Godley Station Stallion News

Dear Godley Station Families,

We are conducting our mid-year iReady testing with students this week and next week. We are gathering data in reading and in math. This data will guide us in making decisions about what we need to work on specifically as we move through the year. This data will also help us target extra help and support for students who need it. Please stress to your child the importance of trying their best and taking their time as they complete their Mid-Year iReady Diagnostic in reading and math.

As we approach the Winter Holidays and the weather has gotten colder, we see the usual uptick in absences. We certainly understand that with the winter season comes colds and flu. Parents, we ask that you are mindful of your child's health status. If your child is truly sick and has a fever, please keep your child home. However, if your child just has a sniffle or slight cough with no fever, it is perfectly okay for your child to come to school. School attendance is so important for every student's success, so we ask all our parents to think carefully about their child's condition and make that judgement call about whether their child is well enough to come to school. When kids miss school, they miss out, so please send your child to school unless they are truly too sick to come.

We are looking forward to our upcoming Literacy Night and some other special events we have on the calendar. We look forward to seeing you at Literacy Night!

Educationally Yours,

Eric Heady, Ed.S.

Principal

Godley Station Teacher of the Year, Band Director Jameson Meadows, was recently honored by the district and selected as one of five finalists for the SCCPSS Teacher of the Year. Each school nominates a Teacher of the Year (TOTY) and following a rigorous review of their qualifications, five finalists are selected. We are so grateful for Mr. Meadows' contributions to our school and wish him all the best during this process.

Join us in congratulating Chloe Luna, 7th Grade, for being selected to the 2025 District 1 Honor Band. District 1 is comprised of 16 counties. Students are requred to play 4 Major Scales and a Chromatic Scale from memory. Then a prepared etude and finally sight-reading complete the audition process. Chloe received the 2nd highest score in the district. Way to go Chloe- we are very proud of your accomplishment.

December’s Harvest Of The Month is lettuce/spinach. Watch for these items all month long.

School nutrition is fueling our future with farm to school items from Georgia farmers. The Satsuma Oranges comes from the Corbett Brothers Farm in Lake Park, Georgia. They are super sweet and nutritious.

Breakfast is FREE to all students. Enjoy hot and cold options every morning.

Happy Holidays!

Sylvia Evans

Cafeteria Manager

Nurse Caitlin Davis

Caitlin.Davis@sccpss.com

Nurse Polite-Heyward

kimberly.polite-heyward@sccpss.com

912-395-6003

Dear Parents/Guardians,

· Each school year students in PreK, Kindergarten and 7th grade are audited for immunization compliance. Please be reminded that any student in this grade level could be recommended for withdrawal by the Department of Public Health if their immunizations are not up to date by our audit date. Please have your child immunized or please submit a religious exemption form as soon as possible. If your child has immunizations from out of state, those immunizations must be on a Georgia 3231 form. This can be done by your child’s pediatrician or at a local Georgia department of public health.

· At this point, we have SEVERAL students in PreK, Kindergarten, and 7th grade that are not immunization compliant or not showing up in the Georgia Registry for Immunization Transactions and Services also known as GRITS. If your child is not showing up in GRITS at all, their immunizations are most likely from out of state. For your convenience, we have listed local health departments and community clinics below to assist you with having your child immunized.

Chatham County Health Department

Public health department

Savannah, GA · (912) 356-2441

Open ⋅ Closes 5 PM

Chatham County Health Department

Public health department

Savannah, GA · (912) 651-2587

Open ⋅ Closes 5 PM

Effingham County Health Clinics and Offices

Health Department

802 Hwy. 119 South

P.O. Box 350

Springfield, GA 31329

Phone: (912) 754-6484

Fax: (912) 754-7623

Health Department Hours of Operation*

Monday – Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.)

Thursday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (closed from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.)

Friday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(Please call in advance to get times when specific services are offered).

*The Effingham County Health Department is closed on the last day of every month for staff training.

Bryan County Health Department - Richmond Hill Clinic and Environmental Health Office

Medical clinic

Richmond Hill, GA · (912) 756-2611

Open ⋅ Closes 5 PM

Curtis V. Cooper Primary Healthcare, Inc.

Address:

106 E Broad St, Savannah, GA 31401

Phone

(912) 527-1000

JC Lewis Primary Healthcare

5 Mall Annex

Savannah, GA. 31406

Primary Health Care Center

Phone: (912) 495-8887

Pediatric Center

Phone: (912) 352-3845

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the nurses.

