Fall is in the Air vol 10.9.2024

Greetings Sarah Smith! September was packed with numerous newsworthy events. We reached our goal for Fun Run, which is so exciting to see our students get motivated around fundraising and running. I can't tell you the number of times I have heard students say, "I'm going to beat you!" This statement concerns the students surpassing their first goal, so I must race every grade level.

Taste of Sarah Smith was an exciting night of cultural exchange and a beautiful celebration of our diverse community. I had the opportunity to speak to various parents who cooked and shared some exquisite dishes, each representing a unique culture. I also enjoyed learning more about the cultural backgrounds of our students and was delighted to meet one student's grandparents who lived 30 minutes away from me in Germany. It is definitely a small world!

During the school day, before Taste of Sarah Smith, we rededicated our Peace Pole to commemorate the 43rd International Day of Peace. This significant event reminded us of the importance of peace in our lives and the world. Karla Lamar, our IB Coach, prepared a thoughtful and insightful ceremony during which we discussed the importance of peace and its relevance to our lives. A good number of our students recited "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in at least 10 different languages, a powerful symbol of our unity in diversity.

After the hurricane, we closed out the month with a safety town hall. Family Engagement, Safety and Security, Communications, and Senior Cabinet representatives were present. We were able to engage with the community and further develop our safety plans. The town hall was just the first step in improving safety, and Sarah Smith will convene a Safety Advisory Committee soon. Please view the town hall below and click here to download frequently asked questions about safety.

Looking ahead to October, we will have our Fall Festival on October 26, 2024. Please consider joining the North Buckhead Civic Association to continue developing our native garden. More information about the planting event is below under upcoming dates.

• 10/10 - Atlanta Symphony Hall Field Trip (5th)
• 10/11 - Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly (students only)
• 8:00-9:00 AM IC
• 9:15-10:15 AM  PC
• 10/14 - District PL Day No School
• 10/15 - 10/18 - Fall Break
• 10/21 - 10/25 - Conference Week 
• 10/21 - Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• 10/22 - Fall Picture Day
• 10/23 - No Tutoring
• 10/24 - Cagle's Family Farm (1st)
• 10/24 - Ellis Island Experience (5th)
• 10/26 - Fall Festival
• 10/31 - Trick or Treat

November 🦃

• 11/1 - Fun Run (Rescheduled)
• 11/6 - 11/8 Family Learning Days
• Pre K, K & 3
• 1st & 4th
• 2nd & 5th
• 11/15 - School Science and Social Studies Fair 
• 11/18 - 11/21 IT Week 🌎
• 11/25 - 11/29 - Thanksgiving Break

December ☃️

• 12/16 - School Spelling Bee

Please come help out Sarah Smith and North Buckhead at this fun event. Kids welcome

Questions? Please contact: NBCA.membership1@gmail.com

Mr. Hutson's Link Tree

Sarah Smith Elementary

September 15, 2024 Update

 September 15, 2024

Dear Sarah Smith Community,

 

I’m reaching out to follow up on an incident involving a staff member who was discovered in possession of a firearm on campus last week. I understand and empathize with why this has raised concerns in our community. I want to personally identify our actions to ensure your student’s ongoing safety and well-being. 

 

As a father and educator, I understand the angst and range of emotions that last week’s events may have caused. I have spoken with many parents, and the common theme is to ensure that our children are safe. We all share the same sentiments. My youngest child attends an Atlanta Public School, and his safety - and that of your student - is my primary concern. Our security and well-being are the top priority for the admin team, staff, families, students, and the community.

 

Upon learning of the possible presence of a firearm on campus, we immediately recovered the firearm in line with district policy and state law, without incident. Moving forward, APSPD will provide additional patrols; an SRO has been assigned in the interim, and plans for long-term elementary coverage are being discussed.  We are also receiving support from the Atlanta Police Department to bolster security around our schools. 

 

I have personally reached out to every family directly impacted and assured them of the availability of counseling services for their student. This support is not limited to those directly impacted; it is available to all students needing it. We have additional counselors on standby to provide the necessary support. If your child needs to speak to someone, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

What to expect in the coming days:

 

1. Enhanced Security Measures: Maintaining an increased police presence on campus.

2. Safety Protocol Evaluation: Comprehensive review of our safety procedures in partnership with the 

        district and law enforcement. 

3. Student Support: Counseling services will remain available for all students. We will also closely monitor 

        the impacted classrooms, and staff will receive guidance on best supporting students during this time. 

