Thank you to everyone who came out to the Lanier High School Football Cluster Appreciation game. It was incredible to see so many current and former students all coming together to cheer on our Longhorns. The future looks bright!
It was an amazing turnout for our PTA Back to School Skate night. We had well over 250 people in attendance. I am especially appreciative of the White Oak staff that came out to skate and cheer on our skaters. These community events give us a chance to build relationships, support students, and celebrate our amazing community.
Attendance will continue to be a big focus for us this year. Every day a child is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. During the 23-24 school year, we had 29% of White Oak students absent 10 or more days. In the elementary years, it is quite challenging to “make up” a missed day of instruction. Our learning is often hands-on, collaborative, and discussion based. While we understand the need to miss due to illness, please consider the following suggestions to help improvement.
When checking your children out, make sure to do so after 11:30 am when possible. Check outs before that time are considered a full day absence.
GCPS has a number of breaks built into the calendar. Schedule trips and family vacations during these times to avoid missing school. Link: GCPS 2024-2025 Calendar
If your child wakes up late, or has a difficult start to the morning, please bring them to school. We have a fabulous counselor and other support staff here to welcome them.
In closing, I wanted to let you know that this is the last week for family members interested in being a part of our School Council to submit their interest. This group meets with me at least four times a year to bring parents and the community together with teachers and school administrators to create a better understanding of and mutual respect for each other’s concerns and share ideas for school improvement. Please complete the brief form, linked here, to let me know you are interested. Our first meeting will be in September, and I look forward to partnering with each of you. Link: School Council Interest Form
In Partnership and Service,
Stacey Pickett
It's Scholastic Book Fair time! From September 3-6, come experience the limitless possibilities with your kids. Every purchase benefits our school. Because the bookfair is cashless for student shopping, visit the White Oak ES Scholastic Book Fair website to sign your child up for an eWallet. Adults shopping with students can also use Apple Pay or a credit/debit card to make purchases.
😁📷Mark your calendars! Thursday, August 29th is our fall picture day.
This year, we are excited to continue using the PurposeFull People program as part of our focus on Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This week we continue our Kindness Kickoff! Students will spend time learning the meaning of kindness and practicing real-world examples of kindness at school. See the linked Family Connection newsletter for more resources and ways to reinforce kindness at home.
Lanier Athletic Association
Sign-ups are now open for Longhorn Basketball for girls and boys ages 5-14. Early Bird $10 off until 9/17. Go to lanieraa.com for more information.
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.
White Oak Elementary School
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