Walk to School Day
Join the Webb Bridge community in celebrating International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, March 5th. Take some time to promote health, safety, and the environment by walking with your child to school – or just simply taking a walk. For more information, please contact Michelle Garner at garnerm@fultonschools.org or visit www.walktoschool.org. If you live too far from your child’s school to walk, here’s what you can do: Drive part of the distance, then park and walk the rest!
PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Parents, if you would like to volunteer to help man a post, please contact Michelle Garner at garnerm@fultonschools.org.
Taste of Webb Bridge
Alpharetta restaurants, join us at our school;
April 1st, when it is still nice and cool.
Dinner, fun and games, it should be a ball;
Call our expert on staff, since Eva knows all.
Please register on the link below;
And we will stop by and say hello.
Looking forward to small tasty treat;
And in the future, a full meal, we will eat.
http://www.tasteofwebbbridge.com/3/custom_form.htm .
Eva Zarndt, evazarndt@bellsouth.net.
Free Food!
"Friend" the Taste of Webb Bridge's Facebook page to see the most recent posted riddle. The answer can be found by using your superior brainpower OR somewhere on http://www.tasteofwebbbridge.com. Be the first to post the answer on our wall and receive a ticket for FREE FOOD or drink on April 1st at the tenth annual Taste of Webb Bridge!!
School Governance Council: Our first meeting will be March 19. Time: 8:30-9:30. The proposed agenda will be as follows:
Meeting Agenda – March 19, 2014 8:30AM -9:30 AM
(This meeting does not allot time for public comment)
8:30-8:32 Call to Order / Welcome
8:32-8:35 Approve Agenda
8:35-8:45 Establish Norms
8:45-9:00 Elect Officers Officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Parliamentarian
9:00-9:20 Determine Standing Committees
Committees: Budget and Finance; Outreach and Communications (vote on committee chairs)
9:20-9:25 Determine Annual Meeting Schedule
9:25-9:30 Set Agenda for Next Meeting
9:30-9:35 Announcements and Adjournment
Test out options of high school courses: (PLEASE READ INFORMATION CAREFULLY)
Beginning this school year, the Georgia Department of Education is allowing students the option to "test out" of a high school course. This allows high aptitude students an opportunity to earn course credit without taking the class. To test out, students can take an End-of-Course Test (before enrolling in and taking the course) and if they score at the "exceeds" level on the assessment, they will be awarded credit for that course. The courses for which middle school students can test out include: 9th Grade Literature, CCGPS Coordinate Algebra, Biology, and CCGPS Analytic Geometry. (*The bolded classes are typically taken by 9th grade students).
While this is an opportunity for students to move past some high school courses without taking them, parents should carefully weigh the impact since some classes are stepping stones for others. While a student might successfully test out of one course, it does not mean that he or she will necessarily be successful in the next course, especially if they missed foundational concepts. (see attached information letter and registration form)
2014 Rising 6th Grade WBMS Parent Orientation:
The Rising 6th Grade WBMS Parent Orientation meeting will be held Monday, March 10, 2014. The general meeting will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. in the WBMS gymnasium. After the general meeting the Talented and Gifted Program meeting will be held in the school cafeteria from 6:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. The Special Education program meeting will be held in Rm. 105 from 6:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
Immunization Requirements Changing for 7th Grade
Georgia's immunization requirements have changed for children entering 7th grade and for students who are considered "new entrants" in grades 8-12. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, these students will be required to have Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and MCV (meningococcal conjugate) vaccines prior to entering school. A "new entrant" means any child entering a Georgia school for the first time or entering after having been absent for more than 12 months or one school year. Immunization requirements have not changed for children entering prekindergarten and kindergarten or for those already enrolled in a Georgia school for grades 1-6 and 8-12. Parents should plan to have their child vaccinated well in advance of the start of the 2014-2015 school year. Students will not be able to register or receive class schedules unless they submit proof of these vaccines. If you have questions, please contact your health care provider or the local health department.
