Simonton Parent Newsletter
Friday, December 3, 2021
Every Student, Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel!
Message from Ms. Perkins
On Monday, December 6, 2021 our students may wear their favorite holiday hat and holiday socks to school. We are asking all students and staff members who participate to donate $1.00. This will help to support our 5th grade students as they plan their end of year activities.
We have had many calls and emails about the arrival of the PTA fundraiser items. At this time they have not arrived. As soon as they come we will sent out a notification and contact families. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
I hope you will be able to join us for our next Simonton ES Local School Council meeting. It will begin at 8:00 am. More information can be found in our newsletter.
Upcoming Events:
Saturday, December 4
- STEM Camp (K-2) ~ 9:00-11:00 am
Monday, December 6
- Holiday Hat Day ~ Bring $1.00 to support 5th grade
- PTA Holiday Shop opens
Tuesday, December 7
- Mid-year District Assessments begin (4th & 5th SS)
- PTA Holiday Shop
Wednesday, December 8
- Mid-year District Assessments (3rd SS & 2nd Math)
- Digital Students District Assessments
- PTA Holiday Shop
Thursday, December 9
- Local School Council Meeting ~ 8:00-9:00 am
- Mid-year District Assessments (4th & 5th Science)
- Digital Students District Assessments
- PTA Holiday Shop
- PTA Spirit Night at Sparkles ~ 5:00-9:00 pm
Friday, December 10
- Mid-year District Assessments (1st & 2nd ELA & 3rd Science)
- PTA Holiday Shop
Saturday, December 11
- STEM Camp (K-2) ~ 9:00-11:00 am
- Chorus performance in Downtown Lawrenceville ~ 2:30-3:00 pm
Monday, December 13
- Mid-year District Assessments (4th & 5th ELA)
Tuesday, December 14
- Mid-year District Assessments (3rd ELA & 1st Math)
- Chorus Concert & Reflections Award Ceremony~ 6:00-6:30 pm
Wednesday, December 15
- Mid-year District Assessments (3rd, 4th & 5th Math)
Thursday, December 16
- Mid-year District Assessments (make-ups)
Friday, December 17
- Mid-year District Assessments (make-ups)
- Semester 1 ends
December 20- January 5
- Winter Break
FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATION
The application for free and reduced lunch is still available. If you received this service last year, and you feel you still qualify, you must complete an application again this year.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
https://www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=78f8fee54716f21218e523747d37a13c
Frequently Asked Questions about free and reduced lunch
Simonton Holiday Shop
Our PTA will be hosting a student holiday shop next week, beginning December 6, 2022.
If you would be interested in volunteering please contact the PTA at Simontonpta@gmail.com
SIMONTON ES LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
You are invited to join us for our next Simonton ES Local School Council meeting. It will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 8:00 am. This is a great opportunity to learn about Gwinnett County Public Schools and Simonton ES. The meeting is open to the school community.
Agenda Items
Welcome/Introductions
- SES Play2Learn
- Simonton ES Parent Center
- GCPS/GPL Branch Out Program
- House Bill 5 EX
- Simonton ES Discipline Report
- Updated Mask Guidance for 2nd Semester
Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Time: 8:00 am
Location: You are welcome to attend in-person or join us virtually.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/j/9112366815
Meeting ID: 911 236 6815
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. 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 previously, you still will need to enter that name as your child’s Preferred Name.) GCPS reserves the right to remove a “Preferred Name” if it is deemed inappropriate. Once the Preferred Name has been provided, your local school will verify the name and make the change in the system.
Again, “Preferred Name” changes that families enter into Synergy will not be reflected immediately and will not change a student’s name in all of our systems. In Phase I of this multi-phased, multi-year process, “Preferred Names” will be incorporated to populate class lists and rosters and for student schedules. In Phase II, which will begin next school year, GCPS will begin using the “Preferred Name” for student email addresses and as part of additional student resources and applications.
Note that this option to add a “Preferred Name” is available in the Parent Portal only. A student may not request a change via the eCLASS Student Portal.
Mystery Science Videos:
PARENTVUE DIRECTIONS FOR ACCESSING THE READING & WRITING COMMUNICATION REPORTS
This year, teachers are inputting the Reading and Writing Communication Report information into Synergy to share with families. We have attached some brief directions for how families can access this information in ParentVUE under the “Documents” tab in case any families are not familiar.
What: Viewing Reading and Writing Communication Report Information in ParentVUE
Please share the directions with any families who are not sure how to access the Reading and Writing Communication Report information.
UPDATE MASK GUIDANCE FOR SECOND SEMESTER
As of January 4, 2022, Gwinnett County Public Schools will implement updated mask guidance based on community transmission as determined by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH)—https://dph.georgia.gov/county-indicator-reports.
- Masks will be required in all GCPS facilities during periods of “Substantial” or “High” community transmission.
- When community transmission has been maintained at the “Moderate” level for two consecutive weeks, GCPS will transition to strongly recommending masks in all of its facilities. (This means that if Gwinnett County has been in the “Moderate” range for the two weeks prior to the beginning of the 2nd semester, students and staff will return in January with masks strongly recommended.)
