Dear Ivy Creek Families,

It's hard to believe that my first month as principal has already flown by! These past few weeks have been incredibly exciting and filled with new learning experiences, and I am so grateful for the warm welcome I've received from our wonderful school community.

One of the highlights of this month has been the opportunity to connect with many of you. I truly enjoyed visiting with families during student lunches, and the Top Golf Spirit Night was a fantastic way to build community and have some fun together! These moments have reinforced how special our school is, and I am even more excited about the journey ahead.

As we look forward to the spring season, I anticipate many more opportunities for us to come together and celebrate our students' achievements. Spring brings with it a renewed sense of energy and excitement, and I am eager to see all the wonderful things our students and staff will accomplish.

My commitment to you remains strong: to partner with you in creating an exceptional learning environment for every child. I believe that by working together, we can continue to make Ivy Creek a truly great place for both students and staff.

Have a safe and restful Spring Break.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Your Proud Principal,

Mrs. Peek

On Thursday, March 27th, Mrs. Peek had the opportunity to have lunch with Maverick, a 4th grade student at Ivy Creek ES. Maverick collected the most donations for the Jr. Beta Club MDA Fundraiser.

Jr. Beta Club was raising money to support our local MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Summer Camp, in Rutledge, GA. This camp is for children who have been diagnosed with a muscle disease and can't typically go to summer camps, due to physical disabilities. MDA Camp in Rutledge, Ga is provided to these families FREE of charge, but the cost to host each child is around $800 to pay for expenses and staff.

When asked by Mrs. Peek why the MDA fundraiser was important to him, Maverick responded that he had the opportunity to attend several summer camps and always loved them. It made him sad to think of kids who couldn't attend because of lack of money or their disability. He wanted to help! Maverick donated $70 of his own money to our MDA fundraiser AND got to enjoy a special Chick-fil-A lunch with Mrs. Peek!

Thank you Maverick for your kindness and support!

We are so very grateful for everyone that brought in dollars for MDA DAY and participated in all the Fun Choices we offered to support Muscular Dystrophy Association. We are so excited to share that with your help we raised $1,921.00.

The Top contributing class and winners of the "Soda & Sour Patch Party" is Ms. Mathis Class in 4th grade!

Mrs. Love and our Special Area teachers put together an amazing Field Day for our students! Congratulations to this year's Tug-of-War Winners!

K- Banks

1- Blankenship

2- Lutz

3- Ramos

4- Tallman

Lights, camera, action!

Teacher Appreciation Week is this week, and we’re rolling out the red carpet to celebrate our amazing teachers! This year, we’re going Hollywood-style to recognize the hard work, dedication, and passion our teachers and staff bring to the classroom every day.

We invite all parents and students to participate in making this week unforgettable by showing your appreciation with fun, movie-themed surprises, thank-you notes, and small gifts. Let’s make our teachers feel like the true stars they are!

April is Autism Acceptance & Awareness month and April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. Wear BLUE to show your support!

Our Autism and Pre-K programs are offering an exciting new opportunity for parents to show your love to teachers and staff. Jag Junk is a snack delivery service that began in January where staff can place snack orders for themselves, or peers. We are so excited to expand the program offering parents the opportunity to order snacks (or Jag Junk Bucks) to be delivered to teachers and staff.

Check out this short video. Orders ($5 minimum) can be placed online at https://sfnd.io/JagJunk.

Stop by the Media Center before Multicultural Night on Thursday, April 3rd for a Meet and Greet with our new principal, Terica Peek! She will be in the media center from 5:00-5:30 PM to speak with families. You'll have time to say hello before enjoying the events of the evening!

We are excited to invite you to our annual Multicultural Night! This special event will celebrate the rich diversity of our school community. Come experience a night filled with cultural sharing, delicious food from around the world, and vibrant live performances. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn about different cultures through the eyes and experiences of our fellow families.

Bring your family and friends for an evening of fun, learning, and connection. We can’t wait to see you there!

Friday is the Atlanta Braves Home Opener! Wear your Braves gear or Red, White, and Blue Friday! We hope everyone will join in on the fun!

PTA is generously providing our students and staff with a FREE Kona Ice day on April 4th! Help make our Kona Ice day a hit by signing up to volunteer to help students during their time.

Kona Ice Day Volunteers

April 14th-18th is Exceptional Children's Week! Each day, we will share helpful information about different special needs to make our students more aware of the exceptionalities that some people experience. To show our support of each of these needs, we are wearing specific colors each day of the week! Thank you for participating!

