TCE TIGER TALK Newsletter

I want to wish everyone a great year as we start school here in August. As a part of our many

ways to help parents, I want to introduce everyone to Parent ProTech. Parent ProTech is a free

resource provided by the state to support the digital safety standards outlined in SB 351,

including required topics that Mrs. Bridges will be posting in each monthly Tiger Talk newsletter.

So please make use of this resource. We are so excited to have your students back in the

building, and we look forward to a fantastic year here at Tiger Creek!

Mr. David Beard,

TCE Principal

Welcome Back Tigers!
We’re feelin’ the groove and bringing that Tiger Pride as we kick off another far-out school year here at Tiger Creek Elementary! You might’ve already caught the tone of our theme for 2025-2026-Tiger Pride and Groovy Vibes!
This isn’t just a slogan—it’s who we are. Every staff member is here to be a mentor, a leader, an advocate, and a constant support system for every Tiger who walks through our doors. We are so excited for a new year full of endless possibilities. Be sure to check out all the ways that you can be involved at TCE. Our PTO and our Parent Coordinator have multiple opportunities available throughout the year where volunteers will be needed.

Again welcome back and thank you for sharing your children with us!

Let's rock this year, Tigers!

Mrs. Jayme Dills,

TCE Assistant Principal

One of the best ways you can ensure your child does not miss all the opportunities CCPS and Tiger Creek has to offer is by staying connected to the information pipeline. Here are some great tips to keep you in the loop and set your child up for success:

• Ensure you know your student's teachers’, principals’, and district leaders’ contact information.
• Sign up for your school’s text alerts, classroom apps such as Class Dojo and SeeSaw, newsletters, etc. TCE will send out important information, and the monthly school Tiger Talk newsletter through our text system. Please click here for directions on signing up for text alerts.
• Bookmark Tiger Creek's website https://tce.catoosa.k12.ga.us/ & the CCPS website https://www.catoosa.k12.ga.us/home We keep it up to date with important information.
• Ensure all your contact information is up to date in Infinite Campus. You will receive a verification form to double check this information at Open House. Please update and return ASAP. If you move or change phone information, please send in that info as soon as possible.
• Download the district’s CCPS app, Infinite Campus Parent Portal app, school bus app, and sign up for CCPS emergency text alerts.
• Please click here for directions on signing up for the CCPS App.
• Please click here for directions on signing up for the Parent Portal App.
• Please click here for directions on downloading the MyRide App

CCPS and Tiger Creek utilizes all these points of contact to ensure parents are more connected than ever to their child’s school and district. Connection is the key to making sure you & your student(s) are informed & know about any and all opportunities. Communication and Connection between parents, teachers, and students set the stage for students to thrive! Together, we will connect every student to the endless opportunities here at Tiger Creek and within the CCPS District!

All Pre-K & Kindergarten students will dismiss at 11:30 on August 8th, 11th & 12th. Transportation will not be provided. On Wednesday, August 13th Pre-K & K students will start the full day schedule.

Click the button below to see the School Staff Slideshow

We have some new staff members and we want them to feel welcome!

The 2025-2026 school calendar has been approved.

Click the image to see the new calendar.

Looking for a way to stay up-to-date with technology and keep your students safer online? Catoosa County Public Schools and the Georgia Department of Education are excited to provide you with resources to help protect your family online with Parent ProTech's on-demand platform at no charge!

Click here to Sign Up

Your Parent ProTech access includes:

• A library of videos and guides to help parents make confident, informed choices about technology
• A complete K-12 digital citizenship curriculum for classroom use, meeting SB 351 requirements
• Tools that help families and educators make smart tech decisions to keep kids safe online

Kick off the school year by setting healthy screen routines and checking what apps your child is using.

Learn more here:

You may go to this link on our website under the Cafeteria tab: https://family.etrition.com/landing

Once there, click on the EZSchoolLunch circle and you are able to access the nutritional value of the student meals.

These wonderful ladies get to school super early to get a warm nutritious breakfast ready for our students. They always have a smile on their faces and love to interact with the students! They help make our school "Tiger-iffic!

The Teacher of the Year 2025 is Mrs. Hannah Chastain! We want to congratulate her on this wonderful accomplishment! She has only been with us a few short years but has already changed TCE for the better. This year she is moving to Pre-K and we know that she will do a fabulous job with are youngest students.

