Burnette Blast
September 2021
We had an Awesome August!
We have had such an amazing August here at Burnette! We were thrilled to host the GCPS Bookmobile at the beginning of August! Students in first through fifth grade were invited to choose a free book from the Bookmobile as a reward for finishing the summer reading challenge, either through our Burnette program or through the Gwinnett County Public Library. Every kindergarten student was also able to choose a free book as welcomed them to the Burnette Lion Pride!
In August, we kicked off our school wide reading program with reading challenges through Biblionasium! Students who completed the August challenge will earn a keychain with a reading paw keytag. Different paws will be issued for each monthly challenge throughout the year. Students who completed the challenge will also be placed in a drawing where they could win another free book or the chance to earn extra book checkouts in the media center.
Our teachers also spend a couple of evenings meeting with parents for our annual Curriculum Night. This is always a great opportunity for you to get to know what to expect this year and how you have support your child's success at home. Below you will find information from PTA about some exciting upcoming events.
We are also excited to bring back the Burnette School Store! Students will be able to bring cash and visit the school store in the morning to purchase fun school supplies or snacks.
If there is anything I can do to support you with, please don't hesitate to reach out: 678-546-2170, sally.lehmann@gcpsk12.org.
Your Proud Principal,
Dr. Sally Lehmann
Burnette Elementary
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Upcoming Events
September 2021
6 ~ Labor Day - No School
10 ~ All Pro Dads 7:30 am in the cafeteria
14 ~ Digital Learning Day #1 (see information below)
21-23 ~ CogAT assessment for 1st, 2nd, 5th grade students
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Digital Learning Day #1
If you have indicated that you need a device to be sent home with your student, they will come home with that device on Monday 9/13. Please make sure that the device AND charger is returned to school on Wednesday 9/15.
If your child needs a meal, these will be delivered to bus stops beginning at 10:45 am.
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Appropriate Device Usage
Also, students are allowed to bring personal devices to school (cell phones) however, it must stay in the student’s backpack unless using it for a BYOD activity under the direction of the teacher. Students should not be calling/texting parents on their personal cell phones during instructional time. GCPS nor Burnette Elementary School will be held liable for lost or stolen cell phones.
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Transportation
It is helpful to have consistent transportation plans for your child. It can be very confusing for students, as well as, teachers to alternate between day care, parent pick-up, and buses. Additionally, accepting changes by telephone or email does not allow us to provide maximum safety measures for our students. Therefore, a written note to the teacher from the child’s parent or guardian (with a phone number) indicating the change in his/her transportation home is required on the morning of the change. This note should be brought to the front office to be signed and verified by the school official. In the absence of a note from the parent, the child will be placed on his/her usual mode of transportation.
If you child rides the bus, please make sure you are at the bus stop at least ten minutes before their scheduled time of arrival and you remain at the bus stop until they arrive. Students are not allowed to exit the bus unless someone is at the bus stop to retrieve the student.
We all know that emergencies and accidents can occur. Please make sure that you have an accurate phone number on file at the school and that you have a back-up plan for someone to pick up your child in the event that they miss the bus. If a student misses the bus or if someone is not at the bus stop to receive them, someone will need to pick them up at the school by 4:30 pm.
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COVID Updates
Take steps to protect children and staff:
- Please make sure your child has a mask everyday that fits them appropriately.
- Keep your child home if they are ill, are displaying symptoms, or have been in contact with a positive COVID case
Watch for symptoms of illness:
Individual who have COVID-19 may experience one or more of the following symptoms: fever/chills, new cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, vomiting/nausea, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, new nasal congestion
Take action if someone is ill or illness is suspected:
- At school, we will separate individual with symptoms until they are picked up from school.
- The school will investigate and notify any close contacts.
- The school's Health Response Team will report positive cases and close contacts to the district. The district will report this information to the Health Department.
District leaders continue to monitor for new guidance from health partners and the state, using it to inform decision-making about mitigation strategies that might be needed during the 2021-2022 school year.
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Dress Code
Students are expected to dress appropriately, suitable to weather conditions, and in good taste. Since students are involved in some type of movement every day (recess and/or PE), we recommend that all students wear tennis shoes or other closed-toe shoes. Flip-flops, sandals and platform heels are extremely dangerous.
Inappropriate clothing includes:
Clothing with offensive language and/or language that advertises drug/alcohol use
Long baggy shorts/pants which drag the floor or are lower than the waist
Short-shorts above the mid-thigh
Shorts with imprinted words or phrases on the seat/bottom
Tops that expose the midriff area, strapless tops
Note:
Hats are only permitted on specified Fun Fridays/Spirit Hat Days.
Bandanas may not be worn at school or brought to school.
