Sarah Smith Elementary School

Sarah Smith GO Team Meetings are held throughout the year at the Intermediate Campus at 3:15 pm. Tentative dates for the 2019/2020 school year are as follows. All meeting are open for public comment. See the Go Team Overview page for details on making a public comment.  

Meeting Schedule

MEMBERS

Katy Barnes is a parent representative on the Go Team. She is a native Atlantan and has lived in the Sarah Smith district   for 15 years. She and her husband have three children; a son in 4th grade, a son in 2nd grade/ DLI Program, and a daughter in pre-K. During her time as a Sarah Smith parent she has volunteered for many school wide and classroom events, served as a room parent for two years, and as the PTA Spirit Wear Committee Co-Chair. She spearheaded the establishment of the DLI Family Engagement Committee in 2018. She also serves as a student mentor at Woodson Park Academy in APS. Katy graduated from The University of Georgia. Her professional background includes working at the Savannah College of Art & Design- Atlanta as the Director of Events, Exhibitions and Community Outreach and as a Director with Stella & Dot. She is passionate about spending her time and energy working to make improvements that will benefit all of our students and giving SRS families a strong voice in the decisions made through the Go Team.  If you would like to email Katy Barnes, please click here

Ed Juline is the community representative on the GOTeam. A transplant to Atlanta since 2013 from many adventures, near and far, he brings a diverse knowledge of cultural differences between communities, cultures, and countries. He and his wife have two sons, a 6^thgrader at Atlanta International School, and a 1^stgrader in the DLI program at Sarah Smith. His wife works as the parent liaison at Sarah Smith, providing services to the Hispanic community. His professional background includes work at large corporations and family owned companies.

Rebecca Blanchette is a Go Team parent representative with two children in first and third grades attending Sarah Smith. Rebecca has been involved in working toward the success of the school by serving on the PTA Board as Vice President of Operations and then as Co-President of the PTA, Advocacy and Enrichment. This year she is continuing her support of the PTO by serving on various school-wide committees. Rebecca grew up in Kennesaw, GA and attended the University of Georgia where she earned a B.A. in Geography. She followed her dreams and moved to New York upon graduation and worked for a fashion retailer in Human Resources. Rebecca and her family moved back to Atlanta in 2012. She is passionate about public school education and believes that Sarah Smith should be a top choice school for residents. 

I received my Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia. After college, I returned        to Atlanta to long-term sub at Sarah Smith.  I was thrilled when a first grade position came open the following year.  I wanted to work full time at this neighborhood school, and help it remain successful, as it is the school that I attended. Last year I served as the teacher liaison on Sarah Smith’s PTA board and will continue this role for the next two years.  This is a wonderful opportunity, as it allows me to have a voice as I work with parents to advocate for the needs of students and teachers.   While at school, I advocate for my students by creating meaningful lessons that reach our diverse student population by collaborating with other teachers and differentiating my instruction. I also have attended trainings such as Orton-Gillingham that allow my students the opportunity to learn best practices. I am excited to serve on the GO Team.  I am looking forward to working with other teachers, parents, and community members to help steer our school in the right direction, as we think about the long-term goals of Sarah Smith and how to raise student achievement! If you would like to email Ellen Boydston, please click her