The Colt Chronicle

What a great first day at CCES! One of my favorite parts of the day was hearing so many students say, "Hi, Mrs. Butler!" As I begin my second year as principal, those familiar faces and cheerful greetings made the day extra special.

Our Colts had a fantastic day learning, making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, and getting settled into their classrooms. The building was filled with excitement, energy, and lots of smiles. I hope your child comes home with a few great stories from their day, because we certainly enjoyed making memories with them here at school. We are off to a wonderful start and can't wait to see what this year brings!

Thank you for your partnership as we continue refining our dismissal procedures. After reviewing today's dismissal process, we wanted to share a few important reminders and updates.

First, please remember that Walkers and Car Riders are two separate dismissal locations. We ask that all families confirm their child's designated dismissal method and ensure students are going to the correct location each afternoon.

• Car Riders are students who are picked up through our carpool circle.
• Walkers are students who are picked up by parents at the Walker Door located at the end of the 5th-grade hallway.

We also want to reassure families that, while dismissal may have felt lengthy, the entire car rider process took only 20- 25 minutes from start to finish once we began loading students into vehicles. I promise you that for the first day of school this was excellent. We expect the process to become more efficient each day as students, staff, and families become familiar with the routine.

One important observation from this afternoon is that some vehicles entered the car line by cutting into the queue that was already lined up along the sidewalk. We kindly ask that parents not cut into the car line. Our wonderful carpool staff member has already collected the appropriate car rider numbers and organized students in the correct order. When vehicles join the line out of sequence, it creates confusion and disrupts the order in which students are called and loaded. This was one of the challenges we noticed today, and your partnership in following the established line will help us tremendously.

Please know that we are also carefully examining our own procedures. After dismissal, the 15 staff members who supported carpool remained to meet, reflect on what we learned, and develop a plan to make tomorrow even better. As a result, we have already revised portions of our dismissal process inside the building to improve efficiency and better support students as they transition to their dismissal locations. I share this because I want you to know that we are not only asking families to help us improve the process, but we are also actively evaluating and adjusting our own practices.

In addition, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Havens, and I walked the carpool lineup area along Birmingham Highway this afternoon and met with the Milton Police Department to discuss ways we can better support traffic flow and the overall dismissal experience for our families. We are committed to working collaboratively with our community partners to make the process as safe and efficient as possible.

We completely understand that these procedures may be new for many of our families. To help everyone get started, I have included a map as well as a short video that walks through the different carpool lineup options and procedures. We hope these resources provide additional clarity as we all learn the routine together.

Finally, we know that our car rider number system comes with a learning curve. However, this system is successfully used at many schools, and I am confident that once we work through these initial growing pains together, it will become a smooth and efficient process for everyone.

The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. Throughout Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week, students and staff will participate in several required safety drills. These practice drills help everyone learn what to do in a variety of emergency situations and ensure that we are prepared should an actual emergency ever occur.

Our staff will carefully guide students through each drill in a calm, supportive, and age-appropriate manner. While drills are an important part of school safety, we understand they can sometimes raise questions or concerns for children.

We encourage families to talk with their children about the importance of practicing safety procedures, just as we practice fire drills or other routines. A reassuring conversation at home can help students feel more comfortable and confident throughout the process.

This week, students will practice the following safety procedures:

• Hard Lockdown: Used when there is a potential safety concern inside the building. Students and staff practice securing classrooms and remaining quiet and out of sight.
• Soft Lockdown: Used when there is a concern outside the building. Students and staff remain safely inside while normal activities continue within the school.
• Evacuation: Used when students and staff need to safely leave the building, most commonly for fire safety.
• Shelter: Used during severe weather or other situations that require students and staff to move to designated safe areas inside the building.

In addition, on Wednesday, we will conduct our Hard Lockdown Drill using our full Centegix CrisisAlert system. During this drill, students and staff will hear an announcement over the intercom stating that the school is in a hard lockdown. This is a scheduled safety drill organized by the Fulton County Board of Education and the Fulton County Schools Police Department and supported by the Milton Police Department.

Because this drill includes the actual announcement used during an emergency, families may want to talk with their child ahead of time to answer any questions and help ease concerns. Please know that our staff does an excellent job of preparing students beforehand, explaining the purpose of the drill, and ensuring that the experience is conducted in a calm, supportive, and age-appropriate manner. These practice opportunities help ensure that students and staff know exactly what to do should an emergency ever occur.

For additional information about safety drills and emergency preparedness in Fulton County Schools, please visit:

Fulton County Schools Safety & Security Information:
SAFETY ONE-PAGERS

If you have any questions or concerns regarding school safety procedures, please contact Assistant Principal Rawlings Johnson at JohnsonEM2@fultonschools.org.

As we begin a new school year, I want to share some important information about Fulton County Schools' Ten Day S.E.A.T. Count (Student Enrollment Adjustment Time) process.

During the first ten days of school, Fulton County Schools reviews student enrollment across the district. Based on actual enrollment numbers, the district may adjust the number of teachers and staff assigned to each school. Because of this process, some student class placements may change if enrollment shifts occur within a grade level.

You will notice bright green signs throughout the building reminding families that:

"All class placements are tentative until after the Ten Day S.E.A.T. Count."

If Crabapple Crossing Elementary School is impacted by staffing adjustments, I will communicate any updates and next steps with our community. Should changes become necessary, communication will begin with the grade levels most directly affected.

Did You Know?

Teacher allocations are determined by the actual, physical presence of students during the first ten days of school.

For this reason, it is extremely important that students attend school during this period whenever possible. The number of students physically present during the Ten Day S.E.A.T. Count directly impacts the staffing allocation our school receives.

For example, if additional fifth-grade students enroll after the Ten Day S.E.A.T. Count is completed, the school would not receive an additional teaching position for those students. Instead, we would need to serve them using our existing staffing allocation, which could result in larger class sizes. At the same time, if enrollment is lower than projected during the Ten Day S.E.A.T. Count, schools may have teaching positions reassigned to other schools based on enrollment needs across the district.

While staffing adjustments are sometimes necessary, our goal remains the same: providing the best possible learning environment for every student. Accurate enrollment numbers help ensure that schools receive the staffing needed to support student success.

August 7- First Walk to School of the Year

August 10- PTO Executive Board Meeting 9am and General Meeting 10 am

August 12th- K, 2nd, & 4th Curriculum Nights (see times below)

August 13th- 1st, 3rd, & 5th Curriculum Nights (see times below)

August 18- Watch Dog Dad Kick Off

August 19- Welcome Back Kona Ice 5-6:30pm

August 28- Colts Campaign Kick Off

August 31st- Science Lab, Mystery Readers, and Lunch Visitors start back for the 26-27 School Year

As we continue settling into our school routines, we are asking all families in Grades 1-5 to say goodbye to their children at the front entrance beginning tomorrow morning. This transition helps us ensure a smooth start to the day and allows students to confidently enter the building with their classmates.

Pre-K and Kindergarten Families: We know our youngest Colts are still getting comfortable with their new surroundings, so families are welcome to continue walking their child into the building and to their classroom for the remainder of this week. We appreciate your partnership as we help our newest students build confidence, establish routines, and enjoy a successful start to the school year.

This is where we will share directly affiliated events and CCES PTO Business Partner information throughout our school year. The Colt Chronicle will not run ads for anyone who is not a PTO Business Partner or directly affiliated with Fulton County Schools.