This Week: Box Tops Contest, Dr. Seuss's Birthday,
and 5th Grade TAG Trip To Tybee

In This Issue
PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
SGC MEETING TUESDAY
PTO PLANNING FOR 2017-18
BOX TOPS CONTEST
QUARTERS FOR CANCER
UNIFORM SALE?
GREEN TEAM PROJECT
SEED FUND AWARDED
SPRING CHESS CLUB
PTO BUSINESS PARTNERS
MEET YOUR TEAM
Each week this column features fun facts so you can get to know our Spalding teachers and staff members a little better! This week: Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Baker!

Mr. Chip Reynolds
3rd Grade Teacher
Hometown: Florence, SC
College: Clemson University
Favorite Childhood Pet: His cat
Favorite School Subject as a
Student: Social Studies
Food You Turn Your Nose Up
At: Cantaloupe 
Favorite Kids' Movie: Old Yeller
Favorite Board Game: Monopoly
Special Talent: Cooking

Ms. Charlene Baker
EIP Teacher
Hometown: Gainesville, GA
College: University of Georgia
Favorite Childhood Pet:
"Stumper," a three-legged dog
Favorite School Subject as a
Student: Reading
Food You Turn Your Nose Up At:
Tomatoes
Favorite Kids' Movie: Aladdin
Favorite Board Game: Clue
CALENDAR:

2/27 - 3/3
Box Tops Contest

2/28
School Governance Council
Meeting 7:15 a.m.

3/1 - 3/3
5th Grade TAG
Tybee Island Trip

3/2
Dr. Seuss's Birthday

3/9
Chick-fil-A Spirit Night

3/10
Teacher Workday
No School for Students

3/13
Professional Development Day
No School for Students

3/16
Alliance Theater Field Trip
Kindergarten and 4th Grade

3/17
Alliance Theater Field Trip
2nd and 3rd Grades

3/21
School Pictures

3/22
Alliance Theater Field Trip
1st and 5th Grades

3/28
SGC Meeting @ 7:15 a.m.

3/31
Volunteer Friday

3/31
Spirit Day

3/31
Principal's Coffee Chat
7:30 a.m.
COMMUNICATION:
We strive for clear, current and consistent communication with parents. There are FOUR main ways to find out about announcements and upcoming events. We strongly advise you to sign up for all of them:

 

FACEBOOK - We have a private Facebook group titled: Spalding Drive Elementary PTO. If you haven't already, please find us on Facebook and ask to join the private group!

 

TIGER CONNECTION - 

Tiger Connection will be published this year on FRIDAYS. If you are not receiving it, please send your email address and preferred phone number here:

SpaldingElemPTO@gmail.com.

 

ROOM PARENTS -  Once room parents are established for each class, they will begin sending home some paper reminders and mostly email communication about your child's class and school happenings. Please make sure you provide your email address to your teacher's room parent in order to receive these important messages.

 

SCHOOL MESSENGER - From time to time, SDE administration will send an official school email and/or phone call with special announcements or updates on weather events. PLEASE make all the parents or guardians in your family have provided us with your preferred email address so that you receive updates from Spalding Drive Elementary. We want to keep you informed!


YOUR PTO

Tiger Connection is published by the PTO in conjunction with the SDE administration.  We hope you find it useful and it helps you stay connected with what is going on at our wonderful school. If you have information you would like to include in an upcoming issue, please contact me.

 

Sincerely,

Meggan Ballowe

 

VP of Communications,
SDE PTO

 

Visit the Spalding Drive website for current school information!

