2026-27 Welcome Back!
Dear Mary Lin Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope your summer has been filled with rest, joy, adventure, and time with the people you love most. We are so excited to welcome our returning Rockets and our newest Rockets back to Mary Lin Elementary on Monday, August 3.
There is something truly special about the first days of school: fresh supplies, new routines, big smiles, nervous butterflies, and the beautiful reminder that every child is beginning a new chapter. At Mary Lin, we do not take that responsibility lightly. Our teachers and staff have been working thoughtfully to prepare classrooms, routines, schedules, and learning experiences that will help students feel safe, known, challenged, and loved from the moment they walk through our doors.
Mary Lin has long been a place of strong academics, creativity, community, and care. As we begin this new year, we will continue to build on that foundation through our schoolwide focus on meaningful, interdisciplinary learning, utilizing the design-thinking process across content areas and grade-levels. Partnerships among students, teachers, families, and the community help prepare our students to become caring and creative risk-takers who are ready for the world.
Our motto says it best: We will be known by the problems we solve.
This year, our work will be guided by our Mary Lin ASTRO priorities:
A — Academic Rigor
We will continue to provide high-quality instruction that challenges students to think deeply, explain their reasoning, ask questions, and grow as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, artists, historians, and problem solvers.
S — Sense of Belonging
Every student deserves to feel seen, valued, and included. We will continue to strengthen classroom communities, celebrate student identity and voice, and build relationships that help children know they belong at Mary Lin.
T — Targeted Support
We will meet students where they are and support their growth through small-group instruction, enrichment, intervention, progress monitoring, and thoughtful use of student data.
R — Routines & Consistency
Strong routines help students feel safe and ready to learn. Across the school, we will continue to focus on clear expectations, consistent procedures, and predictable structures that support both learning and independence.
O — Ownership
We want our students to see themselves as active participants in their learning and in their community. Whether they are solving a math problem, revising their writing, leading a PBL, helping a classmate, or caring for our campus, Mary Lin students will be encouraged to take ownership of their growth and their impact.
As a STEAM school, Mary Lin will continue to provide students with hands-on, project-based learning experiences that connect across content areas. Students will explore real-world questions, apply design thinking, collaborate with peers, and use creativity to solve meaningful problems. Through this work, our Rockets will practice empathy, define challenges, generate ideas, create and revise solutions, test their thinking, and reflect on their learning.
We are also excited to welcome several new teachers and staff members to the Mary Lin family this year, including our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Matthew Freese. We are grateful for the energy, experience, and care each new team member brings to our school. More information about our new staff members will be shared on our "Faculty & Staff" page.
There is always a lot to know at the beginning of a new school year. Please take a few minutes to review the important information below.
Arrival, Dismissal, and Transportation
Arrival begins at 7:15 am each day. Please prioritize getting to school early - the first 15 minutes of the school day are very important to set the stage and start the day strong. Students arriving after 7:45 am need to be walked into the front office by a parent/guardian.
We encourage families who are able to walk, bike, or ride the bus to school to consider doing so, as this helps reduce traffic around campus and supports a healthier arrival experience for students.
This year, we will be using a dismissal management program called PikMyKid. We will share additional information about how to get set-up in PikMyKid at Sneak Peek on July 31, 2026. With PikMyKid, parents/guardians will be able to set their dismissal plans in advance, make day-of changes to dismissals, and recieve direct messages regarding dismissal updates.
APS bus route information is available through the Mary Lin website under Families > Transportation. Please note that bus routes and times may change during the year, so families should check routes regularly.
Screen Time
Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education is in the process of writing a screen time policy. APS's approach is centered on screen value rather than screen time, meaning we focus on the instructional purpose of technology use.
The Instructional Leadership team at Mary Lin is finalizing school-based practices designed to be very intentional the amount of time that students spend on personal devices during the school day. We will share this screen time plan with families at Sneak Peek!
Class Lists
In keeping with Mary Lin tradition, hoomeroom class rosters will be posted on the school's front doors at 4:00 pm on Thursday, July 30.
Our team puts tremendous care into class placement each year. We consider many factors, including academic needs, student supports , peer relationships, classroom balance, and the overall learning environment. We are grateful for your trust in this process!
Sneak Peek & New Family Orientation
We look forward to welcoming families for Sneak Peek on Friday, July 31 from 9:00-11:00 am. Just before Sneak Peek, there will be a New Family Orientation in the auditorium from 8:00-9:00 am. We ask that this session be "adults-only" as it is an overview of all things logistics and operations - not the most interesting information for our kiddos! If this presents a challenge for your family, please email Ms. Bringslid at dmbringslid@apsk12.org.
During Sneak Peek, families will be able to:
- Meet your child’s teacher
- Visit the classroom
- Drop off school supplies
- Receive transportation and dismissal information
- Learn more about school routines and expectations
- Connect with PTO and school partners
- Purchase Mary Lin spirit wear
Back to School Night
Save the date for Back to School Night on Thursday, August 27 from 5:30-7:00 pm. This evening is designed for parents and guardians to learn more about grade-level curriculum, classroom expectations, communication practices, assessment, homework, and ways to support student learning at home. Additional details will be shared closer to the event.
Mary Lin PTO
Our PTO is an essential partner in supporting our students, teachers, and school community. Through fundraising, volunteering, events, teacher support, campus improvements, and community-building, the PTO helps make Mary Lin the special place that it is.
We invite every family to connect with the PTO this year by joining, volunteering, attending events, and supporting the work in whatever way is meaningful and possible for your family. More information about PTO membership, volunteer opportunities, and beginning-of-year events will be shared via the Rocket Blast.
Communication
Throughout the year, families can expect regular school updates through the Rocket Blast, teacher email communication, weekly "Thursday folders," the Mary Lin website, Infinite Campus Parent Portal messenger, and PTO channels. Please make sure your contact information is updated in Infinite Campus so that you receive all school and district messages.
As we begin this school year, I want to thank you for the trust you place in us each day. Mary Lin is a joyful, thoughtful, and deeply committed community because of our students, staff, families, and neighbors. I am grateful to begin another year alongside you.
We cannot wait to welcome our Rockets back to school. Enjoy these final days of summer, and we will see you very soon!
With gratitude,
Denise Bringslid
Principal
Mary Lin Elementary School