pline, interventions and

consequences. We en-

courage you to periodically

review the handbook with

your child and remind

them of their personal

responsibility to follow the

school and district rules.

Please keep an eye open

for our new bullying proto-

col that will soon be com-

ing home with your child.

The faculty and staff mem-bers of Matilda Hartley Ele-mentary are committed to promoting a safe and secure learning environment for all students. Our school-wide discipline positive plan en-compasses tools to teach students social training skills, strategies to help stu-

dents build character, and prepare them for high school graduation, more importantly to become college and workforce ready.

The school-wide disci-

pline team met and

revised the positive

school-discipline plan

(see attached docu-

ments). Teachers will

continue to review the

discipline plan and pro-

vide incentives for your

child(ren) for following

school and district rules

that pertain to the

"Student Guidelines for

Success." Teachers will

review the handbook

throughout the year

with students as it per-

tains to student expec-

tations, levels of disci-

A Message from the Principal

Inside this issue:

Media Matters 2

Counselor’s Corner 3

Coaches’ Corner 4

Staff Recognition 5

Scholastic Book Offers 6

Title I — A School to Watch

Matilda Hartley Elementary School

Dates to Remember

Jan. 11— Report Card Day

Jan. 15— Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth-

day

Jan. 16— Martin Luther King, Jr. School

Holiday

Jan. 19: Student Presentations

5 PM –PTO Parent Information

6 PM – 2nd Gr. Presentation

Jan. 26: Awards Day 9:30 A.M.

( 1st & 2nd Grade)

Jan. 27: Awards Day 9:30 A.M.

( 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade)

JANUARY 2012 VOLUME I, EDITION 4

Dr. Shelia V.

Garcia

Character Counts

Character Words

for:

Jan. 9-13: Kindness

Jan. 17-20: Justice

Jan. 23-27: Tolerance

Jan. 30– Feb. 3: Pa-

tience

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice

everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/

Media Matters @ Hartley Elementary

Students in grades 2-5, are

setting goals for the nine

weeks and you are encour-

aged to talk with your child

each week about their pro-

gress toward surpassing their

set goals for the Accelerated

Reader program. Together our

students with become better

readers and better, future

leaders.

Michael Lashley,

Library media Special-

Page 2 MATILDA HARTLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

(AT HOME)

Username: bibbco

Password: bibbworld

*********************

The web address or URL

(Universal Resource

Locaton) is http://

www.worldbookonline.com/

kids

********************* What is World Book

Encyclopedia online? World

Book Encyclopedia online is

the digital or (eBook) version

of the printed encyclopedia

that is usually used in the

school media center to gather

information on a topic.

What is an encyclopedia?

An encyclopedia is a short

story with TRUTHFUL

information about famous

people, places, and things in

our world. This is a great

place to began researching a

topic because you know that

you can “trust” the

information in it.

See if you can answer these

questions using the

encyclopedia. Check next

month’s newsletter for the

answers. (Hint: Search by a

person’s last name) Who married Martin

Luther King, Jr.? Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. earned his

doctoral degree

(Ph.D.) from what

college/university? What world-wide

prize was given to

Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. in 1964?

Parents be sure to attend our

upcoming PTO meeting on

January 19th. The focus of

our meeting will be a pres-

entation on how to register

for PARENT PORTAL.

This is available to you free

of charge and will allow you

to keep track of your child’s

grades & attendance.

It is a great resource that will

allow you to see each assign-

ment and grade that your child

has earned. It also has options

built in so that you can receive

email if your child receives an

“F” or skips a class. It is a

wonderful tool. This resource

does requires Internet but you

may use the computers at your

school’s media center to pop

in and check on your child’s

progress. Just ask the school

media specialist to assist you.

You must register through the

school office with picture ID.