   

Like us on Facebook

 

 

Follow us on Twitter

 

JOIN OUR LIST 
A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL                                   
Good afternoon, Tiger parents!  
I hope you are planning to be seen at BINGO tonight! It's such a fun evening and proceeds go to a great event - the 5th grade dance!  Thank you to all of our grand-parents who came today, along with all of our other wonderful volunteers! Today was a busy day!
We shared the good news about our SEED Fund being awarded for classroom sets of books, and our RFF's were also approved. RFF stands for Request for Flexibility (from state law). One RFF was to require students to wear uniforms, which we will continue. The other RFF was for flexibility in "seat time" for students to allow for three Full Release Days in order for our staff to receive professional development in the areas of our Strategic Plan focus (reading, writing, and social studies).  Although this is a continuation of a previous RFF, we gathered information from stakeholders including parents and staff. Our SGC (School Governance Council) did hear talk about parents wanting a half-day release as we had a number of years ago, so we did a survey. Only 59 parents responded to the survey and 60% indicated they preferred full day PD days instead of 6 half-days. Obviously, 40% responded with a half-day preference. 100% of our teachers prefer the full day as it allows for deeper staff learning and no wasted time...on half days, we have to get the children through a very early lunch and then dismissal at 11:30 - 11:45. Teachers eat at 11:45 until 12:15 and they have only 3 hours for training - not to mention the short learning day for the children. Please know that we take the fact that parents have to rearrange their schedule VERY seriously. Teachers are not allowed to leave early or take time off on these days. We utilize the learning time from the moment the teachers arrive until they leave - no long, lingering lunches...we're all business on those days. If we're going to be given the time to learn, we're going to take advantage of it. As we take part in these days, I always share what we learned, so you can see the impact in the classroom too! The days for next year are September 1, 2017, November 17, 2017, and January 16, 2018, so please mark your calendars. These dates are aligned to the surrounding middle and high school RFF days. 
Have a great weekend!
Lynn Johnson, Principal
KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-K REGISTRATION
Kindergarten registration is March 29 and 30 for all new Kindergarten students.  Students currently enrolled in Pre-K and who live in Spalding's district do NOT need to reregister their children - they will automatically be enrolled for the 2017-18 school year.  Pre-K registration packets will be available beginning March 24.  You may pick up a packet on the 24th or any day after that to complete and return.  As long as your completed registration packet is returned before the lottery, your child's name will be included. The lottery will be done on March 31 at 1:00 in the media center. 
PTO PLANNING FOR 2017-18
PTO Planning for 2017-18!
The Spalding Drive Elementary  PTO  Board and supporting Committees will have positions open for next year and planning for these positions is beginning now! 

The  PTO  Board meets one evening a month and is responsible for supporting our school's teachers and students through activities, events, and fundraising. Our Nominating Committee will be looking for PTO Board members and committee heads for several positions which are not part of the  board (and therefore have no monthly meeting requirement), but are vital to our school's fundraising efforts! 

If you are interested in knowing more about what is available, please contact our co-presidents Liz Russell or Jenn Lott at  SpaldingElemPTO@gmail.com.
BOX TOPS CONTEST THIS WEEK
box top power
We're having a contest!
Instead of collecting box tops monthly, we are going to have one big collection contest this week (Feb 27 - Mar 3). The class who brings in the most box tops will have a donut and hot chocolate party! 
 
Clip these 10 cent vouchers from hundreds of products found in any grocery store and many retailers! Box tops add up quickly. In past years, Spalding has earned over $1,000 from Box Tops. 
 
When submitting box tops for the contest, please do not include expired ones and bag them in batches of 50. If you do not have 50 to put in a bag, please write on your bag how many you are submitting. Save those box tops!

PTO Business Partners
Along with Amazon Smile, Target, Publix, and Coke Rewards, Box Tops 4 Education is one of our PTO Business Partners who provide benefits and funds directly back to our school. In addition to clipping Box Tops, check out the Box Tops Marketplace website to access over 70 online stores (like Oriental Trading and Lands' End) and a percentage of your purchases comes back to Spalding!

QUARTERS FOR CANCER



What : Student Council "Quarters for Cancer" Fundraiser
When : Wednesday March 1 - Thursday March 30
Why : The Student Council will be collecting money to donate to the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research

Please bring quarters and place them in the container in your classroom.

Spirit Days:

Thursdays March 9 - Crazy Socks Day
Students who donate at least 4 quarters from March 1 - March 9 will be allowed to wear crazy socks to school on Thursday March 9. Students are still expected to be in full uniform.

