Paul Duke STEM Newsletter

Every year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson; it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period beginning on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

September 15 is a significant date because it marks the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

This year, we will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month here at Paul Duke STEM High School to recognize the contributions of many Hispanic Americans in our country.

• Spirit Week - September 19-23:

Join us for some fun dressing up and showing some spirit each day. Post your pics with the hashtag #pds_hhd22, tag us @pauldukehope, @peopleofpaulduke. Upload your pics to: https://tinyurl.com/PDSHHM

• September 19 - October 14: Learn about Hispanic culture

Keep an eye out and listen to the Fact of the Day that we will be sharing each day to learn a little bit more about the Hispanic culture and about Hispanics’ contributions to our society. You can also see these facts posted throughout the school. Pay attention! These will be used for Trivia questions.

• September 28th & October 5th: Trivia

All students are encouraged to join us for some Wednesday Trivia fun during lunch.

• Wednesday, October 12:

All teachers will host traditional Hispanic/Latino games during intervention block.

Dear students and families,

You are invited to join us on an upcoming educational travel experience to Europe the Summer of 2024!

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and I would love to have your student join me on this adventure.

Come hear all the details, including the itinerary, activities, academic opportunities, the cost of the trip and EF's risk-free enrollment period at our informational meeting on September 20 at 6:00 PM. The meeting will take on Zoom.

Please register for the meeting ASAP to save your seat, you can do that here: https://bit.ly/3TxxR3t

This Fall Norcross High School will have League of Legends and Rocket League Teams! We’ll need Mids, Tanks, Junglers, Tops, Bots, and Supports. Beginners and experts are welcome!

Tryouts are next week at Norcross High School Sep 19- Sep 22 in BT105 after school 2:15- 6:00 pm.

Contact COACH Lawson or COACH Taylor for this Fall season.

Did you know that children can suffer academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year? That’s just 18 days or 2 to 3 days a month. And that can add up before you know it. This September Gwinnett County Public Schools and Paul Duke STEM High School is celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with a renewed push to get all kids to school—on time, every day. Research shows us that absences add up. That’s as true for kindergartners as it is for 12th graders. It’s as true for excused absences as it is for skipping school. We know there will be days when your child will miss school, especially when they’re sick. But we know that nationwide, as many as 7.5 million students miss 10 percent of the school year? That’s 135 million days of missed school – and missed opportunities. And research shows us it also marks the point when students start to fall behind academically because they have missed too many days.

So this September, for Attendance Awareness Month, let’s work together as a community – school and business leaders, parents, students, teachers, doctors, neighbors – to get all kids to school – on time, every day.

Three Ways to Get Involved

1. Participating in Project Based Learning Units (this involves coming to the school and providing relevant and timely feedback to students during the process of their projects and/or attending presentations at the conclusion of their projects)
2. Hosting an Intern (every senior takes the Senior Experience and Exhibition (SEE) class. One of the options for a senior taking SEE is to find an internship. We need local businesses and organizations willing to accept a senior for an internship)
3. Providing SEE Consultancy Problems (another option for students taking SEE is to stay on campus and become a consultant for a local business/organization. We are seeking problems that your business/organization might have that a group of students could solve)

The purpose of this form is to submit your contact information and level of interest in supporting students at Paul Duke STEM High School

The annual review of the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum runs Sept. 12 through Oct. 6. Through the review process, families, GCPS staff, students, and Gwinnett County residents can give feedback on new AKS standards developed to align with the Georgia Standards of Excellence and/or Georgia Performance Standards.

The AKS spell out the essential concepts students are expected to know and skills they should acquire in a given grade, subject, or course. This review is addressing AKS for select courses in Career and Technical Education, Language Arts, World Languages, Mathematics, and Social Studies. On Nov. 1, the GEMS Oversight Committee—a group of community and school system representatives charged with the annual review of the AKS curriculum—will review the suggestions and curriculum director comments for all of the courses before making recommendations to Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts for adoption by the School Board.

Please click here for a list of the courses with AKS under review. To review the AKS and provide feedback, please click here to begin. Comments will be accepted through Thursday, Oct. 6.

Thank you for participating and supporting our students!

The last opportunity to take senior pictures on campus is September 23rd!

Book your appointment today HERE. Be sure to read through the directions on how to prepare for the session too.

You can also make an appointment in the Norcross Studio. CLICK HERE for directions. Be sure to make your appointment BEFORE November 12th.

The cost is $70 and will increase to $75 on 10/1!

https://www.balfour.com/georgia/norcross/paul-duke-stem-high-school

Don't miss this chance to honor your graduating senior with a special tribute in the yearbook! This opportunity is only available until November 30th. Reserve your spot through www.balfour.com.

On Tuesday September 6th our school received the STEM certification banner from the Georgia Department of Education. Achieving Georgia DOE STEM certification, Paul Duke STEM is now.....

the LARGEST whole school STEM certified High School in Georgia
the FIRST Title I whole school STEM High School in Georgia
the FIRST majority Latino STEM High School in Georgia
the FIRST and ONLY non-criteria admission STEM High School in Georgia!

Thanks to the @gadoe_stem_steam for the support and recognition! #TeamGCPS Gwinnett Schools

This past weekend, we had some of our string players audition for the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony.

