Dear Parents/Community:

As your school principal, there is nothing I take more seriously than the safety of our students, our staff and our school as a whole. This week, as we head into spring break, I ask you to remain extra vigilant of behaviors that threaten the safety of our students, such as bringing knives and real/toy guns to school, fighting/aggression, and inappropriate posts online and in social media. Together with our parent team, our school team can ensure the safest learning environment for all students.

In an attempt to set expectations for student behavior and a learning environment this week that is free of disruption, our School Team will be doing some or all of the following:

• Review PBIS schoolwide expectations for behavior with students.
• Share with students that any student who sees or hears something that makes them feel unsafe should tell a trusted adult or use the SHARE Tip Line https://www.fultonschools.org/fcstipline.
• Complete a schoolwide monitoring and supervision review
• Require hall passes for all students – no exceptions.
• Monitor students in transition and students in hallways by ALL teachers and staff in building.
• No student cell phone use during class.
• Host lunch in classrooms to increase supervision, if needed.
• Search backpacks, desks, lockers, personal effects due to any reasonable suspicion.

In an attempt to set expectations for student behavior and a learning environment this week that is free of disruption, we need our Parent Team to do the following:

• Closely monitor and review your student’s online and social media posts.
• Every morning this week, check your student’s backpack for foods, dangerous items, etc. before they leave for school.
• Ensure all types of weapons maintained in the home (all types of knives, airsoft guns, toy guns, real guns, etc.) are secured/locked in a safe place in home and not accessible to your student(s).
• Seek help from school if your student is talking about violence, is angry or making any type of threat towards self or others. Please contact your school’s counselor, administrator, or other trusted adult who can connect you with resources or help needed.
• If you become aware of any information that poses a threat to student, staff or school safety, call 911 if it’s an emergency or report to our anonymous FCS Tip Line at the following link: https://www.fultonschools.org/fcstipline.
  
  

I want to be clear in communicating any student behavior that leads to a threat in safety and/or a school disruption will result in the most severe discipline and police intervention available. I will not allow any student(s) to compromise the positive learning environment and safety for our students here at Cliftondale Elementary School.

The responsibility for keeping our students, staff, and schools safe is a top priority for all of us. Thank you for your continued diligence and partnership to ensure Students First, Safety First!

Kind Regards,

Mrs. Canty

On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. This is an exciting and significant event from both an instructional and a safety perspective, respectively.

In Atlanta, we will experience an 80% partial solar eclipse. The partial eclipse will begin at 1:08 PM, hit maximum at 3:04 PM, and end at 4:21 PM.

To support our schools with this experience, the district is providing certified solar eclipse glasses to every student and employee in the district. Schools will be able to hold instructional lessons related to the experience of the solar eclipse. However, it is essential that all students, parents, and staff understand the safety concerns. One of the most important safety concerns is not to look directly at the eclipse with your naked eyes. You should only use sanctioned or certified eclipse-viewing glasses or some other type of solar viewer. The danger is permanent damage to the retina of the eye.

At Cliftondale, classes will have the opportunity to enjoy the experience on April 8th. Here is important information for parents:

• All student absences and/or checkouts on this day will be counted as excused without requiring written documentation from the parent. Parents who wish to pick up their students should do so prior to 1:00 P.M.
• Dismissal will proceed as normal. All students will be sent home with solar eclipse glasses for the bus, bus stops, etc...
  
  

NASA's website is very clear: The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as "eclipse glasses" or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.......Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or another optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.

Instructional Resources for Schools:

• NASA Eclipse Website
• Great American Eclipse
• FCS Solar Eclipse Resources
• Get Ready for the Next Eclipse! - Prevent Blindness

The G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education And Training) Program is an evidence-based and effective gang and violence prevention program built around school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula. Cliftondale was selected to have two classes to participate and graduate from the program. Congratulations to Mrs. Durant Smith and Mrs. Hill's 4th grade students! And Thank You to Fulton County School's Police for creating this opportunity for our Mustangs!

THANK YOU, Sanai, for providing our community with a Take a Book, Share a Book! Sanai is a graduate of Cliftondale ES, and we are thankful for her contribution. Feel free to take a book, and share a book! :)

Guess what? Our very own superstar, Gershom aka "Asher" William from Mr. B's 3rd-grade homeroom, received Fulton County School's "'Yes I Can Award," and we are so proud of him! Congratulations Asher, and thank you for representing the for the Mustangs!

Job well done to our Science Olympiad Team!!! Our students competed against other students from across Fulton County Schools, against 32 other elementary schools, and our students did a phenomenal job. Our students walked away with the following awards:

• 1st place was Crime Busters with Brielle and Parker.
• 2nd place was Mystery Architecture with Arissa and Prince-Noel
• 10th place for Weather or Not with Nathan Oyibo and Israel Young.

Third grade student Juliana Carbajal's work will be featured at the Peachtree Gallery. Juliana submitted Art work that reflected on how we can use recycled materials to help the environment. Juliana created a robot named Persey that collect trash and recycles the trash in its stomach. Awesome Job Juliana!

Field Day shirts are only sale NOW! Visit Cliftondalestore.com to make your purchase.

*Each class has selected a shirt color. Please see the attached chart to verify the color choice for your child's class.

Field day contact: Coach Luckett

April 1-5, 2024: Spring Break – Schools Closed

April 11-19, 2024: Boosterthon- Fundraiser

April 19, 2024: Color Run Race Day

April 12, 2024: Mustang of the Month – 8:30 am

April 24, 2024: 2nd Semester 13 ½ - Week Progress Report (viewable in Parent Portal)

April 29-May 17, 2024: Georgia Milestones – End of Grade

April 30, 2024: PK Transition Meeting

May 3, 2024: Mustang of the Month – 8:30 am

May 6-10, 2024: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 13, 2024: PK-2nd Grade Field
May 14, 2024: 3rd-5th Field

May 15, 2024: PK Awards Day – Time TBA

May 15, 2024: Kindergarten Awards Day – Time TBA

May 16, 2024: First Grade Awards Day -Time TBA

May 16, 2024: Second Grade Awards Day -Time TBA

May 17, 2024: Third Grade Awards Day -Time TBA

May 17, 2024: Fourth Grade Awards Day -Time TBA

May 23, 2024: Last Day of School

May 24, 2024: Post Planning - No School for Students

June 1, 2024: 2nd Semester Report Card (viewable in Parent Portal)

As you know, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will take the Georgia Milestones Assessments in the spring. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Importantly, Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information about their own achievement and their readiness for their next level of learning – be it the next grade, the next course, or the next endeavor (college or career).

Informing parents, educators, and the public about how well students are learning important content is an essential aspect of any educational assessment and accountability system. Parents, the public, and policy makers, including local school districts and boards of education, can use the results as a barometer of the quality of educational opportunity provided throughout the state of Georgia. As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the state's accountability system – the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).

Please visit the parent resources provided below from Georgia DOE:

Georgia Milestones Parent QA

Georgia Milestones Study Resource: 3rd Grade

Georgia Milestones Study Resource: 4th Grade

Georgia Milestones Study Resource: 5th Grade - ELA

Georgia Milestones Study Resources: 5th Grade - SCIENCE

What better time than now to join our PTA? Use the QR Code or link provided to access our platform for joining. Remember to share our membership information to your family and friends as they can join also.

Have questions or suggestions for PTA? Please email our Executive Board at any time.

📧Cesmustangspta@gmail.com

Please review Cliftondale's 2023-2024 School-Family Compact, Parent-Family Engagement Plan as well as Fulton County School's Parent-Family Engagement Plan by CLICKING HERE. Parents, school staff, and students partnered together to jointly develop the School-Family Compact and school Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP). This was done through input collected from feedback forms, surveys, and input meetings held annually in the spring. The School-Compact explains how families and teachers will work together to make sure all students reach grade-level standards at Cliftondale Elementary School.

All students above 10 years of age and their parents/guardians are asked to digitally sign the School-Family Compact in the Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal. Your digital signature acknowledges you have received, read, and agree to the School-Family Compact. Parents may CLICK HERE to access the parent and student portal in Infinite Campus. If you have questions about Title I or need assisting with acknowledging receipt of the Title I documents or would like a printed copy of any of the documents, please contact our Parent Liaison, Ms. Hope Render at 470-254-3040 or by email at renderhh@fultonschools.org

Thank you to the many parents that attended our Annual Title I Meeting and Curriculum Night on September 26, 2023. During our Title I Meeting, we discussed the following items:

• Understand what makes our school a Title I school including requirements, funding, and associated programs;
• Understand school provided resources such as curriculum, assessment, parent resources, and staff contact information;
• Understand Family Engagement at our school;

Unable to attend? No problem! The full presentation is linked for you here. After reviewing the presentation, we welcome your feedback through the EVALUATION LINK. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

This past week, we hosted our Title I Day of Literacy. Many thanks to the families that attended and our Literacy Coaches for making this a hands-on , enjoyable experience for our students and parents! . Through this sessions, parents learned a lot about literacy and how to support their students with literacy development through fun and engaging learning activities.

Unable to attend? No problem! The full presentation is linked for you here. After reviewing the presentation, we welcome your feedback through the EVALUATION LINK. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Many thanks to the families took part in our Technology Workshop. Unable to attend? No problem! The full presentation is linked for you here. After reviewing the presentation, we welcome your feedback through the EVALUATION LINK. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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

Inspiring BodyWorks is excited to offer FREE Male Initiative Program offered for boys ages 7-17. Their program, On The Right Track, meets approximately 2 Tuesdays per month at the Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center in College Park. Participants are provided with dinner and work on character development, social & emotional skills, life skills, communication & critical thinking skills, leadership & teamwork, positive attitude & more! The boys hear from high-quality speakers provided by Jump Forward, Inc., and from our fabulous partner representatives, including first responders and law enforcement agencies. Visit their website for additional information: Inspiring BodyWorks

Champions Soccer is a 501c3 organization that offers customized GRASSROOT soccer training programs in a safe and supportive environment. They are dedicated to ensuring that our communities’ youth have greater access to quality programs and services that help promote healthy lifestyles, academic success, and strong leadership skills. Additionally, they have partnered with the City of South Fulton as the official soccer provider.

More on our mission can be found Here!

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.

Subscribe Now To Receive FCS District Emails

Have questions or concerns? Please review our "Contact List" to see who at Cliftondale can provide immediate help to you.

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