Knightly News

The weather this week has been very warm. Unfortunately, our students have not been able to have outdoor recess. Teachers have found creative ways to keep them active indoors. Hopefully, cooler weather will arrive next soon.

Next week our students will practice two safety drills. Our students will participate in a fire drill and a hard lockdown drill. It is important that students know what to do should an emergency occur. Please take a moment to speak with your child(ren) about the upcoming drills and their purpose. Have a follow-up conversation after the drills are complete. If there are questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to an administrator.

Our annual PTA Fall Festival will take place in Friday, September 8, 2023. It will take place on the back playground from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. If you are available to help, reach out to the PTA at Simontonespta@gmail.com.

The first Simonton ES Local School Council meeting will take place next Friday, September 1, 2023. This is a time we share information about our local school and the school district. We will hold four meetings this school year. More information is included below.

Have a wonderful weekend. Safe safe and cool.

Message from Mr. Shane Orr (Principal of Central Gwinnett HS)

Black Knight Families,

We are preparing to host our first home football games this week. Our 9th grade football team will be playing at home on Thursday night and our Varsity team hosts Apalachee High School on Friday night (Military Appreciation Night). We are excited to get the season started and defend the castle! We hope that you will come out and support all Black Knight students, coaches and staff who work hard make Friday nights special!

I want to communicate expectations for all those who plan to attend games at CGHS:

• No bags, backpacks, gym bags or large purses will be permitted.
• Only high school students from Central Gwinnett and Apalachee HS will be allowed to enter the gate or be present on our campus. Central Gwinnett students and visiting school students must present a valid student ID or show StudentVue on their phones to enter. HS students from other schools will not be permitted to enter.
• Elementary and Middle School aged children must be accompanied by a parent/ guardian or an adult over 18 and must remain seated during the game.
• All fans inside the gates must remain in the stadium seating area unless visiting concessions or restrooms. Fans will not be allowed to gather or congregate in areas outside of the bleachers.
• All students must be off campus by 10:45. Please ensure that rides are arranged to pick up by 10:30. Students who remain on campus later than 10:45 may lose the privilege of attending future home games. Students should be picked up at our traditional student drop off area near the attendance desk.

Friday, September 1

• Local School Council ~ 9:00-10:00 am

Monday, September 4

• Labor Day ~ No School

Tuesday, Septemebr 5- Friday, September 13

• Student Wellness Screener (Grades 3-5)

Friday, September 8

• PTA Fall Festival ~ 5:00-8:00 pm

Monday, September 11

• Grandparents Day

Thursday, September 14

• Robotics Club ~ Pajama Day

Friday, September 15

• Digital Learning Day #1

Friday, September 22

• School Tours (New Families) ~ 10:00-11:00 am

We invite parents to join us for our Simonton ES Local School Council meeting. Local School Council meetings will be held four times during the school year. Meetings will take place in person at the local school.

The purpose of the Council is three-fold:

I. To help the local board of education develop and nurture participation.

II. To bring parents and the community together with teachers and school administrators to create a better understanding of and mutual respect for each other's concerns.

III. To share ideas for school improvement.

Meeting Dates: September 1, 2023, January 12, 2024, March 22, 2024 and May 3, 2024

Meeting Time: 9:00 am

Location: Simonton ES

Our first meeting will take place on Friday, September 1, 2023 at 9:00 am.

Draft Agenda Items

• Welcome/Introductions

• Local School Council Orientation

• Election of Officers

• Early Intervention Program
• Simonton ES Strategic Goals
• Simonton Celebrating 30 years
• Simonton ES Student Enrollment
• Simonton ES Safety Plan
• Simonton ES Discipline Report

If you are interested in attending the Simonton ES Local School Council meetings please click on the link below.

https://forms.gle/uZYZUvpnAh7KCrC87

The Office of Family Engagement is excited to present Universal Screeners Family Night for all GCPS families., part of the Engage, Equip, Empower Series. This virtual meeting is an opportunity for families to learn about the iReady and MAP Universal Screeners and how screeners formulate the next steps needed in instruction to support all students.

