Mustang Newsletter
Cliftondale Elementary School-Community Newsletter
Cliftondale Elementary School-Community Newsletter
September 12, 2025
Happy Friday!
It was another great week of teaching and learning at the VERY BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in all of Fulton County Schools!!!!! Please review our updates for the week ahead.
Thank you, Ms. Spear, for celebrating Mrs. Ezell! Ms. Spear shared that Mrs. Ezell always goes above and beyond to help with any need, big or small, and today she wanted to take a moment to recognize and celebrate Mrs. Ezell.
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ALL IN ON ATTENDANCE β September is the perfect time to set consistent morning and bedtime routines that make school attendance a natural habit. Students who start the year strong are more likely to maintain excellent attendance all year long.
Students who miss fewer than 5 days in the first semester are 3 times more likely to stay on track in reading and math.
The late bell rings at Cliftondale at 7:40 am. Students should be in their classroom ready to learn at that time. Please email our Data Clerk, Ms. Allen at allenk3@fultonschools.org any medical documentation for absence.
ATTENDANCE AWARENESS SPIRIT WEEK: As shared in our newsletter last week, September is Attendance Awareness Month. Every day in school is an opportunity for growth and learning. By prioritizing and supporting regular attendance, we can help our children thrive both academically and personally. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
What better way to bring awareness to attendance than with a SPIRIT WEEK!!! We love spirit weeks in schools π and displayed below are our daily themes. Most importantly, I can't wait to see which class has THE BEST ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER! There may be a prize waiting!!!!
- We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 16th, for our Annual Title I Meeting at 5:30 PM in the cafeteria. Curriculum Night will begin immediately following the Title I Meeting at approximately 6:15 PM. We canβt wait to see you there
GRANDPARENTS DAY WAS AWESOME
Today we celebrated our grandparents, and what an awesome time we had!
Thank you for allowing us to fellowship with your studentsβ grandparents today. We look forward to welcoming them again next year!
A special thank you goes to Mr. and Mrs. Burney and Ms. Neal for generously volunteering your time to help with the setup and takedown of this event. Your support made the day even more special!
π Cliftondale PTA Updates β Get Involved & Win Big! π
π Cliftondale PTA Updates β Get Involved & Win Big! π
The Cliftondale Elementary PTA is excited to launch two important initiatives to strengthen our school community:
π£οΈ Family Survey
We want to hear from YOU! Please take a moment to complete our quick family survey at https://bit.ly/CESFamilySurvey. Your feedback helps us better support our students, families, and staff.
π The Ultimate Membership Battle
Join the fun and help your grade or class win big! This schoolwide competition is open to parents, teachers, and students:
- Parents: $50 entry = Dinner Raffle + Voting Rights
- Teachers: $100 entry = Lunch Raffle + Voting Rights
- Students: $25 entry = Principal for the Day Raffle + Voting Rights
π Top Grade = Ice Cream Social
π Top Class = Pizza Party
The battle ends September 15th at 11:59 PM, so donβt wait! Scan the QR code or visit our website https://bit.ly/CESPTAMember to join the challenge and make a difference!
MARK YOU CALENDARS!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!
SEPTEMBER 2025
- September 1st: Labor Day - School Closed/No School for Students and Staff
- September 5th: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
- September 12th: 4.5 Week Progress Report (Viewable in Parent Portal)
- September 16th: Annual Title I Meeting at 5:30 PM
Curriculum Night immediately following the Title I Meeting
OCTOBER
- October: Conference Month
- October: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
- October 8th: Fall Picture Day
- October 10th: 9-Week Progress Report (Viewable in Parent Portal)
- October 13th-17th: Fall Break - School Closed/No School for Students and Staff
- October 22nd-31st: Boosterthon Fundraiser
- October 23rd-31st: Red Ribbon Week
- October 20th: District 4 Community Meeting - Cliftondale ES at 5:30 pm
- October 30th: Trunk or Treat and Math Event
- October 31st: Boosterthon Color Run
NOVEMBER
- November 4th: Election Day/Teacher Workday - No School for Students
- November 7th: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
- November 18th-19th: Title I Technology Workshop
- November 18th-19th: Holiday Luncheons
- November 21st: Fall Picture Retakes
- November 21st: 13.5 Week Progress Reports (Viewable in the Parent Portal)
- November 24th-28th: Thanksgiving Break - School Closed
DECEMBER
- December 5th: Mustang of the Month at 8:30 am
- December 9th-11th: Winter Concerts - TBA
- December 17th-18th: Class Holiday/Semester 1 Celebration
- December 19th: Last Day of First Semester
SEPTEMBER IS ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH
The Impact of Regular Attendance
As we observe Attendance Awareness Month, it's crucial to highlight how everyday attendance significantly impacts our children's educational journey. Consistent school attendance is more than just a routineβit's a key factor in their academic and social development.
