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WELCOME BACK JAGUARS! We are so excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year at Esther Jackson . I would like to personally welcome our new parents and students to the EJ Jaguar Family. We understand that you have a choice and feel privileged that you have chosen our school. We are looking forward to creating memories with you and your students.
I hope all of you have enjoyed your summer and are recharged to gear up for a wonderful school year of learning. At Esther Jackson, our core values can be summarized with three words – community, connection, and collaboration. It is our goal to connect with our community and work collaboratively to ensure that every student grows at high levels and reaches his/her full potential.
Our Vision:
Esther Jackson will be a loving community where every child is valued and supported to grow as a caring individual and a successful scholar.
I have established the following collective commitments to ensure that we live out our vision statement:
1. We will work together as a team to enhance our school culture by having compassion, using kind words, and working closely with every stakeholder.
2. We will maximize our instructional time and learning will occur at every available moment daily for all students.
3. We will strengthen our Tier 1 Instruction in order to meet individual needs of our students and ensure maximum growth opportunities. This includes using data to inform our instructional decision making and to provide targeted small group instruction.
4. Regardless of what comes our way, we will NOT allow our jaguar scholars to be left behind academically, socially, or behaviorally. They are depending on us, and we will NOT let them down.
Our Theme:
Our theme for this school year is Better Together. We understand that this year will bring different challenges as we prepare to welcome all students back into the building after more than a year of simultaneous learning. We also know that there is still some uncertainty around the status of COVID moving forward. It will be more important than ever for our community to come together to ensure that every student is learning and growing at high levels. This past year has taught us many things. One of the most important is that at Esther Jackson, we are BETTER TOGETHER!
New Staff:
Please help me send a warm welcome to our newest jaguar staff members. They are eager and ready to serve our school community.
Jennifer Dean – 3rd Grade Teacher
Kaylen Saunders – 5 th Grade Teacher
Ashley Mattocks – 3rd Grade Teacher
Sidney Roule – Special Education Teacher
Amanda Bates – Special Education Teacher
Sharonta Johnson – ESOL Teacher
Mona Elbakatushy – ESOL ParaprofessionalCampus Parent/Parent Portal: Parents will have access to the Parent Portal beginning Thursday, 8/5 at 4:00 p.m. Class placement will be available at that time. This is also where parents can view assignments/grades, progress reports, and report cards. If you have not created an account, please see Fulton County’s website (fultonschools.org). We will also have information available on how to set up an account at Open House on Friday, 8/6.
All In One Form:
Please complete this form for EACH of your students. It includes discipline, transportation, and other permissions.
Open House:
I want to personally invite you to our Open House on Friday, August 6th from 8:30 – 10:00 A.M. This is the time where you can meet teachers, join our PTA, register for after school activities, purchase spirit wear, and much more. Teachers will send an email to parents on Thursday, August 5th at 2:00 indicating that they will be your student’s teacher for the 2021-2022 school year. Please remember that class placement is always tentative until after the 10 day count.
PTA: Parents, more than ever…. We need YOU!
We are so fortunate to have a PTA dedicated to supporting our school. Our current president for the 2021-2022 school year is Margaret Gunter. If you would like information about how to get involved, please review the PTA page on our school website. The PTA also has a Facebook page (https://www.ejefamily.com/) that is updated regularly with information.
Please consider becoming a member and contributing your time and/or talents to our wonderful school. There will be an opportunity for you to express your interest at our Open House. In addition, the PTA has provided a sign-up link for parents to volunteer throughout the school year at various events.
Supply Lists:
Supply lists can be found on our school website. www.estherjackson.org. These lists include items that students will need throughout the year.
Meals:
For the 2021-2022 school year, the federal government has waived all student fees for breakfast and lunch. Every student at Esther Jackson Elementary will receive free breakfast and lunch
Communication:
Every effort is made to ensure open communication between home and school. Teachers and parents should communicate regularly regarding questions or concerns that arise during the school year. To stay connected, please read all correspondence that comes home with your child and/or is sent electronically.
It is extremely important that your email is up to date in Infinite Campus. The majority of communication from the school will be sent using the email address we have on file. You can update this information by logging into your parent portal account.
We are committed to providing all stakeholders with clear and transparent communication.
➢ Spots is the school newsletter containing general school information, important dates, school activities and other related events. It is sent home via email weekly on Thursdays.
➢ Website: the school website is www.estherjackson.org .Please visit our site regularly for the most current information and resources.
