The Weekly Update #4
July 12th, 2024
Dear Families and Students,
February is officially here! While it may be the shortest month on the calendar, we all know it often feels like the "long haul" of the school year. Between the chilly mornings and the mid-winter stretch, it’s the perfect time to refocus our energy on what makes our school community thrive.
Every Day Counts: The Power of Attendance
I want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of attendance. It’s simple: when students are here, they succeed. Beyond just keeping up with lessons, consistent attendance helps children build:
Routine and Reliability: Developing the "showing up" muscle that serves them for a lifetime.
Social Connections: Staying engaged with peers and collaborative projects.
Academic Confidence: Avoiding the stress of playing catch-up.
We know the winter sniffles are real, but unless your student is truly under the weather, we want to see their smiling faces in the classroom every single day!
Character Trait of the Month: Tolerance
This month, our school-wide focus is on Tolerance. In a world that is beautifully diverse, tolerance is more than just "putting up" with differences—it’s about mutual respect and understanding.
"Tolerance is the bridge that allows us to walk alongside people who think, look, or act differently than we do."
Teaching our students to value different perspectives isn't just a school lesson; it’s a life skill. By practicing tolerance, we create a safe environment where every student feels they belong. I encourage you to talk with your children this month about what it means to be open-minded and kind to everyone they meet.
Thank you for your continued partnership in making this school year a success. Let’s make it a fantastic February!
Warmly,
Daniel McMurry
School Family Kindness Project
February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day. We coud all use more kindness in our world. Since we know kindess starts right here with us at Ringgold Elementary School, we are working on a school-family kindness project. Each student received a heart cutout. They were asked to take it home and talk with their family about what kindess looks like and how we can choose kindess everyday, then write that on their heart. Our staff is also participating in the project. Keep watching our kindess tree grow everyday through February 17th as our students & staff add their hearts to the tree!
Family Engagement Events
Did you know we have a Family Engagement bulletin board located right outside the Family Resource Room 203? It is full of current school and community events! Be sure to check it out anytime you are in the school!
Parent Workshop: Love Languages
We will be hosting a Parent Workshop along with RPS on February 10th at 1pm in the Family Resource Room 203. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by February 6th scanning the QR code on the pink flyer that came home in your student's Tuesday folder. We will be learning all about the different Love Languages of Children, and how you can use that information to help your child in school and at home! We hope to see you there!
FAST Family Game Night
Join us for FAST Family Game Night at Ringgold Elementary School!
When?
Tuesday, February 23rd from 5:30-7:30
Who?
RES students and their families. This year we are partnering with RPS, who will also be holding their Game Night! There will be game stations on the RES side designed for students in grades 3-5, and games stations on the RPS side designed for students in grades PK-2. There will also be shared stations for all ages! You can visit any of the stations throughout the whole campus this night! It will be a great night of shared fun & learning!
What?
- Each station will have a different Math or Reading game or activity.
- Participate in our Book Walk (like a Cake Walk, but win books instead of cake!)
- Play Family BINGO to win fun prizes!
- Visit the FAST area to get information about MAP testing. While you are there, pick up a bag full of games & activities you can play at home to help build Math & Literacy skills!
We will be serving dinner that night as well! So bring your cash and your appetite. Every purchase supports our PBIS program! PBIS will be selling hot dog meal deals for $5 (hot dog, chips & drink), desserts & candy!
The Book Fair will be open for you to shop as well!
Be sure to enter the raffle to win a goody basket full of fun family games, manipulatives, goodies, & school swag!
See the turqoise flyer that came home in Tuesday folders for more information about this fun and educational night! We hope to see all of our RES and RPS students and their families here!
Music Notes: Third grade is studying about Classical music and famous composers of that era. We will then learn to play a famous classical song by Beethoven on the xylophones by reading the notes of the Treble Clef Staff. They are so excited to read music and play songs they have heard before. This helps with math comprehension skills and hand-eye coordination as well!
