Knight Messenger

Knight Vision: To share in the commitment of rigorous and high-quality instruction to meet the needs of every child.

Our 2024-2025 school theme "IMPACT" is directly aligned with our continued vision and instructional expectations for Knight: to share in the commitment of rigorous and high-quality instruction to meet the needs of every child.

Knight Mission: To provide a positive, stimulating, and secure environment that empowers the individual to grow socially, emotionally, and intellectually in order to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Our Belief: We believe all kids can learn…and we will establish high standards of learning that we expect all students to achieve. It is our job to create an environment in our classrooms that engages students in academic work that results in a high level of achievement. We are confident that with our support and help, students can master challenging curricula, and we expect them to do so. We are prepared to work collaboratively with colleagues, students, and parents to achieve this shared educational purpose (DuFour, 1997a).

Happy Fall!

As we step into October, we want to extend a warm welcome to each of you! This month brings exciting opportunities for our students and community.

We encourage you to stay connected and participate in upcoming events, including parent-teacher conferences and various school activities. Your involvement makes a difference! Speaking of conferences, now, it is time for us to schedule Fall Parent Teacher Conferences. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for you to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress, and collaborate on how to support their learning journey. Please take a moment to schedule your appointment at your earliest convenience. Slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to sign up soon to secure your preferred time.

Early Release Days: October 23-24, 2024
Sign-Up Link: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Knight_Elementary

As the weather begins to change, it’s a great time to remind students about dressing appropriately for the season.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we can make this school year a memorable one!

I hope this message finds you and your families well. I am excited to announce that I have returned from my leave and am eager to reconnect with our wonderful school community!

I’ve heard many positive updates about our students’ progress and the incredible work our staff has been doing. Your partnership is invaluable, and I look forward to collaborating even more closely as we continue to support our students’ growth and success.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s make this an amazing year together!

Dr. Ferguson

Let's welcome an Aspiring Principal Program Resident, Terica Peek, Assistant Principal from Ivy Creek ES, who will start a residency program from Tuesday, October 1 to Friday, November 1, 2024, at Knight Elementary School. This unique opportunity that GCPS offers is for aspiring principals to shadow veteran leaders across the district, gaining invaluable insights and hands-on experience, with the ultimate goal of preparing them to be effective principals in our county.

Ms. Peek has twenty years of experience in education, during which she has made significant contributions in Walton County and Gwinnett County. Her current role as an assistant principal at Ivy Creek ES has been marked by her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to student success. Please welcome our aspiring principal resident when you see her throughout the building!

• 10/07/24 - 10/25/24: 1st Semester Interim District Assessments Window
  
• Monday, October 7: Immigration Day, 5th grade
• Monday, October 7: PTA International Knight 6 PM - 8 PM
• Wednesday, October 9: House Challenge Day
  
• Wednesday, October 9: PBIS Quarter 1 Party
• October 10 - 14: Fall Break
• Friday, October 18: 3rd grade Field Trip (GA Aquarium)
  
• Friday, October 18: Gifted Lunch & Learn Workshop at 12:00 PM
• October 21 - 25: Fall Book Fair
• October 21 - 25: Red Ribbon Week
• Monday, October 21: 3rd grade Vision and Hearing Screener
• Monday, October 21: EL Education Family Center Connection
• October 23 - 24: Early Release at 12:50 PM
  
• Friday, October 25: All Pro Dads at 7:30 AM
• Monday, October 28: Limitless Kids at 10 AM
• Tuesday, October 29: 5th grade Field Trip (Environmental Heritage Center)
• Thursday, October 31: United Way PJ Day ~ Donate $1
  

We are excited to share our school-wide activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! From September 15 to October 15, our students will engage in cultural presentations, art projects, read alouds and special lessons that highlight the rich contributions of Hispanic cultures to our community and beyond.

Please see a few examples below!

• Morning Announcement Highlights: Students or Staff members can sign up by clicking HERE! to celebrate the heritage of their country or the accomplishments of famous Hispanic/Latino(a) figures on the morning announcements! We will give you ideas of famous people you can talk about.
• Map Gallery: As a way to highlight Hispanic countries and our Hispanic staff, we will make a map gallery bulletin board across from the cafeteria showing our staff and their countries of origin.

We are excited to announce that the sign-up for our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences is now live! These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for you to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress, and collaborate on how to support their learning journey.

Early Release Days: October 23-24, 2024
Sign-Up Link: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Knight_Elementary

Please take a moment to schedule your appointment at your earliest convenience. Slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to sign up soon to secure your preferred time.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education. We look forward to seeing you at the conferences!

We want to inform you that our third, fourth, and fifth graders will be participating in district assessments for math, science, and social studies soon. These assessments help us understand each student’s progress and ensure they’re on track for success.

Please see the schedule below and help your child be prepared by getting plenty of rest and arriving at school on time. Your support makes a big difference!

