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Students & Parents:
We're ready to begin another great year at Ringgold Elementary School! Teachers are returning
on Monday, August 11th to prepare their classrooms for students who will visit during Open
House on Thursday, August 14th from 4-6 p.m. and again on Monday, August 18th for the first
day of school.
"Relationships, Relationships, Relationships" is our motto for this school year. "Graduation &
Beyond" is the motto for Catoosa County Schools. When you combine the two sayings, you get
"relationships are required for our students to reach graduation and beyond." I know, parents,
you're thinking graduation is many years away; however, the years will fly by quickly and, before
you know it, your little one will be walking across that stage accepting the diploma s/he worked
so hard to earn. The faculty and staff at Ringgold Elementary are committed to creating
relationships with our students, families, between all subject areas, and between what we do at
school and what students experience in the real world.
Diplomas are much harder to earn now than when I was in school and even when you
graduated. The bar has been raised in all areas due to the changes made in our society and
what is expected in the work force. If we want our children to have opportunities to be
successful in life, we must start now in making sure they master the knowledge and skills of
each grade level.
To do this, students must attend school everyday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Arriving on time
and staying all day is crucial to their success. No longer are the days when students could
check out after lunch and not miss anything in class. Now, our teachers teach from bell to bell.
School is tough and much is required from students. A good night's sleep, a healthy diet, a calm,
supportive home are all extremely important for your child. Sending them off each day to school
with a smile, a hug, and an I love you will give them the encouragement they need to work hard.
One way RES will help students and families up to date is with Gaggle. This is a web-based
tool that gives students, teachers, and parents the opportunity to communicate online with each
other, gives students the opportunity to receive and submit lessons online, and gives teachers
the opportunity to return graded work to students online. For more information about gaggle,
read the information sheet in your child's beginning of the year packet and then join us on
September 9th for Tech Night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The annual Title I meeting will be October 2nd at 6:00 p.m. As a Title I school, RES receives
additional federal funds to help our students and families. These resources include connections
to various agencies in our area that can work with families to meet their needs. I hope you'll join
us on this night and meet some of the agency representatives. Title I eligibility is based on the
percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced meal prices. An application form was
sent to most households over the summer in order to give families a head start on completing
the form. If you did not receive one, our cafeteria bookkeeper will be happy to send one to you.
The Georgia Milestones Assessment System will be replacing the Georgia Criterion Reference
Competency Test (CRCT), the Georgia Writing Assessment, and the End of Course Tests
(EOCT) beginning this year. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System will incorporate both
criterion-reference questions and norm-reference questions. This will allow our state to not only
measure mastery of the Georgia Common Core Standards at each grade level but will also
allow national comparisons. A writing component will also be incorporated for each Georgia
Milestone Assessment. This will be in the form of constructed response questions. Multiple
choice questions will also be used on this assessment. Within the next five years, all students
will complete the Georgia Milestones Assessment online.
RES is working diligently to prepare our students for this requirement by increasing the amount
of technology used during instruction. One way to advance students' technology skills is to
increase the number of devices in our school. We are preparing to incorporate Bring Your Own
Technology (BYOT). A survey will come home during the first week of school for you to
complete and return to school. Using the data from the surveys, we will then be able to
determine how quickly we can implement this new initiative. More discussions will occur at Tech
Night on Sept. 9th!
Ringgold Elementary School will take good care of your child. We'll love him, educate and
challenge him, and help him to become the best person he can be. We cannot do this alone;
your partnership with us is desired and vital if your child is to get what he deserves. When
schools and families work together, great things happen!
I hope you find this new school year to be the best ever for your child as well as your family. All
RES employees are here to do their part in preparing our students for their future. As I stated
earlier, " Relationships, Relationships, Relationships!"
Have a great year!
Sincerely,
Kim Erwin
Bio
Education:
Elementary School: Westside Elementary School - Catoosa County
Middle School: Lakeview Jr. High School - Catoosa County
High School: Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe (LFO) High School, 1981 - Catoosa County
Dalton College/State University of West Georgia: Bachelor Degree Early Childhood Education,
ESOL Endorsement, Gifted Endorsement 1996
Lincoln Memorial University: Master Degree Curriculum & Instruction, 2003
Lincoln Memorial University: Educational Specialist Degree Administration & Supervison, 2005
Walden University: currently working towards Doctoral Degree
Professional Experience:
Tiger Creek Elementary,1996-2004, 2nd, 5th grades, Horizon (gifted) grades 1-5
Ringgold Middle School, 2004-2006, 7th grade math, 6-8 Gifted ELA & Social Studies, CSR
Grant Administrator
Lakeview Middle School, 2006, Assistant Principal
Tiger Creek Elementary School, 2007-2009, Assistant Principal
Ringgold Elementary School, 2009-Present, Principal
Personal:
I am married to David Erwin (LFO, 1978). We are blessed with four awesome children, four
wonderful "extra" children (spouses to our children), two beautiful granddaughters, and a soonto-
arrive grandson. Bear and Gunny are our very spoiled Yorkies. Our home is located in
Ringgold, in the RES school zone.
Hobbies:
I love spending time with my granddaughters, my family, and friends. I love to read, write, travel,
technology, decorating and shopping for home decor. I love music and Alabama Roll Tide!
Philosophy
I believe all children deserve the best education possible that meets his/her individual needs.
I believe my responsibility is to make decisions based on what is best for students.
I believe teachers work harder than they are given credit for working.
I believe parents love their children and want them to succeed.
I believe a partnership between home and school is crucial for the success of the student.
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