Stay in Touch With MES
MES Communicates with families and community through a variety of platforms
Digital Dolphin Weekly Newsletter
The Digital Dolphin is our email newsletter sent on Thursdays when school is in session to parents and staff at Morningside Elementary School. All families' emails are included in the distribution weekly using the email address provided at registration. The Digital Dolphin is edited and distributed by the PTA. For submissions to the Digital Dolphin, please fill out the MES Communications Submission Request form.
MES Dolphin Community Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MESDolphinCommunity
This is a private Facebook group for MES parents that is run by the MES PTA. PTA Executive Board members and Committee Chairs regularly use the group to share reminders and highlight upcoming events and opportunities for volunteers. This group is also great for getting answers to any questions you have directly from your fellow MES parents. Please note that everyone in the group must have active accounts in our PTA Directory on Membership Toolkit. Rising K parents are invited to join each year in late July!
Morningside Elementary School Public Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/MorningsideElementary
MES also has a public-facing Facebook page where we will be sharing more frequently about
upcoming events for the 2023-2024 school year. No need to join anything - just click follow!
https://www.facebook.com/MorningsideElementary
MES Leadership Blog
Brian Baron
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 productive struggle and challenge, and there will be even more countless moments of joy, discovery, and pride as our Dolphins continue to thrive.
Don’t forget to make use of our website as a great source of information! Lastly, all Dolphin families will be subscribed to our Digital Dolphin newsletter which is an important source of communication at MES!
I look forward to seeing you at Meet the Teacher on the 31st!
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Principal
BACK TO SCHOOL DATES
Monday, July 20th
- Kindegerten class assignment letters will be mailed out
- First day to change default dismissal mode in PikMyKid
Friday, July 24th
- Class assignments posted on front doors to MES after 3:00 PM
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
• Last Names A-M: 9:00am – 10:00am
• Last Names N-Z: 10:00am – 11:00am
Auditorium – MAS and vendors, Transportation info, Scouts, Parent Portal info
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, Kelly Hilliard - Building Substitute. Click the New Staff at MES post on our homepage to read about our new staff members!
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!
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).
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING IN PIKMYKID until AFTER July 20th! I will send a reminder when it's time :) Any changes made prior to July 20th will disappear!
NEW TO MES FAMILIES - your student's data will be uploaded soon. You have already selected default mode of dismissal when youf illed out the form. You may adjust this after July 20th and before July 30th.
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).
**** NEW TO MES FAMILIES ONLY:
- Please fill out the form linked here as soon as possible. **** Please do not fill out this form again if you have already done so**** https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMk1H0RQd8-wqjesgixP9O60dAe8PvEeyFiv_2oE5U0lDsrg/viewform?usp=dialog
RETURNING MES FAMILIES - your student's default mode of dismissal was carried over from what was set in May. You may adjust this after July 20th and before July 30th.
Lastly, we will load he APS assigned bus route into your Dolphin's PikMyKid account automatically. The only action item will be for default mode of dismissal after July 20th.
Dismissal changes must be made within the app by 1:45 PM. Emails and phone calls will not be accepted.
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. Pickup form should be returned to the older student’s homeroom teacher. Download the form here: Sibling Pickup Form
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 but you can find pickup and dropoff times for the route at the link above after july 20th.
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).
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING IN PIKMYKID until AFTER July 20th! I will send a reminder when it's time :) Any changes made prior to July 20th will disappear!
NEW TO MES FAMILIES - your student's data will be uploaded soon. You have already selected default mode of dismissal when youf illed out the form. You may adjust this after July 20th and before July 30th.
---> NEW MES FAMILIES ONLY (please do not fill out this form again if you have already done so)
- 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.
- Please fill out the form linked here as soon as possible: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMk1H0RQd8-wqjesgixP9O60dAe8PvEeyFiv_2oE5U0lDsrg/viewform?usp=dialog
RETURNING MES FAMILIES - your student's default mode of dismissal was carried over from what was set in May. You may adjust this after July 20th and before July 30th.
