Back to School
Welcome Back to the 2026-2027 School Year at Morningside Elementary!
Dear Morningside Families,
Welcome to what will be an incredible school year at Morningside Elementary!
As summer break comes to a close, we have been eagerly preparing for the return of the most important members of our school community—our Dolphins! There is nothing quite like the excitement that fills our hallways as laughter returns, classrooms come alive with curiosity and intention, and our Dolphins reunite for another year of learning, exploration, and growth. A special welcome to our new Dolphins, including our Pre-K class, our Kindergarten students, and our new to Morningside 1st through 5th graders.
This year, we are again united around three simple but powerful commitments to and for each member of the MES Community: Accountability, Boldness, and Consistency (ABC). At Morningside Elementary, we believe that great schools are built when every member of our community embraces these values.
Accountability - taking ownership of our actions, supporting one another, and always putting students first.
Boldness - encourages us to think creatively, embrace challenges, and have the courage to try new ideas—even when it feels difficult.
Consistency - reminds us that excellence isn't achieved through one extraordinary moment, but through the daily habits and routines that help every member of our community of learners thrive.
These commitments are more than words—they are the foundation of how we will work together as students, staff, and families throughout the year. Our mission at Morningside Elementary is clear
“With a foundation of collaboration and accountability, all students will be empowered and prepared for their future.”
Our mission comes to life because of the incredible partnership we share with you. Whether you're volunteering in classrooms, attending school events, supporting learning at home, or simply encouraging your Dolphin each day, you are an essential part of what makes Morningside such a special place. Please take this as my personal invitation to every family to stay connected, stay involved, and celebrate the many accomplishments our students will achieve together. There will undoubtedly be moments of challenge, but there will be countless moments of joy, discovery, and pride as our Dolphins continue to thrive.
Don’t forget to make use of our Quick Links tool at the top of the homepage. All Dolphin families will be subscribed to our Digital Dolphin newsletter which is an important source of communication at MES! http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/mes.
Please take note of the following dates for Back to School events::
Monday, July 20th - Class Assignments letters for Kindergarten and Pre-K will be mailed out (although there is only one Pre-K teacher, we want to share other information via mail!).
Thursday, July 30th – Deadline to change default pickup mode in PikMyKid (APS assigned bus route will already be loaded into the app)
Friday, July 31st – Meet the Teacher in the classrooms
Auditorium – MAS, Scouts, Transportation info, Parent Portal info
• Last Names A-M: 9:00am – 10:00am
• Last Names N-Z: 10:00am – 11:00am
Monday, August 3rd – First Day of School AND Coffee and Kleenex at 8:00 AM (auditorium)
Friday, August 7th - Kindergarten Coffee Talk at 8:00 AM (auditorium)
Tuesday, August 11th – Annual Parent Orientation and Safety Meeting (information provided in the
Digital Dolphin)
Wednesday, August 26th – PreK – 2nd Grade Back to School Night (details to follow)
Thursday, August 27th – 3rd – 5th Back to School Night (details to follow)
Monday, August 31st – Lunch visits begin. Reminder: You must pre-register to visit for lunch. The form is always linked in the Digital Dolphin!
New MES Staff Members
We are thrilled to welcome 4 new staff members for the 26-27 school year! Introducing Tywane Owens – School Secretary, Chloe Fowler – School Nurse, Sarah Evans – Kindergarten Paraprofessional, and Shantrice Dean – 3rd Grade Teacher. Click on the link to read about our new staff members! Welcome to New MES Staff
Bell Schedule/Arrival/Dismissal
MES operates on the APS elementary schedule – 7:45 AM – 2:15 PM
- 7:15 AM – Buses unload on East Rock Springs
- 7:20 AM - Walker pad doors and Car Line doors open
- 7:45 AM - Instruction begins. Students arriving after this time are marked tardy.
- 1:30 PM – Cutoff for early dismissal pickup
- 1:45 PM – Cutoff to change dismissal mode in PikMyKid (we cannot make any last minute changes to dismissal after 1:45PM)
- 2:15 PM: Full dismissal
Dismissal is our busiest time of day as we do all we can to ensure that students arrive home safely. Reminder that dismissal during the first day, and first week of school will go slowly and methodically as we teach students our dismissal routine. We ask our parents & guardians for patience as we reacclimate ourselves to the school day schedule!
Transportation Options
Please take a moment to read all of our MES Transportation options.
3rd - 5th Grade students WITH siblings will be released to the walker pad by Haygood Church as independent walkers.
Walking & Biking:
Pre-K – 2nd Grade - If you have a child in PK-2, please be prepared with your app in hand to retrieve these younger students at the designated walker pad at the top of the stairs by Haygood Church. Please continue to be kind to our staff members who are ensuring the safety of our kids!
3rd - 5th Grade students WITH siblings will be released to the walker pad by Haygood Church as independent walkers.
NOTE: Parents will fill out an additional upper grade walker sibling pickup form granting permission for your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade student to pick up your K, 1st, or 2nd grade student. This form will be available for download from the Digital Dolphin.
All other 3rd - 5th Grade students without siblings will be released to the upper grades walker area which is at the base of the large stairs at the front of the school.
Parent/Guardian Pickup of combination of grade levels: If you have a combination of students in 3-5 with younger students in K-2, please tell your older student where to meet you after you pick up your younger student from the top of the stairs.
Thank you!
Carpool - Carpool drop off/pick up is located in the main driveway to the school. NOTE: During morning dropoff and afternoon pickup, there are NO TURNS into the driveway. Please turn onto Barclay and follow the queue. Afternoon Car Line begins after the buses have departed from MES
Bus - Bus transportation information is provided by the APS Transportation Department, including bus routes and arrival and drop-off times. NOTE: APS assigned bus routes will be pre-loaded into PikMyKid.
Aftercare – Our MES Afterschool program is called Morningside After School (MAS).
Dismissal App - PikMyKid
At MES, we use the PikMyKid app for all things dismissal, including any dismissal changes from your student’s regular dismissal mode. Please download the app (if you don’t already have it) from your phone app store and create an account. If you are a current family at MES, you do not need to create a new account but you will need to update the default mode of pickup for your student(s). All families will need to select the APS designated bus route in the PikMyKid app as well. Bus routes will automatically be entered based on the APS assigned bus route. You will receive mailed communication from the Transportation Department with the assigned bus route.
This app is used for afternoon dismissal as well as all changes in dismissal. Dismissal changes must be made within the app by 1:45 PM. Emails and phone calls will not be accepted.
Teacher Assignments
We will post teacher assignments for Grades Pre-K through 5th on the front doors of the building Friday, July 24th after 3 PM. New families will receive their Infinite Campus Parent Portal logins in a letter after the first day of school (August 3rd).
Away For The Day
(phones, smart watches)
We are again united with the Midtown cluster elementaries with our Away For The Day phone and smart watch policy. You can read about the policy or find it linked from the Announcements section of our MES website.
Open House / Meet the Teacher
Open House/Meet the Teacher is on Friday, July 31st from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. This is for all MES students and families to experience walking to your child’s class, meeting your Dolphin’s teachers, and saying hello to classmates. Please enter through the MES main doors across from the front field. At Meet the Teacher you will be able to:
- Meet/chat briefly with your child’s teacher
- Drop off school supplies. School supply lists
- Familiarize (or refamiliarize) yourself with the building
- Connect with other families!
- Receive transportation information assistance (bus, carpool, walker information)
- Chat with MAS and extracurricular vendors