Eagle Wings

Principal's Message

Greetings Eagle Families,

We have successfully completed our second week of school! Our Eagles are continuing to learn and practice school & class procedures and routines that help create a safe, organized, and positive learning environment for everyone. It has been exciting to watch students become more comfortable in their classrooms, build new friendships, and strengthen existing ones. From collaborative learning activities to time spent connecting with peers, our students are developing relationships that will support their growth throughout the school year. Most importantly, our students are having fun while learning! Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and positive attitudes have made for a fantastic start to the year.

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to build a strong foundation for a successful school year. We look forward to another great week of learning ahead!

Yours in partnership,

Ms. Crawford

Important Dates

August:

19th-PTO General Meeting/Room Parent Meeting 5-6pm (Media Center)

27th-STEAM Night with Innovation Academy 5-7pm

31st-Lunch Visitors & Volunteers begin

Save the Date

What You Need to Know

Morning Carpool & Arrival

Due to the population growth of the Alpharetta area, more & more drivers are using Mayfield Road as a means to get to their morning destination. Please take note of the "No left turn from 7:10-7:40am" signs that are now located at the main and bus rider entrances. By helping to adhere to this, the flow of traffic can continue while ensuring that our students who arrive by car are in their class by 7:40am.

Beginning this school year, morning carpool will end at 7:35 am. Ending at this time allows for students to walk to their class and be in their seat by 7:40am, which is the start of our instructional day. If you are arriving after 7:35 am, you will be directed to park and walk your child to the front door. If the bell rings during this time, you will need to sign you child in on our Checkmate system which is located outside the front doors.

*Please note, we have several families with students who participate in our Autism classes and use our main carpool drop off area after 7:35am. This is to help ease their transitions and limit distractions.

Safety During Morning & Afternoon Carpool

We appreciate our families' commitment to student safety. A quick reminder to remain attentive and limit phone use during arrival and dismissal. Your focus helps create a safer environment for all students, staff, and families.

Also, please refrain from cutting through the bus lane during morning and afternoon carpool. This is a significant safety issue.

New Carpool Tags

We have new carpool tags this year. Each family should have received 2 in their red folder during Meet & Greet. Please ensure that these are visible during afternoon dismissal. For questions or tags, please reach out to Jenna Silverman, AP (silvermanj@fultonschools.org).

CLASS PLACEMENT

All schedules and teacher assignments are tentative and may change until after the 10th day of school as that is when teacher allotments will be finalized based on student enrollment at that time. We are not accepting requests for teacher changes until after the 10th day of school and change requests will be accepted based on the instructional needs of the student.

AES FAMILY HANDBOOK

Please take a moment to review information in our AES Family Handbook. In coming weeks, we will highlight pertinent information you need to know about.

FCS Code of Conduct

Students will be receiving the FCS Code of Conduct in their folders. Please review the FCS Code of Conduct. Parents/guardians must complete the Student Code of Conduct acknowledgment in Infinite Campus by August 31st.

2026-2027CodeofConduct-ENGLISH.pdf

2026-2027CodeofConduct_SPA.pdf

FERPA Information

In accordance with the Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, (FERPA), students under 18 years of age objecting to the release of their information should complete the attached form and email it to the Assistant Principal in order to place their objection in writing.

If you do not wish to have your child's information shared in items such as yearbook, etc., please click here and email form to the Assistant Principal, Jenna Silverman (silvermanj@fultonschools.org), no later than August 31st.

Supporting Positive Student Behavior Through SOAR Expectations

At our school, we are committed to creating a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all students. To support this goal, we teach and reinforce our school-wide behavior expectations through SOAR:

Safe
Ownership
Attentive
Respectful

Throughout the school day, students are expected to demonstrate these behaviors in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, playground, buses, and all other school settings.

What is a SOAR Reminder?

When a student does not meet one of our SOAR expectations, a staff member will provide a SOAR Reminder. A SOAR Reminder serves as an opportunity for the student to reflect on their choices, understand the expected behavior, and make positive adjustments moving forward.