Lastly, we will load he APS assigned bus route into your Dolphin's PikMyKid account automatically. The only action item will be for default mode of dismissal after July 20th.
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
Brian Baron
Good afternoon and Happy July!!
This is the first of a few pieces of communication that will be coming your way in the next two weeks.
We are actively preparing for the 2026-2027 school year, and especially for our inaugural Pre-K class and for our upcoming Kinder Dolphins!
This first communication is related to transportation as well as a few dates to mark down on your calendar.
Transportation Options
Dismissal App - PikMyKid
At MES, we use the PikMyKid app for all things dismissal. This includes any dismissal changes from your student’s regular dismissal mode.
FOR NEW TO MES FAMILIES ONLY (please do not fill out this form again if you have already done so)
- 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.
- Please fill out the form linked here as soon as possible: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMk1H0RQd8-wqjesgixP9O60dAe8PvEeyFiv_2oE5U0lDsrg/viewform?usp=dialog
This form will allow us to easily upload your data into the app database. Please be patient after filling out the form. We will most likely upload data early next week. Also, keep an eye out for a mailed communication that will come from APS Transportation indicating which bus your student is assigned to based on your home address.
The APS Transportation Department assigns only one route per student eligible to ride a bus. (These lists are not yet available).
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. Pickup form should be returned to the older student’s homeroom teacher. Download the form here: Sibling Pickup Form
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).
SUPPLY LIST:
Please click HERE for the Pre-K supply list.
CLASS ASSIGNMENT:
We have a fantastic team aligned for our inaugural Pre-K class!
Ms. Erin Wicker will serve as the Pre-K Lead Teacher and Ms. Seketha Wilson is the Pre-K Paraprofessional. Please make plans to meet them at Meet the Teacher on the 31st,
UPCOMING DATES:
Friday, July 31st – Meet the Teacher
• 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 in the auditorium
Friday, August 7th - Kindergarten Coffee Talk
You will also receive my school wide back to school letter via text and email in the next week or so. Continue to enjoy the days leading up to Day One…they go so quickly!!!
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Principal
Morningside Elementary
Brian Baron
Last Week of 25-26! We’re approaching the finish line!
I hope your hearts are as full as mine on this Monday morning! I will send one final blog at the end of the week to close out the greatness we’ve known as the 25-26 school year.
For today…a very important ask regarding Chromebook chargers….
CHROMEBOOK CHARGERS:
ALL students will need to return the Chromebook charger that came home with them during our remote learning days. Please do NOT return the clear bag that accompanied the charger. If we can have a full return of the chargers by THIS WEDNESDAY, it will the a remarkable accomplishment. I thank you in advance for helping us retrieve all chargers!
5th GRADE MOVING ON CEREMONY:
Reminder to all 5th Grade families that the ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00 AM. Please reference the messages I sent directly to you on 5/7/26 with full details.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 26-27 YEAR!
As always, class assignments will be posted on the front doors beginning on July 24, 2026. Our Meet the Teacher date is Friday, July 31: Last names A-M 9am - 10am, N-Z 10am - 11am.
Stay tuned Thursday afternoon for an end of year letter!
Until Then…
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Brian Baron
BUILDING TO REOPEN MONDAY!
Thanks to amazing Dolphin attendance and to Dr. Sinclair's awesome make-up testing processes, we are able to reopen the building to visitors beginning Monday morning! Please remember that that lunch form is required to be filled out if visiting for lunch. Thanks so much!
STAFFING UPDATE
Congratulations to Mrs. Mosley who has accepted the role of Records Clerk at Carver Early College. Mrs. Mosley will be perfect for this role and will hit the ground running at Carver to create processes for effective records management. Mrs. Mosley will be with MES until June 30th. In the upcoming days, we will have a posting on the APS careers page for our school secretary.
