THE NORCROSS ELEMENTARY EAGLE

Dear Families,

We have had an eventful first quarter of school. During the first 45 days of school (the first quarter) we have accomplished so much. Below is a list of some of the highlights of the 1st Quarter.

• Completion of the IReady Beginning of the Year Assessment
• Identified the Teacher of the Year, LeTricia Parks, and the Classified Staff of the Year, Jean Laventure
• Students participated in Extended Learning Programs on Saturday
• Students participated in the pollinator census
• Students participated in the High Touch, High Tech on campus field trips
• Completed 3 fire drills and 1 hard lock down drill
• Grandparents Day Luncheon
• 1 Digital Learning Day
• Freddy the Falcon visits
• Stan Tucker, Author Visits
• Celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month
• 3 Student of the Month Ceremonies
• Students participated in the Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Rocket Day
• Conducted Early Release conferences

Many of you had the opportunity to conference with your child's teacher during the Early Release Days on October 23rd and 24th. As you consider and discuss the information with your child, think about setting new goals for the remainder of this semester. The goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely).

• improve reading fluency by reading aloud for 10 minutes daily for the next month.
• Increase math problem-solving skills by completing 10 extra math problems each week for the next two months.
• Enhance vocabulary knowledge by learning five new words and using them in sentences every week for the next three months.
• Improve handwriting skills by practicing proper letter formation for 10 minutes each day for the next six weeks.
• Increase active participation in class discussions by asking at least one question or making one relevant comment during each lesson for the next two weeks.

• Improve organization skills by keeping a neat and tidy desk and backpack throughout the entire school year.

Resource:

https://www.atouchofclassteaching.com/20-examples-of-smart-goals-for-students-and-fun-growth-mindset-posters/

If you have not conferenced with your child's please be sure you contact the teacher.

Parents, we thank you for your continued support.

Included in the newsletter is information to stay current with the most up to date happenings at our school. There are also opportunities for you to make an impact and collaborate with us.

Thank you for all YOU DO!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kassia Sutton

Proud Principal of Norcross Elementary

Every year, we ask parents and guardians to complete and send back dozens of important forms and permission slips. We are pleased to share that your back-to-school forms that were previously in MyPaymentsPlus are now in ParentSquare!

Action: If you have not signed the agreements, please use the button with the link below to complete the forms.

Shout out to the the following business who have supported us this school year:

Booster

Boga Latina Cuisine

Monarca Brazilizan Steakhouse

El Ceibeño Restaurante

ATLWaitress4Ever

Riko Pollo de La Abuela

Zapata Tacos and Tequila Bar

Zelapan #2

Mojitos Cuban American Bistro LLC

Dulces Sueños Cakes

Golightly Fit Circuit Training

Our staff working out.

Our staff indulging on Hispanic foods donated by various restaurants in the Norcross.

Mrs. Sherwood and I are super excited to bring to light Dr. Sutton's vision of having a book vending machine at our school!. Here's where you come in......we have written a grant through Donors Choose and are asking that you share the link with your family and friends (and social media platforms). Please see the link below and a picture of the vending machine.

Thank you in advance for all of your support,

Sherwood, Parker, and the admin team!

https://www.donorschoose.org/project/reading-helps-us-soar/8898017/?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=directlink&utm_campaign=tpc_complete&utm_term=teacher_7189336&rf=directlink-dc-2024-10-tpc_complete-teacher_7189336&challengeid=21584911

We had an amazing time at Monster Math Night on Friday, October 25. Below are a few pictures from the evening.

November 5: Election Day & Digital Learning Day

November 7: International Night

November 13 and November 14: Holiday Luncheon

November 15: Local School Council Meeting at 7:30am

November 18-22: American Education Week

November 18: Peer Leadership Conference

November 21: Little Learners Academy at 4:30pm

November 22: Student of the Month/ Food Pantry

November 23-29: Thanksgiving Break

Early voting in Georgia ends Friday, November 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.

Tuesday, November 5 is a Digital Learning Day (DLD). Teachers will send home work/assignments on Monday. Students in kindergarten will not have devices. Students in 1st -5th grade will have a combination of assignments on the device and paper pencil.

Lunch will be provided for students. The bus will arrive at the first stop at approximately 10:45am-11:00am.

Please join us for International Night on November 7.

Reminder: The event was rescheduled due to inclement weather.

Please join us for our Holiday Luncheon.

Por favor, únase a nosotros para nuestro Almuerzo Festivo.

Who/Quien:

Families

Familias

Where/Dónde:

Norcross Elementary Cafeteria

Cafetería de la Primaria de Norcross

When/Cuando:

November 13, 2024: Grades 1, 3, 5 and ASD

13 de Noviembre, 2024: Grados 1, 3, 5 & ASD

November 14, 2024: Grades K, 2, 4

14 de Noviembre, 2024: Grados K, 2, 4

Adults $4.00/additional children $4.00 (cash only)

$4.00 adultos/Niños adicionales $4.00 (Solamente efectivo)

No food from restaurants allowed and please bring small bills.

No se permite traer comida de restaurantes por favor traer billetes de cantidad pequeña.

