The Panda Post

Welcome Back to School! We are so excited to see you soon! We do hope you enjoyed your summer and that you made special memories together as a family. We are ready to make special memories this school year!

There is A LOT of information in this Back to School Edition of The Panda Post. Please be sure to note important dates, details, and information and know that we will continue to communicate pertinent information with you in the days and weeks ahead.

Digital Learners should expect separate communication that will provide additional details about how we will serve our digital learners for the 2021-2022 school year.

We are asking all parents/guardians to login to the Parent Portal to review and update emergency contact information on file for your student(s). GCPS Parent Portal: https://go2.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

We also ask that online school contributions and acknowledgement forms be completed prior to Open House-Meet Your Teacher Day. School contributions and acknowledgement forms can be completed using MyPaymentsPlus. We are asking that you strongly consider paying for this year's school contributions. We intentionally did not ask for much in monetary contributions last year. Now that 99% of our students are returning in person we certainly can use your help with school contributions. If you choose not to make a contribution, please be sure to complete the acknowledgement forms on MyPaymentsPlus!! My PaymentsPlus: https://mypaymentsplus.com/default.aspx

Again we are so excited to welcome all of our families back to school this year! This is going to be the BEST SCHOOL YEAR YET!

Sincerely,

Penny Palmer Young

July 29 - Digital Learners - Open House Meet Your Teacher Day

August 2 - In-Person Students - Open House Meet Your Teacher Day

• 8:00-11:00AM - Last Names A-I
• 12:30-3:30PM - Last Names J-R

August 3 - In-Person Students - Open House Meet Your Teacher Day

• 8:00-11:00AM - Last Names S-Z

August 4 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - more details below regarding staggered start

CURRICULUM NIGHTS

6:30-7:30PM

August 17 - Kindergarten & 1st grade

August 18 - 2nd grade & 3rd grade

August 19 - 4th grade & 5th grade

As we return to in-person learning this Fall, the Parkview Cluster has chosen to divide Open House Meet the Teacher Day into three (3) sessions over the course of two (2) days - Monday, August 2 & Tuesday, August 3.

• Teacher assignments will be available for parents and students to view via the Student and Parent Portals on August 2, 2021 @ 12:01AM.
• In addition, you will receive a welcome letter from your teacher(s) via email on August 2, 2021.
• If you do not have portal access, or do not receive a welcome letter, lists will be posted outside the school at each Meet Your Teacher session for you to identify your teacher(s) prior to entering the school building.
• To help us promote physical distancing, we ask that there by no more than TWO (2) accompanying guests per Arcado ES student in attendance.

Online school contributions and acknowledgement forms can be completed using MyPaymentsPlus – even if you choose not to make a contribution, please be sure to complete the acknowledgement forms on MyPaymentsPlus!!

Two Vimeos have been created to assist you with completing this process. If you need additional assistance, please contact the school.

How to Set Up A MPP Account for Parents: https://vimeo.com/345028817

How to Review Signed Documents in MPP: https://vimeo.com/345054468

In-Person Students School Supply List https://www.gcpsk12.org/Domain/2056

Due to our staggered start, the school will check out devices to 2nd-5th grades students who need a computer during Open House Meet Your Teacher Day, August 2 & 3.

Digital Learners will receive a separate communication regarding school supplies, including distribution of technology (if needed).

On July 23, 2021, your student’s password will be 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. For example, if your student’s birth occurred on June 9, 2015, their reset password would be 06092015.

Students in Grades K-5 will retain their birthdate password for the first six weeks of school. After Labor Day, K-5 students will be provided a unique passphrase as their password. More information on how to access an elementary student’s unique passphrase will be provided during the first few weeks of school. 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.

GCPS will continue to offer meals at no charge to our students for SY21-22.

As such, the USDA does not require us to process Free & Reduced Price applications to determine student eligibility status since all students will receive meals at no charge.

***However, GCPS has made the decision to distribute and process Free & Reduced Price applications for SY21-22 so that both parents and local schools have that eligibility information for benefits beyond meals.

 While an application is not required to receive meals, we encourage you to fill one out in case you need that eligibility status and/or Proof of Benefits Letter for other services. The link to complete the SY21-22 online Free and Reduced Application is provided below.

SY21-22 Free and Reduced Price Application

https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/24152

Asynchronous Digital Learning Days

GCPS has added sic (6) Digital Learning Days to its calendar this year. On these days, all students will learn from home, and assignments will be asynchronous for the day: September 14, October 20, November 9, January 25, March 2, and March 22.