Date: Wednesday – November 7, 2012

Important Messages from The Cottage School are attached. Please sign this form indicating their receipt and return to the school

with your student tomorrow. Thank You!!

Parent Signature________________________________________

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November 7, 2012

Wednesday Packet

Important Dates/Information

PAC Family Movie Night - Saturday, November 10th – 7:00 PM-9:45 PM in the RCC RSVP to Vinette at vinetteg@cottageschool.org

HS Junior/Senior Dinner – Monday, November 12th – 6:30 PM at Buca di Beppo

Give Thanks for Grandparents Day – Friday, November 16th – 8:00 AM-10:30 AM (Welcome Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Special Friends of TCS Students)

Thanksgiving Holiday – Monday through Friday, November 19th–23rd

MS 8th Grade Families - High School Transition Meetings – December 4th or 6th (See Flyer)

Veterans Day – Sunday, November 11th Thank Someone for Their Service.

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Welcome to November! By now the pace at school is picking up and the majority of the students are peddling pretty fast. We have shifted from the slow and steady initial pace to be sure we had all our teens encouraged and on a firm foundation to an increasingly more rigorous pace and depth of instruction. Of course, I am making some broad statements here and, as you would expect, individual abilities result in a varied application of this approach. New material will continue to be presented in a carefully structured and instructional manner, but the expectations for performance and independent working will continue to increase according to each student’s ability to make that stretch. This is the time that some parents, especially those who had been called on to take up the slack in monitoring student performance that the previous school did not accept, begin to “miss” the struggles and angst of old. They don’t even realize how ingrained they have become to the misconception that in order for my child to be learning anything, the entire family must be miserable. If an assignment is done quickly, then it wasn’t done well enough. If the student is bringing home grades above a C, then the expectations must be low. If the news from school is predominately good, then the school is letting the teen “get by”. Of course we want to hear from you as there are times when we need to adjust the pace, amount or teaching techniques that are being applied. We need to know what you see that is working and what you see that raises concerns. But we often have to reassure a few families that the expectations that linger from an overly competitive and inadequate awareness of individual needs do not reflect real academic progress. Believe me, if it was true that TCS is “easy”, we would not have such glowing reports from our graduates who are finding they are well prepared for their post-secondary programs. If a student and their family take the time to analyze and select the right fit for their teen, whether it be University of Georgia or Chattahoochee Tech, the reports we receive every year are glowing! Of course they still have the learning challenges they left TCS with, but they have learned to advocate and work hard to achieve their goals. Academic and social growth is a long and inconsistent process…sometimes it is not very pretty and sometimes it is downright beautiful! Our staff knows that progress comes in many different and complex stages. So what a parent may be expecting to see may not be, in fact, the skill the teacher is working on at that moment. A teen with reading problems is not going to demonstrate the best use of grammar, but if the purpose of the assignment is to create fluid and creative thoughts organized in the style that the lesson is emphasizing, then that teacher may decide not to lower the grade of a well worded paper due to errors that result from the teen’s greatest weakness. Eventually there will be time for grammatical excellence. All this is to say that we appreciate your feedback and comments. We love the kudos and encouragement and we welcome your coming to us with your concerns. Know that we are a very intentional system. We take each small step as an important part of the process and we do our best work when we are in concert with you!

November 7, 2012

Jacque’s Note

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS

Regardless of the safety measures, policies, supervision or good intentions that a school may have,

crises that disrupt the school environment still occur. It has been ten years since TCS had an earth

shattering event and we are thankful for that every day. We are vigilant and intentional about our

attention to our teens, our staff and our mission. However, as recent news stories attest, sometimes

that is just not enough.

Two independent schools were in the news last week due to criminal activity of a staff member, for one,

and a student, for the other. In both cases the charges were of a sexual nature and arrests were made.

What caught my attention was the picture of the school security, in one case, trying to prevent the

media from interviewing parents as they sat in car pool line. Not only does the event itself create a

challenge, but the attention from the media provided additional distraction and stress for all concerned.

I decided that I would do what we do so well…communicate our policies and expectations in such a

situation. First, you need to know that each staff member is given a copy of our Crisis Intervention

Manual and receives training on the contents. Our entire campus practices regularly scheduled drills in

case of fire, bomb threat, environmental contamination or lock down situations. We have an identified

Crisis Management Team that is trained to step in to handle the efficient safety measures and

communication issues that might arise from any unforeseen crisis. We evaluate the thoroughness and

feasibility of each potential crisis on an annual basis.

Our expectations for our parents have been set by experience. We now have the ability to instantly

inform our parent community of any emergency situation on campus. Part of that communication is to

let parents know what safety measures are being taken for the students. It is our expectation that

parents will attend to school notices that appear on their phone or computer in a timely manner, read

them and follow the instructions. In the few crisis situations in the past we have learned that timely

communication can alleviate some of the parental panic that naturally occurs and allow the school to

address the immediate need, which is the safety of the students.