We're looking forward to welcoming our new kindergarten students in the 2025-26 school year! Online registration for new kindergartners is OPEN! 2025-26 Kindergarten Registration Instructions

Multicultural Night is coming up, and we want to learn about your family's heritage! Join us in this special activity:

1️⃣ Complete the hand – Fill it with your favorite things about your country, such as traditions, food, landmarks, or anything meaningful to you.
2️⃣ Decorate and cut it out – Be creative! Use colors, patterns, or symbols that represent your culture.
3️⃣ Return it to your teacher or Mrs. Butler – Don’t forget to put your name on it!

We will proudly display these hands to celebrate each other's heritage and learn about different cultures!

Students will be eating in classrooms on Friday, April 4th, so we will be unable to accommodate visitors for lunch. Please arrange to enjoy lunch with your child on a different day. Thank you!

We hope our students and staff enjoy Spring Break with their families, April 7th-11th! We will return to learning on Monday, April 14th.

We're excited about the upcoming school year and are in search of dedicated individuals to serve as board members to ensure it's the best year yet.

We're currently seeking candidates for the roles of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, with opportunities for co-positions in most of these roles. The board meets biweekly with administration and collaborates on organizing enjoyable events for our student body.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: APRIL 7TH

If you have any questions please email: Ivycreekpta@gmail.com or fill out an application: https://forms.gle/foJF8bdWAXrzWzjL7

Yearbooks are on sale now! Please visit: https://www.treering.com and use PassCode: 1016941015053998 to order your yearbook online. The order deadline is April 10th, during Spring Break, so you may want to order TODAY so you don't forget!

Did you know that you have the option to design two free yearbook pages to be added to your child's yearbook? It's a great way to personalize their book with photos that highlight their experiences this year. You can add additional two-page spreads for just $1.99 each. These pages will only appear in your child's book. Visit www.treering.com/validate and enter the code for Ivy Creek (1016941015053998.) Make sure you complete your pages by April 10th!

Important: The deadline falls during Spring Break, so you may want to do them now so you don't forget!

Celebrate your child's big achievement with a 5th Grade Graduation Yard Sign! It's a fun way to show pride in their hard work and success. Order today to make this milestone even more special and memorable!

Each sign is $20 each and the last day to purchase is April 15th.

*THIS IS PREORDER ONLY, no extra signs will be ordered.

Order your sign on https://my.cheddarup.com/c/icespta/items?cart

GCPS will be hosting a final Virtual DLI Parent Night for rising Kindergarteners for the 2025-26 school year on April 29th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm via Teams. If you are interested in your child participating in our Dual Language Immersion program, one parent must attend one of the virtual meetings to be considered. Please plan to log in 5 minutes prior to starting with microphones muted. https://www.gcpsk12.org/programs-and-services/dual-language-immersion/dli-informational-meetings Additional information about the program is available on the Ivy Creek Website.

As a means of improving results for children with disabilities, the Georgia Department of Education is required to survey parents of students receiving special education services. If you are the parent/guardian of a student receiving services in Gwinnett County you are eligible to participate in this year's survey process. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard. The feedback you share will help guide local schools' efforts to improve Special Education services and results for children and families. The survey is available on-line and can be accessed on the Georgia Department of Education website. Survey responses must be submitted by May 31, 2025. Thank you for your input!

Get ready for a fiesta of fun, flavor, and family! 🌮🎉 Join us for dinner at Cabo's Mexica Restaurant, where you can indulge in tasty tacos, sizzling fajitas, and all your favorite Mexican dishes—while supporting our amazing PTA! 🎈💃 It’s a fantastic way to connect with friends, make memories with your family, and help raise funds for the programs that make our school shine. Come for the food, stay for the fun, and let's make this night one to remember! 🎊🎶 See you there!

Location: 3421 Ridge Road Buford, GA

Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will be taking the Georgia Milestones Assessment from April 21st-My 2nd. Testing will begin at 8:30 AM each day. Please do NOT schedule appointments on scheduled testing days.

Due to changes in our school schedule, we will not be able to accommodate visitors during student lunch times from April 21st through May 2nd. We appreciate your support in this matter. Thank you for your help with this!

