Meadowcreek Community Newsletter

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15-October 15

September 3- Lunch Visitation Begins

September 4- Early Learning & School Readiness Family Night Virtual 5:30-6:30PM

September 12- Spirit Night @ Skate Along USA 5:00-8:00PM

September 20- Digital Learning Day #1

September 25- Little Learners Academy 11:00AM-12:00PM

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year, Sarah Willoughby!! 🎉🎉🤍🩵

Parent Lunch

Students can have no more than 2 visitors for lunch. Strollers are not allowed in the cafeteria. Parents may sit at the Parent Table with their students during your student's scheduled lunch time. Students are expected to return to their class and teacher when the class dismisses from the cafeteria. If a parent needs to check out a student after lunch; please go to the front office to request a student checkout with your ID. Parent visitation beyond the cafeteria is not allowed. Thank you for helping us to maintain a positive, safe, learning environment for our students.

Strollers

Please remember that strollers are not permitted in the cafeteria during lunch. Strollers have to be left in the hallway next to the cafeteria.

Outside food

Please refrain from bringing in birthday treats and outside food for a class. We want to remain sensitive to classroom allergies. Ice Cream is available to purchase for a class if you desire. Please no cupcakes, balloons, flowers, etc.

Car Riders

During morning arrival, please do not park in the parking lot and walk your child inside the school. Please remain in the car rider lane and drop your child off in line with a staff member. We do not want students and parents walking across the car rider lane. This slows the line and creates a safety concern.

Tardies

Please make sure your child arrives at school on time. Students should be in class and ready to begin instruction by 8:15 am every day. When students are late, it is disruptive to the learning environment. Please help us make sure our students are prepared for daily learning by being on time.

Regular school attendance is vital to your student’s success. At Meadowcreek ES, our goal is to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by getting to school on time (in class by 8:15) and attending school regularly. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. You can help your student learn that going to school on time, every day is important. Consistent attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.

Below are the times we expect students to be at school:

• Students arrive no earlier than 7:40 am
• The bell rings and instruction begins at 8:15 am. Attendance is taken in class.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:

• Have your child ride the bus as this assures your child will get to school on time. If you have to drive your child to school, leave yourself extra time in case of traffic or inclement weather. Our doors open at 7:40, so you can drop your child off starting then.

• An unexcused tardy means your child arrived in class late (after 8:15) because of sleeping in, traffic, missing the bus, running late, etc. Examples of excused tardies are illness, health condition, medical appointment, and family emergency. You must come inside the building to sign-in your child with the reason why your child was tardy.
• Arriving late to school/class impacts a student’s learning as well as the classroom atmosphere. Being on time for school/class is a positive goal for each of our students. Research has shown that your child's attendance record may be the biggest factor influencing his/her academic success.

If your student is going to be absent or late, please contact your child’s teacher. If your student is absent, you will need to send in an excuse letter for the absence.

Meadowcreek is tracking students with perfect monthly attendance! Students with perfect attendance will receive a certificate of perfect attendance by the end of each month. If your student receives a perfect attendance certificate, their name will be entered in a drawing for a NEW BIKE! We will pick the winner at the end of the semester. Good luck!

Yearbooks are on sale for $25.00. The price will increase to $30.00 on November 1.

Congratulations to our Scavenger Hunt drawing winners Eduardo Tapia Benitez from Mr. Charles’ class and Emily Perez from Ms. Garcia’s class!

GCPS sent an email to all parents in July to complete/sign off on all your required documents in ParentSquare. This message was posted on July 23, 2024. Parents will need to click on the message to view orientation documents and then sign off. This includes the following documents:

• Free/Reduced Lunch Application: The free/reduced application must be completed each school year if assistance with meals, AP exam registration and/or college applications is needed.
• GCPS 2024-2025 Student Conduct Behavior Code
• GCPS 2024-2025 Handbook Information for Students and Families
• Attendance Protocol: GCPS 2024-2025 Handbook Information for Students & Families
• Extracurricular Activities: GCPS 2024-2025 Handbook Information for Students & Families
• Media Release Opt-Out: GCPS 2024-2025 Handbook Information for Students & Families
• Parent AKS Overview: Overview of Academic Knowledge and Skills for your student.
• The Plan/The Promise: A written agreement that outlines how the school, the students, and families will work together to ensure your child’s academic success.