GCYS is a honor orchestra group that only accepts the best players in Gwinnett County. They play professional works from the likes of Haydn to Rimsky-Korsakov

Maxwell Trinh- 12th Grade- Viola

Hyerin Chung- 10th Grade- Viola

Khang Tran- 10th Grade- Viola

Sophia Moreira-Chauvel- 9th Grade- Violin

​Dylan Lenze- 12th Grade- Violin

Click Here to access PowerPoint

Gwinnett County has purchased a wonderful college and career planner called Naviance. Counselors will be showing students all of the features in their classrooms, but as parents, you have access to explore as well. You will need to be logged into your student's Eclass page for access.

Please click on the links below for quick "how to" videos.

How to link your Common App to Naviance

Career Assessment and Exploration

Student Journey in Naviance

Student Tour and Overview

*Click the link twice in order to open*

Augusta University will be here to share admissions information and share detailed information regarding their Cyber Security program.

When - 2nd block in Media Center

Audience - 11th and 12th grade students

When - 6:00 PM - 7:30PM in PDS Media Center (email will be sent detailing what to bring)

Audience - 12th grade students AND parents (no interpreters will be available)

When - 6:00Pm - 7:30PM in PDS Media Center (email will be sent detailing what to bring)

Audience - 12th grade students AND parents (Spanish speaking)

Applying to a college who requires supplemental writing prompts? Take a look at this website!

Supplemental Essay Guide 2022-2023. Essays are listed by college with writing tips!

Love working on cars and want to make it a career? Check out Gwinnett Tech's diploma program!

The Care Team has created a wish list to help keep our "Need One, Take One" personal care supplies stocked. It's been a tough year, and some may find themselves having to pick and choose what makes it into the grocery cart each month. We have placed a bin in one of our girl's and boy's restrooms, hoping to share items in a more discrete way.

Thank you for your support of our students!

Please, click here to view our Care Team Amazon Wish List

For only a $5 donation to the Counseling Care Team!

Form found in MYPayments Plus under School Fundraisers

Oct 8th at 9am

Unload Pumpkins sign up here

Patch Shifts sign up here

A Certificate of Enrollment is required to test for both driver's permit and driver's license. Students must submit a request form to receive this document. The request forms are available in the front office. The cost for this document is $3.

If you lost your ADAP certificate, you may get a replacement from the front office. ADAP certificates can be replaced for $5.

Please note there is a 48-hour turnaround for Certificate of Enrollment and replacement ADAP certificate requests.

Eligible licensed student drivers must provide proof of insurance, a valid driver's license, and a completed parking application. Click here for an application. Additionally, students must pay $70 for their parking pass. Click here to pay through MyPaymentsPlus. Students parking without a valid parking pass will be subject to disciplinary consequences including a boot on their car.

Click here for INSTRUCTIONS FOR MINORS

Are you planning on doing some community services but don't know where to start?

Contact Ms. Dobbs in the Parent Center or email at olaya.liranzo@gcpsk12.org

We need students who:

*Love their community

*Have a passion helping others

*Bilingual preferred but not required

Routine COVID-19 testing (also called surveillance testing) can quickly detect individuals who are positive with COVID-19 and trace contacts who should quarantine. The testing, which is free and will be conducted on a weekly basis at the school, uses a short Qtip-type swab to collect a sample from inside the nose. This testing will allow GCPS to test, receive test results (within 24 hours), and notify individuals of a clin­ically significant reading. By participating, students and staff members can help to minimize the spread of the virus within our schools, which benefits us all.

Although participation in surveillance testing is not required for students or staff members, it is strongly encouraged. Participation will contribute to the success of this mitigation strategy and our schools’ ability to limit the spread of COVID and keep students learning in person.

Learn more about the COVID testing being offered to Norcross Cluster students and staff by reviewing our frequently asked questions.

Paul Duke STEM High School is looking for an addition to our amazing clerical team! Desirable qualities include good communication, organization and computer skills, willingness to work as part of a team and a desire to help students. Benefits include daytime work hours, 200 workday calendar and full-time GCPS employee benefits. If interested, contact Gisela Fleites at 470-323-3610.

Apply here

Through our Teacher Wish program, you can support our teachers and staff in creating innovative learning experiences for our students.

There are opportunities for everyone to support a specific teacher or a specific school department with an array of items from the Sign Up Genius Teacher Wish List.

Thank you for your continued support of our teachers, staff and students!

When: Friday, Sep. 23rd, 7-11:30am

Where: Testing will take place in PDSHS Room: LH300

Paul Duke STEM HS is offering an SAT/ACT diagnostic test. Afterwards, a comprehensive score report will help you target areas for improvement and plan for your real test accordingly.

To register, go to www.applerouth.com/signup and enter event code: M520313

Get hundreds in cashback for you and your favorite cause when you shop at the brands and restaurants you know and love.

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Earn perks with the Desktop Chrome extension in just a few clicks: https://www.givebacks.com/join/PaulDukeSTEMPTSA

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Diamond Partner ($5,000 Donation or more)

Email: olaya.liranzo@gcpsk12.org
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/pauldukestemhs
Location: 5850 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 323-3600
Facebook: facebook.com/PaulDukeSTEM
Twitter: @Paul_Duke_STEM