Wacker

Week of January 23

Hi Eastvalley Family,

What weather we are having!  While I'm enjoying the warmer temperature and looking forward to lower heating bills, the rain can go away for a few days.  I'm ready for some sunshine in our days.  Everyone tends to get a little claustrophobic when they can't go outside and play!

A School Improvement Survey letter was sent home last week.  Some of you did also receive a paper copy of the survey.  Those surveys are used to help us make decisions in areas in which we need to improve for the upcoming year.  Please take this opportunity to give honest feedback about Eastvalley.  If you received a paper copy, you can use that OR take the survey online.   Please do not do both as that will give invalid results to us.  If you wish to take it online, please go to www.cobbk12.org and there is a story and link at the top of the page.  All surveys must be taken online or paper copies returned by February 10.  We look forward to getting the results in late April and using them to prepare for the upcoming school year. Thank you for participating. 

In the upcoming Eagle Eyes please read my letter to you about Common Core Standards and what to expect with some curriculum changes for next year.  I hope you will find it informative!

Have a great week!

Week of January 9

Hi Eastvalley Family,

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday break.  It was a great time for me to visit family and friends as I traveled home to Mobile, Alabama.   I also made a side trip to New Orleans for a day with my cousin.  We enjoyed seeing all the gorgeous homes on St. Charles Ave. decorated for the holidays and enjoyed some good food while in the city.  I wish I could be in New Orleans Monday night for the BCS Championship game (yes, Bama is playing!), but apparently Santa lost my ticket to the game somewhere on his route!  I'll be watching and cheering with friends here instead.

School starts TUESDAY, January 10 for students.  Please note that Monday is a teacher workday, so enjoy one more day to sleep in with no alarm! 

 

Before the holidays, the car rider line had gotten a little out of hand in the mornings.  Please remember that you are in a school parking lot so your speed should be S-L-O-W.  Also, please have your child exit your car as when your car is next to the curb, no matter how far down.  That way the line will move quicker if every car is emptied while next to the curb.  Please NEVER let your child out of the car anywhere except next to the curb.  We want all children to be safe getting into the building.  There may or may not be someone to open your car door in the car rider line, so please don't wait on someone to open the door.  After you have let your child out, please stay in the line next to the curb.  Do not jump out of line into the outside line as this slows down the process.  Remember that the earlier you get here, the shorter the line!  The carpool line begins around 7:20, but really bunches up starting around 7:35 or so.  Try to get here earlier so you won't have to wait in line.  Better yet, put your child on the bus and that would make the line very short!  Children are NEVER counted tardy if they ride the bus.  If you would like to volunteer in the car rider line in the mornings, we would love your help.  You can choose one or more days a week and be outside from 7:20-7:50.  Thanks for considering this volunteer opportunity to help keep Eastvalley students safe!

Remember that Monday, January 16 is a school holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Eastvalley will be closed.

Have a great week!

Week of December 12 and December 19

Hi Eastvalley Family,

Tonight, Tuesday, December 13 will be Spirit Night at Saporito's Pizza at EastLake Shopping Center from 5-8 p.m. Come join staff members and other Eastvalley families for some fun and great food.  Please be sure to mention you are from Eastvalley when ordering!

The Eastvalley Foundation will meet Thursday, December 15 in the teachers' lounge at school at 6:30.  All are invited to join.

Monday, December 19 is Reading Night at Zaxby's beginning at 6:00.  A story with our character word is read to the children who then complete an arts/craft activity.  Kids meals are only 99 cents during Reading Night. 

Thanks to all of our Partners In Ed for their continued support of Eastvalley.  They are so important to our school.  Please mention you are from Eastvalley when you visit and thank them for their support.  We currently have 15 Partners and we encourage you to support them. They are:  Bruster's Ice Cream, Chick Fil A at EastLake, Horace Mann Insurance, Kid Chess, Kroger at EastLake, Marietta Martial Arts, Peachtree Gymnastics, Saporito's, Spinal Balance Center, Sports-A-Rama, Tiger TaeKwanDo, The UPS Store, YMCA at East Piedmont, Yogolycious and Zaxby's. 