- Masks will still be mandated on buses in compliance with federal mandates.
On Monday, January 3, GCPS will communicate via SchoolMessenger and post on the district website the status of community transmission and mask guidance for students and staff returning to school and work that week.
Masks continue to be an important mitigation strategy in the fight against COVID. In addition to strongly recommending the use of masks during sustained “Moderate” levels of community transmission, GCPS will maintain current layered mitigation strategies. Families can monitor conditions at their school and within the district by reviewing GCPS’ COVID dashboard, which is updated daily on school days. Information about the level of community transmission, along with a link to the DPH, will be added to the GCPS website to allow families to easily find this information.
GCPS will continue to follow the Georgia DPH guidance regarding isolation for confirmed and probable cases and quarantine for those identified as close contacts.
Students:
- During periods when masks are not required, students identified as close contacts will be required to quarantine unless they have been fully vaccinated or have had COVID within the last 90 days. During quarantine, students will learn asynchronously, accessing assignments through eCLASS or through materials provided by their teachers.
- Note that during times when masks are required, quarantine protocols will follow the practices currently in place (no quarantine if both students are wearing masks, etc.)
Staff:
- There is no change for quarantine guidance for staff members—staff who are within six feet of a positive case for at least 15 minutes (with or without a mask) must quarantine unless they are fully vaccinated or have had COVID within the last 90 days.
As more of our community members are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine—including our youngest students—and there has been ongoing improvement in COVID conditions, GCPS leaders saw an opportunity to implement a metric that takes into account community transmission rates in its masking guidance.
Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts explains, “When the decision was made to implement the mask mandate in July, primary considerations were the high transmission rates in the community and the fact that our students were ineligible for the vaccine. Since then, much progress has been made in terms of decreasing transmission rates of COVID-19 in our community and vaccinations are now available for individuals ages 5 and older.
“While I believe our GCPS mask requirement has helped us and our community to mitigate the spread of COVID, conditions have changed and we are at a point where we can and should revisit mask guidance. Know that GCPS will continue to strongly encourage masks during times of ‘Moderate’ and even ‘Low’ transmission as part of our layered mitigation strategies, and move quickly to reinstate the requirement for masks should community spread rise to the ‘Substantial’ or ‘High’ range.
“Experience over the last 20 months has taught us how quickly things can change. This plan provides the flexibility for our schools to safely manage that change. Working together, we will navigate the COVID-19 situation through the spring, ensuring we address the needs of students and staff.”
2022-2023 GCPS Calendar Feedback
As part of its calendar development process, Gwinnett County Public Schools has gathered feedback on calendar options for next school year. This feedback-collected at the local school level from various groups, including students, staff, and parents-provided direction that has led to the development of a proposed 2022-23 school calendar. Please use this link to access a copy of the proposed calendar and provide us with your thoughts. We want to hear from you! Your feedback will be considered as we finalize this calendar and develop future calendars.
2022 Legislative Priorities
Mobile Walk-In Vaccination Clinic in Gwinnett County Public Schools
Click on the link below to find more information.
Learning Hub
While teaching and learning is the core business of Gwinnett County Public Schools, the health and safety of our students and staff is our key focus, particularly during the ongoing pandemic. Combatting COVID-19 requires a community effort, and everyone in the GCPS community is expected to do their part as we work to keep schools open and students learning in person. The information below reflects current practices and will be updated as changes occur.
Click on the link below to read more information.
International Travel
As families plan travel for upcoming breaks, it’s important to know that GCPS follows CDC guidelines when it comes to international travel. The CDC recommends that unvaccinated travelers (including children) get tested for COVID-19 within 3 to 5 days after returning AND self-quarantine at home for a full 7 days after travel. Vaccinated travelers and those who have recently recovered from COVID (within the last three months) are not required to quarantine, but should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after travel.
Senate Bill 5 EX
Gwinnett County Public Schools has serious concerns about the manner in which Senate Bill 5 EX was introduced, the lack of input by the Gwinnett Legislative Delegation and affected Board members, the confusion the proposal would raise for voters, and the impact this proposed legislation would have on the district. We urge lawmakers to allow our duly elected Board members the opportunity to work within the established process to recommend new Board maps that fairly and appropriately reallocate residents, based on the 2020 Census. We hope that the matter of redistricting Gwinnett County Board of Education districts may be deferred until the General Assembly meets in January, and that when it does occur, it is based on a process that is fair and inclusive.
- Dr. Calvin J. Watts, Superintendent
See the attachment below for more information
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
Superintendent- Dr. Calvin J. Watts
Assistant Superintendent- Dr. Terry Watlington
Board Member- Mr. Steven B. Knudsen
Principal- Tamara G. Perkins
Assistant Principal- Tifferney Dodd
Assistant Principal- Daphne Miles
Assistant Principal- Emily Young
Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone: (770) 513-6637