Simonton Parent Newsletter
Friday, September 4, 2020
Every Student, Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel!
A Message from Ms. Perkins
Our 1st, 2nd and 5th grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment the week of September 14, 2020. Please see the attached flyer for more details. If your child is in 1st, 2nd or 5th grade, their schedule may change slightly so that teachers may administer the assessment.
Next Friday, September 11, 2020 our Simonton ES Media Center will begin offering curbside pick-up. Students may reserve books and parents may drive to the school on Fridays, between 9:00 - 2:00 pm to pick up books.
All schools will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020 due to the Labor Day holiday. There will be no school for in-person or digital learners. We will welcome everyone back on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Picture Day
Grade Level Supply Lists
Upcoming Events:
- Labor Day Holiday ~ No School
Thursday, September 10
- Annual Title 1 Parent Meeting (View between Sept. 10- Sept. 14 on SES website)
Tuesday, September 15
- CogAT testing (1st grade)
Wednesday, September 16
- CogAT testing (2nd grade)
Thursday, September 17
- CogAT testing (5th grade)
CogAT
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a multiple-choice assessment that measures the way students think. The CogAT helps our teachers determine the
best ways to instruct students. The district also uses achievement scores on the CogAT as a part of the process for identification for the Gifted Education program. In GCPS, students in grades 1, 2, 5, and 8 take this assessment, which consists of three sections------ verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. Each section takes approximately 30-45 minutes.
TEST DAYS: September 15 (Grade 1); September 16 (Grade 2); September 17 (Grades 5 and 8)
ANNUAL TITLE 1 PARENT MEETING
via recorded meeting posted on the school website
September 10th - 14th
This meeting will introduce you to Simonton’s Title 1 program and how the Title 1 program supports our students and families. This recorded meeting will be available via our school website for you to watch at your convenience between September 10th and September 14th.
Please see the attachment for the agenda.
The Media Center is offering Curbside Pick-up for Digital Learning Students
Beginning September 11th, the Simonton Media Center will begin offering curbside pick-up for library books. Digital students will be able to reserve and place books on hold for pick-up every Friday from 9 am - 2 pm.
Visit the Media Center eCLASS page for more details on how to place a hold.
4th & 5th Graders interested in being apart of our Virtual Lego Robotics Team
Our First LEGO League Competition Team needs you! We are currently accepting applications for the 2020 competition team. If you are interested in problem solving, designing and coding robotics and sharing your solutions with an audience, please fill out the form below by September 9th. Our team will meet virtually on Friday mornings beginning September 11 from 7:00-7:45 am. Our team size is limited, so please do your best on the application.
Be Internet Awesome!
When our kids are young, we do our best to help them get the most out of the Internet while protecting them from the risks and downsides of the online world. As children mature into teenhood, our role shifts to helping them learn to make their own safe and thoughtful decisions as they navigate their digital lives. At Simonton, we believe in partnering with parents and preparing our students to:
• Think critically and evaluate websites, email, and other content online.
• Protect themselves from online threats, including bullying and scams.
• Get smart about sharing: what, when, how, and with whom.
• Be kind and respectful toward other people online, including respecting their privacy.
• Ask for help with tricky situations from a parent or other trusted adult.
Healthy Habits
Spanish Guides to help with Digital Learning
i9 Sports Fall Flyer
Dinosaurs!
Starting in September, McDonald’s is offering one of four dinosaur themed activity books with each Happy Meal®, at participating McDonald’s for a limited time. Each activity book is about a different type of dinosaur. To help you keep the adventures going and encourage reading at home, RIF created these free literacy resources, games and activities, aligned with each activity book. Reading ignites imaginations and opens a world of possibilities! We hope these Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous activity books and resources will inspire the reader in your life.
Links to these activities can be found below:
Water Bottles
Please take a moment to VOTE!
Calling all Gwinnett community members and beyond! Please take a minute to VOTE and SHARE for our Brookwood and Five Forks Middle School team in their quest to attain a top 5 spot in this NATIONAL TI Codes contest that would allow them to visit Houston and present their project to NASA Engineers at Johnson Space Center and Mission Control (Post-COVID). The contest was to create an innovation for the International Space Station(ISS). They were required to create a working prototype utilizing technology from Texas Instruments, and specifically do all machine coding via a TI inspire Calculator.
The following students are all Sophomores' at Brookwood HS that have been a part of this team: William Li (team lead, coding), Sam Barskiy (3d printing, design), Ethan Shust (construction/implementation), and the Sponsor Stephen Griffith (FFMS Engineering/Robotics/PrintShop).
Vote Here, Vote for the Astrobutler, vote on each device you have:
https://education.ti.com/en/promotion/codescontest
Project videos:
TI Codes Contest- Astrobutler (in G Suite)
TI Codes Contest- Astrobutler (In Youtube)
TI Codes Contest- Astrobutler (In Vimeo)
SES Parent/Student Handbook Highlight ~ clinic
A clinic worker is available to provide first aid assistance to students. Parents/guardians will be called if a child is too ill to remain at school. Students with a fever will be sent home and need to be fever/symptom free (without medication) for 24 hours before returning to school. Parents should go to the office to sign out a child. If a parent wants to administer medication themselves at school to a student, this must take place in the clinic with school personnel present. For student safety we need to be aware of the medication and dosage in case there are any adverse reactions. The clinic worker is authorized to administer medications to students when proper paperwork is completed. Medications should always be in the original containers when brought to or picked up from school by an adult. Medication may not be brought to school by a student. These procedures are a safety precaution for your child, both on the bus and when they visit the clinic. Parents should inform the school if their child has a contagious disease. Please do not send your child to school when he/she is feeling ill and there is risk of infecting others.
Voting
Not sure? Check your voting status at USA.gov or Vote.org TODAY!!
2020 Census
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- Mr. J. Alvin Wilbanks
Assistant Superintendent- Dr. Terry Watlington
Board Member- Mr. Steven B. Knudsen
Principal- Tamara G. Perkins
Assistant Principal- Daphne Miles
Assistant Principal- Nicole Tomlinson
Assistant Principal- Emily Young
Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone: (770) 513-6637