Chip Davis Assistant Principal Jennifer Wilkinson Principal COUGAR CLIPS September 2014 “Climbing To Great Heights” “Welcome back” to all of our Elcan King students, parents and families. We are already well into the 2014-2015 school year. With all of us working together, this can be a great year! BREAKFAST Instruction time begins at 8:00 and students should be finished with breakfast. We don’t serve breakfast beyond 7:55. Instructional Time is very important, and we want our student to have time to finish eating before instruction begins. If your child isn’t here before 7:55, please allow them to eat breakfast at home. BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION We are issuing a challenge to our students. The homeroom who brings in the MOST Box Tops for Education, before October 3, 201, will receive a Pizza Party! Help your child’s homeroom be the number 1 class! CONFERENCES Parents, teachers do not mind setting up a conference with you anytime you have a concern. However, we do preserve our instructional time. Stopping by a classroom in the mornings or at pick up in the afternoons, does interrupt the student’s instruction time, as well as time that teachers are monitoring students. Please send a note to the teacher requesting a conference, or call the front desk, at 229-248-2212, and one will be arranged. Thank you for not interrupting Instructional Time. CLUB DAY We will offer STEM ( Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics) clubs for our students this school term. These clubs will meet on Early Release Days. Teachers will provide several choices of STEM activities on these days for the students. We hope these clubs will help our students develop socially and allow them to develop an interest in different areas of STEM for future college and career readiness. DROP OFF/ PICK-UP It is extremely important that you follow our drop-off and pick-up procedures. We have the safety of all students at the forefront with these procedures. On Scott Street pick-up, you may not park your car and walk up to get your child. This is not safe. You may park at Centennial Field, and walk across to pick up your student. We ask that you follow the guidelines that were sent home at the beginning of the year. These are located in the EKE Handbook. Once the students are dismissed and go outside, the line moves pretty quickly. We have 4 people loading at one time. We appreciate your understanding and helping us keep all students safe. We are also asking that parents on Louise Street to follow the same procedures or park beyond the pickup line, as this is for the safety of our students and staff. We also ask that no one park in a staff parking area, to pick up students. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES For safety, please do not send any elementary age student to the football games unless they have adult supervision. LOST BOOKS If your child loses a book (textbook or library), we encourage you to search for it. If it cannot be found we do ask that you pay for the book. We want each child to have access to books, but we must be good stewards of our resources. Report cards (at appropriate times) will be held if a student owes for a book. McKinney Vento Program If your family lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and is forced to live in any of the following situations:  Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (example: evicted from home, etc.).  In a motel.  In an emergency or transitional shelter.  Have a primary nighttime residence that is not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for humans ( car, park, or campsite) Then your children may have the right to:  Enroll in school without proof of residency, immunization, school records, or other documents.  Choose between their school of origin or the school zoned for where you are currently living, when feasible.  Receive transportation to school.  Attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless. Children cannot be separated from the regular school program because they are homeless.  Receive all the school services available to other students. For more information you may contact Debbie Jones at 229-248-2200, ext. 1044 MEDICATIONS If your student becomes ill, and needs to take an over the counter medication, please send a note stating that the nurse has permission to give this medicine to the student. You will also need to include the time that it should be taken. Remember that it should also be sent in the original bottle. PHONE CALLS Each year we receive an excessive amount of phone calls each day regarding daily afternoon transportation changes. A written notice of change in daily transportation, or afternoon plans must be brought to the school by the student, or parent/guardian. We will not take phone calls for these requests. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation regarding this matter. It is made with your child’s best interest in mind. No request will be accepted after 2:30. PRINTER CARTRIDGES We need your help! We are recycling printer cartridges. If you have any old cartridges or have friends who have old, used cartridges, please send them to school. We appreciate your support. READING Take time to read with your child. By spending 10-15 minutes a day reading to or with your child, you help build a desire in your child to read. This can help them be more successful in all academic areas. SCHOOL PICTURES School pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 16, 2014. Please have your child come to school dressed in bright colors and their smile. ABSENCES/TARDIES Please refer to the Attendance Policy in your Cougar Student Handbook. If you have questions, please contact Mandie Brock. Students who are tardy and/or absent may miss recess in an effort to catch them up on academics. It is important to send your child to school on time daily. SEPTEMBER DATES September 5-Grade Reports Go Home September 9- Zaxby’s Night ( Come Eat Zaxbys!) September 11- Pre-K Career Dress Up Day September 12- Pre-K Career Day September 16- Picture Day September 18-4th Grade Lunch & Learn September 19- Kindergarten PTO Movie Day September 26- Grade Reports go Home September 22-Autumn Begins September 29- Language Benchmark Test – Grades 1-4 September 30-Reading Benchmark Test- Grade- 4 October 1-Math Benchmark Test- Grade 4 October 2-Science Benchmark Test Grades 1-4 October 3- Box Top Challenge Ends