Our behavior system is designed to give students multiple opportunities to correct their behavior before administrative intervention becomes necessary.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd behavior infractions: Student receives a SOAR Reminder.
4th behavior infraction: Student receives an office referral/write-up, which is submitted to the Assistant Principal for review and follow-up.

This process allows teachers and staff to address minor behaviors consistently while providing students with opportunities to improve and demonstrate our SOAR expectations.

We ask that parents/guardians review the SOAR reminder, sign the form, and return it to the homeroom teacher. See below for what the form entails:

How Families Can Help

We encourage families to discuss SOAR expectations at home and reinforce the importance of being:

Safe in actions and choices
Taking Ownership of behavior and learning
Being Attentive and ready to learn
Showing Respect to peers, staff, and school property

By working together, we can help all students develop the skills necessary for success both in and out of the classroom. Please reach out to Jenna Silverman, AP, with any questions (silvermanj@fultonschools.org)

Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to foster a positive school culture where every student can SOAR!

From the Cafeteria

Beginning this week, student will be able to purchases snacks daily as well as ice cream on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students will need to have money on their account in order to purchase these items. Please reach out to Lawanda Blyther, Cafeteria Manager, with any questions (blyther@fultonschools.org).

TAG Information

Screening for the Gifted Program takes place twice a year for Fulton County Schools, and every student is screened every year. Automatic Screening takes place in August- September. Parents will be notified before any testing begins. Students referred for testing will be tested during the Fall semester. All parents will be notified of eligibility by December. The Classroom Screening will take place for a two-week period from January – February. Students Identified for testing will be tested January-March. All parents will be notified of eligibility by the end of the school year. For more information please read the documents below:

Notification_Screening_Referral_Gifted_Students_2026-27_Accessible.pdf

Notificacion_Seleccion_Referencia_Estudiantes_Superdotados_2026-27_Accesible.pdf

You can also visit the following website for more information: FCS TAG Department Website

If you have further questions, please reach out to our TAG teachers, Kellie Cleveland (clevelandk@fultonschools.org) and Lindsey Messina (messinal@fultonschools.org).

From the Clinic

Does your child have medical needs?

Please take a moment to read information regarding FCS Health Services.

2026-2027 DHS School Health Services Parent Information Letter - English

26-27 DHS School Health Services Parent Information Letter - Spanish

Are there any medical conditions or concerns that we should know about?

Please contact:

Tamera Shellington

Cluster Nurse for AES

shellingtont@fultonschools.org

ArtsNOW!

ArtsNOW is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 20 years of experience reshaping education. Through programming that integrates visual arts, music, dance, digital arts and drama into academic lessons, ArtsNOW sets the stage for educators to become effective in their teaching — and for students to achieve greater academic and personal success.

What is arts integration?

The Kennedy Center defines arts integration as an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process that connects an art form and another subject area, allowing them to meet evolving objectives in both.

Arts integration is designed to be a joyful, active and memorable learning experience. Incorporating the five recognized arts disciplines — visual arts, dance arts, theater arts, music arts and digital media arts — an arts integrated curriculum aligns with common core standard practices and fine arts standards. The arts become an approach to teaching, as well as the vehicle for learning.

What does arts integration look like in AES?

At AES, teachers are training in the four arts disciplines: theatre, visual arts, music, and dance. Teachers are learning to integrate arts content standards and objectives and academic content standards and objectives to engage students in a process that encourages mastery in both areas. Additionally, students attend weekly STEAM classes that introduce and reinforce the arts disciplines' routines, strategies, and vocabulary for smoother integration in the academic classroom.

This month in STEAM

Students are learning theatre strategies and vocabulary as a way to engage with reading/language arts. Students will show mastery of retelling a story and analyzing point of view through creating and performing plays.

Parent Resources

ArtsNowLearning.org provides materials and activities for at-home connections. You can also find a weekly activity that aligns with the week's STEAM class highlighted in your homeroom teacher's weekly newsletter. See https://artsnowlearning.org/resources/at-home-lessons/ for more resources.

