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Table of Contents Page

Jacque’s Note 2 Community News 3-12 MS News 13-14 HS News 15

Senior News 16

January 7, 2015

Wednesday Packet

Important Dates/Information *January After School Program has begun. Be sure to submit your payment online or directly to the Business Office. PAC MEETING Thursday, January 8 8:00 am In Conf. Room B HOMECOMING PLANNING MEETING (Following the PAC Meeting)

Thursday, January 8 10:00 am In Conf. Room B HOMECOMING SPIRIT WEEK- The 80’s Are Back Monday-Friday, January 12-16 See Spirit Week Flyer for each day’s attire. HOMECOMING Thursday-Saturday, January 15-17 See Homecoming Flyer for Schedule of Events. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY Monday, January 19 No School Offices Closed

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Welcome Back!! We missed you and each other! The holiday vacation is always a nice break but I am sure we are all ready to get this party started!! As fast as first semester went, second semester will be even faster! I am sure that there are still twenty-four hours in a day and seven days in a week, but it seems as if everything is speeding up on a daily basis! Staying busy keeps us happy, so I am not complaining, but I am issuing a caution that we should buckle up and get ready for an AWESOME RIDE! We welcome our new families at this time of year. It is not easy to start a new school in mid-year, but our staff, students and PAC mentors do all they can to keep our newcomers informed and comfortable. I encourage all of you to attend our school events and get to know each other. This is an exceptionally cool community! A major contributor to our successful programming is the TCS communication system and our continual practice of assessment and adjustment. Just as a good teacher checks in with students and determines what to do next by what the student demonstrates they understand, our entire staff checks in with each other to be sure our systems are working efficiently and that we are continuing to accomplish the mission of the school. Our regular homeroom calls are just a small part of this system but the information we receive from our conversations with you is important. Next month you will be asked to complete a parent survey that we will use to map our programming and adjustments for the future. The last survey results were instrumental in supporting the replacement classroom space for our aged building A (now demolished) and our increased investment in and emphasis on technology use in the classroom. Your comments and suggestions made a huge difference. Please take the time this year to respond honestly and constructively to the survey. We know we do a terrific job but we also know that there is always room for improvement! Second semester marks a real turning point for our students, both veterans and those newly enrolled in August. With eighteen weeks under their belt, the skills they have been honing are beginning to gel. The knowledge on which they are building is expanding at a faster rate and the confidence they are enjoying is becoming stronger each day. Most of the growth occurs deep inside their heads and hearts and is not immediately visible to us. However, what we do see is a lighter step, a quicker smile and an increase in conversation and activity. For some, the transformation may be slower than others, but it is there…I see it in the brief encounters I have between classes and as I tour with guests. These are remarkable teens and they are capable of remarkable accomplishments! I am so glad we are on this journey together! Thank you for your partnership so far this year and for the memories and celebrations we are promised for the remainder of the year!

January 7, 2015

Jacque’s Note

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.

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.

Advancement Angle

News you can use to help raise money for The Cottage School

Happy New Year! Get that first resolution out of the way and give

to the Key Annual Fund!

Donate today: http://www.cottageschool.org/donate-now/

New Cottage School Families

TCS welcomes seven new families to our community!

Middle School

Jordyn Sargeant 6th Grade Andrew Rogoff 6th Grade

Parent: Toni Sargeant Parents: Jodi & Evan Rogoff

Ray Wolverton 6th Grade

Parents: Lisa & Jay Shrivastava

High School

Elyse Kanner 10th Grade Matthew Petty 9th Grade

Parents: Shannon & Aaron Kanner Parents: Scott & Kathy Petty

Bryan Patterson 9th Grade Sabrina Capriotti 10th

Parents: Michael & Amanda Patterson Parents: Tina Perkins &

Daryl Capriotti

PAC PICKS THIS WEEK

Dear Pac –

We want to thank you for your generosity this holiday

season. Your kind gift was appreciated by all. We are glad to be back,

and are ready for a great start to the second semester. Thank you for all

you do for us.

The Cottage School Staff

Don’t forget…PAC Meeting January 8 at 8am in the TCS

Conference Room. There will be a

Homecoming planning meeting directly

following at 10am. We hope to see you

there!

Winter Weather and School Closures

The arrival of the new year often brings with it cold wintry weather to Georgia.

With the storms we experienced in 2014, TCS is ready to address school closures

and updates as efficiently as possible.

We are pleased that so many people have signed up for the REMIND.com alert

systems. If you haven’t done this yet, please take time and do it today. It is a

simple process that will allow us to contact you immediately with school updates

and alerts. To sign up, send a text to 81010 with the message @tcsst.

If there are weather concerns that might cause delays or closures, the first alert you will

receive will come via the REMIND.com system. In addition, you will find school closure or

delays on our website, social media and local television stations and websites (WSB TV,

CBS 46, 11Alive and Fox Atlanta).

