MUSTANG NEWS

HELLO SEPTEMBER!

Today was a day of celebration!!! We celebrated our first group of Student Leaders through Mustang of the Month! We celebrated Mustangs of the Month and our Bus Rider of the Month from the Transportation Department. Thank you to the many parents that came out this morning to help celebrate these students. Please enjoy a few pictures from our celebration today!

Below is some important information to help you prepare for the week ahead.

• MORNING ARRIVAL-IMPORTANT: Parents are currently welcomed to walk their child to class from 7:00 am-7:35 am each morning. As of 7:35 am, parents are not permitted beyond the cafeteria. I ask that parents remember that this time is for morning drop off only and not time for conferencing with teachers. I ask that you kindly schedule a conference with the teacher via email to address any concerns relating to your student as morning drop-off is not the appropriate time to do so. We have had a large number of parents lingering in classrooms, attempting to conference teachers, and upset at 7:35 when unable to walk a child to class. I respectfully ask that you adhere to our school policies and procedures so that we are able to allow parents to continue to walk students to class.
  
  
• UPCOMING SCHOOL CLOSURES- Please mark your calendars for the upcoming student holidays.
• September 4th: Labor Day- All Fulton County schools and offices will be closed.
• September 5th and September 6th- STUDENT HOLIDAYS ONLY. These two days will serve as opportunities for professional development for staff throughout the district. We will see our scholars back in school on Thursday, September 7th!
  
  
• GRANDPARENTS DAY BREAKFAST: Thank you for the many parents/grandparents that completed your RSVP. Our registering deadline was September 9th OR reaching our 200-person guest limit. We are NOT able to add any additional guest to the guest list. We welcome those grandparents that are unable to attend this event to plan to attend our holiday luncheons coming up in November. Registration information will be communicated by November 1st. Please mark your calendar for the luncheon AND all other 1st semester events as all events are displayed for you at the bottom of this newsletter, in your child's agenda, and on our school website.
  
  
• HEALTH AND SAFETY REMINDERS- Now that our scholars are back in the building, we are seeing an uptick in illness. Although we understand, we are asking for parents and families' support in monitoring all student symptoms. Please see the information at the bottom of this newsletter for signs and symptoms for when students maybe too sick for school.
  
  As a reminder, parents should report only positive cases to the Parent portal. Do not submit a report if you are waiting on a pending test result or for an exposure/direct contact. Fulton County Board of Health Case Investigators, FCS School Nurses and FCS Case Investigators will response to student and staff cases. Please be safe, and as always: Do not come send your child to school sick. If your child tests positive, please keep he/she home and isolate (follow the guidance provided by the Case Investigators and your provider). Please submit the positive test results via the PARENT PORTAL
  
  

• TITLE I STATUS: Cliftondale continues to receive funding as a Title I School. These funds support with student instruction, improve instructional strategies, and increase family engagement. Our Title I status is determined annually by the number of families participating in our free/reduced lunch program. We need your help Mustang-Parents! All we need is for you to complete a School Lunch Application for your household. To qualify for free/reduced lunch, you must complete a School Lunch Application.
  
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• DRESS CODE: Cliftondale Elementary is a uniform school and we strongly encourage all students to participate in the school uniform initiative. Students not in uniform are expected to dress and groom themselves in such a way as to reflect neatness, cleanliness, and safety. We are seeing lots of students with their midriff/stomach's exposed and shorts/skirts that are well above student's fingertips. Parents may review our full school dress code on page 7 of our PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK. Please refrain from sending students to school wearing attire that is in violation of our school and district's dress code. If a teacher notices a student isn’t dressed according to the school’s guideline for acceptable attire, the teacher is required to send the student to the clinic. Teachers are not to reprimand the student. The school clinician or authorize school official will call the parent. If a school administrator or other authorized school official deems clothing as inappropriate, parents may be contacted to bring a change of clothes to school, or the school will provide an alternative set of clothing.
  
  

Have a great EXTENDED weekend!

