Parents: Please send money to school with your student; dropping off money at Front Office is not permitted. Thanks!

There is a free Drive Thru Food Pantry at Paul Duke STEM High School in Norcross on Friday, December 13. Food distributed beginning 10:30 AM until it runs out. This food pantry is for any family facing food insecurity.

Hello RAM C.H.A.M.P.S.!

1) GES Class Parties are on the following days: MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

1st, 3rd and 5th - Wednesday, December 18th

K, 2nd, and 4th - Thursday, December 19th

2) Volunteers are needed to support "Day Of" Holiday Parties:

URGENT: We are asking for 2-3 parent volunteers per class to help represent the grade level. Volunteers are asked to show up at the designated date and time and help the teachers with the holiday games. Please email us if interested: gesptaramchamps@gmail.com

3) Supplies and Food items Needed: Parents are asked to check Sign up Genius for notes from each teacher asking for supplies or food items to be donated for the Class Holiday Party.

4) URGENT: Parent Donations for teacher gifts are still needed.

How to donate:

Use the online links assigned for your child's Grade level (first, second, third, etc.) below.

Please select from the following online payment links for the assigned Grade levels:

Kindergarten: https://tinyurl.com/KgradeRAM

First Grade: https://tinyurl.com/1stgradeRAM

Second Grade:https://tinyurl.com/2ndgradeRAM

Third Grade: https://tinyurl.com/3rdgradeRAM

Fourth Grade: https://tinyurl.com/4thgradeRAM

Fifth Grade: https://tinyurl.com/RAM5thgrade

5) RAM C.H.A.M.P.S. Group Photo 2024: Please join us at the annual GES Chorus /Concert and Tree Lighting events on December 5th [6pm-7pm] for a Group photo!

6) PAY YOUR PTA DUES TODAY: https://jointotem.com/ga/grayson/grayson-es-pta

Thanks in advance for your continuous support of GES PTA!

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Phinda & Carol - RAM C.H.A.M.P.S. Co-Chairs

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

If you missed out on your chance to order your student(s) fall portrait, it's not too late!

Order today so you receive your portraits before the Winter Break. You can order a digital copy (will be emailed to you) or you can order prints (will be mailed to your home).

Order here:

https://magicmoment.morephotos.net/Collections/804240

**On a desktop/laptop, click "Order Prints/Products"

**On a mobile device, click "Click Here...." and then "Order Prints/Products"

We will be taking this link down (offline) before the holidays and portraits will be moved into the archives. Portraits make a great gift for relatives! Don't miss your chance to order today!

Magic Moment Photography
PO Box 1050 Grayson, GA 30017
Office: 770-979-4203
www.magicmomentphotography.com

Hello 5th Grade Parents! GES 5th Graders will take a field trip to the Aurora Theater on January 22nd, to see the play "Miss Nelson is Missing!" Cost is $13.00. The payment deadline is December 18th and please make payment on MyPaymentsPlus. GES Website: https://schools.gcpsk12.org/GraysonES
e-Folder: https://secure.smore.com/n/cn1s95

The Clinic is your place to acquire cool GES-themed stickers. Drop by between 8:30-8:50 on weekday mornings. Cash only please.

Dear Parents and Guardians:

HELP PTA CELEBRATE ALL GES TEACHERS AND STAFF THIS YEAR!

The Grayson Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) - RAM C.H.A.M.P.S Program will collect monetary donations to be used towards Staff Appreciation (see below for specific details).

In addition to recognizing the hard work of our PHENOMENAL homeroom teachers, PTA wants to acknowledge the efforts of ALL 125 of the AMAZING GES staff members who work with and inspire our children daily. To that end, we ask parents and guardians to consider donating $25 for the year to help us reach our goal. ANY AMOUNT WILL BE APPRECIATED!

To clarify, there are two times (events) in the year that gifts will be presented to teachers and staff representing each grade level. Your donations will help cover the cost of the following:

• Holiday gift (December)
• End of the Year gift/Teacher Appreciation Week (May)

How to donate:
Use the online links assigned for your child's Grade level (first, second, third, etc.) below.

Please select from the following online payment links for the assigned Grade levels:

Kindergarten: https://tinyurl.com/KgradeRAM

First Grade: https://tinyurl.com/1stgradeRAM

Second Grade: https://tinyurl.com/2ndgradeRAM

Third Grade: https://tinyurl.com/3rdgradeRAM

Fourth Grade: https://tinyurl.com/4thgradeRAM

Fifth Grade: https://tinyurl.com/RAM5thgrade

Thanks for supporting RAM C.H.A.M.P.S! Help us Help our Teachers and Staff!

