
Bear Essentials
Weekly eNews, March 10, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
It has been another great week at Berkeley Lake Elementary! I spent most of my week meeting with individual staff members and hearing about our positive school culture. Some of the words I repeatedly heard were "community", "family", and "history". Through these conversations, I can see the care and love our staff members have for our students, their families, and one another. I feel so lucky to be here!
We have another busy week ahead of us! I would like to invite you to attend our "Coffee and Conversation" time on Thursday morning at 7:30 AM. This will be a great time to get to know one another, ask and answer questions, and gather feedback. Child care will be available until the bell rings. Please RSVP below to let us know you are coming. I hope you all can make it! Another fun event happening this week is our BINGO night on Thursday. I heard this is a very popular event and a lot of fun! To help with spacing, we will have two sessions. Please see below for more information. Finally, Friday will be our last Digital Learning Day of the year. Students will independently work on assignments from home while our teachers engage in professional learning and planning. If you need assistance on this day, please reach out to your child's teacher for help.
As always, I appreciate your continued support. My door is always open for feedback. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Ashley Coughlin
Boosterthon Time is Here!
It's time to register your child for our Boosterthon!
We are excited to kick off this year's Boosterthon for our school. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to help pay for school improvements, like an electronic sign out front, a book vending machine for students and other improvements, all while strengthening our school community. The culminating Fun Run event for students will take place on Friday, March 31st.
Our school has always relied on fundraising to provide exceptional opportunities to enhance student learning and we need your help registering your student(s) and sharing with friends and family.
Key dates to remember:
- Registration is now open using this link.
- Boosterthon Kick Off for Pep Rally for students - March 23rd
- Fun Run Event Day - March 31st
We are grateful for our Berkeley Lake Elementary School family! Thank you for your support this year.
Business Sponsors of Boosterthon
- Atlanta Urgent Care - 5246 Peachtree Pkwy
- Brooks Injury Law (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Peachtree ESQ (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Fives Group (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Friend of BLES (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Georgia After School Program (GASP) (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- JR's Log House (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Ms. Sweet - 3rd Grade (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- CAMP RISE GEORGIA (Boosterthon Business Partner)
Do You Have a Facebook and/or Instagram Account?
We post a lot of reminders, information, and miscellaneous photos to our school's two social media sites, Facebook and Instagram. Following us on these apps will help you stay informed about school events, so we encourage you to click the links shown in this section and follow us on these two platforms.
Next Week's Calendar
All month long - Fine Arts Month in Our Schools
Sunday, March 12
- Daylight Saving Time starts
Monday, March 13
- 3:00pm Chess Club
- 3:15pm Green Team meets
Tuesday, March 14
- 7:00am IT Girls
- 10:30am Student Council meeting
- 9:30am Play to Learn
Wednesday, March 15
- 9:00am Basic English Class in the Parent Center
Thursday, March 16
- 7:30am Coffee & Conversation with Ashley Coughlin
- 9:30am In-person GCPS Parent Mentor session, "Understanding Your Child as a Learner"
- 5:00pm Bingo Night
- 6:00pm GCPS Zoom Parent Mentor session, "Understanding Your Child as a Learner"
Friday, March 17
- Digital Learning Day #4
- St. Patrick's Day
- 7:45am K-Kids Meeting via Zoom
Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19
- GCPS Robotics Team Competition at Discover High School. Click here for flyer
- 2023 GCPS Transition Fair for families and educators of students with disabilities. Click here for flyer.
Details of Next Week's Unique Events:
Saturday night into Sunday
Tuesday, March 14
Wednesday, March 15
Thursday, March 16 - 3 events
1. Coffee and Conversation with New Principal, Ashley Coughlin
In the Media Center on Thursday, March 16th at 7:30 AM
Come meet and hear from our new principal, Ashley Coughlin, while you sip on a warm cup of coffee. Ashley will briefly tell you more about herself and then she will open to the floor up to hear your thoughts.
2. BINGO Night
It will be done in 2 sessions based on last name:
- Session 1- 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. if your last name begins with A-L
- Session 2-6:30-7:30 p.m. if your last name begins with M-Z.
Food will be sold at this event.
Bingo is made possible with great prizes that are donated by businesses in our community! Thank you to the following sponsors:
- Original Pancake House
- Cue’ BBQ
- Crave Pie
- Bagel 101 Cafe
- Fabrik @ The Forum
- Dollywood (?)
- Vom Pass
- Spool School
- Uncle Jack’s Meat House
- First Watch
- Jason’s Deli
- Atlanta Eats
- Marlow’s Tavern
- Playa Bowl
- Buff City Soap
- Cinnaholic
- Knuckies
- Gas South District
- Silver Linings
- 7 Leaves Cafe
- First Nail Salon
- Santa Lucia Brazilian Steakhouse***
- Compu-Sports Inc.
