Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening at the Lower School
Published August 16, 2026
Volume 318
Sherry Randolph - Early Learning & Lower School Principal
The Principal’s Piece: A Note From Mrs. Randolph
Wow, what a great first week of school! It was so fun seeing our campus busy again with students and families. Our students have settled in nicely and have spent the week learning classroom procedures and routines. We are off to a great start!
Thank you for your patience as we worked through our arrival and dismissal procedures this week. Things are running much more smoothly!
One dismissal reminder: If you have an Early Learning student and are also picking up a 1st–5th grade student, please plan to arrive toward the end of Early Learning dismissal, around 2:15 p.m. This will help us keep traffic moving smoothly for everyone.
Thank you for a wonderful first week. We are looking forward to a great year together!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
~Proverbs 3:5
Check out our SCHOOL CALENDAR
Tuesday, August 18 - Progress Learning: ELA (K5 - 3rd only)
Thursday, August 20 - Progress Learning: Math (K5 - 3rd only)
Monday, August 24 - Fall Picture Day
Friday, September 4 - Remote Learning Day
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day Holiday
Benchmark Assessments for K5-3rd Grade
On August 18th and 20th, our students will complete their beginning-of-the-year benchmark assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These assessments give our teachers helpful information about each student’s current academic strengths and areas where additional support may be needed. They also provide a starting point that allows us to measure individual growth throughout the school year.
Benchmark assessments are not part of students’ academic grades. Instead, the results help our teachers plan instruction and better meet the needs of each student.
Please help your child start the day well by getting a good night’s rest, eating a healthy breakfast, and arriving at school on time, as testing will begin promptly each morning.
Fall Picture Day: Monday, August 24
Fall pictures for TCS will be taken on Monday, August 24. These pictures will be featured in the 2026–2027 yearbook.
Lower School students in K5–3rd grade should wear their chapel day uniform (purple polo) for pictures.
Students will bring home an individual picture pre-order form next week. If you would like to pre-order, please send the completed form and payment with your child on Picture Day. They will give it directly to the photographer.
Pictures may also be previewed and purchased after Picture Day through the Lifetouch website. You will need your student’s ID number, which can be found on their Blackbaud profile.
Students in PreK3-3rd grade will also have the option to purchase a class picture. A separate class picture order form will be sent home in student folders. This form must be returned prior to Picture Day. Class pictures will not be available for purchase after Picture Day.
Staying Informed and Up-to-date with
Classroom Happenings
To stay informed of what’s happening in your child’s classroom, please login into Blackbaud weekly. You will be able to see information such as weekly classroom announcements, upcoming events, weekly academic focus, grades, attendance, etc. This is the key to staying informed and replaces hardcopy newsletters. I encourage you to login each week. Information will be updated each Sunday at 5pm.
Accessing your child's class information weekly:
Login to your Blackbaud account and select your child's name under "Children".
Find your child's homeroom class under the "Progress" tab by scrolling down to where classes are listed.
After selecting the homeroom class, you will see the teacher's main class page where you will locate upcoming dates, class reminders and news.
Select the "Topics" tab to see specific information for each individual subject. Within each subject folder, you will see a plan for the week and upcoming projects and test information.
The "Topics" pages update each Sunday evening at 5pm and will remain current until the following Sunday evening.
Chapel Moments
We had a great first week of chapel! We kicked things off with a fun game to introduce our chapel speakers, Mrs. Randolph, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Duncan, and Pastor Kami, along with Mrs. Cook, who leads our 3rd Grade Worship Team. We also spent time worshipping together and talking about what we can look forward to in chapel this year. We are excited for the year ahead and, most importantly, to see our students continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord!
Third Grade Worship Team Opportunity
Our third grade students are the leaders of our Lower School. In honor of that, we extend an opportunity for them to lead our Lower School students in worship during our weekly Chapel services. This opportunity is available for all interested third graders. The only requirement is to have a heart for worship and to be willing to stand on the stage and sing. We are excited to provide an opportunity where they can shine God’s light before others.
If your third grader is interested, please click on the link to sign up below:
Safe Dismissal
We have partnered with the company safeDISMISSAL.COM to facilitate our dismissal process for our Early Learning students (PreK-3 through Kinder) and our Elementary and Middle School (1st - 8th grades). One of the many wonderful features of this dismissal process is that your children will remain comfortably and safely in their classroom until the moment they meet you in the "car loading zone".
