Bronco Bulletin February 23, 2024

Greetings Bronco Families!

I am excited to share great news from Crews. Congratulations to our BroncoBots on their recent success at the VEX Robotics State Tournament at Brookwood High School. Two teams made it to the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of competition while one team qualified for Vex Worlds 2024. These are remarkable accomplishments for their second year of competition. We are very proud of our student scholars and computer science teacher/club sponsor, Mrs. Lapite. Lastly, special thanks to Mrs. Bowen and Mr. Hames for leading the way in bringing our school community together to support the 29th Annual Run the Reagan community event. This worthy cause supports several organizations including the Brookwood Schools Foundation.

Please continue to stay Connected @ Crews through our school communications, social media platforms, and website. Here are some activities on the horizon:

• February 26: Gwinnett Writes (6th Grade Writing Test)
• February 28: 6th Grade Social
• March 6-7: Early Release Days
• March 11-14: Interim Testing
• 3/11- English Language Arts & Social Studies
• 3/13- Math & Science
• 3/12, 14, 18, 19- Makeup Testing

Remember we are here as partners in your child’s educational journey. If you need support, please contact our school. Let’s make this semester the best one to date!

In service to others,

Principal Cindy Moffett

SCOLIOSIS SCREENING

All 6th and 8th graders will be screened for scoliosis on March 6, 2024.

Parent opt-out letters will be sent home February 21st and can also be found here: 23-24 Parent Scoliosis Letter

If you choose to opt your child out of screening, the signed form must be returned to the clinic by March 5, 2024.

See the video on our website HERE for information from CHOA about scoliosis and screenings.

DISTRICT AND STATE SURVEYS

Crews Middle School welcomes family input through district and state surveys. Each year, to help improve our schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools collects feedback from our families about their school experience. Use this link to access the 2023-24 Educational Effectiveness Family Survey. Additionally, to support school improvement, family feedback is welcomed at the state level. Use this link to access the 2023-24 Georgia Department of Education Family Survey. Thanks for supporting Crews as we endeavor to enhance experiences for all stakeholers!

RISING 9TH SUMMER HEALTH/PE

Attention 8th Grade Students and Parents!

Are you/your student interested in taking Health and PE over the summer? Check out the attached flyer for more information on the courses and how to register. Any additional questions or concerns should be sent to David Cashman david.cashman@gcpsk12.org.

2024-25 BHS DANCE AUDITIONS (DATE CHANGE)

The date is now Monday, FEB 26 (changed from FEB 27). Rising 10th-12th graders come at 2:30 PM, and rising 9th graders at 5 PM. An audition is required to take a dance class.

IMPORTANT YEARBOOK INFORMATION

Yearbooks are now available for purchase until we sell out - get yours soon so you don't miss out!

You may purchase a yearbook here. Our school code is 291.

You’ll have three payment options — eCheck, debit/credit card, or PayPal.

If you choose PayPal, you can also choose their free service to “Buy Now Pay Later.” Their free “Pay in 4” plan will split the amount into four equal payments every two weeks.

Not sure if you bought a yearbook yet?

Visit http://www.yearbookordercenter.com/ and use school code 291.

Once in the site, scroll down under "Already Placed an Order?" and click "Find Your Order."

You will enter your email address. If you have ordered a yearbook, your order will come up. If it does not, you have not yet purchased a yearbook.

Homeroom teachers have a list of students who have purchased a yearbook as well. Students can check with them to verify.

PTSA GENERAL MEETING

The Crews PTSA will host its next virtual General Meeting on February 27, 2024 at 7PM. The link to the meeting will be sent to PTSA members via email.

6TH GRADE SOCIAL

The 6th Grade Social will be Wednesday, February 28 from 4:30-6:00 pm. The ticket purchase will include pizza, snacks, drinks, a DJ, and games. Tickets are on sale until Monday, February 26th. Tickets can be purchased here: Crews PTSA Store

To volunteer or send in items, please see our signup here: 6th Grade Social Signup

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 1

*For a full list of club information, please visit gcpsk12.org/cmsclubs

MONDAY

Art & Photography, 8:15

Volleyball, 8:15

BEST Club, 4:15

Chill & Connect Club, 4:15

Percussion Ensemble, 4:15

BroncoBots, 4:15

TUESDAY

History Club, 8:15

WEDNESDAY

Science Olympiad, 4:15

THURSDAY

SGA, 8:15

Honors Orchestra, 8:15

Girl Talk, 4:15

FRIDAY

Thrive, 8:15

BROOKWOOD THEATRE

Friday-Saturday, FEB 23-24, at 7 PM. Come see Brookwood's production and experience of Trap on stage this weekend. Get $10 tickets on Brookwood's GoFan. Trap is an unnerving, exhilarating, and inventive storyline about the mystery of an entire audience that fell unconscious while watching a play. Please note, this play is not recommended for younger children.

BRONCO ACES

Brookwood's awesome tennis team offers a 3-session program this March for young tennis fans to work on skills and enjoy the sport with our Broncos, coaches, and a tennis pro. Times are divided into grade levels: K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th. The cost is $30. Click here for more details and the sign-up link.

Mu Epsilon Sigma cordially invites you to attend our 2024 Youth Symposium. The event will be hosted on March 9, 2024, @ 9:00A.M at Brookwood High School. The Youth Symposium is hosted annually by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Alumnae Chapters across the nation which is designed to highlight some of the prevalent concerns that negatively impact our youth (drugs, teen violence, low self-esteem, mental health, teen pregnancy, human trafficking, etc.). Register at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-mu-epsilon-sigma-youth-symposium-tickets-811280360397

PTA ICE CREAM SALES

PTA is selling ice cream during Wednesday lunch periods for $1 each, cash only.

NO DRINKS OTHER THAN WATER

We are in the process of getting new carpeting at here at Crews. Please ensure your children do not bring any drinks other than water to school. This includes Starbucks, sports drinks, soda, etc. Thank you for your assistance in ensuring our school remains clean!

BUS PASSES

Please make a note that when asking for your student to receive a bus pass, it must be for emergency reasons only. Your student needs to bring a note from home with the emergency reason explained. This is a request directly from GCPS transportation. Thanks for your understanding of this matter.

ABSENCES

If your student is absent, send a parent note or doctor's excuse with your child upon returning to school (and no later than two weeks following the first day returning to school) to receive an excused absence. Excuse notes should be submitted to the student’s grade level office. Parent emails to teachers about student absences (partial or complete day) are not the official excuse but are suitable as an informational courtesy.

Parent Portal: If you don't have a Parent Portal account, click here for more information and to get a form to request an account. The Parent Portal is the best way to stay up-to-date on your child's grades, attendance, and more!

Newsletter: We will be sending our weekly newsletter, the Bronco Bulletin, to all parents every Friday. Be sure to check your Parent Portal account to make sure we have the correct email address so you don't miss any upcoming news and events!

Social Media: Follow us online! We are on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

ParentSquare:

If you have not yet activated your account or you have questions, please check out GCPS' site at www.gcpsk12.org/Page/35909. You can find instructions for activating your account, customizing your notification settings, and more.

We did want to clarify a couple of things about ParentSquare. First, there is a ParentSquare app, but you do not have to download it if you do not want to. Using the app will give you quick access to the announcements, as well as the option of having push notifications, but you can also just use the web version of ParentSquare through your Parent Portal.

Second, ParentSquare gives you the opportunity to customize how and when you receive your notifications. You can choose whether you would prefer instant (as soon as the message is posted) or digest (a compilation of all messages sent through ParentSquare that day) for email, text, and app notifications. You can choose a different setting for text, email, and app notifications. For example, you can set email to digest, texts to instant, and app notifications to off, if you prefer. Be aware that the digest option begins to send at 6:00 pm, so you will receive all messages together typically between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. The default setting for parents is digest, so you will need to go in and change this if you would prefer instant. Emergency/time sensitive messages will still be sent instantly, regardless of settings.

Quick Links

Activating Your Account

Customizing Your Notifications

We want all our students to get involved at Crews! Visit our Clubs and Activities page to check out all the options available. Be sure to pay close attention to the morning news show for announcements on club signups and upcoming events!