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The Dunwoody Dispatch

A Project Based Learning School

The DunwoodyDispatchA Project Based Learning School

August 10, 2016

Ivy Goggins, Principal

gogginsi@fultonschools.org

Denise Haltrecht, Asst. Principal

Haltrechtd@fultonschools.org

Upcoming Events

  • 8/26 New Parent Coffee 7:30 am
  • 8/26 Back To School Bash 6-8 pm

  • 8/31 Curriculum Night ( Pk-2nd grade) 5:30-7:30 pm

  • 9/1 Curriculum Night (3rd-5th grades) 5:30-7:30 pm

  • 9/2 PBL Release Planning Day - No School

  • 9/16 New Parent Coffee 7:30 am

  • 9/28 Picture Day

  • 9/29 International Night 5:45-7:45 pm

A Note From Our Principal

Our school year is off to a great start. The students are learning school routines and procedures for classroom and school safety.

The teachers have also begun facilitating “morning meetings” where classmates spend time getting to know each other.

They learn about each other’s interests and practice appropriate ways to interact and communicate.

We have already begun the process of informally assessing what students know through various activities. We will soon begin our diagnostic assessments to determine students’ proficiency levels in reading and math. While your child(ren) may mention having taken a “test”, please know that the results will only be used by teachers to guide their plans for instruction.

I appreciate your patience with regard to afternoon dismissal. The carpool line is typically longest during the first week. Our goal is to ensure we are accurate rather than fast as we deliver students to their cars. The process will improve with time.

I would like to welcome all of our new families and invite you to attend one of the New Parent Coffee sessions scheduled for this semester.

You will have an opportunity to hear about our school initiatives and learn how you can become involved.

The New Parent Coffee Sessions for this semester are on the following Fridays at 7:30 am.

Aug. 26, Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 9 I look forward to meeting you.

We are working to improve school communications. We will use the email addresses collected from classroom teachers to communicate classroom, school and PTA information with you. Teachers will also create grade level webpages, weekly emails and biweekly folders to keep you informed. Please be sure we have accurate emails and telephone numbers as we will also send periodic messages and reminders via email and by phone. Our website is another great resource for school information. Please let us know if you have other ideas to support our attempts to create a better home/school connection.

Thank you for your support as we work together to make learning a wonderful experience for our children.
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Get to know your School Social Worker!

I am here to help parents:

  • Understand, accept, and assume responsibility for their child’s attendance at school.

  • Develop awareness of resources within the community.

  • Find resources to obtain food, shelter, and clothing.

  • Utilize school programs effectively.

  • Communicate with students and the school.


  • Assist families and students with a wide array of issues.


Contact me if and see if I can be of assistance to you, Jasmine Iverson (DSES School Social Worker), Email: iversonj@fultonschools.org Phone: 404-668-7338

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Project Based Learning

Yes parents, it is that time of year when you are checking your calendars for upcoming events! Mark your calendars now for our first Project Based Learning Night. This year we are starting our first projects in late September. Our first PBL Showcase will be held on Thursday, November 10th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. You won’t want to miss the excitement of seeing our students present their impressive projects!

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Counselor's Corner

DSES’s Counseling Office, will continue promoting our Character Education Initiative (CEI) and recognizing students at our monthly Dolphin Awards Assembly this year. Each month, a student from each classroom will be recognized as Student of the Month for displaying awesome character and leadership. Additionally, one student from each classroom will also be recognized as the Dolphin Achievement Award winner for academic growth and progress. Parents of selected students will receive an invitation to attend a

brief ceremony to join us in celebrating their child’s achievements.

The character trait for the month of August is “Fairness”. Students will explore definitions of fairness, decision making, and implementing effective solutions at school and in the community. Teachers will reinforce the concept of fairness in the classroom and I will provide examples and activities during monthly classroom guidance lessons. Parents are encouraged to provide many opportunities to practice character-building at home. Thank you for your support. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or if I can support your child with a specific need. Rhonda Julio 470.254.4060 or at julio@fultonschools.org

Curriculum Matters

We are so excited that the 2016-2017 school year is underway! In order to make sure all of our students get off to a great academic start, they will all be taking a diagnostic reading and math assessment in the coming weeks. All kindergarten students will take the STAR Early Literacy assessment, and all 1st-5th grade students will be take the STAR Reading and STAR Math assessment. This is a computer-based assessment that will give the teachers a beginning of the year level in both areas. Teachers will also be administering a one-on-one reading benchmark assessment that lets them know strengths and weaknesses in literacy of all of our students. Make sure that your children are eating a healthy breakfast and getting a lot of sleep so they can do their very best on these assessments!