Our Winter Holidays begin at 2:30 dismissal on Thursday, December 22 and students will return to school on TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012.  Please note the dates as the building will be closed from Friday, December 23 until the staff returns on January 9.  No school for students on Monday, January 9!!  I hope each of you enjoys your holiday break!! 

Week of November 28

Hi Eastvalley Family,

I hope each of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday break.  It was a great week to relax and spend time with family and friends.  The weather was good for the most part so I hope you took advantage of that.  Today's weather and tomorrow's weather will give us all something to talk about for a while.  Please, as always, listen to your local TV/radio to hear of any changes in the Cobb County Schools' schedule.  You can text CCSD to 84700 to receive texts with important information from Cobb County Schools.  You can also go to www.cobbk12.org, scroll down to the end of "Quick Links" to join.

The uniform surveys have been tallied.  We received a total of 381 surveys.  53% say they would want students to wear uniforms, 45% would not like students to wear uniforms and 2% had no preference.  Again, thank you to those who took the time to take the survey.  Your input was very important to us in whether we should move ahead with any further research.  Again, there was no school reason for the survey other than to see if parents wanted it.  There's no discipline reason, no bullying reason, no "Miss Wacker wants it" reason behind the survey.  There have been many inquiries about wearing them, so we asked.  Sometimes, things really are as simple as they seem.  As you can see from our total, there is no clear majority either way, so this issue is being put to rest.  We will not pursue further research into uniforms as an option at Eastvalley at this time.

Are you tired of turkey??  How about some chicken for dinner?? Tonight, Monday, November 28 is reading night at Zaxby's!  Beginning at 6:00, Kristen will read a story about the character word of the month and the children will create a craft.  Kids meals are only 99 cents during reading night!! Come have some fun. 

Enjoy your week!

Week of November 14

Hi Eastvalley Family,

The last full week before Thanksgiving break and everyone is giving thanks for that. Remember that school will be closed ALL of next week (November 21-25) for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please be safe if you are traveling and enjoy time with family and friends. Take time to remember the many things you have to be thankful for in your life. Start a tradition with your children like having them write what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. Each year save their notes and when they are older, go back over what they have written. The time you spend together will be worth so much.

Tuesday night is Chick Fil A Spirit Night at the Chick Fil A restaurant at East Lake. Come spend some time with other Eastvalley families and staff. Be sure to let them know you are from Eastvalley so a portion of your sales will go to the Eastvalley Foundation. The hours are from 5-8 and the best news is....the peppermint chocolate chip milkshake is back!!

Do you have a silly hat? Crazy hat? Favorite team hat? Well, Friday is the day your child can choose to wear a hat if they make a $1 donation to Relay for Life. We can't wait to see what kind of head gear will be coming in to school!!!

Have a good week!

Week of November 7

 

Hi Eastvalley Family,

Tuesday, November 8 is a student holiday.  Teachers will be in staff development meetings for the day.  Just for future reference, all Cobb County schools are typically closed on the first Tuesday of November which is a voting day. 

We are supporting Cobb County in their support of the United Way campaign!  For a $1 donation, students may wear their pajamas to school Friday, November 11th.  Pajamas must be school appropriate.  Thank you for supporting United Way.  Did you know you can call 211 if you are in need of assistance and United Way may be able to help you out?  

Last week a survey was sent home to gauge parent interest in students wearing uniforms at Eastvalley.  The reason for the survey was because we had received inquiries about the possibility.  There was no hidden agenda, no school reason, no push from the county.   We only wanted input before any further research was done into the question of uniforms.  If you have sent your survey, thank you.  If you have not returned it, you have until November 17.  We will publish the results as soon as we have them tallied.

