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Table of Contents Page

Jacque’s Note 2 Community News 3-6 MS News 7-8 HS News 8

November 12, 2014

Wednesday Packet

IMPORTANT DATES/INFORMATION Thursday, November 20 1:30pm in RCC MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY AND CHORUS PERFORMANCE Friday, November 21 8:00-10:30am in The Cougar Center ‘BREAKFAST FOR CHAMPIONS’ GRANDPARENTS AND GRAND-PALS RECOGNITION DAY Monday-Friday, November 24-28 No School TCS Offices Closed November 26-28 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY Sunday-Saturday, November 30-December 6 BARNES AND NOBLE BOOK FAIR Tuesday, December 9 8:00am OR Wednesday, December 10 5:30pm In the Media Center (see flyer) MANDATORY 8TH GRADE TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL MEETING Monday, December 8 6:00pm in The Cougar Center HIGH SCHOOL PLAY Tuesday-Thursday, December 16-18 HIGH SCHOOL EXAMS – Noon Dismissal HS Thursday, December 18-No School for MS Only MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WORK DAY December 19-January 2 No School TCS Offices Closed December 24-January 1 WINTER HOLIDAY

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We have certainly been in a sprucing up frenzy lately! Love the changes to the MS patio and cafeteria. The curbing around the flag pole area is a huge improvement. The entry to the administration building will be completed by the end of this month. Will Hall completed his Eagle Project with landscaping around the fire hydrant. Senior Zak Kitzler began his Eagle Project on the Gazebo last weekend. The Campus Appreciation team worked hard again this past weekend to enhance our natural surroundings. This is an impressive list that involves donations, volunteers and vision! Thank you to all who continue to give of yourself and your talents to make TCS the best school in town! When you look at our school calendar for November and December you will see that it is packed with many opportunities. Our sports teams are always entertaining. Our High School Drama class performed last Friday in the GISA state competition. Since taking first place last year, they are the team to beat! Middle School traveled to attend the performance of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” last week. High School begins the first stages of our official career assessments. Advancement is busy planning more up-and-coming events, especially since we end the month with Grandparents and Grand-Pals Recognition Day! We are hearing from you that our teens are excited about their classes and proud of their accomplishments! Our GISA conference last week was an amazing opportunity to learn new techniques, explore new research, network with our peers and come away with validation for the excellence that we achieve on a daily basis. As usual, we benefited from the keynote speakers, Dr. Ben Carson and journalist, Paul Tough. They emphasized the role that emotional security and celebration of the individual plays in a child’s ability to experience success. They acknowledged that rote academic exercise and high stakes testing does not produce the kind of learner nor healthy adult that our current and future communities need. They emphasized the role of experiential learning and attention to the unique qualities of each student. Our staff left the conference feeling energized, inspired and proud. Just what we need as we near the end of a busy semester! As we approach our national day of Thanksgiving, I encourage you and your family to begin a tradition of acknowledging and discussing the things for which each of you is grateful. As the days grow shorter and the hours of darkness increase, some folks find their moods follow suit. Taking time, as a family, to tell each other about moments or events for which they are thankful can raise the awareness of the positives in our lives. These simple discussions can serve to diminish the anxiety and disappointment that often comes with winter.

November 12, 2014

Jacque’s Note

The Holidays are Coming!

When you are doing your online holiday shopping, don’t forget to use the Amazon Smile feature so your purchases benefit TCS. And don’t forget all the other ways you can earn a few dollars for TCS. These dollars support program enhancements. Share this with family and friends; you don’t have to have students at TCS to sign up! Thanks for shopping!

Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable

organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. Go to

www.smile.amazon.com and designate The Cottage School as your

charity of choice.

Does your family buy Ziploc bags, Kleenex or General Mills products? These are just a few of the brands that are part of the BoxTops program. This is easy, just cut out the BoxTops logo and send in to school with your child. Start saving now and watch for October contest information coming out soon.

Switch and become a Georgia Natural Gas customer and help your school earn money!

Georgia Natural Gas will donate $5 every month to your school just

for paying your natural gas bill. If you are not already signed up, please

visit www.onlygng.com/TRUEBLUECHOICE for program details.

Kroger offers support of TCS through their Community Rewards program. You can participate by going to Kroger.com, registering your card and then choosing TCS (school #36692) under ‘Community Rewards’. Every time you use your Kroger number for gas or groceries, TCS gets credit.