Why Attendance Matters:
- Academic Achievement: Studies show that students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve academic success. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students who miss 10 or more days of school in a year are significantly less likely to graduate on time. In fact, students who miss 10-20% of the school year (18 or more days) are at risk of falling behind in their studies.
- Social Skills Development: Regular attendance helps children build strong relationships with peers and teachers. The National Center for Children in Poverty found that students with consistent attendance are more engaged in school and participate more in classroom activities.
- Long-Term Success: Data from the National Education Association indicates that students who develop good attendance habits early on are more likely to succeed in higher education and future employment. Regular attendance helps build discipline, time management, and commitmentβskills valuable for lifelong success.
How You Can Help:
- Create a Routine: Establish a consistent daily schedule that includes time for homework, extracurricular activities, and adequate rest. This helps children understand the importance of routine and punctuality.
- Monitor Attendance: Keep track of your childβs attendance records and address any issues promptly. If your child is struggling with frequent absences, donβt hesitate to reach out to school staff for support and resources.
- Communicate with Us: If there are barriers to regular attendance, such as health concerns or family challenges, let us know. We are here to work with you to find solutions and provide assistance where needed.
Every day in school is an opportunity for growth and learning. By prioritizing and supporting regular attendance, we can help our children thrive both academically and personally.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
DON'T WAIT...JOIN PTA TODAY!
π«π«NO PERSONAL DEVICES ALLOWEDπ΅π΅
ππHOUSE BILL 340 l DISTRACTION-FREE EDUCATION ACTππ
Distraction-Free Education Act
House Bill 340 | Fulton County Schools
In alignment with Georgiaβs new Distraction-Free Education Act (House Bill 340), all Fulton County elementary and middle school students (Grades Kβ8) are prohibited from using or accessing personal electronic devices during the school day.
Prohibited Devices Include (but are not limited to): Cell phones, Smartwatches, Laptops, Tablets, E-readers, Smart glasses, Headphones, Any device with wireless communication, messaging, internet access, gaming, video recording, or social media capabilities. These devices must remain powered off and stored away during school hours, including classroom time, lunch, recess, and transitions. We appreciate your support in helping us create a focused, distraction-free learning environment for all students.
Although breakfast and lunch is free for all students, students may purchases extra food portions or snacks. As we are a cashless school, students should not bring cash to school for these purchases. All funds must be added online through MySchoolBucks. Parents should visit MySchoolBucks
to add funds to their child's account in order for students to purchase ice cream, snacks, or extra food portions during lunch.
Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and efficient cafeteria experience!
FCS School Nutrition
All families are required to log in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and verify emergency contacts and household information through the βCensus Updateβ feature. This ensures schools can contact you quickly in case of an emergency. Each student must have at least one emergency contact who is not a parent or guardian.
To read Board Policy - JGFC Emergency Release of Students and Dismissal Precautions, CLICK HERE
APEC AFTERCARE INFO.
Scan the QRCode on the flyer or CLICK HERE to enroll your child(ren).
π²470-701-4973
SCHOOL UNIFORMS & OTHER SPIRIT WEAR
π΅βͺπ‘π΅βͺπ‘
Cliftondale remains a uniform school, and we will continue to encourage all students to wear our school uniform Monday - Thursday.
