Open House was an incredible event. One of the cornerstones of successful schools is Family Engagement. Thank you for being a community that comes together to support our students and staff. It was a joy to see the smiles and to get all of the kid hugs we have been missing this summer. You showered our teachers with supplies, as well as encouragement, and enthusiasm for the school year. Thank you.

First Day Procedures

I wanted to go over some first day of school procedures. While we believe it is best for students to start their normal routine on Day 1, we understand that there may be a need for you to walk your child in on the first day. With our new bus lane procedures, and our new security system, I ask that you have patience with us. If you are walking your child into the building, you will need to park in the Lanier MS lot and walk over on the sidewalk. We will have visitor stickers for you in the lobby that will allow you to go to the classroom.

Lunchroom and Parent Visitors

We are excited about the changes we have made to the lunch schedule for the 24-25 school year. Each grade level will have their own 30 minute time block in the lunchroom. This will greatly reduce the number of students in the cafeteria at one time, improving safety and the overall lunch experience for our students. For the first two weeks of school, while we are working on establishing our routines and procedures, we will not be allowing families to have lunch with their students. I appreciate your support and understanding.

Communication & Calendar

One of our goals is timely and clear communication. In order to streamline things all White Oak events, including PTA and All Pro Dads, will be communicated on the White Oak Student Calendar, see button in helpful White Oak information and links below. Additionally, we include detailed information within the calendar event. If you click on an event, it will bring up a box with a lot more details about the event. We hope this helps to put all of the needed information at your fingertips. As always, we welcome any feedback and the opportunity to continuously improve our communication.

In Partnership and Service,

Stacey Pickett

First Day of School Fun-Tag us on Social Media!

Tag us on social media with your first day of school pics! We'd love to see our White Oak students as they get ready to start the new school year. Use the links below to follow us on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂

Optional: Print out this Longhorn 24-25 sign to use in your photo or design your own!

Play2Learn is a program for parents and their children (ages birth to 5). Join Mrs. Neal for an orientation to learn more! There are two options: in-person or Zoom. See the dates below.

Zoom orientation link: https://gcpsk12-org.zoom.us/j/96146051887

Don't forget! Summer Reading Challenge Cards are due back the first day of school, Monday, August 5th.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the Back-to-School forms. This year, the forms are found in ParentSquare (they may be pinned to the top of your feed). Have questions about completing the forms? Click the link below for directions.

Link: Completing Back-to-School Forms in ParentSquare

The school year 2024-2025 Free & Reduced-Price Meal application is now available online. As a reminder, Free & Reduced eligibility from school year 2023-2024 will only carry over for the first 30 days of school (through 9/16). Families need to reapply each school year. Please note that only one application per household is needed.

Link: Frequently Asked Questions about the Free and Reduced-Price School Meals

Link: GCPS Free and Reduced Meal Application

Thank you to our fabulous White Oak PTA for supporting our teachers and students. How can you help? Join White Oak's PTA today!

Stay connected with our PTA on Facebook!

We're on social media! Make sure to like, follow, and engage with our posts to stay connected and be part of the conversation. Thanks for spreading the word and helping us to connect. Let's keep it growing!

Connect on Facebook: White Oak Elementary Longhorns

Connect on Instagram: White Oak Longhorns

Gwinnett County Schools is committed to providing the highest level of safety for our students and staff. Please review the visitor procedures that we will follow for the 24-25 school year. White Oak visitors will have a three - step process for entry into the school.

1.Primary Door

• Visitors use the intercom to request entry, stating their reason for visiting (lunch, check-out, check-in, classroom volunteer, etc...) These intercoms have cameras, and the audio quality is excellent.
• Receptionist communicates with the visitors to grant access to the entry/vestibule.

2. RAPTOR System

• Once in the entry/vestibule, visitors scan their driver's license, government I.D. or passport.
• Everyone needs to have their identification upon arrival.

3. Secondary Door

• A second intercom is installed in the entry/vestibule area.

• If you are here for lunch, as a classroom volunteer, or for a scheduled meeting, the receptionist will grant entry into the school and provide you with a yellow sticker.
• If you are here for student Check-Out, you will remain waiting in the entry/vestibule area.

Our goal is to provide a welcoming atmosphere when you come to White Oak. We have added some seating, decor, and plants in our entry/vestibule for visitors' comfort. Again, we thank you for your patience as we work together to ensure safety for all.

Student and staff safety are the top priority at White Oak Elementary. For the 24-25 school year, the bus lane and front parking lot will be closed off during active bus unloading/loading. As soon as all buses unload/load, the parking lot will be opened. You are welcome to wait in the middle school parking lot during the time the White Oak lot is closed.

The bus lane will remain closed off between the hours of 7:45-8:15 and 2:45-3:15. If you need to pick up/drop your child off your child, please use the car rider lane. We will be issuing car rider tags at Open House for anyone who needs one. Reminder, the last student check out occurs at 2:30 each afternoon. We appreciate your support and understanding with this process.

Last year GCPS adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with Gwinnett County Public Schools.

ParentSquare is a unified communication platform that offers a whole host of tools that allows district leaders, school administrators, and teachers to communicate and engage

with families and students more effectively. Some features include:

• Mass notifications and Urgent Alerts with two-way communication
• Mobile application for administrators and parents (iOS and Android)
• Attendance notifications (district-managed)
• Teacher and classroom communication
• Direct Messaging with two-way translation
• Social (Facebook and Twitter) and website share
• And so much more!

New families should have received an activation email for their ParentSquare account by the week of July 21. Parents who download the app can interact by viewing photos, downloading attachments, leaving comments, messaging teachers, signing permission slips, and managing their communication settings and preferences.

Wondering about the difference between ParentSquare and ParentVUE? Check out this link to see how these GCPS tools help families support their student's learning.

It's official. Our NEW White Oak Elementary School Sideline Store is LIVE. Need some new spirit wear? Check out the link below.

Link: White Oak Longhorns Store

Mrs. Stacey Pickett, Principal

6442 Suwanee Dam Rd

Sugar Hill, GA 30518

678-546-5550

https://www.gcpsk12.org/WhiteOakES

School Hours

7:45 AM - 8:10 AM Student Arrival

8:15 AM - 2:45 PM Instructional Time

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM Student Dismissal