St. Martin’s from A to (almost) Z

St. Martin’s

From A to (Almost) Z

Advancement – the St. Martin’s department dedicated to promoting philanthropic support from our community that’s necessary to sustain and enhance our excellent programs while advancing our school’s mission Annual Fund, The - (see also “The St. Martin’s Fund”) our school’s highest giving priority; donations to the Annual Fund cover expenses tuition does not; they are tax deductible and benefit every child and every teacher at St. Martin’s in real time Atrium – located on the first floor of the Middle School building, the Atrium is used for meetings and events Back-to-School Night – a parents-only event at the beginning of the year where parents get important information about the year ahead and meet their child’s teachers; each division has its own Back-to-School Night; parents with children in multiple divisions should attend the Back-to-School Night for each of those divisions Civic Dinners – St. Martin’s Civic Dinners bring people together to discuss key community issues over a shared meal; last year’s theme was “Belonging” Clap Out – a special tradition where 8th grade parents, students, teachers, and staff applaud the graduating 8th grade class as they prepare to leave St. Martin’s on their last day of school Commons, The – the ES & MS lunchroom; located in Warrior Hall near the gym Conference Day – a day is set aside for parent/teacher conferences; there is one conference day per semester, and students do not have school on conference day Cookies & Carols – a fun holiday tradition where kids enjoy carols, cookies, and a visit from Santa Crossing the Green – the ceremony to celebrate their transition to Middle School, 5th graders ceremoniously cross the green that connects Warrior Hall and the Middle School building Daughters’ Dance – a PTO-sponsored spring dance for young ladies in pre-K through 8th grade and their fathers or another special adult Division – St. Martin’s has three divisions: Early Childhood (infants – kindergarten), Elementary School (1st – 5th grade), and Middle School (6th – 8th grade) Early Drop-off – for Middle School students only; parents may drop off middle school students before carpool (between 7:30 and 7:40 a.m. every day except Wednesdays when early drop-off is between 8:30 – 8:35 a.m.) EC – a frequently used abbreviation for Early Childhood (infants – kindergarten) Enrichment – a part of the SMES Explorers program, enrichment classes are fun after-school classes taught by both SMES teachers and external vendors ES – a frequently used abbreviation for Elementary School (1st – 5th grade) Explorers – SMES’s convenient, state-licensed program for student care before and after school hours; on late days (Wednesdays) any student may drop in free of charge after 7:45 a.m. Fall Festival – returning this year, this PTO-sponsored event is a family-favorite; held on a Saturday in October, it has something for everyone (rides, games, food trucks, a cake walk, a bake sale, and even a haunted house) Feast Day – a day dedicated to celebrating the life of our school and honoring our patron saint, St. Martin Fling – a formal gala held every other year at a local venue, Fling is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year; it features a sit-down dinner, an open bar, music, and a live auction Georgia GOAL – a state tax-credit program that allows Georgia taxpayers to redirect a portion of their state tax liability to provide need-based financial assistance to SMES students

Green Space, The – also known as “the green field” or “the turf,” the green space is the field between Warrior Hall (the Elementary School building) and the Middle School building High Point – SMES’s campus located on High Point Road offering classes for infants and toddlers Kairos – short for “The Kairos Learning Center,” which offers a unique learning environment for 1st – 8th grade students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia; parents should contact their child’s division principal with questions Late Day – Wednesday; carpool starts at 8:35 a.m. instead of 7:40 a.m.; school starts at 9:00 a.m., not 8:35 a.m. Lessons & Carols – students in 1st – 8th grade lead this annual school-wide Christmas celebration that parents are encouraged to attend MS – a frequently-used abbreviation for Middle School Parent Social – a PTO-sponsored party for parents typically held in September PTO – the “Parent Teacher Organization” represents a partnership of volunteers who aim to uphold the school’s mission by organizing events and programs designed to support every member of our SMES community; all SMES parents are automatically a member of the PTO Room Rep – a PTO representative who communicates important information and PTO updates to parents and helps teachers organize/manage classroom volunteer opportunities SchoolPass – an app that SMES parents use to schedule/ report students’ late arrivals, departures, and/or absences; parents also use the app’s “Quickpin” feature to sign in when they visit the school SMES – a frequently-used abbreviation for St. Martin’s Episcopal School Sons’ Event – a PTO-sponsored event for SMES boys in pre-K through 8th grade and their moms or another special adult Spirit Day – a non-uniform day where students may wear an SMES shirt or shirt with SMES colors Spirit Night – a PTO-sponsored event where a local business/restaurant agrees to donate a portion of sales on a particular date to the school St. Martin’s Fund, The – the school’s highest giving priority and the most significant way the school covers costs that tuition cannot; all families are asked to contribute at a level comfortable for them; the higher the percentage of family participation, the better the school’s ability to obtain external grants Teacher Fund, The – NEW combination of the Teacher Gift Fund (a collection of optional donations to provide a cash gift to all lead, assistant, and co-curricular teachers at Christmas and the end of the year) AND the Teacher Appreciation Week Fund (a collection of optional donations from SMES families used to purchase treats for teachers, faculty, and staff to celebrate SMES Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week) Warrior Hall – the main building on the SMES campus, which is home to the Elementary School, the gym, the commons, and administrative offices; it’s where parents should check in when they visit the campus Warrior Run – a PTO-sponsored family-favorite event that includes an official Peachtree Road Race qualifying 5K, a fun run, and a post-race celebration Warrior Wings – a PTO-sponsored program that provides meals to members of the SMES community in times of need (e.g., the birth of a new baby, a death in the family, or a family medical emergency) Weekly Warrior – a weekly electronic newsletter that contains important reminders from the school and includes PTO updates. Please ensure your correct email address is on file with the school Winter Social – a more casual, themed party held on nonFling years, Winter Social is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year; it features music, dancing, an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction