The end of the legislative session is only days away. Legislators will be making quick decisions in the upcoming days and need to know how their constituents feel about the issues. Remember this is an election year. They need to know we are asking for full funding for education and responsible, well-thought out tax reform not piecemeal tax cuts that benefit some while hurting others - including our children!
Funding:
The 2009 budget has been passed by the House and the Senate and is Conference Committee to get the differences worked out.
• With the Governor lowering the expected State Revenue, education once again takes a hit. The House has removed two-thirds of the austerity cuts ($90 M of the $141.5 M originally proposed) and the remaining equalization grant cuts while the Senate has kept most of the cuts in place.
What you need to do:Contact your legislator andask them toSupport the House version.
Taxes Cuts:
What you need to do:
•Contact your legislator and tell him to leave the individual taxes and assessments alone. The economy is in a downswing. We are the only state considering tax cuts at this time.
•Now is NOT the time to cut taxes. Ask that a comprehensive tax study to be completed.
• These tax cuts and freezes are being approved in spite of the fact that Georgia is 49th in spending per capita.
HB 1244: Oppose the tax cuts.
•Senate versionincludes 10% reduction in the income tax rates over a 5 year period. The reduction in state revenues will be $3 billion over 5 years: $215 million in year 1; $430M in year 2; $645M in year 3; $860M in year 4; and $1.2 billion in year 5 and every year thereafter.
•There is no indication how the loss of this funding will be offset. Education receives 55% of the budget. If there is a substantial reduction in state revenues, education will have to suffer additional cuts.
HR 1246: Remember this is what HR 900 evolved into:
• Property assessment freeze at the 2008 level with annual increases limited to government inflation
• The ¼ mill of state property taxes is repealed, about $88 million.
•House: removes car tax but legislature says it will reimburse local governments (but this is the same legislature that has never fully funded education in the first place and has had austerity cuts in place since 2003).
SR 20:
•Constitutional amendment to freeze state revenue and expenditures
•Taxpayor Bill of Rights (TABOR) had disastrous results in Colorado
Vouchers:
What you should do:Contact your legislator and tell them PTA supports school choice but opposes vouchers. Public tax dollars should be used to pay for public education. Address public education needs and issues so that every child benefits
HB 1133: This is an income tax credit for contributions to student scholarship organizations for non public school students. This is basically a voucher for private school students only.
SB 458: Vouchers for students whose school or school district is not accredited or loses accreditation or if it has been on Needs Improvement for seven years.
HB 1209: The IE2 bill now includes vouchers if the schools fail to accomplish their stated goals 100%. Thriving schools that have achieved great success could still be subjected to vouchers.
Click on the links below to contact your legislators.
The Lovinggood Middle School Council is taking nominations for school council from March 31, 2008 through April 4, 2008. Nomination forms are available in the office on the school website and at the link below. Turn in nominations to the school office. Nominees will be posted April 14, 2008 through April 16, 2008. Voting will take place on April 17, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m..
Posted on March 31, 2008
For printable nomination form, please click the link below:
Information regarding middle school operations and teams will be shared. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
YEARBOOK SALES UPDATE
This is the last week to buy yearbooks. The cost for a yearbook is currently $35.00. A limited supply will go back on sale the week of May 12, 2008 at a cost of $40.00, cash only, until supplies run out. Don’t miss out, order your Lovinggood Legacy before this Friday.
Droege's ATA Martial Arts Academy is taking steps by offering this class to help women become more aware of their surroundings and to defend themselves when necessary.
This class is FREE! It is open to the public and we encourage everyone to attend. Bring a friend, a neighbor. Bring your family members: daughters, mothers, sisters, aunts, even your grandmothers! This class is for everyone wishing to learn practical self-defense. For anyone not willing to become a victim.
Please join us!
For your printable flier, please click the link below.
Freedom Week is here. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience FCA every day!!!
Monday:in the theater for a worship service
Tuesday:in the cafeteria for breakfast
Wednesday:at the flagpole for a prayer walk
Thursday:in the theater for fun and games
Friday:Regular FCA with Chip Paul in the house
Grab a friend and come and join in the fun!
Congratulations!!
FCA would like to send out our congratulations to ALL of our LovinggoodMiddle SchoolOdyssey of the Mind teams on their BIG win at regionals. ALL of our teams will be advancing to state in April, as well as all of the Cheatham Hill Elementary and the Hillgrove High School team.
We have SO many exciting things happening in FCA over the next four weeks. We’d love for you to be a part of any or all of it.
Next week, beginning March 31st, we kick off FREEDOME WEEK!
Monday: Worship service in the theater
Tuesday: Breakfast in the cafeteria for all students at
Wednesday: Prayer Walk, meet at the flagpole at
Thursday: Fun and games in the theater at
Friday: Regular FCA meeting at in the theater
Come and help us celebrate Freedom Week and start off our spring break with a bang!
Lovinggood on the Lawn is just around the corner. Mark your calendars now for Friday, April 18th at You DON”T want to miss it this year. We have a many wonderful things planned for the evening. God’s Warriors will be there, C.L. Sheppard will be speaking and when the sun goes down Glory Road will be on the big screen. Moms, take the night off from the kitchen, we will have dinner options and lots of yummy treats for movie time. There will be face painting, inflatable moon walks, and so much more…even be a silent auction. Come join FCA for a night of family fun and fellowship.
If you would like to help out with either FCA or Freedom Week, please contact Susan Norris at SNorris91@aol.com.
Congratulations to Lovinggood's Eighth Grade Students and Staff!!