Please keep in mind that because a good number of our students live outside of Fulton County, the

weather in your area could be different than what we are basing our decision upon. If there is any

concern about travel due to road or weather conditions in your area, please

make the safe choice for your family. Should your county be closed and

Fulton County is operational, your absence will be considered excused.

REMIND.com

Snow/Ice/School Closing Online Learning Policy

Last year’s snow--and the disruptions that came with it--caused us to look at how we handle teaching and learning outside the classroom’s four walls. We expect that we will experience an occasional snow/ice day off of school, but in light of last year’s extended weather related absences, we decided to have a contingency plan in place. In the event we close campus due to a multiple day weather event, our teachers will post assignments on their ClassWeb pages to keep our students engaged and learning. The workplace, now, allows telecommute options, and being productive while working from home is an important part of the skills of a contemporary worker. Keep in mind: assignments from days when campus is closed are not “extra” work--it’s required work as in the classroom, just like any other assignment. The questions below explain what your teenager can expect on these days.

Where will I find my assignment? Log in to ClassWeb (https://25250netclass.blackbaudondemand.com). Go to the Assignments section of each ClassWeb page. Students can use the assignment calendar to see all assignments for the day, or “My Classes” to see each class’s individual assignment one at a time.

How will I know which assignment to do? We will uniformly post Online Learning work in the “Assignments” section of each course. The first line of the assignment’s description will be “Online Learning” to quickly and uniformly show these assignments. Even if your teacher has no work to be done online, s/he will still post a notice in Assignments saying that there is no work.

When will the assignment be posted by? We will post assignments by 10:00 AM of the day campus is closed. If you don’t see it by then, please email your teacher.

When will the assignment be due? You will need to submit work by 8:00 AM the next day--even if school is cancelled the next day. The assignment’s description will state how to submit the work, whether by email or ClassWeb’s dropbox feature.

What if I don’t understand the the assignment? Do what you always do: contact the teacher to clarify. If your teacher isn’t available, use the directory or social media to contact another student.

What if I don’t have power? This policy assumes that you have power. If campus closes unexpectedly, we’re more confident that you’ll have power than we are that you’ll have all your textbooks. If you don’t have power, the Snow Day work will be recontracted, at the teacher’s discretion, just like any other assignment. The important thing is that you stay warm and dry.

**Often, we are aware that inclement weather is pending. In these circumstances, we will remind students prior to their departure from campus to bring home materials they may need to complete classwork. Homeroom teachers will clarify if you have any questions or concerns regarding the Online Learning expectations.

Connecting Students, Families, & Alumni

HOMECOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

THURSDAY, PEP RALLY 1:30PM, MIDDLE SCHOOL GAME 4:00PM,

JV BASKETBALL GAME 5:00PM, VARSITY BOYS 6:30PM

FRIDAY, ALUMNI RECEPTION 6:30PM

SATURDAY, PREGAME TAILGATE, 1:00PM (FOOD AND FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY)

JV GAME 2:00PM, VARSITY GIRLS 3:00PM, VARSITY BOYS 4:30PM,

HALL OF FAME CEREMONY (IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING VARSITY GAME)

ALUMNI/FACULTY GAME 6:00PM

THE COTTAGE SCHOOL

HOMECOMING 2015

January 15-17, 2015

Monday-Hats and Shades Day

Wear your hat and/or shades from the 80’s.

Tuesday-80’s Hair Day

Big Hair and Mullets are back in style.

Wednesday-Twin Day

Come dressed like your friend(s).

Thursday-Dress Like the 80’s Day

Members Only and Neons are totally awesome again.

Friday-Cougar Spirit Day

Wear your Cougar gear to show your school spirit.

(Jeans can only be worn if you are in school colors!)

*All dress should be in the spirit of the week, but still ‘work place’ or school

appropriate. If you have any questions or concerns about a clothing choice,

please check with your principal.*

The committee is planning

an event to remember!

Check out the YouTube Link below,

for a experience. MIND BLOWING

YouTube Link: http://youtu.be/kTUb8RAPh68

Music Class and Music Therapy at The Cottage School!

Register by Friday, January 16, 2015

The George Center for Music Therapy is proud to partner with The Cottage School to offer music class

and music therapy services to students starting in February! Both group music class and individual music

therapy services will be available to The Cottage School students. All services are provided by the talented

team of licensed and board-certified music therapists from The George Center for Music Therapy. Music

therapy addresses important clinical goals such as:

Expressive/receptive language skills

Academic skills

Fine and gross motor skills, as well as motor coordination

Social skills

For questions/registration, contact NancyW@cottageschool.org.

