Mrs. Manharth's Blog

Nearing the End!

Wow!!  This year has flown by!!  We have just completed CRCT testing, and I must say, I am very proud of our Ford students.  They worked so hard and we had very few absences or tardies.  We are so fortunate to have such wonderful students and supportive parents.  I know we will all be very pleased with our test results!

We are nearing the end of school and there are so many fun events on the horizon!  Please keep a close watch on the web site for upcoming activities.  Don't forget to join us for our Evening in the Garden on May 7th.  This is always a grand event at Ford! 

Take some time to enjoy the nice spring weather with your children!! 

Fall Testing

As we begin the month of October, we are completing testing for first, third, and fifth graders.  All three grades levels participated in the Cognitive Abilities Test.  The third and fifth graders also completed the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  Ford students did an excellent job with testing!  They were all very diligent and serious.  I am sure we will have excellent results.  Once the school receives the test results, we will begin identifying any students that may need extra support through our Extended Day tutoring program.  The tutoring program will begin in November.  If you have any questions about tutoring, please call Ford and ask for Ms. Gillis.

A BIG thank you to Christy Hulsey for creating our Mustang Mutts club!  The first meeting was held this past Wednesday and we had a very large group of student participants.  Dr. Cook, veterinarian, brought in our sponsor dog, Madeline.  The Mustang Mutts Club will be looking for an adoptive home for Madeline.  You can see posters of our favorite pup at Ford.  Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 7th from 2:30-3:00. 

Have a Fabulous Fall!!! 

Great Start!

Wow!  We've had a terrific start to our 2007-2008 school year!  The students are already pros at hallway and cafeteria procedures.  The buses seem to be running smoothly, despite our multiple second load situation. It's been great seeing so many wonderful Ford parents involved in their students classroom right from the start.  We are so fortunate to have such bright and enthusiastic students and supportive, involved parents!!!  Ford is a Fabulous place to be!!

Success

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

~Albert Schweitzer

I love this quote because it reminds me that we have a choice everyday!  We can't choose what happens to us, however, we can choose how we react to situations.  I am so happy that I have found great success at Ford.  I love my career and can't imagine doing anything else!!  I have found Ford to be a warm, friendly, and caring community of students, parents, teachers, and community partners.  It is truly a great place to be!! 

Along that thought, our 5th grade Writing Assessments were just returned.  I am happy to report that 94% of our 5th grade students met or exceeded standards in writing.  How wonderful!!  I am very proud of  the hard work on the part of our students, teachers, and parents.  Mrs. Pepper states every day that we "don't have a minute to waste".  It is clear to see that this attitude pays off! 

CRCT scores should be mailed to the school this summer.  We will receive a list of any students who did not meet standards before the end of the school year.  If your child requires Summer School, you will receive a letter with details. 

As we wind down the 2006-2007 school year, we have several things to celebrate:

*Academic Success!

*A community of caring life-long learners!

*A staff committed to excellence!

*A leader committed to the support of the staff, students, and community!

*A BRIGHT future for our Ford students!

Thanks to all of you for making this a successful, and HAPPY, year!!  Have a wonderful, relaxing, summer!

Testing Frenzy!

Welcome to Spring!!  Along with the pollen, we also face the testing frenzy of CRCTs and end of the year crunch!  I am posting a few hints that may help you and your student face the coming tests with a little more calm!!

1.  Tell your child there is no need to cram.  The CRCT is not a test you can study for.  It will show what they have learned throughout the school year.  The questions will be familiar to them.

2.  Remind your child to read the questions carefully and if they don't understand, they can ask the teacher.  Each teacher must read from a script and listening is very important! 

3.  Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before the testing days.  Read a book together and take time to relax and calm down before bedtime.  Remind them to do their personal best and not to worry about the results.

4.  Be sure that your child is at school on time for each day of testing.  Students who come in after the bell rings will not be allowed in class.  They will have to take the test in a makeup group.

5.  Give your child a well rounded breakfast before the tests.  Protein helps the brain to function better.  If your child doesn't have time to eat at home, he can have breakfast in our school cafeteria.

6.  Above all, encourage your child!!  Praise him/her for the accomplishments that he/she has made throughout the year.  A test is just one day of a child's life and doesn't give a complete picture of their development and growth.

Good luck Ford Mustangs!!  Let's Bust that Test!!!!

Mrs. Gillis

February

We made it through January with no snow days, and now we are weathering the cold!  This is a great time of the year to reinforce study skills with your children at home.  We are preparing to take the GA CRCTs in the Spring, and the more you can work with your child on extended study and quiet time, the better they will do on the assessment.  Be sure your child has a quiet and comfortable place to do their homework.  Together, you can create a homework basket.  Include items such as pencils, crayons, rulers, staplers, calculators, etc.  Having materials readily available makes homework time smooth and painless.  Spend time reviewing daily work with your child.  Remember to read with your child everyday!  It is a fun and pleasant way to bond with your child and a time that you both will always remember.  Board games are a great way to reinforce math and social skills.  Take time during the  cold weather to learn and play together as a family. 

Holidays

It's hard to believe that we are half way through the year!  The children have been so excited about the holiday activities at Ford.  We look forward to seeing parents at the holiday parties.  I would like to wish each of you a warm, and happy, New Year!

Remember to keep reading with your child at home!  Spring testing will be here soon, and as Mrs. Pepper always says, "We don't have a minute to waste!"  When you are shopping for holiday gifts for your children, remember educational video games, books, board games, all teach valuable skills.  The important thing is to continue communicating with your child and his/her teacher.  Check out the teacher's newsletters so you can reinforce new skills and standards at home.  Thanks for all the wonderful things you do as a parent everyday!! 

October

    October has flown by!  Conferences were a huge success!   The responses on the Conference Evaluation sheets were overwhelming positive.  Ford had 99.5% of our parents attend their child's conference!  What would we do without such wonderful parent support?! 

    The weather is turning cooler and we are looking forward to some Fall gardening at Ford.  We are planning a workday on the Ford grounds for November 11th.  If any strong dads, or willing moms, can join us on this day it would be greatly appreciated.  We will meet at the school at 8:30 for breakfast and then work from 9:00 to 12:00.  Join us for some Fall Fun!!

   

Thank You's

I have been truly overwhelmed with the kind cards, words, gifts, and flowers since my husband passed earlier this month!  Ford has really welcomed me with open arms!  I am so fortunate to have such a thoughtful school community.  Thank you so much for the gift cards and love offerings.  You all have touched my heart in such a sweet way.  I am staying very busy with our fabulous students and staff!  Ford is the BEST place to come to work each day!  The children are so bright, energetic, and caring and our staff just can't be beat! 

Welcome!

Welcome to my new Weblog!!  I am very excited about our Ford Staff Development and introducing weblogs to our staff.  Our September Early Release Day was utilized to train Ford staff members in weblogs and the new Georgia Performance Based Standards.  We are looking forward to a successful year at Ford and implementing strategies through staff development in order to meet our school improvement goals in the areas of writing and mathematics.