Help your child make friends at school by discussing what it means to share with others, take turns, show interest in someone else, and ways to show kindness. Remind children of the need to be friendly to everyone, even though they may have closer friends or a "best" friend. Our Tigers are known for being welcoming to other students and for showing kindness. I know that this year will be a great year for new friendships!

Please come by my office and get a bag full of school supplies. A wonderful donor gave us so many book bags filled with back-to-school goodies that we don't have any more room! So please grab some and put these things to good use! Also, we have a new trampoline, donated by kindergarten teacher Mrs. Medina. Come by and gimme some jumps.

Helping Hands food bags and other resources will be starting this fall. Give me a call at (706) 935-0722 or email at chaynes.tce@catoosa.k12.ga.us if you would like to access that program or have questions about any resources offered by the Counseling Office.

Friendship is our Character Word for August. Friendship is using your words and actions to show others you care. Adults can talk with their kids about what makes good friendships, using examples of famous friends, such as Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street or Woody and Buzz from Toy Story.

Look further down in this newsletter for a Friendship Virtual Room where your child can learn all about becoming a good friend to others!

Rex has grown, just like our kiddos! Come by my office and say hello. Rex reminds us all to "hang in there" during the first busy days of back-to-school. Psst--don't tell anyone, but Mr. Beard said that Rex may have to go to school this fall! We will find out soon!

Love from Mrs. Haynes and Rex

After-School Success Routine for Families

1. Welcome & Wind Down (10–15 minutes)

• Greet your child with love and attention

• Offer a healthy snack

• Let them relax before jumping into tasks

2. Talk About the Day (10 minutes)

• Ask open-ended questions:

• “What was the best part of your day?”

• “What challenged you today?”

• Listen more than you talk

3. Homework Time (20–40 minutes)

• Use a quiet, consistent workspace

• Set a timer for focus and short breaks

• Stay nearby for support, not answers

4. Check School Communication (5–10 minutes)

• Look through folders or apps for:

• Notes from teachers

• Upcoming tests, projects, or events

• Sign and return anything needed

5. Prep for Tomorrow (10 minutes)

• Pack the backpack and lay out clothes

• Check the calendar for special events or due dates

• Talk through the next day’s plan

6. Family Time & Reading (20–30 minutes)

• Spend time together screen-free

• Read together or side-by-side

• Let your child see you enjoying reading too!

7. Bedtime Routine

• Start winding down early

• Turn off screens 30 minutes before bed

• Aim for 9–11 hours of sleep depending on your child’s age

** Consistency builds confidence. A simple routine helps your child feel safe, supported, and ready to succeed!

Jill Bishop

TCE Academic Coach

Please stop by the PTO table at Open House to meet our PTO officers and learn more about our TCE PTO. The Membership Drive will be happening from Open House throughout the month of August! Family Membership is only $5 per year! This money goes to helping the PTO supply much needed items and events for our students and staff!

Our TCE PTO will be hosting the Boo Hoo Breakfast again this year for Pre-K & Kindergarten parents on the first day of school (Aug. 8th) from 7:15-8:00am. After you drop your little one off and feeling those anxious feelings of being separated, please stop in and meet the TCE PTO officers and other parents.

As we begin this new school year, it’s vital that we keep in mind safety tips to keep you and your family safe. Here are a few reminders:

How to support school safety at home:

1- Encourage open communication with your child about experiences at school.

2-Reiterate the importance of following rules and being respectful to staff.

3-Monitor your child’s devices.

4- Reiterate the importance of never sharing personal information with others.

Thank you for your continuous support! As always we ask everyone to stay vigilant and communicate, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

Stay Safe,

PLEASE REMEMBER:

You must have your ID to enter the building.

Below you will find a short CCPS parent video and a short CCPS student video discussing the importance of SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. Please review the video for parents and watch the video for students with your student and have an active discussion on safety.

We are Ready!

We are Respectful!

We are Safe!

We help make our school TIGERRIFIC!

This year's student school t-shirt will be on sale at Open House through Friday, August 22nd!

Mrs. Clinton will have a table set up with some shirts available now

or you may fill out an order form with her. She will also send home order forms

Welcome back to school!

Please sign and return the Device Contract in your back-to-school packet; your child may not use a Chromebook or iPad at school until this is returned.

Students will be able to check out books beginning the week of August 18th.

The Fall Book Fair will take place from September 8th to 12th.