It is important that the school personnel be able to guide the students and staff, handle the situation at

hand and communicate with each other and law or safety personnel without interruptions. If our

campus is being evacuated, we need to be able to attend to the students not fielding numerous phone

calls or redirecting cars coming on campus when the goal is to clear the campus. It is also important that

communication be limited to those persons authorized to comment. In our case, I am the identified

spokesperson, although I may delegate that duty, depending on the circumstances. No staff, parent or

student should be talking to media or other public agencies about the situation. Rumors, inaccurate

information, and personal perceptions often inflame an already difficult situation. The negative

consequences of such miscommunication can often last long after the incident has been resolved.

I hope this note helps to inform and assure you that TCS takes the emotional and physical safety of our

students and families very seriously.

Character Education

Exploring Career & College

Options

Take a look below at what we will be discussing with your student and take some

time to continue these discussions at home!

Objectives:

Identify two careers that interest them and draw on their strengths.

Use Internet resources to identify the educational qualifications and career-

related experiences necessary to pursue their career of interest.

Describe a typical day-in-the-life and income of a person who works in their career

of choice.

List of college admission requirements necessary to pursue higher education in

their field.

Discussion questions for you and your student:

What careers interest us and draw on our strengths.

What training and qualifications are necessary to work in our careers of interest?

Key Terms to discuss:

Career, higher education, admission requirements, median range

MOVIE NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT

All Families are invited to attend. Admission and the movie are free. The PAC will have pizza, popcorn,

candy, soda, and water for sale. (All funds raised will go towards TCS Technology Advancement).

Please bring a bean bag, blanket, or comfy seat to kick back and enjoy the movie.

ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ATTEND WILL RECEIVE FOUR ATTENDANCE HOURS!

Please RSVP to vinetteg@cottageschool.org

Featuring The Avengers

Rated PG13

November 10th from 7:00-9:45

in the RCC

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!

6th Annual

“Give Thanks For Grandparents Day”

This event is for all grandparents, aunts, uncles

or special friends of TCS students and includes

student presentations and tours.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16th

8am-10:30am

You can STILL invite someone to attend. Just get their

name to Lesley in the main office by November 14th

.

Remember, if you bring a special guest you can leave with

them when the event is over.

Spirit T-shirts Available immediately

$15.00 each

Tear it up Cougars

Get your shirt and show your spirit!!!

Great for Payoffs and Sports Events

Name _________________________

T-shirt size ____________________

Quantity _______________________

Available in Adult Small, Medium, Large, and Extra-Large

100% Cotton T-shirts

See Julie in the Middle School------See Wilfrid in the High School

Concession Volunteers for HS and MS Basketball Games

A Very Special Thank You to Our Current Volunteers: Cindy Thompson

Connie Victor Cyndi Hipp

Felicia Perkins Gina Daunt Joe Taura

Laura Richardson Laurie Van Cleave Mekel Wakshlag Michelle Simon Patty Daniels Robin Travis

All Parents are Encouraged to Join Up (for just one shift) For the Benefit of the Booster Club

The Booster Club stands to gain the profits for all Concession Stand sales where a parent

volunteer takes on Concession Stand supervision. Fortunately, our student volunteers make your job easy by taking on all of the heavy lifting. Your job primarily consists of manning the cash box, and providing an adult presence. If your schedule does not allow you to assume a

shift, you can contribute by providing water, sports drink, snack items or sandwiches for hospitality suites during the MS Basketball Tournament (12/12 + 12/14) and the Junior Varsity

Conference Championship (2/6 + 2/8).

Contact Lyle Cutchin regarding any volunteer times or donations (see the following page for open shifts)