➢ Principal’s Letter is direct communication from the principal sent at least monthly via School Messenger. Please be sure we have your email on file so that you will receive these updates.
➢ PTA Information on PTA website.
➢ Student Agendas: students in grades 1-5 receive an agenda. The agenda is used to record daily assignments, homework, and upcoming due dates. Parents and teachers may use the agenda to communicate with written notes.
➢ Grade Level Weekly Emails are written by the classroom teachers and focus on upcoming dates and classroom curriculum and activities.
➢ Samples of Work are sent home to keep you updated on your child’s progress. The classroom teacher will determine the schedule for sending home graded work.
➢ Infinite Campus/Parent Portal is available for you to monitor your child’s grades. We encourage you to utilize this system to stay current with your child’s progress. Usernames and passwords are valid from year to year for continuously enrolled students. This information may be obtained from the school office at any time.
➢ Written Notes: Most communication can be handled through written notes. Please be sure to let your child know that he/she has a note for the teacher. All notes regarding transportation home must be approved by the office.
➢ Email: All teachers have county provided email addresses. Please note that teachers are not able to check email during instructional time. In most cases, you will receive a response within 24 hours. Transportation changes may not be emailed due to a possible system shutdown or teacher absence.
➢ Phone Calls: Teachers are unavailable to take phone calls during instructional time. Please be aware that it may be late in the afternoon before your message is picked up and your call returned. In most cases, you will receive a response within 24 hours.
➢ Conferences: We encourage regular communication to discuss your child’s progress at school. Conferences may be initiated by the parent, teacher, or administrator and held at a mutually agreeable time.
➢ Parent Resource Center: Our Parent Resource Center will be open beginning in September from 8:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Upcoming Activities:
We have many important and exciting events coming up this year. Please mark your calendars and make every effort to participate. This year, you will receive communication via SPOTS, weekly teacher emails, bi-weekly Principal Letters, our school website, student agendas, and social media to help you stay current on upcoming school activities.
•PTA/School Community Event: August 27 th , 5:30 P.M. (more detailed information coming soon)
• Curriculum Night and Title I Meeting: September 9 th o 5:00 P.M. (Title I Meeting)
o 5:45 P.M. (Grades Pre-K, K, 1, 2)
o 6:45 P.M. (Grades 3, 4, 5)• Labor Day: September 6 th – NO SCHOOL
• Hispanic Heritage Month Begins – September 15th
• Late Start Day – September 20th
• Donuts With Dads - September 24th
• Fall Pictures – October 1st
Late Start Days:
This year, Fulton County added the following 6 Late Start Days to the District calendar. On these dates, we will begin school exactly one hour late. This will allow schools to collaborate in Professional Learning Communities and receive Professional Development.
September 20th, 2021 January 24th, 2022
October 25th, 2021 February 25th, 2022
November 15th, 2021 March 21st, 2022School buses will continue to run at the normal time. Students who ride the school bus will be picked up at normal times and we will have staff available to supervise and complete instructional activities with them. Parents who drive students to school can either drop students off at the normal time (7:10 – 7:40), or one hour late (8:10 – 8:40). Additional information will be shared with parents in the coming weeks.
Admin Team:
At EJ, we believe in servant leadership. Our entire team is here to support you as we embark upon this journey to excellence working Better Together! I would like to share some important contact information with you
Nikol Boyd, Principal
Beth Poole, Assistant Principal
Cailin Hannan, Curriculum Support Teacher (CST)
Jocelyn Sheerin, Instructional Support Teacher (IST-Sped)
Erin Shurbutt, Instructional Math Coach
Jessica Hodge, Instructional Literacy Coach
Myriam Seoane, Counselor
Pem Wilson, School Psychologist
Laura Williams, Principal's Secretary/Bookkeeper
Alexandra Pingarron, Data Clerk/Registar
Front Desk, Vacant
Julie Paz, Bilingual Community Liaison (BCL)
Frank Perez, Title I Bilingual Community Liasion
Kelllie Lahey, Clinic AssistantLastly, our staff is dedicated to making this year the best one yet. We will continue to plant seeds into your students and surround them with positive energy in a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment.
I am ready to continue this amazing journey and can’t wait to see you and our little jaguars soon! As I always say, It takes a village. At Esther Jackson, we are Better Together!
Please remember that my door is always open and that I welcome any questions and/or concerns you may have.
In Partnership,
Nikol