Here are a few tips to follow during our dismissal process:
Please make sure to have your ‘pick-up’ card displayed in your front window when entering the dismissal line. Please keep your card displayed until your child has been loaded into your car.
Please stay in-line (no passing) during dismissal as the children will be instructed to walk to specific spots for loading.
To reduce your wait time, please keep up with the car in front of you. Stay attentive and focused on the car line.
If your student does not arrive at the loading spot before you do, you may be instructed to move to a "waiting" area where your child will be notified again. We ask you to move to this area so that we do not hold up the remaining dismissal line.
Please note: Your child is assigned to be picked up at a particular spot according to the order of cars in line each day. Please follow the car in front of you until the line stops, regardless of where you might or might not see your child. Stopping before the line has filled will cause the sequence to be thrown off and delay the line. We will get your child to the proper spot should they have gone to the wrong place.
Please share this information with anyone who you have designated to pick up your child.
Finally, we ask for your patience the first couple of weeks of school as everyone gets accustomed to the process. It will get faster/better each day!
The administrators and teachers are committed to making this process beneficial to all parties. Please visit www.safeDISMISSAL.com for more information. Below are a couple of helpful resources to further explain the process.
Agape After School Registration
Please see the message below from Kami Heilman.
We've transitioned to a new registration system for Agape After School! We ask that all families with children in PreK–5th grade complete a one-time registration in our new system. Registering now ensures your child is ready to attend Agape whenever the need arises. There is no cost to register, and you will only be charged if and when your child attends the Agape After School program. Click below to register:
ELEMENTARY CLUBS
CHESS CLUB INTEREST
Coach Rodney Lewis and Championship Chess present a systematic, fun way to build chess skills during chess instruction and supervised play. Learn more here.
Cost? - $219 for the Fall Session (Aug 27-Nov 5 - Thursdays 3-4 pm)
Chess Contact: Rodney Lewis 770-560-1071 rodneylewis33@gmail.com
School Contact: Lisa Railey, 770-251-6770 lisa.railey@tcslions.org
ELEMENTARY RUNNING CLUB
Open to Lower School Students in Grades 1, 2, and 3. For more details and how to register you student, please click the button below:
ART CLUB
ART CLUB INFORMATION
Art Club is back! Students will enjoy fun, hands-on art projects, explore new materials and techniques, express their creativity, and build friendships in a welcoming, encouraging environment. All experience levels are welcome!
Registration: Registration is open now and closes on September 1. After registration closes, I will organize Art Club groups and assign each student to a meeting day. Parents will receive an email with their child's assigned Art Club day on September 4.
Cost: $125 for the 6-week session. Payment is due at registration via Venmo @rekegatlin
Schedule: Fall Art Club will meet for a 6-week session beginning the week of September 14 and ending the week of October 26. Meeting days will be assigned after registration closes.
Dismissal to Art Club: Students will be picked up from their classrooms and escorted to the art room.
Student Pick-Up: Parents/guardians should pick up at 5:30 p.m.
Questions: Please email reke.gatlin@tcslions.org
Registration Form: https://forms.gle/DZV1F9LFx8VGFyaHA
Not quite ready to register?: https://forms.gle/kkC4jpnjkLmPaLUt6
LOWER SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR
Show your school spirit all year long! Lower School families have the opportunity to purchase optional grade-level spirit wear. Click the link below to browse available items and place your order. Spirit wear is completely optional but is a fun way for students to show their school pride throughout the year!
Uniform Guidelines
As you prepare for the new school year, please review our uniform requirements to ensure your student is ready for the first day of school. Click the link below to view the complete uniform guidelines. This information can also be found in the Parent-Student Handbook for your convenience.
Administrative Contacts
If you have any questions throughout the summer, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to help! Please see the guide below to reach the most appropriate personnel.
LS Principal - Sherry Randolph (sherry.randolph@tcslions.org)
LS Assistant Principal - Ashley Moore (ashley.moore@tcslions.org)
LS Academic Dean - Leslie Cook (leslie.cook@tcslions.org)
LS Director of Enrichment and Spiritual Development - Jennifer Duncan (jennifer.duncan@tcslions.org)
LS Executive Coordinator - Lisa Railey (lisa.railey@tcslions.org)
(pictured l to r) Lisa Railey, Jenn Duncan, Sherry Randolph, Leslie Cook, and Ashley Moore