Bear Essentials

Dear Parents,

Hello and Happy New Year! I trust that you enjoyed winter break but were excited for the new semester to start! It has been great seeing the children again and hearing all about what they have been up to since we went on break.

Yesterday, you received a Dojo message inviting you to submit any questions or topics that you would like to discuss during my Coffee Talk next Thursday. As you know, Coffee Talk remains online with a Spanish-speaking interpreter, and I really enjoy sharing what is happening at Berkeley Lake and getting your input. If you have a burning question or great suggestion, you can submit the Google form, send me an email, or just hop on the Zoom and let me know then. I hope to see many of you next week!

Some of you moved over the break, so please remember to let us know your new address and get a new transportation tag for your child. Our amazing office staff is ready to help you with that or anything else you may need.

Have a nice weekend.

Your Principal and Partner,

Dr. Pendleton

Lesley.Pendleton@gcpsk12.org

Monday, January 9

• 3:00pm Chess Club
  
• 3:15pm Green Team meets
  

Tuesday, January 10

• 9:30am Play to Learn
  
• 10:30am Student Council (during 4th and 5th lunch & recess)
• 3:15 Robotics Club additional meeting

Wednesday, January 11

• 9:00am Basic English Class in the Parent Center

Thursday, January 12

• 10:00am Coffee Talk with Dr. Pendleton
  
• 12:00pm Officer Fritz to read to 4th grade
• 3:15 Robotics Club meets additional meeting

Friday, January 13

• 10:00am Little Learners Academy
  

Saturday, January 14

• 8:00am Robotics Club Super Regional Tournament

Monday, January 16

• MLK Holiday - no school for students or staff

Yearbook Sales are open! Don't miss your opportunity to order your copy of this year's memories. We are offering a discount on the books between now and February 1, 2023 with the cost of $30.00. The book price will go up to $35.00 until the sale ends April 19, 2023. Click here to order your child's yearbook today.

Pay is $15.00 per hour, working 5 days per week- 10:15 AM-1:15 PM

Please call Pam Frey @ 678-291-4241 for more information!

Mr. Green, our music teacher, will be selling recorder instruments at the school store. They cost $6 to purchase. Students may use the recorders to play for recorder karate belts. They can find these songs on his eCLASS page and play them for special colored belts.

Our Green team is collecting plastic bottle caps of all colors and sizes. There is a bin for collections by the Parent Center door. Students can drop off any donations on the way into the building.

Thank you!

We are also collecting scrap materials for our upcoming STEM Night on January 19th. Examples of items might be

• scrap paper
• colored pencils, and/or crayons
• cardboard
• scissors
• recyclable materials (optional)
  
• string or yarn (optional)
• any other scrap materials you'd like to get rid of

There will be a box by the Parent Center for these items, too.

Join us for our next session on Friday, January 13th, from 10:00-11:00am.

Our annual STEM Family Night is coming up on the 19th of this month from 5:00-7:00 pm. We have a lot of presenters and activities planned, so we hope your family will be able to attend. If you'd like a sneak peak at the sessions and activities being offered so you can plan ahead, click here.

The Reading Buddies Program is offered in all 15 branches of Gwinnett Public Library. It is a FREE program that promotes reading and comprehension skills for elementary students (K-5th). See the flyer below for more information.

Per the Student Handbook: Parents may provide snacks only, no drinks, favors, balloons, or flowers for the child’s birthday. Whole cakes that need to be sliced by staff are not permitted. All students should be included. Nutritious snacks are encouraged. Birthday treats should be handed out and eaten in the cafeteria during the last ten minutes of the lunch period. Please make sure that students mainstreamed in your classroom are included in the count for treats. Buying ice cream at school for each class member is encouraged. Students may not pass out invitations to parties at school unless all members of the class are invited.

Will meet again on January 27th.

Approved 2023-24 Calendar

• English
• 中文
  
• 한국어
  
• Español
  
• Tiếng Việt

Between January 11, 2023 and February 28, 2023, multilingual learners receiving direct ESOL services will take the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Assessment™.

About the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Assessment

All English learners enrolled in K – 12th grade in the state of Georgia take the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 each year. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the academic language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students are tested in four different domains: speaking, listening, reading, and writing in order to determine the English language proficiency of the student. Our school uses the information to ensure that students receive appropriate academic support to achieve his/her best.

Because the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 assessment is composed of several subtests, your student will complete the test over multiple school days.

How your student can prepare for test taking—and what you can do to help

A student who is well rested and well fed and has a positive attitude about testing is best prepared for testing. You can help your student do his or her best by considering these tips:

• Make sure that your child is in school and on time on test days.

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.

• Emphasize that you have confidence in his or her ability to do the best job possible.

• Remind your child to listen to the directions and read each question carefully during testing.

