The RAMS Reporter

1. M. Agnes Jones Elementary School Atlanta Public Schools The RAMS Reporter School Reform Team 1 Spring Edition April 2, 2010 Linking the School, Home and Community “Continuing the Pursuit of Excellence” First graders “Fly” to Wings By Gwendolyn Alston, SFA Facilitator Our Principal Speaks… Show what you know! • The Georgia Criterion Referenced Test (CRCT) administration will take place April 20th-April 29th. We need to ensure that our boys and girls remain confident and focused. I needyourhelp in order for them to successfully show what they know! • Firstly, please ensure that your child(ren) go to bed early and get to school no later than 7:50 a.m during the test administration days. • Secondly, please make sure that you do not have any conversations on the way to school that will put them in a bad mood. Yes, children can have bad moods as well as adults. • Thirdly, start talking to your child about how to remain committed to finishing the test even if they are tired and bored. This test is very important! • Lastly, let your child know that you will be proud of them if they do their very best! • Testing is a way of life. From toddlers to adults, tests have become a way of measuring what students, as well as adults, know and are able to do. As I reflect on the purpose of the test, which is to “show what you know”, I feel confident our students will do well. The boys and girls of M. Agnes Jones Elementary have been taught well and have mastered the curriculum successfully. Therefore, the more I think about the CRCT administration, the more confident I feel because our boys and girls are awesome! Yes, they will be able to SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW! • Sincerely, All of the first grade students have shown growth this year, but almost half of the children have shown tremendous progress and moved from Roots, our traditional first grade reading program, to Wings, our reading program for second through fifth grades. Because of excellent teachers and staff, motivated students and supportive parents, we are seeing wonderful results. These students are reading and writing with ease as they learn to use clarification, questioning and summarization to help with their understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts. After reading the non-fiction novel, Spiders, Mrs. Vines’ class had to imagine that they were spiderlings and describe their new home. Their ideas were extremely creative and showed great imagination. Their illustrations were outstanding as well. Mrs. Criss’ students are skilled at using graphic organizers to support their writing as they produce articles on a variety of subjects. She stated recently, “They know the purpose of graphic organizers and are able to tell why they use them.” Her class enjoyed reading Grandpa John’s Cane and writing about things they like to do. Mrs. Logan, the newest Wings teacher, will begin her lessons in the fourth quarter. We know that her students will be successful. “Educators nurture the seeds of today so they may bloom into the flowers of tomorrow.” - Author Unknown

2. Partnerships How to handle test stress By Melanie Johnson, Instructional Liaison Specialist Testing time is upon us and unfortunately it can cause undo stress to our children. Here are a few tips from the Institute of HeartMath based on its TestEdge™ programs. Share these with your children ahead of time to better prepare them emotionally and physically for test taking. Practice the neutral tool: It’s important to catch negative mind loops that reinforce self-doubt or uncomfortable feelings. Every time you catch a negative thought repeating itself, stop the loop and practice going to neutral. Start by focusing on the area around your heart. This helps to take the focus off the mind loop. Then breathe deeply. Breathe as if your breath is flowing in and out through the center of your chest. Breathe quietly and naturally, four-five seconds on the in-breath, and four-five seconds on the out-breath. While you’re breathing, try and find an attitude of calmness about the situation. Do this in the days leading up to the test, right before and during the test. Address the what-if questions: A lot of times before we have to do something like take a test, much of the anxiety we feel is a build-up from negative “what-if’” thoughts. What if I fail, what if I can’t remember anything, or what if I run out of time. Try writing a what-if question that is positive and can help you take the big deal out of the situation and begin to see things in a different way. Examples of these kinds of questions are, “What if I can remember more than I think I can?” “What if I can feel calmer than I think I can?” Think good thoughts: Science is showing that good feelings like appreciation can actually help your brain work better. When you feel nervous or anxious, try this. You can do it as many times as you need to or want to. Remember something that makes you feel good. Maybe it is your pet or how you felt when you got a big hug from your mom, or how you felt after a super fun day at the amusement park with your friends. After you remember how you felt, hold that feeling. Pretend you are holding it in your heart. Let yourself feel that feeling for 10-20 seconds or more. It’s important to let yourself really feel that good feeling all over again. Practice this tool right before the big test. Get enough sleep: Big tests require a lot of energy and stamina to be able to focus for several hours. Make sure you get at least eight-10 hours of sleep the night before the test.Have fun: Do something fun the night before to take your mind off the test, like see a movie, play a board game with your family or participate in a sports activity. That way your mind