GMAS MATH RESULTS - 3rd, 4th, 5th
GMAS Math scores are in! If you have a student in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, a letter in a sealed envelope will be coming home in Wednesday folders next week!
Please note that you will only see Math scores on the report. ELA scores will not be released until very late Fall (may be November) due to the new standards in ELA that were rolled out this year. The state has a process of level setting with the standards and the assessment prior to scoring the assessments being scored.
Happy Mother's Day to our Pod!!!!
Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron
Brian Baron
Winning, Winning, Winning! A bit longer than usual, but this one is HUGE! End of year celebrations to share...15 days to go!
MES RECEIVES GOSA PLATINUM AWARD
I am beyond thrilled to share that the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) released its statewide list of schools that earned Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) Awards on 4/27/26 and Atlanta Public Schools earned among the highest number of SSAS Award Winners for 2025 (2025-2026 school year).
More specifically, Morningside Elementary has been awarded the Platinum Highest Performing Award, placing us in the top 1% of all schools in the state of Georgia. I couldn't be prouder!! Georgia Mielstones results and data from the three most recent school years (2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025) were used to identify award recipients.
Thank you endlessly to our teachers, students, and community for the endless support in educating our Dolphins!
MES ESPORTS
Congrats to our MES ESports team, led by Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Hernandez, for a great year! For the first itme in MES history of participation, we have a first place winner! Congrats Max C. on your first place slot in the district competition!
KID CHESS
Congrats to our MES K-2 Kid Chess team for coming in 1st Place in the Kid Chess Team Championship! Out of over 60 elementary schools in Metro Atlanta, Morningside prevailed! The team included Alexander M, Eli K, Ellis I, Sidhant R, Colin K, Hayes G, and Oli H. Congratulations to these Dolphin chess players for representing Morningside Elementary so well!
DRONES FOR THE GOOD COMPETITION
On Saturday, April 25th at Midtown High School, eight MES students competed in the 12th annual "Drones for the Good Competition." This was a milestone year for MES students as it was our tenth year to be a part of this worthy competition. The team included Mackenzie A, Royse F, Amar K, Hugo T, Adam L, Alex Y, Asher M, and Juliet B. Our Dolphins competed against middle schools and brought home the "Drone Flight Award" for best controlled flight and the "Broken Prop Award" for perseverance under pressure. Big thank you to Coach Richard Hatcher who couldn't be prouder of the way our MES students represented themselves! "Keep on flying," and we'll see you next year!
MES MATH LEAGUE
The inaugural math league just wrapped under the direction of Mr. Checker, Mr. Singh, Mrs. Duncan, and Ms. Thomas. For this inaugural season, we had over 50 Dolphins participating in the math league, including some spring training to lay the path for the full roll out of competition in the Fall. How exciting!!
MES SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
A message from Mrs. Nelson...(thank you Mrs. Nelson!!!!)
I am incredibly proud to announce that our team placed 4th overall in the district. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to all the hours you've spent studying, building, and practicing.
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1st Place: Olivia & Dennis (Backyard Biologist)
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1st Place: Adam and Hugo (Gummy Bear Launch)
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2nd Place: Smith & Sohan (Rock Hound)
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3rd Place: Grant & Charlie (Barge Building)
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3rd Place: Smith & Max (Chopper Challenge)
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3rd Place: Philips & Cate (Crime Busters)
What an incredible showing for MES!!!!! Thank you Ms. Nelson and Ms. Hood for your leadership!
STATE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR
Huge congrats to Eila H who placed 3rd in the state at the Georgia College & State University State Science and Engineering Fair! Thank you Ms. Thomas for leading this year's fairs!
SO proud of all of our Dolphins' accomplishments across so many exciting areas of interest! Tell your friends about us. MES ROCKS!!!!!!!!
Until Next Time...
Warmly,
Brian Baron