Mustang Newsletter

Happy Friday!

It’s been another fantastic week of teaching and learning here at the BEST elementary school in Fulton County! Our teachers continue to inspire, and our students are thriving. This week, we had district personnel visit to observe our literacy blocks, and I am so proud to give a big shout-out to our incredible teachers and students for the outstanding job they did!

Please review our updates for the week ahead.

• STUDENT DEVICE PROTECTION: The signup window for families will close on September 26, 2025. *After the close of the extended signup window, families can still contact the Technology Support Center at 470-254-HELP (4357) to sign up for the plan. However, the local school-based Technology Support Specialist will inspect the device prior to initiating the coverage.
  
  As previously shared, parents will be charged full price for damaged and lost devices, as opposed to the reduced fees. To help families avoid unexpected repair or replacement costs, we offer an Optional Student Device Protection Plan that provides affordable coverage throughout the school year.

• Fulton County Schools is facing growing financial pressures that threaten its ability to sustain critical services for students and staff. Rising costs, declining student enrollment, and changing local and state funding conditions are driving a projected budget shortfall.
  
  G.L.I.D.E. (Growth Opportunities, Lean Operations, Investment in Innovation, Diversify Revenue and Enhance Efficiency) is the district’s strategic approach using current data and reasonable projections to identify financial risks so budgetary concerns are proactively addressed before they are urgent. This framework outlines a path for a cumulative fiscal adjustment of approximately $93 to $95 million over the next five years in order to maintain a healthy fund balance.

• Our PBIS Spirit Week will be October 6th-10th 🎉 Not only will we celebrate with fun activities, but students will also have the special opportunity to take a personal picture with Marco or Megan, our school mascots. 🦅📸

• IMPORTANT❗❗ UPDATING EMERGENCY CONTACT ❗❗ At Fulton County Schools, we prioritize student safety. Emergencies happen. When they do, preparedness is the key to handling them well. We ask that all parents or guardians who have not listed an emergency contact to update their emergency contact list to include one person who is not the parent/guardian. If the parent or guardian is not accessible due to an emergency, it is important that the school has an approved person to contact regarding your student.
  
  Thank you for updating your emergency contacts at your earliest convenience.
  EMERGENCY-RELEASE-STUDENTS.pdf
  Link to parent portal: https://www.fultonschools.org/infinitecampus

• ANNUAL TITLE I NIGHT & CURRICULUM NIGHT: This past week, we hosted our Annual Title I Meeting and Curriculum Night. Many thanks to the families that attended our Annual Title I Meeting and Curriculum Night! The purpose of this meeting was to inform parents of the school’s participation under Title I and explained the requirements, as well as the right of parents to be involved in the education of their child. Please use the link below to review the Title I presentation from Tuesday. Please make sure to complete the evaluation link at the end of the presentation. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
  https://bit.ly/Evaluation_FE

October marks National Bullying Prevention Month, and the Office of Student Supports is committed to fostering safe and respectful learning environments for all students. Bullying—whether verbal, physical, social, or digital—has no place in our schools, and together, we can make a difference.

This month, we are amplifying our efforts to raise awareness and promote prevention through the following initiatives:

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 25th: Family Matters - Tr-Cities HS
• 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 & 20th: 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

📍 Location: Langston Hughes High School

📅 Date: Friday, September 26, 2025

🕓 Time: 5:00 pm-7:00 Pm

Please help us by:

✅ Sharing the event on your school’s website and social media

✅ Encouraging families to attend

✅ Spreading the word throughout your community

Let’s come together to celebrate and create lasting memories!

UPCOMING STUDENT HOLIDAYS: Please mark your calendar for the following upcoming student holidays for Fall Break:
-Monday, October 13th
-Tuesday, October 14th
-Wednesday, October 15th

-Thursday, October 16th

-Friday, October 17th
We will welcome all students back to school on Monday, October 20th

Distraction-Free Education Act

House Bill 340 | Fulton County Schools

In alignment with Georgia’s new Distraction-Free Education Act (House Bill 340), all Fulton County elementary and middle school students (Grades K–8) 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 “Census Update” 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

Scan the QRCode on the flyer or CLICK HERE to enroll your child(ren).

📧cliftondale@apecprep.com

📲470-701-4973

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!

• 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!

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 child’s 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.

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.

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.

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