DID YOU KNOW? (Courtesy of——- http://www.did-you-knows.com)

Did you know 85% of plant life is found in the ocean

Did you know 11% of people are left handed

Did you know birds need gravity to swallow

Did you know Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors

Did you know paper money was first used in China

Did you know the first toothbrush was invented in

1498

Hartley’s media center has begun purchasing electronic books for

your children to read in class and at home. The books are available

via the Internet from any computer in the world using a special user-

name & password.

eBooks are simply digital copies (in color) of the actual books. Many

eBooks come with built-in dictionaries to assist readers as they read

and some come with an audio-voice reading capability so that the

student can be “read to”.

Note: Not all eBooks can be read on every hand-held device. This is

why we have chosen to make our books accessible via our school

web page. Visit us at

http://schools.bibb.k12.ga.us/hartley/site/default.asp

Mrs. Twanna White, Ed.S

School Counselor

During the month of De-

cember, our focus was on

the following character

education words: Loyalty,

Charity, Compassion, and

Generosity. The following

students showed that these

character traits are a part of

their daily lives:

PreK: Carmyn Burnette

Kindergarten: Shalonne

Avery

First: A’Jaida Lester

Second: Jeremiah Brinson

Third: Rashad Jackson

Fourth: Amiajah Daven-

port

Fifth: Shaniya Hutchings

Congratulations to these

students!!!

feelings and brainstorm positive solutions.

Encourage your child to talk to their friends

about their feelings. Most importantly, teach

by example. When your child sees you being a

good friend, he or she will learn about what a

good friend does. Let’s be Hartley PEACE-

MAKERS!!!

.

Counselor’s Corner

beginning in kindergarten with class-

room organization tasks. Each year

additional skills are taught to help the

students organize their desks, folders,

time, and homework. Begin by clearing

clutter and finding a specific place for

your child’s belongings. Organize with

your child instead of for them. Doing

this together is a great way to help your

child take ownership of the process.

Choose a time everyday to go through

papers in your child’s backpack. Throw

away old papers, keep important notes posted

on the fridge or bulletin boards, and send

books and homework back to school. Place

the backpack in a designated area to ensure it

is not forgotten each morning. Make home-

work and cleaning up a regular part of the

evening routine. Consistency is the key to

getting organized.

Organization is an important

life skill that helps both chil-

dren and adults be success-

ful. There is no better time

than January, to get organ-

ized with your child, and

teach them this valuable skill!

Learning organizational skills

are something elementary

students learn over time.

Skills are taught in steps,

VOLUME I, EDITION 4

“Character plus

Intelligence, that is the goal

of a true education.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

School is a place to learn, not only about math and reading, but also about rela-tionships. Children learn

about friendships and social problem solving at school and from you at home. It can be difficult to know what to say to a child who is upset about a disagreement with a friend. Although your first instinct may be to protect your child and intervene, help-ing them solve their own problems in a responsible and respectful way will teach them to be a peaceful problem solver and a great friend. Teach your child empathy. By putting themselves in someone else’s shoes, helps your child gain an understanding of others

Page 3

We believe that all children can learn but they learn differently. We have a sense of urgency to get our

students prepared for middle school, high school, and life. We also believe that we must teach students in

a way that they have never been taught before. That means with a challenging and relevant learning envi-

ronment. It is our goal to increase our partnership with parents to help us increase student achievement.

Matilda Hartley elementary school

We’re on the

Web !

Check us out.

2230 Anthony Road Macon, Georgia

Greeting!

I hope the holiday break was enjoyable and relaxing for

all of you! We are ready to begin the second semester.

Teachers and staff have been busy preparing for lots of

fun and educational activities.

At this time of the year, fourth and fifth graders have

started practicing for the county math competitions.

Students are working with math 24. They are challenged to

use their math skills to solve the various cards. The students

have risen to the challenge.

We are proud of them.

Try to solve this card:

Let’s Get Cooking at the Writing Café! Coming soon is The Writing Café – a place for your child to

write their heart away! Writing is essential to all children’s success in school. As a support for our students, I will be hosting a daily Writing Café. Fifth graders, who are experiencing difficulty mastering a writ-

ing standard or trait, will visit the Writing Café in the afternoons to enjoy an extra dose of instruction. I look forward to supplying our children with extra curriculum support.

