Both the information sheet and the registration forms are also available by clicking on the Downloads tab.

The TTF and PTA are co-hosting this event, which will take place under the covered play area at Tritt. After finding out who your child’s teacher is, come enjoy some cool drinks, great music and snacks while talking to your friends and letting your child find his new classmates.

Q: How will the Tritt Tiger Foundation invest 2009-2010 parent donations?

Thanks to the generous support of Tritt parents, the Tritt Tiger Foundation has raised over $95,000 during the 2009-2010 school year campaign. The Foundation is committed to investing donations in ways that benefit all Tritt students as well as continue to maintain and enhance the excellent education at Tritt Elementary. In order to do just that, the Foundation is currently waiting for the Cobb County Board of Education Budget decisions (due June 9, 2010) before deciding in which programs and improvements to invest. The Foundation has been developing a list of immediate curriculum enhancements, technology investments, and facility improvements that can be made with our funds as soon as we have knowledge of what the school needs due to budget cuts.

Q: What salaries might the Foundation be able to cover in the event of budget cuts (e.g. music teacher, computer teacher, nurse, etc.)?

The Tritt Tiger Foundation has been the sole source of the computer lab and science lab instructor salaries, as well as lab expenses and supplies, for the past 5 years. School Foundations are allowed to invest funds in employee and teacher salaries, in addition to curriculum, technology or facility needs.

Q: Is the Foundation able to supplement for any teacher or staff furlough days?

Since School Foundations have very general guidelines for expenditures, the Tritt Tiger Foundation would be able to invest funds in any way that benefits our school. It is our primary goal to invest parent donations in ways that benefit every student at Tritt. Supplementing teacher salaries is an option, but this option would be weighed against any other curriculum, program or facility needs that the school has.

Q: Will the Tritt Tiger Foundation continue to pay a portion of the class fee for the Spanish After School Enrichment Program?

No, the Tritt Tiger Foundation will not continue to pay a portion of the Spanish class fee beginning August 2010. At the April 2010 Board meeting, the Tritt Tiger Foundation Board voted to eliminate the funding that reduced the Spanish ASEP class fee from $140 per student to $30 per student. The factors that made this decision were:

1. The Spanish after school class subsidy was paid for by funds raised the previous year for the in-school Spanish program.
2. The Tritt Tiger Foundation wants to ensure that parent donations are invested in programs that benefit all Tritt students.
3. In light of the future deep budget cuts at the County level, the Tritt Tiger Foundation will be investing parent donations in basic school wide programs to maintain Tritt’s high quality of education.

Q: Since School District SPLOST funds are being used to purchase and install new 21st Century classroom technology in all classrooms at Tritt (ACTIVBoards and projectors),what has happened to older technology that the Tritt Foundation had purchased with parent donations?

The ACTIVBoards and projectors purchased by the Tritt Tiger Foundation are still in use at Tritt. Each ACTIVBoard is installed and in use. Some projectors have been re-assigned as portable projectors (vs. installed) and are available to any teachers to use. SPLOST funds have been used to install 21st Century Classroom projectors in each remaining classroom, and will have ACTIVBoards installed in all classrooms by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

Kindergarten
Science Lab: Colored Celery?
During April, the kindergarteners will continue their study of plants, both in the lab and in their classroom. They will study the similarities and differences in plants and examine the root systems in various plants. NOTE: Be sure to ask about their predictions and the actual results with the celery! Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Learning the Keyboard
In the Computer Lab, the Kindergarteners will continue to work on keyboarding skills, finding letters on the keyboard and drawing. We will also cover games to practice counting using addition and subtraction. Our big finale for 2010 will be creating a graph with data the students will have collected in their classr More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

