Benefield Family Newsletter
February 21, 2023
Greetings Benefield Parents/Guardians:
Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff at Benefield. It continues to be an honor and privilege to serve as the principal of such an exemplary and student-centered learning community. I hope you will join us this week for our ESOL Family Night & Hidden Figure Math Experience. Both events will take place on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, starting at 5:15 p.m.
Teachers will offer in-person and virtual conferences the Week of February 27-March 3. All parents are encouraged to hold a conference with their child’s teacher to ensure their child(ren) is making progress toward end of grade level expectations. Teachers have already provided a link to sign up for conferences. If you have not signed up yet, please do so as soon as possible. Students will be dismissed at 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1 & Thursday, March 2.
The 2022-23 Elementary Promotion Requirements can be found by clicking on the link below:
https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/33149. Please review the promotion criteria for your child's specific grade level. If a student is at risk of retention, the Benefield Family Center can help. Our Family Center is available to offer grade-level specific resources to support the grade-level standards. If you would like to schedule a session, please contact the Benefield Family Center at 678-518-6981.
Please keep reading for more important information.
Honored to serve as your principal,
Mrs. Shonda Gipson Stevens
Principal
Counselors' Corner
The counselors will continue to teach the Personal Safety lessons this month. A letter was sent home with each and every student that included information about the Think First & Stay Safe program. After the lesson is taught, another letter will be sent home providing you with the primary concepts and content of the lesson taught. With our next unit we will be focusing on college and career readiness.
Our Titan Trait for the month of February is Fairness. Fairness is defined as the lack of favoritism toward one side or another. Walter Winchell once said, “Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you”. See below for a few books to read with your student(s) to support and encourage their reading and character growth.
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Amazing Grace –Mary Hoffman
Me First by Helen Lester
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Alexander Who Use to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
The Little Red Hen by Various Authors
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
The Lorax by Dr. Suess
The Whispering Cloth: A Refugee’s Story by Pegi Dietz Shea
Many Moons by James Thurber
Yoko by Rosemary Wells
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
The Other Side by Jaqueline Woodson
The Name Jar by Choi Yangsook
Please continue to support your student(s) with regular school attendance. Ensuring your child is on time each and every day sets the foundation for the future. We are continuing to reward classes for being READY with perfect attendance and our next raffle will be held Thursday, February 2nd. Be sure to ask your student(s) if their class is one of the winners!
The Family Center
We encourage you to sign-up for our Spring Parent Teacher Conferences. Your child's teacher will send out information regarding conference times and interpreter requests information. We would like to thank everyone who attended the GMAS Parent Meeting. Every student who attended the MOCK Test Night will be invite to attend a special event during Titan Time.
The Family Center will be open during Early Release between the hours of 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm for all of your needs.
Please feel free to contact the Family Center, should you need any help and assistance with language arts or math resources.
If you need help with mypaymentsplus.com, please feel free to contact ana.c.morales@gcpsk12.org. Click here for a short video on how to acknowledge your Title I documents and forms.
Ms. Xandria McBride, 770-822-6549
Ms. Ana Morales, 678-518-6981
Nutrition Classes
The University of Georgia is offering EFNEP via zoom with Ms. Villareal. In this series, you will learn ways to make healthier meals and snacks for you and your family! Zoom classes will be from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays on February 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, and March 2, 7.
Graduation date will be determined by Ms. Villareal and participants. Graduation day will be in person at Benefield Elementary School.
For questions please call Ana C. Morales at the Family Center, 678-518-6981.
English Classes Will be Offered In The Family Center
For questions please call Ana C. Morales at the Family Center, 678-518-6981.
Family Engagement Tips
K-2
Use a schedule to make responsibility routine
To help your child finish schoolwork and chores without needing frequent reminders, create a responsibility routine. Write down a schedule with specific times for schoolwork and studying, reading, chores and free time. If you stick to the routine, your child will know it's necessary to finish that math worksheet, set the table and lay out clothes for tomorrow before playing. Have your child check off each task after completing it.
3-5
Choose age-appropriate news sources
Watching TV news can upset elementary schoolers, and the older they get the more vulnerable they are. Fifth graders are old enough to understand what they see, but too young to put it into perspective. To help explain, look for news sources produced for children, such as Scholastic News. News videos for kids are available online on sites such as NBC News Learn. Watch together, so you can answer questions and explain what your child is seeing.
Building Babies Brains
What is Strengthening Families Georgia?
Strengthening Families Georgia provides information on protective factors to minimize stress. Find information on developing your child’s social-emotional abilities as well as your own self-care.
Media Center Minutes
Did you know that your child has access to read alouds at any time through the GCPS Student Portal? Have your student log in to the Portal (also referred to as eClass), click on the Online Research Library, and scroll down to choose BookFlix or Tumble Books.
Also, all students automatically have a membership to the Gwinnett County Public Library through the Branch Out partnership. The student’s user name is the same as their student number they use at school, and their password is the birthdate with two digits for the month and two digits for the year.
Check out these suggestions from the National Education Association on how parents and caregivers can help raise readers. For additional information, visit the National Education Association website.
(graphic attached)
Keep reading and filling out your reading log! Our goal is 500 minutes per month. Wear your hat each Friday to celebrate your reading accomplishments!
Physical Education/Health
Our American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge event will begin soon!
You can help our class win the classroom challenge! Our goal is to have 100% of our students register online and complete Finn’s Mission. The top class in each grade level will earn a glow party for their class!
Here’s how you can help:
- Click Here to Register.
- Complete Finn’s Mission: Watch a 2-minute video to know Hands-Only CPR, spot the signs of a stroke and more!
- Share with friends and family through social media, text and/or email.
- Any student who raises $150 by the end of the event will earn an exclusive Frankie Collector's Keychain!
We need your help to accomplish our goal of having 100% of our families to know Hands-Only CPR, and you can help us by registering your child and spreading the word.
Also, check out this awesome video:
Titans in Action
Cluster Computer Science Night
Cluster Computer Science Night
Cluster Computer Science Night
Cluster Computer Science Night
Cluster Computer Science Night
Cluster Computer Science Night
Benefield Elementary School
Kelli O'Loughlin, Assistant Principal
Michelle Vendryes, Assistant Principal
Tammie Jones, Assistant Principal
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/benefieldes