It's time to celebrate the new school year with the PTA! We will host our annual Back to School BBQ on Friday, August 24, at 6:30 pm, following the General PTA meeting at 6 pm. You can purchase a meal including a hot dog (beef and vegetarian will be available), chips, and a drink for just $3 per person. We could use your help to make it a great event so please click here to see how you can volunteer!
Thank you to all of our parents, students and friends that joined me at the Meet and Greet on August 3rd. I enjoyed meeting you and I look forward to getting to know our families even better!
Last week was a busy week with our welcome back assemblies to set student expectations, our KaBOOM! design day for students and parents and our first Atten-DANCE party for the year. We loved celebrating our students who arrived on time each and every day.
As a reminder, instruction begins at 8:00 am sharp, and we appreciate each of you getting your children to class on time. Students are not allowed to enter the building before 7:30 am and will be dismissed only in our 4 approved ways: 1) Bus Rider 2) Walker 3) Carpool or 4) Aftercare. Parents cannot pick up students from their classrooms or the front atrium. We thank you for your cooperation so our dismissal process runs more smoothly and safely for our students.
We are also excited to announce that next week our 5th grade students will be taking over our morning announcements and sharing our daily routines with the students. Our goal is to make this completely student-led to empower our 5th graders and give them leadership opportunities to grow and excel.
Have a great week everyone!
~ Mrs. Lawrence (on Twitter @BoltonPrincipal)
Please click here to go to our website to learn about all of the after-school enrichment programs that will begin after Labor Day. We have some new activities this year so make sure you check out the Menu and Schedule for more details. Please be advised that some of our providers require full classes before committing to do the class. It doesn't happen often, but we wanted to make you aware that your spot isn't guaranteed until you get confirmation of enrollment. As a reminder for all parents, you do not have to be enrolled in the After School Care program to enroll in the enrichment programs that begin at 3 pm.
Buckhead Aquatics is offering 15% off the first three months of membership to any Bolton Academy parents. Present this flyer to receive the discount. We swim at Westminster and Second Ponce in Buckhead and we have groups for kids ages 4-18. We keep our groups small to ensure that each kid gets the attention they deserve and our main focus is making sure every swimmer learns proper technique. Full info, schedule, and times can be found at buckheadaquatics.com and email any questions to danny@buckheadaquatics.com.
It's that time of year again!!! The window for parents to refer their children for gifted program evaluation will open on Wednesday, August 1, and will close on Friday, September 28. The application must be retrieved online. Be sure to click number 4 for access to the application. Once you have completed the application you may either email it to Nicole Foster, one of our gifted teachers, or you may bring it to the front office.
Thanks to all of our parents and kids who signed up to be a part of our Design Day. We can tell you are excited because all of the slots filled up within days! Please remember to bring two signed released forms for your child to participate. Click on KaBOOM! and on Delta Air Lines to print and sign the release forms. If your child is typically a bus rider, car rider or walker, you will be responsible for getting them to and from the event. If you are unsure if you signed up for a spot you can review the Child Sign Up here and the Adult Sign Up here. During the Adult session, there will be limited childcare available if necessary.
We have had a great start to our school year. It is so fun to watch all of the students excited to be back in our hallways and welcome all of our new faces. I have already seen so many students earning IB stickers which is great to see!
We cannot stress enough that instruction begins at 8 AM sharp. The hallways should be clear of parents no later than 8 AM so our teachers can begin their SEL (Social Emotional Learning) lesson. This time is important to set the tone for the day and children and parents in the hallways can certainly be a distraction for the students who have arrived on time. Please aim to be early so we start the day off great!
Also as a reminder, parents are not allowed to pick up students from the front atrium during dismissal after school. Students can be picked up in the car rider lane or the walker area. The walker area pick up is on the playground by the back of the Music room. We greatly appreciate your assistance in helping us keep dismissal orderly and safe for our kids!
Please also remind your children to turn in their summer reading logs to Ms. Hosley in the Media Center. While you're at it, go ahead and ask them if they are enjoying the new Media Center space. We are seeing a lot of smiling faces and reading with friends so we hope their love for reading continues to grow!
Thank you all for all you do. It is going to be an amazing year!
~ Mrs. Scharff (on Twitter @BoltonApScharff)
Dear Bolton Academy community and supporters,
It's that time again! The Soaring Owls Foundation, Inc. (SOFi), the foundation that supports Bolton Academy, is officially launching our Hooty's Nest Egg annual fund campaign for the 2018-19 school year.
