Share your feedback on countywide transit plan

You can still help shape the future of Gwinnett County Transit by taking a short online survey. Gwinnett County Government is developing short- to long-term plans to find the right balance of transit modes, ensure coverage to different areas of the county, and identify potential funding sources. The survey has been extended through Oct. 2. Visit www.ConnectGwinnettTransit.com to learn about the project.

Exhibitors needed for Nov. 16 Career Connections event

To better prepare our students for a smoother transition from high school to college and career, GCPS will conduct the district's 4th annual Career Connections Exhibition for the district’s Career Academy 8th graders on Nov. 16. The event will bring together close to 200 exhibitors from across the career spectrum for “show and tell” interviews and activities. GCPS is seeking business people who can provide engaging presentations about what they do and what it takes to pursue a successful career in their field. There's no cost for exhibitors to participate. If you know of potential exhibitors, point them to an exhibitor registration form online. They can learn more about the event by checking out this video from the first Career Connections event and an article about the 2016 event. Nearly 5,000 middle schoolers will participate this fall. Students from 11 middle schools feed into our seven College and Career Academy high schools: Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett. Questions? Contact Billy Sayers in the Office of Academies and Career and Technical Education at 678-301-7050, or email william_sayers@gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

Teacher of the Year contest tightens, 25 semifinalists named

Congratulations to our semifinalists for Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year (TOTY)! The field of 138 local school TOTYs has been narrowed to this group of 25 semifinalists. (Watch for more on our semifinalists in the coming weeks.) The next difficult step for a team of judges will be selecting just six finalists for consideration for the district title. We'll learn who those finalists are in October, then, we wait. On Nov. 9, at a gala banquet, the district will announce the county TOTY and level winners. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to these top-notch educators!

• Dr. Maxine T. Amritt of Simonton ES 5th Grade Teacher
• Paige Brandon of Level Creek ES – Special Education Teacher – Autism Spectrum Disorder (Grades K-1)
• Jenny Chambless of Chattahoochee ES – Music Teacher (Grades K-5)
• John Chvatal of Brookwood HS – AP and Gifted Biology Teacher (Grades 9-12)
• Amy Crisp of Norcross HS – English to Speakers of Other Languages Teacher – Language Arts (Grades 9-12)
• Dr. Doug Doblar of Head ES – Mathematics and Science Teacher  (Grades 4 and 5)
• Anthony Dramis of Hull MS – Mathematics Teacher (Grade 8)
• Ebony Flott of Camp Creek ES – 4th Grade Teacher
• Tracey Gatling of Baggett ES – 5th Grade Teacher
• Heather Glenn of McKendree ES – 4th Grade Teacher
• Amy Howell of Burnette ES – 2nd Grade Teacher
• Michelle E. Jones of Gwinnett Online Campus – Mathematics Teacher (Grades 9-12)
• Dr. Regan Jubirt of Meadowcreek ES – English to Speakers of Other Languages Teacher (Grades 1-3)
• Tonya May of Lawrenceville ES – Kindergarten Teacher
• Tammy McIntyre of Moore MS – Media Specialist (Grades 6-8)
• Becca Menchaca of Winn Holt ES – 4th Grade Teacher
• Garnet Messer of Couch MS – Social Studies Teacher (Grade 7)
• Michelle Morea of Lanier HS – Theater Teacher (Grades 9-12)
• Cheri Nations of North Gwinnett MS – STEM Teacher (Grades 6-8)
• Nora Neff of Mill Creek HS – Language Arts, Journalism, Newspaper, and Yearbook Teacher (Grades 9-12)
• Chanda Robinson of Richards MS – Language Arts Teacher (Grade 7)
• Kathy Spruiell of Norton ES – Instructional Coach and Specialist – Mathematics (Grades K-5)
• Melissa Tijerina of Chesney ES – 3rd Grade Teacher
• Sarah Tiller of Puckett's Mill ES – Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Teacher (Grade 5)
• Lynn Walton of Mulberry ES – Special Education Teacher (Pre-K)

One more shout out to our 2017-18 Local School Teachers of the Year

We wanted to give one more shout out to some of the best educators in the business… the 2017-18 Local School Teachers of the Year (TOTY) for Gwinnett County Public Schools.

On this page, you’ll find a list of TOTYs noted alphabetically by school. You’ll also find links to slideshows with TOTY photos submitted by our schools. The photos are grouped by cluster.

These 138 TOTYs were selected by their peers to represent their schools. Next week, watch for the next step in the TOTY process as we announce this year’s semifinalists. Finalists will be named in mid-October, with our level and district winners honored at the Nov. 9 banquet.

Congratulations to you all!

Slideshows

Click here to see a slideshow of TOTYs from the Archer, Berkmar, Brookwood, and Central Gwinnett clusters.

Click here to see a slideshow of TOTYs from the Collins Hill, Dacula, Discovery, and Duluth clusters.

