Family Knight News
Our Monthly Newsletter
We've been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! I hope you've been following us on Social Media. Here's what we have upcoming in the school and in the community:
· Latin Dance Party 10/13/23 (Students will enjoy a dance party with Latin music- more information to come)
· Door/Bulletin Board Decorating (Teachers may decorate their hallway bulletin boards and/or doors to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month)
· Celebrating Hispanic Culture (Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville Oct. 21 11am-8pm)
· Festival Dia de Los Muertos (Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville Oct. 28 11:30am-1:30pm)
Message from the Principal - Mrs. Haynes
October 2023
Greetings LES Families,
I hope this message finds you well rested after enjoying a wonderful fall break with your children. Our staff is refreshed and ready to continue the work of moving our students forward. We have had a wonderful beginning of the school year. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your trust and support as we move forward on this journey together.
Our dedicated teachers and staff have been hard at work, and our students' enthusiasm for learning is evident. We've seen our students settling into their routines, forming friendships, and showing eagerness to learn. Students begin each day by participating in Joyful Learning followed by a Morning Meeting. Beginning each day with play gives students the best possible start to their school day.
As we move forward, I want to assure you that we have exciting plans and goals for the upcoming year. Our focus remains on providing a safe and nurturing environment that promotes academic excellence and social emotional development. We will continue to encourage a love for learning, instill a sense of responsibility, and foster creativity in our students.
Throughout the year, we will have numerous opportunities for family involvement. Your presence means a lot to us. We recently held our inaugural All Pro Dads meeting, and it yielded an amazing turnout. It truly warmed our hearts to see dads, moms, and kids eating together and participating in activities related to Problem Solving. Our very first PTA event was a well attended Skate Night where students and staff skated, ate, and had a good time together. Our Family Center has already hosted events to support our families with better understanding technology. Upcoming, we look forward to seeing you at our PTA sponsored Fall Festival and Parent-Teacher conferences. It's going to be a fabulous month of teaching, learning, and parent engagement.
Again, we thank all of our families for your continued support and for working with us to support our students. We appreciate the time you invest in us, and we promise you our continued commitment to you and our students.
Note: There's a lot happening this month. Please read below so that you don't miss a thing! We will be sending reminders. :-)
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Haynes
Please Welcome New Staff to LES!
Ms. Gina Cobb - 3rd Grade Teacher
Ms. Mariana Arana - Student Data Management Clerk
Ms. Shavonna Jones - Restoration Room/PBIS Coordinator
50's Dress Up Day on October 16th to Celebrate our 50th Day of School!
Students, Staff, and Visitors are welcome to participate in this dress up day!
Parent-Teacher Conferences are happening the week of October 16th - October 20st.
You can go to https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Lawrenceville_Elementary_School and select your child's teacher for a conference. Your child's teacher will also send you their direct schedule link for your to choose a good time to come to a conference during that week. We encourage all parents to attend conferences. This is an opportunity to learn more about your child's academic performance. Teachers will also review your child's results on their iReady screener.
Early Release Days
October 18th and October 19th are early release days for students. Students will arrive to school at our normal time between 8:20 - 8:50. Students will have breakfast and lunch at school as usual. Parents cannot join students for lunch those days because they will be eating in their classrooms. Students will be dismissed at 12:50. Bus riders should be home by 1:30 PM. Please make sure to make arrangements for this change.
The book fair is coming to LES! Shopping days will be on October 16-20. We will be open until 4:30 on early release days 10/18 and 10/19. We hope to see you there! Thank you in advance for your support of the Black Knight Media Center!
PINK OUT - October 20, 2023 - Please wear PINK!
We invite all students, staff, and visitors to wear pink on October 20th to honor those who are fighting, celebrate our survivors, and remember those we have lost.
Please join us for our Fall Festival on October 21st!
Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week is coming!!!! October 23rd-27th we will be celebrating choosing to stay drug free as a school. Please see the flyer for details.
From the Counselor's Corner
LEADers popping up everywhere! The LES Attendance Initiative!
Congratulations to classroom attendance L.E.A.Ders for the month of September!!! Thank you all for popping into school the most days during the month.
Way to go to the following classes: Ms. Jaggie, Ms. Nixon, Ms. Godbolt, Mrs. Le, Ms. Cobb, Mr. Curtis, Ms. Smith, Ms. Lane, and Mrs. Anderson!!!!
This Month's Focus - Dealing With Anxiety
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned” (Buddha).
We all at some point throughout our lives experience anger and have oftentimes not handled it in the most appropriate way. How we manage anger looks different for each individual and is dependent upon not only being aware of our triggers, but also on having a toolbox of positive coping skills to refer to. This is no easy feat for an adult, so imagine the difficulties of trying to regulate your emotions as a child.
According to The Child Mind Institute, “the key to learning self-regulation skills is not to avoid situations that are difficult to handle, but to coach kids through them and provide a support framework until they can handle these challenges on their own”. With that being said, equipping your child with the appropriate tools will help provide them a foundation for effective emotion management.
Here are some key ways to help your child better manage their anger:
- Encourage your child to express their anger because we all get angry, but you can assist your child in being able to express their anger in a healthy way (i.e using their words to communicate their feelings)
- Allow your child to take some cool down time, which could be a great moment for them to practice positive coping skills. Some useful skills that they can utilize during that time are deep breathing, walking it off, doing meditation, or even engaging in activities that teach discipline, such as martial arts, football, etc.
The most important thing to remember is that repetition is key. Remember to practice these skills often! A great book that you could read with your child to explore not only anger management, but also self-control when dealing with all emotions is How to be a Superhero Called Self-Control by Lauren Brukner.
Your school counselors,
Ms. Younger (k-2) & Mrs. Williams (3-5)
Safety and Security
During the students' Fall Break, I walked the school and campus with our Executive Director of Academic Support, Mr. Eric Thigpen, who oversees The Office of Safety and Security. It is great to know that GCPS provides the local schools with such great support. With the addition of the front lobby vestibule, fencing around our campus, and the back lobby closure, LES is providing a safe and secure environment for students and staff.
It is always our responsibility to keep our students and staff safe. This means that we will continue to institute expectations at all times to ensure that our campus is as safe and secure as possible.
Please note the following:
- All doors are and should be locked at all times. Please RING the bell in the front to enter the building.
- Please park in the front and enter through the front. If you come to the back, our staff will redirect you.
- Visitor Management System (VMS) is in place for parents/visitors to be buzzed into the building after stating the purpose of their visit.
- Please follow the directions of staff on campus who ask you to park or follow a directive. We have reasons for our directives and appreciate your cooperation and kindness.
- Please come in with your ID daily, even if you come every day, your ID will be asked for to take through our RAPTOR (identification system). All visitors must take their ID through this system.
- Coming Soon: Our front lobby vestibule is now fully functional. Once our lobby desk is in place, parents will remain in the vestibule when checking out students.
- Our front office closes daily at 4 PM.
- Please make sure that you wear your visitor badge if allowed in the building and only visit the area designated on your badge.
- Please don't let anyone in the building if you are going or coming. We have to and should ask each party what their reason is for visiting our building.
- Please follow staff directions during arrival and dismissal times at both the car rider and bus rider areas. Our primary goal is to have a safe and orderly dismissal process.
- Please do not attempt to check out students after 3:00 pm. This disrupts regular dismissal procedures, which could cause mistakes to happen. Please do not put our staff in this position.
- Please ensure that you or an adult on the checkout list is at the bus stop to receive your child. Have ID ready just in case the bus driver requests it.
- Staff and students will continue to conduct monthly fire drills. Tornado and intruder alert drills will also take place at different times throughout the school year to ensure that we maximize safety plans.
- All our staff wear Centegix safety alert badges. These badges allow staff to get help whenever needed.
- Please make sure that anyone picking up your child or joining them for lunch is on the emergency list. We cannot release a child to anyone not listed as a parent and/or on the emergency list. You can check this on the Parent Portal. If a change is made, please come to the school and have our office staff support you. These changes can only made by the enrolling parent. Please remember to bring ID.
As we navigate through our safety and security updates, I trust that you appreciate our attention to this as well. We will continue to solicit feedback throughout the school year from our School Council and PTA. If there is anything you want to share with us regarding areas on campus that need attention, please let us know. Your feedback is appreciated.
Ice Cream
Ice cream is sold daily. It is $1.00 cash only.
Classroom ice cream parties are a great way to celebrate students. Please send the money to the teacher with a note if you would like to purchase ice cream for the entire class.
Next Digital Learning Day - November 3, 2023, Day #2
What will digital learning look like?
Teachers will post lessons for students to engage in on eCLASS during the school day. Students will complete activities and assignments (asynchronous learning) on their own time. Teachers will also check email and ParentSquare throughout the day and interact with students who need assistance.
- Assignments will be posted no later than 8:00 am.
- Students will access assignments through eCLASS pages, but teachers also may use digital resources such as Google Classroom.
Dates for the 2023 - 2024 School Year Digital Learning Days
- November 3, 2023, Day #2
- February 2, 2024, Day #3
- March 15, 2024, Day #4
Lawrenceville Elementary School Council
School councils provide advice, recommendations, and assistance to principals and local boards of education. The law details the composition of the council, its responsibilities, and procedures for conducting business.
Our first school council meeting took place on 9/21/23.
School Council Dates:
11/16/23
2/8/24
4/18/24
(Dates are subject to change should the need arise.)
Please email my administrative assistant, Danielle.Davis@gcpsk12.org should you desire to be a part of School Council.
You may order our new LES spiritwear on MyPaymentsPlus!
MyPaymentsPlus
We encourage all families to create a MPP account. No purchase is necessary to have a MPP account. You will be able to read and digitally sign documents and/or make necessary payments. It is a great way for you to manage and keep track of all of your student payments and forms in one place throughout the school year. MyPaymentsPlus is linked directly to your school’s student information system (SIS), enabling us to show real-time balances and invoices, and eliminating the need to call or visit your school in search of information.
Simply create a free MyPaymentsPlus account to get started today:
PHOTO EVIDENCE
Mr. Smith's 4th Grade Class!
Thank you to Hamilton Mill Church for donating snacks to our students!
All Pro Dad's Inaugural Meeting!
The Men of LES at the All Pro Dad's Meeting!
Twinning in PreK!
Pirate-themed Speech unit in the courtyard!
Working hard in Ms. Halwick's Class!
Ms. Choi & Mr. Brinkley's students in music!
Pre-K in PE!
Pre-K in PE!
Pre-K
Our Lovely Speech Team!
Learning in the Courtyard with Ms. Booker!
Ms. Wilson's Kinder Class!
Building 2D Shapes!
Marshmallows and Toothpicks!
Please follow us on Social Media - Facebook and Instagram!
Please continue to visit our school website and join our social media accounts, Facebook and Instagram to see our school in action. We also share a lot of great "Just in Time" information on our social media pages and website. We want you to stay informed of all the great things we are doing. It takes all of us working together to create a school we all love, and I appreciate your efforts to make LES the BEST. Please feel free to reach out to us if there is anything you need! We look forward to our continued partnership.
LUNCH VISITORS are Welcome!
- Parents, guardians, and those adults on student's list continue to be welcomed to join us for lunch during the child's lunch time. A gentle reminder that outside vendor food (per district policy) is not allowed for students. Please reinforce providing lunch from home or utilizing the school meal plan.
- Lunch visitors will park in the front parking lot and check in at the front desk. Per our Safety and Security handbook, the back lobby is closed during the business day. When visiting the cafeteria, please do not visit any other areas of the building. At the conclusion of lunch, visitors should immediately go to the front office to check out.
- Thank you for adhering to our safety guidelines.
LES Parent & Student Handbook and Handbook Highlights 2023 - 2024
During Open House and Curriculum Night, we referenced the LES Parent & Student Handbook and Handbook Highlights 2023-2024. Important information is contained in these documents that our families need to know. Click the button below to access the entire document.
Do You Have a Parent Portal Account?
You may have heard about Gwinnett's Parent Portal. The Parent Portal is a website that will allow you to log in and see your child's information, such as attendance, grades, standardized test scores, etc. Click the button below to access to create your account.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application are Due
There will be no waiver in place to offer free lunch for all students. Please complete the application if you feel this is a service your family will need. All students who have not been approved for free or reduced lunch service will be charged the full price each day.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
https://www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=78f8fee54716f21218e523747d37a13c
Frequently Asked Questions about free and reduced lunch
The Family Center is OPEN!!!
The Family Center is OPEN for in person visitors or for your convenience.
In Person Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm
Virtual via Zoom Hours are:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00am - 2:00pm
**You can also find the Virtual Family Center Zoom link on our school website.**
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Ramos at 678-376-8634 or email at glenda.ramos@gcpsk12.org
Mission, Vision, Motto
Vision Statement: Lawrenceville Elementary will provide the foundation for all students to become life-long learners and successful citizens.
Mission Statement: We will provide a learning environment where students strive to:
Lead by Learning, Embrace Diversity, Achieve Excellence, and Demonstrate Leadership.
Motto: Today’s Learners … Tomorrow’s Leaders
Our Theme This Year: Be the Bridge!
Right At School After School Care
The Right at School after school care program will continue this year.
Visit https://rightatschool.com/districts/gwinnett-county-ga/ for more information.
Register today! https://www.rightatschool.com/program-finder/
School Zone Safety Cameras
Please be reminded of the School Zone Safety Cameras on Gwinnett Drive in front of LES and Central Gwinnett HS. Be safe.
Lawrenceville Elementary School
Principal ~ Mrs. Candace Haynes
Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Bridgett Brown
Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Kadian Dennis-Walls
Assistant Principal ~ Mr. Kemel Roberts
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/LawrencevilleES
Location: 122 Gwinnett Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, USA
Phone: 770-963-1813
Join our social media accounts:
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