Reach out to Ms. Wilkinson (wilkinsonrm@fultonschools.org) for more information

AES is Turning 70!

Join the PTO

Please consider joining the PTO--they provide incredible resources and support to our students, staff, and community. For more information, click here: Alpharetta Elementary School PTO - Home

From FCS

The Fulton County Board of Education met on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, for its regularly scheduled Board Work Session at the North Learning Center. The full agenda is available on Simbli, a website that provides the Board agenda and all supporting documents online. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS homepage, with recordings available within 48 hours.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney began his report by expressing appreciation for the commitment demonstrated by employees as Fulton County Schools (FCS) launches another school year. He noted that their efforts embody the teamwork, integrity, and accountability principles that define our organization and support our Board’s vision for student success.

Proposed Millage Rate

Continuing his comments, Dr. Looney notified the Board that he intends to recommend a new millage rate at the August 20 Board meeting. Rising costs, increased employer contributions for health care and the Teachers Retirement System, inflation, and declining local tax revenue from senior property tax exemptions have created budget pressures. To address these challenges, Dr. Looney plans to recommend a tentative millage rate of 18.08, a 1-mill increase from the current rate.

Dr. Looney emphasized that the recommendation is based on the financial information currently available. If the certified tax digest provides an opportunity to recommend a lower millage rate, he will adjust his recommendation accordingly.

The recommendation represents a change from recent years. For the past seven years, Dr. Looney has recommended lowering the millage rate, except for one year when he recommended keeping it the same.

The proposed increase would help FCS reduce its reliance on fund reserves, which is essentially the district’s savings account, to cover ongoing expenses. It would also put the district in a stronger position to operate within its available revenues over the long term. If approved, the additional revenue would allow FCS to eliminate the employee furlough day currently proposed for this school year and provide greater flexibility to consider salary increases in future years.

If the Board moves forward with the tentative millage rate, three public hearings will be held before a final vote. The Board may accept the Superintendent’s recommendation or consider changes to the rate before final adoption.

2025-2026 Georgia Milestones Update

Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins reported that Spring 2026 Georgia Milestones results show continued academic progress across the district. The available data indicates positive achievement trends, strong student growth in mathematics, and performance levels that exceed both state and Metro RESA averages across every tested content area. English Language Arts (ELA) results were not included because the GaDOE is implementing a new assessment and will report those results later this fall.

Achievement levels are rising, student growth is strong, and Fulton continues to outperform both state and regional peers. While there is still work to do, particularly in accelerating growth at the middle school level and closing remaining gaps, the overall results reflect positive momentum and provide a strong foundation for continued improvement. See the full presentation here.

Strategic Plan: Teamwork | Back to School Update

Fulton County Schools is prepared for the 2026-27 school year with strong staffing levels, significant academic initiatives, major capital investments, robust technology readiness, expanded family engagement efforts, and a districtwide focus on attendance, literacy, and student success.

Chief Academic Officer Gaskins along with Chief Human Resources Officer Gonzalo La Cava, Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof, and Chief Strategy & Technology Officer Joe Phillips provided a back-to-school update. The presentation emphasized the district’s strategic value of teamwork and highlighted efforts to ensure schools, staff, and students are prepared for a successful year.

Academically, the district is strengthening literacy through implementation of the Georgia Early Literacy Act, expanding access to college and career opportunities through Achieve Atlanta, launching the 95% to Thrive attendance campaign, and enhancing support for students and families through new counseling and family engagement initiatives. New instructional resources, expanded Teaching Museum programming, and a continued emphasis on assessment and data literacy were also highlighted.

From a staffing perspective, the district begins the year with a 99% teacher fill rate, 90% teacher retention rate, and more than 500 new hires. The district also welcomed several new principals and assistant principals and invested in professional learning opportunities for both new and returning employees.

Operationally, enrollment stands at more than 83,000 students. The district’s First Day Fulton event supported over 10,000 families with school supplies, health screenings, registration assistance, and community resources. Transportation remains a major focus, with more than 39,000 students transported daily through a fleet of 930 buses, while school nutrition services continue to provide affordable meal options and expanded access to free meals for qualifying schools.

