Jaguar Bytes
Seckinger High School Newsletter - Back to School Edition
July 31, 2022
Student Access to Bytes
Please forward the Jaguar Bytes to your child's GCPS Google email, as we are not able to email students directly with external communication tools at this time. Students should use this email address for all school (not personal) communications.
Save the Dates
First Day of School Location
The SKG Instructional Framework includes four steps for in-person and digital learning.
- Greeting, Learning Target, Agenda, & Activating Strategy
- Mini-Lesson
- Differentiated Small Group Instruction, Student Collaboration, & Independent Practice
- Summary & Formative Assessment
On August 3, 2022, all 9th grade students and special education small group will be in-person learners and report to the building. On August 3, 2022, all 10th - 12th grade students will be digital learners and will complete Steps 1-2 synchronously (live with their teacher via Zoom) and Steps 3-4 asynchronously (independent from their teacher). Students should report to their teacher’s eCLASS course page at the times listed below and log into Zoom. Attendance will be taken each period.
- 7:10 - 1st Period
- 8:08 - 2nd Period
- 9:04 - 3rd Period
- 10:00 - 4th Period
- 10:56 - 5th period Followed by Lunch
- 12:22 - 6th Period
- 1:18 - 7th Period
Announcements and Reminders
Your GCPS Chromebook - Pick Up Before School Starts on August 3
All GCPS students will use a Chromebook assigned to them for the 2022-23 school year. Students can also check out a hotspot for internet access based on demonstrated need. Families may contact their schools to discuss options. Any GCPS technology resource assigned to a student and taken home, it is the family’s responsibility to monitor the use of the device to ensure the student is following the Student Conduct Behavior Code and to ensure that the device is returned in the condition in which it was received. Personal devices will not be able to access GCPS network, therefore all students will need to check out and use a GCPS Chromebook.
Student 1:1 Support - Students should click this link for video and resources.
Parent 1:1 Support - Parents should click this link for video and resources.
If you were unable to attend the Seckinger HS Open House, we will offer two more opportunities to pick up your GCPS Chromebook before school starts. Please report directly to the library.
- Monday, August 1 from 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Tuesday, August 2 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Parent Sign-Off Required In MyPaymentsPlus - Complete by August 15, 2022
Attention to All Seckinger Families - Required Sign-off Orientation Acknowledgements in MyPaymentsPlus.com.
MyPaymentsPlus.com is open for all students (new and returning)! MyPaymentsPlus - https://mypaymentsplus.com/. If you do not have a MyPaymentsPlus account, click here for directions to create an account.
- Who do I contact for help with MyPaymentsPlus? Contact Customer Support at MyPaymentsPlus.com - 877-237-0945
- Why do I need to sign-off on the Orientation Acknowledgments on MyPaymentsPlus? It is very important for parents to review these GCPS documents with their children. GCPS Student Parent Handbook, Extracurricular Activities, Media Release, Responsible Use of Technology, Academic Knowledge and Skills per Grade Level, and more.
- What can be paid for through MyPaymentsPlus? Add money to lunch accounts, parking permits, orientation contribution/donation (courses, clinic, library, etc.), student/staff recognition, and other program requests.
- Do I need my child's student number to create a MyPaymentsPlus account if I don't have an account? Yes, you will need your child's 9-digit GCPS student number. The student number can be found on your child's report card.
Bell Schedule
We will start the year with our 7 Period Bell Schedule. There will be a bell to release, a 1-minute warning bell, and a tardy bell. Students need to be seated in their classrooms ready to begin the "bell ringer/warm-up" when the tardy bell rings.
Student Preferred Name
GCPS is taking steps to ensure that students are called by their preferred name at school. The first step in acknowledging the preferred names used by many of our students is to facilitate updates to this information in Synergy, the district’s student information system. With that in mind, the district is transitioning away from using the “Nickname” field in Synergy to using a new “Preferred Name” field. For more information click on this link: https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/31791
Free & Reduced Price Meals Program
The Free and Reduced Price Application for SY22-23 is currently available. A new application must be submitted each school year since the previous year's application will not work. The online application is available in English and Spanish. It's a very quick and easy process.
Gwinnett County Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.50; lunch costs $2.25 for elementary and $2.50 at middle and high schools. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. The reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. The GCPS web site contains an application for free or reduced-price meal benefits and a set of detailed instructions: https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/29759
*** Please note that the free meal service given through a federal waiver in Gwinnett County Public Schools expired in June of this year. Students will now return to being charged based on their eligibility.
Nutrislice Menus - What's for Lunch?
Click here for the Seckinger HS lunch menu. https://gwinnett.nutrislice.com/menu/seckinger-high/lunch/2022-07-31
Verify Contact Information
Parents should verify the accuracy of their contact information at the beginning of each school year or they can update this information in the Parent Portal. In addition, if changes to contact information occur during the school year, parents should contact the Front Office to let staff know of those changes, or update via the Portal. This will improve communication throughout the year and ensure that your family will receive messages sent through SchoolMessenger.
Now Hiring SKG Substitute Teachers!
