The Cub Corner
Expect Excellence In Everything
No School Monday due to Labor Day!
September 4, 2020
A Note from Mr. Bender
Dear Families,
We enjoyed welcoming back many of our second and third grade students this week. It was great to see the excitement on their faces as they walked into the building for the first time this year! On Wednesday, September 9th we will welcome back our fourth and fifth grade students who have chosen in-person learning.
Our teachers are working hard to plan for both in-person and digital learning, and they are making shifts to their schedules that allow them to meet the needs of both groups of learners. If you have any questions regarding digital or in-person learning, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher or call the front office. You can also visit the district's Return-to-Learning Hub for information, resources, how-to's and more related to this school year. (link to https://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/myhome/public/schools/learninghub)
Remember that Monday, September 7th is Labor Day. There is no school on Monday. We hope you enjoy your three-day weekend, and we look forward to seeing students on Tuesday.
Enjoy your long weekend!
Mike Bender
Principal
Curbside Lunch Service
Curbside lunch is available daily from 11:30-12:30 for our digital learning students.
Parents should drive through the car rider lane to receive meals. Lunch and breakfast for the following day will be served at this time. The breakfast and lunch menus can be found at: https://gwinnett.nutrislice.com/menu/woodward-mill-elementary?mode=browse
Please note that the menus are subject to change based on availability from our suppliers.
Meals will be available for pick-up Monday-Thursday. Thursday's pick-up will include meals for both Thursday and Friday. The student does not need to be present to receive a meal. A parent/guardian may pick up a meal for their child, but they must have the Student ID card in order to validate their child’s enrollment and eligibility.
Students will be charged for their meals based on their current eligibility of Free, Reduced, or Full Pay. You can fill out the Free and Reduced application and renew your status for the 2020-2021 school year by clicking HERE.
There will be no charging of meals and there will be no alternate meals provided to those without method of payment.
K-2 Handwriting Books
Woodward Mill has received handwriting books that are part of the GCPS language arts curriculum. Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students will begin handwriting lessons after Labor Day. If your child is digital learning from home, please stop by the front office prior to Wednesday, September 9th to pick up your child’s handwriting book. Thank you!
Transportation Updates
If your fourth or fifth grade child will be returning for in-person instruction beginning on Wednesday, September 9, you should have been contacted by a WMES staff member regarding afternoon transportation for your child. If you have not received a phone call asking if your child will be a bus rider, car rider, or day care rider in the afternoon, please reach out to the front office.
Fourth and fifth grade students that will be a car rider for the 2020-2021 school year, must stop by the school to pick up their car rider tag prior to September 9. If you do not have a car rider tag visible in your car when you come to pick up your child in the afternoon, you will be directed to the front office before your child will be released to you.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Character Trait and Mindfulness Activity of the Month
Please check out the Woodward Mill Counseling Department’s eclass page for resources and opportunities for you or your child to meet with us virtually. You can find us through your child’s eclass page under “My Courses.” Digital students can have one on one sessions via zoom with their counselor during office hours and by appointment.
The character trait for the month of September is Responsibility. We define responsibility as doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. As a reminder, teachers will be choosing one student this month who has exhibited responsibility the most to represent his/her class as the Cub of the Month.
Each month, we will feature a mindfulness activity on the announcements, during class meetings, and on our eclass page. You can watch Mrs. Woodworth do a demonstration of each month’s activity on the counseling eclass page. This month is “Mindful Listening”.
Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month! Data from the Georgia DOE indicates, "Missing more than five days of school each year, regardless of the cause, begins to impact student academic performance and starts shaping attitudes about school." Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school and by 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.
Students who attend school regularly feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, setting them up for a strong future. During this unprecedented time of digital/in person learning, it is important to make routines and goals for education. We do not want our students to fall behind in school and get discouraged. If a student is struggling with health, social, or emotional issues that are affecting attendance or academics, reach out to Ms. O’Rear and Ms. Woodworth for additional support today!
Curbside Book Checkout
Our curbside book checkout service is off to a great start! We are offering curbside service on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week between the hours of 11:00 - 1:00. Parents must receive an email hold notification from our media center before coming to pick up books. The email will provide details regarding the specific pickup times and location.
If you are unable to pick up your child’s books during the curbside hours, you are welcome to come to the school at your convenience to pick up your books.
Moving forward, only digital learners will be placing holds on books. Our in-person students will have scheduled access to the media center with their class during school hours. Please review these links to get started with reserving books. Contact Jennifer.Alden@gcpsk12.org if you have any questions.
Our summer reading celebration will be held the week of September 14! All students that logged 480 minutes of reading in the Gwinnett County Public Library Beanstack program will be recognized and rewarded! We are proud of your efforts to meet your summer reading goals!
Reader's Rally
Hi Cubs! Welcome back! Don’t forget to join PTA on My Payments Plus by paying a $5 membership fee per adult member. Membership is open to any and all adult family members. (You do not need to pay for students.) While we’re facing a unique school year, we’re committed in our efforts to support our school and our Cub families. We would love to hear ideas from you for virtual events to hold this school year. Please join our Facebook page for continuous updates- Woodward Mill PTA.
Teacher Spotlight
This week's PTA Teacher Spotlights are...
Testimonies from the parents:
“All of our WMES teachers are amazing! Mrs. Goodin goes above and beyond for her students, both in the classroom and digitally. When school closed in the spring, she read bedtime stories to her class and ran an extra book club for those who were interested. She continues to inspire my son to learn and has gotten him hooked on several different series of books!”
“Mrs. Marinelli has been so great throughout the digital learning and f2f process. She’s patient with the kids, Charli says she makes learning fun, and keeps us all informed with the changes. We are thankful for her and it’s made transitioning back to in person a whole lot easier!”
For more teacher spotlights, or to submit a spotlight for your teacher, please check Woodard Mill PTA Facebook page!
We are excited to announce that WMES has been designated as a “No Place for Hate School”! No Place for Hate helps schools foster a culture of respect and create a safe, bully-free learning environment for all students. During the 2019-20 school year, we completed activities as a school to work toward building a brave and equitable school. This year, all students and staff signed the No Place for Hate pledge on a banner outside of our cafeteria. We also completed three activities to encourage kindness, respect, and inclusion in our building: the addition of the Buddy Bench to our playground, Kindness Week in November, and “Mix it Up” day in February. Thank you to student council who served as our student group in planning activities for this initiative!
"The Promise of Gwinnett” campaign is a means of focusing attention on the importance of public education, the role it plays in our nation, and the outstanding schools found right here in Gwinnett County. In addition, the campaign focuses on the accomplishments of our students and the promise they hold for a bright future. Click here to visit the Promise of Gwinnett.
In5ive is a fast-paced, fact-filled informative program that gives you a quick five-minute update on the latest good news in education from Gwinnett County Public Schools.
Help our school everytime you shop! Enroll in the Publix Partners program to earn money for Woodward Mill every time you go grocery shopping.
Woodward Mill just received our quarterly check from the Publix Partners program for $122 dollars. Please help us raise more money for our school by registering for a Publix Partners account and entering your phone number every time you grocery shop at Publix. Every dollar counts!
Business Partners
Woodward Mill would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous business partners that support the students and teachers at our school. Our business partners support our school in various ways such as sponsoring after-school clubs, providing teacher appreciation gifts, donating supplies, and mentoring students. Please check out our wonderful business partners below:
Woodward Mill proudly thanks our business partners! Please support these businesses that support our school!
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About Us
Website: http://www.woodwardmilles.com
Location: 2020 Buford Drive Northeast, Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Phone: 678-407-7590