Currently, the Sparkling Juice is available in 2 flavors: Strawberry Kiwi & Fruit Punch. The baked chips are Sour Cream & Onion and BBQ. The Doritos are Cool Ranch & Nacho Cheese.

Ice cream sales will be available Monday - Friday at a cost of $1.00. Please bring exactly $1.00 as change is usually not available right away.

This year's ice cream selections can be seen in the picture to the side:

Are you looking for extra help with your child’s Reflections entry?

Come and join us for the work sessions!

When: Wednesdays

September 6

September 13

September 20

September 27

Where: Simonton Parent Center

Time: 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Please RSVP by Friday (9/1/23) to Mrs. Saha by filling out the flyer below.

In order to keep our records current, please notify the school registrar, in the Simonton ES office, immediately of a change in any of the following: address, home/business phone number of each parent and person to call in an emergency or when the parent cannot be reached.

Students are checked in and out through the school office ONLY. Students arriving after 8:15 am are considered tardy and must be accompanied by an adult into the office to check in. For security reasons, anyone checking out a student must show a picture ID (i.e. Driver’s License) prior to having a child released. CHILDREN ARE RELEASED ONLY TO PERSONS DESIGNATED BY PARENTS ON THE EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST. This is a safeguard for all children. Early checkouts should be reserved for special circumstances and not used on a regular basis. There will be no student check outs after 2:15 p.m. in order to provide a safe and timely dismissal for all students. Telephone, fax, notes through Class Dojo or email requests for check-outs will not be honored.

Student work missed due to an excused or unexcused absence will be given to the student upon returning to school. Please do not call the school on the day your child is absent and ask to pick up work for them to do that night. We believe if a child is too sick to come to school, they should be resting at home. They will be allowed to make up their missed work over a reasonable amount of time. This will be communicated to the parent by the teacher. Our Make Up Policy also applies to absences due to vacations.

The application for free and reduced lunch is now available. There will be no waiver in place to offer free lunch for all students. Please complete the application if you feel this is a service your family will need. All students who have not been approved for free or reduced lunch service will be charged the full price each day.

Free and Reduced Lunch Application

https://www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=78f8fee54716f21218e523747d37a13c

Does your child have a medical concern that we need to be aware of? Stop in to see Mrs. Tammy Jones in the clinic.

Complete the clinic card if your child has any medical concerns that we need to be aware of. We also need to know any medication your child is taking and directions of what to do while we are caring for your child until you arrive.

We are excited to announce that our school district has adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with your child’s school and Gwinnett County Public Schools.

ParentSquare provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to receive and send information, such as:

• Weather-related closings & delays
• School and class information
• Share pictures and files
• See calendar items
• Upcoming class activities

District & school information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text via ParentSquare. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

We are excited to offer Simonton ES spiritwear to staff, students and families. An order form is attached and can be returned to Ms. Karen Serna. Order forms will also be available in the front office. All spirit wear shirts are $15.00 (S - XL) and $20.00 (XXL and XXXL).

We encourage all families to create a MPP account. No purchase is necessary to have a MPP account. You will be able to read and digitally sign documents and/or make necessary payments. It is a great way for you to manage and keep track of all of your student payments and forms in one place throughout the school year.

MyPaymentsPlus is linked directly to your school’s student information system (SIS), enabling us to show real-time balances and invoices, and eliminating the need to call or visit your school in search of information.

Whether you’re viewing what your 2nd grader ate for lunch, renting a locker for your middle schooler, or purchasing a parking permit for that new driver in your family, MyPaymentsPlus ensures you never miss a beat, from Pre-K to graduation day.

Simply create a free MyPaymentsPlus account to get started today.

Reading Buddies is a FREE program that helps students (ages 5-11) practice their reading skills by reading out loud.

Our Reading Buddies program helps students:

• Learn and practice reading skills one-on-one with a librarian or a trained volunteer!

• Get on grade level and increase their reading abilities.

• Each child will have a reading log to write down their goals and track their progress.

