GCPS LINKS

To help students and families prepare for the 2023-24 school year, please review the GCPS 2023-24 Virtual Backpack for Families here. This toolkit includes links to important information and district resources for families as we partner to support student success. We will highlight a different day as we count down to the first day of school! Most schools will hold back-to-school activities the week and days before Wednesday, August 2.

Parents are encouraged to check school websites for the dates and times of planned events. These activities are a great way to prepare for the school year. Students can meet teachers, pick up schedules and supply lists, learn about bus routes, pay for school lunches, and learn about clubs and other participation opportunities. In addition, parents have the opportunity to join the PTA and learn more about their child’s school.

If you have a child or know of one turning 5 by September 1, be advised that Kindergarten registration is underway at all elementary schools. Registering new kindergarteners before school starts ensures that new students can start school confidently and are ready to go on August 2. Families can register now for the 2023-24 school year.

The school bus and its driver play a crucial role in a student's daily routine as a vital connection between home and school. While it is important to note that buses can sometimes be delayed on the first days of school, the Department of Transportation is committed to working with parents and students to address any challenges that may arise during those first few days. We would also like to encourage families to review Bus Safety Rules with their students before the first day of school. For questions regarding routing, schedules, or bus stops, families are encouraged to contact the student's assigned school, the Transportation Department's customer service department, or the Transportation Supervisor assigned to the student's school before the first day.

For a smoother experience, ensure your child arrives at the correct stop 5-10 minutes before the bus arrives. Also, note that caregivers are responsible for the safety and supervision of their children from the time they leave home in the morning until they board the bus and at the end of the day from when their children depart the bus until they arrive home. The care, supervision, and behavior of children at the bus stop (before loading in the morning and after unloading from the school bus in the afternoon) is the parent's responsibility.

Let’s work together to ensure a smooth and successful start to the school year!

GCPS’ award-winning school nutrition program provides tasty, nutritious meals to students, serving more than 26,500,000 meals throughout the school district last school year. GCPS cafeterias serve many of the brands that families use at home, and students are also served a variety of fruits and vegetables through Gwinnett’s Farm-to-School program. Last school year, the Farm-to-School Program provided 18 million servings of regionally grown produce, and 2.7 million were Georgia Grown produce.

Starting this school year, the School Nutrition Program will begin offering students a new menu and new a-la-carte snack items, all USDA and Smart Snack compliant. Some of the new menu items that students can choose from include General Tso’s and Sichuan Chicken Bowls and Mini Calzones. In addition, students will have many new snack options, including Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Kettle Corn and Welch’s Fruit Snacks.

There are no changes to student meal prices for SY 2023-24. As always, families are encouraged to complete the free/reduced-price meal application as soon as possible at the start of the school year and also take advantage of using the NutriSlice app, which provides weekly online school menus.

For Gwinnett County Public Schools families, MyPaymentsPlus is the resource for student meal accounts, and accessing options to review and pay for school activities. Students and families are also able to review Handbook Information for Elementary and Middle/High School students through MyPaymentsPlus during the back-to-school time period and student registration throughout the year.

Need assistance with MyPaymentsPlus? Check out this resource.

GCPS is using a few free apps to streamline school and district communication, and help with managing school-related paperwork and student progress. You can find these apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

GCPS is transitioning from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare for the upcoming 2023-24 school year, and we encourage all families to download the app and create an account. With its user-friendly interface, ParentSquare offers seamless two-way communication through text, newsletters, posts, emergency alerts, and direct messaging. The integrated translation feature enables automatic translations for multilingual families. Stay effortlessly connected with your child's teachers, schools, and the district. To get started, and learn about all the cool features, check out their website.

The ParentVUE app will allow parents with a Parent Portal account to view schedules and grades, when assignments are due, view graduation requirements, find missing assignments, and other important student information. The ParentVUE mobile app is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. An active Parent Portal account is required to log in to ParentVUE. If you have a Parent Portal account, you will use the same login username (email) and password you use online.

Handle all of your school-related spending in one place with the MyPaymentsPlus app. Everything from student cafeteria balances and purchase history, prepayments for breakfast/lunch with auto-pay capability, low balance e-mail reminders, AP exam registration and payment, online open house and orientation, summer school registration and payment, and other fees and activities such as yearbooks, uniforms, field trips and more can be taken care of through the app!

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is deeply committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and careers. GCPS is proud to introduce Our Blueprint in Action —an initiative aimed at showcasing tangible instances of Our Blueprint priorities and the Portrait of a Graduate's core competencies occurring consistently across our district.

Each month of the 2023-24 school year, we will spotlight one of our strategic priorities or Portrait competencies by sharing the stories of two clusters, highlighting their classrooms, notable events, community insights, achievements, community service projects, student organizations, volunteer efforts, and much more. We invite you to follow along our journey this school year!

