Greetings Parents and Guardians!

Wow! Can you believe it is March already? Thanks for a wonderful week, and I hope that you were able to schedule a conference to speak with your child’s teacher about their progress. It is so important that we maintain a good relationship so that we can support each and every child here at Woodward Mill!

As you have noticed when you visit our school, we have a wonderful, new security vestibule! We are excited about this additional layer of security for our school. Both sets of doors are now fully functional. Today was the first operational day. Visitors and guests will need to press the button on the entry device outside. Our front office team will respond via phone to one visitor at a time. Once the guest/visitor states their business, they will be buzzed into the vestibule (the second layer of security). Once inside, the visitor/guest will place their ID into Raptor and if appropriate, they will be buzzed into the school lobby. Please make sure you have your ID out and ready to ensure efficient entry. Our front office team will assist one visitor at a time.

1. Parents/Guardians that are here to check students in after 8:15am will be asked to wait inside the vestibule until we have properly checked in the student. Students who are tardy MUST be accompanied with an adult to check in. After the student has been properly checked in, the student will then be buzzed into the school lobby to get their tardy slip and proceed to class.

2. Parents/Guardians that are dropping items off for students will be asked to label them and leave items inside the vestibule on the designated table. Staff will ensure items are delivered to students.

3. Parents/Guardians that are here to check students out before 2:15pm will be asked to wait inside the vestibule after placing their ID in Raptor.

4. Parents/Guardians that are here to have lunch or for a scheduled meeting should follow the procedures listed above and then will be buzzed into the school lobby to receive a visitor’s sticker.

We will also provide additional guidance next week. Thank you for your patience as we work together in the name of safety and security.

Have a Wonderful and Safe Weekend!

Your Principal,

Dr. Brown

*Raptor Device-this is the device in which visitors and guests place their ID.

3/7 Cubs Care Club 7:30am

3/8 Play2Learn Wednesday 9:00am-10:30am

3/8 Running Club 3:15pm

3/9 Chorus & Readers Rally 7:15am

3/14 Cubs Care Club 7:30am

3/15 Play2Learn Wednesday 9:00am-10:30am

3/15 Running Club 3:15pm

3/16 Garden Club 7:00am

3/17 Digital Learning Day

3/21 Cubs Care Club 7:30am

3/22 Play2Learn Wednesday 9:00am-10:30am

3/22 Running Club 3:15pm

3/23 Chorus 7:15am

3/24 PTA Bingo Night 6:00pm

Monday: Chicken drumstick, pasta alfredo, or turkey basket

Tuesday: Boneless chicken, chicken enchiladas, 3 bean chili, or PBJ

Wednesday: Burger, chicken sandwich, yogurt basket, or dill chicken

Thursday: Pizza, spinach dip, or corndogs

Friday: Veggie nuggets, PBJ, pinwheel, or rice bowl

*Menu is subject to change due to supply shortages.

Thank you to everyone for your support of our Scholastic book fair! It was great to see many of our families throughout the week! If you did not get a chance to visit the in-person fair, we hope you will be able to shop the online fair. All sales help support the media program. The online book fair will be available through March 8. Please contact the media staff if you have any questions about the book fair!

Woodward Mill Online Book Fair

This biography tells the story of Amelia Earhart, the courageous individual who challenged the opinions toward women of her time, and dared to become the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic ocean.

Our Read Across America celebration continues throughout the month of March! During this month, encourage your child to read and log at least 300 minutes!

Students will login to Beanstack using their GCPS student number and their birthday month and date (MMDD) as their password. Students are able to log reading minutes either on their laptop or on a mobile device.

Refer to the media center link of the school website for helpful resources to get your child started with Beanstack. Contact Jennifer.Alden@gcpsk12.org if you have any questions about this digital reading program.

Woodward Mill Beanstack

How to Use Beanstack

We all share a common goal for our children to be safe and protected from all things harmful. Related to that goal, school counselors are required to present annual personal safety lessons designed to prevent sexual abuse. The Think First & Stay Safe™ program is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education by way of interactive classroom lessons, classroom posters, role playing and corresponding activities. Think First & Stay Safe™ enables students to take an active and necessary role in protecting themselves from abuse and exploitation. A committee of professional school counselors reviewed the program and selected components that were developmentally appropriate for elementary students and developed lessons around those concepts.

The materials will be available for preview from February 21-28. During the month of March, our school counselors will offer the sexual abuse prevention and safety lessons to all K-5 students.

You can also learn more about the detailed lesson plans and research behind this program at www.childluresprevention.com. Please be aware that more information is provided on the website than is actually used in Gwinnett County. The plan for Gwinnett includes: the key concepts taught at all grade levels; each grade reviews what was learned in the previous grade(s) and then learns additional lures or tricks. A letter will also be sent home in your child’s Friday Folder with additional details.

If you prefer that your child not participate in the sexual abuse and safety prevention lessons, please write and sign a note indicating your preferences and send it to your child’s teacher or school counselor. As always, counselors are available to discuss any concerns you might have. Unless written documentation is received, your child will participate in the sexual abuse prevention and safety lessons.

Each month, we focus on a different character trait. The character trait for the month of March is Cooperation. Cooperation means working together kindly to get a job done. Teachers will be looking for students that exhibit this trait during March to be recognized as the “Cub of the Month” with a certificate and free ice cream!

We still need a few more volunteers! We haven't been able to host this event in years, but this year our College and Career Day is scheduled for March 31st. This day will give students the opportunity to learn about nearby colleges and careers from individuals that can speak first-hand about their daily experiences. No book can teach them that!

We would love for you to come to our College and Career Day! The actual event is 8:30am-10:30am. Please let us know if you would like to speak to our students. You can email Chavonne O’Rear at chavonne.orear@gcpsk12.org for more information or to volunteer.

Join us on Facebook for more updates & upcoming PTA meeting information!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/363356410352065/

Last week we shared a video on how to locate and use Bookflix in the Online Research Library. There are many other tools your child can use at school or at home from the Online Research Library. One tool is Pebble Go! Pebble Go offers many non-fiction topics to learn about in both English and Spanish. Watch the video below to learn more about Pebble Go!

Support your school every time you shop!

Publix Partners has contributed $38.7 million to more than 4,950 schools across the Southeast since the program's inception.

Participating is easy! Simply sign up for Club Publix or log in to your existing account, click Publix Partners, and select a school. Then, every time you shop at Publix, pay with the Publix app or enter your phone number at checkout. We’ll give back to the school of your choice—one of the many perks of being a Club Publix member!

Woodward Mill would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous business partners that support the students and teachers at our school. Our business partners support our school in various ways such as sponsoring after-school clubs, providing teacher appreciation gifts, donating supplies, and mentoring students. Please check out our wonderful business partners below:

Woodward Mill’s mission is to achieve academic and social excellence through quality instruction that promotes lifelong learning.

Website: http://www.woodwardmilles.com
Location: 2020 Buford Drive Northeast, Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Phone: 678-407-7590