Simonton Parent Newsletter
Friday, August 23, 2019
Every Student Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel
A Message from Ms. Perkins
We have another successful Curriculum Night yesterday evening. We had a great turn-out and are excited for this school year! Our ultimate goal is to partner with our families to ensure student success.
Our student enrollment here at Simonton ES has been lower than expected. We have unfortunately had to close one Kindergarten class, one 2nd grade class and one 5th grade class. We appreciate the support of our families in this process and the flexibility of our teachers. As always, students are our priority and we appreciate everyone who has assisted in making the transition smooth for the students moving into new classrooms.
Friday, September 6, 2019 we invite all grandparents to come have lunch with us. If you have not had an opportunity to do so, please send in a special photo to be included in our slide show. Our Grandparent's Day lunch is such a success that seats fill up quickly. Please return the R.S.V.P to help us to plan for seating.
Mark your calendars for the annual Principal "Welcome Back" dinner. It will be held on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. There are two sessions to choose from. This event is free to our Simonton ES families and dinner will be served. Send back your R.S.V.P. and come hear about the exciting new school year at our school.
All Gwinnett County Public Schools will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2019. We will be honoring Labor Day. We look forward to welcoming all of our smiling faces on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.
Have a great weekend!
Calling all Parent Volunteers...
Our school is in need of volunteers to assist in the Simonton Parent Center and for special events. If you'd like to volunteer, please sign up using the link below and let us know when you can assist.
When you submit your online form, please make sure you receive a confirmation number.
Questions you may have:
Can I eat lunch with my child?
Yes, please make sure that you know when your child's class is scheduled to eat lunch. For this information, please check his/her eClass page. The parent table is located to the left of the main cafeteria doors. Please remember that no Fast Food is allowed.
What does my child get for breakfast and lunch? How much are they?
A reimbursable lunch includes an entree, two side dishes and milk. Elementary students must have all four items. Elementary students are also allowed to purchase ala carte items after buying the full meal.
Breakfast is self-serve for all students. They must take a minimum of two items to meet the reimbursable meal requirement. Ala cart sales policies are the same for breakfast and lunch.
Cafeteria Price Summary: Student Lunch - $2.25, Reduced Lunch - $.40
Student Breakfast - $1.50, Reduced Breakfast - $.30
Adult Breakfast - $1.75, Adult Lunch - $3.00
Extra Milk - $ .40
Can my child purchase ice cream at lunch?
Yes, ice cream is sold each day for $1.00. Students can buy ice cream just before entering the cafeteria.
Can I change my child's mode of transportation?
Any changes in transportation MUST be sent in as a handwritten note by the parent or guardian. Remind your child to give the note to his/her teacher in the morning so that it can be sent up to the front office as soon as possible.
Changes in transportation of any kind will NOT be accepted via email, FAX or phone. Please do not email the teacher any time-sensitive information.
If my child is a car rider, when should I drop him/her off? When do I pick him/her up?
At 7:45 students should be dropped off in the car-rider line on the right-hand side of the school, not in the front office. This is for their safety. There is no one on duty to supervise students prior to this time. Students arriving after 8:15 should be escorted to the office by a parent for check-in. School dismissal is at 2:45. Car riders must be picked up before 3:00. After this time, car riders will be taken to the front office for parent contact.
When will my child be considered tardy?
Learning hours are from 8:15 to 2:45 daily. Children arriving after 8:15 are considered tardy and must be accompanied by an adult into the office to check in. Frequent tardiness and early checkouts negatively impact students’ academic performance. Please try to schedule any appointments after school hours.
What should I do if my child was absent?
State law requires that students attend school 180 days per year. Since most subjects are taught in sequence, regular attendance is essential to a student’s success in school. Students are excused for the following absences: 1) personal illness 2) a death or serious illness in the immediate family; 3) religious holidays; 4) court orders and 5) Conditions which render school attendance impossible or hazardous to health and safety. For each absentee, a written excuse explaining the absence must be brought to school on the first day following the absence. By law, parents will be notified if their child misses more than 5 days of school.
What do I do if I want to check my child out early?
For security reasons, anyone checking out a student must show a picture ID (i.e. Driver’s License) prior to having a child released. CHILDREN ARE RELEASED ONLY TO PERSONS DESIGNATED BY PARENTS ON THE INFORMATION/EMERGENCY CARD. This is a safeguard for all children. Early checkouts should be reserved for special circumstances and not used on a regular basis.
