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June 27, 2006

School Hours

Students and parents will want to know the following important information:

I hope everyone is having a great summer vacation, but before you know it, the 2006 - 2007 school year will be starting! In fact, Charger Day is on Thursday, August 10, 2006, from 10:30AM until 1:00PM. School starts just a few days later on Monday, August 14, 2006. Here is some information you will need to know about school hours and the places you can be dropped off for school if you are not riding the bus.

Times and Locations for Early Morning Student Arrival

Morning Study Hall

• Students may not arrive for morning study hall until 8:15AM.
• Parents should drop students off at the front entrance of the school for Study Hall.
• Students who come to morning study hall can not enter the building until 8:15AM.
• Morning Study Hall is a time for silent reading or silent study.
• Students are not to be on school property before 8:15AM unless prior arrangements were made with a specific teacher for a specific event.
• Other than the specific situations listed below, Mabry does not provide for student supervision before 8:15AM and can assume no liability should a student be at school prior to 8:15AM.

Intramurals

• Students participating in Intramurals may arrive between 8:00AM and 8:10AM in the circular drive entrance nearest the gym doors.
• Parents should enter the front parking lot and proceed down to the circular drive nearest the gym doors when dropping students off for Intramurals.
• This entrance is locked promptly at 8:10AM.
• Students arriving after 8:10AM may not participate in Intramurals that day.

Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Rehearsals or Passoffs

• These students may arrive between 8:00AM and 8:15AM in the back bus lanes.
• These students will receive detailed information about this new procedure from their Band, Orchestra, or Chorus teachers.
• We believe this will reduce congestion in the front of the school as well as reducing the time it takes to drop your student off.
• This entrance is locked promptly at 8:15AM.
• Students arriving after 8:15 must come in through the front entrance to the school.
• Parents should drop their students off from the front parking lot after 8:15AM.
• For safety reasons, no cars are allowed in the back bus lanes area after 8:15AM.

Early Morning Study Sessions with Teachers

• These students may arrive between 8:00AM and 8:15AM at the front entrance to the school.
• These students can not be admitted into the building until the teacher with whom they are working arrives or until 8:15AM, which ever happens first.
• The teacher will pick the student up from Study Hall, after 8:15AM, or at the front door, from 8:00AM until 8:15AM.
• These study sessions must be arranged in advance with the teacher.

School Hours: 1st period begins promptly at 9:15. School ends at 4:15.

Posted by Tim Tyson at 03:54 PM

Back to School Letter

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to the 2006 - 2007 school year at Mabry Middle School! In preparation for the new school year, I have some very important information to share with you. At the beginning of August, this letter is being mailed to all registered students.

MabryOnline.org
Our website has met with an overwhelming response, serving over 1,000,000 files to people all over the world each month. We have received emails as far away as New Delhi, India, Tasmania, and Australia. You will want to visit our new site frequently as it contains a great deal of important information, including all of our teachers' blogs. If you navigate to our old site on the Cobb County server, you will be directed to go to the new address: http://mabryonline.org

Secured Information
Additionally, we have also created a secured site to provide access to important information that I do not want to go beyond our immediate school community. I am providing you with this access information and am requesting several things of you:

• Save this information in a safe place.
• Please do not call the school to request this information as we will not give it out over the phone to anyone, at any time, for any reason.
• If you stop by the school to pick this information up, you will need to be prepared to provide picture ID to demonstrate you have a child currently enrolled at Mabry.
• Please do not share this access information with anyone, at any time, for any reason.

As you know, I take safety and security very seriously. [INFORMATION DELETED FROM THIS ONLINE POST]

Charger Day
Charger Day, your convenient one-stop shopping experience for most of your back to school needs, is scheduled for Thursday, August 10, 2006, from 10:30AM to 1:00PM. You will have the opportunity to conveniently take care of all of these back to school purchases:

• Join PTSA ($3.50 each)
• Donate to PTSA (Your $40.00 family donation sustains their not doing fundraising!)
• PTSA Membership Directory ($5.00 if available)
• School Pictures (Package prices vary. Click here to download the flier. Have your student come with you dressed appropriately for school pictures!)
• School Agenda ($5.00)
• School Lunches
• School Yearbook ($25.00 now; $30.00 on January 1st; $35.00 on May 1st if available)
• Performing Arts donations

Additionally, we will:

• Post pod and homeroom assignments for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
• Post bus routes
• Allow all students to quickly find their homeroom so they will know exactly where to go on the first day of school. Teachers will not be prepared to visit with parents or students as they will be extremely busy getting their classes ready for the first day of school. Therefore, we are asking that everyone end their Charger Day by quickly locating their new homeroom and then exiting the building.

