Knightly News

It is the end of another exciting week here at Simonton ES. Last week we conducted our first fire drill for the school year and all of our students did an amazing job. Throughout the school year we will conduct many safety drills while the students are in school. This is done in an effort to make sure students know what to do and where to go should an emergency arise.

Next Tuesday, August 22, 2023, we will host curriculum night for all grade levels (Pre-K through 5th grade). This is a great opportunity to meet your student's teacher and become familiar with the classroom routines. A meeting for the parents of Multilingual Learners will take place at 5:00 pm and a meeting for parent of FOCUS students will begin at 5:30 pm. Teachers will hold multiple sessions to accommodate families with multiple students. These sessions will begin at 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm and 7:30 pm.

Our first Simonton ES Local School Council meeting will take place on Friday, September 1, 2023. The local school council meetings are open to all families and will take place four times this school year. More information is located in this newsletter. Sign up using the google link below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, August 21

• Book Blast Fundraiser begins
• iReady Assessments continue (K-5)

Tuesday, August 22

• ESOL Parent Meeting ~ 5:00-5:30 pm
• FOCUS Parent Meeting ~ 5:30-6:00 pm
• Curiculum Night ~ 6:00-8:00 pm

Friday, August 25

• College Pro Day ~ Show your Team Spirit!
• PTA Movie & snack Membership Campaign (3rd - 5th grade) ~ 1:00-2:00 pm

Friday, September 1

• Local School Council ~ 9:00-10:00 am

Friday, September 8

• PTA Fall Festival ~ 5:00-8:00 pm

Thursday, September 14

• Robotics Club ~ Pajama Day

Friday, September 15

• Digital Learning Day #1

The Office of Family Engagement is excited to present Universal Screeners Family Night for all GCPS families., part of the Engage, Equip, Empower Series. This virtual meeting is an opportunity for families to learn about the iReady and MAP Universal Screeners and how screeners formulate the next steps needed in instruction to support all students.

Currently, the Sparkling Juice is available in 2 flavors: Strawberry Kiwi & Fruit Punch. The baked chips are Sour Cream & Onion and BBQ. The Doritos are Cool Ranch & Nacho Cheese.

Are you looking for extra help with your child’s Reflections entry?

Come and join us for the work sessions!

When: Wednesdays

September 6

September 13

September 20

September 27

Where: Simonton Parent Center

Time: 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Please RSVP by Friday (9/1/23) to Mrs. Saha by filling out the flyer below.

Learning hours are from 8:15 am to 2:45 pm daily. Children arriving after 8:15 am are considered tardy. Students checked out before 11:30 am will be marked absent. Frequent tardiness and early checkouts negatively impact a students’ academic performance. State law requires that students attend school 180 days per year. Since most subjects are taught in sequence, regular attendance is essential to a student’s success in school. Students are excused for the following absences:

1) personal illness

2) a death or serious illness in the immediate family

3) religious holidays

4) court orders and

5) Conditions which render school attendance impossible or hazardous to health and safety.

For each absentee, a written excuse explaining the absence must be brought to school on the first day following the absence. Student absences are marked unexcused until a note, meeting the state approved guidelines, is sent to the school. By law, parents will be notified if their child misses more than 5 days of school. The state of Georgia considers 10 absences or tardies to be excessive. Parents of children with excessive absences or tardies can be reported to local and state agencies, which will result in meeting with the Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC).

We are very proud of our cafeteria and the nutritious meals served there. The school cafeteria is maintained as a service to students and parents and is a vital part of our health program. To encourage good nutrition, a well-balanced breakfast and lunch are served. The charge limit is $11.25. Charges are not allowed for a la carte items. Once this is reached, students will receive their choice of entree and a courtesy water, no fruit or vegetable is provided.

Student lunch....$2.25 Reduced Lunch…$0.40 Student breakfast...$1.50 Reduced breakfast ....$0.30 Milk…. $0.40

Soy milk…. $0.60 Bottled water…. $0.40/$0.60 Adult breakfast.....$2.50 Adult lunch.....$4.00

Applications for free and reduced breakfast/lunch are available online and at the local school throughout the school year. Please do not bring fast food into the cafeteria. Parents who come to eat lunch with their children should sit in the designated parent areas and only with their child. Glass bottles and cans can be a danger and should not be brought in lunches from home. Students must eat lunch before they get their ice cream. Water cannot be charged. There will be no charging for students as of April 26, 2024. Due to schedule changes and limited seating, there will be no lunch visitors on standardized testing days or when the cafeteria is set up for special events. These dates will be shared in the weekly Simonton Parent Newsletter.

Cell phones may be brought to school for after school use as long as they are turned off and left in the student’s book bag at all times during the school day. If a phone is taken out during the school day, it will be taken up by the teacher, and the parent will need to come to the school to retrieve it. No games should be brought to school at any time. In order to use electronic devices at school, students must follow teacher/school guidelines and the GCPS Acceptable Use Policy. If you DO NOT want your child to participate in technology, appear in the morning news, or have candid photos taken of them throughout the year, please send a note clearly stating this to the school principal.

Who: Parents/Guardians of students receiving Special Education services

What: Parent Mentors Present: “Starting the School Year on a Positive Note”

When: Tuesday, August 22, 2023, 10:00am – 11:30am or 6:00 pm-7:30pm

Where: In-Person registration link for 10:00am session: https://forms.gle/xJ9VZFPDtyHLpBf56

Zoom registration link for 6pm session: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ufuGrpz8iHNN0o5_SRgzhSh4DOVjKM50B

Please use the following link to access the parent letters: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DJSH2MoYgmCY1YtzqrWtKzvVOhLgXjZ6?usp=drive_link

The application for free and reduced lunch is now available. 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

Does your child have a medical concern that we need to be aware of? Stop in to see Mrs. Tammy Jones in the clinic.