Upcoming Important Dates:

PreK-2nd grade Curriculum Night Wednesday, August 31st from 5:30-7:30

3rd-5th grade Curriculum Night Thursday, September 1st from 5:30-7:30


Megan Meneely

Curriculum Support Teacher

meneely@fultonschools.org

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Breakfast

Breakfast is free to all students

is only served from 7:10 until 7:40 AM .

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Online Food Service Account Access

All families have the ability to check their children’s account balance and/or add money to these accounts using the online program “My Payments Plus”. This link will get you to the website: https://mypaymentsplus.com

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Meal Charge Procedure and Courtesy Meal

The procedure for students without adequate funds to purchase school meals allows them to charge up to three (3) days of meals. Students who have charges of three days of meals and do not have any funds in their account will be offered a courtesy meal. The courtesy meal consist of a cheese sandwich & milk.

Clinic Corner

Welcome back everyone! If your child requires medication at school, there are forms that must accompany all medicine distributed to students. Please stop by the clinic and Ms. Geiss will be happy to assist you. We are looking forward to a healthy school year. Feel free to contact Ms. Geiss if you have any questions. geiss@fultonschools.org

NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS OF THE SCREENING AND REFERRAL PROCESS

The consideration for gifted services may be reported or automatic as defined by the GaDOE Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services. The Fulton County School System screens all students for eligibility for gifted services twice a year. Fulton County uses a systematic approach to identify highly capable students who may qualify for gifted services.

I. Automatic Screening- identifies students who score at specified levels on a norm-referenced test as defined in the GaDOE Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services, for further assessment to determine eligibility for gifted services. At the beginning of the school year, TAG teachers review existing test scores in the student record.

Standardized Tests

Students must have minimally a combination of scores that include an 85% or greater and a 90% percentile or greater in two of the three areas of a nationally norm-referenced achievement test: Total Reading, Total Math, and Complete Battery.

STAR Assessment (Fall administration)

    • Grade K: Students must score at the Probable Reader achievement level (Scale Score > 775) on the system’s STAR assessment for Early Literacy (no supporting data needed)

    • Grades 1 – 8: Students must score 90% or greater on the system’s STAR assessment in Reading or Math. ( supporting data is needed)

Acceleration Assessments-

Students must have a minimum or 80% or greater in:

  • Grades K - English/Language Arts and Mathematics. (no supporting data is needed)

  • Grades 1-3- English/Language Arts or Mathematics. (supporting data is needed)

    Georgia Milestones End of Grade Assessment

    Students must score minimally at the Distinguished Achievement Level (4) for English/Language Arts

    or Mathematics. (supporting data is needed)

    Grades 10-12

  • Students must have an overall cumulative average of 95 or greater. (supporting data is needed)

    II. Reported Referrals- A student may be referred for consideration for gifted education services by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, and other individuals with knowledge of the student’s abilities. All referrals are completed through the two system- level screening and referral processes each year. All referrals are first reviewed by the local Eligibility Team to consider if existing information warrants a formal testing for eligibility.

    Classroom Screening- Local schools select a two-week period from January-February to review all students in the school (Grades K-11).

    Classroom teachers use the Characteristics Instrument for Screening Students (CISS) to identify students with superior abilities

    · in five or more of the following areas: motivation, interests, communications skills, problem-solving abilities, memory, inquiry, insight, reasoning, creativity, and humor.

    Students who meet either the automatic screening OR classroom screening criteria AND who have supporting data gathered from test history, products, and/or advanced content levels are referred for gifted placement testing.

    Once referred to testing:

    § Parents receive the Parent Notification for Testing Consent Form.

    § Student is tested for the gifted program.

    § Parents receive test results.

    § If state eligibility is determined, students are placed in the gifted program with parental consent.



Parents may request to view their child’s screening results. For more complete information regarding Fulton County Schools Gifted Services, please visit the Advanced Studies page at : http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/acd/learnteach/Pages/TAG.aspx

CHESTATEE COUNSELING CENTER is here throughout the School Year!

We specialize in supportive counseling and provide services at home as well as at DSES throughout the school year and over the summer. If you are interested in receiving counseling services, please call 706-344-8462 or 678-948-8390 and/or email sandee.chestateecounseling@gmail.com. We are a Medicaid Provider and accept Amerigroup, Centpatico and Wellcare at no cost to you.

We look forward to the opportunity to help you!