************* More news on…Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition

2011-2012 The annual Young Georgia Authors (YGA) Writing Competi-

tion is a state-wide contest. YGA provides an opportunity for all Geor-gia students to compete by submitting creative writings from any

genre whether in the form of a short story, a poem, newspaper arti-cle, a research report, personal narrative, or any kind of original writ-ing a student is inspired to submit.

The deadline for students to submit entries to their teacher is February 10, 2012. Students are encouraged to have engaging and well written entries. We look forward to celebrating our student’s writing successes. Happy Writing!!!

************* This Month’s Website

An Education & Child Development Site for Parents: Before

Preschool through High School, http://www.education.com/

Mrs. Paula Johnson, Performance Learning Coach

Mrs. Dora Collins, Instructional Coach

Page 4

Coaches’ Corner

Teacher of the Month

Congratulations to Mr. Wendell Smith !

Mr. Smith has been selected as the “Instructional Sup-

port Person of the Month” for January. This distinction

is being given to him for the great job he performs eve-

ryday at Hartley Elementary School. Hartley is lucky to

have such a wonderful man.

Mr. Smith has been working for Bibb County School

District for nineteen years. He is married and is the fa-

ther of three boys and one girl. He has been blessed with

seven grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys watch-

ing the popular, hit television series, Animal Planet.

Be sure to thank Mr. Smith for all he does when you see

him in the halls at Hartley for he surely deserves it.

Instructional Support Personnel of the Month

Personal Presentation: My name is Mrs. Dora Collins. I am

happily married and within our union are six lovely children. I

savor opportunities to travel and shop, but especially take

pleasure in reading my Bible, attending church, and sharing

with others who are less fortunate.

Education Background: I received my B. S. Degree in Early

Childhood Education from Mercer University. After a few

years of teaching I set a goal to return to graduate school. I

later received my M. Ed. Degree in Education Leadership and

Supervision from Georgia College and State University. In

addition, I hold a certificate in Reading Endorsement and

Teacher Support Specialist.

I have been an educator for eighteen years with eight as an In-

structional Coach. As an Instructional Coach I am passionate

about student achievement and academic success. My mission

as an Instructional Coach is to “empower teachers as they im-

plement comprehensive literacy to impact student achievement

by communicating, working collaboratively, and building pro-

fessional learning communities.”

Page 5 MATILDA HARTLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

All labor that

uplifts humanity

has dignity and

importance and

should be

undertaken with

painstaking

excellence.

Martin Luther

King, Jr.

Mrs. Dora Collins

Mr. Wendell Smith

Happy New Year to all of Hartley’s

sensational parents, studious students, and faithful principal, faculty, and

staff!

JANUARY BOOK OFFER…

Due: Jan. 20th @ 9 AM

Give Orders to Ms. Paula Woolfork

# 62

Title: A Silly Snowy Day

Author: Michael Coleman

Pages: 32

Funny seasonal read-aloud about a Tor-

toise who would rather play than

Hibernate.

# 16

Title: Deep Snow

Author: Robert Munsch

Pages: 24

Lexile: 590L

Get ready to laugh with funny man,

Robert Munsch.

# 12

Title: Black Lagoon: The 100th Day of

School

Author: Mike Thaler

Pages: 64

Hubie can’t bring Grandma to school on

the 100th day for the 100th day school

celebration (she’s only 81), so what can

he bring?

# 9

Title: Brian’s Return

Author: Gary Paulsen

Pages: 112

Lexile: 1030L

Brian leaves his old life behind—and re-

turns alone to the wild! Can he survive

the deadly storms & dangerous bears?

# 9

( 2 Books in 1—New Flip Book)

Title: Brush, Brush, Brush

Title: Twinkle, Twinkle, Time for Bed

Pages: 32

Preschool/Kindergarten

Kindergarten/First Grade

Second Grade/Third Grade

4th, 5th, or 6th Grade

New Year’s Special—Buy all five books for just—— $ 4. 80

Page 6

**Required reading for the

“Literary Roundtable”