Click here to see a slideshow of local TOTYs from the Grayson, Lanier, Meadowcreek, and Mill Creek clusters.

Click here to see a slideshow of TOTYs from the Mountain View, Norcross, North Gwinnett, and Parkview clusters.

Click here to see a slideshow of TOTYs from the Peachtree Ridge, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett clusters; and to see TOTYs from GCPS' special entities.

Shawn Kilpatrick of ADAPT/STRIVE at Northbrook Center
Jason Bishop of Alcova ES
Kelli O’Loughlin of Alford ES
Jessica Askew of Anderson-Livsey ES
Vilmerlly Cosme of Annistown ES
Nicole Trimble of Arcado ES
Megan Brockington of Archer HS
Tracey Gatling of Baggett ES
Courtlyn J. Harrison of Baldwin ES
Sherry Aglietti of Bay Creek MS
Hilda Hernandez of Beaver Ridge ES
Karen Camp of Benefield ES
Susan Chung of Berkeley Lake ES
Christina Cho of Berkmar HS
Janeda M. Oliver of Berkmar MS
Sandra K. Williams of Bethesda ES
Nancy A. McLellen of Britt ES
Catherine Kay of Brookwood ES
John Chvatal of Brookwood HS
Amy Howell of Burnette ES
Ebony Flott of Camp Creek ES
Julee Blair of Cedar Hill ES
Vivonetha Clarke of Centerville ES
Michele Pelletier of Central Gwinnett HS
Jenny Chambless of Chattahoochee ES
Melissa Tijerina of Chesney ES
Val Mickish of Coleman MS
Jason Appling of Collins Hill HS
Lisa Baker of Cooper ES
Chelsea Napier of Corley ES
Garnet Messer of Couch MS
Doris Reynierson of Craig ES
John Shaver of Creekland MS
Tonya Dudman of Crews MS
Christy McGill of Dacula ES
Daniel Garrett of Dacula HS
Debra Thomas of Dacula MS
Tabitha Brodnax of Discovery HS
Ryan Turner of Duluth HS
Ashley N. Drake of Duluth MS
Karen B. Martin of Duncan Creek ES
Amanda Dooley of Dyer ES
Hao Duong of Ferguson ES
Amanda Newton of Five Forks MS
Heather Cannon of Fort Daniel ES
Lauren C. Williams of Freeman’s Mill ES
Dani Matzick of GIVE Center East
Susannah Young of GIVE Center West
Karla McLendon of Grace Snell MS
Gabrielle Delgado of Graves ES
Melinda Anderson of Grayson ES
Niles Davis of Grayson HS
Tracy Pelinsky of Gwin Oaks ES
Michelle E. Jones of Gwinnett Online Campus
Adam Brown of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Thomas Woolfolk of Harbins ES
Camille Ayers of Harmony ES
Jedonia Cooper of Harris ES
Doug Doblar of Head ES
Lauren Dart of Hopkins ES
Anthony Dramis of Hull MS
Moonsun Jung of International Transition Center at Norcross HS
Lisa Burkett of Ivy Creek ES
Meg Lovejoy of Jackson ES
Juliana O. Agbi of Jenkins ES
Todd Posey of Jones MS
Brittany R. Smith of Jordan MS
Joanie Sullivan of Kanoheda ES
Kelsey Lanham of Knight ES
Michelle Morea of Lanier HS
Carrie Lather of Lanier MS
Tonya May of Lawrenceville ES
Paige Brandon of Level Creek ES
Courtney Simpson of Lilburn ES
JaPrita Washington of Lilburn MS
Nisha Mehta of Lovin ES
Ana Price of Magill ES
Lindsey McKinney of Mason ES
Barbara Hoag of Maxwell HS of Technology
Dr. Frank Jones of McConnell MS
Heather Glenn of McKendree ES
Regan Jubirt of Meadowcreek ES
Shawn M. Merchant of Meadowcreek HS
Nora Neff of Mill Creek HS
Lori Laws of Minor ES
Tammy McIntyre of Moore MS
Jodi Chamberlain of Mountain Park ES
Jane Boyett of Mountain View HS
Lynn Walton of Mulberry ES
Kelsey Lynn Anderson of Nesbit ES
Shefali Desai of Norcross ES
Amy R. Crisp of Norcross HS
Carolyn Renner of North Gwinnett HS
Cheri Nations of North Gwinnett MS
Katherine Ludy of North Metro Academy
of Performing Arts
Maegen Carroll of Northbrook MS
Kathy Spruiell of Norton ES
Mary Kay Potlock of Oakland Meadow School
Carl Rieke of Osborne MS
Matthew Moon of Parkview HS
Kate Osemwengie of Parsons ES
Rashada Potter-Johnson of Partee ES
Jennifer Blodgett of Patrick ES
Erin Greenstein of Peachtree ES
Teri Schneider of Peachtree Ridge HS
Felicia Alston of Pharr ES
Walt Henry of Phoenix HS
Emily E. Bennett of Pinckneyville MS
Sarah Tiller of Puckett’s Mill ES
Karen Slough of Radloff MS
Chanda Robinson of Richards MS
Beth Stanley of Riverside ES
Heather Stark of Roberts ES
Jenny Ethridge of Rock Springs ES
Robin Garrett of Rockbridge ES
Angela Nichols of Rosebud ES
Julie Ann Nelson of Shiloh ES
Brenda K. King of Shiloh HS
Patrick A. Reifsteck of Shiloh MS
Dr. Maxine Amritt of Simonton ES
Yasaman Dehnavi of Simpson ES
Kenneth Golden of Snellville MS
Kimya Rainge of South Gwinnett HS
Ikwo Poindexter of Starling ES
Sophia Kim of Stripling ES
Beth K. Wilson of Sugar Hill ES
Alicia Cooke of Summerour MS
Brittani Martin of Suwanee ES
John G. Renfroe of Sweetwater MS
Deepa Goyal of Sycamore ES
Mindy Black of Taylor ES
Jessie Kelly of Trickum MS
Hillery N. Cambre of Trip ES
Jason Hurd of Twin Rivers MS
Christy Tate of Walnut Grove ES
Kim Beck of White Oak ES
Becca Menchaca of Winn Holt ES
Jennifer K. Jones of Woodward Mill ES