Friday March 17 - Wear Green Day
Students who donate at least 4 quarters from March 14 - March 16 will be allowed to wear a green shirt to school on Friday March 17. Students are still expected to wear uniform pants, shorts, skirts, or skort.

Friday March 24 - Team Jersey Day
Students who donate at least 4 quarters from March 20 - March 23 will be allowed to wear their favorite team jersey to school on Friday March 24. Students are still expected to wear uniform pants, shorts, skirts, or skort.

Friday March 31 - Hat and Shades Day
Students who donate at least 4 quarters from March 27 - March 30 will be allowed to wear a hat and sunglasses to school on Friday March 31. Students are still expected to wear uniform pants, shorts, skirts, or skort.

The grade level that collects the most quarters will earn a popsicle party for their entire grade. The class that collects the most quarters will earn a cookie party for their class.

Our goal is to raise more than $500 for the Jimmy V Foundation. It is up to you to help us suprass this goal. The Student Council thanks you for your support!
TIME FOR A UNIFORM SALE?
Need to Buy/Sell Uniforms?
The PTO usually hosts a uniform sale twice a year for parents to buy and/or sell gently used uniforms to one another. It's about time for another sale, and we're gauging interest with this survey. Please take it and let us know what you think!


SAVE THE CAPS - AND LIDS - AND TOPS
Green Team Project
Did you know that it can take 450 years for a plastic bottle cap to decompose? So, the SDE Green Team is on a mission to collect all those bottle caps and turn them into a mural for our school! Starting February 1st, please send your plastic bottle caps to school with your child. Each classroom will have a collection box and there will be boxes in the hallways! We will take plastic bottle tops from: water, soda, Gatorade and juice bottles, milk cartons, laundry detergent, coffee cans, marker and glue stick tops. You get the idea! Just about any plastic bottle top!! Send it in and we will do the sorting! So, start saving those caps and do our planet our favor!  Questions?? Email Ms. Fenoglio at Fenoglio@fultonschools.org
SEED FUND AWARDED
SEED Fund
Great news! Due to the hard work and diligence of your School Governance Council, Spalding Drive Elementary has been awarded $70,000 to purchase classroom libraries for our homeroom teachers for the 2017-18 school year. Be sure to check out these wonderful classroom sets next year in your child's classroom!
SPRING CHESS CLUB
Championship Chess
Presents a systematic and fun way to build chess skills while students play the game. Studies show that chess improves math, reading and problem-solving and our methods connect these academic benefits to our classes. Each class includes instruction by a qualified coach, with time for play and analysis.
  • Day and Time:  Thursdays after school from 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
  • Dates:  Spring session March 2 to May 11. (No chess: April 6)
  • REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT DEADLINE
    • EARLY registration cost by midnight February 26: $130 per child for this session.
    • LATE registration from February 27: A $15 late fee is automatically added to your online registration.
    • Payment ONLINE: Go to www.championshipchess.net and select Register, then School Club. Next, follow the steps and complete the form to submit payment. A 15% discount for each additional sibling is automatically deducted in your online registration.
PTO BUSINESS PARTNERS
Publix logo
Shop with our Spalding PTO Business Partners and help earn money for our school! 
So far this year we have partnered with Publix, Box Tops, Coke Rewards, Target and Amazon Smile who each provide benefits or funds directly back to our school!
 
Featured this week:   PUBLIX!
 
Please pick up a Publix  Partners keychain card from the PTO cabinet near the front office at school. Simply present your card to the cashier when you check out at any Publix store in Georgia to ensure that a portion of all the money you spend on groceries comes back to Spalding! Take extra cards to give to your neighbors, friends and family to boost our earnings. 

Check back here often for information or look for fliers coming home about Spalding Drive Elementary Eat-Out Nights and other special promotions with local businesssponsors! The PTO partners with local restaurants and businesses to host fundraising evenings for Spalding. These fun evenings earn the school hundreds of dollars each year.