The Coming Month
- January 8 - Basketball vs. Northbrook at Home
- January 10 - Basketball vs. Lanier at Lanier HS
- January 13 - Basketball vs. Hull at Home
- January 14 - Summerour Spelling Bee (*note new date)
- January 15 - Basketball vs. Creekland at Collins Hill HS
- January 17 - No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 25 - Digital Learning Day
- January 31 - National School Counseling Week Begins
IB Learners are Open-Minded
January's IB Learner Profile is Open-Minded.
Open-Minded learners critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
On-site Covid Testing
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is continuing its efforts to keep schools safe by making COVID-19 Surveillance Testing available to students and staff. In January of 2022, the district will begin piloting this testing in the Norcross Cluster.
Routine COVID-19 testing (also called surveillance testing) can quickly detect individuals who are positive with COVID-19 and trace contacts who should quarantine. The testing, which is free and will be conducted on a weekly basis at the school, uses a short Qtip-type swab to collect a sample from inside the nose. This testing will allow GCPS to test, receive test results (within 24 hours), and notify individuals of a clinically significant reading. By participating, students and staff members can help to minimize the spread of the virus within our schools, which benefits us all.
Although participation in surveillance testing is not required for students or staff members, it is strongly encouraged. Participation will contribute to the success of this mitigation strategy and our schools’ ability to limit the spread of COVID and keep students learning in person.
Learn more about the COVID testing being offered to Norcross Cluster students and staff by reviewing our frequently asked questions.
Sign Up is currently closed. Testing will start soon.
72% in January!
Have your student stay in practice and work on it daily. Short sessions every day will do wonders. This month's goal is 72% progress on Khan Academy.
We are giving incentives out each month. We also have a Khan Saturday Program - ask your math teacher to join!
6th Grade
- We are gearing up for an amazing second semester! As a reminder, Connections classes change each semester. Your child has 2 new classes in their schedule.
- Georgia Milestones testing will be here before you know it! To prepare, please make sure your children are keeping up with our Khan Academy expectations (daily homework, 72% complete in January). Speak with your child’s math teacher for more information.
Mr. Lenie George
6th Grade Assistant Principal
770-417-2494
Mrs. Pam Griswell
6th Grade Counselor
770-417-2491
7th Grade
We are so excited about the new semester! We have so many fun and engaging activities planned.
This semester we are starting a new hallway pass policy. We want to ensure students are getting the most instructional time possible. Therefore, each 7th-grade student will receive a pink sheet with three emergency passes for the 3rd nine weeks to use outside their two team restroom breaks. These passes also will help us with student supervision and restroom monitoring. We thank you so much for your support as we ensure your students receive the best education possible.
Ask your students about OUR 3 Rs? We are Respectful, Responsible Role Models each and every day!
Mr. Stacy James
7th Grade Assistant Principal
770-417-2486
Mrs. Yunilda Valdez
7th Grade Counselor
770-417-2480
8th Grade
- First and foremost, Welcome Back! It is so good to see each and every one of you. We look forward to an AWESOME 2nd semester.
- Course Recommendations are going on this week
- AAP (for credit recovery) will start soon. It will be from 7:15 amp to 8:15 am. Individual students who qualify will be notified soon.
Mrs. Christy Gray
8th Grade Assistant Principal
770-453-2051
Mrs. Robin Blackwell
8th Grade Counselor
770-417-2487
Mrs. Kimberly Blackshear
Gear Up/ Special Education Counselor
Kimberly.Blackshear@gcpsk12.org
770-797-2960
Upcoming Assessments
Final Exam Makeups
Makeup testing for Semester 1final exams ends January 14th
NAEP Assessment
January 31
Select students only
ACCESS Testing
ACCESS testing for our English Language Learners will begin in January. There are several parts to the test. Please ensure students are rested and ready on the day of the test.
Students Should Not Be At The Park
The park out in front of the school, by the soccer field, is not school property!
Students are not to be there during the school day, nor are they to walk there after school. Please remind your students that this is not an appropriate destination during the school day, or even immediately after school.
Preferred Name?
GCPS is taking steps to ensure that students are called by their preferred name at school. The first step in acknowledging the preferred names used by many of our students is to facilitate updates to this information in the district’s student information system.
With that in mind, the district is transitioning away from using the “Nickname” field to using a new “Preferred Name” field. Families of students who wish for their child to be called by a “Preferred Name” other than their legal name will need to go into ParentVUE (in the GCPS Parent Portal) to provide that information.
More information in the file below:
G.I.F.T.S. Service Project Ends January 31
The G.I.F.T.S. mentoring program began taking donations on 12/6/2021 for Rainbow Village. Rainbow Village is an organization that helps abused & battered women along with their kids to give them a safe haven to live in.
Below is a PDF wish list of items that they particularly need, though this list is not all they would accept to run their safe haven.
Ms. Lakysha Smith, our clinic worker, is the point person. You can email her or any G.I.F.T.S. leadership with questions.
Collection is ongoing until 1/31/2022
More information about G.I.F.T.S. can be found on our clubs page
Basketball Schedule
January 8: Home - Northbrook Middle
January 10: Away - Lanier Middle (Lanier High)**
January 13: Home - Hull Middle
January 15: Away - Creekland Middle (Collins Hill High)
January 19: Away - Dacula Middle (Dacula High)
Tickets are $4.00, cash at the gate
Digital Tickets are $5.00
(available on https://gofan.co/search as the date approaches)
**January 10 game at Lanier is only accepting GoFan for payments. They will NOT accept cash at the gate.
Future School Council Meetings
February 1, 2022
April 12, 2022
* all meetings will be held from 5 - 6:30 pm
Summerour Middle School
