Eagle Family Weekly News

We believe parent and community involvement is critical to student success. When families and our community partner with us, our students benefit—and we want to continue building those meaningful connections at East Lake.

Several families have asked about our PTO, and we are excited about the possibility of revitalizing this important organization. However, without parents willing to serve as executive officers, we will be required to formally dissolve the PTO in September.

If you have a heart for our school and strengths that align with one of these leadership roles, please consider volunteering:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
  
  

You do not have to have PTO experience—just a willingness to serve, collaborate, and help make a difference for our Eagles.

We would love to have you on the team! Please consider whether one of these roles might be a good fit for you. Together, we can build a PTO that strengthens our school, supports our teachers, and creates even more opportunities for our students and families.

Every student matters. Every family matters. Every partnership matters.

I appreciate your consideration!

Dana

When we receive a behavior referral from a teacher, an administrator conducts an investigation to determine whether the reported behavior rises to the level of a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Administrators use the Code of Conduct to determine whether a violation has occurred and, when appropriate, what consequences should be assigned.

This week, we have had several conversations regarding personal electronic devices. Please see the image below for the language from our Student & Parent Handbook regarding these expectations.

If students do not keep their personal electronic devices turned off AND out of sight, the following violations may be considered and assigned, as appropriate:

Level 1.7: Misuse of Personal Electronic Devices

Unauthorized possession, displaying or using a cell phone, or other electronic communication device during the school day.

Level 2.22: Cell Phone Filming or Posting

Using an electronic device to file and/or post images within the school building or on school grounds during the school day, without the permission of a school administrator or designee. Electronic devices include any device used to access the internet, Wi-Fi, cellular telephone signals, or to capture images or video. This includes but is not limited to cell phones, smartwatches, smart glasses, tablets, laptops, Chromebooks, or gaming devices.

As a parent or caregiver, I hope you will become familiar with the behavior expectations outlined in the Code of Conduct and have regular conversations with your student about making positive, responsible choices at school. Just as importantly, please encourage your student to speak up and report behaviors they witness that may compromise the safety, learning, or well-being of others.

Knowing the Code helps us work together to create a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment where every student can learn and thrive.

Students may not carry medication in their backpacks, pockets, or otherwise.

If your child needs medication during the day, they must have a form on file AND all meds must be stored in the clinic. An adult must report to the front office with the medication.

If you have questions, please contact Ms. Patel by calling our front office or by sending her an email: alpa.patel@henry.k12.ga.us.

Check our our own Zoey Stafford who shares information about our most common safety drill conducted with students. We have our second fire drill of the year scheduled for this week!

A huge shout-out to our friends at Georgia-Pacific’s McDonough facility (1400 Highway 42 S)

for their incredible generosity and willingness to share school supplies with our staff! 💙

Their team recently participated in an employee challenge, and our students are the true beneficiaries of their efforts. Our teachers had the opportunity to come in and “shop” for classroom items they still needed—and there was so much excitement and pure joy as they talked about upcoming projects and all the ways these supplies would be put to good use. 📚✏️

We also want to celebrate the work happening right here in our community. The Georgia-Pacific McDonough facility manufactures recycled mailers for customers such as Amazon, turning their work into products that reach households across the country.

Even better, this partnership is just getting started! The Georgia-Pacific team plans to continue supporting our school through opportunities such as Career Day, giving our students the chance to learn more about careers and the people who make a difference in our community.

Thank you, Georgia-Pacific, for investing in our teachers, supporting our students, and being such a wonderful community partner! We are grateful for your generosity and excited about what we can accomplish together!

A special thank-you to our friends at WoodmenLife McDonough for making sure our staff has a welcoming space to meet, collaborate, and relax! This is definitely an upgrade from the furniture that had been repurposed for the space.

And they didn’t stop there! They also made sure we have coffee and snacks on hand for those days when we need a little extra umph to power through. ☕🍪

WoodmenLife offers a variety of insurance products designed to meet the needs of individuals, families, and corporations, making a positive impact both through the services they provide and the communities they serve.

We are grateful for community partners who invest in our staff and help make East Lake a place where every student matters and every moment counts!