July 2023 - Introduction to our Blueprint in Action

July 2023 - Our Blueprint in Action: Maxwell Summer Adventures

The Student Advisory Council (SAC) is a platform where students can make a difference in their school district by sharing their ideas, perspectives, and concerns with the district's superintendent and other administrators. Through collaborative discussions and active participation, SAC members can influence important decisions directly impacting their education. By joining the SAC, middle school and high school students gain a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, build networks, and advocate for positive change within their schools.

If you are a student in grades 6-12 and are passionate about making a difference and contributing to the educational system, applying to the Student Advisory Council is a rewarding step that allows you to have a voice in shaping your school district's future.

Learn more about the advisory council on our website. Applications will be available through the Student Portal August 9-27, 2023.

Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with Gwinnett County Public Schools, provides access to Tutor.com to assist students in learning remotely.

The Tutor.com Learning Suite combines online tutoring, homework help, and test preparation with powerful diagnostic tools and self-study resources to provide a well-balanced and flexible educational environment designed to meet the individual needs of all learners. Get one-on-one tutoring in any math, science, social studies, and English subject. Tutor.com covers 40 subjects, including AP courses.

Live tutoring support is available daily from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, students can upload a document 24/7 for tutor feedback that will be reviewed and returned later.

Water activities are a great way to have a good time with friends and family. Before wading into the water, it is important to know how to protect yourself. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause. For children ages 5–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury and death after motor vehicle crashes. Here are some ways families can enjoy water activities while prioritizing the well-being and protection of their loved ones:

• Learn to swim: Ensure that every family member knows how to swim or enroll them in swimming lessons. It is an essential skill that can significantly reduce the risk of drowning.

• Supervise children: Always designate a responsible adult to actively supervise children near the water.

• Use life jackets: When boating or participating in water activities, ensure that everyone, regardless of age or swimming ability, wears a properly fitting and approved life jacket.

• Know the water conditions: Familiarize yourself with the water conditions before entering any body of water. Be aware of any underwater hazards, currents, or sudden drop-offs that could pose a danger.

• Teach water safety rules: Educate your family members about water safety rules and guidelines, such as not diving into shallow water, not swimming alone, and staying away from strong currents.

• Be prepared for emergencies: Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and basic water rescue techniques.

• Limit alcohol consumption: Avoid consuming alcohol when participating in water activities. Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination, and reaction time, increasing the risk of accidents and drowning.

• Secure pools and fencing: If you have a pool at home, ensure it is properly fenced and has self-closing gates to prevent unsupervised access, especially for young children. Install pool alarms to provide an additional layer of safety.

For more information about water safety, visit the CDC website.

The Surgeon General's Advisory is a public statement that alerts people to a significant health issue and suggests how to deal with it. This particular Advisory focuses on the concerns surrounding social media's impact on the mental health of young people. It discusses both the positive and negative effects of social media on children and teenagers, highlights areas of concern for their well-being, and suggests more research to fully understand the impact of social media. The document provides recommendations for policymakers, technology companies, parents, caregivers, young people, and researchers on addressing these issues. To learn more about this and other Surgeon General's Advisories, you can visit SurgeonGeneral.gov.

A new wallpaper background will be pushed to all staff and student computers (Windows and Chromebooks) beginning Monday, July 31. The new wallpaper has the Blueprint for the Future theme and will replace the World Class Schools-themed background. Please make note of this change.

On July 17, 2023, your student’s password was reset to reflect their birthday. To access the student portal, your student will be required to type their numeric birthday in the password field using two digits for their birth month, two digits for their birthday, and four digits for their birth year (MMDDYYYY). For example, if your student’s birth occurred on June 9, 2015, their reset password would be 06092015.

• Students in Grades 6-12 will be required to change their password and activate their accounts using these instructions. Immediately after the first successful login to the student portal. GCPS is strongly recommending that students generate a passphrase as their password. A passphrase is a sentence-like string of words longer than a traditional password, easy to remember, and difficult to guess. Students, families, and staff members can learn more about creating a passphrase by visiting our website at https://www.gcpsk12.org/cybersecure.
• Students in Grades K-5 will retain their birthdate password for the 2023-24 school year.

The privacy and security of the information belonging to our students, families, and employees is a strategic priority, and we appreciate your support in the district’s efforts.

Please email any concerns you may have about the password reset process to data.privacy@gcpsk12.org.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, July 29, at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. In partnership with Live Healthy Gwinnett, they will offer free health screenings, vendors, fun activities, and giveaways to students and teachers! Teachers must provide an I.D. or proof of employment to receive supplies.

On Thursday, July 20, the Gwinnett County Board of Education (BOE) held its monthly Work Session and Board Meeting.

• Connected (July 21)
• Board Meeting recordings
  
• News Releases
  
• Student Calendars
  
• News You Can Use
  

And much more at www.gcpsk12.org!

• Join us for a special Coffee With Calvin Back to School edition, next week! (August 4).
• The next regular Board Meeting is August 17. (Online, find links to sign up for the public comment sections of the meeting.)