Families will go through the student lunch line and pay at the counter.

Las familias pasarán por la línea de almuerzo de los estudiantes y pagarán en el mostrador.

Please see lunch times on the back!/Favor ver el tiempo de almuerzo para las clases en la parte de atrás.

We are excited to announce that our school district has 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 your child’s school and Gwinnett County Public Schools.

ParentSquare provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to receive and send information, such as:

• Weather-related closings & delays
• School and class information
• Share pictures and files
• See calendar items
• Upcoming class activities

Beginning July 18, 2023, district and school information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text via ParentSquare. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

Thank you to Jackie Morgan and Glenn Morgan for encouraging our participation in the event.

Thank you to LeTricia Parks, Contacia Cross, and Lauren Dennis for promoting and facilitating our participation in the event.

This year's theme is “Recognizing 100 Years of Citizenship and the Fight for the Right to Vote: 1924-2024”.

Andrea Eberhart and Dr. Latonya Parker are our instructional coaches. Their role includes supporting teachers and students. Ms. Eberhart and Dr. Parker also plan and facilitate our LEVEL UP READING PROGRAM.

Below is a resource to support you with the things to consider now that you have had a conference with your child's teacher. .

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are important disciplines for our students to learn about and to have opportunities to explore learning. We strongly encourage your child to participate in our STEM fair.

Please use the resources below to learn more about the STEM Fair.

NES STEM Fair website

2024-2025 STEM Fair video

STEM Fair Kick-Off Assembly slideshow

STEM Fair interest "permission"

If you have questions, please reach out Lauren Dennis, our amazing STEM teacher.

Improving student academic and behavior outcomes is about ensuring all students have access to the most effective and accurately implemented instructional and behavioral practices and interventions possible. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provide an operational framework for achieving these outcomes.

Below is a picture our PBIS Matrix

As a parent, you may wonder why school has so many rules and procedures that your child has to follow. In truth, the rules and procedures are setting your child up for success in the future! Think about all the rules and procedures you need to follow as an adult, and what the consequences would be if you did not follow those rules. At home, help your child’s teacher by reinforcing the rules and procedures of the classroom and school that have been put in place. If you notice a note or email from your child’s teacher stating difficulty on a particular rule, discuss with your child the reason that rule is in place. For example, “I see your teacher says you were having trouble walking safely today. The reason we need to walk when we are in the building is because if we run, we could fall and hurt ourselves or others.”

Having set rules and procedures at home can help students feel more responsible and regulated as well. Routines for what to do when you get home, bedtime, or getting ready for school are some examples. Making sure that you follow through with expectations and consequences at home is just as important as the expectations at school as well.

PBIS Information for Families
https://www.pbis.org/family

Positive Behavior
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/pbs-resources/

Dr. Fain is our PBIS Coach.

christi.fain@gcpsk12.org

Please remember the following expectations to avoid damage to the technology loaned to your student.

Device Expectations

• Use 2 hands when carrying device from one location to another

• Do not grab device by the screen

• Keep food, drinks, or other liquids away from the device

• Keep devices on a hard, solid surface like a table or desk

• Place device gently on table or desk

• Keep device within the residence of the student

• The device should not be taken on trips or travel destinations

• Nothing should be placed on top of the device

• When closing device, nothing should be between the screen and keyboard

• Store device in a clean bag when not in use

• Do not place stickers on your device.

Charger Expectations

• Plug the device into a nearby outlet so that no one will trip over the cord

• When not charging the laptop, keep the charger stored in a secure location

• Chromebook is brought to school each day fully charged.

Please note that incidents of damage or loss do not reset each school year. Fees are effective July 1, 2024

Art Club students will be selling hand crafted, ceramic ornament minis and bracelets right after Thanksgiving break. This event is their second service-learning project and all proceeds will go to help build our Habitat for Humanity home. Shopping links will be shared soon.

Four students, Alice Lee, Angel Olea Duque, Yonatin Mesfin, and Kenia Cortez, had their artwork selected into the Hartsfield-Jackson Youth Art Gallery! Their work will be on display for six months beginning in January. As the busiest student art exhibit in the United States, their work will be seen by millions of viewers. We are incredibly proud of our artists!

HUGE thank you to all of our families who stopped by to make the Art Club’s Chairs for Charity event during the Norcross Art Splash a success! We sold all of our chairs, thanks to you, and our students learned valuable life skills. It takes a village and Norcross Elementary is a supportive one!

Click here to view photographs of our successful day.

Red Ribbon Week is an opportunity for people of all ages to come together and take a stand against drug use.

Red Ribbon Week will be celebrated from October 28-November 1. The theme this year is Create an IMPACTFUL World using your Heroic Mindfulness Superpowers. A flyer is coming soon!

MyPaymentPlus Offers Free 24/7 Access To

• Student cafeteria balances and purchase history
• Prepayments for breakfast/lunch, with auto-pay capability
• Meet Your Teacher Day (Open House) documents
• Other fees and activities such as yearbooks, spirit wear, field trips and more!