Fourth grade is using our recorders to learn how to apply music terms we are learning. We can easily identify and play notes B, A and G and are adding terms associated with Tempo (speed) and Dynamics (volume) as well as how to play various Genres (styles) of music. This allows students to strengthen reading comprehension, math comprehension and locomotor skills.
Fifth grade is working on playing their ukulele while singing a song they are familiar with. Also, how the history of songs and the note composition can change your idea of a song’s meaning.
Ringgold Singers are preparing for our spring concert, March 20 at RHS theater. “And The Oscar Goes To…..” will be a fantastic red carpet show highlighting famous songs from movies from 2024-25. We will have a show for the entire school to attend at 9:00 AM and one for families in the evening at 7:00 PM. Look for permission slips to come home soon!
Mark your calendars for upcoming library events: The Scholastic Book Fair arrives on February 19th, offering a wonderful selection of new reading materials. We're also preparing for our Read-a-thon from April 6th to 16th, encouraging students to maintain consistent reading habits by reading 6-7 nights weekly.
World Book Day on March 7th will celebrate the joy of reading. Additionally, four students will receive a book by Dave Pilkey, renowned author of the Captain Underpants and Dogman series, as part of our library recognition program.
- World Read Aloud Day 2/4
- Book Fair 2/19 - 2/26 For a sneak peek of featured titles, visit https://registration.scholasticbookfairs.com/flipbooks/?fb=s26-es-case
- Read Across America 3/2 - 3/6
February Theme: Safer Internet Day
What’s your child sharing, and who’s watching?
Review what’s okay to post online. Even sharing a favorite outfit or pet photo can reveal more than they think.
Get tips on Parent ProTech here.
On our Fall Survey, we had several parents ask for information about the Catoosa County Library. Here is the link to their website and current monthly calendar.
CCPS Bus App MyRide
Dear CCPS Bus Rider Families,
We are excited to announce a new bus-tracking app called Traversa MyRide K-12 for the entire district. CCPS Parents will have access to our new app, MyRide K-12. Please scan the QR code below with your smartphone's camera to download and sign up for our new CCPS Bus app.
Changing over to Traversa offers a more advanced and user-friendly platform designed to improve the safety and efficiency of our student transportation. Key benefits include:
Improved Efficiency: Streamlined processes and real-time updates.
Enhanced Safety: Advanced features to ensure student safety.
Better Communication: Timely notifications and updates through the MyRide K-12 Parent App, allowing you to track your child’s bus with:
Estimated arrival times
Potential delays or route changes
Notifications for specific events (e.g., bus approaching)
Data Privacy: Rest assured that student data is protected and the app adheres to all privacy regulations.
After scanning the QR code, you will be directed to download the app and create an account using your student ID.
Directions to Download MyRide K-12 App
We encourage all CCPS Bus rider families to participate in the new Bus app program. We are particularly interested in your comments regarding the accuracy of bus pick-up and drop-off times displayed in the app. You will be able to track your student 30 minutes prior to and post pick-up time.
Please share your thoughts and suggestions with:
Mr. Ernie Ellis, CCPS Director of Transportation: eellis@catoosa.k12.ga.us
Mrs. Mary Lanham, CCPS Transportation Manager: mlanham@catoosa.k12.ga.us
Or call our Transportation Office @ 706-965-2913
All comments are welcome and appreciated. We look forward to our new MyRide K-12 Program and all it can offer by way of accuracy. We look forward to partnering with you to make our transportation system the best it can be.
Sincerely,
Mr. Ellis
CCPS Transportation Director
Beginning January 3rd, 2025, EZ School Pay became the new meal payment system for Catoosa County Schools. This means that parents and guardians will use EZ School Pay to add funds to their child’s school meal account and manage payments for meals. Be sure to stay updated on any specific instructions from the school district about setting up or transitioning to this new payment system.
Click here to view more information about this change on the CCPS website
You may access EZ School Pay site by using the link below:
https://www.ezschoolpay.com/Login.aspx?District=9749330
