Eagle Eye Newsletter

During the Thursday, Jan. 19th School Board meeting, our very own Mrs. Tawanda Sanks was named as our new principal. She will begin leading Taylor Elementary upon Mrs. Cobb's retirement at the end of January.

Dear Taylor Families and Community,

I am proud and ecstatic to introduce myself as the new principal of Taylor Elementary School. I feel honored to have the opportunity to remain a part of the Collins Hill Cluster as your new principal of Taylor Elementary. I’m elated to continue the great work of supporting students, staff, and the community.

So, where did it begin? I come from a family of educators and was raised until the age of ten in rural Manning, South Carolina. I loved school, farm animals, and teaching my dolls. My parents then moved the family to the “hustle and bustle” life of New Jersey. This was my first encounter with snow, public transportation, and concrete playgrounds. Overall, I adjusted quickly and evolved into a “city girl.” I attended Lincoln University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and majored in education. Upon my father’s retirement from Special Education in Newark, New Jersey’s school district, they returned to South Carolina, and I followed upon graduation. I began teaching at Manning Elementary School in 1999, where I attended school as an elementary student. During my three years, I got my master’s degree in Instructional Accommodations from Francis Marion University, located in Florence, SC.

Wanting to branch out, I began to hear great things about Gwinnett County Public Schools. With high hopes, I recorded my teaching on a VHS tape and mailed it to Human Resources in 2003. This tape landed in the hands of the kindest person, Ms. Debbie Cate, who arranged an interview with Paula Deweese, principal at Mason Elementary. She took a chance on this “Jersey Girl,” and I taught fourth grade there for five years. When my assistant principal, Paula Cobb (some of you may know her), became the principal of Corley Elementary, I joined her staff as a gifted teacher and worked in that capacity for 6 years before transitioning to a coaching role for the next four years. During this time, I graduated with my Specialist Degree from Lincoln Memorial University in Educational Administration and Supervision. After 15 years as a teacher, gifted teacher, and instructional coach, I became an assistant principal at Taylor Elementary in 2017.

My career journey has been enriching, with plenty of hard work to reflect on. In times of need for self-care and hobbies, I love working out, running (3 marathons total), and shopping for ANYTHING with my mother, which is my favorite hobby. Traveling to new places, being the best movie critic, and retreating to a good book, are also top on my list.

As I look forward to becoming the principal of Taylor Elementary, I will continue the work toward building a stronger community that celebrates our diversity and supports our school’s vision and mission. I sincerely believe in the power of relationships and their capability to do amazing things in the lives of those we encounter daily.

I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks. Our work is to provide a world-class education to each and every student at Taylor Elementary. Humbly and with a servant’s heart, I’m elated for us to join forces to achieve this goal and countless other accomplishments for our Taylor Elementary students.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sanks

Proud Principal

Join us for a fun evening celebrating literacy with stories, activities, and a treat or two!

Thursday, February 9th

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Semester 1 student report cards were printed and mailed to your homes this week. If you do not receive a report card for you child(ren) by Friday, January 27th, please email Christy Neal at christy.neal@gcpsk12.org with your student's name and homeroom teacher and a replacement will be printed locally and sent home. Report Cards will be attached to Student Documents and available in ParentVUE/StudentVUE by Sunday, 1/15/23.

Spring and Class Pictures will be taken on February 14th & 15th. Information on your student's scheduled date will be sent to you by his/her teacher. Watch Friday Folders for details for ordering.

GCPS wants your feedback on the nine characteristics of high-performing schools! Watch your email for a link to the GCPS Educational Effectiveness Survey for families when it opens on February 28th. you can participate in the survey until March 19th. Click the link below to learn more about the student and family surveys.

https://www.gcpsk12.org/page/32312

Permissive Transfer information letters and applications went home January 6, 2023. The deadline to submit a RENEWAL application for your student(s) is January 23, 2023. If you have a student currently on a Permissive Transfer, you must renew for 2023-2024 SY. Please be sure to return your application or your child will be marked for their homeschool.

Parents of Fifth Graders that attend Taylor ES on a Permissive Transfer whose home address is not zoned for Creekland Middle School will need to request transfers from your zoned school. Permissive Transfers must be requested from your zoned school, approved by principal, and then taken to the of middle school of choice.

All RISING Kindergarten students planning to attend Taylor Elementary for the 2023-2024 school year on a Permissive Transfer MUST have the Permissive Transfer originate and signed off by his/her home school first before we can process transfer. (GCPS of attendance is based on home address).

Per GCPS, transportation for Permissive Transfers student(s) is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.

Flu season is upon us... and schools are a perfect place for transmission. Many respiratory infections spread primarily from person to person when coughs and sneezes go airborne, or by touching a surface or object where the flu virus is present, and then touching their own mouth, eyes, or nose.

Aside from colds, there is rising concern about RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) infections, that usually cause mild, cold-like symptoms. For more information about protecting yourself and your loved ones, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website.

We'd love to give our teachers a break during lunchtime on Wednesday's. To do this, we need 5 volunteers to come help supervise the students while they eat lunch.

Sign up to help HERE:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e0b4da9a629a3ff2-duty/62876292

Collins Hill Library
Monday thru Thursday - 5:00-7:00 pm

Saturday - 10:00 am- 2:00 pm

Click for Info

DURY FREE LUNCH VOLUNTEER

Sign up here to help out during lunch to give our teachers a break.

MEDIA CENTER VOLUNTEER

Sign up here to help out in the media center: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4DA9A629A3FF2-help1

NEW EAGLEWEAR IS HERE

Contact Kristina Jackson at kristina.jackson@ketaylorpta.com to purchase.

BECOME A PTA MEMBER

PTA offers all parents and guardian's the opportunity to be engaged in their child’s school. Your PTA dues ($5.00) help fund essential resources and curriculum needs. No meetings required. Join online at our new MemberHub store located at ketaylorpta.memberhub.com.

AMAZON SMILE

Select “K E Taylor ES PTA” as your charitable organization at smile.amazon.com. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com or through AmazonSmile activated in the Amazon Shopping app), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to your selected charity.

BOX TOPS

Box Tops For Education (BTFE) is all digital. Physical receipts can be photographed and submitted via app. Digital receipts can be forwarded to BTFE for points.

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS

Kroger Community Rewards Go to www.kroger.com and link your Kroger Plus account to our organization (K.E. Taylor Elementary School PTA, organization number IX040). Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you.

PUBLIX PARTNERS

Publix Partners Sign up for Club Publix at www.publix.com/myaccount/register, click Publix Partners, and select our school (K E Taylor Elementary School). Then, enter your phone number or pay with the Publix app every time you check out

VOLUNTEER

Interested in volunteering or want to know more about how you can help out? There are lots of opportunities to help, and you don’t have to join the PTA to volunteer. If you have questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact Molly Frizzell at molly.frizzell@ketaylorpta.com.

BECOME A ROOM REP

The PTA is looking for individuals to be Room Representatives (Room Reps) for their student’s class. If you are interested in serving as a Room Rep, please reach out to your child's teacher and please contact Molly Frizzell at molly.frizzell@ketaylorpta.com