Schools and offices closed Jan. 21 for MLK Day

A calendar reminder… GCPS schools and offices will be closed on MLK Day— Monday, Jan. 21— with students and staff returning to class on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Registration deadline approaches for GSMST for 2019-20 school year

Registration for Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST) for next school year is open through 4 p.m. on Jan. 25. The registration lottery will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 4 at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center. Students applying for a lottery number must meet all eligibility requirements for GCPS attendance, including residency in Gwinnett County but outside of the Buford city limits. Prospective students must complete the 8th grade no later than June 1, and satisfy a math requirement:

• Students taking Accelerated Algebra (or higher) must earn a passing score for the entire course and the End of Course (EOC) assessment, if required, by June 1.

• Students taking Algebra I must earn a fall semester course grade of "A" (90-100) and an EOC assessment score of "distinguished" (level 4) OR score 550 or higher on the math portion of the SAT or PSAT 8/9.

Start the lottery registration process online.

Special education teachers invited to Jan. 26 job fair

Pass the word… GCPS is holding an invitation-only job fair for special education teachers on Jan. 26, and the district will be offering contracts at the event for the 2019–20 school year! Prospective teachers can register online through Jan. 23. Candidates eligible to attend must be certified (or will be by July of 2019) in any field of Special Education.

Parent Mentors offer sessions for families of students with special needs

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. Parents of students receiving special education services in Gwinnett are invited to attend upcoming informational sessions hosted by Gwinnett County Parent Mentors Dawn Albanese and Jackie McNair in collaboration with GCPS' Special Education Department staff and community leaders and organizations.

Upcoming events include the following:

“Criminal Justice: How it Impacts Students with Disabilities”

(Thursday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m. to noon)

In this session designed for families of middle and high school students, Gwinnett County State Court Judge Pamela D. South will give an overview of what happens in the court system when a young person is arrested or detained by law enforcement. Topics to be covered include court appearances, appointed or retained counsel, delinquency petitions, criminal accusations, and sentencing guidelines. Families will learn how they can be proactive in helping their child avoid incidents and how the court system helps to limit the impact of a conviction. (Note that this session focuses on incidents in the home and community, not student discipline and behavioral interventions at school.) This session will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at OneStop Centerville Community Center, located at 3025 Bethany Church Rd. in Snellville. To RSVP for the meeting, contact Ms. McNair by phone at (678) 301-7149 or by email at Jackie_McNair@gwinnett.k12.ga.us by Jan. 16. 

“Life Beyond the High School Diploma”

(Tuesday, Jan. 22, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

Special Education Coordinator Stacy Poteat and Instructional Coach Niles Davis, both of GCPS’ Special Education Department, will address help families look at options and resources available to their student after high school. Topics will include challenges facing young people with disabilities after high school, barriers to college success, college programs for students with intellectual disabilities, the differences between K-12 and college, types of accommodations, employment for a young person with disabilities, and barriers to success in the workplace. The session will be held in Building 200 (Room 2.111) at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center, located at 437 Old Peachtree Road, NW, in Suwanee.  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 Jan. 21.

For more information regarding the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership, go to www.parentmentors.org.

Scholarship program puts college in REACH for students

During the fall, nine academically promising 8th graders learned that college will be in REACH when they graduate from high school. Each of the students will receive a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Georgia college or university after high school graduation. The REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia Scholarship Program is a needs-based mentoring and scholarship program providing promising students the support to graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success.

The district’s first “class” of REACH Scholars includes Jerrilyn De La Rosa of Berkmar MS, Takeyra Brown of Grace Snell MS, Melany Pelayo-Medina of Jordan MS, Lewis Le of Lilburn MS, Emmanuel Adebesin of Moore MS, Arelie Barriga of Radloff MS, Kidus Tadessa of Shiloh MS, Jonathan Bell of Snellville MS, and Kendall Reaves of Sweetwater MS.

REACH Georgia is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Authority (GSFA), a companion student finance entity of the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). GSFC is the state agency that administers the HOPE Scholarship and Grant Program as well as other state- and lottery-funded financial aid programs. GSFC also manages the career and college preparation website, GAfutures.org, and provides educational services such as free financial aid consultation and FAFSA completion assistance to high schools and postsecondary institutions across the state.

Currently in 134 school systems throughout the state, REACH Georgia’s goal is to be in all 180 Georgia school systems and support more than 3,000 students throughout Georgia.

REACH Scholars are paired with a mentor who models positive behavior and provides the student with knowledge, advice, guidance, and support related to education and beyond. Each scholar also is supported by an academic coach who monitors the student’s progress, helping to develop education and career plans and identifying academic and social supports. 

In this GCPS TV video, learn more about the program and our REACH Scholars.

Special education teachers invited to Jan. 26 job fair

Pass the word… GCPS is holding an invitation-only job fair for special education teachers on Jan. 26, and the district will be offering contracts at the event for the 2019–20 school year! Prospective teachers can register online. Candidates eligible to attend must be certified (or will be by July of 2019) in any field of Special Education.

Follow healthy habits to put the brakes on rise of flu

The 2018-19 flu season has begun and Georgia is experiencing higher levels of flu than anticipated for this time of year. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend an annual flu vaccine as the first and best way to protect against influenza. And, although the flu shot can't prevent every case of flu, it can protect you from more severe illness. It’s not too late to get a flu shot so consider getting a shot for yourself and your family members, especially those with asthma and other chronic illnesses.

Health officials encourage families to take precautions to limit the spread of illness, including washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home and keeping ill children home when flu-like and other cold symptoms appear.

If your child has flu-like symptoms, please contact your physician or health clinic for recommendations. The flu may last 7 to 10 days. If your child has a fever, they must be kept home. They must be fever-free for 24 hours without medication prior to returning to school. Please check out health and wellness resources from GCPS, including our “Healthy Habits” flyer for tips on flu prevention. If you have questions about the flu or flu prevention, you also may contact the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260.