KSE Administration

Q & A

Friday Q & A

December 20, 2019

 

Now let’s talk standardized testing.. any chance we can get rid of those in the coming future? :) From your keyboard clicks to the testing god’s ears!  I can tell you that CogAT and IOWA testing will likely not go away because those are nationally normed tests.  Our superintendent has been working with the state to determine if Cobb can move away from giving the Georgia Milestone test and use the assessment system that has been developed within the county.  Stay tuned for updates. 

What is the school's actual attendance policy as far tardies are concerned?  For a parent that has children at both campuses and has to drop off at both- things can get a bit hectic in the morning.  What's interesting is that I've witnessed on multiple occasions where at the 3 - 5 campus people will stand in the vestibule at the front entrance between 7:45 am and 7:50 am and direct students into the office to get tardy slips, even if they entered the building before the bell rang.  I specifically remember my son telling me one morning that the bell rang as he left out of the office after obtaining his tardy slip.  On mornings when the carpool like spills out of the parking lot onto Reed Road (or Brown), I think that it is unfair to mark the children as tardy when they honestly have no control over how fast the line moves. Dawn or another staff member will stand in the vestibule handing out green “NOT TARDY” slips when the carpool line is long.  We want to make sure that teachers know that the students are in the building.  An announcement is also made for teachers not to mark students tardy when the line is long.  We are very lenient with tardies when the line is long at either campus.  When a student is tardy and checks in through the office, someone writes their name down so that the tardy can be marked in the computer. 

Hello and Happy Holidays! I was wondering if parents are able to send notes about what we would like our children to do during ASP? For example, practice sight letters, writing, math, etc.? I understand that it must be challenging to pay attention to individual needs of all the kids who benefit from the program, but was just thinking about ways to keep my child occupied, especially now that there won't be any enrichment programs next semester. Thank you! Unfortunately, that is not something that we can do during ASP.  There is a reading time built into the schedule each day.  Students are welcome to study during reading time.

 

Take a look at the new aerial photos posted to the Construction Blog!

 

Wishing all of you a peaceful holiday break!

 

 

Q & A

Friday Q & A

January 17, 2020

 

I was looking at the 2020/21 county calendar and noticed there are no early release dates listed. Is this correct or will they add them in as the school year approaches? Thanks for looking ahead and asking.  I spoke with the district and there will be early release days again next year.  The calendar will be updated sometime in the spring.

Is it true that Rise Up has been allowed to continue as a club and if so why was that allowed?  Yes, Rise Up is still meeting.  They made arrangements with Tillman Church to use their facility.  The students do ride the bus over to K-2 and then are walked to Tillman.  The program and dismissal from the program happen at the church.

With all the rain, is construction still on target? Yes!

 

Q & A

Friday Q & A

January 10, 2020

 

How are we discussing cultural and religious tolerance at school with students?  In the month of February our counselors do developmentally appropriate lessons on the topic of tolerance and inclusion. Throughout the year they incorporate books into lessons and work to make sure that the books have characters with different types of backgrounds. They do not specifically discuss cultural and religious tolerance as it does not align with a specific standard, rather we teach students to demonstrate empathy, and to use leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively work in diverse teams. I think that at this age one of the most important things that we can do as adults is model the kind of behavior we want to see in our children. In February we will be introducing “Kindness Week,” look for coming details.

How are the Boosterthon and the Heart challenge related? We got both flyers sent home this week so I am confused on the difference (if there is one?).  These are 2 separate events.  Boosterthon is a PTA fundraiser that supports school initiatives.  Healthy Heart Challenge, formerly Jump Rope for Heart, is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.  All school in Cobb County participate in the Healthy Heart Challenge.

My child was tested for gifted but was ultimately not selected, is that why he is now enrolled in the Spring Talent Development program? Is this different from the Target teachers coming to visit the whole classroom every week (first grade)?  Thank you!  During the first semester in first grade, the target teachers did whole group and smaller group pull out talent development because their schedule allowed for that and the classroom teachers were agreeable to it. Now that additional students have qualified for the Target program, our target teachers are only doing small group pull out Talent Development this semester.

 

Hi, I’m a first time parent of a 5th grader and I’m anxious to prepare my child for the transition to middle school. How does KSE help students and parents plan, prepare and be prepared for this first big transition? Thank you! Starting in two weeks Mrs. Hatcher will have a three-part lesson series on organization in order to prepare for multiple classes. She will also do a lesson on how to open locker combinations (past needs assessments have shown that this is a huge concern for kids). In the past few months she has worked with the Griffin Middle School counselor to identify some of the most challenging things that current 6^th graders faced this year and we will do some lessons to cover those topics as well. Kids will take a tour of GMS during the school day (be looking for a permission form to come home for that) and the GMS counselors will come and talk to all the 5^th grade classes, giving the kids a chance to ask questions.  In addition we are having a cluster wide transition meeting at Campbell Middle School on January 30^th. Although your child will not attend CMS this is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and start thinking about things that might not have crossed your mind!!! See information shared in the PTA newsletter. It requires registration and space is limited. Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Hatcher if you have any other questions.

