Hopkins Happenings

Our Mission

At Hopkins Elementary School we are collaboratively helping children achieve their personal best while increasing student achievement.

Our Vision

At Hopkins Elementary School we are working together to cultivate learners, empower families, and strengthen communities.

Hopkins Families,

Welcome back to Hopkins Elementary for the 2022-2023 School Year! We hope that you all enjoyed the summer with your families and had time to connect and recharge for another awesome year at Hopkins! This year we will continue the great work that the teachers and staff do each day to make Hopkins a great school experience for every child!

Please work alongside the school and help your children be ready and at their BEST every day by...

• Attending school daily and arrive on time, ready for the day’s learning experience
• Completing all homework assignments given by teachers for practice
• Reading daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills
• Sharing school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life
• Informing you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject
• Knowing that you expect him/her to succeed in school and go on to college or career plans

• Curriculum Night & Title 1 Parent Annual Meeting (August)
• Hallow Read & Math Munchies (October)
• Thanksgiving Family Lunch (November)
• Multicultural Day/Night (December)
• STEAM Day/Night (March)

The wonderful Hopkins Elementary staff and I feel privileged to be a part of this school family. We thank you for your support and look forward to meeting you on July 29th at Meet the Teacher & New Student Registration from 8:00am-11:30am!

Proud to be YOUR Principal,

Gabriel Zaragoza

(770) 564 - 2661

gabriel.zaragoza@gcpsk12.org

1. Literacy: Our K -5 literacy curriculum is grounded in research and strategies to address the five elements of literacy instruction (vocabulary, knowledge-building, syntax, fluency, and decoding) most critical for closing the literacy gap.
2. Mathematics: Our balanced numeracy workshop will focus on small group instruction to drill down to the rigor of the standard while addressing any misconceptions in understanding.
3. Science and Social Studies: Lessons will engage students in hands-on labs, experiments, and standards-based learning.
4. Connections: Students will expand their creativity and learning in their Art, Music, Physical Education, STEM, Computer Science, and Social Studies Enrichment classes.
5. Pre K Pilot Program: Our school has been selected as one of eight pilot schools in GCPS to have a Pre K Program to support Early Learning and School Readiness. This year we will have our first group of Pre K students in the building! Registration for next year will be held in the Spring.
6. GCPS Blueprint for the Future: Building the Bridge from Empathy to Excellence will be our foundation for providing a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Opportunity and Access to high quality and rigorous lessons and enrichment activities.

Attached below is a link below for our Hopkins Elementary Parent-Student Handbook so that you and your child can review school rules and procedures together. If you have any questions about the rules and expectations, please feel free to contact the school or discuss them with your child’s teacher. It is very important that you and your child are fully informed regarding standards related to appropriate behavior for a safe and productive school year. Parents and guardians should review the online handbook. If you need a printed copy, please contact the front desk at 770-564-2661.

Visit our Hopkins School Website frequently to find important updates and information related to Hopkins! The link is below!

• We understand that this year is especially challenging for parents economically. We are committed to providing your child with the materials and resources needed to be successful for the school year.
• An additional list of recommended school supplies is below, which links to our school website. If you are unable to purchase all or any of the items on the list, it will not impact your child's success in school.
• Students will need to bring personal (inexpensive) headphones to wear when they work independently on their computer.
• Finally, the early months of school are hot. We encourage all students to bring refillable water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Friday, July 29th

• Meet the Teacher/New Student Registration from 8:00a - 11:30am in our school cafeteria. Returning students can meet their new teacher and see their classroom. If you are NEW TO GWINNETT, please complete the required online registration prior to coming to the school. Once the online registration is complete, you will finish the enrollment at the school.

• LATE REGISTRATION for NEW STUDENTS ONLY from 8:00am - 11:00pm. This is for New Students ONLY who were unable to attend the main registration. Again, you must complete the online registration prior to coming to the school.

Wednesday, August 3rd

• Pre K, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Small Group (ASD II, ASD III, MoID) First Day In Person instruction.
• Grades 2 - 5 will learn digitally with their teachers.

Thursday, August 4th

• First Day of In-Person Learning for Grades 2 - 5.
  

Thursday, August 25th

• Curriculum Night from 5:30pm - 7:00pm. Parents and students will meet with administrators and teachers to discuss academics, assessments, and school events.
• Students will receive PBIS tickets for attending!

Saturday, August 27th

• Back to School Bash - More details to come from our Parent Center!

• Student Arrival is 7:30am
• Tardy Bell/Late Arrival is 8:15am
• Early Check Out Ends at 2:00pm ***The latest students can be checked out is 2:00pm to allow us time to prepare for the safe arrival of buses and dismissal of students.
• Student Car/Bus Dismissal begins at 2:45pm

On July 25, 2022, 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 2022-23 school year.

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

• GCPS offers healthy and delicious meals for our students. Due to the expiration of USDA Covid-19 waivers, students will now be charged for meals based on their individual eligibility for 2022-2023.
• Parents who would like to apply for Free or Reduced Lunch for their child can access the
  2022 - 2023 Meal Application online. New applications are required each school year.
• Breakfast Prices: $1.50 (Full Pay); $0.30 (Eligible Reduced Pay); and $0.00 (Eligible Free)
• Lunch Prices: $2.25 (Full Pay); $0.40 (Eligible Reduced Pay); and $0.00 (Eligible Free)
• Milk Only Full Pay: Breakfast and Lunch ($0.40)

PARENT LUNCH VISITS

• All parent lunch visits will start August 15th. The first two weeks of school will be dedicated to teaching student lunch room expectations.
• As a reminder, Restaurant food is not allowed in the cafeteria. Parents may purchase lunch from our Staff/Parent Bar and pack individual lunches for students to bring as their choice.
• Parents who bring in commercial food such as McDonalds, Chickfila, Burger King, etc., will be asked to leave the items in their car.
• We thank you all for respecting the school environment including the cafeteria expectations.

ICE CREAM SALES

Beginning Friday, August 19, students can bring $1.00 to purchase ice cream during lunch on Fridays.

• Don't forget to sign up for your MyPaymentsPlus account! We use this platform for all school payments including contributions, field trips, club/activity dues, fundraisers, spirit shirt sales, and others!
• Also, EVERY parent/guardian will need to sign off on the GCPS and Hopkins Parent-Student Handbook through MyPaymentsPlus this year.
• Contact our Parent Center for additional support! 770-564-2661

We offer a number of enrichment clubs for students to create and explore! Look for information on our Robotics, Art, Music, Fine Arts, Soccer, and more! Sponsors will begin communicating club information, dates, and times after the start of the new year.

Get involved with the great things going on in your child's school!

PARENT CENTER:

Volunteer, check-out resources, and get engaged in the community! Contact Us!

Maria Miller, Parent Instructional Support Coordinator

Ingrid Abarca, Parent Outreach Liaison

HOPKINS SCHOOL COUNCIL:

• The A+ Education Reform Act of 2000 established school councils in Georgia to bring communities and schools closer together in a spirit of cooperation to achieve the following: solve difficult education problems, improve academic achievement, provide support for teachers and administrators, and bring parents into the school-based decision-making process. In short, School Councils provide advice, recommendations, and assistance to principals and local boards of education. Hopkins school council meets four times a year (September, November, January, and March).
• If you are interested in joining the Hopkins School Council for the 2022 - 2023 school year, contact Noelle Gardner, Hopkins Administrative Assistant.

Please see the contact information below if you are interested in GASP afterschool programming! Hopkins hosts this program on campus as an option for families.