From Cobb County School District press release dated March 19, 2008
Cobb County eighth grade students made significant gains on the 2008 state writing assessment with 84 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards. A majority of Cobb schools topped the state scale scores, with scores ranging from 201 to 240. Highest scores were for Dickerson (240), Mabry (238), and Hightower Trail (236). Several schools had more than 90 percent of students who met or exceeded standards. They are Dickerson, Dodgen, Durham, Hightower Trail, Lost Mountain, Lovinggood, Mabry and Simpson.
Lovinggood's "On Target" score of 92% was an increase of 17%, with 12% of the students in the "Exceeds" category. The school's scales score was 223, which was an 8 point increase from the previous year.
We need help to distribute cookie dough on March 28th between 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. Parents that are able to help are asked to contact me via email @ barbmorgan@bellsouth.net with the time they can work.
Spring elections for the Hillgrove PTSA Executive Board are coming up in April. And we need you! The open positions are:
President(s) – 1 or 2 people
Vice President(s) – 1 or 2 people
Secretary – 1 person
Treasurer – 1 person
Parents, teachers and students who are PTSA members are eligible to be officers. You may be currently at Hillgrove, or a parent of a rising 9th grader. Nominate yourself or someone else by sending an email with name and contact information to jerobertsGA@gmail.com.
Senator Johnny Isakson, Senator Saxby Chambliss and Members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation Cordially
Are you new to LMS?Just haven’t gotten around to joining yet?It’s not too late!If you are not yet a member, take a moment now to join and become involved in all the great happenings at LMS PTSA.
Membership is just $5 per member and we would love to have every family represented by at least one member.Our goal of 100% membership has been reached but if we’ve missed you, our ultimate goal of reaching each family has not been met.
There's Always Room for One More
To join, please download, print and submit the membership form attached below and return it with your payment in an envelope to the PTSA mailbox located across from the MediaCenter.
Droege's ATA Martial Arts Academy is taking steps by offering this class to help women become more aware of their surroundings and to defend themselves when necessary.
This class is FREE! It is open to the public and we encourage everyone to attend. Bring a friend, a neighbor. Bring your family members: daughters, mothers, sisters, aunts, even your grandmothers! This class is for everyone wishing to learn practical self-defense. For anyone not willing to become a victim.
Please join us!
For your printable flier, please click the link below.
Here are some of the options we have available close by:
The Heritage Oaks Torpedoes are having registration on Sunday March 16th from 2:30 - 5 p.m. at the Clubhouse located off Dallas Highway.
The OakAmber Dolphins Summer League team is having registration on Sunday, March 30th at the Amberton Clubhouse located off Lost Mountain Road. Registration is from 2-3 for returning swimmers and 3-4 for new swimmers.
Walker's Ridge Tidal Waves' registration is Sunday, March 9th from 4:00 until 6:00 pm at the Walker's Ridge Clubhouse for returning swimmers. New swimmers please contact Judi Wolovick at jwolo4@yahoo.com.
You can also contact Echo Mill or West Hampton for registration information for their Summer League Teams.
Our spring elections for the PTSA Executive Board are just around the corner. We are looking for:
1 or 2 Presidents
2 Vice Presidents
2 Secretaries
1 Treasurer
Nominations should be put in the PTSA mail box, Attn: Nominating Committee, or dropped off at the Front Office and the nominating committee can get them.
Students, Parents, Guardians, Family, and Friends, all are welcome.
Please join Hillgrove PTSA as we host a program given by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The new MADD Multimedia 3-screen presentation is geared for students in grades 7-12. It is a fast paced presentation where real teens and real families tell their stories. It will cover topics such as, alcohol and peer pressure, distractions while driving, media pressures, being responsible for the choices you make, and many others. For more information please contact Karen Carter, PTSA President at octgon@aol.com.
THERE IS NO COST FOR THIS PROGRAM!
Town Hall Meeting
Hosted by: Cobb Underage Drinking Task Force
Subject: Uunderage drinking When: March 24th
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Mansour Center, 995 Roswell Street, Marietta.
Please see the link below for the printable flier!
The Lovinggood Middle School Relay for Life Team is selling CRCT Success Kits for $5. The profit will benefit the American Cancer Society. Parents may purchase the kits by completing the form below and returning it to the Lovinggood front office in a SCHOOL PAYMENT ENVELOPE. The description should say “CRCT KIT” . It will be an encouraging surprise for your child.
The kit includes:
a bottle of water,
two #2 pencils,
hard candy, and
a hand written note from you!
The last day CRCT Success Kits may be purchased is Friday, April 4th. Success kits will be delivered the first day of the test.
* Parents may choose to include an extra $5 contribution for a child who will not otherwise receive a Success Kit. If you contribute, please clip a note to the extra money indicating “To help others succeed.”
Thanks for supporting your child and the fight against cancer!
-Lovinggood Relay for Life Team
(You and your child may join the Lovinggood Relay for Life Team by going to www.cobbrelay.org , click join a team, type in Lovinggood Middle School, choose James McPherson as the team captain, click join and follow the directions.) The date of the Relay is May 9-10 at Jim Miller Park. You may choose to walk a one hour segment. If you join, more information will be provided.
** Place the money in a SCHOOL PAYMENT ENVELOPE with “CRCT KIT” written in the description area.
YEARBOOK SALES UPDATE
“The Ultimate Gift” will be our feature movie, which will begin at dusk.
Freedom Week is here. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience FCA every day!!! 
Cookie Dough is coming!
Band Fundraiser 
Lovinggood PTSA eNews! 
PTSA Executive Board 
CRCT Success Kit 
The kit includes: