Family Knight News

Greetings to our Wonderful LES Families & Friends,

It's so hard to believe that it is already December. With all that we have to accomplish in a school year, the fast pace of a school year can create a bit of anxiousness for all. Yet, even with that, I have full trust in our staff, students, and families to persevere with excellence.

Prior to the Thanksgiving break, our families were invited to attend a Fall Feast catered by our wonderful cafe staff, and we were so excited at the HUGE turnout. Thank you so much to all who joined us on this day. We greatly appreciated your support of this annual event.

As we step into the festive month of December, I am thrilled to share the exciting events and activities we have planned for our students. This month is packed with joy and learning, and we can't wait to celebrate.

Today is the kickoff of our bookfair. We hope that all kids will have the chance to shop, and if you feel so inclined, feel free to stop by the school to shop. Tomorrow we will participate in the Central Gwinnett Cluster of the Arts Winter Concert. It was so beautiful last year and I simply can't wait to see what's in store for us this season. I am sure it will usher us right into the spirit of the holidays. Our students and teachers are getting excited for next week ... Each class will have its own celebration, filled with games, treats, and cheer. Our talented chorus will spread festivity with their beautiful caroling. And we will recognize and reward positive behavior with a special PBIS Party. Additionally, students can wear their coziest pajamas and enjoy a magical day inspired by the beloved story, "The Polar Express."

Amidst all the fun, we also have important academic responsibilities. Our students will be taking their midyear iReady and District Assessments. Please encourage your children to take these assessments seriously as they are crucial for their academic progress and academic plans moving forward.

I would like to remind you to regularly check your ParentSquare messages. Specifically, please be sure to participate in the Climate Survey sent out by GCPS. Your feedback is vital for our CCRPI Climate Star Rating. The link is below in case you need it.

Please keep this participation going! I want to encourage you to join our PTA by clicking the link below, and also consider volunteering your time. It's easy, fun, and helps create a positive school climate.

This holiday season, let's show our appreciation to our dedicated teachers and staff. The overwhelming majority of our staff is committed to showing up for our kids every day and working diligently to close learning gaps and move students forward. It's not an easy task, but our students are worth every effort.

Thank you for your continued support in creating positive classroom environments free from disciplinary issues. If a teacher reaches out to you, please provide them with the support they need. A strong parent-teacher partnership is crucial to student success. The better the partnership, the higher our students will excel.

Thank you for your dedication to LES. As we continue to LEAD Every Knight, Every Day, I want to thank you for PARENTING our precious Knights and for supporting the work we do.

With gratitude,

Your Proud Principal
Candace Haynes

#EveryKnightEveryDay

LES Bookfair - i12/8 -12/12

No Parent Lunch Visits - 12/15 - 12/19

Winter Break - 12/22 - 01/02

• Weekly Newsletters from your child's teacher.
• Monthly Newsletters - Family Knight News - from the principal, Mrs. Haynes. You're reading it now. Thank you! 🙂
• Lawrenceville ES Website
• LES Social Media Pages - Facebook & Instagram
• ParentSquare and ParentVue

The school store is open every morning during arrival time.

M-W-F Upstairs (Back Lobby)

T-Th Downstairs (Lower Level Front Entrance)

Prices range from .25 to $2.

Hello LES family! Winter break is upon us and while this time brings fun, rest,and family traditions, it can also be a time of stress and shake up routines. Here are a few simple ways to support your child’s emotional wellness during breaks:

• Keep a little routine

• Although breaks are fun, children need routine. Try to keep consistent sleep routines and factor in moments of disconnection from technology devices.

• Check-in on feelings

• Ask them “how are you feeling?” and “is there anything on your mind or that you want to talk about?”.

• As adults we can forget that our kiddos have feelings and are experiencing many of the same emotions as we are, but have no idea how to manage them.

• Create calming moments for them. Small moments like this can help kids reset and feel connected.

• Have a family game night

• Read together

• Make some hot chocolate

• Do some holiday crafts

As we head into our winter break, please know that our goal is for every student to feel safe and supported. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.

-Your counselors,

Ms. Younger (k-2) & Mrs. Williams (3-5)

We extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible club sponsors who generously dedicate their time to provide enriching before- and after-school opportunities for our students. These clubs foster a strong sense of well-being and belonging, helping our students grow both socially and emotionally.

We’re excited for you to hear directly from our sponsors as they share a glimpse into the amazing activities and experiences our students are enjoying. See below and Stay tuned!

We have had a wonderful inaugural semester of Storybook STEAM! Please keep reading below to see how we showcased each letter in STEAM!

S. We put on our scientist caps and built enclosures for our carrots after reading ‘Creepy Carrots”.

T. We got to utilize technology by going on a VR adventure to the antarctic to see some of the penguins we had just read about!

E. After reading “My First Day”, we got to engineer our own boats to see if we could make a boat strong enough to get us to school like the character in the book!

A. We got to be artists and reimagine the main character from the story, “A Bad Case of Stripes”.

M. Finally, we got to be mathematicians and create shapes with lots of fun things, like shaving cream and different snacks, after reading “Tangled”!

December At a Glance

12/2 - Special Education Day

12/2 - Cinderella Rehearsals 3:45PM - Select Cast

12/3 - Storybook Steam Club Meeting 7:30AM

12/3 - Cinderella Rehearsals 3:45PM - Select Cast

12/4 - Robotics Club Meeting 3:45PM

12/5 - All Pro Dad Meeting 7:30AM

12/5 - Girls Wearing Pearls 7:30AM

12/5 - Principal for a Day - Mr. Nathan Powell - Powell Firm, LLC

12/8 -12/12 - LES Book Fair

12/9 - Central Gwinnett Cluster of the Arts Winter Cluster Concert 6PM

12/10 - Cinderella Rehearsals 3:45PM - Select Cast

12/10 - Parent Science Fair Meeting 5:30PM

12/11 - Robotics Club Meeting 3:45PM

12/15 - 12/19 - No Parent Lunch This Week Due to numerous activities planned for the week.

12/15 - Math DA

12/16 - Science DA

12/16 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Full Cast 3:45PM

12/17 - AM Clubs 7:30 AM (Storybook Steam Club)

12/17 - Social Studies DA

12/17 - Chorus Performance at Christkindl Market 5:30PM

12/22 - 01/02 - Winter Break

January At a Glance

January is School Board Appreciation Month

01/02 - Student Holiday

Candace Haynes - Principal

Kemel Roberts - PreK, 5th Grade, Special Education, Specials Team

Kadian Dennis Walls - 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Intervention Team

Our students have become acclimated to being in school and following our cafeteria expectations. Due to limited space for visitors in our cafeteria, we are welcoming lunch visitors with photo ID on a rotating schedule by the student's last name.

Monday - A&B and U-Z

Tuesday - C-G

Wednesday - H-M

Thursday - N-T

Any deviation from the above assigned schedule must be approved by the grade level Assistant Principal at least 24 hours in advance when possible. Parents can call (770-963-1813) or email your grade level Assistant Principal with special circumstances.

At the end of lunch, parents should say goodbye to their children and proceed to the front desk for check-out. It is a violation of our school policy to accompany your child to the playground, classroom, or move around the building visiting other children in their classrooms.

Fast food from outside vendors such as McDonalds, soda, and glass containers are not allowed in the lunchroom.

Store bought treats brought in for the class should be pre-arranged with your child’s teacher and may only be shared with your child’s class. No homemade items are allowed.

Ice cream is sold for $1. This may also be purchased as a class treat.

Please be aware of allergy restrictions in your child’s class when selecting treats. Please do not bring anything containing any type of nuts.

Lawrenceville ES will not supply or allow knives into the school building. Please pre-cut items or provide single-serve items.

Balloons, party favors, etc., are not permitted in the cafeteria.

Thank you very much for your help in supporting these expectations.

Please ensure that you are complying with our important safety policy as stated in our Parent Handbook. It is our goal that there are no transportation mistakes. For this reason, it is important that students have only ONE mode of transportation and the tag on the backpack should reflect this. Please limit transportation changes to emergencies only. By definition of the word emergency, these do not happen often. Thank you so much for your support as we work to maintain consistency in our procedures. The complete handbook is attached below should you ever need it.

Changes in Student Transportation - IMPORTANT

Transportation changes are not permissible without prior written notice from a parent/guardian. Only those listed as legal parent(s)/guardian(s) can make transportation changes. Please send a handwritten/signed note with your child if a transportation change is needed. Call the front office (770-963-1813) to verify that the note was received. To protect the safety and security of all students, transportation changes will not be accepted over the telephone, via email, fax, or text. We need to verify the identity of the individual making the request. Should an extreme emergency arise, the parent/legal guardian will need to come to the front office and speak with an administrator with their identification. ParentSquare direct messages will be accepted in the event of an emergency. Emergency changes will be dealt with on a case by case basis. Please refrain from making regular transportation changes. It is confusing for staff and students. Students should have one form of daily transportation.

• For safety reasons, it is very important that students wear tennis shoes to school. Even when not in PE, students are playing outside daily. Our goal is to avoid accidents, including trips and falls in the hallway. Please save the crocs, yeezys, slides, sandals, and similar shoes for wearing outside of school.
• Head coverings such as hats, caps, hoodies, satin night caps, scarves, bandanas, etc. should not be worn to school.

Student drop off should take place in the rear of the school from 8:20-8:50. Please ensure your child is at school on time. Breakfast, Joyful Learning, Morning Meeting, and Morning Announcements all take place prior to 9:00 am and are immediately followed by Knight Time, which consists of academic intervention schoolwide. Please ensure our students have the best start to their day by being on time. All students within the LES attendance zone have the option of riding the bus so that they are on time to school.

We ask that you only check out students for in situations that are urgent. Please do not circumvent the regular dismissal process by checking out students on a daily or regular basis. Early checkouts disrupt classroom instruction. All students within the LES attendance zone have the option of riding the bus. If you are unable to retrieve your child from the car line, please allow your child to ride the bus.

We are pleased to welcome students to LES on a permissive transfer. This opportunity is extended with the understanding that strong attendance, positive behavior, and academic success are essential priorities. While we strive to support all students, please be aware that permissive transfers are contingent upon maintaining these standards. We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives at school on time and is picked up promptly each day. Please note: Failure to maintain good attendance, behavior, and academic performance may result in the revocation of the permissive transfer at the end of the first quarter. We appreciate your partnership in helping your child succeed. Your support in reinforcing these expectations at home is invaluable.

Ice cream is sold daily. It is $1.00 cash only.

Classroom ice cream parties are a great way to celebrate students. Please send the money to the teacher with a note if you would like to purchase ice cream for the entire class.

About Us

Lawrenceville Elementary is very proud to be a PBIS school. PBIS focuses on positive behaviors, teaching and reteaching school and classroom expectations and rewarding students with incentives. Our school expectations are taught and referred to daily so all students can be equipped to have a successful day at Lawrenceville Elementary.

Our Awesome Incentives:

• Lead Bucks: Buy rewards and admission to events throughout the school year.
• BOB (Best on Bus): These students have a chance to earn a Pizza lunch with the A-Team.
• PBIS Store: Students can use their LEAD bucks to buy desired items.
• PBIS Celebrations: Fun school-wide events to celebrate students for awesome behavior!

You can help!

We encourage all parents to talk with your child about the school motto and what it means to them. Ask them if they earned any Lead Bucks this week. Ask them about some of the PBIS Celebrations and how to earn it.

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.

Simply create a free MyPaymentsPlus account to get started today:

https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome

We want to ensure you have access to all the essential resources to support your child's education. Please find the important links and information below:

1. ParentVUE

* Grades and Schedules: Monitor your child's academic progress and access their class schedules through ParentVUE. [Login to ParentVUE]

2. MyPaymentsPlus

* Student Meal Accounts: Manage your child's meal accounts, add funds, and monitor their meal purchases with MyPaymentsPlus.

* School Activities: Review and pay for school activities and fees conveniently online.

[Register for MyPaymentsPlus]

3. ParentSquare

* School Communication: Stay informed and connected with our school's latest updates and communications by activating your ParentSquare account. [Activate Your ParentSquare Account]

We encourage you to take advantage of these resources to stay engaged with your child's educational journey. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

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Should you ever need support, we are here to provide it. Please see the graphic above. For any classroom related support, please contact the classroom teacher first. Administrators are available should you need support with anything else.

Support Team Overview

Our dedicated leadership team is here to ensure every student and staff member receives the support they need to thrive. Below is a breakdown of responsibilities to help guide your inquiries:

• Kadian Dennis-Walls
  Instructional Support & Intervention

  • Grades 2 & 3
  • Title I Administrator
  • Title IX Coordinator
  • MTSS Administrator
  • Intervention Team Administrator

• Ryann Flunder
  Early Learning & Student Services

  • Grades K, 1 & 4
  • ESOL Program
  • Testing Coordinator
  • Car Rider Support

• Kemel Roberts
  Specialized Programs & Logistics

  • Grades PreK & 5
  • Special Education
  • Specials (Art, Music, PE, Computer Science.)
  • 504 Plan Support
  • School Safety
  • Transportation Coordination

• Candace Haynes
  Principal

  • School Leadership & Vision
  • Strategic Planning
  • Overall School Operations
  • Family and Community Engagement
  • Decision Maker for School Initiatives & Priorities

• Katise Taylor
  Cluster Superintendent

  • District-Level Oversight & Support

• Jay Nebel
  Interim Chief of Schools

  • Executive Leadership & Strategic Direction

Vision Statement: Lawrenceville Elementary will provide the foundation for all students to become life-long learners and successful citizens.

Mission Statement: We will provide a learning environment where students strive to: Lead by Learning, Embrace Diversity, Achieve Excellence, and Demonstrate Leadership.

Motto: Today’s Learners … Tomorrow’s Leaders

Our Theme This Year: LEADing with IMPACT at Lawrenceville Elementary!

Lawrenceville Elementary School

Principal ~ Mrs. Candace Haynes

Assistant Principal ~ Ms. Ryann Flunder

Assistant Principal ~ Mrs. Kadian Dennis-Walls

Assistant Principal ~ Mr. Kemel Roberts

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/LawrencevilleES
Location: 122 Gwinnett Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, USA
Phone: 770-963-1813

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