Our uniform consists of:
Top: Navy blue, yellow/gold, or white
Bottom: Khaki or navy blue
Uniforms and other school spirit wear are available through our online spirit store:
https://www.cliftondalestore.com/
Thank you for your continued support in helping us promote school pride and a sense of community!
πππCAR RIDER SAFETYπππ
- Please be alert at all times! We have students exiting vehicles, parents and students crossing the street, and staff supporting students as they exit their vehicle. Please be attentive to all mustangs.
- Please do not park in the car rider loop. The car rider loop is for quick drop offs only. If you would like to exit your vehicle and escort your child into the school, please park in a nearby visitors parking space. Parents may escort students to class up until 7:35 am daily.
- For morning drop-off, parents are expected to ONLY use the car rider loop where staff members are monitoring students. Parents SHOULD NOT release students from their vehicles in the parking lot.
- Parents SHOULD NOT park along any red curb.
- Parents SHOULD NOT pass other vehicles in the car rider line or while in the school parking lot.
- Please have your student ready to exit from the passenger side of the vehicle. This means, make sure his/her bookbag and other belongs are ready and easily accessible. This speeds up the process tremendously!
- For car rider drop off & pickup, please pull all the way forward to cone #1.
- Help your student learn his/her car rider number for afternoon pickup.
- Please be patient!
INFINITE CAMPUS - PARENT PORTAL
Are you registered for your Campus Parent Portal Account? If not, REGISTER TODAY! Everything you need as a parent is contained in the parent portal. You can monitor your student's grades throughout the school year, review your child's schedule, download progress reports and report cards, update your contact information, register other students within your household, withdrawal your student and so much more! If you already have an account, you do not need to register again. New users should click the link provided to register: Parent Portal Registration
*Please note, if you DO NOT have an email address on file, you will be unable to register via the provided link. Please call the school and ask for our Data Clerk, Ms. Allen.
"Here Comes The Bus App" is a free, easy-to-use website and app that enables you to see the location of your childβs school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This way, you know when the bus is near your stop, so you can send your child out at just the right time. No more worrying about whether your child has missed the bus! If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's assigned bus or bus stop, please contact FCS Transportation Department at 470-254-6060 OR contact our supervisor:
Cheowana Henderson, Supervisor
Hendersonc1@fultonschools.org
Charisse Weigner, Special Needs Supervisor
weignerc@fultonschools.org
- The app will request a school code, which is 87428
- How do you access your student's student ID number? Parents may access their child's student ID number from the parent portal in Infinite Campus.
- If you add your child and the bus number or bus stop is incorrect, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson
- If you add your child and their is no bus route displayed, please contact our supervisor, Ms. Henderson.
FY 26 CODE OF CONDUCT
School safety remains a top priority for us in Fulton County Schools. We take maintaining a safe and secure learning environment very serious. I expect all Cliftondale students, parents and staff members act in a manner that keeps everyone safe. I strongly encourage all parents to review the Code of Conduct, and speak with your child about his/her behavior. When incidence of misconduct arise, consequences will be assigned based on the infraction as detailed within the Code of Conduct.
DISTRICT 4 COMMUNITY MEETING
Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all members of the community. The sessions provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns.
π© CONTACT USπ©
Principal: Mrs. Canty- cantya@fultonschools.org
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Long- longt@fultonschools.org
Curriculum Support Teacher: Yazmin Hicks- hicksz@fultonschools.org
School Counselor: Sara Porter - porters5@fultonschools.org
504 Coordinator/MTSS - Tanya Hall- hallt5@fultonschools.org
Instructional Support Teacher: Dr. Shabo- shabog@fultonschools.org
Literacy Coach: Mrs. Kalista- kalista@fultonschools.org
Literacy Coach: Ms. Johnson- johnsonkr1@fultonschools.org
Math Coach: Mrs. Everett - everettba@fultonschools.org
Parent Liaison: Ms. Render- renderhh@fultonschools.org
School Social Worker: Dr. Carver- carvera@fultonschools.org
APEC Afterschool Enrichment - cliftondale@apecprep.com