November 22, 2013
Hello, Jaguars!
As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your continued support of our Webb Bridge students, teachers, and staff. Every day, I am amazed by our students and so thank to be a Webb Bridge Jaguar where we "E3….Exemplify Excellence Every Day." There are so many ways that our students, staff and teachers "E3" on a regular basis. Our students strive to help others, are eager to learn and are kind and considerate to each other. I am thankful and very proud to serve the community as principal of Webb Bridge.
School Governance Council: Elections are over and the newly elected board will begin training to prepare for its inaugural council. Congratulations to the newly elected members of the School Governance Council:
Nan Brown, Teacher Representative 1 year
Allie Pridgen, Teacher Representative 2 year
Nan Bodeep, Parent Representative 1 year
Shari Schwalbe, Parent Representative 2 year
Tammra Baker, Parent Representative 2 year
I am very excited about our elected board and look forward to our first steps and initial training as the newly elected School Governance Council. I will keep you posted on our work moving forward in the coming months.
| Blake needs your vote!!! Exciting news for Webb Bridge!!! Former student, Blake Williams, has been selected as one of the top three finalists in the Ben's Beginners™ Cooking Contest. The contest is a nationwide competition created by the UNCLE BEN'S® Brand to help children make healthier eating choices by getting in the kitchen at an early age. Nearly 1,000 videos were submitted as part of the contest which showcased families cooking in the kitchen together preparing a rice-based dish as part of the second annual contest. Blake and his mom will travel to New York City this week to appear on the "Rachael Ray Show" to talk about the importance of getting in the kitchen with your family. The Williams family is asking the community to help them win the grand prize of $15,000 cash and a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for WEBB BRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL by having people vote for their video starting today at 12pm ET until December 8. Individuals can visit www.unclebens.com and vote for Blake, once-a-day. The two runner ups will also receive $5,000 cash and a $10,000 cafeteria makeover for their schools. |  |
If Blake wins, so does Webb Bridge, so vote for Blake!!
I wish all of you a wonderful holiday. May you all be safe in your travels and enjoy spending time together with friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Proud Principal,
Susan Opferman
Help Fight Hunger Over the Holidays!
Let’s make a difference in our community. For the week of November 11 through November 19 we will be collecting canned food items as well as non perishable goods in advisement classes. The advisement class that has the most items will win a prize! All donations will support North Fulton community Charities.
The Musical is Coming!
The WBMS Performing Arts Department will present “13” a musical by Jason Robert Brown, on December 5th and 6th at & 7:00 p.m. and December 7th at 3:00 p.m in the AHS auditorium. Reserved seating tickets are available at: www.seatyourself.biz/wbms. General admission section tickets are available at the door. All tickets are $10.
Desktop Stores is coming!
Seventh grade students will sell their handmade products on Friday, December 6th. Please join us for this great shopping experience! Shopping hours: 9-10 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1:20 p.m.-3:20 p.m.
Grandparents’ Coffee December 20th
The students and staff cordially invite all grandparents to WBMS for some java, jazz, and a jolly good time on Friday, December 20th from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Please return the flyer that went home by December 2nd and include the names of all those attending (parents, siblings, and grandparents). Please send a photo of your child to mcgill@fultonschools.org to create a keepsake for those attending. 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://portal.fultonschools.org/departments/Superintendent/Communications/Pages/SchoolSafetyTips.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 'realtime' 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.
Electronic Mall School Fundraiser
The Fulton Education Foundation presents The Electronic Mall. This website gives individual Fulton County Schools the opportunity to fundraise with minimum effort. There are over 1200 online merchants, including Wal-Mart, Macy's, and Barnes & Noble available. To find out how to participate, click here to open the instruction flyer. Post this flyer on your refrigerator for easy access the next time you start your shopping list.
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.
