Greetings Simpson Families,
It is so hard to believe that the school year is almost over! It seems that time has just flown by so quickly. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to work with the students, staff, and families of Simpson Elementary. Our school is definitely a sweet place to work and play. A special thank you also goes to our 2023-2024 PTA Executive Board, (CO-PRESIDENT) MARY CATHERINE JENNINGS, (CO-PRESIDENT) MAXINE MCCLURE, (SECRETARY) MISTY RATCHFORD, (TREASURER) PHIL HEBENSTREIT, and to the entire board for always going the extra mile to support our kids. Thank you for your dedicated time, service, and commitment to our students. On behalf of the entire school, we thank you for all of your hard work!
To end, I hope that you all enjoy the last few weeks of school and just know that I am always just a phone call away if you are in need of anything throughout the summer.
Proud to be your principal,
Dr. Connery
Dates at a Glance:
At-A-Glance
May 3 - Kindergarten Screening
May 14th- All Pro Dads at 7 AM
May 15-Kindergarten Screening
May 17- PTA Staff Appreciation Luncheon/St. Simpson Island
May 20th-5th Grade Sock Hop from 1:30-3:00 PM
May 20th- & 22nd PTA EOY Parties
May 21 - Election Polling Day at Simpson & 5th Grade Promotion at PDHS
May 22 - 5th Grade Walk/Last Day of School at 2:30 PM
Lunch Charges Suspended
Students cannot charge for food or lunch effective immediately. If your student does not have money currently in their lunch account, they will be given an alternate meal (entrée and milk or juice.) Thank you for your help!
Just a gentle reminder:
Student Breakfast-$1.50
Student Lunch-$2.25
Adult Breakfast-$2.50
Adult Lunch-$4.00
Please check your student's balance to see if they have enough money to cover the meals they plan to eat through the end of the school year.
A NOTE REGARDING END OF YEAR ICE CREAM SALES
Simpson Superstar Parents,
Please note that we can only guarantee birthday party ice cream orders through Friday, May 10.
During the week of May 13, we will have daily ice cream sales only (no parties) and will continue daily sales until we are sold out.
Please note that Friday, May 17th, is the last day that parents and family can join their students at lunch. Thank you for your support!
Kindergarten Screening Day
We are excited to welcome our new Superstars to Simpson! Our Kindergarten teachers will test our rising Kindergarteners and complete KREP Testing on May 3rd with another screening day scheduled for May 15th.
All new student registrations (K-5) will be processed through the Gwinnett County Online Registration system (OLR). After you complete the process outlined on our website, you will be contacted and scheduled for an appointment to finalize registration. NOTE: Current students do NOT need to be registered for the next school year.
Please note, that Gwinnett County Public School District has not designated Simpson ES as a permissive transfer school. To attend Simpson ES, students must reside in our attendance zone.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please call the school office or email our registration team.
Ann Marie Burnett, Registrar, ann.marie.burnett@gcpsk12.org
Student Device Return Information
Parents and Guardians,
As we approach the end of the 2023-24 school year, we want to communicate our plan for student device processes for our school. All devices checked out to students must be checked back into the local school at the end of the 2023-24 school year so that the tech team can begin preparing the devices for summer learning activities and the coming school year. If your student has a school-owned chromebook, devices will be returned on the designated date listed below.
When returning your device, please bring all components, including chargers; have the device fully charged, powered on, and in the condition it was issued in order to expedite the return process.
Devices will be assessed for damage upon return and fines may be assigned based on the fee schedule provided at the beginning of the year, currently available on the parent and student support sites. Fines can be paid by credit or debit card through MyPaymentsPlus. If a device is returned in good condition, no fine will be assigned. Device services will be turned off and fines for replacing the device will be assigned if a device is not returned.
If a student needs a device for summer school learning, the school will work with you to provide a device.
Thank you for your support,
Simpson’s Tech Team
Chromebook return dates:
Thursday, May 16: Kindergarten and 1st grade
Friday, May 17: 2nd and 3rd grades
Monday, May 20: 4th and 5th grades
Tuesday, May 21: Special Education Classes
Dear Parents,
If your family identifies with any international culture or desire to learn more about other cultures, we would like to meet more families like you - we are looking for you!
Our family would love to meet other families to learn from one another and potentially form BOTH a Simpson International Night and Facebook Group. We have set up a Facebook group 'Simpson international families' group - to connect with more families and stay in touch over the school breaks as well. We think a Facebook group will make it easier for planners to coordinate, and families to be aware of planned activities. We can also include home-schooling families within the Simpson zone, whose kids will go to the same middle school.
Together the Simpson international families can support and enrich each other's lives and create a nurturing playgroup for the students to learn languages and cultures. We can plan to organize the first international festival at Simpson Elementary next school year.
Mirza Crymes' family will be happy to host a get together in early June.
If interested, please join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/simpson.international.families/ or email muz.jon@gmail.com to learn more.