- Discovery Point- Duluth
- Tiff’s Treats
- Crave Pie
- Rice n’Pie
- Bruster’s
3. If Your Child is Receiving Special Ed Services from GCPS You Won't Want to Miss This Parent Mentor Session
This presentation will provide an overview of understanding psychoeducational evaluation reports. It will include a review of areas commonly assessed in school evaluations such as intellectual functioning, psychological processing, adaptive behavior, and social/emotional development. The presentation will focus on how to identify student strengths and weaknesses so that you understand their needs within the classroom setting, as well as how to support them at home.
Sessions will be presented by Kathryn Hanson, Coordinator of Psychological Services with the GCPS Special Education Department.
2 Sessions will be available:
or
Friday, March 17 - 2 events
Last Digital Learning Day (DLD) of this School Year
Students will bring home Chromebooks on Thursday, March 16 and access assignments on eCLASS during the day on Friday.
K-Kids Will Meet Through Zoom
Mrs. Ashadele will post the Zoom link to the K-Kids Google Classroom page, since this meeting will be virtual.
Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19
Cheer on GCPS FIRST Robotics Teams at Discovery High
Gwinnett County Public Schools is hosting its inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) on March 18-19 at Discovery High School. Students will showcase incredible STEM skills by designing, building, programming, and strategizing their larger-than-life robotic solutions from the ground up. Cluster schools and the general community are invited to attend and cheer on our teams: Dacula HS, Duluth HS, Grayson HS, Lanier HS, Mill Creek HS, North Gwinnett HS, and Peachtree Ridge HS. Admission is free and anyone can attend! Check out the Gwinnett Tournament Flyer below for more info!
Other School News
PTO Update:
- You can still order a yearbook. Don't miss your opportunity to order your copy of this year's memories. You can still order a yearbook for $35.00 until the sale ends April 19, 2023. Click here to place an order.
- We look forward to seeing everyone at BINGO Night on Thursday. You can find more information about the event above or on the BLES website.
- Author Carmen Deedy is coming to our school on March 16 for a reading and author visit with the 2nd graders. Parents may bring in their own copy of her books for her to sign and there will also be a few books available for purchase. Thanks to your support of our PTO fundraisers, we are able to sponsor this event. Each grade level will receive a cultural arts event this year funded by the PTO.
Thank You Gwinnett Fire Station #19
Last Friday, our PreK students had a special visit with the firemen from Fire Station #19. Check out the pictures from the visit below. We appreciate the firemen taking the time out of their day to show our PreK'ers their fire truck, fire gear, and teach them about fire safety.
Ongoing - Green Team is Still Collecting Plastic Bottle Caps
Swim Team Invitation
Looking for a fun summer activity for your kids? Come join the Berkeley Hills Barracudas Swim team. Registration is now open. Get a spot before they fill up. Contact Danielle Rankin at (404) 452-2134 or derankin73@gmail.com for more information or use the link here to visit the website.
Save these Future Dates:
March 23 (Thursday) Title I Parent Workshop
Berkeley Lake Parents,
Please join us for a Title I English Learners workshop on Thursday, March 23rd (ZOOM) or Wednesday, March 29th (in-person). This workshop will help you better understand the English Learners (EL) program, ACCESS testing, as well as the level of support your child receives at school.
- Thursday, March 23 at 5:00pm - 6:00pm through this ZOOM link
OR
- Wednesday, March 29th at 10:00am - 11:00am in-person (Berkeley Lake ES Parent Center)
4-H Family Science Night:
The UGA Extension office in Gwinnett is having a 4-H Family Science Night on March 23, 2023 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Rhodes Jordan Park Community Recreation Center in Lawrenceville for ages 5-12. Registration and payment per child is required for this event, adults are free.
Thank you for supporting 4-H and UGA Extension! Click here to see the flyer for this event.
March 28th (Tuesday), If Your Child Will be a 6th Grader Next Year
March 29th (Wednesday) Title I Parent Workshop (in person)
Berkeley Lake Parents,
Please join us for an in-person Title I English Leaners workshop on Wednesday, March 29th. This workshop will be a repeat of the Title I workshop held through Zoom on March 23rd. The purpose of this meeting is to help you better understand the English Learners (EL) program, ACCESS testing, as well as the level of support your child receives at school.
April 12th (Wednesday) if You Will You Have a Child in Kindergarten Next Year
Kindergarten registration for next school year will take place on April 12th. Click here or on the image below to see a PDF of documentation that needs to be brought to registration.
April 17th (Monday) Informational Meeting for Parents of Children Who Will Be in Kindergarten at BLES Next Year
April 24th - May 12th, GMAS for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students
The end of year Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) will take place the following dates and attendance on these dates will be important. Please do not schedule appointments or schedule out-of-town trips during this period if at all possible.
Click here for general information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment.
Through May 31: Survey Parents of Students Receiving Special Education Services
If your child is receiving special education services from GCPS, then the state is asking you to participate in a parent survey to measure parent/family perceptions of the success of parents engagement between home and local schools. The survey is now available and will run through May 31st. Click here to access the survey.
