Elberta Middle School PTSO Newsletter September 2008

1. Elberta Middle SchoolPTSO NewsletterSeptember 2008

2. From the Principal’s Desk I want to thank everyone for a wonderful opening of school. As we continue to open school we all look forward to another good year working with you and your children. We want to extend an invitation to visit often. It looks like a really great year ahead. We have planned for exciting and academically challenging classes. Each year at EMS we strive to do a little better than the year before. This year test scores are high. Our school met all 17 of its AYP goals. Our students achieved in the 90th percentile in all grades in both reading and math. We are so proud. I want to thank all the countless volunteers who have come to our school to help out with school start-up. Orientation and the first few days of school were a great success. Thank you for showing your support. Our PTSO parent volunteers are an invaluable resource to us. We want to continue the tradition of providing some helpful hints to get everyone off to a good start. As we settle into the new school year remember to set aside time every evening to go over your child’s planner, it will provide you with a tremendous amount of information about school policies, upcoming events and serve as the best way to communicate between you and a teacher. Also available are EMS webpage, email, STI Home, telephone conferences, traditional conferences, and notes between parents and teachers. Establish a set school routine including times for bed and getting up in the morning, doing homework and watching television. With a little practice and commitment we will all soon have made the transition from summer activities to school days.   We look forward to seeing all of you again at our Open House September 16, 2008. At Open House you will have a chance to see your children’s work and another opportunity to meet all of their teachers. We hope you plan to attend this important parent night. During a brief assembly prior to classroom visits I will share the 2008 test scores and give a quick overview of programs for this year. Be sure to attend you won’t want to miss any of the exciting information we have to share. I also want to invite each and every parent, student, family member, and community member to join our PTSO. Parents and students remember this is your school. I encourage you to get involved. We have many projects and activities all year long that require volunteers as well as student participants. The more you put into something the more you will get from it. We are looking forward to another great year at Elberta Middle. Thank you Jan Peacock

3. Elberta Football Elberta Raider Football Schedule for 2008 Aug 26th Jamboree Home Sept 4th Cottage Hill Away Sept 11th Summerdale Home Sept 18th UMS-Wright Away Sept 25th Perdido Home (Homecoming) Oct 2nd Bayside Away Oct 9th Mobile Christian Home Oct 16th Summerdale Away COME SUPPORT THE RAIDERS!

4. Volleyball Volleyball Schedule Sep 4th Perdido Home Sept 8 Bayside Away Sept 11 Mobile Christian Home Sept 15 Summerdale Away Sept 18 Cottage Hill Away Sept 22 Perdido Away Sept 25 UMS Home 7th grade games begin at 4:30, 8th Grade follows. Sept 29-Oct 2 tournament at Bayside.

5. Cheerleaders Cheerleaders from Elberta have been selected to participate in the UCA Thanksgiving Day Tour in Orlando, Florida. They will all march in the pre-parade performance in Disney World. They are all very excited. The trip is costly and they are asking their community for help. Please help by sponsoring them. They are selling raffle tickets – 2 drawings – 50 lbs of shrimp per drawing. Just ask them, they will get you your tickets. If you don’t want a raffle ticket – send in a cash donation. Make checks payable to the Elberta All-Star Cheerleaders and mail to P. O. Box 460; Elberta, Al 36530. Also, they are placing fund raising buckets around town and are asking that you drop in your change. Thanks for all you do as our school family and our community to help enable our students and specifically these girls, to excel and achieve their goals. YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!!!

6. Counselor’s Corner ARMT (Alabama Reading and Math Test) and SAT-10 (Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition) Results - Students’ test results from this past spring were sent home the end of the first week of school. If you did not receive your student’s test scores or if you have questions, please contact Mrs. McLean, School Counselor, at 251-986-8127. BBSST (Building Based Student Support Team) – Elberta Middle School has in place a school-based collaborative team designed to meet the diverse needs of general education students at risk of failure due to chronic academic and/or behavior challenges. The team meets monthly to review students referred by teachers and develops a plan which includes goals and a process for monitoring success. If you have concerns in the areas of grades or behavior, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. RED RIBBON WEEK – Put the dates of October 27 – 31 on your calendar and get ready for lots of fun events as Elberta Middle School celebrates Red Ribbon Week!

7. FACS News Mrs. Goforth’s Family and Consumer Science students made Time Capsules and practiced their public speaking skills by presenting their items in class.  They are going to “bury” the boxes in the back of a closet or under the bed and not open them until 2013, their senior year.  This has been a fun project.  The Baldwin County Fair in Robertsdale is scheduled for Sept. 23-27.  It will offer two opportunities for FACS students and our FCCLA club.  The FCCLA students are planning a very interesting fair booth.  Be sure to go by and see it.  The annual Sweet Potato Contest will culminate with the county contest at the Fair on Tues, Sept. 23.  One student from each of the Baldwin County Middle and High Schools can enter for nice prizes donated by the local Sweet Potato Council.  The EMS contest to choose our entrant will be held soon.  Students are selecting their recipes now.  All FACS students are learning about kitchen safety and sanitation.  Parents, be watching for a homework project that you will appreciate.  Your teen will be required to clean out the home refrigerator.  I look forward to your comments. We will begin working in the kitchen soon.  Volunteers are welcome!

8. Office Reminders ** Please have photo identification ready for school personnel when checking out a student, having lunch, or visiting our campus. ** This year we will not be calling students to the office for check-out until parent/guardian have come in to the office and presented their identification. ** For transportation changes, please call the school before 1:00 p.m. ** Office hours: 7:30-4:00 ** Teachers cannot be pulled from classes to speak with parents. If a need arises – please set-up a conference with your child’s teacher before you come to the school.

9. Extended Day Elberta Middle School offers Extended day for students up to age 14.  We no longer transport students from the Elementary to the Middle school.  Cost is $7.00 per day. Time is 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Monday – Friday.  Please contact Dawn Mosley for more information and registration.