GASP! is offering a special holiday promotion for new enrollments. See the image below for more details:

The end of year Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) will take place the following dates and attendance on these dates will be important. Please do not schedule appointments or schedule out-of-town trips during this period if at all possible.

Click here for general information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment.

Camp Invention will be held at our school again next summer, and if you register early, you can save money. The camp will be held from June 5-8 from 8:00 - 4:00PM. Extended day will also be offered from 7:30 - 5:30 PM for an additional $100. If you have any questions, please reach out to Trina Ashadele. See the bilingual flyer and image below for details.

The Care Team at BLES has many ways to support our families. We have a food pantry at school that you can come shop at, and we can also assist with helping provide school supplies, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products for your child. If you would like to access these resources please contact:

Lyndsay Murphy (K-2-4)

Lyndsay.murphy@gcpsk12.org

770-582-7523

Laura Marantz (1-3-5)

Laura.marantz@gcpsk12.org

770-582-7522

Sandra Orci (Spanish)

Sandra.orci@gcpsk12.org

678-291-4232

Our drivers enjoy competitive pay rates ($19.07 - $27.03 per hour), outstanding health benefits with employer contribution, and a work schedule that fits their busy lifestyle! GCPS provides 100% fully Commercial Driver’s License training – our training team is one of the best in the nation and we will make you successful. Make a difference in the life of a child today, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with preparing the children in your community for their future. Click here to learn more about our upcoming recruiting events, and to apply today!

We are looking for caring individuals who want to make a difference in our students' lives by preparing and serving nutritious meals. No experience is required and training is fully paid. GCPS provides outstanding health benefits with employer contribution for you and your family. Join the Café Gwinnett Team for a family-friendly work schedule and competitive pay. Click here to learn more.

Parents, please remember that afternoon transportation changes must be made by 1:30 and there are only two ways for you to make an change for your child:

1. Use the PikMyKid app

2. Send in a signed note.

Dojos, emails, or phone calls to change afternoon transportation will not be accepted.

Thank you for helping us enforce this rule and keep our kids safe!

Many of us face economic hardships at various times in our lives. Due to these hardships, we may need additional help with basic needs like food. At this time, Berkeley Lake Elementary can help by providing a small amount of groceries for your family each week. They will be sent home in your child’s backpack on Fridays. The food is provided by donation. Your name and your child’s name will not be revealed to the donor. The Berkeley Lake Staff will get the food to your child in a discrete manner.

To participate, please email one of us, call either school counselor, or Mrs. Orci (Spanish speaker) to request participation.

Please call us with any questions or concerns:

Lyndsay Murphy

School Counselor

lyndsay.murphy@gcpsk12.org

School Counselor

770-582-7523

Laura Marantz

School Counselor

laura.marantz@gcpsk12.org

770-582-7522

Sandra Orci (Spanish)

Parent Liaison

sandra.orci@gcpsk12.org

678-291-4232

Click here to read our school's Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI).

Follow us on all of our social media accounts by clicking the links below:

• Follow us on Facebook

• Follow us on Instagram

Gwinnett Public Schools uses MyPaymentsPlus as a site for school-related payments and documentation sign off. If you do not yet have an account with this site, you will need to set one up. Click here to learn more.

Berkeley Lake recycles aluminum cans and old clothes and shoes (in any condition) in the two bins in the upper parking lot. The Green Team receives 10¢ per pound of donations, which helps pay the fee for the weekly paper and cardboard pick-up. The aluminum cans are recycled at Progressive Recycling on Simpson Circle. Please support our Green Team by recycling these items here at Berkeley Lake. Thank you!

You may have heard about Gwinnett's Parent Portal. The Parent Portal is a website that will allow you to log in and see your child's information, such as attendance, grades, standardized test scores, etc.

If you need to register with the portal, please print and complete this registration form and turn it in to the main office. Along with the completed form, you are required to show a photo I.D. for verification.

Box Tops for Education is Online: Starting this year, Box Tops are being collected online only. Here are instructions for how to continue to give to our school using the new Box Tops process.

Click here to get more information about the Georgia After School Program.

The Berkeley Lake Parent Center is located across from the front office and it's providing services by appointment. For Parent Center support please call Ms. Sandra Orci, Parent Liaison, at 678-291-4232 or email her at Sandra.Orci@gcpsk12.org

To provide learning experiences in a secure and stimulating environment where every child can develop to his/her fullest potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

BLES is a positive safe, nurturing environment that fosters respect among all students, teachers, parents and community members, while forwarding world-class achievement that successfully maximizes each student's individual potential through engaging instruction.

• The Tutoring Center, Duluth, Ga.
• Mathnasium
  
• Ultra Baby LLC (Ultrasound and Photography)
  
• Atlanta Urgent Care - 5246 Peachtree Pkwy

Berkeley Lake Elementary

4300 S. Berkeley Lake Rd.

Duluth, Georgia 30096

P: (770)446-0947

F: (770)582-7514