and emotions are more relaxed in the time leading up to the test. Eat a hearty breakfast: The brain needs a lot of energy to maintain focus on a big test for several hours. Eat a hearty and healthy breakfast, including complex carbohydrates and protein to make your energy last as long as possible. Foods such as eggs, cereal and whole-wheat toast help energize your brain to think more clearly and much longer compared with the fast-disappearing bolt of energy from drinking a soda pop or eating a cookie for breakfast. For a snack food, bring simple foods such as peanut butter and crackers, cheese and crackers or a burrito to sustain energy until lunch. Practicing these tools in advance of and during a test can help students limit test anxiety and perform even better on their school work. Source: schoolcounselor.org Making A Difference at MAJ! Georgia-Pacific continues to be an important part of our school and community. This year, approximately 133 employees from throughout the company volunteer, mentor and tutor at our school. Students eagerly await their “Buddies” each day with assignments in hand for extra support. Our Buddies come prepared to teach and mentor our 3rd – 5th grade students. Our partnership activities for this year include: our annual trip to the Governor’s mansion, new computers for the perfect attendance incentive (6), Job Shadowing at GP, and many, many more! Georgia-Pacific also provides the school with a full- time, on-site technology person to support the school in their daily computer needs as well as publications and communication. GP has been a part of the MAJ family for many years and many more to come!” The Cascade-Buckhead Links, Inc. The Links have developed year long self- enhancement and service learning projects with our school. Students meet monthly to discuss and take part in such activities as self-esteem building, public speaking and participate in service learning projects. Our major projects this year is continuing our work with our adopted school in Haiti and implementing United Nations day. MAJ students look forward to working and learning with these extraordinary role-models. Dogwood City Chapter Links, Inc. The Dogwood Chapter of the Links, Inc. continue to share their energy, resources and commitment as they serve as catalysts for positive change at Jones. We are happy to have them join our efforts to curb childhood obesity through project “Walking Fete”, the Keep It Moving Project, and our new breast cancer awareness initiative. Community Churches Support School Friendship Baptist, Warren Memorial United Methodist and Shiloh Baptist continue to support Jones. They provide uniforms, tutoring, supplies and chaperones for trips. We are pleased to have these wonderful supporters for our students.

3. Jump for the health of it! Media News By Gigi Miller – Media Specialist By, Lance Irvin – Physical Education Teacher Although some people associate rope jumping with children on the playground, rope jumping can be traced back to early history. The movement of jumping is a natural one. People have jumped for sport and in some cases, even, jumping out of the way to avoid dangerous animals. Jumping rope is known as rope jumping, skip rope, jump rope and skipping. The activity dates back to ancient civilization and originally was a male activity. Egyptians jumped over vines. Early Dutch settlers were some of the first jumpers in North American history. There are three common misconceptions about rope jumping: You have to be a skilled athlete to jump rope. Although rope jumping is a skilled activity it takes very little time to master the basic jump. The more advanced jumps will require more practice time and coordination. It’s hard on the knees. If done proper, jumping is easy on the knees. When done properly you land on the balls of the feet and not on the heels with the feet and the calves slowly absorbing the force of the impact. It’s too exhausting. It can be tiring for those unaccustomed to the exercise but jumping tricks can be modified so that many can enjoy the activity. Despite what many commercials claim, there is not one perfect exercise. However, rope jumping is an excellent exercise; that you should consider if you are looking for a way to stay fit, train for a sport or just to have fun. It can be performed in a small space, takes less time to achieve desired results than some other exercises, the equipment needed is inexpensive and rope jumping can be performed as an individual activity. Come out and jump for the health of it any Thursday from 4:00-5:30 in our gym. Ropes will be provided and all skilled levels are welcome. If you are interested in learning more about rope jumping you can visit: www.answers.com/topic/jump-rope www.drjump.com During the months of March and April students are encouraged to read and checkout non-fiction books from the school media center or their public library. Below is a list of educational websites that will support nonfictional reading. They can be used to develop and strengthen student achievement in the areas of reading, math, science and social studies. Also, all of the sites are interactive and kid friendly which make reading fun. Social Studies Whitehouse - www.whitehouse.gov America’s Story from America’s Library - www.americaslibrary.gov Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids - http://bensguide.gpo.gov Library of Congress - www.loc.gov/index.html  History Channel Exhibits www.loc.gov/index.html National Museum of American History - http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/ Math and Science Harcourt - www.harcourtschool.comFunbrain - www.funbrain.com Room 108 - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/108.html Reading and Reference Skills Enchanted Learning : www.enchantedlearning.com Fact Monster - www.factmonster.com Understanding Math with Project GRAD By Tyrone Hankerson, Project GRAD Math Facilitator The Project GRAD Mathematics program puts an emphasis on student discovery, reasoning, and mathematics communication. As all of these components come together, mathematical concepts can be better understood and articulated by our students. With this deeper understanding, students also develop a fluency in the facts and procedures of mathematics. Most importantly, students are prepared to proceed to the next grade level with the confidence and skills necessary to move through the curriculum, with a strong foundation based upon understanding rather than memorization. Furthermore, Project GRAD Mathematics instruction incorporates a well articulated algebra strand at every grade level, to insure students’ preparation for higher level mathematics courses during high school and beyond. At M.A. Jones, we are committed to the goals of Project GRAD Mathematics! We are working diligently to provide quality math instruction to each and every student and we welcome your active participation. We know our students thrive from positive home and school communication. Please feel free to visit the following website for more information http://www.projectgradatlanta.org Music Notes By Zipporah Taylor, Music Teacher Over the past six weeks, students in grades third through fifth completed a unit entitled, “Music Meets History.” The students studied the close relationship between music and social studies. Fifth grade students learned that from the loud field drums that kept everyone in step to the sentimental songs that soldiers sang in their free time, music played an extremely important part in the American Civil War. Fourth grade students learned how Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the Battle at Fort Henry during the War of 1812. Third grade students used instrumental beats to memorize facts such as the branches of governments. Stay “tuned” for more exciting news!

4. Classroom News Kindergarten is “buggy” about spring By, The Kindergarten Team Cont’d We also discussed how we can be leaders for the present and future generation. The students and teachers benefited greatly from this experience. We enjoyed taking time to remember the legacies of such influential individuals. Their dreams live on through us. We are excited to enter the home stretch of our 2009-2010 first grade journey. We wish the best of luck and continued success to our awesome first grade students and teachers. Go Team! Guess who is “buggy” about spring? Our kindergarteners are, that’s who! In fact, this is our upcoming theme. Parents, for homework please introduce your child to an insect in the neighborhood. Have them draw a picture and label the parts and write a sentence or sentences describing it. Taking a trip can be an exciting experience, as well as a great opportunity for students to not only learn something new, but also have fun learning. Field trips allow students to take learning experiences from the classroom and apply them to real-life situations. Mrs. Arnold, a paraprofessional in Mrs. K. Ragesdale’s kindergarten class was quoted stating, “All students should take ownership of their learning and a field trip opens the door for them to take an awesome journey.” To show support for their belief, all kindergarten students and teachers took a field trip to the Chattahoochee Nature Center on March 16th. The trip was a success and the students really enjoyed learning outside of the classroom. In addition, our team would like to thank Mr. Reginald Carter for placing terrific Spelman College mentors in our classes to work with our students. They have been a great asset to our classes! Our teachers and students have enjoyed working with each and every one of them. Life is all around second grade By The Second Grade Team All Second graders deserve a roller coaster cheer! ChooChoo! Second graders have been learning about the life cycles of cats, people, butterflies, and frogs. We know how to compare and contrast the lives of frogs and cats. There are some similarities but many differences. Do you know what a larva is? Well second graders do! We know it is a newly hatched form of an insect. A caterpillar is a larva. In addition to looking at insects, we have planted seeds. We know that seeds need sunlight, soil, water and lots of love to grow. Some of our bean plants have grown over 6 inches long. We hope you have a ruler, so you can measure exactly how high our plants have grown. As we prepare for CRCT, we ask that you continue to support your child by returning weekly CRCT practice packets, continue to use Study Island and GOAS, and continue reading nightly for at least 20 minutes. We are very confident that our students are prepared and will do their best. Please be sure to complete all assignments and feel free to ask you child’s teacher any questions, you may have about the upcoming CRCT test. Preparing for Greatness By, The First Grade Team The First Grade Team is moving full speed ahead for success on the GCRCT. Through the use of GOAS, Wednesday tutorial and other test prep strategies, we know that victory is ours. Students are getting ready to show what they know and glow. Goooooooo, First Grade! We would like to give a special shout out to all students of the month: Jaiden Couto, DavionKates, Livya Ross and Demarko Williams. Who did a good job? You, You, You! In honor of Black History month, the First Grade Team studied the lives of famous African-Americans such as Ruby Bridges, Jackie Robinson and Michael Jordan. Activities included comparing the lives of the individuals studied and identifying the characteristics of leadership that they displayed.