The presentation also highlighted significant capital and facilities improvements completed over the summer, including the opening of the new Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, ongoing construction of replacement facilities at Camp Creek Middle School and North Springs High School, and major renovations at schools across the district.

In the area of Strategy & Technology, the district prepared more than 100,000 student devices, completed thousands of repairs, strengthened network infrastructure across schools, and integrated new digital learning applications. More than 400 new School Governance Council members are joining school councils this fall, and 740 SGC members received training.

Overall, the update demonstrated that FCS has made substantial investments in people, programs, facilities, and technology to support student success and ensure a strong start to the school year. See the full presentation here.

Pre-Work Session

Fulton County Schools’ pre-work session is a public meeting held before each monthly work session. It is an opportunity for the Board to receive policy drafts, provide feedback, give presentations, or focus on topics of interest. Audio recordings of the pre-work session are available within 48 hours. Topics discussed at this week’s session include:

New Hires & Promotions

The following individuals were approved for a new position at the Board meeting:

Dr. Rochelle Hinds | Director of Leadership Development
Dr. Jeff Harrell | Director of Research, Evaluation, and Accountability

Board Recognitions

Each month, the Board recognizes outstanding students, staff, and schools honored at the state, national, or international level. Honorees must have placed first at the regional or state level or be among the top finishers at the national or international level. The following teams and individuals were recognized at the meeting:

MaryKay Berry, Executive Director of Services for Exceptional Children, was honored with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) Jim Puckett Outstanding Educator Award
James Tharp, Coordinator of Utilities Services, was selected as the 2026-2027 National School Air Quality Fellow by the Center for Green Schools

2026-27 Community Meetings with Board Members

Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all community members. The sessions provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give Board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns. Click here to see the meeting schedules of all Board members.

Introducing SchoolCash Online for Fulton County Schools

Fulton County Schools is excited to introduce SchoolCash Online—a convenient and secure way for families to pay for school-related fees. With this new system, you can easily pay for items such as field trips, classroom activities, parking permits, yearbooks, and more—all from the comfort of home.

SchoolCash Online helps reduce the need for cash and checks in our schools while giving families a safe and simple way to make payments using a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Getting Started

Beginning July 1, 2026, please be on the lookout for a registration email from:

"KEV Group at noreply@stagingschoolcashonline.com."

The subject line will read: “Fulton County Schools shared a student with you.”

For step-by-step registration instructions, please visit the SchoolCash Online webpage at https://fultonschools.schoolcashonline.com/.

Learn more about SchoolCash Online on the FCS district website at www.fultonschools.org/schoolcash.

Student Device Information

Please take a moment to read Fulton County's Device Handbook.

FCS 26-27 Student Device One-to-One Handbook- English

Families will need to complete the Device Use Agreement.

The Device Use Agreement acknowledgment will be completed in Infinite Campus as part of the Student Code of Conduct process. Once Student Discipline releases the updated materials, schools will be able to reference the acknowledgment in Infinite Campus.

Optional Device Protection (ODP) Enrollment Information:

This window remains open through September 25th. We encourage all schools to actively promote this program with families, particularly our middle schools, where students have recently been issued brand-new Chromebooks.

The Optional Device Protection Plan helps families offset the cost of accidental device damage and can significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses for repairs or replacement. Without coverage, families may be responsible for repair costs ranging from $30-$270, with replacement costs up to $500 depending on the extent of the damage.

Protecting devices early helps keep students connected to learning while minimizing unexpected costs for families. Thank you for your partnership in helping ensure a successful and uninterrupted learning experience for our students.

For more information, please contact Dr. Taylor Barton at BartonT@fultonschools.org

Check Your Bus Route

As you prepare for the first day of school, please note that there have been some changes to bus routes. If you haven't already, we encourage you to check Here Comes the Bus for updated information on your student's bus route to ensure a smooth start to the year.

Eagle Wings