Seckinger High School is looking for substitute teachers for the upcoming school year. Please share this information with your neighbors and our community members. At Seckinger, we treat our guest teachers well! You will be provided a school map, detailed lesson plans, seating charts, and additional support. Information regarding district perks and compensation can be found on the GCPS website here:https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/24537
If you are interested in being placed on our preferred substitute teacher list then please fill out the following form: https://tinyurl.com/SKGSub
Seckinger Traffic Plan
Our school hours are 7:10-2:10. Please help us spread the word to the community. Attached is the traffic pattern for bus and vehicle entry/exit to campus. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we all learn to follow the traffic pattern to ensure safety and efficiency.
Buses will follow the red pattern and enter/exit at the traffic light.
All other vehicles will enter/exit from W Rock Quarry Road (back of campus near baseball/softball fields). Parent drop off/pick up will follow the blue pattern. Students may be dropped off at the lower attendance office entrance at 6:45 AM. We encourage you to practice this traffic pattern soon.
Student drivers will also enter/exit from W Rock Quarry Road (back of campus near baseball/softball fields). Student drivers will be provided a lot assignment. Each student who drives an automobile to school must register the vehicle by purchasing a parking permit. Parking permits cost $70.00 for the year. Parking will go on sale beginning July 23, through MyPaymentsPlus. Parking on campus is a privilege. Therefore, certain rules and regulations are expected of the student to maintain this privilege.
Walkers will use the sidewalks on Sardis Church Road and cross at the light. Walkers will leave campus through the side doors in the tower, cross at the gate at the top of our drive, and proceed to traffic light.
Student Parking
Parking permits can be purchased on MyPaymentsPlus. The cost is $70.00 for the year. Print and complete the Student Parking form and provide a copy of a valid driver's license and proof of insurance to receive a parking decal (located in Room T326). Remember, parking on campus is a privilege. Therefore, certain rules and regulations are expected of the student to maintain this privilege. Please contact Judy Carter (judy.carter@gcpsk12.org) or Mr. White (derico.white@gcpsk12.org) for questions.
Student Password Update
We have important information to share regarding the password your student will use to obtain initial access to the student portal and instructional resources at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
On July 25, 2022, your student’s password will be reset to reflect their birthday. To support this effort, the student portal will be offline for maintenance from July 22 at 5:00 PM to July 25 at 12:00 AM.
To access the student portal, your student will be required to type their numeric birthday in the password field using two digits for their birth month, two digits for their birthday, and four digits for their birth year. For example, if your student’s birth occurred on June 9, 2015, their reset password would be 06092015.
Students in Grades 6-12 will be required to change their password immediately after the first successful login to the student portal. GCPS is strongly recommending that students generate a passphrase as their password. A passphrase is a sentence-like string of words that is longer than a traditional password, easy to remember, and difficult to guess. Students, families, and staff members can learn more about creating a passphrase by visiting our website at https://www.gcpsk12.org/cybersecure.
The privacy and security of the information belonging to our students, families, and employees is a strategic priority, and we appreciate your support in the district’s efforts. Please share this information with your student. Email any concerns you may have about the password reset process to data.privacy@gcpsk12.org.
SKG Sneak Peek
SKG Counselors
Counselor Assignments
Assigned by Last Name
A - E - Dr. Jackson
F – Le - Ms. Young
Li - Q - Ms. Hatcher
R – Z - Mr. Cutler
Social Worker - Ms. Johnson
Counseling/Registrar: Joan Rumbaugh
Student Data Management: Maggie McClung
SKG Athletics
Updates from Coach Poff
- Mascot Auditions will be this coming Monday August 1st at 4:30 in the Main Gym. See flyer below to sign up.
- Please click here to access the head coach's directory and email the coach for more information. You can also view all workouts on the Google student calendar. **Remember you must create a rank one account, upload your current physical, and complete all forms prior to participating. Click here for instructions on setting up rank one.
- GoFan is now live Tickets to all Jaguar athletic events will be available for purchase at this time. See information below and visit the GoFan web site here: https://gofan.co/
- All-Sports Passes for students are now available for purchase on GoFan
Introducing Our Mascot: Java the Jaguar!
Thank you for those of you who submitted a name for our mascot and those of you who voted on our top three names at Open House. We are proud to introduce our mascot: Java the Jaguar! Java is a widely used object-oriented programming language and software platform that runs on billions of devices, including notebook computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles, medical devices, and many others. Students will learn to code with Java at Seckinger High School! Learn more about coding at https://code.org/student/middle-high
Seckinger Sings at the Atlanta Braves Game
The Seckinger High School Chorus and Jones MS 8th graders will be singing the National Anthem at the Atlanta Braves game on September 18th! Get your tickets here: https://seckingerhschorus.ludus.com/splash.php
Jag Jog 5K on August 6th
Sign Ups for our inaugural fundraiser are LIVE for our Jag Jog 5K. The Jag Jog 5K will take place on August 6th where you can check out the new campus and run on our new track. Sign up Link, sponsorship link, and general donation link here: http://jagjog5k.com
Communication
Connect with Us
To support your child’s individual needs and interests, we are offering multiple ways to connect with your family to address questions.
- Phones Lines Now Open – Our main line is 678-288-0800.
- Email – You may email Administration with your child’s name, questions, and a preferred method of contact, email or phone. Administration Directory
- Social Media - Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. See details below.
Please forward the Jaguar Bytes to your child, as we are not able to email students directly with external communication tools.