Complete the clinic card if your child has any medical concerns that we need to be aware of. We also need to know any medication your child is taking and directions of what to do while we are caring for your child until you arrive.

We invite parents to join us for our Simonton ES Local School Council meeting. Local School Council meetings will be held four times during the school year. Meetings will take place in person at the local school.

The purpose of the Council is three-fold:

I. To help the local board of education develop and nurture participation.

II. To bring parents and the community together with teachers and school administrators to create a better understanding of and mutual respect for each other's concerns.

III. To share ideas for school improvement.

Meeting Dates: September 1, 2023, January 12, 2024, March 22, 2024 and May 3, 2024

Meeting Time: 9:00 am

Location: Simonton ES

Our first meeting will take place on Friday, September 1, 2023 at 9:00 am.

Draft Agenda Items

• Welcome/Introductions

• Local School Council Orientation

• Election of Officers

• Early Intervention Program
• Simonton ES Strategic Goals
• Simonton Celebrating 30 years
• Simonton ES Student Enrollment
• Simonton ES Safety Plan
• Simonton ES Discipline Report

If you are interested in attending the Simonton ES Local School Council meetings please click on the link below.

https://forms.gle/uZYZUvpnAh7KCrC87

We are excited to announce that our school district has adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with your child’s school and Gwinnett County Public Schools.

ParentSquare provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to receive and send information, such as:

• Weather-related closings & delays
• School and class information
• Share pictures and files
• See calendar items
• Upcoming class activities

District & school information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text via ParentSquare. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

We are excited to offer Simonton ES spiritwear to staff, students and families. An order form is attached and can be returned to Ms. Karen Serna. Order forms will also be available in the front office. All spirit wear shirts are $15.00 (S - XL) and $20.00 (XXL and XXXL).

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.

Whether you’re viewing what your 2nd grader ate for lunch, renting a locker for your middle schooler, or purchasing a parking permit for that new driver in your family, MyPaymentsPlus ensures you never miss a beat, from Pre-K to graduation day.

Simply create a free MyPaymentsPlus account to get started today.

To support success, offer encouragement, not pressure

Learning is full of challenges and obstacles. Encouragement from families, rather than pressure, helps children face them. If your child feels stressed in the coming year, show that you care. Be available to listen. Respect your child's feelings, and explain that mistakes are just learning opportunities. Then help your child develop positive study habits. When studying is routine, it's easier to deal with the pressures of increasing workloads. https://tpitip.com/?13hU18608

Positive learning habits help kids prepare for success

Start the new school year off right by encouraging positive habits your elementary schooler can rely on all year long. Help your child set learning goals, for example. Then regularly ask, "What will you do today to help you reach your goal?" Learning to think ahead will also help your child. You might say, "I know you plan to write your report next weekend. But what if the weather is nice and you want to play outside? What do you think about writing some of it today?" https://tpitip.com/?13hV18608

Encourage a healthy body image

Were you critical of your looks when you were a child? Many kids feel uncomfortable about their physical appearance. To improve a poor body image, offer compliments. Even if you don't like an outfit or a haircut, there is probably something about your child's appearance you love. Say so. And don't make jokes about appearance or weight. Your child won't find them funny, and these jokes can be harmful. https://tpitip.com/?13hW18608

Here's an easy formula for helping with math

You can help your elementary schooler learn math even if you don't remember any of the math you took in school. Ask your child questions about math work, such as "How did you arrive at that answer?" or "Look at this page of problems. Do you see a pattern?" It's also helpful to involve your child in practical math at home, such as measuring. Then, encourage regular practice by establishing a daily routine that includes time for math. https://tpitip.com/?13hX18608

Provide opportunities to follow directions

Schoolwork and tests both require students to follow directions. To provide valuable practice, give your elementary schooler a detailed set of instructions for doing a task. (Baking a cake or making pizza from scratch is perfect.) Ask your child to read them out loud and circle the actions that are called for. Supervise as your child completes the task, then reread the directions together. Did your student follow them to the letter? If not, ask, "Can you figure out where you went wrong?" https://tpitip.com/?13hY18608

Don't get stranded without a book

You have a long wait for an appointment, or a short car ride turns into a long standstill because of a flat tire. Whether you and your child are stuck for a few minutes or stranded for an hour, make the most of that time by reading. Keep a book or magazine stashed in the car or in a bag you take with you. It will provide a pleasant, productive way for you and your child to pass time during unexpected waits. https://tpitip.com/?13hZ18608

Reinforce the need for timeliness at school

Families juggle lots of commitments, and it isn't easy. But for success in school, it's important for your child to be in every class on time and ready to learn. Children who are on time are more inclined to take school seriously. On the other hand, allowing children to be late sends the message that school isn't that important and that rules can be broken. Reinforce the need for timeliness with your elementary schooler. Show how you plan ahead to be punctual, and make it clear that you expect your child to do the same. https://tpitip.com/?13ha18608

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

Superintendent ~ Dr. Calvin J. Watts

Board Member ~ Mr. Steven B. Knudsen

Principal ~ Ms. Tamara G. Perkins

Assistant Principal ~ Mr. Nicholas Gilmore

Assistant Principal ~ Dr. Joe Sanfilippo

Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Amy Steinberg

Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA

Phone: 770-513-6637

Twitter: @simontonPride
Instagram: @SimontonPride