A. Nicole Canty

Principal
Cliftondale Elementary School

September 4, 2023: Labor Day Holiday- Schools Closed

September 5, 2023: Teacher Workday- No School for Students

September 6, 2023: Professional Development Day-No School for Students

September 12, 2023: Moms on the Move 8:00 AM-9:30 AM/Dads on Duty 6:55 AM- 8:00AM

September 12, 2023: Fall Picture Day

September 13, 2023: Grandparents’ Breakfast 8:30 am

September 13, 2023: 4 ½ Week Progress Report (viewable in Parent Portal)

September 14-October 2, 2023: Fall Fundraiser

September 20, 2023: Boy Scouts of America Class Visits

September 21, 2023: Boy Scouts of America Parent Interest Meeting at 5:30 pm

September 26, 2023: Annual Title I Meeting at 5:30 pm/
Curriculum Night immediately following the Title I Meeting

October 4, 2023: Moms on the Move 8:00 AM-9:30 AM/Dads on Duty 6:55 AM- 8:00AM

October 4, 2023: Parent Workshop: Literacy

October 6, 2023: Mustang of the Month – 8:30 am

October 9, 2023: Columbus Day Holiday- Schools Closed

October 10, 2023: Teacher Workday- No School for Students

October 11, 2023: Professional Development Day-No School for Students

October 13, 2023: 9-Week Progress Report (viewable in Parent Portal)

October 23-31, 2023: Red Ribbon Week

October 25, 2023: Fall Picture Retake Day

October 30, 2023: Fall Fundraiser Pickup Day

October 30, 2023: Trunk or Treat

November 1, 2023: Moms on the Move 8:00 AM-9:30 AM/Dads on Duty 6:55 AM- 8:00AM

November 1, 2023: Parent Workshop: Technology

November 3, 2023: Mustang of the Month – 8:30 am

November 7, 2023: Election Day/ Remote Learning Day

November 15-17, 2023: Holiday Luncheons

November 15, 2023: 13 ½ Week Progress Report (viewable in Parent Portal)

November 20-24, 2023: Thanksgiving Holidays- Schools Closed

December 1, 2023: Mustang of the Month – 8:30 am

December 6, 2023: Moms on the Move 8:00 AM-9:30 AM/Dads on Duty 6:55 AM- 8:00AM

December 6, 2023: School Spelling Bee

December 6-8, 2023: Winter Concert Series

December 13-14, 2023: Class Holiday Party

December 15, 2023: Last Day of First Semester

December 18-January 1, 2024: Winter Break- Schools Closed

In addition to your child's teacher, our curriculum team is here to support you! If you have questions pertaining the curriculum, understanding a specific skill/standard, need additional strategies to support your child at home, please feel free to reach out to one of our curriculum team experts. They are here for you and happy to support you and your Mustang! Each month, we will share resources with parents so that you can support your child at home. Please connect with each of us if you have any questions.

Curriculum Support Teacher: Yazmin Hicks- hicksz@fultonschools.org
-Curriculum Administrator for all curriculum/content areas

Instructional Support Teacher: Dr. Shabo- shabog@fultonschools.org
-Special Needs Administrator

K-2 Literacy Coach: Mrs. Kalista- kalista@fultonschools.org

3rd-5th Grade Literacy Coach: Ms. Johnson- johnsonkr1@fultonschools.org

Math Coach: Mrs. Everett - everettba@fultonschools.org

Parents, family members and friends are not allowed to bring in cakes, balloon bouquets, flowers, goodie bags, gifts, pizza, or any other type of treat to celebrate a student birthday. Teachers are not allowed to celebrate birthdays in the class with a party or a snack either. Rather, parents may purchase a Smart Celebrations Package from the cafeteria. This can be done to student birthdays and/or any other classroom celebrations. Smart Celebration packets should be purchased in the cafeteria at least (2) days in advance. Please contact our Nutrition Manager, Ms. Curry at curryd1@fultonschools.org

Are you registered for your Campus Parent Portal Account? If not, REGISTER TODAY! Everything you need as a parent is contained in the parent portal. You can monitor your student's grades throughout the school year, review your child's schedule, download progress reports and report cards, update your contact information, register other students within your household, withdrawal your student and so much more! If you already have an account, you do not need to register again. New users should click the link provided to register: Parent Portal Registration

*Please note, if you DO NOT have an email address on file, you will be unable to register via the provided link. Please call the school and ask for our Data Clerk, Ms. Allen.

