The Norcross Elementary Eagle
Family Newsletter -August 27, 2020
In Person Instruction for K, 1st, and Special Education Self-Contained.
Dear Families,
Our in-person learning and instruction for our kindergarten, first grade, and special education self-contained students has gone well. Thank you for sending our Eagles to school with masks and the other appropriate materials to ensure safety and academic success.
To our families and students who to continue to learn digitally, thank you for your patience as we support and train our in person students measures of safety. As always, please reach out to the teachers if you have questions or concerns.
As a reminder, 2nd and 3rd Grade students return on September 2; and 4th and 5th grade students return on September 9. Changes to the type of learning are no longer being made.
This is definitely not an ordinary start, but we are committed to making it an EXTRAORDINARY year!
Take good care,
Kassia Sutton
Principal
In Person Learning - Action Required
CURRICULUM DAY VIRTUAL MEETINGS - Save the Date!
This year we are doing the sessions during the day on Friday, September 4 according to the schedule below:
Kindergarten: 9:00-9:55
First Grade: 12:30 -1:25
Second Grade: 10:05-11:00
Third Grade: 1:35-2:30
Fourth Grade: 9:30-10:30
Fifth Grade 10:30-11:30
Your child's teachers will send you the meeting link information.
We greatly appreciate your flexibility with the altered calendar this year!!
Would you like to share any SHINING MOMENTS during the first few days of school?
CAFETERIA: BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
Meals will be available for pick-up Monday – Thursday from 11:15-12:15. Thursday’s pick-up will include meals for both Thursday and Friday.
- Students will be offered the choice of both a breakfast and a lunch each day.
- Students will need their Student ID cards. This allows us to process and properly account for the meal. The cards will be available during the retrieval process on August 10th and 11th.
- 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.
- Students will be able to pick up a meal at any school within their assigned Cluster.
- There will be no charging of meals and there will be no alternate meals provided to those without method of payment.
- In order to limit direct contact, we strongly encourage parents to add money to their child’s account via MyPaymentsPlus. However, we will still accept cash payment if needed.
- You will need to wear a mask when on campus.
- Pick-up will be near the cafeteria on Born Street.
All students will be charged for their meals based on their current eligibility status (Free, Reduced, or Full Pay). As a reminder, SY20 student eligibility carries over for the first 30 days of school. Please be sure to completed the lunch eligibility form prior to the 30 days. Use the link below to apply online.
PARENT SUPPORT – Parents, we want to partner with you!
•Parenting is hard, and as educational experiences have improved it is sometimes harder for parents to support students today than it was a few years ago. Please know our faculty and staff is here for you and your student.
•Be on the lookout for Parent Seminars and emails with information to help you and your student.
•The updated GCPS Parent Portal, rolling out in August, will make it easier for parents to see assignments, including missing ones. It also will allow parents to access student information, including gradebook data, discipline, report cards, transcripts, calendars, and more. Please sign up.
Signing up for the Parent Portal is important for staying connected. Please contact us if you do not have access.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.What will digital learning look like in the Fall of 2020? - Teachers will provide both live (synchronous) and recorded (asynchronous) lessons and independent work. This means that students will be required to participate in digital learning beginning at 8:30 AM each day. Students should plan to both follow the schedule with their teachers (synchronous learning), and also complete activities and assignments (asynchronous learning) on their own time to meet assignment deadlines.
2.How will grades be calculated? - All digital courses will have the same grading policies and practices as the in person version of the course. Each week, there will be some graded assignments will be included in the gradebook. The grading will NOT be like last spring.
3.Will attendance be taken during digital learning classes? - Yes, attendance will be taken daily.
4.Is the student code of conduct still in effect for remote students? - The student discipline code of conduct is still applicable for students during digital learning.
5.Does that mean students will be expected to be in front of a computer for six-plus hours a day? - It is not likely that students would be online in live classes the entire school day. However, since teachers will be at their schools during school hours it is safe to assume most digital instruction will occur during that time. Based on feedback from the spring, we are encouraging teachers to conduct more live (synchronous) lessons. Platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams may be used for these sessions. Other assignments may include other recorded videos are independent work, which can be done any time during the day. We believe the use of a variety of instructional methods will be best for students. However, teachers will not be expected to continue instruction after school hours.
VISITORS
Please help us by adhering to the visitor guidelines and safety practices.
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)
Counselor - Amber Amick (amber.amick@gcps.k12.org)
Couselor - Amy Crapo (amy.crapo@gcpsk12.org)
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/NorcrossES
Location: 150 Hunt Street, Norcross, GA, USA
Phone: 770-448-2188
Facebook: facebook.com/NorcrossElementarySchool-GCPS