Alpharetta Elementary PTA

Important Upcoming Dates

• April 23:                Grounds Cleanup – meet in cafeteria 12-2pm
• April 24-25:          Book Fair Preview Days
• April 26-May 3:   Sholastic Book Fair 
• April 27:                4th Grade Field Trip to Washega
• April 27:                Accelerated Reader Book Dollar distribution
• April 27:                Grounds Cleanup – meet outside School Office Entrance
• April 29:                Grounds Cleanup – meet by Front Field/Bus Circle
• April 30:                6pm Rising 6th Grade TAG student Parent Meeting – NWMS Cafeteria
• April 30:                7pm Rising 6th Grader Parent Meeting – NWMS Gym
• May 1:                   Chick-fil-a Family Night
• May 2:                   AES Spring Registration K-5
• May 3:                   Spring Book Fair Family Night 5:30-7:30pm
• May 4:                   Last day to take AR tests
• May 4:                   All Library Books are DueReport Cards
• May 4:                   5th Grade Night at Lifetime Fitness
• May 7:                   Kindergarten Field Trip – in house
• May 8:                   Final AR Tag distributionKindergarten Round Up
• May 8:                   Summer Reading Program Kick-off
• May 8:                  Chorus Concert – Cafeteria 6-7pm
• May 9:                  5th Grade Visit to Northwestern Middle School 8:30-11am
• May 10:                Pretzel Day
• May 10:                AR Recognition Celebration – 1:45-2:15pm
• May 11:                 Junior Achievement grades 3-5
• May 11:                 Katie Reeves Community Meeting, Summit Hill ES 9am
• May 14:                 Field Day – grades Pre-k through 2nd
• May 15:                 Field Day – grades 3-5
• May 16-17:           CRCT Retest
• May 16:                 Public Library Summer Reading Program begins
• May 17:                 End of Year class parties
• May 18:                 Last Day of School and Report Cards 

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AES Pamela Haight named Fulton Teacher of the Year

The Fulton County School System proudly announces that Pamela Haight from Alpharetta Elementary School is the district’s Overall Teacher of the Year for 2012-13. She was delivered the news yesterday afternoon during a surprise announcement at her school. Haight was first named the system’s Elementary School Teacher of the Year and was then selected as the district winner from among two other Fulton County finalists: Barbara Bell from Ridgeview Charter School, who is the system’s Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Kimberly Cooney from Chattahoochee High, who is the High School Teacher of the Year. Each spring, Fulton County schools are invited to nominate outstanding educators based on teacher, staff and parent input. These professionals are then evaluated a second time and one Elementary, Middle and High School Teacher of the Year is announced. From these final three educators, one is chosen as the Fulton County Overall Teacher of the Year. These three teachers will serve as examples to their Fulton County colleagues for the next academic year. A formal recognition gala will be held next fall to celebrate their accomplishments as well as those of other employees of the year who were selected by their local school communities. Pamela Haight – Fulton County Teacher of the Year Pamela Haight knows that she doesn’t have the quietest class on Alpharetta Elementary’s fifth grade hall, but it is a place where students are excited to be learning. “As you’re walking down toward my class, you will probably hear us singing at the top of our lungs about adverbs, adjectives, or some other part of speech,” she wrote in her Teacher of the Year application essay. “Maybe you’ll see my fifth graders standing on chairs, acting out Hamlet, or dressed all in black with berets reciting original poetry. We are different, but we like it.” Haight believes that students can be intrinsically motivated if learning can be made fun. She found frustration in how students struggled to learn the material in her class, yet could learn all the words from a Justin Bieber song just a day after it was released. Then she began mixing popular music with her class material and students enthusiastically began learning about parts of speech through tunes such as “The Lazy Adjective Song,” a tribute to a Bruno Mars song, or “Adjectives Modify Verbs,” a parody to a Willow Smith song. In her years of teaching, Haight also discovered that students are eager to learn if they know their teacher is invested in their learning. She attends their sports games and recitals, and keeps up with former students as they move on to middle and high school. Her excitement in their success helps inspire students to push themselves and apply themselves in class. This excitement for others’ success doesn’t end there, as Haight’s principal, Adam Maroney, believes that she is an exemplary educator. “I am so proud of Ms. Haight. She is truly a master teacher,” said Maroney. “When I think of the great teachers I have worked with in the past, they all established a wonderful rapport with their students. While academics are Ms. Haight’s focus, she recognizes the importance of teaching the whole child and creates ways to connect with and reach each and every student she teaches. She is an asset to Alpharetta Elementary, the community, and Fulton County Schools.” _______________________________________________________________________________________

AES Spring Grounds Week

Let’s spruce up the school grounds for the end of year celebrations and activities! Our goal is to keep the grounds Neat, Clean and Safe.  The county provides minimal landscaping services, so volunteer help is needed from our school community to keep the grounds looking good.

• Monday, April 23:  12-2pm, meet in Cafeteria Courtyard Area
• Friday, April 27:     9am-12pm, meet outside School Office Entrance
• Sunday, April 29:   2pm-4pm, meet by Front Field/Bus Circle

If possible bring your own gloves, rakes, shovels, pruners & shears.  Chain saws & hedge clippers (electric or gas) are also helpful.  Bottled water, extra garden tools, new mulch, flowers & trash bags will be provided. Activities:

• Pull weeds
• Apply new mulch using wood chips or pine straw
• Prune shrubs and tress and other plants as needed
• Remove trash and debris
• Plant flowers, shrubs, and trees as needed
• Water any newly installed plants.

PE Buddy Program a  Success at Alpharetta Elementary

While most children shy away from children with special needs, the students at Alpharetta Elementary go to extraordinary lengths to be their “buddies.”  All thoughout the school day at Alpharetta Elementary, students buddy up with their peers with special needs in lunch; in their classrooms; out at recess and in physical education.  In the gym, students volunteer to work with their special friends and earn a “PE Buddy of the Month” t-shirt.  It is a heartwarming experience to see everyone work together and one that is positive for both groups.   __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations to Ms. Haight and “The Kroger Healthy Living Machines”!!

The students’ contest submission was awaraded Honorable Mention and  $1500 prize award!!  Inspired by Kroger’s Learning Plus Earning Contest, students from Ms. Haight’s class created a project about healthy living.  They called themselves “The Kroger Healthy Living Machines.” This project is innovative, creative, and is entirely student-driven and designed.  Not only did the Kroger Healthy Living Machines from AES make it their mission to fully embrace healthy living themselves, but also educated others about this important topic. We invite you to view their submission to Kroger’s Learning Plus Earning Contest at http://krogerhealthylivingmachines.weebly.com/ Please click the links at the top of the page to see our work! The students who created the project were: Malachi Brewer, Chloe Briede, Hayden Davis, Natalie Fedel, Nicholas Gokhman, McKenna Johnston, Stephen Nichelson, Carolyn Perry, Blake Renner, and Florian Siewe. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spirit Wear 2011-2012

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