Annette Winn Elementary

Happy September, AWES Parents and Families! As we begin this month, I want to take a moment to express the joy we find in each and every student. Our teachers and staff are honored for the opportunity to work with your children, and we are continually reminded of how precious they are to us all.

We are well into intensified instruction following our first IReady benchmark assessment in reading and math. Additionally, you should have received your child's progress report yesterday. Please reach out to your student's teacher for a conference to better help your child succeed this year! Now is the time to get it right for the remainder of the year.

Third through Fifth grade parents- begin now to prepare for our end of grade testing:

GMAS testing will begin at the end of April. Although this test seems far away at this point, it is extremely important to begin preparing now. This important benchmark is one indicator of grade level readiness. Third and fourth grade will be tested in ELA/Writing, ELA Reading, and Math. The test will be spread across three days with the reading and math consisting of two sections each. Fifth grade will have these same content area tests with the addition of two sections of science. The best way to help your student is to have an idea of what is expected. The Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) gives great insight into the test and expectations are outlined very clearly within their parent resource guide. Please take some time to browse through this guide and get familiar with your child's current progress. This will help give you a starting place to assist from home and better connect with your child's teacher in your conferences. We will also be hosting a meeting in December to assist you in person and answer any questions you may have concerning GMAS testing.

To view parent resources by subject and grade level click here: https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Milestones_Resources.aspx

At school, we will begin showing our students practice questions now so that they will be adequately prepared for our new reading standards assessment. Students can also begin practicing for the new reading standards assessment on their own by clicking this link: https://www.gaexperienceonline.com/

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES in September/October:

• September 8th - September 12th:

- Scholastic Book Fair

-Grandparents Days/Lunch with a Loved One: Grandparents or loved ones - join us for lunch on these dedicated days! While you are on campus, stop by the book fair and purchase a book to take home! See specific grade level dates and times below:

9.8 - 2nd and 5th Grade: 2nd (12:10 - 12:40) / 5th (11:25 - 11:55)

9.10 - 1st and 3rd Grade: 1st (10:50 -11:20) / 3rd (12:00 -12:30)

9.12 - Kindergarten and 4th Grade: K (12:30 - 1:00) / 4th (11:40 -12:10)

• September 23rd: Safety & Discipline / Annual Title I Parent Meetings
• September 25th: ESOL Parent Night (District Office) @ 5:30
• September 26th - Fall Picture Day
• October 3rd - Fall Festival
• October 6th - 10th: Hispanic Heritage Celebration Week!
• October 7th - Hearing and Vision Screening (3rd-5th grade)
• October 10th: Hispanic Heritage Program
• October 10th - Report Cards
• October 13th - October 17th - Fall Break
• October 21st - 1st School Council Meeting

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Thank you for a wonderful start to the year! We could not have had such a smooth start without your support. Please let me know if we can assist in any way with communication, academics, or behavior. We are a staff who values learning not only for our students but ourselves as well. We look forward to many opportunities to partner with you!

Ms. Trexler, Ed. S.

Principal, AWES

September 8th - September 12th, all AWES students will participate in the Beacon Assessment The Beacon Assessment helps teachers better understand each student’s progress in reading and math.

Unlike the end-of-year Georgia Milestones, Beacon is a formative assessment, meaning it is given multiple times during the year. This allows teachers to:

• Identify areas of strength and areas where students may need additional support.

• Adjust instruction to meet individual student needs.

• Monitor growth over time, ensuring that students are on track for success.

The Beacon Assessment is not used for grades. Instead, it provides valuable information to guide teaching and learning. By participating, your child helps us gather the information needed to ensure they are receiving the right instruction at the right time.

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning and for encouraging them to always do their best. Please ensure your child has a good night's rest and if eating breakfast at school, please have your student at school by 7:15am. With your partnership, we can continue to help every student grow and succeed.

Dear AWES Families, Get ready—the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again. Studies show that kids read more when they choose books for themselves. And fostering a love of independent reading leads to a wide variety of benefits—including academic success and improved mental health.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Book Fair: Dates:

Monday, September 8 – Friday, September 12, 2025

Times: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Location: Media Center

There’s even more info on our school’s Book Fair homepage provided on the flyer that went home with progress reports yesterday.

Join us for an in-depth conversation about discipline and safety. At Annette Winn, we continue to implement Capturing Kids' Hearts, a relationship-building approach to discipline that fosters self-managing groups. Building strong relationships is vital for everyone in our school community. We strive to create an environment where students and parents feel safe discussing their concerns and emotions.