- There will be no student check outs after 2:00 p.m. in order to provide a safe and timely dismissal for all students.
- Telephone, fax or email requests for check-outs will not be honored.
Can visitors come to school?
We welcome visitors to Simonton and hope that you will join us for lunch, special programs or class visits. For student safety, there are guidelines that all visitors must follow. All visitors who enter must report to the main office to sign in and show a photo ID. You must wear a visitor sticker at all times while on school property. During these visits, the regular school program must continue. As a courtesy to the teacher, we request a prior appointment be made for visitation and/or conferences 24 hours in advance. If you need to meet with a teacher, please schedule a time by contacting the teacher directly. Please limit your scheduled classroom visit to 30 minutes. Students are required to receive 270 minutes of uninterrupted instructional time in grades K - 3, and 300 minutes of uninterrupted instructional time in grades 4 – 12.
Can we celebrate my child's birthday at school?
Celebration of birthdays will be observed by allowing parents to provide snacks for the class during the regular lunch time. No class birthday parties please. No birthday favors (balloons, goody bags, hats, etc.) will be allowed. Please notify your child's teacher in writing (48 hours in advance) if you plan to bring birthday snacks. No invitations for parties may be passed out while at school.
Grandparents Day
It is important for those who would like to attend to be aware of the time your grandchild has his/her lunch. Please take a look at the schedule below to verify the time frame for your visit.
This event is sponsored by our amazing counselors! They will be present that day to offer any assistance and help with the lunch lines and seating placements. All classes are assigned a specific table, so if an overflow occurs, grandparents and their grandchild will be escorted to a nearby room that is set up for this event! Tables will enter and exit as assigned, so please be aware that we will keep a tight schedule to ensure that children do not miss out on instruction. We are looking forward to seeing all those that can attend!
After School Clubs
We are excited to offer several new clubs at Simonton this year. Thursdays will be our designated CLUBS DAY, with the exception of Girls on the Run, which will be meeting Mondays and Wednesdays.
Here is a list of CLUBS and their START DATES:
Young Rembrandts Arts Club ~ Starting Thursday, August 22 (3:00-4:00 pm)
Chess Adventures Club ~ Starting Thursday, September 5 (3:00-4:00 pm) [DATE CORRECTION]
Good News Club ~ Starting Thursday, November 7 (3:00-4:30 pm)
2nd-5th Grades ONLY
Girls on the Run ~ Starting Wednesday, September 4 (3:00-4:30 pm) [DATE CORRECTION}
Wear a Hat for $1.00
Online Safety and Privacy... It's Not a Joking Matter
This month, Gwinnett County Public Schools' "Think Before You Post" campaign is focusing on online safety and privacy. Let's face it... It's a crazy world out there-- literally and virtually! From the time, children are born, parents teach them how to be safe. "Don't talk to strangers." "Look both ways before crossing the street." However, sometimes, we don't share those same types of safety lessons when it comes to online activities. It is critical for kids to understand the importance of being safe and smart online and how their activities online can have an impact on their lives. So check out the resources on the GCPS website that highlight how to help kids navigate the online world, while minimizing the risks.
http://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/parents/thinkbeforeyoupost
Weekly Family Engagement Tips:
**The titles of the following tips are links that you can click on for more information.
1. Sneak Some Writing into Your Child's Daily Life Being able to communicate well in writing will help your child succeed in school and in a career. So look for fun ways to help her practice. She may enjoy sending emails or texts to friends and family. You might also write her a letter about a book you've read together and ask her to write back. Challenge your child to rewrite the ending of a movie, and encourage her to express her thoughts and feelings in a journal. 2. Give Reading an Artistic Dimension Combining reading and creative activities develops your child's imagination and keeps the reading interesting. Give him some crayons and encourage him to draw pictures of characters or scenes from a favorite story. You can also ask your child to make up songs about stories and books. Ask, "What might the three little pigs sing when the wolf is coming? How would the music sound?" 3. New Challenges Can Bring Challenging Behavior It would be nice if all children outgrew difficult behaviors early in life. But sometimes, they persist into the school years. And the responsibilities, schedules and rules of a new class can make self-control a challenge for some kids. Don't give in to tantrums, but be understanding. If your child is having trouble sharing, for example, put favorite toys away before friends visit. Get out other fun items for her to share. 4. Have Your Child Do the Math for a Sweet Summer Treat Make "ice cream-in-a-bag" on a hot summer day with your child, and he'll get some measuring practice along with a treat. Have your child measure one half-cup of milk, one tablespoon of sugar and one quarter teaspoon of vanilla and seal them into a zip-top sandwich bag. Put the bag into a gallon-size zip-top bag, along with crushed ice and eight tablespoons of rock salt. Seal and shake until you get ice cream! 5. Reinforce Responsibility & Follow it with Fun Kids who learn responsibility at home are more responsible at school. To boost your child's sense of responsibility, avoid doing things for her that she can do for herself (that goes for homework, too!). Assign your child some household chores, including picking up after herself. List them on a chart so she can check them off as she does them. Also list some fun activities that she can do after the work is done. 6. Think about Discipline Before Your Child Misbehaves No child behaves perfectly all the time. But good behavior in school makes it easier for everyone to learn. Decide in advance how you will handle your child's misbehavior. Explain rules and consequences up front. Sometimes, it's possible to distract your child before he misbehaves. And when you want to change your child's behavior, reward him with extra attention when he does what you want. 7. Fill Your Home with Words for Your Child to Read Reading with your child doesn't always have to involve books. You can help your beginning reader learn in lots of ways. For example, label furniture and household items with sticky notes (chair, table, toaster, etc.). Go around the house and read the labels with your child. Then collect the labels and ask her to replace each one on the matching item.
Student Handbook Highlight ~ Attendance
Learning hours are from 8:15 to 2:45 daily. Children arriving after 8:15 are considered tardy. Frequent tardiness and early checkouts negatively impact students’ academic performance. Please try to schedule any appointments after school hours. State law requires that students attend school 180 days per year. Since most subjects are taught in sequence, regular attendance is essential to a student’s success in school. Students are excused for the following absences:
1) personal illness
2) a death or serious illness in the immediate family;
3) religious holidays;
4) court orders and
5) Conditions which render school attendance impossible or hazardous to health and safety.
For each absentee, a written excuse explaining the absence must be brought to school on the first day following the absence. By law, parents will be notified if their child misses more than 5 days of school. The state of Georgia considers 10 absences or tardies to be excessive. Parents of children with excessive absences or tardies can be reported to local and state agencies, which will result in meeting with the Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC).
Handbook Hightlight ~ Check In/Out Procedures
Students are checked in and out through the school office ONLY. Students arriving after 8:15 are considered tardy and must be accompanied by an adult into the office to check in. Children will not be released from school at any unscheduled time without written explanation from parents and a signed “release register” on file in the office. For security reasons, anyone checking out a student must show a picture ID (i.e. Driver’s License) prior to having a child released. CHILDREN ARE RELEASED ONLY TO PERSONS DESIGNATED BY PARENTS ON THE INFORMATION/EMERGENCY CARD. This is a safeguard for all children. Early checkouts should be reserved for special circumstances and not used on a regular basis.
There will be no student check outs after 2:00 p.m. in order to provide a safe and timely dismissal for all students.
Telephone, fax or email requests for check-outs will not be honored.
Mark Your Calendars:
August 28- PTA Board Meeting ~12:30 pm in the PTA room
September 2- No School/Labor Day
September 6- Grandparents Day Lunch ~ See flyer in the Friday folder
September 7- Intervention Saturday (3rd-5th) ~ 9:00-11:00 am
Simonton Elementary- What we stand for
Vision
Simonton is committed to dynamic high quality instruction resulting in a passion for learning, leading and excelling.
Core Belief
Every Student Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, and Excel
Commitments
We commit to giving our students a fresh start every day.
We commit to preparing quality and engaging lessons that will prepare our students to be successful in school.
We commit to teaching, modeling and holding our students accountable for appropriate school behavior.
We commit to providing our students with a structured and safe learning environment.
We commit to a great year of learning, leading, and excelling.
Simonton Elementary School
Daphne Miles- Assistant Principal
Nicole Tomlinson- Assistant Principal
Emily Young- Assistant Principal
Superintendent: Mr. Alvin Wilbanks
Assistant Superintendent: Dr. Terry Watlington
School Board Member: Mr. Steven B. Knudsen
Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone: (770) 513-6637