Anniversary festivities on the calendar

If you’re a current or former student, parent, or staff member of one of these schools, join us to celebrate an upcoming milestone. 

•  Patrick ES: Patrick’s 10th anniversary will be celebrated at the school’s annual Bobby Patrick Night, set for Sept. 29, 4:30–7 p.m.
• Central Gwinnett HS: Once a Black Knight, always a Black Knight! Central Gwinnett’s 60th anniversary celebration begins with homecoming festivities on Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., with a formal program on Oct. 8 at 2:45 p.m. Alums should RSVP online by Oct. 2.
• Walnut Grove ES: 25th anniversary festivities are planned for Oct. 20. Part of the annual EagleFest, the program starts at 5 p.m. RSVP online by Oct. 3.

Security tools keep schools safe and secure

Keeping our students, staff, and schools safe is a top priority for Gwinnett County Public Schools. In this GCPS TV video, learn how two security tools— visitor management systems installed in GCPS’ elementary and middle schools as well as an emergency notification system installed districtwide— are supporting this effort.

GCPS Foundation launches mobile app

If you’re looking for ways to support Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students, your contribution to the GCPS Foundation Fund, Inc., can make a difference as we work to enrich and enhance education in the classroom and expand opportunities for our students heading to college.

Thanks to the generous support of business partners, community organizations, and caring individuals, the GCPS Foundation has raised more than $455,000 so far this calendar year, providing support for every school as well as scholarships for nearly 60 college-bound members of the Class of 2017.

And making a difference just got easier for our community with the launch of the GCPS Foundation mobile app!

With the app, users can:

• make a donation to your school, cluster, or favorite GCPS fund;
• purchase tickets to an event or fundraiser;
• connect to the Foundation's Facebook and Twitter sites to catch up on the latest news, and
• contact a member of the Foundation team.

Download the app today for your iOS or Android device.

Sept. 22 deadline nears for golf fundraiser

Mentors and community leaders are hitting the links at the Bear’s Best Atlanta Golf Course to benefit GCPS’ Community-Based Mentoring Program. The 8th annual golf tournament is set for Oct. 9. Registration is open for both golfers and sponsors at all levels so pass the word. The deadline to enter is Sept. 22. For more information about the tournament or the mentoring program, check out the Mentoring Program web page or call 770-277-4485.

Attend Sept. 19 session on navigating family transitions

arents of students receiving special education services in Gwinnett are invited to attend an upcoming informational session on Tuesday, Sept. 19, part of the Gwinnett County Parent Mentors Present” series. Tom Owen, GCPS director of Psychological Services, will present “Navigating the Stages of Family Development,” with a focus on the life cycle of the family unit and tips and strategies for navigating transitional phases.

This monthly learning series is designed for families of children with disabilities, and presented by Gwinnett County Parent Mentors Dawn Albanese and Jackie McNair in collaboration with GCPS' Special Education Department staff and community leaders and organizations. Typically, the sessions are held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in Building 200 at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center (ISC), located at 437 Old Peachtree Road, NW, in Suwanee.

Parent Mentors are parents who work within GCPS' special education department, providing information and support to other families who have children served in special education. The mentors have first-hand knowledge of raising a child with special needs as they both have a child who has been served or is being served in GCPS. 

To RSVP for the meeting, contact Ms. Albanese by phone at (678) 301-7212 or by email at dawn_albanese@gwinnett.k12.ga.us by Sept. 18. For more information regarding the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership, go to www.parentmentors.org.