Simonton Parent Newsletter
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Every Student, Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel!
A Message from Ms. Perkins:
Next Wednesday, February 19 and Thursday, February 20, 2020 students will be dismissed from school at 12:15 pm. Parent/Teacher conferences will take place at that time. If your child will need to go home a different way, be sure to complete a Simonton ES transportation form. Please be sure arrangements are made for students to be picked up on time and that someone is at the bus stop to greet students.
Throughout the school year we practice many safety drills. Next week our students and staff will participate in a Hard Lockdown drill. Teachers will review with students safety procedures. Our school resource officers will also be on campus to provide assistance. The purpose of all of our drills is to make sure our students know what to do should an emergency take place. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us here at the school.
Our PTA will be hosting a dance this evening. It will be held in the Simonton gym and begins at 5:30 pm. Can't wait to see you all here for an evening of fun and great food and music.
Parent Teacher Conferences begin next week!
If you have not signed up for a conference yet...
A pop-up box will appear automatically. Conferences will appear alphabetically by grade level. Select your child's teacher, register by putting in your information on the next page (Student's Name, Your name, Email Address), and then press "Submit". You will now receive an email that contains a link "Click here to select conference time". Once pressed, that link will take you to the screen where you can select your desired conference day and time. [Every conference is a column. The times are vertically aligned to make it easy to pick a convenient set of appointment times. Horizontal scroll bar is provided for navigation.] The system will display a final message thanking you for signing up and will include a link to print your schedule.
**You do not have to redo the email/registration process to choose appointments for other children.
NO THURSDAY AFTERNOON CLUBS on Thursday, February 20, 2020 due to Early Release!!
7 ways to get the most out of parent-teacher conferences:
- Talk to your child before the conference. What are his favorite subjects? Least favorite? Why? Anything he’d like you to know beforehand? Emphasize the positive nature of this meeting.
- Be prepared. Write down your questions and information you’d like to share. Any changes at home, such as a new baby or a family member’s illness that might have an impact on your child’s schoolwork? Bring paper and pen so you can take notes.
- Arrive on time and work with the teacher to stay within the set meeting time. If you have more to discuss, arrange a follow-up visit.
- Ask for specifics about your child’s work and progress. What will she be expected to master? How is she doing? What about behavior and social skills? Talk to the teacher about your child’s study habits and what you’ve observed about work done at home.
- Have an open mind. If your child is having problems—whether academic, behavioral, or social—you and your child’s teacher both want the same, positive outcome. Ask questions, but also listen. The conference is an important time to work together for an honest assessment of your child’s progress.
- Determine the best way to stay in touch. Regular notes, e-mails, and calls will help create and maintain the important home-school connection.
- Follow through at home. You and your child’s teacher may come up with some at-home strategies to try. Touch base and let the teacher know how things are going.
Congratulations to the following PBIS classes for the month of January:
Class Dojo Reminder:
Once you receive an invite to join a class (or classes, if you have multiple children here), please accept the invite! We hope to use this platform as a way to reach you quicker with updates, notices, and reminders. When you set up your parent account, please enable push notifications! This will allow you see messages from the school almost instantaneously.
Order your Field Day t-shirt...
Field Day t-shirts can be purchased through MyPaymentsPlus now until February 29, 2020 for $7.00.
**If you do not have a MPP account, you can bring in money with your purchase slip and give it to your teacher.
Field Day Dates:
March 26, 2020 ~ Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
March 27, 2010 ~ 3rd & 4th Grade
Field Day will begin at 9:00 am and run until 2:00 pm. Students will take a break for lunch in the middle.
Please email Mr. Cheney if you are interested in being a parent volunteer for one of these two days: daniel.cheney@gcpsk12.org
Next Week's Lunch Menu:
Tomorrow, Friday, February 14, 2020 is a Student Holiday. We will not have school. Monday, February 17, 2020 is also a day off for students. Enjoy your 4 day weekend!!
Monday, February 17
- President's Day ~No School
Wednesday, February 19
- Early Release ~ Student dismissal at 12:15 p m
Thursday, February 20
- Early Release ~ Student dismissal at 12:15 pm
- **NO AFTERNOON CLUBS
Saturday, February 22
- Saturday Intervention (2nd-5th grades) ~ 9:00-11:00 am
Monday, February 24
- PTA Spring Fundraiser begins
Tuesday, February 25
- SES Tapestry Exhibit
Wednesday, February 26
Thursday, February 27
- PTA General Meeting
- SES Tapestry Exhibit
- Black History Night ~ 5:30-7:00 pm
Friday, February 28
- SES Tapestry Exhibit
- School Tour ~ 10:00 (open to the public)
Saturday, February 29
- Run the Reagan ~ 8:00 am
- Saturday Intervention (2nd-5th grades) ~ 9:00-11:00 am
DId you purchase your 2020 Simonton Yearbook yet?
It's not too late.....Yearbooks can be ordered through MyPaymentsPlus. This year's hardcover edition costs $23.00.
And, please upload photos that you have taken at Simonton to the Balfour Image Share app that we are using this year. Just download the iOS or Android app, enter your yearbook's information, & you're ready to go! Each submitted photo includes contributor information, photo identifications, and a caption.
Please scan the QR code to the side...
Simonton's project code is 028127 and a password is not required (so that part can just be skipped).
Simonton ES Handbook Highlight ~ Transportation Changes
It is very confusing to young children to alternate between day care, parent pick-up and buses. Additionally, accepting changes by telephone does not allow us to provide maximum safety measures for students. For security and safety reasons, transportation changes will NOT be made over the phone, by fax or email. Should you need to change transportation arrangements, a written note with a phone number from the child's parent or guardian indicating the change in his/her transportation home is required on the morning of the change. This note should be brought to the front office by the child to be signed and verified by a school official. If no note is received, the teacher will follow regular transportation procedures for your child.
Web Browser Update:
Internet Explorer is no Longer Compatible with eCLASS.
Please use another internet browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge to access the assignments, homework, and newsletters that are posted on eCLASS.
Simonton ES ~ Emergency Procedures
At all times, the safety of the student is of utmost importance. Fire, tornado and emergency lock down drills are held at intervals throughout the school year. Emergency instructions are posted in each classroom. The children will practice walking quickly and quietly to designated areas. If a child is injured on the playground, we also have procedures that are followed, and 911 is called as needed. Please be sure a current phone number is available so that we can reach you in an emergency. During an emergency, it may be necessary to transport your child by bus to another location. During inclement weather, students will remain at school until the county gives permission for dismissal.
Public Library Branch Out Program-
**See the attached flyer for more details.
Conversational English Classes offered at Simonton:
4 Wednesday sessions offered during the month of March:
March 4, March 11, March 18, & March 25
10:00-11:00 am
Simonton Parent Center
**flyers attached below.
Simonton Elementary School- 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
Assistant Superintendent- Dr. Terry Watlington
Board Member- Mr. Steven B. Knudsen
Principal- Tamara G. Perkins
Assistant Principal- Daphne Miles
Assistant Principal- Nicole Tomlinson
Assistant Principal- Emily Young
Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone: (770) 513-6637