Group Music Therapy Information

What: Weekly music group focusing on building

social skills

Where: The Cottage School

When: Fridays, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM

Cost: $15 per class/minimum of eight students

Payable for February/March and April/May

Individual Music Therapy Information

What: Individualized, goal-directed, one-to-one

music therapy

Where: The Cottage School

When: Contact Jamie@thegeorgecenter.com

Cost: $75/hour, $45/30 minutes

http://bit.ly/TownHallAtlanta

MS January Activities

DATE Activity TCS$ Things to bring

Friday

1/09

Off Campus

Civil Rights Museum

$215.76 All students going off campus must

bring a sack lunch unless pre-ordered

through lunch program. There will not

be microwaves.

Friday

1/09

Academics

Academics

ALL DAY

$223.20 Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if you

complete your work early.

Thursday

1/15

Homecoming Pep Rally

Whole school pep rally will be held

in the Cougar Center during

electives.

Friday

1/16

On Campus

Club Intro

Homeroom Activity

$210.80

Friday

1/16

Academics

Academics $223.20 Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if you

complete your work early.

Monday

1/19

No School in observance

of MLK Holiday

Friday

1/23

Off Campus

Dekalb Farmers Market

$161.82

All students going off campus must

bring a sack lunch unless pre-ordered

through lunch program. Students are

allowed to bring money to purchase

items.

Friday

1/23

On Campus

Valentine’s Day

Activities

$158.10

Friday

1/23

Academics

Academics

$167.40

Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if you

complete your work early.

Friday

1/30

On Campus

Clubs

$210.80

*Club Materials

Friday

1/30

Academics

Academics $223.20 Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if you

complete your work early.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL

CHARACTER EDUCATIONCHARACTER EDUCATIONCHARACTER EDUCATION

“Cooperation”“Cooperation”“Cooperation”

During this month, we will discuss During this month, we will discuss During this month, we will discuss

what cooperation means:what cooperation means:what cooperation means:

“Learning to work together at “Learning to work together at “Learning to work together at

The Cottage School”The Cottage School”The Cottage School”

—————————–––————————————–––————————————————————————

“No Place for Hate” Assembly Jan. 9“No Place for Hate” Assembly Jan. 9“No Place for Hate” Assembly Jan. 9

Homecoming Week Jan. 12Homecoming Week Jan. 12Homecoming Week Jan. 12---171717

MLK Holiday (No School)MLK Holiday (No School)MLK Holiday (No School)---Jan. 19Jan. 19Jan. 19

HS Activities for January

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

Friday

1/9

1:15 – 2:40

No Place for Hate Campus Wide Kick-Off Event

Friday

1/16

Academics

8:15

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Levels

Academics

Lunch

Academics

Homeroom

$454.07

Academic material to complete work and

spare reading

materials, if you will be in academics

all day!

Off-

Campus

10:00-

2:00

Fernbank

Museum: Imax

Theater

$439.43

*Bring bag lunch or money for food

On-

Campus

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Monopoly / Board Games

Lunch

Indoor Soccer

Homeroom

$424.78

Saturday

1/17

Homecoming!

2:00 JV Game v. North Atlanta Flight

3:00 Varsity Ladies v. North Atlanta Flight

4:30 Varsity Boys v. North Atlanta Flight

6:00 Alumni - Staff

Friday

1/23

1:15 –

2:40 Clubs Bring needed materials or clothing for

Club activities

Friday

1/31

Academics

8:15

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Levels

Academics

Lunch

Academics

Homeroom

$403.62

Academic material to complete work and

spare reading

materials, if you will be in academics

all day!

Off-

Campus

10:00-

2:00

High Museum of

Art

$390.60

*Bring bag lunch or money for food

On-

Campus

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Bridge Building

Lunch

Are You Smarter than a

TCS Teacher?

Homeroom

$377.58

Congratulations to the Class of 2015

on their acceptances and scholarship awards to the following

post-secondary programs!

Courtney Connell: Kennesaw State University, The University of Alabama, Columbus State University,

University of North Georgia & Georgia Southern University.

Zak Kitzler: Hood College- $60,000 Scholarship, Young Harris University- $52,000 scholarship & Eckerd

College- $68,000 Scholarship

Alex Lee: Southern Polytechnic State University, Reinhardt University & Wingate University- $64,000

presidential scholarship

Noel Mace: KSU Academy for Inclusive Learning

Ethan Menaker: Elon University, George Mason University- $32,000 Scholarship, High Point University-

$40,000 Scholarship

KJ Powell: Piedmont College- $36,000 Piedmont Pride Scholarship & $2,800 Georgia Tuition Grant

Kyle Simon: KSU Academy for Inclusive Learning

Noah Storm: Green Mountain College & Colorado Mountain College

Joseph Thompson: Capstone Program

Will Hall: University of West Georgia, University of Mississippi- $6,000 scholarship, Louisiana State

University, Georgia Southern University, University of Alabama, Valdosta State University & Auburn

University