Robotics and computational thinking will get a boost in the Meadowcreek Cluster, thanks to a $40,000 grant from the national STEM advocacy nonprofit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition and Technology). The grant-funded Colts to Mustangs initiative will align robotics, mechatronics, and coding instruction in all of the schools in the cluster through FIRST LEGO League competition teams. Watch for more about this exciting initiative during the school year.
New schools welcome students
The first day of school is an exciting time at any school, but there's something special about the very first day at a brand-new school!
2016-17… A Year of Promise
This month, GCPS launches this community-wide campaign to focus attention on the importance of public education.
Retrofit brings tech upgrade in schools
Learn more about the recently completed retrofit of GCPS elementary schools.
Bookends: The close of one chapter and the beginning of another
A photo gallery that captures the excitement of important milestones for our oldest and youngest GCPS students
Watch for buses on the road and students at bus stops and crosswalks!
Those familiar yellow school buses are on the road!
A celebration of summer learning
During the summer, many GCPS students took advantage of summer learning opportunities
Find school calendar on website
Monday, August 8, is the big day! Look for other important dates during the school year on the 2016-17 Student Calendar available on the GCPS website.
Welcome back!
It's a new school year and we're excited about a lot of new places, people, and things here in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS)! Check out the website to learn about new schools and additions, new instructional programs, new leaders, new hours for a few schools, even new menu items in GCPS cafeterias. And watch this video for a welcome from GCPS' CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks.
Not all 'new kids' are kids…
Gwinnett County Public Schools’ newest educators gathered at a districtwide event to learn about their new jobs
Get ready to BRANCH OUT this school year!
School media centers in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) are full of great resources for students, and access to even more resources is on the way! A new partnership between GCPS and the Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) will help students Branch Out! academically.
Students who opt in to the Branch Out! program will have full access to the print and digital resources of the county library system at any one of 15 branches around Gwinnett and online.
Families can pre-register for the new program during back-to-school activities by completing a permission form available on the GCPS website or by opting in during GCPS online registration. Once pre-registered accounts are activated in September, students will be able to use their GCPS student ID number and a PIN for access to the library system’s print collection, research materials, digital resources, audio books, and more!
Note: If families opt in after the pre-registration period, they should allow one week from returning the form or “checking the box” online before a student will have access to his or her county library account.
GCPS Foundation awards scholarships to graduates
Annually, the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund, Inc., awards a number of one-time scholarships to graduating seniors, funded through the generosity of local businesses and organizations and contributions from generous staff and community members. Congratulations to the more than 50 graduating seniors earned $73,2500 in district and school-specific scholarships administered through the Foundation. We appreciate the generous contributions to the Foundation that help fund these awards as well as the many other community organizations and businesses that support our students with additional awards and scholarships!
Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
Check out a special online magazine celebrating our graduating seniors and a gallery of images from the last few weeks of their high school careers.
More than 11,000 prospective GCPS graduates are completing K–12 journey this week when they cross the stage to accept their diploma in graduation ceremonies for our 22 diploma-granting high schools.
The members of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ largest-ever class have a lot going for them as they head off to college and careers. In the fall, most seniors— 83%— are headed to universities, colleges, and postsecondary schools in Georgia and around the country, with almost 20% of college-bound graduates offered at least one scholarship. As of April 2016, our graduates have been offered more than $152.8 million in academic, athletic, and military scholarships. Academic achievement earned offers of more than $97 million. What’s significant is the number and amount of scholarships that were not yet announced when senior information was compiled in April, including HOPE awards (typically, about a third of graduates), some National Merit Scholars, and the full-ride scholarships awarded to GCPS’ 18 Gates Millennium Scholars and 18 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipients. Student athletes earned more than $48.8 million in athletic scholarships.
Four of the nation’s military service academies— Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy —offered appointments to 17 young leaders, close to $6.7 million in scholarships. Another 439 seniors also will serve their country through military service after graduation. About 900 students will enter the workforce after high school, many armed with credentials and certificates earned through our technical education program and sought after by local employers.