Using your MPP Account

https://instruction.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/content/enforced/2323043-Federal_Programs_Communication_Center/MyPaymentsPlus/MPP.setup.HOW_TO.mp4?ou=2323043

Creating an Account - Spanish

https://instruction.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/content/enforced/2323043-Federal_Programs_Communication_Center/MyPaymentsPlus/Spanish%20version%20(detailed).pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=j8rIvA3AnIlKoIU3fgtWbW8eI&ou=2323043

A Parental Guide: Reviewing and Acknowledging Orientation Agreements & Title I Documents

https://instruction.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/content/enforced/2323043-Federal_Programs_Communication_Center/MyPaymentsPlus/MPP%20How%20to%20review%20report.mp4?_&d2lSessionVal=j8rIvA3AnIlKoIU3fgtWbW8eI&ou=2323043

For customer service & support on your MyPaymentsPlus account, please call 1-877-237-0946

Up-to-date Safety Equipment and Technology

Our school uses a variety of technological tools to reinforce security. These are some—but not all—of the tools in place:

• Cameras — interior and exterior
• VMS and Raptor — visitor management systems that control access doors and screen adults against National Sex Offenders Registry. Every visitor is required to show identification.
• Vestibules — Double glass door entry with bullet-resistant glass film at designated single point of entry for the school (coming soon).

1. If your child has a medical alert/medical health management plan, please contact Lilana Martinez as soon as possible, and complete and return applicable forms to her in a timely manner.

2. We want our students to have a full day of learning, but sometimes illness(es) may interrupt their day. For the safety and health of your child and others, if your child gets ill at school and needs to go home, please do so promptly. If you’re unable to pick them up, please be sure that we have a current list of emergency contact(s) that we may reach out to.

We will continue our focus on the Whole Child through MTSS by using Supportive Community and Academic Press (see picture below). An example of Supportive Community is our Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Program and an example of Academic Press is the implementation of the EL Education literacy pilot for Language Arts.

MTSS is a system or framework that integrates assessment and intervention within a school-wide, multi prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavioral problems. It promotes systems alignment to increase efficacy and effectiveness of resources. (Adopted for National Center on Intensive Intervention).

Implementation of MTSS is one of our LSPI goals.

A student who leaves school before the official ending time must be signed out in the office by his/her parent or guardian. Parents must report to the receptionist, not the classroom. The receptionist will call the room for the child after a photo ID (government issued) has been shown. Please remember that each time a child checks out early, we must call the classroom and disrupt instruction for everyone. Children will be called to the Front Office where they will be released to the parent/guardian. The office will not check out students after 2:30 P.M. (11:30 A.M. on early release days). Please do not ask school personnel to make exceptions.

A child will not be permitted to leave the school in the custody of any person other than the child's parent unless that person is listed as a parent/guardian or emergency contact in the school’s database. As telephone numbers and situations change, please make sure you report this information to the school so we have the most accurate information.

Arrival

• Doors open at 8:20am
• Classes begin at 8:50am

Dismissal

• The Day ends at 3:20pm

Check out our Parent Page in our School Website to find more information regarding Title 1 and what happens at Norcross Elementary. It’s important to stay informed about your child’s education. The Powerpoint Presentation of the Title 1 Annual Meeting is posted there for your review. https://www.gcpsk12.org/domain/1603

We are looking for volunteers to participate in our Local School Council and Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Reach out to our Parent Center team, Altavise Walker altavise.walker@gcpsk12.org or Eduardina Checo Eduardina.checo@gcpsk12.org for more information.

LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL (LSC)

The purpose of the LSC is:

• To help the local board of education develop and nurture participation
• 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
• To share ideas for school improvement

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)

We are in need of a PTA board to support our school, our students, and our faculty. The board consists of a president/co-president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Please contact me at kassia.morris.sutton@gcpsk12.org if you are interested.

https://www.pta.org/home/About-National-Parent-Teacher-Association/Mission-Values

Volunteer

Please partner with us and commit to volunteering at our school. Volunteer activities may include: working in the media center, laminating materials, counting out documents, cutting, and filing. Please contact Eduardina Checo (eduardina.checo@gcpsk12.org) for volunteer opportunities.

September Family Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/dsvag

Principal – Kassia Sutton (kassia.morris.sutton@gcpsk12.org)

Assistant Principal – Gr. 1, 4, 5 – Contacia Cross (contacia.cross@gcpsk12.org)

Assistant Principal - Gr. K, 2, 3 - Katrina Bilal (katrina.p.bilal@gcpsk12.org)

Assistan Principal - Special Education - Alicia Lapinsky (alicia.lapinsky@gcpsk12.org)

Counselor - Gr. K, 1 - Shelby Gonzalez (shelby.gonzalez@gcpsk12.org)

Counselor Gr. 2, 3 - Amy Crapo (amy.crapo.@gcps12.org)

Counselor Gr. 4, 5 - Matt Ho (matt.ho@gcpsk12.org)

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/NorcrossES
Location: 150 Hunt Street, Norcross, GA, USA
Phone: 770-448-2188
Facebook: facebook.com/NorcrossElementarySchool-GCPS

Please open the document for dates and times. Information was sent home in the Friday Folder.