THE NORCROSS ELEMENTARY EAGLE
December Newsletter
Principal's Message
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break. It is hard to believe there are approximately 13 days remaining in the first semester, which began August 4. Our Eagles have made great growth in academics and behavior. As we near the end of the semester, continue to encourage your child to do his/her best until our last day on Friday, December 17.
During long breaks, one of my favorite things to do is to "Neflix and chill". I also do some light reading. During my reading, I saw this resource for read alike books for Netflix series. In this School Library Journal feature, Abby Johnson suggests books that students might read if they’re watching the Netflix series, Ada Twist, Scientist:
- Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall, PreK to grade 2
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, K-2
- Libby Loves Science by Kimberly Derting, grade 1-3
- Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Frazer Blakemore, grade 1-3
Below is the link to the entire article with resources for upper grades.
https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/?detailStory=read-alikes-for-ada-twist-scientist-on-netflix
Resource: “Read-Alikes for Ada Twist, Scientist” by Abby Johnson in School Library Journal, November 2021 (Vol. 67, #11, p. 14)
Also, consider the gift of books, for your children as you think about gifts.
Have a wonderful, safe Holiday Season!.
On behalf of the faculty and staff at Norcross Elementary School, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Kassia Sutton
Proud Principal of Norcross Elementary
PBIS “SOARing” in our Building
Dear Parents,
Our school is participating in an important district initiative. It is called Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS).
PBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. The process focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. PBIS includes school wide procedures and processes intended for all students and all staff in all settings.
We have developed a unified set of school expectations. These expectations are posted throughout the school and practiced every day.
Our expectations are called SOAR: Safety, Organization, Achievement, and Respect. As students SOAR through out the school they are rewarded with Soar Bucks, which they can spend at our school cart for K-1st and the on-line school store for 2nd-5th. Students are rewarded every three weeks with our Academic Challenge for turning in all their assignments, and the End of the Nine Weeks party for SOARing behavior.
Every month the PBIS team will focus on a Tip of the Month and how you can support PBIS at home.
Check out our School Website or https://www.pbis.org/
Important Due Dates and Reminders
Polar Express Night December 2 5:30-6:30pm (first come, first serve basis)
Spelling Bee December 3
Local School Council Meeting December 10
Progress Reports sent home December 10
End of the Year Classroom Parties for students only December 16
POLAR EXPRESS UPDATE
HAPPY GIVING TUESDAY! Art Club's Habitat for Humanity Ornament & Hair Scrunchie Sale has begun!
Robotics Club
12 Days of Holiday Cheer
Local School Council Meeting
Winter Break: December 20, 2021 - January 5, 2022
United Way Fundraiser
Parents Can Update Student Name to Preferred Name
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) recognizes that some students would prefer to use a different name to identify themselves rather than their legal names. We see it every day in our schools as students ask to be called by a nickname, go by their middle name, or use a preferred English/Western name or one that better reflects their identity.
GCPS is taking steps to ensure that students are called by their preferred name at school. With that in mind, the district is transitioning away from using the “Nickname” field in its student information system to using a new “Preferred Name” field. Families of students who wish for their child to be called by a “Preferred Name” other than their legal name will need to go into ParentVUE (in the GCPS Parent Portal) to provide that information. (Please note that if you had provided a Nickname to your child’s school previously, that name has been cleared out of the student information system and you will need to go into Parent VUE to complete the process of adding that name as your child's Preferred Name.)
Need-to-Know Information:
- Only families of students who prefer to go by a name other than their legal name need to make this change in ParentVUE.
- The child’s legal name will continue to appear on legal and official documents such as report cards, transcripts, IEPs, etc.
- On the GCPS website, you can learn more about GCPS' process to incorporate students' Preferred Names and watch a video on how to make this update.
Meals on Digital Learning Days
Meals will be provided.
Free/Reduced Lunch Forms
AKS at Home
AKS at Home is a Gwinnett County Public Schools’ family engagement initiative that empowers parents with tools to support the learning of their children at home. This initiative highlights foundational skills and activities taught in the areas of Math and Language Arts for grades K-5.
YOU ARE INVITED!
We invite all our families of students in K-5 grades to sign up for our AKS at Home virtual sessions.
The dates for Unit 2 are located on the GCPS website for AKS at Home.
GCPS Learning Hub
SCHOOL HOURS
SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING TIMES
The designated school hours for Norcross Elementary School are 8:50 A.M. to 3:20 P.M. For safety reasons, please abide by these hours. Students may begin arriving at 8:20 A.M. Students may NOT be dropped off prior to 8:20 A.M. because supervision is not available. Students arriving after 8:50 A.M. will be marked tardy. If your child is late, students will need to be checked in by a parent or guardian. Please walk them into the building.
HEALTH UPDATES
Previous Newsletters
September: https://www.smore.com/1cghs
October: https://www.smore.com/tf6prj
How to Stay Connected
Principal – Kassia Sutton (kassia.morris.sutton@gcpsk12.org)
Assistant Principal - Gr. K, 1 – Jamie Elsey (jamie.elsey@gcpsk12.org)
Assistant Principal - Gr. 2, 3 – Staci Gelbaum (staci.gelbaum@gcpsk12.org)
Assistant Principal – Gr. 4, 5 – Contacia Cross (contacia.cross@gcpsk12.org)
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/NorcrossES
Location: 150 Hunt Street, Norcross, GA, USA
Phone: 770-448-2188
Facebook: facebook.com/NorcrossElementarySchool-GCPS