Eagle Family Weekly News

This year, students are practicing emotional awareness through the Zones of Regulation during counseling lessons. This program teaches kids how to identify their feelings and manage them constructively.

How to support this at home:

• Ask about their zone: Check in periodically by asking, "What color zone are you in right now?"

• Practice coping strategies: Work together to find healthy tools (like deep breathing, taking a quiet break, or drawing) to help them shift between zones.

• Normalize all feelings: Remind them that every zone is okay to experience, but some zones require extra support to manage safely.

Help Your Student LEVEL UP Their Attendance!

Parents & families, help us make every school day count! Please make sure your student shows up and arrives ON TIME each day, ready to learn and have fun!

Each day this month, 2 lucky students will be randomly chosen to hear their name called on the school intercom and receive a special treat for being present and on time!

Thank you for helping your students LEVEL UP their attendance!

Check out the pictures below of some of our winners from this week!

Monday: September 14

• Action Required: To maintain Free & Reduced Lunch status from previous application, a new application must be submitted by the end of day today. (see details below)
• BOE Study Session (4pm) and Meeting (7pm)

Tuesday: September 15

• Happy Birthday, Amber Gordy! 🎁
• Scouts Program (PM)

Wednesday: September 16

• Smile! It's Wednesday!

Thursday: September 17

• Throwback Thursday! Write a note or draw a picture to a former teacher. Let them know they are still appreciated for their impact on your child's educational journey 💗

Friday: September 18

• School Council
• SOTM Lunch
• Parent Cafe is CLOSED today
• PTO Elections in Front Office

Greetings families!

Please complete your 2026-2027 Online Free & Reduced Meal Application. If your family previously qualified for free or reduced-price meals—or you believe you may now be eligible —we encourage you to submit an application as soon as possible to ensure your benefits are applied for the 2026-2027 school year.

Important: Students who have not submitted a new application will lose their current benefits after September 14, 2026.

Completing the application only takes a few minutes, yet the potential benefits are significant. Qualifying families may receive discounted test fees, increased access to scholarship opportunities, and continued access to free or reduced-price meals. In addition, every completed application helps Henry County Schools secure federal funding to support breakfast and lunch programs, school instruction, and technology improvements.

Applications can be completed online through the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. You can also click the picture for the district website and additional information.

For questions regarding the application process, contact Erica Banon at erica.banon@henry.k12.ga.us.

We are so grateful for the parents who have stepped up to serve and lead on our PTO Executive Board! Their willingness to give their time, energy, and talents makes a tremendous difference for our Eagles and our school community. 💙

PTO Election Day is Friday! 🗳️
Stop by the front office to pick up a ballot and cast your vote. We appreciate your participation and your continued partnership as we work together to make East Lake an amazing place for every student!

At East Lake: Every student matters here. Every moment counts.

One of the best ways to help children become stronger readers is to encourage them to read for pleasure! Parents can help by modeling reading, reading together, listening to their child read, and letting children choose books and topics they enjoy. Try fun reading activities like reading a recipe while cooking, sharing a comic or graphic novel, listening to an audiobook together, or having family reading time. Even a few minutes each day makes a difference!

We will always remember 9/11. Our favorite way to do that is by honoring our everyday heroes! We love our firefighters, EMTs, and police!

Do Good Day is more than a day of service—it's an opportunity to love our neighbors, strengthen our community, and remind families that they are seen, valued, and cared for. Together, volunteers from across Henry County will unite with the City of McDonough, local churches, businesses, civic organizations, and community partners to serve side by side.

Throughout the morning, volunteers will assist homeowners with beautification projects that bring renewed hope and pride to the neighborhood, such as exterior house painting and junk and debris removal.

Every painted home, every helping hand, and every conversation has the power to make a meaningful impact. What may seem like a simple act of service can restore hope, build relationships, and demonstrate the strength of a community that cares for one another.

Whether you're an individual, a family, a church group, a business, or an organization, there is a place for you to serve. No special skills are required—just a willing heart and a desire to make a difference.

Together, we can transform more than homes—we can strengthen our community one act of kindness at a time.

We invite you to join us on Sept. 19 and be part of something truly special. Let's come together, serve with compassion, and show the Blacksville community that they are loved.

For more information, email angela@sccview.net.

Click here for additional details about routines and procedures at East Lake.

Please see the menu and details for increased cost of lunch and breakfast this year. You can find details and submit an application for the Free & Reduced Lunch Program by clicking this link and choosing the best option.

As part of our 4H work, 5th grade is collecting silver poptabs for a good cause (The Ronald McDonald House)! There is a class competition at the 4H level, but all donations from other grade levels will be split between the 5 classes to turn in. It's a win-win, really! East Lake loves to be the best in all things...so if you can help us out, we'd be most grateful!

Our first few weeks of school always come with a little traffic learning curve as we work together to establish our routines. This year, we have an increased number of car riders, so we want to make sure everyone is clear on our morning arrival procedures.

This week, our students were in by 7:35 am, so we were able to take attendance as normal! 🎉

🚗 A Few Important Reminders

We have three options for student arrival in the morning:

🚌 BUS LANE — STUDENT DROP-OFF | 7:15–7:30 AM ONLY
The bus lane may be used for parent student drop-off between 7:15 and 7:30 AM only. After 7:30, please use one of the designated car-rider options below.