1 st Grade
Science Lab: Exploring the Tritt Science Lab Zoo
During April, the first graders will continue their study of animals by comparing their appearance, motion, growth and basic needs at live animal stations (spider, snake, turtle and cockatiel.) This hands-on learning experience is a big hit with the kids. CRCT testing will affect the science lab schedule, so several of the experiments this month will take place in the classroom and in the computer lab where they will do science experiments on the computer. . Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Using the Web to Learn Testing Strategies
The first graders have been reviewing for the CRCT using many online sites as well as an application that shows the many types of strategies used for answering multiple choice questions. We will also begin to work on typing, paying close attention to capital letters, punctuation and spelling. More computer news is available at http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

2nd Grade
Science Lab: The Life Cycle Continued – from Butterflies to Fungi!
During April, your 2nd grader will continue their investigation of the life cycles of different living organisms. They will watch and chart the development of the butterfly chrysalis in their classrooms. In the lab, students will create a chart categorizing living things and non living things. Then students will put the items sorted into living things category and use them to construct a chart separating them into plants, animals, and other. They will explore different types of fungi and examine it under the microscope. Check out more at:  http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Perfect Formatting
In Computer Lab, Second graders have been introduced the online CRCT practice site provided by the Georgia Department of Education. It allows them to familiarize themselves with the questioning techniques used on the CRCT. We will cover formatting text that they have typed over the last weeks of school. Most children are familiar with this concept of changing font, font size, color and position. This will help them when they start typing more of their written work in Third Grade.. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

4th Grade
Science Lab: Survival and Extinction
During April, the fourth graders will continue their study of ecosystems by examining what factors be studying what factors affect the survival or extinction of organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation), and external features (camouflage and protection). They will work in small groups to discuss and manipulate environments for various living organisms to ensure their survival. CRCT testing will affect the science lab schedule, so several of the experiments this month will take place in the classroom and in the computer lab where they will also do science experiments on the computer. Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Tritt Tiger Publishing

In the Computer Lab, many students will be typing their Tiger Publishing at school. This introduces the concept of typing in a certain format, creating page breaks, formatting with font and position and printing a complete product. Some fourth grade teachers will be working on Westward Expansion as part of a Social Studies lesson. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

5th Grade
Science Lab: A Question of Kingdoms
During April, the fifth graders will be learning about the classification of organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use classification. To test their investigative skills they will each be assigned a particular organism (it will be taped to their back) and they must figure out what the organism is by asking “yes” and “no” questions. CRCT testing will affect the science lab schedule, so several of the experiments this month will take place in the classroom and in the computer lab where they will do science experiments on the computer. Check out picture & more at: http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: An Assortment of Learning Activities
n the Computer Lab, Our oldest children are working on advanced keyboarding skills, Tiger Publishing, presentation materials, and finishing up decimals, fractions, data analysis, percent and algebra in Mega Math. Fifth grade is the last year students use Mega Math. In middle school, math games are replaced by more traditional repetition: worksheets and chapter reviews. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

Patron Program Facts:

• 2009-2010 Program raised $64,488, down 11% from last year
• 395 total donors (teachers, staff, families), down 14% from last year
• Over $3500 raised through Corporate Matching gifts, up 20% over last year
• 20 families invested $500 or higher, up 20% from last year
• Average remaining family donation is $113, down 20% from last year

Foundation Facts:

• 2009-2010 TTF expenses down 45% from last year
• ASEP vendor contributions up 22% over last year
• Square 1 Art proceeds up 60% over last year

Investment Facts:

• Since 2007, the Foundation has invested over $260,000 in Tritt:
  • over $23,000 in capital improvements such as the playground
  • over $50,000 in technology, including 17 ACTIVBoards
  • over $190,000 in Programs, including funding of Science Lab, Computer Lab, and Spanish Instructors

Don’t see your employer listed?  We provide only a partial list of corporations known to have matching gift programs.  Even if your employer is not listed, they may have a program in place.  Just ask your Human Resources representative — they will be able to provide the most current information about your employer’s program to you.

Feel free to contact Elisha MacLellan at elishamac@bellsouth.net should you need information or guidance during your Matching Gift application process.

Your input will help us plan for next year.