In the past, both The Soaring Owls Foundation (SOFi) and the Bolton PTA have raised money for Bolton Academy, but this year we’re shaking things up! SOFi and the PTA have joined forces to streamline fundraising at Bolton Academy. Instead of running multiple fundraisers, SOFi will increase their focus on fundraising to allow the PTA to focus on parent engagement and soliciting volunteers to make each of our events the very best they can be for our families. Going forward, your donations to SOFi will fund our PTA and its many amazing programs such as our Parent Empowerment Nights, teacher and staff appreciation events, community outreach events and some of our most popular school-wide events throughout the year like the Fall Festival, BINGO Night and the Student Showcase. This is all in addition to initiatives that SOFi funds to support capital improvements and other programs that empower Bolton Academy students and teachers to achieve high levels of excellence.
As a result of this joint initiative, your SOFi donation will not only include PTA membership but will also help fund the following important items:
Your first opportunity to give is coming up next...!
Some schools have Tea and Tissues, but we choose to CELEBRATE you joining the Bolton Academy family. It’s a big day for you and your child and we are so thankful you are here. After you take your child to their Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom, please come to the Media Center anytime from 7:45 to 8:30 am to take a deep breath, ask any questions and even cry (if needed)!
We are excited to announce that Mrs. Lawrence along with several other administrators, PTA and SOFi board members will be at Scofflaw on Friday, August 3rd from 6-8pm. We would love for you to join us and spend some time learning more about ways you can become more involved at Bolton. We need your help to support our school, teachers and students. This event is kid friendly and a great way to get to know other Bolton parents. There will be a food vendor on-site selling food if you're hungry or you can just swing by for a quick drink. Either way we would love to see a great group of parents show up to welcome Mrs. Lawrence and support our friends and owners of Scofflaw!
Check out our new online store for spirit wear! Our new store will have permanent items in men's, women's and children's sizes, as well as limited items running from time to time. See what's available now and stay tuned for more items to come!
We couldn't be more excited to start this new school year. We have a new principal, Mrs. Anita Lawrence, and we are ready to rock this year!
Prior to becoming a Hooty Owl, Mrs. Lawrence was the Principal of an International Baccalaureate elementary school. In addition, she has been an Education Consultant, World Language Coordinator and a Language Instructor. We are confident that her experience and personality will be a great fit for Bolton Academy.
We are so thankful to the GO Team and all of the parents who provided input during our selection process. You all make Bolton a great place to be!
~ Mrs. Scharff (on Twitter @BoltonApScharff)
Our first day of school will be Wednesday, August 1, at 8:00 am sharp. The school building opens at 7:30 am. If you are driving your child to school, please plan to arrive early since street parking will be very crowded the first few days of school. We can’t wait to see you all soon
Our open house, the Celebration of Learning, will be Monday, July 30. This year we will be hosting a separate session for our Pre-K and Kindergarten students from 10:30-11:30 am since several of our students and parents may be new to Bolton Academy. If you can't come to the 10:30-11:30 am session, you are welcome to attend the general session from 12-2 pm.
We will host 1st through 5th grades from 12-2 pm. You will be able to see your child’s classroom, meet your teacher, sign up for the PTA, learn more about our Soaring Owls Foundation and sign up for aftercare.
Each year, APS hosts a Back-to-School Bash at the Georgia World Congress Center. This free event is exclusively for APS students and their families and will have over 50 exhibits, fun activities for children, immunizations, free health screenings and educational and after-school community resources. Please click here to learn more about free school supplies and how to register for immunizations.
All new students and parents are welcome to join us at the Bolton Academy playground on Saturday, July 21, from 10 am to 12 pm. Bring your water bottles and we’ll let the kids run around and play while the parents get to know each another a little better. Some members of the PTA and administration will also be there to help answer any further questions you may have before school begins!
We hope that everyone has been enjoying their summer so far! Please review this Summer Hoot and check out some important dates leading up to the beginning of the school year. Several of these events have been posted on Facebook already, so if you don't already follow us on Facebook, please make sure to like and follow us here.
Also, please note that the Bolton Academy office will be closed from Friday, July 29, through Friday, July 6. We hope our full-time staff and administrators enjoy a much deserved break from school! We will reopen on Monday, July 9.
We are pleased to announce that our Superintendent, Dr. Meria Carstarphen, will be recommending to the Atlanta Board of Education that Anita Lawrence be appointed to the Principalship at Bolton Academy.
Mrs. Lawrence currently serves as the Principal of an International Baccalaureate elementary school. In addition, she has been an Education Consultant, World Language Coordinator, and a Language Instructor. We are confident that her experience and personality will be a great fit for Bolton Academy!
Finally, we must thank our GO Team members for facilitating this process. We are extremely grateful for their hours of hard work and dedication as they helped select our next leader.
We couldn't be more excited about the beginning of the school year, and we can’t wait to welcome Mrs. Lawrence to the Bolton Academy community and family. Until then, please enjoy your summer!