🎉 Spring Fling Alert! 🎉

Parents, get ready for a night of nonstop fun at our Annual Spring Fling on Friday, April 25th! 🌟

🎈 Inflatables for all ages

🎯 Exciting games

🎶 Music

🖌 Tattoo station

🍔 Food trucks: Kona Ice, Swirl Funnel Cakes, Heavies Baking Co, Big Smalls, Burger 21, & Bigs Burger and Wings

🎟 Tickets are just $12 per Child (ages 3+) until Tuesday, April 22nd! After that, they increase to $15—so grab yours early and save!

Don’t miss out on the best night of the season—bring the whole family and let’s make memories! 💙✨

Get your tickets now at ICESPTA.cheddarup.com!

Kindergarten Round-Up

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 @ 9AM

Ivy Creek Elementary Cafeteria

Rising Kindergarten students will...

• Go on a school tour

• Receive a book from the GCPS bookmobile

• Get a snack from our cafeteria

• Finish the morning with a ride on a school bus!

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

We have a few upcoming volunteer opportunities:

• Word Sorts: We have an ongoing project for 1st grade teachers that involves laminating and cutting out word cards. If you are interested in helping, please visit the media center!
• Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week (3/31-4/4): Thanks for helping us show how much we appreciate our teachers!
• Kona Ice Day (Friday, 4/4): We're serving ALL of our students FREE Kona Ice to kick off our Spring Break! Sign up if you can help!

  
  

Contact Kimberly.Sharp@gcpsk12.org or icesvolunteers@gmail.com if you can help!

This month's Welcome Wednesday is at the Hamilton Mill Public Library on April 16th from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM. Topics will include Spring Into Success: Preparing for Testing and Preventing Summer Slide. RSVP to lauren.butler@gcpsk12.org.

The Character Strong word for April is Creativity. Creativity is using your imagination to create something new or solve a problem.

Pam Stewart will be holding a Little Learners Academy the last Wednesday of every month from 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM for families that are interested. The next session is on Wednesday, April 30th. The Academy is designed for parents and their children that are birth to 4 years old. This class includes resources for home learning, skill centers to promote learning at home, and information for parents on what they can be doing at home to increase social/emotional readiness for Kindergarten. Contact Mrs. Stewart if you would like to attend: pam.stewart@gcpsk12.org.

Make plans to see Shrek: The Musical! at Seckinger April 17th-19th. Before Saturday's performance, you can even join Shrek, Fiona, Lord Farquaad, Donkey for dinner in Duloc! Purchase tickets here: https://skgtheatrebooster.ludus.com

Drop off your recycling at Coolray Field on Saturday, April 26th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Registration for Seckinger Youth Football opens on March 15th! Students ages 6-8th grade are invited to participate. Go to SKGAA.COM/SKGFootball to register.

Registration for Seckinger Athletic Association Cheer opens on March 15th! Students from 1st-8th grade are invited to participate. Visit www.SKGAA.com/skgacheer or contact cheerdirector@skgaa.com for more information!

Yearbooks and tributes are on sale now! Please visit: https://www.treering.com and use PassCode: 1016941015053998 to order your yearbook online. The order deadline is April 10th and Custom Pages are due by April 10th.

You may design custom pages for your child's yearbook! These pages will be printed in your child's personalized yearbook. They can include photos of your child throughout their school year, or however you want to design it. Please note that custom pages will only be printed in the yearbook you order for your child.

5th Grade tributes are sold separately on the same site. Families can purchase an ad for their 5th grader to celebrate their graduation accomplishment.

5th grade students are invited to participate in the Maxwell Summer Adventures Program from May 27th-May 30th from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Registration is now open on My Payments Plus. Visit the Middle School Summer Adventures website for details!

https://schools.gcpsk12.org/domain/13549.

The SKG Junior Jags Volleyball Summer Camp will be held June 25th - 27th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Students in Kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to participate. Scan the QR Code to sign up. Contact laura.delaperriere@gcpsk12.org with questions.

Mathnasium of Buford is offering Summer Camps June 9th-13th and July 21st-25th! Visit mathnasium.com/buford for more information.

Visit the Building Babies' Brains for ideas for Summer Home Learning!

Right At School is offering a summer camp for K-5 students at Patrick Elementary from June 2nd-July 18th. Be sure to check out their specialty camps, too! Visit RASCamps.com to register!

Address: 3443 Ridge Rd, Buford, GA 30519

Phone: (678) 714-3655

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/IvyCreekES