We will be conducting this program at the Lawrenceville Library located at 1001 Lawrenceville Hwy on Thursdays from 4 pm to 6 pm continuing as of August 10th on a first come first serve basis when GCPS is in session.

Start routines to make school mornings smoother

Getting back into school mode after a long summer break can be a challenge for some children. To help your child make the transition, establish some daily routines. Explain the tasks you want your child to do and post a schedule so your child knows what to do when. To further boost independence, use silent signals sometimes, such as a gentle touch on your student's shoulder to indicate that it's time to calm down or pay attention. https://tpitip.com/?13hb18608

Name-calling is no joke

Children have called each other names for centuries. But it's wrong to think that there's nothing families or schools can or should do about it. Persistent name-calling, and name-calling with an intent to hurt, are forms of bullying. Teach your child that this behavior is hurtful. Don't accept "I was just joking," as an excuse. Voice your disapproval when you hear your child or anyone else putting another person down. https://tpitip.com/?13hc18608

Develop your child's inner motivation

Students who are motivated only by the desire to get a good grade rarely do more than the minimum they need to earn it. But students who are motivated from within are more likely to stick with a task and retain what they've learned. At the start of project or reading assignment, discuss what your child wants to learn from it. Along the way, ask your child to share new knowledge and celebrate progress. https://tpitip.com/?13hd18608

Help your child practice reading to learn

Reading nonfiction is an important way students learn. A strong ability to remember what they read is essential. To strengthen this ability, encourage your elementary schooler to preview the text by reading the main headings and scanning the pictures. Next, your child should read the introduction, summary and any questions that follow the passage. Finally, have your student read the chapter itself in short sections, making sure to understand each section before moving on. https://tpitip.com/?13he18608

Learn how to contact key school personnel

Family-school communication is more important than ever. Families need to know who they can turn to with questions or concerns. Do you know the name of the school principal? Your child's counselor? The nurse? If not, call the office or look on the website to find out who they are and how to contact them. Introduce yourself when you are at school. Connecting with key people at school will make your child's education journey go more smoothly. https://tpitip.com/?13iA18608

The 'power of one' makes a difference at school

You may not have time to volunteer at school regularly. But that doesn't mean you can't make a difference. All you need to do is look for one task you can do to help this year. It could be working on a fundraiser, chaperoning a field trip or recruiting volunteers for a project. Whatever it is, if you do one thing and every other parent does one thing, the school will have more than enough volunteers. https://tpitip.com/?13iB18608

Review habits that help kids stay well

Student health and safety are a top priority for schools and families. Good nutrition, adequate rest and medical care help prevent illness, but one of the simplest ways you can keep your child healthy and learning is to teach effective hygiene. Make sure your child knows to wash hands frequently with soap, and to use hand sanitizer if soap isn't available. Make it clear that your child shouldn't share food, drinks, or clothing with other students. Then, if your child does get sick, follow school protocols for returning to school. https://tpitip.com/?13iC18608

Vision

Simonton is committed to dynamic high quality instruction resulting in a passion for learning, leading and excelling.

Core Belief

Every Student Every Day, Deserves to Learn, Lead, and Excel

Commitments

• We commit to giving our students a fresh start every day.

• We commit to preparing quality and engaging lessons that will prepare our students to be successful in school.

• We commit to teaching, modeling and holding our students accountable for appropriate school behavior.

• We commit to providing our students with a structured and safe learning environment.

• We commit to a great year of learning, leading, and excelling

Superintendent ~ Dr. Calvin J. Watts

Board Member ~ Mr. Steven B. Knudsen

Principal ~ Ms. Tamara G. Perkins

Assistant Principal ~ Mr. Nicholas Gilmore

Assistant Principal ~ Dr. Joe Sanfilippo

Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Amy Steinberg

Website: gcpsk12.org/SimontonES
Location: 275 Simonton Road Southeast, Lawrenceville, GA, USA

Phone: 770-513-6637

Twitter: @simontonPride
Instagram: @SimontonPride