Nurse Caitlin Davis or

caitlin.davis@sccpss.com

Nurse Kimberly Ann Polite-Heyward

kimberly.polite-heyward@sccpss.com

912-395-6003

Counselor assignments & Contacts:

PreK, K, 1st & 2nd (homerooms McMillen, Chung, Wright, )

Ms. Kennedy: diane.kennedy@sccpss.com - 777-2144

2nd (homerooms Morgan-Brown, Campbell-Ellison, Sharp-Washington Tisdale) – 3rd & 4th grades

Ms. Kathryn Armstrong: kathryn.armstrong@sccpss.com - 777-2141

5th & 6th grades

Ms. Gillespie: Heather.Gillespie@sccpss.com - 777-2150

7th & 8th grades

Ms. Jackson: millicent jackson@sccpss.com - 777-2152

If you would like to accompany your child on a field trip this school year or volunteer at Godley Station School, you will need to be approved through VISTA. If you are not an approved volunteer yet, please visit this link to register: https://appgarden2.app-garden.com/VolTrackGA625.nsf/Home.xsp. If you have any questions, please email our volunteer coordinator, Mrs. Kennedy at diane.kennedy@sccpss.com.

Sign up for cheer in the gym.

Conditioning 3 - 4:30 Thursday 11/8 and Friday 11/9.

Tryouts Tuesday, 11/12 beginning at 3.

Visit www.schoolcashonline.com to pre-order your 2024-2025 Yearbook. Current pricing is $35 + $2 fee. Get your order in by December 20th to guarantee your copy. We will only have a set number available, and the price will increase to $45 in the Spring. Yearbooks will be distributed to students in May.

If you need to update your Emergency Contact / Pick Up List you can do this by completing the following steps below:

Use a Laptop or Desktop Computer

• Go to sccpss.com
• Click on Family & Students
• In the Student/Parent Tools Column - Click on PowerSchool: Parent Access
• Click on the PowerSchool Student/Parent Access Login
• Log In
• Click on Year-Round Update to the left in the Navigation Plane
• Scroll down to Emergency Contacts
• Update names and phone numbers
• Submit

Once submitted the information will be available immediately in PowerSchool.

Parents, we are asking for your help and support when dropping off students in the mornings. Please help us by observing the following dropoff safety requests:

• Please do not drop children off on the street! This is very dangerous! If you are dropping off your child, go through the line and drop your child off at the correct place. We do this to help keep everyone safe. The wait times in the dropoff lines are not long and we will get you in and out in just a few minutes.
• It enhances safety to have students get out on the passenger side of the car. When children get out on the driver side, they have to cross between cars and that is not the safest practice.
• It helps the line go faster if parents remain in the car. If your child has large band instruments, projects they need help carrying, or other reasons they need adult help with getting out of the car, it might be best to have the parent park their car in the parking lot and walk the child to the door.
• Parents, please do not go around other vehicles in the line. This is very dangerous! A child could easily open a car door and be injured as you go around. Please be patient and wait for the people in front of you. Don't go around, please.

Parents, we thank you for taking the time to drop you child off in a safe manner. When we put convenience ahead of safety, we could have accidents and injuries. Let's all be safe out there!

Safety is our top priority. We need all families to work with staff members to ensure the safety of our students and staff is maintained.

For School Bus information, visit the www.sccpss.com website and click on the Family and Students tab.

MORNING ARRIVAL

Drop-off begins at 7:00 AM. Students may not be on campus before 7:00 AM because there is no one to supervise them. It is very dangerous for students to be dropped off early without supervision.

We have two drop-off areas. Cars may enter through the Benton Boulevard (cafeteria side) entrance and drop off in the area in front of the cafeteria. People who live in the Highlands will probably find it most convenient to use this entrance. Cars may also enter through the Spring Lake (gym side) entrance and go through the traffic loop surrounding the parking lot. People who live in Spring Lakes, The Farm, and the Pooler side of Jimmy Deloach Pkwy will probably find it most convenient to use this entrance.

Our instructional day begins at 7:30 am. Students arriving at 7:30 am or later will be marked tardy, and parents must walk them to the front door to sign them into school. Please note that after five tardies, the teacher and/or Attendance Committee will refer the student to the school social worker to provide support for the family.