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is required by law to verify the address of each and every student who attends our schools. This annual process, detailed on the district’s website, ensures students attend their zoned schools. Address verification helps maintain balanced enrollment, preventing overcrowding and ensuring optimal learning environments. It also ensures that resources like teachers, materials, and funding are allocated appropriately, supporting balanced class sizes and individualized attention.

Last spring, GCPS informed parents and guardians that students enrolled under specific conditions—Residency Affidavit, Permissive Transfer, Kinship Caregiver Affidavit, Homeless, or Foster Care—would need to renew their forms with proof of residency. GCPS recognizes that this requirement can be challenging for families whose family members or landlords are not locally available. District and local school leaders are actively working with these families to find solutions that meet district requirements and state law. We encourage families to continue working with their local schools to resolve any issues.

The Office of Family Engagement's Engage, Equip, Empower Series presents Early Learning & School Readiness Family Night presented by Stacy Lord and Leslie Gilbreath, Coordinators for Early Learning and School Readiness on Wednesday, September 4th virtually from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm. Please use this link to register: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcufuCsqzssGtXE_Vvp21-oGrsZuZK9hupk

This session will cover the wide range of resources available for both general education and special education. Additionally, we will discuss practical strategies to empower parents to embed learning in the home environment.

Topics Include:

• Resources and support are available in general and special education within GCPS.
• Practical tips for parents to enhance learning at home.

*Interpretation will be provided in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese*

Please join us for our second Spirit Night of the school year at Skate Along USA on Thursday, September 12 from 5:00-8:00PM! It is $10.00 per skater. Students must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. A $3.00 slice of pizza and a 12 oz drink will be available for purchase at a concession.

September 20, 2024

November 5, 2024

February 7, 2025

March 14, 2025

Friday, September 20, is a Digital Learning Day (DLD) for all students. On scheduled DLDs, students access lessons in eCLASS but do not have virtual class time with their teachers.

To ensure that students have a nutritious breakfast and lunch to fuel their learning, our bus drivers will be on the road and at every bus stop to deliver meals prepared by School Nutrition Program staff.

Families should expect buses to run their routes from approximately 10:45 a.m. to noon, beginning at the first stops on the route. These delivered meals are provided at no cost to families, and are provided to anyone 18 years old and under.

ParentVUE and ParentSquare are tools we encourage you to use to support your student’s learning. Think of ParentVUE as a tool you use to view and update student records. Think of ParentSquare as the place you go to engage with teachers and staff. Please see the guide below from the GCPS International Newcomers Center to help families understand the difference between ParentSquare and ParentVUE. If you need any support with these platforms, please visit our Family Center.

The GCPS Book Mobile 5K and Fun Run will be held on Saturday, November 2, at the GCPS Instructional Support Center, located at 437 Old Peachtree Road, NW, in Suwanee.

This Book Mobile 5K and Fun Run will raise funds to purchase new books for the Book Mobile program, putting books in students’ hands. A family-friendly atmosphere before and after the race features door prizes, snacks, music, and more!

Cost:

• 5K - $35 through October 18
  
• 5K - $40 – October 19 – November 2
• Family Discount - (4+ registrants) $5.00 discount per registrant
• Fun Run - $18; increases to $20 after October 18
• Virtual Run - $35 on or before August 29
• Virtual Run - $40 after August 29
• Virtual Run - $45 after October 18

2024-2025 School Supply Lists are available on our website!

You can also click the link below to access them.

