Knightly News
Friday, November 18, 2022
Every Student, Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, & Excel!
Message from Ms. Perkins ~ Simonton ES Principal
Our last week before Thanksgiving vacation has come to a close. All Gwinnett County Public Schools will be closed from Monday, November 21, 2022, through Friday, November 25, 2022. We will welcome everyone back on Monday, November 28, 2022.
This week our school participated in an evacuation drill. All students and staff moved quickly to the playground area and were transported to our evacuation location. I cannot express how proud I am of our staff for being organized and prepared and making sure students were prepared. The drill went very well, and the student demonstrated excellent behavior. We were able to complete the entire drill and return back to school within 1 hour.
Our awesome PTA will be hosting a holiday shop the week of December 5, 2022. They are in need of a few more volunteers to help in the shop. If you are available to help, please reach out via email at Simontonespta@gmail.com.
Flyers are coming home today for the Simonton ES Holiday luncheon. The luncheon will take place Thursday, December, 8, 2022 and Friday, December 9, 2022. Tickets are $3.80 per person. Check the flyer for the day and time your child's class will attend the luncheon.
Have a wonderful weekend and Thanksgiving holiday!
December 6, 2022 ~ No School
December 6, 2022, has been designated as a Digital Learning Day
Gwinnett County Public Schools has 52 schools that will be used for voting on December 6 for the Runoff Election between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker for one of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats. To provide the highest levels of safety for all schools and students, and to allow GCPS principals, election board officials, and district support staff to provide the conditions for an efficient election, December 6 has been designated as a Digital Learning Day. For information about voting in the runoff, go to the Gwinnett County Elections Page.
On this specially scheduled Digital Learning Day, students will access lessons in eCLASS but do not have virtual class time with their teachers. To ensure that students have a nutritious breakfast and lunch to fuel their learning, our bus drivers will be on the road and at every bus stop to deliver free meals prepared by the School Nutrition Program staff.
Families should expect buses to run their routes from approximately 10:45 a.m. to noon, beginning at the first stops on the route. These delivered meals are provided at no cost to families and are available to anyone 18 years old and under.
Happy National Parent/Family Involvement Month!
November is National Parent/Family Engagement Month and November 17th was the 28th Annual National Parent/Family Involvement Day (NPID).
To show our appreciation, Parents, please take a moment to read the following letter...
Simonton Holiday Luncheon
We are excited to invite our families to the Simonton ES holiday luncheon this year. To accommodate all classes the luncheon will take place over a two-day time period.
You are able to purchase tickets via MyPaymentsPlus or you can send cash or checks to the school with your student(s).
Hard copies of the flyers went home today, so please check your student's yellow Simonton folder. However, it is also attached below if needed.
Upcoming Event Dates
Monday, November 21 - Friday, November 25
- Thanksgiving Break
Friday, November 25
- Native American Heritage Day
Thursday, December 1
- Title 1 Parent Workshop: Digital Resources for Parents ~ 4:30-5:00 pm
Friday, December 2
- Local School Council Meeting ~ 9:00-10:00 am
Monday, December 5- Friday, December 9
- PTA Holiday Shop
Tuesday, December 6
- Added Digital Learning Day (run-off elections)
Wednesday, December 7
- STEM Camp Session 1 (K-2nd) ~ 3:00-5:30 pm
Saturday, December 10
- Holiday Breakfast ~ 9:00-10:00 am
- Lawrenceville Merry Little Christmas ~ 12:30 pm (Downtown Lawrenceville)
Tuesday, December 13
- Holiday Musical
Wednesday, December 14
- Science Assembly
- 5th grade Holiday Hat Day
- STEM Camp Session 2 (K-2nd) ~ 3:00-5:30 pm
Thursday, December 15
- PTA Spirit Night at Urban Air ~ 5:00- 9:00 pm
Friday, December 16
- End of Semester 1
Monday, December 19- Wednesday, January 4
- Winter Break
Our Principal for the Day ~ Mr. Ben Hines
Attention K, 1st, and 2nd grade students!