🔵 RIGHT-HAND LANE — STUDENT DROP-OFF
This lane is for families who are dropping students off at the front of the building at the curb.

🟢 MIDDLE LANE — PARK & WALK
This lane is for parents who prefer to park and walk their student to the curb/front entrance
.

🚨 PLEASE REMEMBER:
NO STUDENT DROP-OFF MAY OCCUR IN ANY LANE EXCEPT A DESIGNATED FRONT-CURB DROP-OFF AREA.

For the safety of our students, students may not exit the vehicle and walk to the curb from the middle or far parking areas without an adult escort.

Be patient. Be alert. Be safe. We are getting there! 🦅

As a service to our families, Ms. Varian has created a Bus Remind to provide you with the pertinent details regarding bus transportation that is specific to your child's route.

We encourage you to sign up for the Remind group for your child’s bus only. We will use this platform to share important transportation updates, changes, and information as it becomes available.

Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our families informed and our students’ transportation experience running smoothly! 🦅

As we journey through the year, if you have questions about grades, instruction, or other classroom-specific matters, please reach out directly to your child’s teacher. Barring unusual circumstances, you can expect a response within 24 business hours. (I fully encourage—and actually prefer—that our teachers disconnect on weekends and school holidays to recharge and rest.)

If you have questions or concerns that extend beyond the classroom, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the school. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th Grade Administrator: Ms. Varian
Corletha.Varian@henry.k12.ga.us

1st, 3rd, and 5th Grade Administrator: Ms. Southern

Melissa.Southern@henry.k12.ga.us

Principal: Dana Flowers

Dana.Flowers@henry.k12.ga.us

With your ongoing support and partnership to ensure safe, secure, and supportive learning environments, we are confident that this will be our greatest adventure...yet!

At East Lake, we believe that all students can learn and grow in a safe, respectful, and supportive environment. Creating this environment is a shared responsibility among staff, students, and families.

We are committed to ensuring that every student is treated with dignity and respect. Positive behavior is not only encouraged—it is intentionally taught, modeled, and reinforced by our staff. These lessons help students develop the confidence, skills, and attitudes they need to succeed in school and beyond.

We also know that when schools and families partner together, students thrive. We ask our families to join us in reinforcing positive behavior messages at home to create consistency and shared expectations.

💫 What Does It Mean to SOAR at East Lake?

Our students are encouraged to demonstrate the following core behaviors each day:

• Safe

• On-Task

• Accountable

• Respectful

These four pillars of behavior guide all interactions and expectations within our school.

🏆 Recognizing Positive Choices

Students have multiple opportunities to be recognized for making positive behavior choices:

• Weekly Eagle Feather Drawings with fun prizes

• Random Acts of SOARing recognition

• Classroom Awards

• Quarterly Behavior Celebration Days (every 9 weeks): Students who meet the behavior point requirements during each term will be invited to participate in these celebrations.

⚠️ When Behavior Doesn’t Meet Expectations

We understand that children are learning and growing, and sometimes mistakes happen. When students exhibit minor behaviors that disrupt the learning environment, we implement our
5-Step Behavior Plan:

1. Warning – Reminders and reset opportunities provided

2. Conference with student – Guided support of behavior expectations

3. Behavior Reflection – Reflection will be completed by student & sent home for parent review

4. Citation Form – Citation completed and sent home for parent signature

5. Behavior Check-In with member of A-Team (Principal, AP, Heart Coach, Counselor or Instructional Coach)
   
   

Each of these steps will reduce the number of stars students earn in one day. Daily star accrual will help determine eligibility for positive behavior celebrations.

Please know the following:

• Prior to issuing a step, teachers have provided reminders, behavior interventions (as appropriate for individual students), and opportunities for improvement.
• All staff members may redirect your student's behavior.
• Specials teachers will communicate behavior concerns with homeroom teachers.

📝 More Serious Violations

For behavior that violates the Henry County Schools Code of Conduct, a formal Behavior Referral will be submitted to administration (Ms. Flowers, Ms. Southern, or Ms. Varian). In these cases:

• An investigation will occur of the incident reported.

• A consequence will be issued based on district guidelines.

• The student may become ineligible to attend the Behavior Celebration.
  
  

By working together, we can help every student SOAR—not just in behavior, but in learning and life!

Students may not carry medication in their backpacks, pockets, or otherwise.

If your child needs medication during the day, they must have a form on file AND all meds must be stored in the clinic. An adult must report to the front office with the medication.

If you have questions, please contact Ms. Patel by calling our front office or by sending her an email: alpa.patel@henry.k12.ga.us.

Your child has access to hundreds of eBooks and audiobooks through the Sora app! Sora is available on your student's Launchpad and can also be downloaded from app stores on other devices, making it easy to read anytime, anywhere. We're excited to celebrate that Henry County students have reached an incredible milestone of ONE MILLION Sora checkouts! Thank you for helping make reading a daily habit.

What can reading 20 minutes each day do for your child?

The Power of 20 Minutes

• Word exposure: You read 1.8 million words a year.

• Book count: You finish about 30 books a year (10 to 15 pages a day).

• Better focus: Sitting down for 20 minutes trains your brain to pay attention.

• Lower stress: Reading helps your body and mind relax.