Media Center Redesign
Any parents with design skills and interests are asked to consider contributing their talents as we work on a redesign of our library media center. Please contact Nan Brown (brownnt@fultonschools.org) if you would like more information. Also, if you have extra chargers and/or cables for mobile devices you are no longer using, we would welcome them in the media center to set up charging stations for student use. You may send them by your student to the media center or drop them off at the front office. Thanks!
Career Guidance
Career Guidance is an integral part of the Fulton County School System’s Guidance and Counseling Program. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that our local school Guidance and Counseling Departments will provide the following Career Guidance to your student this school year using Georgia Career Information System (GCIS).
Students new to Webb Bridge:
Students new to Webb Bridge must have the appropriate forms and documentation filled out in order to be enrolled as a student . Please see the attached Residency of Affidavit for your convenience:
Affidavit of Residence for New Enrollees and Students
Talented and Gifted Screening and Referral Process
The Talented and Gifted program in Fulton County School System provides enriching experiences for the intellectually advanced and exceptionally creative student. Gifted services are available in all Fulton County Schools for students in kindergarten through grade 12. All procedures for identification and service of gifted students meet guidelines of Georgia Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.38. You may download the Questions & Answers Referral process or visit the Fulton County School's Advanced Studies and Talent Development website.
Box Tops For Education
We make earning cash for your child's school simple. Clip Box Tops from hundreds of products. Once you start looking, you'll see these little pink coupons everywhere! Each Box Top coupon is worth 10¢ for your school. Each eligible school participating in the Box Tops for Education program may earn up to, but not more than, $20,000 cash per year (beginning on March 2 of every year) from the Clip program. The money earned by WBMS is used to purchase technology and student awards. Box Tops may be dropped off in the front office.
Edmodo For Parents
Teachers at Webb Bridge Middle School are utilizing the website Edmodo to post classroom information. Parents can create one account and link to all of their student’s account. This is great if you have more than one student using Edmodo. Follow these simple steps:
- Obtain the unique 6-digit Parent Code from your child’s account (this is not the same as your child’s Group Codes). The Parent Code is located on your child’s Edmodo Homepage on the bottom left side panel.
- After you have the parent code, go to www.edmodo.com. Currently, you can not create your Account on the mobile or iPad Edmodo app).
- Click “I’m a Parent” and fill in the necessary information and Parent Code. Note: Each child has a different Parent Code. You do not need to share a Parent Account with another parent, relative, or guardian. Multiple Parent Accounts can setup for one student. Each Parent Account must have a different email address.)
Student Health Services
Please read this useful information from the office of Student Health Services located at:
http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/ops/security/Pages/Student-Health-Services.aspx
ATTENTION ALL WHO VOLUNTEER AT SCHOOL: Volunteer Registration - Action required for all volunteers
House Bill 1176 was recently signed into law and affects our protocol for reporting child abuse and neglect. As a result all volunteers for our school must complete a Volunteer Safety Information Form and complete training on Child Abuse and Neglect. The training is a ten minute online presentation outlining your responsibility for reporting child abuse or neglect and the protocol for such reporting. At the completion of the online training, you will be given an opportunity to print a Certificate of Completion. Your completed Volunteer Safety Information Form and training certificate should be submitted to the front office of your child’s school as soon as possible. This new policy includes all volunteers: sports, performing arts, and PTSA volunteers.
Early Dismissal
If a student needs to leave school before normal dismissal time, a note from the parent or guardian requesting early dismissal must be sent to the office on the morning of the requested early dismissal. Please refrain from checking out students between 3:45-4:00 p.m. as this allows us to protect the instructional time at the end of the day for all students. Please be prepared to show a photo ID when checking out a student.