Do you love STEM? Do you like learning about animals? Are you curious about how their bodies help them survive in the wild? Do you like going to Six Flags or other amusement parks? Have you ever thought about making your own rides or roller coasters? If any of this sounds like fun to you, be sure to sign up for our FREE Simonton STEM Camp coming up in December. Students will stay after school, but they will need to get picked up by someone on their approved pick-up list when camp is over at 5:30pm. Just CLICK HERE to sign up! Once you sign up, look for an email and paper confirmation from Mrs. Aseltine!
12/7/2022 Amazing Animal Structures - 3:00pm-5:30pm
12/14/2022 Amusement Park FUN - 3:00pm-5:30pm
Simonton ES All Pro Dads Chapter
We are excited to relaunch our Simonton ES All Pro Dads chapter! All Pro Dads is a wonderful opportunity for fathers, grandfathers and any other positive figure in a child's life to partner with the school. Events and meetings focus on building a strong, healthy and postive relationship with your student.
Prior to Covid, Simonton had a robust and active chapter. Thank you to Mr. Reginald Williams and Mr. Jackie Sweets, who have volunteered to help restart our chapter.
If you are interested in volunteering, please click on the link below. Stay tuned for meeting dates and events.
Back by Popular Demand ~ The SES PTA Holiday Shop!
We need your help to make the holiday shop a success for our students. The holiday shop will be open Monday, December 5 - Friday, December 9, 2022. The Simonton ES PTA will need many volunteers to help out. If you are available, please contact the PTA at Simontonespta@gmail.com.
Parent Mentors Present: “Behavior Strategies to Help Parents”
Who: Parents/Guardians of students receiving Special Education services
What: Parent Mentors Present: “Behavior Strategies to Help Parents”
When: Thursday, December 8, 2022, 9:30am – 11:00am or 6:00 pm-7:30pm
Where: In-Person registration link for 9:30am session: https://forms.gle/xTksoSuzno7Sb8D19
Zoom registration link for 6pm session: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvfuyoqTMjG9Nqcg5rJNslLNjIcamVniMF
Gwinnett County Public Schools is requesting volunteers to join the GCPS Literacy Advisory Council.
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is requesting volunteers to join the GCPS Literacy Advisory Council. This Council will function as a collaboration hub to unpack PK-12 literacy initiatives, review student learning and program implementation data, participate in problem-solving inquiry cycles, and provide annual recommendations to the GCPS team regarding our literacy performance.
Our focus for this school year will include the following:
- Conduct a needs assessment to identify the current state of literacy performance and expectations in GCPS
- Review the Dyslexia legislation and district implications
- Revisit our Comprehensive Literacy Plan and provide implementation status updates
- Share problems of practice and co-construct practical solutions
We are seeking 50-60 volunteers to dedicate 2-3 hours per month for six months to fully engage in this work. We are looking for parents and guardians, students, external service agencies, colleges and universities, and all school and district-based staff to serve. This is a working group and our time together and in-between scheduled meetings will require participants to work collaboratively to create proposed solutions.
Click on the link below for more information.
SES ~ Building Construction
If you are visiting Simonton ES in the next few weeks you will see contractors working in the front atrium. The district is installing a vestibule, with shatter-resistant glass, at the front entrance. We are fortunate that no incidents have taken place at Simonton ES, as an additional safety measure, this upgrade is taking place in all GCPS schools. Please know we are not attempting to keep parents and families out, but our campus must be safe for students and staff while at school. We anticipate changes to the process for parent/visitor entry and student checkout and will send additional communication at a later date. The front entrance will be accessible while the construction is taking place.
We will also discuss the importance of using techcnology responsibly and making safe choices online.
Blueprint for the Future
The Blueprint is designed to ensure our Portrait of a Graduate becomes a reality. The Blueprint will also drive the intentional culture shifts that reflect the guiding vision of the Learning 2025 community of practice. Our Blueprint for the Future defines our strategic priorities in four areas: empathy, equity, effectiveness, and excellence.
Free Resources for Families
Students stay home during the week of November 21-25, and return to school on Monday, November 28. Buses will not be distributing meals during this time. Click here if you or someone you know needs help with basic needs (including food, personal care items, clothing, shelter, utilities, etc.). Or visit this website and enter your ZIP code to find free food pantries near you. Then click on the red marker closest to you for more information.
Gwinnett Community Services is joining forces with Goodr to hold two FREE pop-up grocery markets for Gwinnett families facing food security challenges. Goodr will help provide fresh produce, meat, shelf-stable items, milk, and other beverages. Families must pre-register to attend. One registration is allowed per household.
