Woodland Wildcats News

Greetings Wildcat Families!

It’s amazing to think that we are only six days away from Fall Break! This school year is moving by quickly, and I am continually inspired by the learning, engagement, and growth I see each week as I visit classrooms across our building.

This week, we were excited to celebrate students with July and August birthdays by giving them the opportunity to select a new book from our Book Vending Machine. Throughout the school year, students will have the chance to receive a book during designated times that correspond with their birthday month. Encouraging a love of reading while celebrating our students' special days is just one of the many ways we help foster excitement for learning at Woodland.

Some of our upcoming events over the next two weeks include Volunteer Friday and the Principal's Coffee Chat & PTO General Meeting on September 12, Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A on September 15, and our School-Wide Pajama Day on September 18. We then look forward to Fall Break from September 21-25. We hope you'll join us for these exciting opportunities to connect with our Woodland community!

Principal's Coffee Chat & PTO General Meeting (Friday, September 12)

Join us this Friday, September 11, at 8:00 a.m. in the Media Center for our Principal's Coffee Chat and General PTO Meeting. Enjoy coffee and light refreshments while learning about the PTO's plans for the year. There will also be an opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Dr. Haley.

Volunteer Friday (Friday, September 11)

We are excited to kick off Volunteer Friday on Friday, September 11! Stop by anytime between 7:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to support our teachers by helping with projects such as cutting, copying, organizing, and other classroom preparation tasks.

To help us plan, please sign up in advance using the link below:

https://www.friendsofwoodland.com/volunteer/170019

School-Wide Pajama Day (Friday, September 18)

To celebrate reaching our PTO fundraising goal, we will enjoy a school-wide Pajama Day on Friday, September 18! Students and staff are invited to wear their favorite school-appropriate pajamas as we celebrate this exciting achievement. More information will be made available soon.

Mark Your Calendar

· September 12, 2026: Principal's Coffee Chat & PTO General Meeting

· September 12, 2026: Volunteer Friday

· September 15, 2026: Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

· September 18, 2026: School-Wide PJ Day

· September 21 – 25, 2026: Fall Break - No School for Students

· October 2, 2026: Wildcat Run

· October 8, 2026: Picture Day

Please see below for additional school related information and reminders!

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcquez Haley - Principal

To help protect student devices and reduce unexpected repair or replacement costs, families are encouraged to enroll in the District's Device Protection Plan during the Online Enrollment/Verification process in Infinite Campus.

Coverage Costs

• $50 per student for a full year of coverage
• $25 per student for students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch

Coverage Details

• $50 deductible per damage incident
• $150 deductible for devices that are lost, stolen, or deemed unrepairable
• A police report is required for all stolen device claims

Without Device Protection Families are responsible for the full cost of repairs or replacement. For example:

• Cracked screen repair: approximately $270
• Lost or stolen device replacement: approximately $500

The protection plan premium will be applied to student accounts in the fall, and payment is due within 30 days of the start of the school year. We encourage all families to consider this affordable option to help protect against unexpected device-related expenses.

For questions or assistance, please contact the Technology Support Center at 470-254-4357.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure students have the technology resources they need for learning.

A Message from Ms. V. Hernandez, School Social Worker

September is Attendance Awareness Month

A student’s attendance is imperative in ensuring academic success. In addition, attending school regularly also allows students to participate in discussions, hands-on projects, and collaborative activities that enrich their learning experiences. Please note the following:

School Attendance Facts:

· Chronic absenteeism is defined by missing 18 days or more per school year.

· As few as 2 absences per month can result in a student being chronically absent.

· Approximately 50% of students with 2-4 absences in the first month of school will be chronically absent during the school year.

· Poor attendance can impact whether a child is able to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.

· Chronic absenteeism negatively affects a student’s academic performance and can result in them falling behind in subject mastery.

· By 6th grade chronic absence becomes the leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

· When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.

· Attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and when schools provide mentors for chronically absent students.

· Teacher relationships with students and families are one of the most impactful strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism.

· Students who attend school regularly are more likely to feel connected to the school community and engaged in learning.

You can promote perfect attendance by doing the following:

1. Building a Supportive Community: Encouraging your child to attend school regularly becomes easier when they feel a sense of belonging within the school community.

2. Celebrating Achievements: Acknowledging your child's successes, both academically and personally, can significantly boost their motivation to attend school.

3. Engaging Learning Experiences: An engaging classroom environment plays a pivotal role in motivating students to attend school regularly. Support teachers in their efforts to create interactive lessons, hands-on activities, and discussions that spark your child's curiosity.