Summer Camp Information
May 30 - June 2, Maxwell High School of Technology Camp for Rising 6th - 9th Graders
June 5 - 8, Camp Invention at BLES
We are looking for High School Leaders, Middle School leaders and Campers. Please check out this link for more information. Email Trina.Ashadele@gcpsk12.org if you have questions.
June 5 - July 21, CAMP RISE Georgia
Camp Rise was founded by a Speech Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist for children with special needs. It is a summer camp geared towards individuals with various diagnoses ages 4-13.
We provide a friendly, supportive, and cooperative atmosphere. Our approach fosters individual growth in functional communication and motor skills at each camper’s own pace. Click here or on the image below to learn more.
Repeat Reminders
- Withdrawing or Enrolling a Student? Click here to learn the steps for the process.
- Would you like to purchase a small gift item for our PBIS (Positive Behavior and Intervention Store)? Click here to see our Wish List.
- If your family does not have internet at home and you will need it for the various Digital Learning Days, click here to request a hotspot now. You only need to request one per family and you may keep it for the entire school year. You will need to return it at the end of the year in May.
- Reminder about sending in birthday treats for students Per the Student Handbook: Parents may provide snacks only, no drinks, favors, balloons, or flowers for the child’s birthday. Whole cakes that need to be sliced by staff are not permitted. All students should be included. Nutritious snacks are encouraged. Birthday treats should be handed out and eaten in the cafeteria during the last ten minutes of the lunch period. Please make sure that students mainstreamed in your classroom are included in the count for treats. Buying ice cream at school for each class member is encouraged. Students may not pass out invitations to parties at school unless all members of the class are invited.
- If your family needs additional support, our counselors and Care team can help with basic needs like food, clothes, personal hygiene items, etc. If you would like to access these resources please contact Lyndsay Murphy (K,2,4) Lyndsay.murphy@gcpsk12.org 770-582-7523, Laura Marantz (1,3,5) Laura.marantz@gcpsk12.org 770-582-7522, or Sandra Orci (Spanish) Sandra.orci@gcpsk12.org 678-291-4232
- Afternoon Transportation Changes Parents, please remember that afternoon transportation changes must be made by 1:30 and there are only two ways for you to make an change for your child: Use the PikMyKid app or send in a signed note. Dojos, emails, or phone calls to change afternoon transportation will not be accepted. Thank you for helping us enforce this rule and keep our kids safe!
- No Student checkouts after 2:15 PM
- If your child misses school Information needed on the excuse note includes: today’s date, the child’s full name, child’s teacher, child’s grade level, date(s) of absence, reason for absence, and parent signature (typed full name if sending via email or Class Dojo).
- MyPaymentsPlus Gwinnett Public Schools uses MyPaymentsPlus as a site for school-related payments and documentation sign off. If you do not yet have an account with this site, you will need to set one up. Click here to learn more.
- We recycle: Berkeley Lake recycles aluminum cans and old clothes and shoes (in any condition) in the two bins in the upper parking lot. The Green Team receives 10¢ per pound of donations, which helps pay the fee for the weekly paper and cardboard pick-up. The aluminum cans are recycled at Progressive Recycling on Simpson Circle. Please support our Green Team by recycling these items here at Berkeley Lake. Thank you!
- We Collect Box Tops Online. Here are instructions for how to continue to give to our school using the new Box Tops process.
- Do You Have a Parent Portal Account? You may have heard about Gwinnett's Parent Portal. The Parent Portal is a website that will allow you to log in and see your child's information, such as attendance, grades, standardized test scores, etc. If you need to register with the portal, please print and complete this registration form and turn it in to the main office. Along with the completed form, you are required to show a photo I.D. for verification.
- Georgia After School Program (GASP) Click here to get more information about the Georgia After School Program.
- Our Parent Center The Berkeley Lake Parent Center is located across from the front office and it's providing services by appointment. For Parent Center support please call Ms. Sandra Orci, Parent Liaison, at 678-291-4232 or email her at Sandra.Orci@gcpsk12.org
- We Thank our Business Partners - if you would like to learn more about a business partnership with our school, click here.
- The Tutoring Center, Duluth, Ga.
- Mathnasium
- Ultra Baby LLC (Ultrasound and Photography)
- Atlanta Urgent Care - 5246 Peachtree Pkwy
- Brooks Injury Law (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Peachtree ESQ (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Fives Group (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Friend of BLES (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Georgia After School Program (GASP) (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- JR's Log House (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- Ms. Sweet - 3rd Grade (Boosterthon Business Partner)
- CAMP RISE GEORGIA (Boosterthon Business Partner)
Contact Us:
Berkeley Lake Elementary
4300 S. Berkeley Lake Rd.
Duluth, Georgia 30096
P: (770)446-0947
F: (770)582-7514