Simonton Parent Newsletter
April 29, 2022
Every Student, Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel!
Message from Ms. Perkins
Mark your calendar because we have many exciting events come next week.
The week of May 2, 2022 is National Teacher Appreciation week. We will spend the week celebrating all of our staff. We are encouraging students and parents to send notes, cards and other forms of appreciation to thank our amazing staff for the work they do each day.
Field day for grades K-4 will begin on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Students will participate in lots of great activities from 11:30 - 2:00 pm. Families are invited to attend. Reach out to Coach Cheney at Daniel.Cheney@gcpsk12.org if you would like to volunteer.
Join us on Friday, May 6, 2022 for the PTA's annual BINGO night. There will be lots of great prizes. The fun will begin at 5:30 pm.
Have a wonderful weekend!
STEM Night
The following events will take us through the end of the school year...
Monday, May 2- Friday, May 6
- Staff Appreciation week
- Scholatic BOGO Book Fair
Wednesday, May 4
- Field Day (Kindergarten & 1st grade) ~ 11:30 - 2:00 pm
Thursday, May 5
- Field Day (2nd & 3rd grade) ~ 11:30 - 2:00 pm
Friday, May 6
- Field Day (4th grade) ~ 11:30 - 2:00 pm
- PTA BINGO Night ~ 5:30-8:00 pm
Thursday, May 19
- SES 5th Grade Day ~ 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Friday, May 20
- Pirates of Penzance (Grades 3-5) ~ 9:30-10:30 am
- Field Day (5th Grade) ~ 11:30 - 2:00 pm
Monday, May 23
- 5th Grade Celerations
Tuesday, May 24
- 5th Grade Celebrations
Wednesday, May 25
- Last Day of School
- Report Cards sent home
BOGO Scholastic Book Fair
Our spring buy one, get one free book fair is next week!
Dates: May 2-6
Times: Monday-Thursday: 11-2:30/Friday: 11-1 pm
Important info:
- Flyers were sent home today with your child(ren).
- The fair will be BOOKS ONLY. We will not be selling pencils/toys/bookmarks, etc.
- We charge sales tax on all purchases.
Happy shopping!
Simonton ES PTA BINGO Night!
When: Friday, May 6, 2022
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Where: Simonton ES Cafeteria
There will be lots of great prizes for everyone
Field Day
Field day for each grade level is coming soon! We are so excited to invite parents to join in on the fun. Before joining field day, all parents will have to stop in the front office to show their photo ID, sign in, and receive a visitor sticker.
May 4, 2022 (11:30 - 2:00 pm) ~ Kindergarten and 1st Grade
May 5, 2022 (11:30 - 2:00 pm) ~ 2nd and 3rd Grade
May 6, 2022 (11:30 - 2:00 pm) ~ 4th Grade
May 20, 2022 (11:30 - 2:00 pm) ~ 5th Grade
Our 2021-2022 Simonton Yearbooks have arrived!!
Don't miss the opportunity to have your own copy.
You can still purchase a yearbook through your MyPaymentsPlus account, located under the 'School Fees' section. The cost is $23.00.
If you do not have a MyPayments Plus account and would like to still purchase one, please contact the school.
GMAS testing continues...
Next week, 3rd & 5th grades will continue testing. 3rd grade will be taking 2 sections of Math and 5th grade will be taking 3 sections of ELA.
Device Return
We are now collecting all devices that were checked out to students this school year. If your child(ren) have a laptop or hotspot, please have them return it to Simonton. Please don't forget the cords!
Upon return, each device will be inspected. If damage is found, a fee that was listed on your acceptance form will be added to your child's MyPaymentsPlus account.
Gwinnett County Public Library's 2022 Summer Reading Challenge
The theme this year is Oceans of Possibilities.
Here is everything you need to know to participate:
Challenge Dates: May 15th – Aug. 15th (Pre-registration begins on May 1st)
How to Participate: Create or log into an existing Beanstack account here, register for GCPL’s Summer Reading Challenge, and earn prizes by reading and completing activities.
Check out the Beanstack App! Tracking your challenge progress is easier than ever with the Beanstack app. Find it in the App Store and the Google Play Store and keep up-to-date with library fun all summer long.
Make Summer Magical: Gwinnett’s favorite magician, Ken Scott, will be performing at each branch this summer from July 18-27. See our events calendar to find out when he will be at a branch near you.
Track Your Reading: Earn Book Badges by logging the books you read this summer On Beanstack. Every book counts, even if it’s the same one over and over!
Activities and Events: Learning happens through doing as much as it does by reading. Find fun storytime events for your little ones all summer. We have in-branch as well as virtual options, and even a few storytimes at the Splash Pads at Graves and E.E. Robinson county parks.
Prizes: To earn books and entries into our Grand Prize drawing, all you need to do is log the books you read.
- Log 25 Books: Win a free book!
- Log 50 Books: Win a second free book!
- Log 75 Books: Win a third free book and one entry into the Grand Prize drawing!
- Log 100 Books: Win a fourth free book and an additional entry into the Grand Prize drawing!