Vines Park – Register here
Wednesday, November 23 – 10 a.m. to noon – 3500 Oak Grove Road in Loganville
Lucky Shoals Park – Register here
Wednesday, November . 23 – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – 4651 Britt Road in Norcross
Stay tuned for the December pop-up markets in the Duluth and Lawrenceville areas.
Gwinnett County Board of Education Town Hall Meetings
The Gwinnett County Board of Education (BOE), our Superintendent, and our entire GCPS system value feedback and input from our stakeholders. The Board of Education believes your insight helps them make better decisions as we move forward together.
To this end, each board member has scheduled a Town Hall Meeting to allow students, families, staff, and community members to have open-ended conversations with their BOE district representative. During these five town halls, Board members will answer questions, hear concerns, and listen to understand your perspective of Gwinnett County Public Schools.
These meetings are structured as informal open forums. There are no set agendas for any meeting, and any participant may ask questions or offer suggestions. All town hall meetings are open to the public. These meetings will not be livestreamed, and interpreters are available. If you need interpretation services, assistance, or have questions, please email MySchoolBoard@gcpsk12.org.
Each meeting will be held at a different school from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following dates:
· Tuesday, November 29, 2022 – Meadowcreek HS – Dr. Tarece Johnson (Bilingual meeting)
· Thursday, December 1, 2022 – Seckinger HS – Steven Knudsen
· Wednesday, December 7, 2022 – Paul Duke STEM HS – Dr. Mary Kay Murphy
· Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – Parkview HS – Everton Blair, Jr./Dr. Adrienne Simmons
· Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – Archer HS – Karen Watkins
Elementary Handbook Information for Students and Families
On August 18, 2022 the Gwinnett County Board approved Policy JCDI - Board's Theory of Action for Change to Improve Student Behavior and Outcomes (please see attached Policy). This Policy outlines our Board’s commitment to providing both consequences and interventions in order to improve student behavior outcomes.
The Elementary Handbook Information for Students and Families has been updated to include this new change. Please take a moment to read the new handbook and sign off in the Parent Portal indicating your have received a copy of the document. A copy of the document is attached to the newsletter and a link to the documents on the GCPS website is below.
ATTENTION STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO LOVE STEM AND PROBLEM SOLVING!
The Gwinnett County Science and Engineering Fair wants you to submit a project that solves a real-world problem! If you watch THIS VIDEO and sign up in my Google Classroom, you will find out lots more about it! Simonton Elementary will be hosting the preliminary Science and Engineering Fair here at school. The top projects will go on to the Gwinnett County Science and Engineering Fair! Can't wait to see your amazing ideas!
Google Classroom - Click on the + - Click "Join Class" - Enter the Code: rgsgpv2
Gingerbread House Contest
With the holiday season quickly approaching the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse have announced a Gingerbread House contest will be part of the annual Lighting of the Tree festivities this year and are introducing two new holiday events – Brunch With Santa and a Holiday Open House.
- Gingerbread House Contest: We want to display your Gingerbread House during this year’s Lighting of the Tree event. Everyone is invited to build their own gingerbread house that will be on display in the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse’s Superior Court Ballroom from November 24th – November 30th. Entries will be accepted from schools, children/families/individuals, business, organizations and culinary students/professionals. There is no fee to participate. Don’t forget – the annual Lighting of the Tree event is Thursday, November 24th with festivities kicking off at 5:30pm.
- Brunch With Santa or Breakfast With Santa: Children of all ages will delight in a yummy meal, make fun crafts, and share their wish list with Santa, personally! Bring your little ones to hear Santa share a magical story and don't forget your camera for photos with ol' Saint Nick. Preregister by December 2.
- Holiday Family Photos: Bring a camera and your photographer for a 30-minute photo session for holiday photos in one of our many beautifully decorated settings. Reservations are required. Don’t wait primate dates will sell out.
