ANNUAL PARENT SAFETY AND SECURITY MEETING
This annual meeting will take place this Thursday (9/4/25) at 5PM on Zoom. The link has been shared in Digital Dolphin and you will receive a focused message tomorrow with the link again. (Not posted here for privacy purposes). This online meeting is for adults only as we will discuss sensitive information in a different way than how we do with our Dolphins.

DOGS ON THE MES CAMPUS
While we love our furry friends, APS policy states that no dogs are allowed on an APS campus at any time. This includes our walker pad, front field, and front entrance. A good rule of thumb is sidewalks only on East Rock Springs Road. If a staff member gently reminds you of the policy, please take action at that time. Thank you!

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT ACKNOWLEDGMENT
If you have not already done so, please complete the attestation form for the Code of Conduct by going to the Documents section of Parent Portal.

STUDENT DEVICE AGREEMENT
A paper copy of the student device agreement is coming home to all students in tomorrow's Wednesday folders. If you have already signed this agreement in Parent Portal, you will not need to do so again.  Thank you!

FIELD TRIPS
We are super grateful for our adult chaperons for our grade level field trips, but please note that all MES students are required to ride the school bus to and from a field trip. Students may not be checked out of a field trip at the venue, nor will they be allowed to arrive late to the venue. Doing so produces logistical and safety concerns for all parties involved! 

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
Wednesday, September 10th - Caffeine Connection and Parent University- Assessments at MES. 8:00-9:00am in the MES Cafeteria.

Until Next Time…
Warmly,
Brian Baron

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS (8/25 is K-2, 8/27 is 3-5).

• Doors will open at 6:00pm and presentations will start at 6:15pm. The evening will conclude at 7:15pm or earlier depending on the grade level.
• Please note that these are curriculum nights and are not intended to be conferences. We want to preserve confidentiality of all students, and the curriculum night environment does not allow for confidential discussion of student progress and behavior.
• Stop by the cafeteria to visit Specials teachers, Special Education teachers, EIP, our Counselor and Social Worker, and MES Administrators.
• If you are driving, please park anywhere in the neighborhood where there is NOT a no parking sign. Thank you!!
  • Front driveway must remain clear for fire safety
  • No parking along the fence on Fordham Court

LUNCH VISITS - Lunch visits begin Tuesday 9/2.

• Due to the high volume at times with lunch visitors, visitors must again pre-register to visit so we can continue a consistent system of safety and security. Lunch visit form link will be in this week's Digital Dolphin.
• Please sign-in and out at the front office and meet your child in the cafeteria to eat lunch at a visitor table near the windows.  
• A lunch visit with your child is a special time for you as parent(s) and child to connect during the school day.  
• We do not allow other students or friends to join you due to logistics and lack of the other parent’s permission.  
• Lunch visits are for lunch only. Please allow your child to go to recess on his or her own after your lunch together.  

MES ANNUAL PARENT SAFETY MEETING - Thursday, September 4th, 5:00 PM
Virtual link will be sent via Digital Dolphin this Friday and will be sent through Parent Portal next Tuesday (9/2/25)!

Until Next Time…
Warmly,
Brian Baron

Dear Dolphin Families,

What an incredible first week of school we had at MES! All of the smiling faces of our Dolphins and the excitement with which they have filled the hallways with has been quite a bucket filler for the first week of school!!!

A few items for today’s blog. This is a longer blog than will be moving forward, so thank you for reading the entirety! 

1. Chromebooks - All students are being checked out a brand new Chromebook this year (Grades K-5). Teachers will make use of Chromebooks as a supplement in instruction throughout the year. These Chromebooks will remain at MES in students’ homeroom classes unless we are facing a possible inclement weather day. In that case, I will communicate that the Chromebooks are being sent home prior to the day, and we will provide you with further instructions at that time!
2. Open House - K-2 Open House will take place Monday, August 25th and 3-5 Open House will take place Wednesday, August 27th. Both nights will run from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. More details will follow next week!
3. Lunch visits - Lunch visits will begin the Tuesday after Labor Day (September 2nd). Thank you so much for allowing us to set great expectations in the cafeteria for lunches during the month of August!!
4. MES Parent Orientation - Due to several considerations, we are rescheduling our MES Parent Orientation and Safety Meeting to Thursday, September 4th. I will provide more details as we get closer.
5. School Calendar - I encourage each of you to check the school calendar from our website. We post as many dates as we can so it is a comprehensive calendar of events!
6. Attendance - As a school, a piece of our school rating is our students’ attendance. A student is counted a PRESENT if they are in the building prior to 11am (for a late check in). If a student arrives on time (prior to 7:45am) and is checked out prior to 11am, that day is considered to be an absence. Similarly, arriving after 11 am constitutes an absence. My plea for the 2025-2026 school year regarding school breaks: When possible, please consider planning checkout of students AFTER 11am the day before a school break if you are checking students out. I know this is a big ask, but please look at later day flights, etc. so that we can have all students marked present on all days of this school year. What we’ve seen is that, for instance, Thanksgiving week that is a full 5 day break becomes 6 or 7 days when students do not attend the Friday before, or the Monday following. There will be an attendance incentive this year for all students present the day before AND after a school break. Again, details will follow!
7. AM Drop off reminder - Please do NOT drop children off on East Rock Springs road. Please enter the car line. Please wait with kids in the car UNTIL 7:30 in the driveway - no drop and go! We do not have staff supervision at car line until 7:20. Lastly, We are utilizing sidewalks along Fordham Ct. vs. walking across the turf. We have had several near misses of parents and kids being hit by cars in the car line due to cars making maneuvers in the driveway to cut around the line. 