4. Consistent Updates: Provide regular updates of any developments that I am at liberty to share. 

        Transparency is essential, and I want to keep you informed.

5. Safety Town Hall:  We will host a safety town hall meeting. The date will be forthcoming. 

 

As a reminder, APS has proactively supported Sarah Smith with the following safety updates:

 

1. Security vestibules with ballistic film

2. CENTEGIX Badges

3. Updated safety protocols

4. Safety audits from Atlanta Public Schools and the GA Department of Homeland Security

 

I understand these are difficult and emotional times. Safety is the chief concern for us all. I have heard many great suggestions from parents over the last few days. Let us remain united in working together to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community. I look forward to communicating with you soon.

 

Principal Dwight Hutson

Summer Letter 2

 

One Smith: United in Excellence

July 28, 2024

Greetings, Sarah Smith Family, 

I hope this message finds you enjoying a wonderful summer break with friends and family. As the first day of school approaches, I wanted to share a few updates before we welcome our Superstars back on August 1, 2024!

Our theme for this school year is One Smith—United in Excellence. To promote teamwork and unity, we encourage everyone to wear team jerseys or Sarah Smith spirit wear on the first day of school!

NEW FACES IN KEY PLACES

Some of our cherished staff members retired or found new positions for this school year.  Sarah Smith sends tons of well wishes as they embark on the subsequent phases of their lives! We are thrilled to welcome our new team members, who are eager to continue the remarkable work underway. Below, you will find the names of our new staff members and details on some changes to previous assignments. Please join me in warmly welcoming our new staff and congratulating our existing team members on their new roles!

Staff Member	Position
Cynthia Cabral	Pre-K
Emily Douglas	1st Grade
Kennedy Robbins	1st Grade
Lisbeth Cano	2nd Grade
Dr. Kimberly Yontz	3rd Grade
Dr. Angela Richardson	4th Grade
Caitlyn Taveras	4th Grade
Calder Altman	5th Grade
Brittany O’Neal	Gifted
Kelley Jordan-Monne	IRR
Amanda Young	IRR
Tenisha Anderson	Clerk

COMMUNICATION

Please follow me and our Sarah Smith community organizations by clicking on our Link Trees. A Link Tree is a social media bookmarking tool that shares all links from an organization in one place. You can find Sarah Smith information, social media, and websites by visiting my LinkTree and the Sarah Smith Link Tree.

For your convenience, I am resharing our parent communication plan below. The plan details the method, frequency, and purpose of the various communication tools we will utilize this year.

Methods of Communication	Purpose	Frequency
Blog https://thesmithuniverse.blogspot.com/	Share updates and school data occasionally	Monthly
Class Dojo	We are a school-wide Class Dojo school this year. The majority of Sarah Smith communication will be sent through Class Dojo	At least weekly
Folders home	Share work samples and school information	Weekly
Infinite Campus Messenger	Quick messages that need to be sent to the entire community as quickly as possible or as reminders	As needed
Parent Coffee Talks	Engage and inform parents about various programs at Sarah Smith	Monthly/Fridays
Podcast - S4 News	Bilingual podcast from Principal Hutson	At least monthly
Remind	Quick messages that need to be sent to the entire community as quickly as possible or as reminders.	As needed
Social Media	Public-facing social media using Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter)	As needed
Star Weekly	Weekly communication from the PTO	Weekly

BACK TO SCHOOL DATES and REMINDERS

• Our first day of school theme is teams. Please come dressed in your favorite team gear or Sarah Smith spirit wear.

• Class assignments for grades 1-5 will be accessible in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal beginning July 27, 2024, for all returning, enrolled students.

• All class assignments will be posted at the Primary Campus and Intermediate Campus on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. 

• Celebration of Learning occurs on July 31, 2024, from 9-11 a.m. 

• PreK and Kindergarten will host their annual tradition of Popsicles on the Playground at the PC starting at 11:00 a.m. on July 31, 2024.

• The first day of school is Thursday, August 1, 2024.

• Pre-K and Kindergarten parents/guardians are invited to a “Coffee and Kleenex” meeting after walking their children to class on August 1, 2024, in the PC Media Center at 8:00 a.m.

• School begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. Students arriving after 7:45 a.m. are considered tardy. This year, the school day ends at 2:15 p.m. 

• School supplies may be brought directly to the classroom during the Celebration of Learning. 