Thank you for your support in helping them prepare for these important assessments.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Please join us for two exciting workshops in the month of October! Do you want to learn more about Gifted Education at Knight? Are you interested in learning more about our Language Arts curriculum, EL Education? Then, join us on the dates below!

• Friday, October 18: Gifted Lunch & Learn Workshop at 12:00 PM
• Monday, October 21: EL Education Family Center Connection

We're excited to announce that our students have a chance to earn an invitation to our upcoming PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) party! 🎉 We will have one each quarter!

By showing that they CARE and demonstrating positive behavior, your child can enjoy a fun-filled celebration with their classmates. It’s a great opportunity to encourage good habits and teamwork!

Let's work together to inspire our kids to shine by making positive choices every day. Thank you for your support!

Below is our school PBIS Matrix chart and letter explaining our school wide behavior management system. Together, we can create a positive school environment! ✨

We are excited to announce that our school and district have completely transitioned to ParentSquare as our online communication tool. ParentSquare is not just a communication tool; it's a bridge that connects our school community, streamlining communication and keeping everyone informed. ParentSquare will be our main source of communication for announcements, messages, and alerts. Please note that we are no longer using ClassDojo.

Documents that you will need to review in ParentSquare include:

• GCPS 2024-2025 STUDENT CONDUCT BEHAVIOR CODE
  
• GCPS 2024-2025 HANDBOOK INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
• ATTENDANCE PROTOCOL
• EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• MEDIA RELEASE OPT-OUT
• PARENT AKS OVERVIEW

Are you on the ParentVUE? If not, please contact Laurie Boltin at Laura.Boltin@gcpsk12.org to complete the sign-up process. The ParentVUE allows parents to monitor student progress throughout the year. No more waiting for report cards to get an update on grades; you may simply check the ParentVUE at your convenience. Other features allow you to view attendance, lunch account balances, checked out and overdue books, and emergency contact information.

Knight ES MyPaymentsPlus is NOW available for the 2024-2025 school year!

Access MyPaymentsPlus to:

• add funds to student meal payment account, and/or
  
• make local school contributions

Click the link to register your child(ren).

www.GASP-ga.com

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

All visitors must sign-in at the welcome desk and please be prepared to provide some form of identification upon request.

Student Hours: Monday - Friday 8:50 AM - 3:20 PM

Students should arrive between 8:20 AM - 8:50 AM.

GCPS students will have access to a meal (breakfast and lunch) throughout the year for each child.

All Knight Elementary students will continue to receive breakfast at no charge.

• Free and Reduced-Price students will receive lunch at no charge.
• Students with Full Pay eligibility will pay $2.50 for lunch.

The adult breakfast cost is $2.75 and the lunch cost is $4.00.

Please click the link below to complete SY25 Free and Reduced application.

SY25 Online Free & Reduced Application

• ONLINE APPLICATIONS (Private, Fast & Available 24/7) SCHOOL LUNCH APPLICATION
• APPLICATION STATUS CHECK SCHOOL LUNCH STATUS
• QUESTIONS: CONTACT HELP LINE 678-301-6307

Order your 2024-2025 Knight Elementary Yearbook TODAY! Don’t Delay, Order Today! Price is $35.Click HERE to order your yearbook now!

Looking for a program for your younger child that encourages them and YOU to PLAY, LEARN, and GROW?

Play 2 Learn is that program!

Who can ‘Play 2 Learn’?

Children ages birth to 5 and their parents or caregivers

What is the program about?

Learning through PLAY

Where is it?

Knight Elementary and a number of elementary schools across

the county

How long is it?

90 minutes, once a week, from September to May

Why come to Play 2 Learn?

Early childhood experiences are so important to lifelong

learning

Get started on an amazing learning journey with your child!

Contact our Parent Instructional Coordinator, Kelli Sheffield, by email (Kelli.Sheffield@gcpsk12.org) at 770-921-2400 to enroll your child and you in Play 2 Learn.

Knight PTA's ultimate goal is to benefit our children and support their learning experience. Membership is an opportunity to connect with other parents and to support our school. Our goal is one membership for each student. Membership is only $5 per person! Please join at:

https://jointotem.com/ga/lilburn/knight-es-pta

Membership is $5 per individual adult (not per household or per student as GA PTA does not allow household memberships).

Thank you for supporting the PTA!

• Student Calendar
• Bus Safety
• Handbook Information for Students and Families – Elementary School
• AKS Overview K-8
• ParentSquare
• eCLASS materials
• Student Insurance Flyer K-12
• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• School Nutrition Program & Kindergarten Information

Please feel free to contact Kelli Sheffield, Kelli.Sheffiled@gcpsk12.org or Sindy Amador, Sindy.Amador@gcpsk12.org in our Family Center. You can also reach them by phone from 9:00am - 3:00pm at 770-806-3887.

Finally, please visit the Knight website often for information and updates at KnightESHomepage Thank you for your generosity and support as we continue to ensure learning for all students at Knight Elementary!