It has been so wonderful seeing so many of you since last Monday. It truly is a game changer with the support that you all share for our staff, and especially our Dolphins.

Until Next Time…
Warmly,
Brian Baron

We are so excited to see everyone at the Meet and Greet Friday morning!
A few notes looking toward Friday and Monday:
1) PikMyKid - Please see the blog post below from 7/25/25 regarding PikMyKid. ONLY fill out the form if you do not see your student listed in PikMyKid! Default mode of transportation will close tomorrow!

NOTE: Beginning Monday, 8/4/25, cutoff time for changing dismissal for the day is 1:45PM. This is a hard stop time as there are so many moving pieces to consider when we prepare for dismissal. After 1:45PM, whatever is listed in PikMyKid will be the mode of transportation home for your student.

2) Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) - the Midtown Cluster elementary schools have partnered in a new policy called "Away for the Day", getting ahead of the 2026-2027 Georgia law banning devices during school hours. Our collaborative policy does include any watches that can be used for texting or information gathering. All devices must be in book bags during the entire school day including smart watches (even if they are in school mode). Our front office is always staffed in the case of emergency where you may need to contact your student. Please read our PED Policy HERE.

3) Supplies - Supplies may be brought to the classrooms Friday at the Meet and Greet or may be brought in on Day One. Remember, you may walk your student to class Monday 8/4 and Tuesday 8/5. Join us in the auditorium for Coffee and Kleenex at 7:45am Monday morning!

Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Principal

Happy Friday to All!

1) CLASS ASSIGNMENTS are now posted on the front doors of the school. Please refrain from posting images of the lists on social media! Please know that our teachers put a lot of time and careful consideration into class assignments, utilizing both parent input forms and teacher input!

2) MEET AND GREET: We hope to see you Friday, August 1st for our Meet the Teacher at MES
Last Names A-M: 9:00am-10:00am
Last Names N-Z: 10:00am-11:00am
Please keep with your time assignment in order to allow a smaller environment in the classes to meet the teacher!
REMINDER: No parking along the fence on Fordham Court! You may be ticketed and/or towed by the city!  Also, please be aware to not block driveways when you park!

3) PikMyKid REMINDER #2: 
PikMyKid is the app we use for all things dismissal. Read about PikMyKid HERE.

a) Make sure your app is updated - We ask that you make sure that you have the up to date PikMyKid app installed on your phone as this is our sole mode of daily dismissal. Remember, all daily dismissal changes are done through the app.

b) Change (or keep) default mode of pickup by July 31st. 

• Open your app and tap on your student's name
• The current default pickup will be at the top
      --> NOTE: Returning students have the default set to the default from May 2025. New MES students (including Kinder) have CarLine 1 selected. PLEASE CHANGE THIS TO THE APPROPRIATE DEFAULT PICKUP MODE!
• Click the Default Pickup button to change.
  • If you need to change this default mode, please do so now!! You will have the ability to do so on your own until Thursday 7/31.
  • PRO TIP: IF YOU ARE RECEIVING AN ERROR MESSAGE, FULLY CLOSE OUT THE APP AND OPEN IT BACK UP. IF THAT DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE, UNINSTALL THE APP AND REINSTALL IT!

c) After August 1st - If you need to change default mode of dismissal after August 1st, please contact Ms. Mosley in the front office (404) 802-8950.

NOTE: ONLY if your student does not appear, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/BputTP6W4dWQrYbNA. 

Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Principal

MILESTONES ASSESSMENTS NO VISITOR POLICY

• I want to thank everyone for the grace that has been extended to this slight shift in visitors to the building during testing times. It is so very much appreciated!