 

Editorial Comments:

• I would like to thank the dancing dad volunteering in morning carpool on Thursday!  (Wearing the black leather jacket) he should be proud of his moves. It was a great way to start our day! 
• From Boosterthon…We have a special weekend challenge for your student! If they get a $2 per lap pledge or a $60 flat donation in new pledges this weekend and this weekend ONLY, they will earn a BONUS PRIZE: The Quantum Rings. Check out this video featuring some of our amazing staff!:https://vimeo.com/383891415 

 

 

Q & A

Friday Q & A

December 13, 2019

 

This is more of a suggestion, but is there a way to incorporate hand hygiene before or in the lunchroom as we enter cold, flu and strep season?  I’ve been sending antibacterial hand wipes in my sons lunchbox but occasionally he buys hot lunch as well.  I know schedules are tight to get to lunch but perhaps having hand sanitizer station as everyone enters the cafeteria or in the lunch line may help keep germs at bay.  Thank you! Thanks for the reminder.  Many classrooms give each little squirt a squirt of hand sanitizer when they line up to go to lunch.  For future reference this is called “hanitizer” by many little ones at the K-2 campus.  It’s a much more efficient term!

Just a comment... I noticed the comment about giving an option to give/donate to the teacher fund or any fund for that matter via credit/debit card. If possible, it might be worth checking into the possibility of PayPal, Venmo, etc. Paypal in particular wouldn't have a transaction cost. It might be against policy, but I thought I would send it as an option for investigation anyhow.  Paypal has always been an option for both PTA and Foundation donations.  In this specific case it was listed underneath Cash/Check.  Both of these organizations provide this option because there is no fee per transaction.

Last summer 2019 there was a summer reading challenge in biblionasium to read for 1500 minutes, and my daughter in 2nd grade now completed the challenge. But she didn't receive any certificate or appreciation, I understand it is something that benefits them by reading, but kids get encouraged by small appreciation right? I talked to the librarian in K-2 campus and she had few plans but is busy with other things and is planning something after Christmas break and they already announced names during announcements (I don't know if my daughter missed that day), but we are moving out of Atlanta and she can't receive certificate after break. I understand with all the construction and K-1 turning out to be K-2 etc. it is challenging and may not have time. But please make sure to do this appreciation immediately after summer break so that kids remember the effort and reorganization they received and will encourage them to read for more challenges. I am not blaming anyone here but just suggesting from a mother and kid point of view. Thank you for KSE for all the efforts in making kids do better. We are going to miss you all !!  Thank you for the feedback.  Best wishes with your move.

 

Does the school provide a report of all the payments to ASP during the year? I have a dependent care account and my plan administrator requires Tax ID numbers and statement for me to be reimbursed. Thanks! You can receive a statement of all payments as often as you request one.  You will receive a tax statement with the report card in January.

Where can parents go to see a general timeline of the renovation construction plans for the K-2 campus? When is the new building expected to be complete? We will all (K-5) be in one building when school starts next year. The main classroom building, cafeteria and Learning Commons will be ready in July.  The gym and music room will be finished in January 2021.  August – December we will use the auxiliary gym at Griffin for PE.  Music will be in a regular classroom space.

An updated video of construction pictures has been added to the construction blog.  P.S. I do have 2 hard hats and 2 safety vests but that’s the extent of my construction experience. The construction blog is not meant to be a professional update.  It’s just me sharing information and pictures. 

Editorial Comment Submitted:

Adjusting to change is seldom easy, however, change is inevitable.  It happens regardless of whether we are ready for it or not.  Prior to KSE we attended a school that did not issue homework at the end of the school (work) day.  The teachers and administrators reassured the weary parents that their children did not require homework to advance or retain the information covered in class.  Instead what they needed was human interaction and the ability to work through conflicts and have conversations through play.  It took some getting used to, because I was raised on homework, so this was new and different for all of us.  Though the previous school strongly discouraged booklets or workbooks of any kind we still utilized them occasionally during the school year and over the summer.  The “no homework policy” research causes controversy on both ends, from parents and educators, but just because there is a no homework policy doesn’t mean an upheaval in a way of life and it certainly doesn’t warrant WWWIII on our educators and faculty.  There are countless resources that can be implemented by parents at home to engage their kids, keep them abreast of new material, retrieve previously learned material, give them an educational advantage..you name it.  There is something for everyone out there.  I don’t rely solely on my children’s teachers to educate them and neither should any parent; there is a lesson in everything we do, not just in school.  Social and emotional intelligence weigh just as heavily if not more, on the success and future of individuals today and for generations to come. 

 

From last week:

Can we spray paint the 3-5 campus before demolition? Spray paint is not an option, however, autographing might be an option.  In May, we will set up a final walkthrough where people can sign their name in the building.