Phinda & Carol – RAM C.H.A.M.P.S Coordinators

The Lost & Found rack and crate is located in the walkway area between the Main Building and the 98 Building. There are a lot of coats and jackets at Lost & Found during this cold month!

The Think First & Stay Safe™ program (“Child Lures”) is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education.

As you may know, Senate Bill 369 – passed during the 2024 legislative session – calls for the Georgia Departments of Revenue and Education to establish a selection process for the design of a license plate which commemorates the United States of America’s semiquincentennial.

In accordance with this legislation, GaDOE and DOR are launching a student license plate design contest to commemorate the semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence, which will be celebrated on July 4, 2026.

The final license plate will be selected from designs submitted by students in grades six through eight in Georgia schools. Any student in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade in a Georgia public, private, charter or homeschool may submit an entry. Entries should be submitted by the student’s parent/guardian or by their teacher with parent/guardian permission.

Click here for detailed submission guidelines along with the application. Any questions may be directed to licenseplatecontest@doe.k12.ga.us. The contest closes January 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Sincerely,

Richard Woods

State School Superintendent

You have probably talked to your children about not sharing personal information online as well keeping passwords safe. There’s much more to keeping your children safe when using technology. Below are 8 tips that can help as you keep your children safe online.

Tip 1 Limit where, when, and how long your child uses technology.

Enforce ‘tech-free’ zones in your home, such as bedrooms, so you can increase visibility over what your children are doing online and when. Set specific times of day when technology use is allowed.

Tip 2 Monitor online activity.

Beyond knowing when, where, and for how long, you need to know what your children are seeing and doing online. Even ‘child-friendly’ content and apps can lead to the darker parts of the web. YouTube is notorious for marketing inappropriate videos to children through its auto-play feature. Be sure you know what your kids are doing online.

Tip 3 Use parental controls and parental control apps.

Parental controls are settings you put in place on technology to restrict its use. It can limit what sites and apps your child visits as well as restrict the time they spend on devices. It can spot and block inappropriate pictures and videos everywhere across the internet, even where you might consider it to be safe (like lingerie models on a department store’s website). Some of these resources cost money, and many internet service providers give parent-control options. See more on this topic below.

Tip 4 Explain internet safety in an age-appropriate way.

Educating your child is one of the best ways you can protect them from falling prey to inappropriate content or interactions. Tell your child to tell you immediately if they see nudity online or anything that gives them a “yucky” or “bad” feeling.

Tip 5 Talk to your child’s friend’s parents about online safety rules.

Other parents may not have the same approach to children’s internet safety as you but hopefully, they’ll be mindful of your rules when your child is in their care. If not, then you can reassure your child that they can still be friends, but they can only play together at your house.

Tip 6 Be mindful of all online content.

It’s easy to spot inappropriate content when it comes to violence and sex, but what about dangers that can fly under our radars? You might not think twice about the TikTok influencer sharing what they eat in a day but content like that can trigger disordered eating in teens and preteens. This is where Tip 3 is important.

Tip 7 Listen to your children and check in regularly.

If your child mentions something that sets alarm bells ringing in your head, you must act. That action might be as serious as getting the police involved with a sexual predator or as simple as explaining what sites your child should steer clear of. If your child isn’t coming to you with concerns, then make sure you go to them. Check-in by asking about their activity online. Do you ever see something online that gives you a bad feeling? Are they being bullied? Are they witnessing someone else get bullied? Is someone they don’t know contacting them? Is someone they know asking for inappropriate pictures? The exact questions you ask should be age-appropriate and specific to your concerns.

Tip 8 For older children: Follow your children and their friends on social media. Some suggest 13, and even 16, as the appropriate age to have access to social media. If your student has these accounts, be sure to follow your child and their friends’ social media accounts.

More about parental controls:

Use parental controls on your child's devices to block specific apps and websites. For example, on Apple devices, you can use Screen Time to restrict explicit apps, websites, and games. On Android devices, you can use Google Play parental controls to prevent your child from downloading age-inappropriate apps. You can also use the Google Family Link app to filter websites and apps. Canopy is another app that can block inappropriate videos and images on the internet. Use software like Norton Family, Bark, or Aura to monitor your child's internet usage and content. You can also use browser plugins and VPNs. There may be some costs with these resources.