We also thoroughly investigate all disciplinary matters and are committed to following through with fairness and efficiency. Our goal is to help students understand the consequences of their actions, correct behaviors, and use reflection to make better choices going forward. Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work together to create a safe, nurturing learning environment.

These items and more will be discussed at this meeting, we hope to see you there. The meeting link will be sent out closer to the meeting time on REMIND and emails attached to our school messenger platform.

Our first Annual Title I meeting will cover the following topics and much more:

• What is a Title I school?
• How does our school spend Title I money? How is Title I Parent and Family Engagement money spent?
• How does our school participate in the Title I Program?
• What are our school’s Title I schoolwide requirements?
• Annette Winn Elementary Schoolwide Program – Past and Present
• What are our schoolwide goals?
• What programs/supports are in place to help my child?
• What is the state’s grades report for our school?
• Student Performance Data
• What curriculum does our school use?

The meeting link will be sent out closer to the meeting time on REMIND and emails attached to our school messenger platform.

Birthday expectations while at school from our family & student handbook:

Birthday parties are not allowed at school. However, since we encourage parents to donate snacks for our students, we allow cupcakes on a child’s birthday as a special “snack” to be consumed during lunch. Due to our Wellness Policy and concerns over food safety, all foods brought to school for student consumption must be commercially prepared and pre-wrapped. (Wellness Policy EEE). Label the package with your child’s name, grade level, and teacher. Student birthdays are announced on the morning news broadcast. Personal birthday party invitations for every child in the class may be sent to school for the teacher to distribute. Please do not send additional food items as they will not be able to be brought into the cafeteria for all students in the class. Finally, we ask that you refrain from any lighters, candles, or any other unapproved items that would be considered a safety violation on school grounds.

Dear parents

As school we want to get better at improving our school culture and get a pulse on the issues that matter to you. We've signed up to a new service that will send you regular, short, anonymous surveys making it quick and easy to get your voice heard.

Please click the link below to sign up https://app.satchelpulse.com/parents?country=us

Please use the school ID 545132 when prompted to join the school.

ASP

ASP - After School Program

Hours: after school until 6:00 pm

Registration Cost: One Time Family Registration Fee & Daily Fee

It is time to sign up for our After School Program for this school year! Returning ASP students will need to login to your Eleyo account to register for the new school year. You will just need to change the year, grade, accept the terms and conditions, and make any changes or updates on your end. There will be a yearly registration fee charged to your account. Students that are registering for ASP for the first time can click the Eleyo link below and register your child. We look forward to serving your children in our program. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Eleyo

Things to Remember When Riding a School Bus

• Be at your stop 5 minutes early, the bus will not wait for latecomers.

• Wait for your driver to give directions before crossing the road.

• Remain seated while bus is in motion. ∙ The school bus is an extension of the classroom, therefore the same rules apply. ∙ DCSS buses will not return to a stop to pick up students who missed their bus.

Safety Tips Brochure

• • September 8th - September 12th:
  - Beacon grades K-5, ELA & MATH

  - Scholastic Book Fair

  -Grandparents Days/Lunch with a Loved One: Grandparents or loved ones - join us for lunch on these dedicated days! While you are on campus, stop by the book fair and purchase a book to take home! See specific grade level dates and times below:

  9.8 - 2nd and 5th Grade: 2nd (12:10 - 12:40) / 5th (11:25 - 11:55)

  9.10 - 1st and 3rd Grade: 1st (10:50 -11:20) / 3rd (12:00 -12:30)

  9.12 - Kindergarten and 4th Grade: K (12:30 - 1:00) / 4th (11:40 -12:10)

  
  

  
  

  • September 23rd: Safety & Discipline / Annual Title I Parent Meetings
  • September 25th: ESOL Parent Night (District Office) @ 5:30
  • September 26th - Fall Picture Day
  • October 3rd - Fall Festival
  • October 6th - 10th: Hispanic Heritage Celebration Week!
  • October 7th - Hearing and Vision Screening (3rd-5th grade)
  • October 10th: Hispanic Heritage Program
  • October 10th - Report Cards
  • October 13th - October 17th - Fall Break
  • October 21st - 1st School Council Meeting
• November 4: Teacher Work Day
• November 6: STEM Night
• November 7: Progress Reports (Elementary and Middle Schools)
• November 24-28: Thanksgiving Holidays
• December 19: End of First Semester