If you don’t already have one, get your Publix key-chain sized card in the Central Administration Office. Pick up enough to give to friends and family! Each time you shop, present your card at the checkout counter and Publix will donate a percentage of your purchase to TCS.

Target enables customers to specify TCS as the recipient of a percentage of sales charged to their Target credit card. If you don’t currently have one, inquire the next time you shop at Target. It is simple and easy to sign-up for.

“Breakfast for Champions”

GRANDPARENTS AND GRAND-PALS RECOGNITION DAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST 8-10:30AM IN THE COUGAR CENTER

Important Reminder

No surprise that our kids often forget things. Every day the staff collects assorted jackets, sweaters,

shoes, etc. Without a label, we have no way to return these items (some of which are clearly new

and/or expensive!). We have an in-house system that collects items and stores them in the RCC

and in the middle school. After a period of time, the uncollected items (usually overflowing in the

collection bin) are taken to North Fulton Community Charities. It is nice to help those less fortunate,

but I would prefer to help you first! Please label your child’s belongings, especially those you do

not want to lose. Have them label them, if you choose. Also, ask your HR teacher where the bins

are located and stop by to check for items you have not seen around the house lately. One of the

staff will help you comb through the piles as you try to locate your child’s only winter jacket!

Please bring all donations to Donnaire and mark with “ASP”. We appreciate your support! Thank you!

IF YOUR GUEST HAS NOT RECEIVED THEIR

INVITATION, PLEASE CONTACT TANGELA AT

TANGELAM@COTTAGESCHOOL.ORG.

PAC PICKS THIS WEEK

Campus Beautification Update

Thank you to the small but mighty few who

came out for our last fall Campus Appreication

day – Mike and Mollie Staid, Jeff Irle, Rob and

Christy Hood-Cree, Jennifer Claire Ludovice,

Tom Bynum, Becky Thelen, Tangela McFarlane

and students Turner Bynum, Stephen Tyner and

Vince Kozel. They worked pruning, planting

and spreading mulch on campus. They also

installed stepping stones behind Hagan Hall.

A huge thank you to Mollie and Christy who have been working hard to oversee

this project. The campus looks great thanks to all your efforts. TCS is lucky to have

you!

TCS Good Stuff

Keep your eyes on the Gazebo by the Admin building, it is getting some

TLC from senior, Zak Kitzler. Zak, along with his Scout troop, are

working to earn his Eagle Scout badge. Other improvements will continue

in the coming weeks. Thanks for your work to improve the TCS campus.

Mandatory TCS Transition

Meetings for 8th Grade

Students and Parents From the small pond to the big sea!

In order to assist your student and you to transition from the middle

school to high school, we will be holding very informative

mandatory transition meetings.

You can select one of the two following meetings to attend. Please

notify Donna (donnab@cottageschool.org) of the meeting

you and your child will be attending.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 8:00am in the Media Center

OR

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 5:30pm in the Media Center

You will learn about all of the events and plans that are in place for

the 8th grade transition to TCS High School.

MS November Activities

DATE Activity TCS$ Things to bring

Friday

11/14

Off Campus

Levels

Turner Field Tour

Lunch

Turner Field Museum

$223.20

All students going off campus must bring a

sack lunch unless pre-ordered through lunch

program. There will not be microwaves.

Friday

11/14

On Campus

Levels

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Lunch

Marshmallow Structures

$215.76

Friday

11/14

Academics

Academics

$223.20

Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an independent reading

book if you complete your work early.

Friday

11/21

“Breakfast for Champions”

Grandparents and

Grand-Pals Recognition

Day

$215.76 Open to grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other

special friends of TCS Students.

Guests may take their students home after

the program.

Friday

11/21

On Campus

Clubs $215.76

Club materials

Friday

11/21

Academics

Academics

$223.20 Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an independent reading

book if you complete your work early.

Monday-Friday

11/24-11/28

No School-

Thanksgiving Holiday

Enjoy your holiday!

HS Activities for November

DATE TIME Activity TCS$ Things to bring/U.S. $

Friday

11/14

Clubs Bring needed clothing / equipment

Pay Off

Friday

11/21

“Breakfast for Champions”

Grandparents & Grand-Pals

Recognition Day Guests will tour campus and attend TCS

talent show. Guests may take their

students home after the program.

$454.07 (Academics)

$424.78 (On Campus)

Academic material to complete work and

spare reading

materials, if you will be in academics

all day!

Mon-Fri

11/24-

11/28

Thanksgiving Holiday No School

Happy Thanksgiving!