MES Parent University

One of the things we're most passionate about at the MES PTA is helping parents to feel better connected and more knowledgeable about everything going on at our school. That's why we brought back our Parent University series of meetings starting during the 2022-2023 school year!

Whether you're a new MES family or you've been here for a bit but still have questions, this series is the place to get answers! These sessions are intended to be informal but informative, where experienced MES parents and school personnel can share their wisdom with our broader community. Meetings will be scheduled throughout the school year and will focus on different topics as needed by our community.

Have a question that you want to see covered during an upcoming Parent University session? You can submit them via this google form, which will then be used to inform future sessions. 

Upcoming MES Parent University Sessions

Our final Parent U for the 2023-2024 school year has now concluded. Swim back at the start of the 2024-2025 school year to see the dates and topics for our planned sessions for next year!

Past Parent University Meeting Materials

2023-2024 School Year

Parent University 2023-24 Session 1: Shifts in Reading (October 2023)

These informative sessions (held once for grades K-1 and once for grades 2-5) were led by Ms. Laurie Luckmann (MES Instructional Coach) and Mr. Michael Rawls (MES Librarian) and shared important guidance about reading acquisition and approaches to reading at MES. These sessions also covered information about how parents can utilize the MES library to help support their children's reading journeys. The slide deck for this session is linked below. 

Learn more about the MES Library and Media Center here: https://www.meslibrary.com. Additional resources shared during this session can be found at https://www.meslibrary.com/for-parents 

Parent University 2023-24 Session 2: Testing at MES (November 2023)

During this session, Assistant Principal and MES Testing Coordinator Mr. Brian Baron provided an overview of the various tests administered at MES. Tests discussed included GKIDS, MAP, ACCESS, NAEP, and GMAS (Georgia Milestones). Mr. Baron reviewed why each of these tests are administered and how they can help your MES students. 

Testing at MES 2023 Meeting Slides

Parent University 2023-24 Session 3: Transition to Middle School (March 2024)

During this session, past and present MES parents with children currently attending Howard Middle School shared information about preparing our current 5th graders for their upcoming transition to middle school. While this session  covered specific information related to Howard Middle School, the information shared may be relevant to all MES 5th Grade parents and caregivers. 

Transition to Middle School Presentation Slides

Parents of Rising Rams may also be interested in the content that was shared during the virtual Curriculum Talk that was hosted by Howard Middle School on Tuesday, March 19th 2024. The recording from this event can be viewed here and the slides can be viewed here.

2022-2023 School Year

Parent University 2022-23 Session 1: Orientation 2.0

This informative session covered all of the basics of life at Morningside Elementary, including who's who behind the scenes (PTA? MES Foundation?), what are all these meetings about, how you can get information about the school, and much, much more! The slide deck for this session is linked below. 

Orientation 2.0 Meeting Slides

Parent University 2022-2023 Session 2: Testing & Assessment

This session shared information about required testing and assessments that are conducted throughout the school year at MES and across the APS district. Topics included GKIDS, ACCESS, MAP, and GMAS.

Testing & Assessment Meeting Slides

Parent University 2022-2023 Session 3: MES Media Center 101

This session gave our parent community an opportunity to hear from our fantastic (and district-renowned!) school library media specialist, Michael Rawls, about our MES Media Center and raising our students to be readers!

Learn more about the MES Library and Media Center here: https://www.meslibrary.com