GCPS LINKS

The Blueprint in Action focus for the months of August, September, and October is College and Career Readiness. During these months we will be spotlighting how we are preparing students for the college and career of their choice, specifically highlighting the efforts in GCPS to meet these objectives in our strategic plan. Learn more about…

• artSTAGE in the Norcross Cluster
• GCPS Athletic Teams Honored for Academics
  
• Behind-the-scenes with Paul Duke STEM Video and Film
• Mountain View Engineering Program

And be sure to catch up on all College and Career Readiness spotlight stories and videos!

Chronic absenteeism is widely defined as missing 10% or more of the number of school days a student is enrolled. In Gwinnett County Public Schools , where a school year consists of 180 days, 18 missed school days, whether excused or unexcused, would be considered chronically absent. Learn more about excused and unexcused absences.

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 meal 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.

The Office of Family Engagement's Engage, Equip, Empower Series presents a focus on the Department of Teaching and Learning on September 26 at 5:30 p.m.

During this session, GCPS families of students in grades K-5 will receive information on how to support students at home with English and Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies in the first semester. You can join the meeting at: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0odumvqzwvGNGLti3DQR6rvasGCr0kMitx

GCPS recognizes its Community School Coordinators for their role in working together with their high school principals and other school staff members. They support their cluster learning communities with targeted programming that benefits students and positively impacts the surrounding community. Learn more about GCPS’ Community Schools, and meet your Community School Coordinator.

Gwinnett County Public Schools invites GCPS families, Gwinnett County residents, students, and GCPS staff members to participate in the school district’s review of the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum from September 3 through September 26. The public may review proposed standards online, offering feedback on AKS that have been developed to align the curriculum with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and/or Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). Please review the list of courses with AKS under review and provide feedback. Comments will be accepted through Thursday, September 26.

GCPS is inviting parents and community members to apply for the district’s Sex Education Instructional Resources Review Committee (IRRC), a group charged with evaluating print and digital instructional resources. Feedback from the IRRC and teacher reviews will be considered in the selection of resources to pilot in the district. This year’s Sex Education IRRC will convene on Thursday, November 7, at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center, located at 437 Old Peachtree Road, NW, in Suwanee.

If you are interested in serving on this IRRC, applications are due October 9. Accepted applicants will receive more information about the event, including meeting times (during the school / work day), and an opportunity to rank subject area/ grade level preferences. Please contact (678)301-6828 or email: instructional.materials@gcpsk12.org if you have questions.

Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation®(NMSC) announced the names of 73 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) seniors as semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Each year, GCPS students participate in The Great Southeast Pollinator Census. During this event students identify and count the number of pollinators they see over a 15-minute time frame in a certain area. Counts from around Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida are then submitted to the University of Georgia Extension and The Center for Urban Agriculture. Students at Stripling, Roberts, Norcross, Lovin, Lilburn, and Peachtree Elementary Schools are involved in the project. Learn more about how these schools supported The Great Southeast Pollinator Census.

Collins Hill High School’s media program has been named the Judy Serritella Exemplary Library Media Program award recipient.

Berkmar and Meadowcreek High Schools have been awarded the Rachael Ray ProStart Grow Grant, a program administered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

The Georgia Association of School Psychologists (GASP) has named Dr. Kimberly Trimble, an Early Learning and School Readiness (ELSR) psychologist for Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), the 2024 School Psychologist of the Year award honoree.

Last call for all GCPS juniors and seniors! The United States Senate Youth Program is accepting applications for delegates to attend Washington Week in Washington, D.C. the week of March 1-8, 2025. Delegates receive a $10,000 college scholarship! Applications close on September 30. Learn more and apply today: www.gadoe.org/USSYP

Proceeds from the 13th Annual Golf Tournament support our students by offering opportunities for career readiness, leadership workshops, scholarships, college visits, community engagement, and financial literacy education. Learn more about the Community-Based Mentoring Program and this special event.

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.

October 7 is the deadline to register to vote in the November 5 election. You can find information about registering to vote on the Gwinnett County website, and you can check your registration status at the Georgia My Voter Page. Students who are 17 now but will be 18 by November 5 can register to vote.

• Board meeting and work session recordings
• GCPS News
  
• Coffee with Calvin (September 5)
• Connected (September 12)
• Student Calendars

And much more at www.gcpsk12.org!

• Keep Connected with news from GCPS TV… the next episode airs September 26!
• The next regular Board Meeting is September 19. (Online, find links to sign up for the public comment sections of the meeting.)