Friday is Veteran's Day so let me thank all of you who have served our country in the armed services.  My father was a Marine at the age of 17 and served on the island of Guadalcanal during WWII, earning the Purple Heart for being wounded during that battle.  He came home and decided upon a career with the Alabama National Guard, serving over 40 years as a full time member.  My brother retired as a major in the Air Force after 30 years of service.  I am proud of both of them and proud that they served their country so willingly.   I hope that the veterans in Eastvalley families feel the support from us as we celebrate this day. 

Have a great week!

Week of October 31

 

Hi Eastvalley Family,

October 31st?  Halloween is here!  If you celebrate Halloween, please be safe tonight with your children.  Looks like it's going to be a great night weather-wise.  Please keep all the candy treats at home after going trick-or-treat.  Please do not send candy to school for snack, lunch or any other purpose. 

Pictures are due back by Friday, November 4.  Please make a decision about buying your child's pictures and do one of two things....pay for them or return the package to school.  If you would like a retake on the pictures, you can put a note on the package and your child will have a retake on November 10.  Any students who were absent or are new to Eastvalley since the original picture day will also have pictures made on November 10.  Thanks for getting the money or pictures in by Friday!

We are collecting can goods/dry items for our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.  You can find a list of items in this month's Eagle Eyes going home tomorrow with all students.  We certainly appreciate your support as we help feed those less fortunate during the holidays.  Items like rice, canned meats, canned soups, peanut butter and jelly, dry beans and macaroni and cheese dinners will be accepted.  No items that need refrigeration should be sent. In 3rd grade, the list says "milk" but that means powdered or canned milk not needing to be refrigerated.  Sorry if that is confusing to anyone.

PTA meets Thursday, November 3 at 6:30 in the cafeteria.  Let's pack the house!!!

Don't forget it's time to FALL BACK this weekend!  Please set your clocks 1 hour back and enjoy that extra hour of sleep Saturday night.  Daylight Savings Time will be ending until March!

Tuesday, November 8 is a student holiday.  Teachers will be having a day of inservice here at Eastvalley and at other elementary schools in the area. 

Have a great week!

Week of October 24..EARLY DISMISSAL

Hi Eastvalley Family,

Conference week is this week and along with that comes EARLY DISMISSAL every day this week.  The bell will ring 2 hours early (12:15) and dismissal will begin.  Buses will arrive at the bus stops 2 hours early, car rider line will start 2 hours early and walkers will be dismissed 2 hours early.  ASP will begin at 12:30 right after dismissal.  Please be on time to pick up your students however it is they go home! 

Please be on time for conferences with your teachers.  There is a 30 minute period scheduled for each conference.  If you are late, you will lose time discussing your child's progress with the teacher.  If your teacher is running over time, please knock on the door to let them know you are ready for your time.  We hope that the conferences are helpful and informative for all.  You will receive your child's report card at the conference.

This is Red Ribbon Week at Eastvalley.  Students are receiving lessons from the school counselors about staying free from drugs.  Here are the scheduled activities for the week:   Monday the 24th- Wear RED Day/ “I CAN Be Drug Free!”     ~Students can show their support of Red Ribbon Week by wearing red on this day.  All students and staff will receive a self stick red ribbon to wear.  We will also kick off our canned food drive, and students will bring in cans.  The canned food drive will continue up until Thanksgiving.  Tuesday the 25^th – Follow your dreams, don’t do drugs!   ~Students may wear their pajamas to school.   Wednesday the 26th- “Team Up Against Drugs” Day   ~Students can show their support by wearing a shirt or jersey that represents their favorite sports team.  All students will receive an “It’s Up To Me To Be Drug Free” pencil.  Thursday the 27^th – Hugs, NOT Drugs!   ~Students may bring their favorite teddy bear, or comfort item to school.  This item must fit in the student’s backpack, and may only be taken out at times designated by each teacher.  Friday the 29th- Don’t let drugs SNEAK up on you!   ~Students may wear sneakers with their school spirit shirts.  All students will receive a bookmark/pledge to sign promising to lead a drug free life!