Kindergarten
Dead or Alive?
During March, the kindergarteners will be learning about living and non-living organisms. The terms living and non living are used in a special way by biologist. Living things are organisms in nature that are currently alive or have been alive at one time (often termed once living). Nonliving things are things that have never been alive. This concept is not an easy one for young children to grasp since they naturally want to classify dead things as non living. Your children will explore these concepts by listing observable physical attributes of items found on a nature walk, discussing characteristics, sorting by those characteristics and classifying each organism. They will delve further into their study of living organisms by studying plants and their root systems. Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab
In the Computer Lab, the Kindergarteners have finished their unit on drawing and will be moving to keyboarding (yes, typing!) and inserting images to go along with their writing. This takes what the Kindergarten teachers are doing in the classroom one step further. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

1 st Grade
Science Lab: Leaf Safari and Animal Necessitates
During March, the first graders will be studying the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals. They will start by studying plants (including using the magnifying glasses) and later on in the month, they will move on to animals. They will compare and describe various animals through an up-close and personal analysis of animals in the Tritt zoo. What are the specific needs of Petey, Shelley, the spider or our snake? Be sure to ask your child. Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: It’s Still All about Money
The first graders are continuing their lessons in money by getting ready to show what they know about fair trades in money. They will be creating a picture of 3 different ways to show the same amount of money. More computer news is available at http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

2nd Grade
Science Lab
During March, your 2nd grader will be investigating the life cycle of different organisms. They will start by studying the changes in a ladybug. Later in the month they explore how a frog changes during its life cycle. They will conclude their study by studying the metamorphous of butterflies. They will get to experience it first hand as they observe the butterfly larvae will live in their classroom! Check out more at:  http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab
In Computer Lab, your Second grader has been graphing all sorts of things as well as working on their keyboarding skills.  They will continue to work on math and writing skills throughout the remainder of the year. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

3rd Grade
Science Lab: Kids & Magnets – A Strong Attraction
During March, the third graders will be studying Magnets during the beginning of the month. They will investigate magnets and how they affect other magnets and common objects. They will investigate how magnets attract and repel each other and discuss polarity and the strength of magnets. Later in the month, they will move onto the study of heat, heat energy and investigate how heat is produced. Be sure to ask them about the 5 different heat-producing stations: 1) hand sanitizer, 2) hair dryer, 3) desk lamp, candle, match and foil, 4) a block of wood and sandpaper and 5) a wire hanger!   Check out picture & more at: http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Power Point Continues
Third graders continue their use of PowerPoint. They have produced some wonderful PowerPoint Presentations using the research they have conducted in the Media Center and using Cobb Virtual Library in the computer lab.  More computer news is available at:  http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

4th Grade
Science Lab: Ecosystems growing at Snail’s Pace?
During March, the fourth graders will be studying ecosystems. They will be learning the parts of an ecosystem, the role of organisms, the flow of energy and how they work together to keep a community alive. Then they will create their own ecosystem, complete with live snails! This is a favorite activity so be sure to ask you kids all about it.Check out picture & more at http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Perfecting their Writing Skills

In the Computer Lab, students will be publishing more of their writing, some even publishing a newspaper about events they’ve been studying in Social Studies and finishing up their writing on the OlympicsMore computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/

5th Grade
Science Lab: Cells – A Smelly Matter?? A Little Cheeky??
During March, the fifth graders will be studying cells. They will diagram and label parts of various cells (plant, animal, single-celled, multi-celled organisms) and then study them. Finally they will discuss the structural function of a cell – generalized and specialized. The lessons start off by studying an onion! Kids will create slides with onions cells and examine them under a microscope. Then they will move on to the examining a slide they will make of a cheek cell so they can compare the differences in structure and functions. Check out picture & more at: http://tritt.typepad.com/sciencelab/

Computer Lab: Perfecting Their Writing Skills
In the Computer Lab, students will be publishing more of their writing, some even publishing a newspaper about events they’ve been studying in Social Studies. They will incorporate the Winter Olympics into lessons over the next month. More computer news is available at: http://tritt.typepad.com/computerlab/