GCPS partners with students and caregivers to engage, equip, and empower families, educators, and community members as co-authors for the development of the whole learner from birth through adulthood.

Gwinnett County Public Schools’ family engagement initiative seeks to support the growth, development, and success of each and every student. The Engage, Equip, and Empower series hosted by the Department of Federal Programs Office of Family Engagement provides opportunities for families to participate in instructional sessions, workshops, events, and activities to engage with Gwinnett County Public Schools. The series will provide opportunities for families to learn how to support their children at home in the core academic content areas, be active participants in their children’s education, and learn about resources, programs, and wraparound services to support their children.

Meadowcreek Elementary families have the opportunity to connect with the Family Center in person, by phone, or Zoom to become familiar with:

• School procedures
• Check out free educational games and resources to help your child at home
• Familiarize yourself with the new communication tool ParentSquare
• Navigate the Parent Portal
• Complete free/reduced lunch application online
• Support your child with eCLASS/Google classroom
• Make payments on MyPaymentsPlus (cafeteria, school field trips, spirit wear, etc.)
• Anything else that you may need support with!

In-Person: Parents may visit the Family Center Monday - Friday during school hours

Virtual: Click on the following link from 1:00pm - 2:00pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays beginning on September 4, 2024: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/j/92626367024

Phone: Mrs. Rosell: 770-638-2374 or Mrs. Pena-Perez: 770-381-4248

We look forward to serving you!

Sharpening your child’s math skills isn’t a one-time proposition. Look for a variety of ways to add math into all kinds of "real-life" activities you do together. Here are a few easy math-centered activities that involve different senses:

• Sight. Give your child an analog (non-digital) watch. Then ask time-related questions: “It’s 6:10 right now. If Dad gets home at 6:30, how long will it be until we see him?” “If it takes 20 minutes to get to Grandma's, when should we leave if she expects us at 7:00?"
• Touch. Let your child do some hands-on measuring. Have your elementary schooler measure each member of the family with a ruler or tape measure, and record the heights in inches. Then have your child add them all together to find the family’s combined height. To practice division, have your child divide the total by the number of family members to come up with your family's average height.
• Hearing. Cook together. Read a recipe aloud and have your child follow its instructions. This activity is also great for introducing fractions and concepts like quantity and volume.

Brought to you by:

Gwinnett County Public Schools

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Early childhood experiences are so important to lifelong learning. If you have a child between the ages of one month and 5 years old and are looking for ways to encourage him/her to play, learn, and grow; consider joining our FREE Play2Learn Program here at Meadowcreek Elementary for the 2024-2025 school year. Play2Learn classes meet once a week for 90 minutes. One adult must be present with the student during class. For more information, please contact Mrs. Pena-Perez at (770) 381-4248 or visit the school.

Please complete the form to be placed on the waiting list for the Play2Learn 2024-2025 school year. Once accepted, you will receive a call from Ms. Pena-Perez with instructions to register your child at the school.

*You do NOT need to complete the form if your child is currently enrolled in Play2Learn*

We are so excited to offer Little Learners Academy for our early learners at Meadowcreek Elementary! This program is open to all families and will be held the last Wednesday of every month. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Pena-Perez at 770-381-4248.

Who: Children birth to five years old and their parent or caregivers

What: 60 minute session, learn to be your child's first and best teacher!

Why: Engage with your child through PLAY! Get your child READY FOR SCHOOL!

Dates:

September 25, 2024

October 30, 2024

November 20, 2024

December 18, 2024

January 29, 2025

February 26, 2025

March 26, 2025

April 30, 2025

Internet available as low as $9.95 plus tax!

Call 855-846-8376 for assistance.

Get news, updates, announcements, school resources, and more! Download the new GCPS App today!

GCPS Tech Tips is a place where GCPS educators offer quick tips and tricks for technology integration in the classroom. Each week, a new video will be released which focuses on how to effectively use your Chromebook and other tips/tricks. Check out the entire playlist here.