Hello Friends,

May is a time for memories. It is a time for celebration and a little bit of fun. We’d like to share a few of the special events that will be happening at the T to make our students smile.

Here are highlights for our month:

May 8th- High Flyer Ceremony

May 9th- K, 2, 4 Field Day

May 10th- 1, 3, 5 Field Day

May 13th- Timeline through History Fifth Grade

May 15th-May 22th: Class parties by grade level

May 20th-Step Up Day

May 22th- Fifth Grade Awards and Celebration Day

May 23rd- Fifth Grade and Senior Walk

When we have a lot of visitors on campus, safety is always our number one priority.

Please remember these tips when visiting:

• All visitors need to come through our front office, sign in and wear a badge while on campus.

• Pre-register all your guests if you can. This will help speed up your check-in process.

• Bring your photo ID, so we can verify your badge or print you one.

• Come early and be patient.

• We are very grateful for our Raptor system to ensure that all visitors on our campus are safe to be here.

• If you plan to check your child out after a party, you will checkout in the main office as usual. Our office staff will move quickly. This process takes time. Again, thank you for your patience.

Before we know it, May will be a memory. We are excited to make those great memories this month. Together, We are Chestatee!

Kindly,

Dr. Polly Tennies

Principal

• Reminder to FCS Families: Please make sure that for the last month of school your child has adequate funds available in MyPaymentsPlus or sufficient cash/check is sent in to cover their meal purchases. Starting Monday, May 6 through the end of the school year, students without adequate funds will receive a courtesy snack. Also, any families with negative cafeteria balances must deposit funds before the school year ends. Students who graduate or withdraw and have funds left in their meal accounts should visit https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/page/396 to close out their accounts.

There's 3 Easy Steps to Registering.

1. Register online. You'll need to use a computer instead of your phone. Allow 45 minutes or so.
2. Make an appointment.
3. Come in person or meet virtually. Bring your documents.

Registration is at the Technology Training and Innovation Center on Dahlonega Hwy. behind the Board of Education Building.

Click Here for the Details!

• Please remember to send in your child’s excuse within 5 days.
• Families can send up to 10 notes from home for absences before doctor notes are required.
• On email excuses to the teacher, it’s easy to add Ms. Stacey (Sholbrook@forsyth.k12.ga.us) to make sure she gets the excuse.
• Any time you go to see the doctor, please ask for a school excuse. If you forget, contact the doctor and ask them to email or fax the excuse. Fax: 770-781-2281.
• Georgia law requires the school to send attendance letters after 5 or more unexcused absences.
• If your child is checking out from the clinic, the absence is excused.
• When you check your child in/ out on Checkmate, the absence will be unexcused. Please provide a medical excuse if you'd like the absence excused.

School Pay is a new program we will use for all payments EXCEPT meals. My Payments Plus will still be used for cafeteria accounts. Click here.

Students can be "written up" by any staff member for showing Strategies, Effort, Attitude, and/ or Kindness. Dr. Tennies calls these students to the office for a picture, prize and talk together. This is a big deal!

Congratulations to these students for being great role models and showing the Chestatee Way. Families were invited to celebrate these students on April 18. We always have a great crowd!

Thanks to Lauren Stone and Ashleigh Ronan for the beautiful rock designs!

This club comes together once a month for projects to help our school. We celebrated the club in April with an ice cream party.

Families have asked what kids learn in Pathways, so the team put together a great video. There is also information on our website. https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/3290

We surprised Dr. Tennies on the morning news with the Staff Member of the Month Award! Thank you to all who wrote a beautiful nomination. The words mean so much.

We are proud of what our Chestatee family has accomplished under Dr. T's leadership as our principal. She has created a culture of collaboration, kindness and partnerships. We are excited for her next chapter of life but also want her to know how much she is loved and appreciated. Dr. Tennies is looking forward to retirement and spending more time with her husband, Khoi, her parents in Pennsylvania, her two sons and her daughter-in-law.

We are very grateful for Dr. Tennies’ thirteen years of service as principal of the T. Congratulations to her on this great honor. A big thank you to our Chestatee Elementary PTO and Mathnasium of Coal Mountain for sponsoring our Chestatee Staff Member of the Month Program!

Do you want to recognize and celebrate the exemplary teaching and contributions by Chestatee Elementary teachers and staff? Click here to write a nomination.

Important Dates:

5/1 Enrichment- Please send a snack. Club students will dismiss in carline at 4:00.

5/6 Lunch Visitors Resume

5/8 High Flyers Ceremony- Pre-register here

5/8 Enrichment

5/8 PTO Spirit Night at Freddy's in Dawsonville

5/9 Field Day for grades K, 2, and 4

5/10 Field Day for grades 1, 3, and 5

5/15 Specialized Instruction 11:30 Party/ 10:00 5th grade graduation for Specialized Students

5/15 Last enrichment

5/17 Pre-K party 10:00

5/17 PTO Boys Night Out at the Aquatic Center

5/20 4th grade party 9:45

5/20 3rd grade party 12:30

5/21 Kindergarten party 8:30

5/21 2nd grade party 12:00

5/22 1st grade party 8:30

5/22 5th Grade Graduation Ceremony 10:30

5/23 5th Grade/ Senior Walk at 10:30

5/23 Early Release for Last Day of School

5/23 Freedom Mill PTO Spirit Day

May 8th 9:00-9:30 AM

Pre-register here if your child is being recognized! This speeds up our check-in process.

Our PTO board members raise money to help teachers and our school.

You can support our PTO through our fundraisers, Spirit Nights, events, and spirit wear.

There are no membership dues this year.

Contact our PTO at chestateeelementarypto@gmail.com any time!

Domino's graciously donated pizza boxes for all of our second graders.

Click here for the Basketball Camp Registration.

All students are invited to sign up and can take advantage of online tutoring as many days as needed for $75 a month. There are reduced fees for students on free or reduced lunch. Inquire with Next Generation.

Dear Families,

We had a great turnout for our third APTT meeting. In many schools, the last meeting isn’t well attended. It’s spring. It’s ball season. It’s busy. But our attendance was as good as winter! Thank you for partnering with us!

Each child received a packet of summer learning activities. A reading log, choice board, and math fact practice were included in the packet. Summer slide is real, and we hope that students will do something academic daily during the two months off.

Whether it’s first thing in the morning, right before bed, after work or dinner or after pool time to calm down, find your time. Log that learning for a celebration in August!

We really encourage you to find your routine for the summer and settle into that. You’ll be glad you did in August!

Together WE are Chestatee!

See you soon,

Meg

Meg Killingsworth

770-887-2341 ext. 723002

mkillingsworth@forsyth.k12.ga.us

If you ask to connect your Kroger Plus card to Chestatee Elementary, they will donate a certain percentage of the profits to our school. You can find out more about how to do this if you CLICK HERE.

Publix Partners with Chestatee also. You only need to put your phone number in as you checkout. Publix will donate a certain percentage of their profits to Chestatee from your purchase!

We love our Partners in Education!

Email: chestateees@gmail.com
Website: http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/site/default.aspx?domainid=260
Location: 6945 Keith Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA, United States
Phone: 770-887-2341
Facebook: facebook.com/ChestateeES
Twitter: @chestateees