The Eastvalley Relay for Life team will be selling "Give your child a hand" for you to write a positive message to your child.  The note along with a Tootsie Pop will be delivered to your child's class the next day.  You can buy 1 or as many as you would like!  Each message is $1 and all money goes to The American Cancer Society.  Thanks for your support.  We know your child will love to get a happy message from you in their classroom!

Have a great week!

Week of October 17

Hi Eastvalley Family,

Well, the weather is sure to be fun this week!  A high of 85 today with rain tomorrow leading into a much cooler rest of the week.  I think the high Wednesday is supposed to be only 58.  Let's make sure to mark those coats/jackets before putting them on the students this week so they don't get lost.

Have you been saving your Box Tops?  I know they are worth a dime a piece and most people think that isn't much, but it adds up when we pool ours together!  Please send in your Box Tops this week in a ziploc bag/envelope with your child's teacher's name on it.   There is a contest this week to see which class turns in the most Box Tops!! 

We have 2 fun nights planned at Zaxby's this week. Tonight, Monday 10/17 is Reading night at Zaxby's where Kristen will read a story about the character word of the month and the children will create a craft.  Kids meals are only 99 cents during reading night!! Come have some fun.  Tomorrow night, Tuesday 10/18, is our traditional Spirit Night at Zaxby's.  The time for Zaxby's is 5-8 and some of our staff members will be there!  Please join us for a fun social event with Eastvalley families!!

The first Books for Breakfast will be held for those that met the point goals on EVRC (Eastvalley Reading Club) for the 1st 9 weeks.  K, 2nd and 4th will have fun Wednesday morning at 7:55 in the cafeteria while 1st, 3rd and 5th will have fun Thursday morning at 7:55.  Thanks to Chick Fil A for sponsoring this great event to promote reading!  Remember if the parking lot is full, please park next door at Eastside Baptist.  Thanks!

Have a great week! 

Week of October 3

 

Hi Eastvalley Family,

Well, fall has certainly arrived this week.  Everyone is loving the fall weather here at Eastvalley.  This is a great time to remind you to put your child's name in jackets, coats, scarves, etc.   Every year we end up with a LOT of "lost" items because there are no names on them.  We want to return the items to the rightful owner, so please take the time to write!

Standardized tests begin this week for 1st and 3rd graders who will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).  Next week 3rd and 5th graders will take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).  Testing will begin promptly when school starts.  How can you help us out?  Have your child in bed at a decent hour before testing days, feed them a healthy breakfast (lots of protein, little sugar) and get them to school ON TIME.  We should have results available to us by early December.

Thursday, October 6 will be the Eastvalley Foundation's Spirit Day at Yogolycious.  Our wonderful Partner in Education, Yogolycious is located at the Kroger Shopping Center on Roswell Rd.  Please stop by from 3-5 and remember to mention that you are from Eastvalley!  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Eastvalley Foundation and you get to enjoy yummy yogurt!

It's time for Reflections!! The theme this year is "Diversity is..."  Reflections entries are due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 14 and must meet all requirements for entries.  The 3 categories this year are Photography, Visual Arts and Literature.  If you want more information on Reflections, you can go to www.eastvalleyelementary.com and click on PTA Reflections on the right side of the page.  Let's see how many entries we can get from 651 students!!!  Reflections winners will be announced at school this year and the entries will be displayed on Tuesday, October 25 in the cafeteria during Conference Week.

Speaking of Conference Week, the dates are October 24-28.  A letter will come home with your child this week requesting a conference for a certain date/time.  Please respond as quickly to let your teacher(s) know if the date/time are okay or if you need to reschedule.   

Thanks to all who came out and enjoyed a beautiful day at the Eastvalley Fall Festival.  We had a great time!!

Have a great week!