AFTERNOON DISMISSAL

Dismissal begins at 2:30 PM. Please enter the school through your designated side, either Highlands (Yellow Car Tag) or Spring Lakes (Blue Car Tag). Go through the traffic loop surrounding the parking lot. Everyone must remain in their cars at all times.

Walkers: Walkers should be walking all the way home. If your child is not walking all the way home, you need to come and pick up your child at the school the correct and safe way. Parents should not be meeting walkers in their cars. This is very dangerous and could result in a child being hit by a car or a child being picked up by an unauthorized person. Please, do not meet your child in your car, but come and pick your child up from the school in the car rider line where we can keep them safe. Parents who are meeting their children on foot have a waiting area at the sidewalk directly in front of the flagpole in front of the school, up by the wooded area near the street.

Those who are picking up students at the school must have a car tag. Anyone picking up a student from campus must have their car tag or be prepared to present a picture ID to the staff.

We CANNOT release any students without a car tag or ID for the protection of our students. We CANNOT release any students to a person who is not listed on the child's pickup or emergency contact list in PowerSchool. Parents with PowerSchool access can update their child's pick-up list at any time.

Please be patient during car pick-up! The first week or two, the carpool line moves slowly until the students learn the new routine.

The school board policy on using electronic devices, JCDAF-R(1), can be read in the 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct on page 64.

Cell phones are a major source of disruption in the school setting. We have had instances of inappropriate use of phone cameras, cyberbullying, and cheating due to cell phone use. We need to work together to protect our children from the disruption caused by cell phones at school.

We are sensitive to the fact that many parents want their child to have their phones at school in case of extreme emergencies. While we discourage parents from sending phones to school with their children, parents may do so under board policy. However, under the same policy, students must follow all school personnel's directions regarding using personal devices.

At Godley Station K-8, student cell phones must remain powered OFF at school. Students are to leave their powered-OFF phones in their backpacks. Cell phones may not be taken into sensitive areas such as bathrooms and locker rooms. Cell phones that are powered ON at school at any time, including recess and lunch, will be taken up, and students will be subject to appropriate disciplinary actions.

FIRST OFFENSE: Personal electronic devices will be taken up and returned to the student at the end of class or the day. A student conference may be held on the proper use of electronic devices within the school environment.

SECOND OFFENSE: Personal electronic devices will be taken up, and the parent/guardian will be called to retrieve the device. A parent conference may be held on the proper use of electronic devices within the school environment.

THIRD OFFENSE: Loss of privilege within the classroom and/or school for 30 days. A behavior contract signed by the parent and the student on the proper use of electronic devices may be required before the privilege is reinstated.

Parents may not call or send texts to their child's phone while they are at school because the child's phone must be powered OFF. If a parent needs to communicate a message to their child while at school, the parent may call the school office at (912) 395-6000. The office staff will be happy to help. If a child has a serious need to contact a parent while at school, the child needs to communicate that need to his or her teacher and leave the cell phone powered OFF.

Parents, we ask for your help and cooperation in having a school that is free of disruptions caused by inappropriate cell phone use. Let's work together to keep our kids safe and focused on the right things while at school.

With the understanding that student behavior is influenced by the way students are dressed and that no student should dress in a manner that is disruptive or has an adverse effect on school activities, the following mandatory uniform standards have been developed. Students are expected to dress in the school uniform during the school day, on field trips, and during school-related activities. Godley Station K-8 uniform colors are as follows: Pale blue, navy, or white uniform shirts; khaki or navy uniform bottoms. We have a plaid option for uniform skirts.

Please refer to the SCCPSS Code of Conduct for full details regarding uniform guidelines and expectations. Please be reminded of the following:

• Crocs, flip-flops, and other insecure shoes are not allowed for safety reasons. Shoes must be closed and properly secured or tied.
• Hoodies and hooded sweatshirts are not allowed.
• Hats are not allowed.
• Jackets must remain unzipped in the building.

If a student arrives at school out of uniform, it will be documented, and the student will have the option to:

1. Change clothes into a supplied uniform and remain at school, or

2. Call home for a change of clothing, which must be delivered to the front office by 9:00 a.m.

3. At this time, students are not allowed to wear hooded sweatshirts or "hoodies". They will be asked to take it off in the building.

Students with repetitive uniform violations will be subject to disciplinary action.

Godley Station K-8 School

Email: eric.heady@sccpss.com
Website: https://spwww.sccpss.com/schools/gss/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 2135 Benton Boulevard, Savannah, GA 31407
Phone: (912) 395-6000