Thank you, WoodmenLife McDonough, for supporting our staff and being a valued partner in our school community!

Our first few weeks of school always come with a little traffic learning curve as we work together to establish our routines. This year, we have an increased number of car riders, so we want to make sure everyone is clear on our morning arrival procedures.

This week, our students were in by 7:35 am, so we were able to take attendance as normal! 🎉

🚗 A Few Important Reminders

We have three options for student arrival in the morning:

🚌 BUS LANE — STUDENT DROP-OFF | 7:15–7:30 AM ONLY
The bus lane may be used for parent student drop-off between 7:15 and 7:30 AM only. After 7:30, please use one of the designated car-rider options below.

🔵 RIGHT-HAND LANE — STUDENT DROP-OFF
This lane is for families who are dropping students off at the front of the building at the curb.

🟢 MIDDLE LANE — PARK & WALK
This lane is for parents who prefer to park and walk their student to the curb/front entrance
.

🚨 PLEASE REMEMBER:
NO STUDENT DROP-OFF MAY OCCUR IN ANY LANE EXCEPT A DESIGNATED FRONT-CURB DROP-OFF AREA.

For the safety of our students, students may not exit the vehicle and walk to the curb from the middle or far parking areas without an adult escort.

Be patient. Be alert. Be safe. We are getting there! 🦅

Monday: August 17

• Happy Birthday, Michelle Crerie! 🎂

Tuesday: August 18

• Thankful Tuesday! Call a family member to ask how they are doing and spread some kindness!

Wednesday: August 19

• Walk on Wednesday! Take a 10 minute family walk to notice the beauty of nature around you!

Thursday: August 20

• Happy Birthday, Michelle Crerie! 🎉

Friday: August 21

• Family Night Friday! What are you doing this week? This doesn't need to cost money, just set a tone of intentional time to connect as a family.

Saturday: August 22

• Happy Birthday, Stephanie Housworth! 🎁

Parents,

This meeting is for you! We will share the guidelines, expectations for partnership, and school supports if you want your child to participate in the Science Fair. We hope you can join us!

Thank you,

Ms. Konken

Please note: students may not attend the meeting without an adult present. This is not a "drop and go" event.

Attention 4th and 5th Grade Parents:

Georgia Milestones Assessment scores for Math from SY25-26 are accessible in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. We are still awaiting ELA scores. You will be notified when they are available.

To access the math scores from Infinite Campus Parent Portal:

1. Click on your student’s name.

2. Click on the “More” tab in the drop down menu.

3. Then, click on the “Assessments” button.

• BL stands for Beginning Learning

• DL stands for Developing Learner

• PL stands for Proficient Learner

• DI stands for Distinguished Learner

You will be able to see your child’s Milestones EOG scores from the previous school year. For more information on how to interpret the scores click here or tap the image.

Our Backpack Buddies program is designed to support families who may benefit from additional food assistance over the weekend. Students enrolled in the program receive a discreet bag of non-perishable food each Friday to help ensure they have access to meals when school is not in session. If you would like your child to participate, please sign up using the QR code.

Click here for additional details about routines and procedures at East Lake.

Volunteer to serve coffee and muffins on Grandparents Day by clicking here

Grandparents Day is September 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Do you miss the book fair of your youth? If so, this volunteer opportunity is for you! The fall BOOK FAIR is August 27-September 3 and we need volunteers!

If this sounds like the volunteer opportunity you have been waiting for, click the link below and choose a time to volunteer. Please note August 25 is for set up (the fair will not be open on this day). Thank you so much for making this book fair possible for our students!

Sign Up Link Here

Please see the menu and details for increased cost of lunch and breakfast this year. You can find details and submit an application for the Free & Reduced Lunch Program by clicking this link and choosing the best option.

As part of our 4H work, 5th grade is collecting silver poptabs for a good cause (The Ronald McDonald House)! There is a class competition at the 4H level, but all donations from other grade levels will be split between the 5 classes to turn in. It's a win-win, really! East Lake loves to be the best in all things...so if you can help us out, we'd be most grateful!