Thanks!!
Muzna Mirza Crymes
Simpson PBIS
Greetings Parents,
Simpson Elementary's Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program focuses on a positive behavioral expectation schoolwide. PBIS is an approach schools use to promote school safety and good behavior. With PBIS, schools teach kids about behavior expectations, strategies, and with a primary focus on having a positive prevention, not consequences.
What is PBIS at our school?
A unified set of school wide expectations for behavior in our school. We are Simpson Superstars, so to ensure that students can easily comprehend our expectations, we have established a 5-star approach for appropriate behaviors posted throughout the school. Your child has been learning these expectations since the first few days of school.
What are the 5-Star Expectations at Simpson Elementary?
1. Be Respectful
2. Be Responsible
3. Be Ready to Learn
4. Be Safe
5. Be Kind
As part of our PBIS process, teachers and other staff members use evidence-based practices to increase student learning and decrease classroom disruptions. To keep students on the rules in a positive manner, we do the following when teaching academics and behavior:
Þ Constantly teach and refer to our school-wide expectations.
Þ Provide students with more praise than correction.
Þ Talk to students with respect using a positive voice tone.
Þ Actively engage everyone in the class during instruction.
Þ Use pre-correcting, prompting, and redirecting as we teach.
Þ Look for the positive first and provide positive, immediate, frequent, and explicit feedback.
Our students are motivated by receiving STARBUCK PBIS dollar incentives for recognition of positive student behavior. Students spend their Starbucks in our PBIS Store weekly during their grade level buying days. Students can choose tangible items such as erasers, snacks, bracelets, pop its, and more! We also sell coupons for various rewards such as show and tell, tell a joke on the morning news, and positive phone calls home! Lessons on saving and spending have been integrated and students have been eager shoppers!
Buying Days
Monday-5th grade
Tuesday-4th grade
Wednesday-2nd and 3rd grade
Thursday-1st grade
Friday-PreK and Kindergarten
School Hours
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:15 PM
All visitors must sign-in at the welcome desk and please be prepared to provide some form of identification upon request.
Staff Hours: Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM * Hours will vary depending on morning staff meetings (Tuesday/Thursday -7 :45 AM - 3:45 PM).
Student Hours: Monday - Friday 8:50 AM - 3:20 PM
Students should arrive between 8:20 AM- 8:50 AM.
The PTA's mission is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
When you join the Parent Teacher Association at Simpson Elementary by giving your time, talent and resources, you join our collective efforts in promoting quality education, arts, and community involvement to build a healthy environment and safe neighborhood for all of our families. Because of the generous support from our parents, grandparents, teachers, staff and business partners we are able to offer many academic and social opportunities that may not otherwise be able to take place.
Did you know the Simpson PTA sponsors and coordinates over 30 programs each school year through the generous support of our Simpson families and business partners?
Every dollar raised goes directly to programs and events that benefit our Simpson Superstar students, staff, and facilities.
Visit our website and join our PTA Facebook page to stay connected!
Starburst is non-competitive event in which the students participate in over 40 centers & enjoy some extra time being active outside. Please remind your child to wear their Starburst shirt on this day.
SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, May 14th
1st Grade - 9:45a-11:30am
Kindergarten - 1:15p-3:00pm
Click here to volunteer for K-1st Starburst
Wednesday, May 15th
3rd grade - 9:45a-11:30am
2nd grade - 1:15p-3:00pm
Click here to volunteer for 2nd-5th Starburst
Thursday, May 16th
5th Grade - 9:45am-11:30am
4th Grade- 1:15pm to 3:00pm
Click here to volunteer for 2nd-5th Starburst
Friday, May 17th - rain make up day
Kindergarten and 1st grade students will be placed in small groups of 2-4 students. Volunteers will lead a group around to the centers. Peer leaders will be at each center. We also need volunteers to help with the student water coolers and popsicles.
2nd through 5th grade students are free to move about at their own pace choosing centers they would like to try. Volunteers for these grades will run and score the students scorecard. Parents will sign up for a center they want to work at when they arrive to the gym on the day they are volunteering. We also need volunteers to help with the student water coolers and popsicles.
Please send any questions to Misty Ratchford: Misty.M.Ratchford@Gmail.com
End of the Year Party Schedule
Monday, May 20
2nd, 10:15 AM-11:15 AM
1st, 12:40 PM-1:40 PM
3rd, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22
4th, 9:45 AM-10:45 AM
PreK, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
K, 12:15 PM-1:15 PM
5th, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
'24-'25 Reflections Applications, Instructions, and Submission Deadline will be available in the fall
National PTA's Reflections Program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts.
This 50+ year old program helps students explore their own feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and develop a love of learning.
The theme for the '24-'25 program year is
Accepting Imperfection
Students will submit their completed, original works of art
in one or all of the available Arts categories :
- Dance Choreography - Film Production - Literature
- Music Composition - Photography - Visual Arts
