GCPS Health and Safety Update
GCPS focus on health and safety. | September 30, 2022
Get Ready for Inclement Weather!
As Fall begins, GCPS reminds our students, staff, and families to take care, watch the weather, and be familiar with the school system's procedures for handling bad conditions and school cancellations. You can go to the Inclement Weather Procedures page under the About Us tab at gcpsk12.org to learn more.
While Hurricane Ian makes landfall later today (September 30) along the South Carolina coast, breezy conditions persist over Georgia with gusts ranging from 30 to 40 mph. Don’t forget that hurricane season extends through November and extreme weather like tornadoes and thunderstorms may pose danger throughout the year. September is National Preparedness Month. You can find tips for making an emergency plan and more at GwinnettSafety411.com.
What is Social and Emotional Learning?
Learning is not limited to science, math, reading, and writing. Social and emotional learning—which helps children understand their emotions, manage their behavior, and learn how to interact with others—is crucial too!
There are five focus areas in social and emotional learning: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, Social Awareness, and Relationship Skills. Each area focuses on skills that can help children do well in school, form healthy relationships, and develop into successful adults.
How does this activity relate to social and emotional learning?
Children need constant opportunities to strengthen their social and emotional skills before, during, and after school. That’s why this activity is specially designed to help you bring social and emotional learning into your home in a fun way that will benefit everyone who lives there! Ignite family conversation by bringing provided discussion starters to your next family meal.
Tips for Communicating with Kids
Resilient kids and teens are better able to handle life’s ups and downs. One way to build resilience in kids of all ages is by teaching them how to communicate their feelings and needs. Having regular, open conversations helps everyone understand that it’s normal and OK to have any (and all) feelings and to share them with others. Click here for more information about how to:
- Practice active listening;
- Use "I wonder" statements to talk about feelings;
- Ask open-ended questions;
- Normalize and validate your child's feelings; and
- What to say when you're not sure.
These tips are available from the Strong4Life program through Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Social Media Safety
While families are aware that social media use can leave students' emotions and personal information vulnerable, it may seem daunting to know how to help keep children safe. Click here for tips on communicating your concerns, which apps are popular, how to deal with harassment and cyberbullying, and ways to set rules and limits that will protect your child's health and privacy.
9-8-8 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Many students are experiencing hard feelings, yet don’t know how to open up about them.
Talking to someone about how they’re feeling and reaching out to a friend in need are the best ways to prevent suicide and self harm.The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 9-8-8 connects individuals experiencing mental health-related distress with suicide prevention and crisis resources. In Georgia, 9-8-8 calls are answered by the Georgia Crisis and Access Line 24/7/365.
Flu Shots Are Available Now
When children are sick with the flu, they miss school, their parents miss work, and they can spread it to others. But you can join the fight against flu with the flu vaccine! Now is the time to get a flu shot for yourself and your family members, especially those with asthma and other chronic illnesses.
Health officials encourage families to take precautions to limit the spread of illness, including washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home and keeping sick children home when flu-like and other cold symptoms appear.
Safety is a Priority When the School Bus Stops
GCPS has placed cameras on buses as a deterrent for drivers who illegally pass school buses. When the school bus amber or red lights are flashing, the system automatically detects vehicles passing the stopped school bus, and records the violation. The violator will receive a citation in the mail. The district has approximately 300 buses with cameras this school year.
Click here for more information about school bus safety for students, families, and motorists.
The Student Safety and Wellness section on the GCPS website is a valuable resource for information about health and school safety, as well as links for the Parent Portal and SchoolMessenger. One of the most important things all families can do is make sure their emergency contact information is accurate and up to date every year.
What are we doing well, and what can we improve to help build relationships between students, families, staff, the district, the board, and the GCPS community as we work together to support student success in Gwinnett County Public Schools?
We need your input on building relationships within our schools and district to support student success so we can learn what’s most important to everyone as we move ahead together this school year.
We will be using your thoughts to create a prioritized list of ideas for the leadership team to determine the next steps as we head into the second quarter of this school year. We are using ThoughtExchange, so everyone has a chance to share their perspectives and understand what’s most important to our GCPS Community.
Please share your thoughts and then rate at least 20-30 of the thoughts that others have shared. Your participation is confidential, so no one will know who shared or rated which thoughts. Personal attacks on students or staff will not be published. Please come back often through Monday, October 31, to share and rate new ideas.
Fall Break is October 6-10, Check out these Tip Sheets (All Ages) for Navigating School Breaks
School breaks can be both an exciting and stressful time for families. Here are some tips to help your student build resilience and enjoy school breaks.
Los niños resilientes manejan mejor los altibajos de la vida. Las vacaciones escolares pueden ser emocionantes pero estresantes para las familias. Estas son algunas recomendaciones para ayudar a sus niños de primaria a desarrollar la resiliencia y disfrutar del período de vacaciones.
2022 National Faith & Blue Weekend!
You are invited to the Community Block Party to celebrate National Faith & Blue Weekend! You’re invited to enjoy food, fun, and fellowship on Friday, October 7 | Noon – 3:00 p.m. at Lenora Park 4515 Lenora Church Road, Snellville (Main entrance, pavilion near gymnasium)
The Community Affairs Section and 12Stone Church will partner to host a Community Block Party! We also welcome our friends from Ismaili Muslim Community, Gwinnett Interfaith Alliance, and Temple Beth David for a multi-faith gathering for all ages.
Check out these Highlights from GCPS TV…
- A focus moment on the Superintendent’s Business Leadership Council Learning About CTE
- Check out this artSTAGE Spotlight featuring the Moore Middle School Chorus presenting a tribute to National Hispanic Heritage Month.
- And if you did not attend the last board meeting, enjoy this artSTAGE spotlight of the North Gwinnett MS Chamber Orchestra!
- The 2023 GCPS Student Media Festival is coming...take a look and get ready!
In Case You Missed It....
- Coffee with Calvin…Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts chats with the staff at the International Newcomer Center and learns why they think it's the best kept secret in GCPS. (Sept. 2)
- Board Meeting and Board Work Session (Sept. 15)
- GCPS Links (Sept. 16)
- Connected (Sept. 23)
- Teaching Gwinnett podcast with 2020 TOTY Rebecca Carlisle (Sept. 23)
- News Releases
- Student Calendars
- And much more at www.gcpsk12.org!
Coming soon in GCPS....
- Learn more about career and technical education in the next Coffee with Calvin on Oct. 7.
- Keep Connected with news from GCPS TV… the next episode airs Oct. 14!
- The next regular Board meeting is Oct. 20. (Online, find links to sign up for the public comment sections of the meeting.)
- Stay tuned for our next issue of GCPS Links, coming to you on Oct. 21!