McGill

We Will Be Making Our Own Tie-Dyes in Honor of the CRCT's Conclusion

Dear Parents,

The fifth grade team has decided to celebrate the completion of the CRCT testing by tie-dying t-shirts. Each student would need to bring 1 white, pre-washed t-shirt in to us on or before April 16th.

In order to make this cost effective, parents may wish to collaborate and purchase a three pack of Fruit of the Loom or Hanes "undershirts", resulting in a cost of about $2-3 per shirt. (Remember that these shirts are 100% cotton and shrink quite a bit. Please buy them at least 1 size larger than usual!).

The t-shirt must be washed, or it will not hold the dye. Mark the tag with your child’s name with a permanent marker after it has been washed.

**Remember to please send in the shirt by April 16th.

We will wrap the shirts prior to the day of dying, so the sooner they come in, the better.

Thanks for your help and support. If you have any questions, please let us know.

We are "dying" to finish the CRCT!

Sincerely,

The Fifth Grade Teachers

Spring Is Here (even if the weather of spring isn't)!

Hello Parents,

Thank you for sending your students in ready to learn and participate in our class activities. Ms. Wilson and Ms. Huffman have noted that many of your students are having to return to school after dismissal for forgotten homework. This is a foreshadowing of your future next year! :)

In order to "nip this in the bud",(to quote Barney Fife of the Andy Griffith show) please avoid bringing your forelorn child to the school in order to collect the forgotten items. Our classroom doors will be locked once we have left so that children won't be able to enter classrooms without teacher supervision. This is a positive remedy for a negative habit. As long as we reinforce irresponsibility in our students, (by allowing them to be unfocused in the afternoon) they will live up to the low expectations they have for themselves.

At this point, it is their responsibility to be certain they have their work each afternoon. Our class has homework Monday through Friday. There are few exceptions to this, but keep in mind that the feeling of worry a child may have due to lack of preparation can be motivational. It may help them change their habits so that they will be more responsible.

Thank you for your understanding and acceptance of this policy change.

In a related area, here is some important spring information from our Guidance Office about Mabry Middle School Orientation:

Mabry Orientation Dates

May 5, 6:30-8:00pm Mabry Parent Night (at Mabry)

May 6, 9:30-11am 5th grade to Mabry*

*Here are some key points to remember about this visit to Mabry Middle School by our students:

Students from Garrison Mill need to be appropriately dressed for the occasion, and need to focus primarily on learning about the middle school environment, its expectations, policies, and facilities. Though there are social aspects to this trip, the focus really is on getting the students acclimated to what they will be doing as middle school students. Active listening, observation, and thoughtful questioning about the environment they will see are encouraged.

You may help encourage your child to see this as an opportunity to feel sure of what is to come. Ask questions of them before the trip. What do they expect to see? What do they think will be different? What will be the same? How much preparation will they need over the summer? Is there more work in each class? Any of these will peak their interest level and will give them a directed reason for behaving purposefully.

After they return, debrief them of what they noticed, thought, heard, wondered, and enjoyed. The middle school is where many students begin to have challenges in their learning that differ from their past experiences. For some students, it is a validation of past efforts in development of skills. For others, it is a new set of variables which demand greater attention and focus from them (and ultimately, from parents). Encourage your child to discuss what they believe will be fun about this transition (as well as what worries they may have). If they appear to believe they will find the transition "easy", delve into why they have this perception. It is common for students to overlook potential obstacles to their success because they only see what is clearly stated. They may not realize that the opportunities of the middle school experience also bring about the responsibilites of successful execution (planning, preparation, organization, collaboration, accountability, etc.).

In asking questions before and after the trip, you will be modeling supportive listening with an emphasis on having them arrive at their own conclusions. This may take time. You may need to begin your pre-trip discussion during spring break, when you will have more time to spend together. During this period of relaxation and renewal, you may see your child's perception of the experience open up to you. Take advantage of the opportunity to listen to them and consider what they tell you. Your time spent in conversation with your future middle schooler is vital to you both. Through this interaction, you will remain a resource for help, support, and love during these challenging transitional years.

Happy springtime!

Alex McGill

Criterion-Referenced Competency Test Dates

Hello Garrison Mill Community Members,

The current plan for the CRCT administration is from Wednesday, April 23 through Friday, April 25 for grades 1 through 5.  This administration will continue for grade 5 on the following Monday, April 28 through Tuesday, April 29. 

Please make arrangements to schedule appointments around these dates, as students who are arrive after testing has begun or are absent for that day will have to test in a make-up setting, not with their homeroom. 

Please remember to try your practice CRCT Tests using the code and directions you were given at our conferences this winter.  Familiarity with the testing format yields more confidence in the actual testing scenario.  We will continue to review testing strategies throughout the remainder of the school year as well.  Another good resource is the CRCT Study Guide for Grade 5 which can be located at the Georgia Departments of Education's website, www.gadoe.org . 

To access the study guides, go to the site and select the subject, "Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)".  This will take you to the site location which includes information about the CRCT. 

Look to the right-hand side of the first page and you will see the sections for Content Descriptions.  Just below this are the links to the Study Guides for elementary grades.  Click on these to preview and download the guides.

Thank you for your dedication to our school community!

Best regards,

Alex McGill

Dress For Success

Hello Parents,

In our school's Leadership Team, a reminder was shared that we must continue to expect the best from our students.  While academics and positive behavior certainly remain a priority, both are further fostered when students come prepared with proper apparel.  Here are the guidelines and responses for a lack of adherance to the guidelines:

    Dress guidelines:

     School guidelines- no midriffs, no spaghetti tops, no tank tops,

     shorts and skirt length- students must be able stand up straight and be 

       able to have fingertips touch the hem

     No flip flops- Crocs are fine

     K-2 Give a warning then send to office for parent phone call

     3-5 should be sent to office

These guidelines were developed with an emphasis on the development of proper etiquette and personal self-esteem.  Please enforce these expectations not only for school attendance, but also attendance at school-related functions.  With the beginning of the fourth nine weeks and our upcoming testing, field trip, and fifth grade luncheon, it is important that unnecessary distractions be avoided.  The time away from the classroom instruction and activities is time lost which interferes with learning.

Thanks for your help!

Sincerely,

Alex McGill