4. Involvement in Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities offer students a chance to explore their interests beyond the classroom. Encourage your child to participate in clubs, sports, arts, or other activities that align with their passions. The excitement of these extracurriculars can motivate them to attend school consistently.

5. Recognizing Improvement: If your child has struggled with attendance in the past, celebrate their efforts to improve. Recognize their progress and emphasize the positive impact regular attendance can have on their academic journey.

The late bell rings at 7:40AM. Students should be in their classroom ready to learn at that time. Please e-mail Rousejm@fultoncountyschools.org and copy your child’s teacher when your child is absent.

Remember, your involvement as parents and guardians is an essential factor in creating a positive and engaging school environment. Together, we can foster an atmosphere where students are excited to come to school, engage in learning, and build a foundation for a successful future.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in ensuring the success of your child's education. For more information on FCS attendance policies please visit the FCS Attendance Matters Website.

💪Volunteer Friday is TOMORROW! Volunteer Fridays are starting back up tomorrow, Friday, September 11th! Sign up to lend a helping hand to our teachers anytime between 7:45 AM and 12:00 PM. We’d love your support! Sign up here: https://www.friendsofwoodland.com/volunteer/170019

☕️Principal’s Coffee Chat & General PTO Meeting is TOMORROW at 8AM Join us in the media center for coffee and treats, find out what the PTO has planned for this year, and have a chance for Q&A with our principal, Dr. Haley!

📕 🎂 Book Vending Machine this week! New this year, the PTO will be giving students a free book for their birthday! Students will have the opportunity to select a book from the book vending machine. This month we are catching up on summer birthdays and students with birthdays in July and August will be called by grade level on Wednesday, Sep 9, through Friday, Sep 11. The Book Vending Machine was made possible by a grant from the Sandy Springs Society.

🐮🐔Chick-fil-a Spirit Night on 9/15 (Next Tuesday)! Visit the Chick-fil-a at 1145 Mount Vernon Road from 4-8pm, say you’re with Woodland, and our school will receive a portion of the sales! See the flier for more information.

🏃‍♀️‍➡️Have You Registered for the Wildcat Run? Wildcat Run fundraising is underway. Getting started is easy:

1. Register as a parent and add your student.
2. Share your student’s personalized fundraising link with family and friends.
3. Collect donations and help your classroom unlock rewards.
4. Get ready to run on Friday, October 2.

😴 Pajama Day on 9/18! We met our PTO Membership Drive goal of $9,000. To celebrate, kids can wear PJs on 9/18!

🙌Stay Connected with the PTO! We’d also love to have you in our Friends of Woodland Elementary (PTO Group) on Facebook! The group is a place for Woodland parents and teachers to stay connected, get PTO and school-community updates, ask questions, share helpful information, and connect with other Woodland families.Search “Friends of Woodland Elementary (PTO Group)” on Facebook and join us!

Enjoy 10% off your order when you purchase your yearbook by October 31st during the Early Bird Sale event. You get 2 FREE custom pages that will be printed only in your yearbook. Additional custom pages are only $1.99 per 2 pages. Prices start at $28.01 plus tax.

To purchase your yearbook go to https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=101536347184858 or scan the QR code.

¡Oferta especial para quienes se inscriban antes del anuario: 10% de descuento! 🎊📕

Disfruta de un 10 % de descuento en tu pedido al comprar tu anuario antes del 31 de octubre durante la promoción de preventa. Recibirás 2 páginas personalizadas GRATIS que se imprimirán exclusivamente en tu anuario. Las páginas personalizadas adicionales cuestan solo $1.99 por cada 2 páginas. Los precios comienzan en $28.01 más impuestos.

Para comprar tu anuario, visita https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=101536347184858 o escanea el código QR.

Turn old electronics into new opportunities for public school students in Sandy Springs. Bring unwanted electronics to Sandy Springs Education Force’s Electronics Recycling Drive, and Novus Solutions will responsibly recycle your devices and securely wipe the data.

When: Saturday, August 15, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Where: North Springs High School Parking Lot, 7447 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs

A $25 donation per car helps Sandy Springs Education Force (SSEF) provide programs and resources that enrich learning, support teachers and create opportunities for students across Sandy Springs' public schools. Thank you to Cox Enterprises for sponsoring this event.

Some items, including TVs, CRT monitors, alkaline batteries, media discs, tapes and printers, have additional recycling fees that SSEF covers. Please consider making an extra donation to help offset these costs. Learn more: https://www.sandyspringseducationforce.org/electronics-drive/

Email: joneshj@fultonschools.org
Website: http://school.fultonschools.org/es/woodland/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 1130 Spalding Drive Sandy Springs, GA 30350
Phone: 470-254-5890
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1290089349389900
Twitter: @weswildcat