Lyle’s Office Number: 678-250-5120 Or

lylec@cottageschool.org

Date Team / Opponent Time

11/13 – Tue Varsity Girls v. CCS 4:45

11/15- Thur Varsity Boys v. Howard 6:30

11/29 - Thur MS Boys v. Atlanta Academy 5:00

12/5 – Wed

MS Girls v. Sophia 4:00

12/5 – Wed MS Boys v. Sophia 5:00

12/7 – Fri

Varsity Boys v. Brandon Hall 6:15

12/11-Tue

MS Girls v. Cougar Tournament (TBA) Game 1 3:00

12/11 Tue

MS – Game 2 4:00

12/11 Tue

MS Game 3 5:00

12/11 Tue

MS Boys v. Cougar Tournament (TBA) Game 4 6:00

12/12 – Wed

MS – Game 1 3:00

12/12 – Wed

MS – Game 2 4:00

12/12 – Wed MS – Game 3 5:00

12/12 - Wed MS – Game 4 6:00

12/14 Mon

Varsity Girls – Heirway Christian 4:30

12/14 Mon

Varsity Boys – Heirway Christian 6:00

12/18 Fri

MS Girls v. McGinnis Woods 4:30

12/18 Fri

MS Boys v. McGinnis Woods 5:30

1/17 Thur

MS Boys v. Brandon Hall 3:30

1/19 – Sat

MS Boys v. Swift School 2:00

1/19 – Sat

Varsity Boys v. Greater Gwinnett 6:00

1/19 – Sat

Alumni v. Staff 7:15

1/23 – Wed

MS Boys v. Cumberland Academy 3:30

1/23- Wed

JV Boys v. Cumberland Academy 4:30

1/25 Fri

Varsity Boys v. Carolina Wildcats 7:00

2/1 - Fri JV v. Academe of the Oaks 3:30

2/1 - Fri Varsity Girls v. Academe of the Oaks 5:00

2/1 - Fri Varsity Boys Academe of the Oaks 7:00

2/6 - Wed JV Tournament Semi – Final Game

4:00

2/6 - Wed JV Tournament Semi – Final Game

5:30

2/8 - Fri JV Tournament Consolation Game

4:00

2/8 - Fri JV Tournament Championship Game

5:30

MS November Activities

DATE TIME Activity RAIN-

OUT

TCS$ Things to bring

Friday

11/9

Clubs

$273.70 Club Materials

Friday

11/9 Academics $289.80

Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if

you complete your work early.

Friday

11/16

“Give Thanks for

Grandparents” Day

8:00am

$156.40

Open to grandparents, aunts,

uncles, or other special friends

of TCS Students. Students

may leave with their adult

guest after the event.

Friday

11/16 Clubs $156.40 Club Materials

Friday

11/16

Academics

$165.60

Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if

you complete your work early.

Mon-Fri 11/19-11/23

No School-

Thanksgiving Holiday

No School

Friday

11/30 Clubs $156.40 Club Materials

Friday

11/30 Academics $165.60

Academic Materials

*Remember to bring an

independent reading book if

you complete your work early.

8th Grade Families,

You are cordially invited to attend the first of our

transition to High School meetings. This is an

opportunity to get the High School Principal all to

yourselves!! We will be reviewing the plan for the High

School transition activities for second semester , and

believe us, it is right around the corner!

Because we are requiring at least one parent or

guardian attend with your 8th grader, we

decided to give you two options for

scheduling:

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 3:15 P.M.

or

Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 8:00 A.M.

You should select one meeting to attend.

Please RSVP to Donna with the meeting you and

your child will be attending.

HS November Pay Offs

DATE TIME Activity RAIN-

OUT

TCS$ Things to bring/U.S. $

Friday

11/9

Academics

8:15

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Levels

Academics

Lunch

Academics

Homeroom

$449.19

Academic material to complete

work and spare reading materials,

if you will be in academics all day!

Off-Campus

10:00-

2:00

2:40

Georgia Dome Tour Homeroom

$434.70

Real $ for lunch

On-Campus

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Pirates of the Caribbean

Movie Lunch

Pirate Competition Homeroom

$420.21

Saturday

11/10

8:00-

3:00

6:30

Saturday School For students who owe hours

Movie Night

All textbooks, notebooks, planner,

lunch and a change of clothes for

P.M. work detail

Bring your family and good spirit

Friday

11/16

1:10-

2:40 Clubs Materials for your club

Friday

11/16

Grandparents

Day

Invite your grandparents, aunts,

uncles, godparents or any adult

who you feel needs to be thanked.

There will be breakfast, tours of

the campus and professional

portraits taken. Those with an

adult present can leave after the

event to enjoy the afternoon.

Monday –

Friday

11/19-23

No School

Thanksgiving Break

Friday

11/30

Academics

8:15

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Levels

Academics

Lunch

Academics

Homeroom

$336.89

Academic material to complete

work and spare reading materials,

if you will be in academics all day!

Off-Campus

10:00-

2:00

2:40

US Play Homeroom

$326.03

Real $ for lunch

On-Campus

10:00

12:00

12:45

2:40

Are You Smarter than a

Teacher? Lunch

Wacky Olympics Homeroom

$315.16

Gym clothes and court shoos for

the afternoon

Attention Seniors & Juniors!

Beacon College is hosting

the Beacon Experience at The Ravinia Club in Atlanta!

This event is for Atlanta-area high school and college students with

specific learning disabilities or ADHD, parents, guidance and

transition counselors, and other professionals working with students

with disabilities.

Hors d'oevres and beverages will be

served.

Thursday,

November 8th, 2012

6:00-8:00 PM

The Ravinia Club

2 Ravinia Drive, Suite 100

Atlanta, GA 30346

Beacon College is the first accredited nonprofit college offering both BA and AA

degrees exclusively for students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

To learn more about Beacon College, visit www.beaconcollege.edu

You are cordially invited to the 2012-2013

Junior/Senior Dinner

All Juniors, Seniors and their preapproved dates are invited to Buca di Beppo in Roswell

on Monday, November 12 at 6:30 P.M.

Cost is $25 per person

RSVP with payment to Ashley by November 7 Make All Checks Payable to The Cottage School

Buca di Beppo is located at 2335 Mansell Road Alpharetta, GA 30022

Attire is Business Formal (Dressy)

No Jeans

College Acceptances

Congratulations

Jake Neuber on his acceptance to Ole Miss, Auburn

University, and University of Alabama

Simon Hirschhorn on his acceptance to Southern

Polytechnic State University and Queens University of

Charlotte

Desi Levan on her acceptance to Brevard Community

College

Evan Robertson on his acceptance to Young Harris

College, Mars Hill College and Limestone College