5. Classroom News Georgia on our minds! By, The Third Grade Team Cont’d Thumbs up to all 4th grade families that participated in helping students create a functional catapult as a culminating project for our Force and Motion Unit. This ancient weapon was used by warriors in the Middle Ages who wanted to have the upper hand in battles against their enemies. This allowed students to apply their knowledge and demonstrate their understanding of forces and motion. We used marshmallows as our very tasty projectile. Following Force and Motion, other 4th grade students, Ms. Jacob says, have created informational posters, with some fantastic color pictures of different types of simple machines. However, simple is the wrong word to use for their posters. They’ve used what they’ve learned and their knowledge of text features to inform by using diagrams, captions, titles, and lists. Good going on those simple machines. With the CRCT a few weeks away, we continue to push all students to do their best. Tutoring continues on Wednesday afternoons. Also, there will be additional morning sessions added for Social Studies and Science content for those students targeted to meet and exceed the Georgia Performance Standards. You should have received a letter for those informing you of this. Thanks parents for your unending support. Third grade has just wrapped up exploring Georgia, both inside and outside of school grounds. Students learned about the habitats of Georgia in science before going on a field trip to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Students were able to explore the Piedmont habitat with a nature guide. Live animals from the habitat were there for students to look at and ask questions about. “The field trip taught me a lot about the animals that live in Georgia and the habitats that they lived in,” says Kamryn Roland in Ms. Morgan's Class. Dynamic things are happening with the third grade curriculum! Students are enjoying hands-on activities in all subject areas. We are wrapping up and preparing to review skills before the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (GCRCT). The following skills are being taught: In Math, we have finishing studying fractions and decimals. In Social Studies, we finished studying famous Americans and are wrapping up by learning more about economics. In Science, we have finished studying the Georgia habitats and will finish studying how humans affect the environment before moving on to reviewing. In Language Arts, we studied different types of punctuation before moving on to reviewing in English and Language Arts. Fifth Grade Survivor News! by, The Fifth Grade Team   SCIENCE: This quarter the Fifth Grade started the Life Science Unit in science. We learned about plant and animal cells, vertebrates and invertebrates, classification, and heredity. Parents, please feel free to stop by the fifth grade hall to view their quality work. We have a Cell-Ebrity Hall of Fame. We also have 3-D cell projects and poster of providing information on how to go green! SOCIAL STUDIES: In Social Studies we have been learning about WWI and WWII. Students have been studying the many inventions that were created during this time period that impact our way of life today. We are also comparing and contrasting the Holocaust and slavery. MATH: The Fifth Graders have been focusing on finding an area to learn! That means we have been learning about the area of a circle, parallelogram, and complex figures. We are also examining how to find the volume of 3-D figures. LANGUAGE ARTS: Fifth grade students took the writing tests in March. Students were administered test in the following writing genres: persuasive writing, informational writing, and narrative writing. We will continue to work with students in language arts in preparation for the CRCT in April. Fourth Grade: Moving Right Along By The Fourth Grade Team Fourth grade is moving right along with the program! Here are some things that excited us during the third quarter. Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Walker report that all fourth graders are immersed in counting money and using their estimation skills and they’re making progress. To supplement their learning, be sure to have your child determine how much you’re spending at the store and figure out the change you should receive back. Mrs. Moon, has really made Social Studies come alive for our students. While teaching the background of the United States Constitution and its role in U.S. history, she has provided them with authentic-like documentation. They have examined the Constitution as it was originally created! Stop by, you’ll be amazed too!