Grand Prize! Be entered in a drawing to win an annual pass for a family of four to the Georgia Aquarium.
How It Works: Earn points, win prizes!
Earning Points: Log the time you spend reading this summer. Every minute you read earns you a point (1 minute = 1 point). To achieve your goal a bit faster, explore our Activity Badges where you can earn even more points for learning, doing, and exploring!
Activities and Events: Learn more about ocean animals, pirates, surfing, and more by completing virtual Activity Badges. Check Beanstack to find our badges and see if you can collect them all!
Puppet Shows! Attend our kick-off puppet shows featuring ocean-themed stories. Our puppets will be visiting all branches from June 3rd – June 8th.
Check our events calendar to find out when we will be swimming into your neighborhood.
Crafts: Pick up a free Take & Make supply kit to make some ocean-themed bookmarks at home. Available July 11- 17 at a branch near you, while supplies last. Limit 5 per family. (All ages.)
Prizes: To earn books and entries into our Grand Prize drawings, all you need to do is log the minutes you spend reading.
- 350 Points: Win a free book if you are 18 and under.
- 700 Points: Win a second free book if you are 18 and under.
- 1400 Points: Win a third free book if you are 18 and under. Everyone gets one entry into our Grand Prize drawing!
- 3200 Points: Win a fourth free book if you are 18 and under. Everyone gets another entry into our Grand Prize drawing!
- Every 300 additional points beyond 3200 earns you another entry into the Grand Prize drawing! (Max 5 entries per participant)
Grand Prize! Grand Prize winners will receive an annual membership for a family of four to the Georgia Aquarium!
Summer Route for the GCPS Book Mobile
Will your child be 5 years old by Sept. 1? If yes, it’s time to register for kindergarten in an easy, two-step process! First, go to the Kindergarten Registration page on the GCPS website and click the Register Now! button to begin the online registration process. Then, schedule an appointment at your child’s school to verify information, complete a kindergarten readiness profile, pick up materials, and learn about an exciting summer learning opportunity—GCPS’ Rising K Academy!
Rising K Academy offers fun, hands-on learning activities to help kindergartners get ready for the first day of school at no cost to families! Children will meet new friends, learn through play, practice cooperating with their classmates and solving problems, and build the skills they will need to be ready for kindergarten. Transportation and meals (breakfast and lunch) are provided. This in-person program will meet Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., from June 13 to July 1, with a school holiday on June 20.
New kindergartners registered by May 20 will be entered to win prizes like tablets, books, and LEGOs!
See our Simonton Kindergarten Registration Flyers below...
ParentVUE Mobile App for GCPS Families
GCPS parents can use their smartphones to access ParentVUE to find grades, schedules, and more!
Lawrenceville Library Vision to Learn Events in July
Vision to Learn will be offering free eye exams, vision screenings, and free glasses (if needed) at the branch for all kids ages 5-18 on Monday, July 11 and Thursday, July 14 from 9:30 AM to 3 PM. Registration is required and no walk-ins will be accepted during the events.
Return the attached form if you would like your child to participate... [There are 2 separate forms attached, each with a separate date.]
Click here for details and class descriptions. Ages 7-16
In-person Camps: https://www.kids4coding.com/inperson-techcamps4kids
Remote Camps: https://www.kids4coding.com/remote-springtechcourses
Mystery Science Videos:
Supplemental Materials Public Review Opportunity
Staff, families, students, and community members are invited to review and provide input on supplemental materials for special education early learning, career and technical education, K-5 Language Arts/ Social Studies, Georgia History (Gr 8), and US History (Gr 11) from April 25- May 6. The materials for review will be on display at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center (Bldg 100), 437 Old Peachtree Rd NW, Suwanee, from 8:00 am- 4:00 pm Monday- Friday.
Georgia Special Needs Scholarships: SB10 and SB47
What: Under state laws passed by the Georgia State Legislature, parents of students who receive special education services or accommodations under a Section 504 Individual Accommodation Plan may request to transfer their child to another public or private school in Georgia.
Who: Any student who currently receives special education services, grades PK-11th and any returning 12th grader, as well as students who are eligible for a Section 504 Plan and are in grades Kindergarten-11th.
When: By April 29, 2022, share information regarding the Georgia Special Needs Scholarships. This information, forms, as well as parent letters are accessible on the GCPS website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/23585
This information can be shared via your school’s website, email, newsletters, as well as sending home parent information letters.
Annual Parent Involvement Survey
Who: Families of students who are receiving special education services
What: Each state is required to conduct a parent survey to measure parent/family perceptions of the success of parent engagement between home and local schools.
When: Available January 18, 2022 – May 31, 2022
Where: Parents can complete the survey via the survey link below. We ask that a copy of the attached letter be sent home to every SWD student. Additionally, we ask that the letter(s) and survey link be posted on your special education teacher's e-class pages as well as your school website. Our goal is to ensure that all parents are aware of the survey and can have the opportunity to participate.
Please use the following link to access the survey: https://survey.gadoe.org/SPEDParentSurvey
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 School
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
Contact information:
phone: (770) 513-6637
website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES