Bronco Bulletin August 18, 2023

Greetings Bronco Families!

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones doing well. As we head into next week, know we are excited to host our Connected @ Crews Curriculum Night Thursday, August 24th. It promises to be great time as you engage with our teachers, staff, and PTSA. Prior to our event, we encourage all to visit our Connected @ Crews Curriculum Night Website. This site includes links to videos (i.e., leadership welcome, student expectations), go-to-documents (i.e., school schedule, student handbook, PBIS program, AKS), event handouts (i.e., classroom map, event parking map), and other items. Whether you are able to attend this event or not, please note this site is a great resource for this school year.

If you are able to join us for curriculum night, please get your student’s schedule from the student or parent portal prior to the event. A screenshot or printout will help you be a student for a day 😊 Our schedule for Connected @ Crews Curriculum Night is as follows:

• General PTSA Meeting: 5:00-5:20pm in the school gymnasium
• 6th Grade Visit: 5:30-6:45pm
• 6th grade rotation: Homeroom, 1st, 2nd Academic, Connection A, Connection B, 3rd Academic, 4th Academic
• 7th/8th Grade Visit: 7:00pm-8:15pm
• 7th grade rotation: Homeroom, 1st, Connection A, Connection B, 2nd Academic, 3rd Academic, 4th Academic
• 8th grade rotation: Homeroom, 1st Academic, 2nd Academic, 3rd Academic, 4th Academic, Connection A, Connection B,

We look forward to seeing you soon. Have a great weekend.

Special Note: If you are interested in being part of the 23-24 Local School Council, remember to submit your Local School Council Interest Form by 5pm on August 18th.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS

We are proud to have an amazing staff here at Crews Middle School! Congratulations to the following nominees for this year's Crews TOTY:

Jasmin Alfred, Shaynna Aponte, Jimmy Autry, Chris Baker, Joe Bass, Sarah Bowen, Caroline Branford, Sharon Fleetwood, Amy Gimbert, Rod Hames, Kate Harilal, Kate Heier, Alex Holeman, Charlie Hollingshead, Steven James, Eleanor Lassiter, Christina Lee, Ned Love, Kathryn Mannes, Lori Marshall, Paige McGaughey, Traci McKee, Brad Miller, Eric Sas, Claudia Seidita, Stacey Shaffer, Carmel Silver, Cindy Tharpe, Rachel Wilson, Tiffani Zernhelt

IREADY

Students will be taking universal screener assessments through iReady next week. Please send in a pair of wired headphones/earbuds with your child if possible. They may not use wireless headphones or earbuds on the assessment.

CONNECTED @ CREWS NIGHT

Mark your calendars for our Connected @ Crews Night on Thursday, August 24th!

PTA Meeting: 5:00-5:20

6th Grade: 5:30-6:45

7th & 8th Grades: 7:00-8:15

*Be sure you print or screenshot your child's schedule in the portal before coming!

YEARBOOK SALES

Get your yearbook now for the lowest price of the year! Visit www.yearbookordercenter.com and use school code #291 to order. Prices go up throughout the year, starting September 1st.

8th grade parents - you can also order an 8th grade tribute to commemorate the end of middle school. Orders are accepted until October, so don't wait!

NEW STUDENT TOURS

New students can sign up for a tour of the school, hosted by our Crews Peer Leaders. Visit tinyurl.com/crewstour to sign up. At least 24 hours notice is required - please wait for email confirmation of your time.

PTA ICE CREAM SALES

PTA will once again sell ice cream during Wednesday lunch periods for $1 each, cash only. Sales begin Wednesday, August 30th.

PBIS CARE SHOP

The PBIS Care Shop opens August 21st. Students can complete the form on eCLASS to redeem their points for snacks, supplies, and experiences.

You've probably seen information from GCPS about our new communication system, 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

SGA

The purpose of Crews SGA is to promote a positive climate at Crews through leadership training and service projects that serve Crews, Brookwood Cluster, and beyond. All students are invited to join. Students can sign up in their homeroom. The first meeting is September 7th at 8:15 in Mr. Hames' room.

PEER LEADERS

8th graders are invited to apply to be a Peer Leader. See eCLASS for the application and teacher reference information. All applications are due by Friday, August 25th.

GIRL TALK

Girl Talk is back! 6th-8th graders are invited to join with high school leaders as they talk, learn new skills, and prepare for teen years. Info and sign up available on the clubs page.

CREWS NEWS

We have a few open spots for this year's Crews News. Interested 7th and 8th grade students should stop by the media center for an application. All applications are due by Wednesday, August 23rd.

CHILL & CONNECT CLUB

All girls are invited to come learn strategies for reducing anxiety. See the clubs page for details and to sign up.

TEAM RILEY

Come make a difference and help us raise money for the Amanda Riley Foundation, an organization that supports families with children battling cancer. All students are welcome to join. Sign up on the clubs page. Our first meeting is Thursday, August 24th.

LETTERS & LETTERING

Come have fun practicing lettering techniques as we create letters and inspirational quotes. SEe the clubs page for details and to sign up!

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

Calling all creatives - the first meeting of Art & Photography Club is Monday, August 28th. All are invited. Sign up now on the clubs page!

GARDEN TO TABLE CLUB

Sign up is now open! Click here for more information. This club is available to the first 30 students registered on My Payments Plus.

GWINNETT ALLIANCE FOR GIFTED EDUCATION

The Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education is a Gwinnett County gifted advocacy group for parents, students, teachers and community members. Click below for more information. If you have questions regarding GAGE, please reach out directly to GAGE at gagegifted@gmail.com.

GAGE Information

GAGE Membership Form

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.

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!