Please keep in mind:

• Last year, for those who came at the very beginning of Charger Day, this was a very congested and busy event that at times had long lines at different stations. Those who came later had significantly less or even no wait time at all.
• We are "closing up shop" promptly at 1:00PM.
• All of our volunteers will be wearing red. If you don't want people to think you have the answer to the meaning of life, don't wear red on Charger Day!
• Parking will be an issue, so please carpool.
• Students must be accompanied by their parent. No students are to be dropped off or left unattended.
• Enter from the back of the school in the bus parking lot off of Steinhauer Road. The main entrance will be for registration only.
• You may enter the building from any of the 3 double doors under the back covered walkway in the bus parking lot. These doors will not open until 10:30AM.
• Read the important information related to Charger Day posted at MabryOnline.org.
• Download, print, and bring with you the color-coded Charger Day Checklist and the color-coded Charger Day Map [use the information you received in the mail]. We can only provide you with black and white copies at the doors. The color-coded maps will correspond with the color of the balloons located at each of the different stations. These two items will help minimize confusion and facilitate your getting in and out quickly.
• We do not take plastic (yet), only checks. We will not be prepared to provide change for cash.
• You will need to write several checks as money goes to different organizations as indicated on the Charger Day Checklist.
• When possible, having your checks already made out before you arrive will help speed up this process. The information you need to accomplish this is located on the Charger Day Checklist.

While a bit hectic, we hope that Charger Day will be a convenience for our school community, providing you with the opportunity to get most of the major school year purchases taken care of at one time while learning your team assignments and homeroom location. Be sure to save all of your receipts.

Take the time to introduce yourself to me. I will have 500 MabryOnline.org magnets, suitable for hanging (on your refrigerator) which I will be giving out as I walk around. I hope you join me in looking forward to a wonderful year full of academic success.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tim Tyson
Principal,
Mabry Middle School

Posted by Tim Tyson at 12:56 PM

Charger Day

What Is Charger Day?
Charger Day is our effort to provide you the convenience of getting many of your beginning of school tasks done in one place at one time. During Charger Day at Mabry, you may:

• Locate your homeroom and pod assignment
• See where your homeroom is located so you will know where to report on the 1st day of school (6th grade and new students only)
• Find out your bus stop information
• Have your school picture taken
• Purchase your school picture package
• Pick up your child's individual CRCT report
• Join PTSA
• Purchase a PTSA school directory (if available)
• Sign up to be a PTSA volunteer
• Purchase your yearbook
• Purchase school lunches
• Purchase school supplies
• Purchase your school agenda

When Is Charger Day?
We have scheduled Charger Day for Thursday, August 10, 2006, from 10:30AM until 1:00PM. We coordinated the time so it will not conflict with elementary or high school events.

Where Is Charger Day?
Charger Day will be in the Mabry Covered Play Area and the Mabry Cafeteria. Parking is always an issue for school-wide events. Parking is available behind the building (entrance from Steinhauer Road) and limited parking will be available in the front of the building (Jims Road). I would suggest carpooling.

What Should I Expect on Charger Day?
The doors will not be opened until 10:30AM. Last year there was a long line to get into the building for those who came early. Toward the beginning of Charger Day there were long lines at each station (PTSA, Pictures, etc.). Those who came later had shorter lines or no lines at all.

The PTSA will have a checklist for each parent when s/he arrives with his/her student. The checklist will also be posted on this blog for download. You will receive a letter at the beginning of August telling you how to download it. The checklist will assist you in making certain you get everything done that is available to you. It will also help you find where things are located as we plan to spread stations out to avoid congestion and minimize confusion.

The checklist will contain a list of the supplies you can purchase in the school store, which will be open during Charger Day. Additionally, information as to whom checks should be made payable and for what amounts will be on this sheet. Using the downloadable sheet as your guide, you may have your checks prepared in advance--made out to the correct organization (LifeTouch, Mabry Middle School, Mabry PTSA, etc.) for the correct amounts. Pre-prepared checks will speed up the lines and reduce wait time significantly.

Volunteers will be "labeled" so you can seek them out to ask for assistance if needed.

Students are not to be dropped off at school or left unattended. You will want your child to be dressed appropriately for school pictures. Only sixth grade students and students who are new to Mabry will have the opportunity to find their homeroom in the building.

We look forward to seeing you!

Posted by Tim Tyson at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)