Home Access Center
Home Access Center is the system for you to access your child’s school information via the web. The Home Access Center website will allow parents to view student data including: Student Registration, Report Card, Attendance, In progress grades (assignments, tests, etc.) All data is 'real-time' as the teachers and administrators input data into the school district's database. Your user ID and password will be available for pick up at our curriculum nights on August 27th (6th grade) and August 28th (7th & 8th grades). You will need to show a photo ID in order to pick up your information.
Carpool Safety
For the safety of our students, please follow our carpool safety guidelines:
• Our one and only carpool entrance is in the front of the building.
• Please drop your child off in the front of the school where staff is on duty. There is no drop off in the bus area or by the music hall.
• Our carpool is single lane; please avoid using the left lane to bypass the carpool lane.
• When approaching the front of the carpool line, please pull up to the yellow line (past the front entrance to the school).
• Remember that with one carpool entrance we must be courteous of other drivers.
Please remind your child to wait on the sidewalk and not to cross in front of cars in the carpool lane. Thank you for your cooperation.
Webb Bridge Middle School Educational Foundation
The goal of the foundation will be to purchase technologies and educational programs for the students of our school that would not otherwise be available through traditional funding by the Fulton County School System or our PTA. While the foundation will be separate from the PTA, both will serve important functions for our school. The PTA provides numerous programs and events, volunteers, and support for our teachers. The foundation will be designed to complement the PTA and its efforts by providing funding for additional technology and resources that are unable to be funded by the PTA due to pre-designated restrictions and/or guidelines.
So as not to compete with the PTA for donations, the foundation will seek to raise money from large corporations in the Alpharetta and North Fulton area, which is home to many computer companies, technology businesses and national call centers along with private donations. Our goal will be to tap into these resources to support student learning. If you are interested in serving on the exploratory committee, please contact Marc Gelber at Marc@Gelbers.com or 770-856-9508. While we have an attorney that has offered to provide the legal service to set up the Foundation, we are in need of a CPA to file the 501(c)(3) application as well as volunteers for various other roles. While the time commitment will be minimal, your impact on Webb Bridge will be great.
Coke Rewards
Webb Bridge participates in the My Coke Rewards for Schools program. Every time you enjoy a participating Coca-Cola product you can donate the My Coke Rewards points to WBMS. The donations will help give our students things they need, like sports gear, creative supplies, books, classroom tools, and more. Here’s how you can make a difference:
Purchase your favorite Coca-Cola drink to get codes.
Go to www.mycokerewards.com (register if you are not a member).
Enter codes to collect points – choose “Donate to Your School” from the six ways to spend points.
Find Webb Bridge Middle School by zip code (30005). When our school’s page comes up, click “Donate Points Now” and enter the amount you would like to donate.
Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) has a wonderful donation program called TrueBlue Schools. For every current GNG customer who registers for Webb Bridge Middle School online at www.TrueBlueSchools.com, the school will receive $5.00 for each month you continue to be a GNG customer. If you are not a current GNG customer, switch now, and WBMS will receive a $40 donation and $5.00 for each month you remain an active GNG customer. Please check out www.TrueBlueSchools.com to register for WBMS today or to learn more about the program.
National Blue Ribbon Schools 2010
The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement especially among disadvantaged and minority students. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds. To read more about the National Blue Ribbon program and view a list of 2010 winners, please go the Department of Education website at http://www.ed.gov/blue-ribbon-schools.
Webb Bridge Middle School is a 2006, 2009, 2012 Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch
Webb Bridge was originally designated as a Lighthouse School to Watch in 2006 and was re-designated for a second time for the 2012 school year. A Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch is a school that is conscientiously moving to meet fully the nationally endorsed criteria for high-performing middle schools, one that has made marked progress in meeting all of these criteria, including measurable gains in the academic achievement of all students. To find out more information about the Georgia Lighthouse Schools to Watch program, visit the Georgia Middle School Association website at http://www.gmsa.net and the National Forum website at http://www.middlegradesforum.org.