Welcome back Tigers! Please remember to make sure and wear tennis shoes on your PE gym days.

ABSOLUTELY NO CROCS, BOOTS, FLIPFLOPS OR HEY DUDES! If your student isn't sure of PE days, you can ask their homeroom teacher.

Parents the connection schedule will change each 9 weeks. Your child's teacher will let you know in their grade level newsletter what days they have gym.

Guidelines on medication for students:

Whether your student needs medication every day such as an inhaler or ADHD medication, or needs to take something temporary such as an subscription cough syrup or breathing treatment

ALL STUDENT MEDICATION MUST FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:

1. Must be brought into the school by an adult

(No students may bring medication on the school bus or into the school)

2. All medication must be in the original pharmacy container with the pharmacy label stating the student's name, medication name, dosage directions and the doctor who prescribed it.

3. When you bring the medication in to the school, you must filled out and sign a

medication form for the school nurse.

Thank you for following these guidelines which helps to ensure our students' safety!

The Dental Van will be at TCE on August 13th & 14th!

Forms will come home Friday. Please fill out and get turned back in ASAP!

Nurse Sherri

Title 1 Annual Meeting

On August 19, TCE will send out a link to our Title 1 Annual Meeting. When you click on the link, you will watch a short slideshow about Tiger Creek Title 1 program, including:

• an overview of what it means to be a Title 1 school
• how Title 1 benefits ALL TCE students, teachers, and parents
• how TCE uses our Title 1 funds to support ALL students and staff

Please be sure to view this digital document, and fill out the attached sign-in sheet by August 29th. It is very important that we are able to document parent interaction for our Title 1 program. It will also be posted under the Title 1 tab on the school website for you to reference during the school year.

Title 1 Fall Parent Survey

In a few weeks, I will be sending out the Title 1 Fall Parent Survey. Please complete this brief survey as soon as you are able.

We value our home-school partnership and this survey gives you this opportunity to help us with decision making at our school!

We will use the information gathered from this survey to determine which family events we will host this year and to provide you with any information requested relating to your child and their education.

It also helps us determine the best times and methods to conduct parent meetings.

The Title I Family Resource Center is a dedicated space in our school for families. Located in room 100, is a place for parents to check out items to use with their children, to work on school volunteer projects and also to obtain helpful info. Title I documents, community events and the Parent Resource Library are all located here. The Resource Library can be used by parents to help their student(s) reach their full potential. We have books and academic materials that can be checked out by parents to use at home to help improve their student(s) reading and math skills. These items can help make learning more fun and exciting. Contact Mrs. Bridges to check something out.

Mrs. Bridges has a coffee & cocoa bar for staff & volunteers as well as a large area to work in. If you are interested in volunteering in any type of way, please stop in and see her in Room 100, or email her at sbridges.tce@catoosa.k12.ga.us Her office hours are: 7:30-11:30, Monday-Friday.

Parent/Guardians: You have the right to have a teacher-parent conference at any time during the school year. If you have concerns, need to let the teacher/school know about updated medical info, or want more information on the way your child learns or about learning standards please contact your child’s teacher by emailing the teacher, calling the school at 706-935-9890 and leaving the teacher a voice message or by sending in a written request to the teacher. Your child's teacher will get back to you as quickly as possible.

TCE Parent/Guardians: We value your input on TCE Policy, Budget, School Improvement Plan, etc... Parents are welcome to contribute comments at any time. If you have any questions/concerns, please see Mrs. Sara Bridges, Parent Involvement Coordinator, or our Administrators: Mr. Beard, or Mrs. Dills.

Mrs. Sara L. Bridges

TCE's Parent Involvement Coordinator

TCE Phone: 706-935-9890

Email: sbridges.tce@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Click above to explore the virtual room on Rules at School!

Click above to explore the All About Friendship Virtual Room!

Learn about how to become a good friend to others.

Click above to explore the Labor Day Virtual Room!

The Library at Catoosa offers a variety of services, such as monthly activities for all ages, an outstanding Genealogy collection, and over 100,000 items in print and audiovisual formats to check out. At the library, they provide free Internet, access to Microsoft Office programs, GALILEO, GADD, and so much more! Our Catoosa County Library is a member of PINES, a public library lending network of more than 300 libraries throughout Georgia. Click the link to see more of what is happening at your local Library!

https://www.catoosacountylibrary.org/