THE LAST THREE DAYS (5/27, 5/28, 5/29)

• Families - understanding that the end of this school year is quite different than previous years, I want to bring to light the importance of all of our Dolphins to be in attendance the last 3 days of school (5/27, 5/28, 5/29). Our school's attendance is actually factored in to the CCRPI (College and Career Ready Performance Index) which is our state accountability report card. A drop in our attendance rate can significantly affect our score for the Readiness component of CCRPI which would result in a lower overall score for Morningside Elementary. I want to thank you in advance for understanding the impact of the last three days after Memorial Day for our overall school rating!

2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR INFORMATION

MEET THE TEACHER DATES - JULY

• Meet the Teacher for the 25-26 school year is officially scheduled for Thursday, July 31st. We will continue our tradition of splitting meeting times in order to accommodate all families comfortably.
• 9:00 am - 10:00 am - Last names A-M
• 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Last names N-Z
• Additional communication will be shared at the beginning of July!

2025-2026 SUPPLY LISTS

• All supply lists will be posted on our website by June 1st. Stay tuned!

2025-2026 STAFFING UPDATE

• Reading/Math Support Teacher - Following a candidate pool of 141 applicants, we have recommended Ms. Valerie Thomas for hire. Ms. Thomas comes to Morningside with a plethora of experience in both literacy and math instruction, as well as a strong background in data analysis. We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Thomas for the upcoming school year!
• Special Education Paraprofessional - We are so excited to announce that Mrs. Cathy DeVarona will be joining the MES Staff in this role! Mrs. DeVarona holds an incredibly strong background in education, and has most recently been serving as a substitute teacher at MES. Not only is she a brilliant educator, but she is a delightful member of the Morningside community!
• 5th Grade Science and ELA - We have recommended for hire a vibrant and experienced 5th Grade Science and ELA teacher to join our 5th grade team. Additional details will be shared as this teacher completes the HR process.

5th GRADE FAMILIES - I will send a separate communication will be sent Monday (5/9) regarding the Moving On Ceremony.

Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Interim Principal

GEORGIA MILESTONES - 4/28/25 - 5/9/25

We are quickly approaching GMAS (Georgia Milestones Assessment System) testing for all students in grades 3, 4, and 5. GMAS dates can be found HERE along with a letter to all parents. A few reminders to consider:

- Make sure Dolphins are getting to bed at a reasonable hour to ensure full ability to be alert!
- Testing will begin promptly at 8:00AM so students really need to be on time!
- All students should eat breakfast to nourish their amazing brains either at home or in our cafeteria!

Please note that there will be no visitors allowed in the building between Monday, 4/28 – Friday, 5/9 during Georgia Milestones testing. This is a practice that we are aligning with the other Midtown elementary schools on this year. This means no lunch visitors, mystery readers, etc. during that time. Although the majority of our testers will be completed by 11 am, we will have testers in small groups as well as rolling make ups testing throughout these days. Thank you so much!

NEW MURAL FACING PLAYGROUND
Thanks to funding through the MES Foundation, and the dedication of Ms. Holly Acton, we are SO excited to house the newest creative mural by the incredible Greg Mike!! I will leave the unveiling of this masterpiece to our Foundation!

4th GRADE PARENTS (a look ahead to the 5th grade trip)
Giving a heads up to all 4th grade families (rising 5th grade families) that we will once again head to Rock Eagle for the 2 night, 3 day experience for our 5th grade students.  We are looking at a cost of approximately $270 which includes charter buses, lodging, food, etc. There will be a bunch of information about the trip provided at the beginning of the school year, but I wanted to put this on your radar early! The trip is currently scheduled for November 5 - November 7.

SAFETY CONCERNS AT DROPOFF

- EAST ROCK SPRINGS: We are still having students dropped off directly on East Rock Springs Road. At no time should any student be dropped off from a car other than in the car line due to safety concerns. New cones are being used to indicate no drop off

- DRIVEWAY: Reminder that there are no turns into the driveway at drop off time. Please queue up on Barclay

PARENT PORTAL UPDATE!
Please make sure you update/verify your information in Parent Portal. APS sent communication directly regarding this information. Thank you!

Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Interim Principal

2025-2026 School Year Staffing Updates

As we depart for Spring Break, I wanted to share our staffing update as it stands today. For the upcoming year, we are projected for a student enrollment of 694 Dolphins. The breakdown of grade levels stands as follows:

Kindergarten - 6 teachers, 6 paraprofessionals
Teachers: Holmes, Georges, Grier, Jennings, Nguyen, Snapp
Paraprofessionals: Banks, Davis, Frazier, Letchumanan, Romero, Wicker

1st Grade - 6 teachers
Davis, Dickerson, Oglesby, Sayers, Warren, Westwood

2nd Grade - 6 teachers
Bakich, Brown, Hogan, Lozano, Lieb, O'Neill

3rd Grade - 6 teachers
Acton, Milam, Morel, Nordmann, Varino, Waye

4th Grade - 5 teachers
Ahmed, Cherry, Ellison, Khalili, Rhodes

5th Grade - 5 teachers
Espinosa, Mallory, Shivani, Tyner, Vacancy

Ms. Carla Daniels will be joining Jackson Elementary as a 4^th grade teacher.  We are super grateful for Ms. Daniels' unwavering service to both 2^ndgrade and 5^th grade Dolphins!!

Mr. Trey Hatcher will be retiring in May after serving Morningside Dolphins since 2015. We are so happy for Mr. Hatcher in his next chapter!!!

Dr. Zina Rhodes will join the 4th grade team and Mrs. Jen Lieb will join the 2nd grade team.  This has created a vacancy for our 5th grade team which has now been posted on the APS HR website. We aim to have an amazing 5th grade teacher recommended for hire by the last week in April.. Additionally, we will be hiring two hourly paraprofessionals to join our team - more information will be shared (including the postings for the para openings) after we return from the break.

I will continue to share updates as they become available.   Happy Spring Break!!

Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Interim Principal

• SUMMER CAMP/PROGRAM INFORMATION
• In addition to Power Up Midtown Academy for students over the summer, I am asking for some help in sharing names of great summer camps that our Dolphins have attended. I'm putting together a list of community recommended camps to share out with families.  Please click https://forms.gle/ts1xoMxhAMSqkVvT6 to share information about your camp/program!

• LAST CALL FOR PARENT INPUT FORMS FOR CLASS PLACEMENT
• Because we are all overly swamped with all things, I am offering ONE more opportunity to complete the parent input form for class placements. I will close the form at 2PM on Friday...and as Porky Pig so eloquently says…. "That's All Folks!" Parent Input Form: https://forms.gle/WhY2PHVbWAfCprhA6

• VISITORS DURING MILESTONES (4/28-5/9)
• Please note that there will be no visitors allowed in the building between Monday, 4/28 – Friday, 5/9 during Georgia Milestones testing. This is a practice that we are aligning with the other Midtown elementary schools on this year.
• This means no lunch visitors, mystery readers, etc. during that time. Although the majority of our testers will be completed by 11 am, we will have testers in small groups as well as rolling make ups testing throughout these days. Thank you so much!

• BUS RIDING POLICY
• Per APS, students are allowed to ride only the bus they are assigned to based on primary home address. Although you have the ability in PikMyKid to select buses, that is only a technical piece in PikMyKid. The APS bus riding policy can be found here listed under #9: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/domain/10570

• SPRING SHOES WITH BACKS!
• As the weather is getting warmer (finally!), I want to remind you to please make sure that kids' shoes have backs on them to prevent accidents in the building. Safety first!
   
• SPRING GARDEN DAY
• A huge thank you to Ms. Acton and the countless volunteers who made the Spring Garden Day a big success. It was a beautiful day in the garden with hands-on experiential learning. There were such fun stations that our Dolphins had an opportunity to participate in that included:
• Planting in Cups
• Sowing in Beds
• Transplanting
• Seed Bombs - wildflowers
• Seed Bombs - sunflowers

STUDENT SHOUTOUTS!

STATE SCIENCE FAIR

On Friday, March 28, 2025, 3rd Grader Charlie D. attended the GA State Science Fair, where his project, Hoverboards and Decibels, won first place in the Physics category!!! Congratulations to Charlie for winning  first place at the GA State Science Fair! Charlie’s experiment was inspired by riding his hoverboard with built-in speakers around his house. He noticed that the sound seemed louder on certain surfaces and wondered why. To investigate, he measured the decibel levels—units that measure sound intensity—reflected off different floor surfaces from his hoverboard's speakers. How cool!!!!
(Thank you Anne-Marie for the info and content)

KID CHESS ATLANTA TOURNAMENT

(Thanks to Mrs. Lee for providing this content)

Among the Atlanta schools competing, MES students clinched 1st place during the tournament playoffs. Individually, our students achieved remarkable results at the championship on May 4th, earning 1st, 2nd, 6th, 8th and 10th places. The talented students who represented us are:

5th Graders:

• 1st Place: Isaac K
• 2nd Place: Theo K, Paul K, Max F
• 6th Place: Paulo C
• 8th Place: James P

3rd Grader:

• 10th Place: Jackson P

Wishing the entire Morningside Community a safe and restful Spring Break Week!

Until Next Time...

Warmly,

Brian Baron
Interim Principal