A record number of seniors are graduating with a grade percent average of 90 or better. Among our 3,033 Honor Graduates are each school’s highest-ranking students— the valedictorian (1st in class) and the salutatorian (2nd in class). More than half of Gwinnett seniors took on the challenge and rigor of college-level Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses their last year in high school. In addition, a record-breaking 577 seniors were dual-enrolled, earning both high school and college credit. We’re so proud of these young people who have worked so hard to prepare for the latest chapter in their lives. Good luck, Class of 2016!
Seniors celebrate last weeks of high school
Check out images from around the county as members of the Class of 2016 have fun celebrating the last weeks of their high school careers.
More than 500 GCPS retirees set to seek new horizons
As the last bell rings for the 2015–16 school year, 539 veteran educators and support staff members will mark their retirement from GCPS.
Calling KD4TGR!
Forget cellphones and e-mail. A group of more than 35 McConnell Middle School students have a different way to keep in touch with folks across town and around the world!
Members of the McConnell Amateur Radio Club use “ham radios” to communicate with other radio operators. The club holds an FCC license and has its own call sign, KD4TGR. FCC-licensed teachers Jean Delashmit (KM4FVO) and Dr. James Reeves (KF4AQO) sponsor the club. The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society has supported the effort, helping to train the students and obtain radio equipment. Club members built an antenna, which has allowed club members to be on the air regularly.
So far, five club members have become licensed radio operators after passing the FCC licensing exam, including Connor, who got interested in amateur radio because of “the fact that I could be a part of a group of people that is reporting any crazy weather events in my area.”
When severe weather takes down primary communication networks, amateur radio operators are trained to support emergency services. They also can support public events, such as races, parades, and sporting events. When large crowds on cellphones tax capacity of cellular systems, ham radios can get the message through!
Another licensed operator, Maggie, says the chance to talk to people all over the world hooked her on amateur radio. "The coolest thing I've done since I got my licenses has been listening out on the echo link repeaters and hearing conversations in German and other languages," she says.
Part of the school's STEM initiative, the radio club brings in aspects from across the curriculum… from weather and topography to electrical circuits and communication. While amateur radio is a lifelong hobby for many operators, it also serves as an entryway into many STEM-related careers such as information technology, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, robotics, meteorology, emergency services, and communications.
Ready, Set, Read
This summer, Georgia kids can read anywhere, anytime, and virtually anything, because Get Georgia Reading partner myON is delivering more than 10,400 free books to computer and mobile devices that can be accessed 24 hours a day— every day— through Aug. 31. Kids can search more than 50 different categories and genres, fiction and non-fiction, picture books, graphic novels, chapter books, titles for struggling and reluctant readers, and Spanish and bilingual titles. It’s like having your own personal library right at your fingertips! To get started, go to myON.com and click the green “Log in now” button. Under school name, type Get Georgia Reading, Georgia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. (Note: Do not cut and paste. Start typing "Get Georgia" and select the school from the drop down menu when it appears.) Both the Username and the Password are read. Click the Sign In button, select a book, and start reading.
Students become leaders
Students from kindergarten to 5th grade learn leadership skills through Riverside Elementary School's "Be The Leader" program. Learn more in this Focus Moment.
GCPS employees give back!
We know GCPS employees are the best... but now everyone else knows that as well. They give of themselves every day to the students of Gwinnett County. And through the recent United Way campaign they showed their giving spirit again! GCPS employees surpassed the district's fundraising goal of $550,000, raising $577,780 to help families and children in Gwinnett. Congratulations to top campaign contributors-- Minor ES, Five Forks MS, Norcross HS, and the Division of Curriculum and Instructional Support. Check out this video shout out from United Way of Greater Atlanta.
Hall of Fame inducts Gwinnett athletes
