow in this moon‑like material. During CTAE, students carefully measured, observed, and documented their results, then analyzed their findings to draw meaningful scientific conclusions. Every team worked incredibly hard and demonstrated exceptional curiosity, collaboration, and problem‑solving.

And now for the BIG news…

🔥 The results are in—and one of our teams won Best in Georgia AND OVERALL BEST IN SHOW! 🔥 Mrs. Zakrewski's 3rd Grade Class!!!

Our winning team, New Prospect Space Agency 2 – Appollos, investigated how different colors of light impact plant growth in lunar regolith. Their experiment, data analysis, and final report earned top honors out of teams across the state and beyond.

You can view their project and read their full report on the Plant the Moon Jr. website:
https://plantthemoon.com/jr/awards-fall25/

New Prospect is so proud of all the students who rose to this challenge—what an out‑of‑this‑world accomplishment! 🌙🚀🌱

Upcoming Events:

Friday February 6th-STEAM Day-Wear House Colors

Friday February 13th- 2nd Grade Musical 8:00am

Daddy/Daughter Dance 5:00pm @ Phase Family Center *save the date below

Monday & Tuesday February 15th & 16th-No School For Students

Monday February 23rd- Parent Workshop by APD 5:30-7:00 pm *info below

Tuesday February 24th-Spring Picture Day

Monday March 2nd-Read Across America Day-Pajama Day!
March 2nd-6th-Teacher Appreciation Week AND Exceptional Children's Week!

Friday March 6th-Exceptional Children's Performance 8:00am

March 6th- House Day! Wear House Colors

Sunday March 15th- Mother/Son Game Night @ Top Golf

Monday March 16th- Teacher Workday-No School for Students

Tuesday March 17th-Wednesday March 18th- Rock Eagle Trip for 5th Grade

Friday March 20th- 1st Grade Musical

Save the Date:

April 16th- Kindergarten Round Up 8:00am

May 21st-5th Grade Graduation Ceremony 8:30am

If you love New Prospect...PROVE IT by taking this Survey! Repeat from last Panther Press

New Prospect Elementary will take the new Georgia School Climate Survey this year. Each parent or guardian is encouraged (PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE) to take the family version, linked below, to answer questions about your experience at New Prospect. If two or more children attend the same school, please complete one survey for that school.

The survey measures what you think about how our school engages with families. Answers are not linked to names in any way. When typing answers, please do not give names or information that you don’t want to share with this school. Data will be shared with school leaders to help improve the school and will be published on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) website.

Please help by sharing your honest opinion on this 22-question survey. To take the survey, please click the link --> Parent Survey Link

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Amy Lemons, Principal; email: lemonsa@fultonschools.org

Letter about the Georgia School Climate Survey-Please Read

Click Here

Think First & Stay Safe-Repeat from last Panther Press

Dear Parents,

We all share a common and critical goal for our children to be safe and protected from all things harmful. In support of this goal, we would like to increase students’ knowledge regarding personal safety and protection with a lesson from the Think First & Stay Safe curriculum. The Think First & Stay Safe™ program is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education. Think First & Stay Safe™ enables students to take an active and necessary role in protecting themselves from harassment, abduction, bullying, exploitation, and various forms of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional).

Please contact your child’s counselor, Christina McLeod at mcleodcr@fultonschools.org to schedule a preview or if you have any questions.

The materials will be available for preview from 2/2-2/6 in the counseling suite. During the month of February and March, Think First & Stay Safe™ prevention lessons will be implemented for all K-5 students on Brain Building Days.

If you prefer that your child not participate in the Think First & Stay Safe™ program, please email mcleodcr@fultonschools.org by February 13th.