School Supply List 2024-2025
Kindergarten 1 pack of 3x5 standard white index cards (unlined) 6 Elmer’s JUMBO-sized glue sticks 1 washable markers, broad line, assorted classics , box of 10 4 Crayola Standard crayon set, assorted colors, box of 24 2 containers of Clorox wipes, 35 ct. pop-up canister, bleach-free 1 box quart-size Ziploc bags (only girls bring) 1 box of slider gallon Ziploc bags (only boys bring) 2 rolls of paper towels 2 boxes of 200-count Kleenex tissues 1 cans of Lysol spray 2 hand sanitizer, 12 oz or larger	*Third Grade 2 packs (12 count) of pencils  2 erasers 4 jumbo glue sticks 1 box of markers (10 pack) 1 box of colored pencils (12 pack) 4 ultra fine point sharpies 2 pack of yellow highlighters 4 pack of expo dry erase markers (black) 4 wide ruled composition notebooks 2 plastic 2 pocket folders (red, blue) *DLI students will need 1 extra (green) 1 pencil pouch (personal use) 1 set of headphones or earbuds (small enough to fit inside of desk) 2 rolls of paper towels 2 large boxes of Kleenex tissue  1 large clorox wipe container
First Grade 2 rolls of paper towels 3 large Clorox wipe containers 2 large boxes of Kleenex tissues 2 packs of 4 Expo Low-Odor Black Dry Erase Markers 3 boxes of pre-sharpened pencils (Ticonderoga) 4 white jumbo glue sticks 3 boxes of Crayola crayons (24 count) 1 Neon yellow highlighter 1 pack of 4 fine-point Sharpies 1 box quart-size Ziploc bags (only girls bring) 1 box gallon size Ziploc bags (only boys bring)	Fourth Grade 2 rolls of paper towels 3 large Clorox wipe containers 2 large boxes of Kleenex tissues 1 set of headphones (not so large that they cannot fit into a desk) 1 pack of 4 Expo Low-Odor Black Dry Erase Markers (chisel point) 1 2½ inch 3-ring binder 2 boxes of pencils 12 count 12 Elmer glue sticks 1 zipper pouch with holes for school supplies (will be placed in binder) 5 Staples 3-Hole Punched 2-Pocket Portfolio (red, blue, green, yellow, black) 5 composition notebooks (red, blue, green, yellow, black)
Second Grade 1 box Ziploc bags (quart size: boys, gallon size: girls) 1 box of Kleenex 2 containers of Clorox or Lysol wipes 1 cans of Lysol spray 1 roll of paper towels 1 pack No. 2 pencils 1 pack (10-count) markers 1 pack (24-count) colored pencils 1 pack (4-count) Elmer’s purple glue sticks (regular size, NOT jumbo) 3 flexible poly folders with prongs & 2 pockets (yellow, blue, green) 2 composition notebooks (200 pages wide ruled) 1 pencil box 1 small pencil sharpener 1 pack of pink erasers 1 pair of child-safe scissors	Fifth Grade 2 paper towel rolls 1 large Clorox wipe container 2 large boxes of tissues 1 set of headphones 1 pack of 4 Expo Black Dry Erase Markers Fine Tip 2 highlighters (any color) 1 box (12 count) colored pencils 2 large pink erasers 1 zipper pouch with holes (nylon) for school supplies 4 Polypropylene 2 pocket folders (red, blue, green, orange) 3 composition notebooks 1 graph paper composition notebook (black) 4 Ultra Fine Sharpies 1 Pack of Post-It Notes

ADDITIONAL REMINDERS & UPDATES

• Morning arrival carpool begins at 7:15 a.m., and the afternoon dismissal begins at 2:15 p.m. You are not allowed to make left turns when exiting carpool. It impedes the traffic flow and has been the source of accidents and delays.

• Your child must exit the car on the passenger side during carpool.

• If your child walks to school, please discuss pedestrian safety with him/her. We are working with the community to slow down around the school, but we need your help to ensure our students' safety.

• All dismissal changes need to be reported to the main office by 12:00 p.m.

• Students are not allowed to ride the school bus home with friends. Students must be assigned to the bus they ride and disembark at their designated stop.

• Please see the nurse if your child needs to take medicine at school. The nurse can explain the process and provide you with the forms your child’s physician will need to complete. Students should not carry medicine on their person at any time.

• We look forward to seeing you at Celebration of Learning on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, and the first day of school on Thursday, August 1, 2024! 

Feel free to contact us with any questions before our official start date. Please also keep an eye on your email for important schedule updates. We are excited to begin the new school year and look forward to seeing you soon, Superstars!

Sincerely,

Dwight Hutson

Dwight Hutson

Principal, Sarah Smith Elementary