See It. Hear It. And Report It Every Time

If you SEE or HEAR anything about school threats, weapons, violence, bullying, drugs, self-harm, or have other school safety suspicions or concerns, REPORT it EVERY time anonymously using the SHARE TIP LINE.

Subscribe to the receive email updates. Provide us with a mobile number and get text messages on your phone. Fill out the form below and be sure to select any school(s) you wish to follow! You can unfollow or unsubscribe at any time.

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It has become apparent that district employees and guardians are eager to understand the policy process better and stay updated. Therefore, Continuous Improvement will begin hosting a monthly virtual office hour for all stakeholders to attend, where a Strategy & Governance team member can answer questions and provide guidance. Mark your calendar for the first session on August 16, from 8:00 – 9:00 AM. You can find all the dates, times, and Teams links at www.fultonschools.org/policyupdates. If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Nusnbaum.

The consideration for gifted services may be reported or automatic as defined by the GaDOE Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services. The Fulton County School System screens all students for eligibility for gifted services twice a year and uses a systematic approach to identify highly capable students who may qualify for gifted services. The gifted teacher routinely reviews available data to refer students for further assessment. Students meeting either the automatic screening OR the classroom screening criteria AND who have supporting data gathered from test history, products, and/or advanced content levels are referred for additional testing to determine gifted eligibility.

TAG TESTING ELEMENTARY PARENT Q&A

TALENTED AND GIFTED (TAG) DISTRICT PAGE

BUS RIDERS/BUS STOP INFORMATION - CLICK HERE to verify your child's assigned bus stop info. All stop times are approximate times. If you have questions pertaining your child’s assigned stop or assigned bus, please contact FCS Transportation Department at 470-254-6060.

"Here Comes The Bus App" is a free, easy-to-use website and app that enables you to see the location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This way, you know when the bus is near your stop, so you can send your child out at just the right time. No more worrying about whether your child has missed the bus! If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's assigned bus or bus stop, please contact FCS Transportation Department at 470-254-6060 OR contact our supervisor:

Cheowana Henderson, Supervisor
Hendersonc1@fultonschools.org

Charisse Weigner, Special Needs Supervisor
weignerc@fultonschools.org

• The app will request a school code, which is 87428
• How do you access your student's student ID number? Parents may access their child's student ID number from the parent portal in Infinite Campus.
  
• If you add your child and the bus number or bus stop is incorrect, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson
• If you add your child and their is no bus route displayed, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson.

Fulton County Schools (FCS) remains committed to communicating updates and/or changes to COVID-related protocols within the district. Maintaining face-to-face instruction is a top priority for our district. Fulton County Schools will conduct case investigations and contact tracing for positive cases only. Parents should report only positive cases to the Parent portal. Do not submit a report if you are waiting on a pending test result or for an exposure/direct contact. Fulton County Board of Health Case Investigators, FCS School Nurses and FCS Case Investigators will response to student and staff cases. Please be safe, and as always: Do not come send your child to school sick. If your child tests positive, please keep he/she home and isolate (follow the guidance provided by the Case Investigators and your provider). Please submit the positive test results via the PARENT PORTAL

Principal: Mrs. Canty- cantya@fultonschools.org

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Long- longt@fultonschools.org

Curriculum Support Teacher: Yazmin Hicks- hicksz@fultonschools.org

School Counselor: Dr. Ford- fordb@fultonschools.org

Instructional Support Teacher: Dr. Shabo- shabog@fultonschools.org

K-2 Literacy Coach: Mrs. Kalista- kalista@fultonschools.org
3rd-5th Grade Literacy Coach: Ms. Johnson- johnsonkr1@fultonschools.org

Math Coach: Mrs. Everett - everettba@fultonschools.org

Parent Liaison: Ms. Render- renderhh@fultonschools.org

School Social Worker: Dr. Carver- carvera@fultonschools.org