6. Art at MAJ has a new face! By Michael McMillian – Technology Specialist Los Exploradores By Iris Quiñones – Spanish Teacher M. Agnes Jones Elementary welcomes Mrs. Francine Sinkler-Stowe to the family. Highly recommended by our former Art Teacher Mr. Veon, Mrs. Sinkler brings her own style of art or the students of M. A. J! Please help us as we welcome Mrs. Sinkler as she settles into the halls of our magnificent school. Oh, and if you see her, give her a “YES, YES, YES!” cheer! The 4th grade students are making a connection between the Spanish class and Social Studies.  During the last weeks the students in Ms. Quinones' classroom have been learning about the Spanish conquistadors that visited the New World with Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus). Also the students have met Hernan Cortes and the Aztecs.  They followed Juan Ponce de Leon to La Florida (in flowers) and learned how lasmisiones (the missions) helped the pueblos (town) of the Mexicans. AziyahWorthen a student from Ms. Jacob's class said, “Learning about the explorers in the Spanish class has given us the connections we needed to understand history in a fun way.”  Another student, Briana Holloway she said, “This is a good way of learning history because now we are the ones that look for the information and then we share it with the class.” This is part of the cultural connections we can make when we are learning to understand a language and how to use it in our lives.  Learning Spanish is fun for some, interesting for others, and important for all.. Testing “Time” By Reginald Carter– Communities in Schools Coordinator Parents, as you know proper nutrition and rest are important to your child’s development. As we prepare for upcoming testing April 19 through April 27 will be very imperative for your child or children to go to bed at a reasonable hour. This is necessary in order for your child to receive the physical and mental stamina they require in order to exceed on the C.R.C.T. School doors open at 7:30a.m. and breakfast will be served until 7:50 a.m. Student(s) are late after 8:00 a.m. and will need to see Mr. Carter to be marked present for the day. If you have any questions or concerns about your child arriving to school on time please feel free to contact me at (404)802-3920. Calling all fathers, grandfathers, uncles or brothers of 4th or 5th grade male students! On Friday, April 16, from 6:00 p.m. until Saturday, April 17 at 8:00 a.m. M. Agnes Jones will host their 1st Annual all male Lock-In. This will be a time for all generations to fellowship and converse about life and especially advise our young men on how to be positive and productive U.S. citizens. Did you know? Studies show there is a direct correlation between minutes read per day and student achievement.. Below is a table diagramming these statistics. Percentile Minutes Read Daily # of words read/exposed to per year 90th 40.4 2,357,000 50th 12.9 601,000 10th 1.6 51,000 It's pretty powerful and speaks to the importance of the reading for 20 minutes each and every night! “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” - John Dewey

7. Counselor’s Corner By Mrs. Petrina Howard - Counselor Rams Plaza Shopping By Michael McMillian – Technology Specialist The month of February marked the opening of Ram’s Plaza, a unique shopping experience for the students of MAJ. In order to shop, students must earn “Ram’s Bucks” which was conceptualized by the school’s principal, Mrs. Woolfolk. The store was designed as an incentive booster for children who had perfect attendance, children who have turned in their Read and Respond forms and have come to school with perfect attendance but it also rewards children with exceptional behavior (Caught Doing The Right Thing, good cafeteria conduct, good general conduct) and student with exceeding academic acknowledgements. Items in the store range in price , similar to many of the local department and grocery stores. The stores hours of operation were originally Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:15 but due to the store’s overwhelming success, the hours of operation had to be extended to 2 days, adding Friday with the same hours. The teachers and staff have all donated items to the store. Mrs. Howard, the school counselor and shop coordinator stated, “The store is a wonderful classroom management tool!” Many other staff members have adopted the practice of giving Ram’s bucks as incentives including our school’s bus drivers as well as the Hands On Atlanta afterschool program. So you see, It really does “pay” to be a great student and MAJ! • Parents are you wondering how you can • help your child succeed on the upcoming • CRCT? Here are few test taking tips: • Write test dates on your home calendar. • Schedule your child’s outside appointments and other extra curricular activities on non-test days. • Encourage, encourage, encourage your child to do his/her best work possible! • Make sure your child go to bed early. • On the day of the test, see that your child is well rested and eats a balanced breakfast. • Make sure your child arrives to school on time and is relaxed. • Do not send your