- Holiday Open House: Visitors are welcomed to enjoy self-guided tours of the beautifully decorated Courthouse, including the lovely Superior Court Ballroom, beautiful Blue Ready Room, quaint Intimate Wedding room, and Santa’s homey Living Room. Take photos with personal cameras and enjoy holiday treats with friends and family. Children can leave a letter for Santa in his mailbox.
eTips for Parents
Sometimes, saying 'no' gives your child a chance to grow
Families strive to give their children everything they need. But everything they want? That's a different story. Saying no at appropriate times encourages resourcefulness and helps kids learn to solve problems for themselves. Children must learn to occupy themselves and settle their own disagreements. They must do their own schoolwork. Saying no to doing these things for your child makes it clear that your child is capable of doing them independently. https://tpitip.com/?12kU18608
Decide on consequences before the rule is broken
When your child breaks the rules, you have to take action. But consequences are more effective if your child knows beforehand what they will be. For example, "If you don't do your assignments, study time will be twice as long the next day to be sure you have enough time." Establishing rules and consequences in advance keeps your child from feeling picked on. And it helps reinforce the connection between actions and their outcomes. https://tpitip.com/?12kV18608
Have a ton of rhyming fun
Rhyming games can help children increase their vocabularies and general knowledge. And they are easy to play anywhere! If your child is trying to learn the names of the states, for example, say, "I'm thinking of a state that rhymes with plane. What is it?" (Maine). Take turns asking the questions. Or try making rhymes for words on your child's spelling list. Having fun with words develops your child's love of language. https://tpitip.com/?12kW18608
Make your holiday gathering an occasion for learning
Holidays offer your child a great chance to learn and spend time with family. So plan some activities that everyone can share. For example, your child can learn more about family history by interviewing older relatives. Your child might ask about their arrival in this country, or about unusual experiences they've had. If your family won't be seeing relatives this holiday season, help your child write the questions down in a letter. https://tpitip.com/?12kX18608
Take sides to improve critical thinking
There's usually more than one side to an issue. To help your child practice seeing the pros and cons of an argument, play a debate game. Throw out a statement, such as "Homework should be banned forever." Ask your child to think of all the reasons that support your child's opinion on the subject. Then ask for a list of all the reasons against it. Discuss both sides as a family. Which views were more convincing? https://tpitip.com/?12kY18608
Teach your child to respect the world all around
Students need to learn to take respectful care of items around them: their own, the school's and other people's. One way to teach this behavior is to involve them in caring for the environment. Ask your child to think of things your family could do to protect your corner of the world: planting trees, recycling, etc. Suggest activities to match your child's interests. If your child likes animals, for example, help find out more about their habitats and what can be done to preserve them. https://tpitip.com/?12kZ18608
Help your child feel like a writer
To encourage your child to see writing as something fun to do, offer a supply of interesting paper, and pens and pencils in different widths and colors. Or demonstrate how to choose fonts and colors on the computer, and encourage your child to email friends and relatives. Display samples of your child's writing on a family bulletin board to send the message, "I believe you are a writer." https://tpitip.com/?12ka18608
Helpful Resources
Simonton ES PTA
Print the attached membership form and return it to the Simonton ES PTA. Sign up for a membership and volunteer to support an event! Contact the Simonton ES PTA at Simontonespta@gmail.com for more information.
Gwinnett Public Library
Featured Events for Your Students (All programs start at 4 PM)
- Simple Science: Sink and Float will take place November 30 at 11:30am
- Family Lego Challenge will take place November 20 at 4pm
ESL Language Learning & New Americans Programs
We are offering 3 programs for adults who speak English as a second language and want the chance to practice conversationally and for adults who are new to the country as a whole. These programs are:
- Let's Talk:
- In person: Tuesday evenings at 5 PM
- Virtual:
Monday the 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 10am
Thursday the 3, 10. and 17 at 10am
SES Business Partners
Simonton Elementary School would like to thank our business sponsors!
Your support and partnership helps us fulfill our mission of having our students Learn, Lead, & Excel!
Mathnasium of North Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Phone: 678-756-1392
Stars and Strikes
Dacula, GA 30019
Phone: 678-965-5707
GCPS Flyers
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
Deputy Superintendent ~ Dr. T. Nakia Towns
Board Member ~ Mr. Steven B. Knudsen
Cluster Superintendent ~ Dr. Keith D. Thompson
Principal ~ Ms. Tamara G. Perkins
Assistant Principal ~ Mr. Nicholas Gilmore
Assistant Principal ~ Dr. Joe Sanfilippo
Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Amy Steinberg
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone: 770-513-6637
Twitter: @SimontonPride