Encourage your child to use search engines like Swiggle, and activate SafeSearch settings on search engines like Google and Bing

Sources:

https://canopy.us/2023/03/20/online-safety-tips-for-parents/#:~:text=Canopy%20uses%20AI%20to%20spot,straight%20to%20downloading%20the%20app.

https://www.gcpsk12.org/about-us/divisions-and-teams/technology-and-innovation/instructional-technology-and-innovation/instructional-technology-services/11-parent-support/internet-safety

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html#:~:text=Online%20tools%20let%20you%20control,information%20from%20being%20sent%20online.

• Visit this link to become a member or to renew for the year: Home | Grayson Elementary PTA (square.site)
• Please share with friends!
• HELP US REACH 200 members!

2025 STEM Fair Project Information (link to open the STEM Fair Project information and parent guide)

Pictured: Example of what will need to be on the STEM Fair Project Tri-Board (project preparation details found in the link in the guide below):

Hello GES Parents!

We are excited to share a link to all the information your child will need to prepare a project for the 2025 STEM Fair! Please read about the STEM Fair purpose and process and refer back to this information often. Mrs. Lisa Frost, our Science Specialist, has been sharing about the STEM FAIR with our students. She is ready to answer questions as needed. lisa.frost@gcpsk12.org

The Gwinnett County Science Department has announced the 8 choices for this year’s STEM fair and I can’t wait to see what the students at Grayson Elementary School do to find a solution. The students need to include a journal or booklet containing their ideas, notes, pictures of prototype, data, graph, research… Projects need to be displayed on a tri-board with all sections completed that are listed on the back of this paper. Students may also include a video to go along with their tri-board and a model/prototype must be displayed along with the tri-board and journal. This information will be listed on the Grayson Elementary website and will be discussed in science specials. Projects must be completed by the student and students may work alone or in groups of three or less. No more than three students in a group is permitted. All projects are due by January 10, 2025 and need to be brought to the gym stage during arrival from 8:20-8:50 AM with the student’s name, grade level and homeroom teacher name on all project materials.

2025 STEM Fair Project Information

For any parent who has not updated their Parent Profile in ParentVue, please log into your ParentVue account and make any changes necessary to phone number and emergency contacts. Thanks to all!

Mitzi Bishop
Grayson Elementary Registrar/SRC
Phone: 770-682-4248
Fax: 770-682-4151
mitzi.bishop@gcpsk12.org

Students in grades K-5 are learning about the graffiti artist Scape Martinez and lines.

Hello GES Parents! We welcome parents who wish to eat lunch with their students. We ask that you observe the cafeteria rules and sit outside at the designated picnic table/area with your child (see receptionist for location). Thank you!

Our Grayson Rams are back in school and the germs are too!

Please review the attached reasons to keep your child at home to reduce the spread of illness to our students, teachers and families.

Thank you for your help!

Amanda Giles

Clinic Worker

Brief Explainer Video (1:17) showing how parent visitors use the check-in system to enter the building as a visitor or to check-in or check-out their child.

Reminder: Please do not hold the door open for another visitor. Each visitor needs to be checked in individually. Thank you!

Grayson Car Rider Parents,

We are in need of your help during Car Rider pickup. Please have your Car Rider number visible in the car window each day for pickup. Please keep the number visible until your child enters the car. This will help us provide you with the best customer service as possible.

If you have lost or need another Car Rider number, please call the front office and we will provide you with one. This is for the safety of all our students. Thank you in advance for your support.

Grayson Parents,

Please keep in mind that for safety purposes refrain from dropping off students at the front gate during morning Car Rider. Cars are in motion, and we want to ensure that everyone is safe. It is best practices to drive your car through the car rider lane and have your child unload on the sidewalk in front of the school. Parking at City Hall and walking your child across the street is not safe and slows down the car rider line.

Thank you for your support in this manner. The safety and security of our students is our upmost concern.

Gwinnett Schools 2024-2025 Transportation Form (English)

Grayson Elementary School New Student Enrollment/Registration

If your child is currently a student at Grayson Elementary School, you DO NOT need to register for the 2024-2025 school year.

Rising Kindergartners must be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024.

Any Kindergarten through 5th grade student who is new to Grayson Elementary School for the 2024-2025 school year will need to click on the registration link below.

REGISTRATION LINK: Kindergarten through 5th

https://www.gcpsk12.org/schools/new-student-enrollmentregistration

On-Line Registration link for K-5th for students who are NEW to Grayson Elementary is below:

https://www.gcpsk12.org/schools/new-student-enrollmentregistration?_gl=1*an5xe0*_gcl_au*NDA3MTk5NTU1LjE3MTI0OTk5MTA.

If you need additional assistance, please contact:

Registrar/SRC:

Mitzi.Bishop@gcpsk12.org

Student Data Management Clerk:

Denise.Medrick@gcpsk12.org