As we journey through the year, if you have questions about grades, instruction, or other classroom-specific matters, please reach out directly to your child’s teacher. Barring unusual circumstances, you can expect a response within 24 business hours. (I fully encourage—and actually prefer—that our teachers disconnect on weekends and school holidays to recharge and rest.)

If you have questions or concerns that extend beyond the classroom, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the school. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th Grade Administrator: Ms. Varian
Corletha.Varian@henry.k12.ga.us

1st, 3rd, and 5th Grade Administrator: Ms. Southern

Melissa.Southern@henry.k12.ga.us

Principal: Dana Flowers

Dana.Flowers@henry.k12.ga.us

With your ongoing support and partnership to ensure safe, secure, and supportive learning environments, we are confident that this will be our greatest adventure...yet!

As a service to our families, Ms. Varian has created a Bus Remind to provide you with the pertinent details regarding bus transportation that is specific to your child's route.

We encourage you to sign up for the Remind group for your child’s bus only. We will use this platform to share important transportation updates, changes, and information as it becomes available.

Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our families informed and our students’ transportation experience running smoothly! 🦅

Your child has access to hundreds of eBooks and audiobooks through the Sora app! Sora is available on your student's Launchpad and can also be downloaded from app stores on other devices, making it easy to read anytime, anywhere. We're excited to celebrate that Henry County students have reached an incredible milestone of ONE MILLION Sora checkouts! Thank you for helping make reading a daily habit.

What can reading 20 minutes each day do for your child?

The Power of 20 Minutes

• Word exposure: You read 1.8 million words a year.

• Book count: You finish about 30 books a year (10 to 15 pages a day).

• Better focus: Sitting down for 20 minutes trains your brain to pay attention.

• Lower stress: Reading helps your body and mind relax.

At East Lake, we believe that all students can learn and grow in a safe, respectful, and supportive environment. Creating this environment is a shared responsibility among staff, students, and families.

We are committed to ensuring that every student is treated with dignity and respect. Positive behavior is not only encouraged—it is intentionally taught, modeled, and reinforced by our staff. These lessons help students develop the confidence, skills, and attitudes they need to succeed in school and beyond.

We also know that when schools and families partner together, students thrive. We ask our families to join us in reinforcing positive behavior messages at home to create consistency and shared expectations.

💫 What Does It Mean to SOAR at East Lake?

Our students are encouraged to demonstrate the following core behaviors each day:

• Safe

• On-Task

• Accountable

• Respectful

These four pillars of behavior guide all interactions and expectations within our school.

🏆 Recognizing Positive Choices

Students have multiple opportunities to be recognized for making positive behavior choices:

• Weekly Eagle Feather Drawings with fun prizes

• Random Acts of SOARing recognition

• Classroom Awards

• Quarterly Behavior Celebration Days (every 9 weeks): Students who meet the behavior point requirements during each term will be invited to participate in these celebrations.

⚠️ When Behavior Doesn’t Meet Expectations

We understand that children are learning and growing, and sometimes mistakes happen. When students exhibit minor behaviors that disrupt the learning environment, we implement our
5-Step Behavior Plan:

1. Warning – Reminders and reset opportunities provided

2. Conference with student – Guided support of behavior expectations

3. Behavior Reflection – Reflection will be completed by student & sent home for parent review

4. Citation Form – Citation completed and sent home for parent signature

5. Behavior Check-In with member of A-Team (Principal, AP, Heart Coach, Counselor or Instructional Coach)
   
   

Each of these steps will reduce the number of stars students earn in one day. Daily star accrual will help determine eligibility for positive behavior celebrations.

Please know the following:

• Prior to issuing a step, teachers have provided reminders, behavior interventions (as appropriate for individual students), and opportunities for improvement.
• All staff members may redirect your student's behavior.
• Specials teachers will communicate behavior concerns with homeroom teachers.

📝 More Serious Violations

For behavior that violates the Henry County Schools Code of Conduct, a formal Behavior Referral will be submitted to administration (Ms. Flowers, Ms. Southern, or Ms. Varian). In these cases:

• An investigation will occur of the incident reported.

• A consequence will be issued based on district guidelines.

• The student may become ineligible to attend the Behavior Celebration.
  
  

By working together, we can help every student SOAR—not just in behavior, but in learning and life!