child to school ill. There will be make-up test days. • Try not to show signs of anxiousness about the test; such feelings may transfer to your child. • At the end of testing celebrate your child’s success! Homework Hints • Students at MAJ have homework Monday through Thursday evenings. Here are a few hints to help maximize your child’s homework experience! • Provide a consistent and quiet place for your children to complete their homework every night. • Ask your children if they understand their homework. If they do not, work a few examples together. • Utilize the APS Homework Hotline. It’s free and available from 3:00pm-5:00pm, Monday – Thursday evenings. (see ad to the left) • Ask your children to show you their homework after the teacher returns it, to learn where they're having trouble and where they're doing well. See if your children did the work correctly. • Stay in touch with your children’s teacher. Ask about their class and what they are studying. Ask teachers how you can support what they are studying (flash cards, spelling, projects, etc.). • Remember, you and your child’s teacher want the same thing—to help your child learn. • Don't do your children's work. Help your children to learn independently. • Show your children that you think homework is important. If you are at work during homework time, ask to see their work when you get home. • Help older students organize their assignments by recording them on calendars or agendas, along with due dates, dates turned in, etc. Free Homework Hotline 678-553-3029 or www.myhomeworkhotline.org The Atlanta Public School System offers Homework assistance to our students who are in in need of extra support Monday thru Thursday. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade may call between 3pm and 5pm. Students should have the following items before calling: Textbook (if available), homework assignment, paper, pen or pencil and calculator (if needed).

8. ATLANTA BOARD OF EDUCATION Mrs. Brenda J. Muhammad (District 1) Khaatim Sheerer El (District 2) Mrs. Cecily Harsch-Kinnane (District 3) Ms. Kathleen Pattillo (District 4) Ms. LaChandra D. Butler (District 5) Ms. Yolanda Johnshon (District 6) Mr. Eric Wilson (Seat 7, At Large) Mr. Mark Riley (Seat 8, At Large) Mr. Emmett Johnson, President (Seat 9, At Large) ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Dr. Beverly Hall Superintendent Ms. Kathy Augustine Deputy Superintendent Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Sharon Davis-Williams Executive Director School Reform Team 1 LOCAL SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Mrs. Margul Retha Woolfolk Principal Ms. Velva Bass Assistant Principal Mrs. Melanie Johnson Instructional Liaison Specialist Ms. Gwendolyn Alston Design Team Chair Success for All Facilitator Mr. Tyrone Hankerson Project GRAD Math Facilitator Mrs. Petrina Howard Counselor CMCD Facilitator Newsletter Staff 10 Ways to Help Improve Your Child’s Math Skills Promote a positive attitude about math. What you say influences how your child thinks. Incorporate math into your child’s daily life. Have your child count out change or help with recipes that are halved or doubled. Help your child appreciate how math is used in everyday life – for example, in sports, or when making purchases and paying bills. Make math fun. Dominoes, cards and board games that use counting and paper money to improve mental math skills. Ask for explanations of math assignments so you know that concepts are understood. Challenge your child to be persistent about solving difficult math problems. Review your child’s homework and discover together how mistakes were made. Encourage your child to do extra problems to build upon math skills. Talk with your child’s teacher about how you can help with the learning process. Praise your child’s efforts and math accomplishments. REMEMBER – Practice in mathematics is the same as for sports – it helps if your child masters new skills. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Test Taking Tips • Be Positive • Do your homework • Do your best on benchmark and practice tests • Sleep eight hours each night • Eat Right • Dress Right • Be on time • Be Alert, Calm & Confident • Listen carefully and follow directions • Answer what each question asks • Answer questions you know first • Work at the right pace • Smile after each testing session • When you have done your best on the test, BE • PROUD! Staff LaVasia Bullard, Second Grade Teacher Michael McMillian, Technical Assistant Rachael Morgan, Third Grade Teacher School Photographer Yolanda Shorthouse, Paraprofessional M.Agnes Jones Elementary School 1040 Fair Street, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30314 (404) 802-3900 (404) 752-5655 www.apskids.org The Atlanta Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or sexual orientation in any of its employment practices, educational programs, services, or activities. For additional information about non- discrimination provisions, contact the Office of Educational Opportunities Coordinator, 2930 Forrest Hill Drive, S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30315. APS Website at www.atlanta.k12.ga.us