When a student’s appearance is believed to be a distraction to learning, a teacher or administrator will contact the parent so appropriate changes can be made.
Students are encouraged to wear school spirit wear or school colors every Friday. Spirit wear can be purchased from the PTA on Registration Day or by contacting a member of our office staff.
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Media Center Updates
It's September, and it's time to tackle a good book! This month, we are challenging our kindergarten through third grade students to read and log 400 minutes in Biblionasium. Our fourth and fifth grade students are encouraged to continue finishing books for the 40 Book Challenge, and to read a variety of books to earn various genre awards. You can learn more about how to use Biblionasium here:
How To Log Minutes (Grades K-3)
How To Count a Book Towards a Challenge (Grades 4/5)
When students complete a challenge, they earn a special tag to add to their reading keychain. They are also entered in a drawing to win a free book or to earn extra book checkouts in the media center.
Get ready, BES! Author Lindsay Currie will be virtually visiting with our 4th and 5th grade students on Friday, September 10. Lindsay writes fabulous middle grade mystery and horror novels, and will be talking to us about writing and research. If you'd like to purchase one of her books, please click here for the order form. Each book will come with an autographed bookplate.
We are also getting ready to welcome author Aaron Reynolds to our school in October! Aaron is the author of Creepy Carrots, Nerdy Birdy, and the Fart Quest series. He will be visiting us in person to talk about the writing process. You can purchase one of Aaron's books in advance and he will be signing the books during his visit. Look for the flyer in your child's Friday Folder or click here for the order form. A special thank you to our Burnette PTA for helping us bring Aaron to our school!
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Before and After School Clubs
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PTA Announcements and Upcoming Events
All Pro Dads: Please join us for first All Pro Dad’s breakfast on Friday, September 10th at 7:30am in the Burnette Cafeteria. You can expect to have some fun, win some prizes, and have an awesome time connecting with your kids and other dads. To assist the cafeteria in determining what is needed, please RSVP and register by clicking here. Breakfast is provided through the school cafeteria, at approximately $2.00 per adult and student breakfasts are free this year. We hope you can join us! All supportive adults (i.e. dads, uncles, grandparents, moms, mentors, etc.) are welcome and are invited to attend. For questions or more information, contact our All Pro Dad's team captain, Chris Hakkenberg, at chakkenberg@gmail.com (please put Burnette APD in the subject line.)
Stock the Breakroom: Several times a year we like to treat our teachers with a Stock the Breakroom event. Our first one is September 17th. We ask parents to send in store bought, non-perishable, individually wrapped snacks and drinks. Teachers love chips, granola bars, trail mix, sweets, sodas, and coffee drinks. If you would like to participate you can drop your items off in the car rider lane or send them them with your child on the bus.
Reflections: Let’s Celebrate Arts! Students of all grade levels can participate in the PTA Reflections Program. Create your masterpieces in either literature, visual arts, photography, dance, music, or film around the theme “I Will Change The World By…..”. All entries will be judged at a local level and winners advance to higher levels. Please click here for additional information, instructions, and the entry form. All entries are due back by 9/22. For questions, please email Dionne Caldwell at dionnekhy23@yahoo.com
Fundraiser: Let’s have some fun! It’s the Burnette Pride Run! September 15th will be the official kick-off for our main fundraiser for the year. The Burnette Pride Run will be on October 5th and students may purchase a special Burnette Pride Run Shirt for $12 to wear on the day of the run. The on-line store for the T-shirt is now open and orders must be in by September 12th. Purchase your shirts today by clicking here. We will send more details on how to register and win some awesome prizes along the way, when we kick-off our fundraiser on September 15th. We are excited to partner with Boosterthon to use their technology platform to conduct our own fundraising campaign, hence keeping more money for our school. The funds we raise will provide for many school improvements and other PTA sponsored programs at Burnette.
Memberships: Don’t forget to buy your PTA memberships on My Payments Plus. It is only $8 per person and you can buy one for your student too by updating the quantity. Every bit helps the PTA plan fun events for our students & staff.
Yearbooks: Yearbooks are available for purchase on My Payments Plus for $27. The yearbook is not complete without pictures of your kiddos participating in all the fun. Please send us pictures at burnetteptayearbook@gmail.com
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Business Partner Spotlight: Delta Community Credit Union
Website: https://www.deltacommunitycu.com/home.aspx
Phone: 800-544-3328
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Connect with us on Social Media!
About Us
Email: sally.lehmann@gcpsk12.org
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/BurnetteES
Location: 3221 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suwanee, GA, USA
Phone: 678-546-2170
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?viewas=100000686899395&id=100069802532127
Twitter: @BurnetteLions