The Badger Bulletin

Dear Brandywine Families,

Happy New Year! I hope your winter break brought moments of rest, connection, and joy. As we begin the second semester, I want to share how proud I am of our students, staff, and families for the learning, growth, and strong sense of community we built together during the first half of the school year. We are excited to welcome everyone back and continue that momentum.

School Updates

New Playground Perimeter Fence Installed

We are excited to share that our new back perimeter fence has been installed—see the picture below! This important safety improvement fully encloses the playground area and provides an added layer of security for students during recess and outdoor activities.

This project was made possible through funds raised during our Raise Craze fundraiser, and we are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support of our Brandywine families. Your contributions directly support student safety and well-being and are a wonderful example of our community coming together for a shared purpose.

PALS Preschool Recruitment (Ages 3–4)

We are excited to share information about PALS Preschool, a language-based preschool program designed to support young learners with identified language acquisition needs. PALS provides structured, teacher-led instruction and rich peer interaction in a literacy-focused environment.

Program highlights:

Open to children ages 3–4 at the start of the school year
Available to families residing in Forsyth County with Brandywine as their home school
No cost for accepted participants
Transportation provided for eligible students

If you or someone you know may benefit from this program, please see the attached flyer below for eligibility details and information on how to complete the inquiry form (available in English and Spanish).

Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Application

The Dual Language Immersion (DLI) application opens on January 15. Brandywine’s DLI program supports students in becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural from kindergarten through 5th grade.

Aligned with the Forsyth County Schools Learner Profile, DLI promotes academic excellence and prepares students to thrive in a global society.

Click HERE to learn more about the DLI program and application process.

School Climate Survey Reminder

The Georgia Department of Education is gathering feedback through the School Climate Survey, and your voice matters. Please take a moment to complete the survey for Brandywine Elementary. Your responses help guide our continued growth and improvement.

Click HERE to complete the survey.

Winter Reminders for Families

Please ensure students come to school dressed warmly for arrival and recess, including coats and layers.
Label jackets, hats, and gloves when possible to help lost items return home.
Encourage frequent handwashing and rest as we move through cold and flu season.
If your child is not feeling well, thank you for keeping them home to recover.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we will ensure Brandywine remains a place where students feel safe, connected, and inspired to thrive.

Warm wishes for a wonderful start to the new semester,
Daisy Tremps
Principal, Brandywine Elementary

Click here to take the Georgia School Climate Survey

News and Updates from Our PTO

Upcoming Event: Heritage Night

Thursday, January 22 5:30–7:30 PM

Please save the date for one of our most cherished community events, Heritage Night, taking place on Thursday, January 22 from 5:30–7:30 PM. This evening has historically been one of the most memorable and well-attended events at Brandywine, and we look forward to celebrating the rich cultures and traditions that make our school community so special.

The evening will include:

Student performances
Family-hosted country tables
Student work displayed throughout the school
Food trucks and a fun, welcoming atmosphere

Host a Heritage Night Table

To acknowledge the many countries represented at Brandywine, we need your help! If any member of your family was born in, has ancestral ties to, or is passionate about a country other than the United States, we would love for you to host a table and share your knowledge with our community.

Ideas for tables may include:

Local or traditional foods
Historical facts
Traditions and celebrations
Dress, language, or cultural artifacts

The PTO and the school will provide plenty of support to families interested in hosting a table.

If you would like to host a table, please click HERE to sign up.

January Newsletter 2026

Happy January and welcome back Badgers! It’s so exciting to see everyone after winter break. We are hopeful that everyone is coming back rested and ready to learn. As counselors, we feel that it’s important to consistently reflect on our “glows and grows” so we can recognize both what went well (“glows”) and areas for improvement (“grows”). As we head into the second half of the school year, encourage your students at home to think about their highlights during the first semester and what they want to work on during the second semester.

January is also the perfect natural reset for students to refocus on classroom routines and expectations. It may take extra reminders, but we’re confident that students will start to get back in the swing of things. The school theme for this month is respect and responsibility.

Here are some of our favorite books to teach the meaning of these two words:

- A Little Respectful Spot (Diane Alber)

- A Little Spot of Responsibility (Diane Alber)

- The Good Egg (Jory John & Pete Oswald)

- “I’ll do it!” Taking Responsibility (Brian Moses & Mike Gordon)

With our school theme in mind, please review what it means to be respectful and responsible at home and at school. Have your students think about how they can be respectful and responsible these next few weeks. Second semester always flies by, so motivate your student(s) to think of ways they can continue to bloom these next few months.

Lastly, please mark your calendars for our next community outreach event on Saturday, January 24th. We will have The Place’s mobile food pantry and Forsyth Community Clinic at Brandywine available for anyone in need. The mobile pantry will be here 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. and the community clinic will be here 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The food pantry will have non-perishable goods, meat, eggs, and produce as available. The clinic will be offering multiple services at zero cost for uninsured, Forsyth County residents aged 18 to 65. Services include physical exams, disease management (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, etc.), blood testing, medication prescriptions, specialist referrals, and mental health programming. No appointment necessary. Please spread the word and we hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful January, Badgers😊

Sick? Stay at home!

Please do not send your child to school and/or school activities if they are exhibiting symptoms of common illnesses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, strep throat, stomach virus or other contagious viruses and/or infections.

Symptoms of common illnesses may include fever (100.4 or greater), persistent cough/wheeze, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, eye drainage, rash, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Children with an unknown rash need to be seen by a healthcare provider to ensure it is not contagious to others. Children with a persistent cough should stay home until symptoms improve.

Please note your child must meet the following criteria before returning to school and/or school activities:

Your child must be fever free for a full 24-hour period without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Your child must be free of vomiting and/or diarrhea for a full 24-hour period.
Your child should also have an overall improvement in their symptoms and be able to tolerate their school day.
If an antibiotic has been prescribed, then the antibiotic must be administered for a full 24-hour period.