Letter from the MC Principal
Hello MC Families,
While certain parts of getting back to school like lunch, recess, and Quiet Time just flow naturally as students move into their schedules, we also have other things to roll out to get the year going. The cell phone collection process has been going smoothly. Students are turning in their phones and we are seeing less distractions and less of the bathroom trips that were simply phone checking trips in the past. If at any point you need to pass along a time-sensitive message to your student that cannot wait until after school, you can call the main office at 678-904-0051, or you can call OR text the following number: 470-825-5165.
Reverse Drill
On Monday, August 11th we did a Reverse Evacuation drill. Whereas we leave danger inside to go outside for a fire drill, with the Reverse drill we practice the process for when we are outside, there is danger outside, and we need to come inside to be safe. There are two times that I can remember in the past where we have made use of this process when there was a storm cell dropping rain on our building right at dismissal. In these cases there was so much rain that you could barely see and it was not safe for students to walk or bike home. The kids wouldn’t be able to see and drivers would not be able to see them crossing the street. In this case we “Reversed” the students into the gym, had them sit by Advisory just like we do in Morning Meeting, and we had walkers and bike riders call their parents to come pick them up. Adults were on walkie talkies radioing inside to let students know when they could walk out to their cars. Since this is a situation that we’ve experienced in the pastm we drill it relatively early in the year.
Meet the School Family Night
On Thursday, September 4th we will have Meet the School Family Night. Several years ago we moved away from doing a standard curriculum night, because it was going to be difficult to pull off parents moving through a student’s schedule and spending time with all of their teachers since students have eight classes. We moved to a structure that we call Meet the School Family Night in which we all meet up in The Backyard, and parents have an opportunity to spend some time meeting their students’ various teachers. This year Meet the School Family Night will take place on Thursday, September 4th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Prior to the event I will send out a link with a collection of videos from each teacher (the videos will be no more than about 4 minutes in length) that parents can look at to learn more about their students’ teachers, what they are learning (and will learn) in class, and some video of what the classroom space looks like. All told, you should be able to gain familiarity with your child’s classes within about 30 minutes of watching these videos. Then during Meet the School Family Night you can put faces to names, get to know the teachers a little more, and ask clarifying questions. That said, you will be one of many families wanting to spend time with each of the teachers that night. We ask that everyone recognize that this night is not for individual conferences, but rather to learn more about your child’s teachers and other staff at the Middle Campus.
Toddle
We are getting closer to rolling out Toddle. Once we are fully ready, you will get an invitation to set up an account – you can’t just login to the website. In the next week or two look out for an email from “Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School via Toddle” inviting you to set up an ANCS Toddle account.
There will be an IB MYP session on Thursday, September 11th at 6:30pm to learn more about Toddle. You can RSVP here. I will share information about additional upcoming sessions covering Community Project and grading and assessment in my next Courier letter.
Google Classroom
Sometimes parents ask about access to Google Classroom as a tool to keep track of what their students are doing. The best way to use Google Classroom as a tool is to sit down with your student, have them login, and then have them show you what they’re doing. Teachers use Google Classroom in different ways, but sitting down with your student and having them walk you through what they are submitting can be a way for you to get a better understanding of what work your student is turning in. If you have further questions about Google Classroom, or anything else for that matter, please reach out.
Kind regards,
Mark
Mark Sanders
Mark Sanders began teaching at ANCS in 2011. Before coming to the school, Mr. Sanders worked in New York City. He spent three years teaching 7th and 8th grade mathematics at Middle School 50 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and two years at Harlem Village Academies teaching Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry. He taught 8th grade Math/Science/Technology at ANCS for five years.
