Ed Briefs

Gwinnett County Public Schools welcomes all students in all grades to the 2024-25 school year on Monday, August 5.

To help students and families prepare for the 2024-25 school year, please review GCPS’ 2024-25 Virtual Back-to-School Backpack for Families. This toolkit includes links to important information and district resources for families as we partner to support student success.

Parents are encouraged to check school websites for the dates and times of planned events. These activities are a great way to prepare for the school year. Students can meet teachers, pick up schedules and supply lists, learn about bus routes, pay for school lunches, and learn about clubs and other participation opportunities. In addition, parents have the opportunity to join the PTA and learn more about their child’s school.

Join us as we count down to the first day of school and check out our Back-to-School news releases!

If you have a child or know of one turning five by September 1, be advised that Kindergarten registration is underway at all elementary schools. Registering new kindergarteners before school starts ensures that new students can start school confidently and are ready to go on August 5. Families can register now for the 2024-25 school year.

The school bus and its driver play a crucial role in a student's daily routine as a vital connection between home and school. While it is important to note that buses can sometimes be delayed on the first days of school, the Transportation Department is committed to working with parents and students to address any challenges that may arise during those first few days. For questions regarding routing, schedules, or bus stops, families are encouraged to contact the student's assigned school, the Transportation Department's customer service department, or the Transportation Supervisor assigned to the student's school before the first day.

For a smoother experience...

• Families are encouraged to review Bus Safety Rules with their students before the first day of school.
• Families should be sure their child arrives at the correct stop 5-10 minutes before the bus arrives.

Bus Managers have returned to work, collecting their buses and moving them to their assigned parking lots. Drivers and monitors have also started practicing their routes to ensure readiness for the first day of school on August 5.

With over 8,300 bus routes and more than 44,000 bus stops countywide, there is much for our drivers to learn. As you see buses back on the roads, please be patient as routes are learned and back-to-school routines are established. GCPS bus drivers transport over 131,000 students to and from school each day, covering more than 129,000 miles daily... the equivalent of traveling around the Earth five times every day!

Let’s work together to ensure a smooth and successful start to the school year!

ParentSquare is a simple-to-use platform that provides a safe way for schools and families to communicate and connect. ParentSquare is your go-to platform for communication, reminders, calendar events, and 2024-25 orientation agreements, which were sent out on July 23. We encourage all parents to take advantage of this powerful tool to stay connected, engaged, and actively involved in their child's educational journey.

With its user-friendly interface, ParentSquare offers seamless two-way communication through text, newsletters, posts, emergency alerts, and direct messaging. The integrated translation feature enables automatic translations for multilingual staff and families. Stay effortlessly connected with your child's teachers, schools, and the district. Visit our website for more information about ParentSquare!

Keep an eye out for this year's Employee Booklet Calendar. In addition to instructional days, holidays, and celebrations, you can find school locations, cluster and school district information, the one-page staff calendar, and benefits and retirement contacts. If you need additional copies of some or all of the calendar, you can find pdf pages on the SharePoint Communications Database.

While Monday, August 5 is the first day of the 2024-25 school year for GCPS students, most staff members get an earlier start on the new school year. Here are the start and ending dates for the employee groups that make up the majority of school staff.

Gwinnett County Public Schools is inviting parents and guardians, community members, and school district employees to apply for the GEMS Oversight Committee, a group of community and school system representatives charged with the annual review of the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum standards.

The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 29. After the review, the committee recommends revisions and additions to the Superintendent for adoption by the Gwinnett County Board of Education. Committee members serve three-year terms.

If you are interested in serving, please complete the online application no later than August 9.

The Gwinnett County Public Schools logo is a critical element of the GCPS brand. It serves as a visible reminder to all who see it that we are a strong, unified school system, committed to academic excellence and working to become a system of world-class schools. Care must be taken to ensure that the unique look and style of the logo is always maintained.

The official GCPS logo should appear on all external publications and documents produced by each department and school within GCPS. Basic specifications and guidelines for properly applying the logo to various printed materials are available at Logo101. Using the logo consistently ensures that we present the proper image to the public.

You can also find the GCPS Style Guide on the Communications Database. GCPS follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, and our style guide includes instructions for using acronyms, abbreviations, and guidance for additional situations specific to school communication.

Your safety matters to us. Kindly remember to visit the Staff Portal and verify your emergency contact information. Keeping this information current is essential to providing support during unexpected situations.

We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

988 Fast Facts

• 988 is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365, connecting those experiencing a mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis with trained crisis counselors.
• Access is available through every landline, cell phone, and voice-over-internet device in the United States, and call services are available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 150 languages.
• The 988 dialing code is available for call, text, and chat.

You can learn more about 988 and access resources at 988lifeline.org.

Want to share a success story about your school or department with the entire GCPS community?

Are you looking for a way to celebrate an honor and recognize a teacher, student, or team member for their work? Do you want to share an achievement, upcoming event, or opportunity?

Do you have GCPS Good News to share? Let us know through this online form.

• Board meeting and work session (July 25)
• News Releases and Back-to-School news
  
• Student Calendars

• Keep Connected with news from GCPS TV… the next episode airs August 8!
• The next regular Board meeting is August 15. (Online, find links to sign up for the public comment sections of the meeting.)
  
• Watch for the next issue of GCPS Links on August 15!