Family Knight News

Happy Black History Month, LES Families!

We are officially in the month of love and we are filled with joy as we continue building wonderful momentum at Lawrenceville Elementary. Even with the recent snow, ice, and digital learning days, our students and staff have not missed a beat. Their resilience and dedication continue to make us so proud.

As we enter the beautiful and quick month of February, which includes our upcoming winter break, we have many exciting events planned for our school community. I would like to begin by celebrating our First Semester Awards. Wow, LES Families! You truly showed up to honor your children. We are so proud of our students and so grateful that we could share those special moments with you. Your strong attendance reminded us how meaningful it is to celebrate student success together.

We also enjoyed an incredible PTA sponsored Bingo Night. It was so much fun and we hope our wonderful PTA will consider making it an annual tradition. Speaking of our PTA, they continue to do an amazing job supporting our school and our students.

This is an update: I want to draw your attention to one of our most anticipated events, the LES Sweetheart Dance has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. This change was made to address low ticket sales. Please purchase your tickets now so we know you are coming and can plan to have a successful event. We want this memorable experience to happen for our students.

As you scroll through this newsletter, you will find all upcoming dates and important information for the month ahead. Parent Teacher Conference Week is also right around the corner and our goal is one hundred percent participation. Please begin planning now to attend. More details will be coming soon.

LES families, thank you for everything you do. We love our students and deeply appreciate our partnership with you. Please never hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We are here for you.

With gratitude,

Your Proud Principal
Candace Haynes

#EveryKnightEveryDay

We would like to share an important update regarding the upcoming Sweetheart Dance. After receiving feedback from parents, teachers, and staff, we have made changes to better accommodate our school community.

Updated Event Details
- Date: Saturday February 28
- Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: School Cafeteria
- Ticket Price: $10 per person
(Includes a hotdog, chips, and a drink)

Payment Options
- Cash (prepaid by February 21)
- Online payment jointotem.com, (QR code)
- Payments will also be accepted at the door

Refund Information
If you have already purchased a ticket at the original price of $15, $40 a $5 refund will be issued. Refunds will be available on the day of the dance at the concession stand from a PTA Board Member.

Reason for the Change
Based on parent feedback indicating that the original ticket price of $15 was too high, we reduced the ticket price to $10. Due to this adjustment, we are no longer able to offer the sit-down Italian meal that was originally planned. All food and activities will now take place in the cafeteria.

These changes were made specifically to accommodate financial concerns and to ensure that as many students and families as possible can attend and enjoy this event.

Thank you!

Go LES PTA!

Help Your Child Build Reading Comprehension Skills

If you notice that your child is having trouble understanding reading material, try these tips for improving comprehension. When you read together:

• Stop every now and then. Ask your child questions about the material. “Why do you think the character did that?”
• Help your child make connections between things that are happening in the reading and familiar experiences or ideas. "Billy's favorite food is pancakes—just like yours!"
• Have your child act out the story after you’ve read it. This is a good way for you both to see what your child understands and to reinforce the material.

Brought to you by:

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Please take a few moments to complete our Climate Survey. Your input is essential in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. By sharing your thoughts, you help us grow and improve together. Thank you for partnering with us to make a positive impact! Please click the button below to complete the survey!

• 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.

February is all about kindness and connection! This month, we’ll be focusing on Random Acts of Kindness Week and encouraging students to spread positivity throughout our school community. Small gestures like a smile, a compliment, or helping a friend can make a big difference.

We’re also excited to celebrate National School Counseling Week (February 3–7)! This week highlights the vital role school counselors play in supporting students’ academic success, social-emotional growth, and future planning. Thank you for partnering with us to help every student thrive!

20 Acts of Kindness to Try This Month:

1. Hold the door open for someone.
2. Give a genuine compliment.
3. Write a thank-you note to a teacher or friend.
4. Help someone carry their belongings.
5. Pick up litter around school or your neighborhood.
6. Share your favorite book or toy with a friend.
7. Invite someone new to sit with you at lunch.
8. Say “good morning” to classmates and staff.
9. Help a sibling with homework.
10. Donate gently used clothes or toys.
11. Make a handmade card for someone special.
12. Offer to help clean up after a meal.
13. Smile at five people today.
14. Share encouraging words with someone who looks sad.
15. Help a classmate understand a lesson.
16. Call or text a family member just to say hello.
17. Leave a positive note in a library book.
18. Bake cookies and share them with neighbors.
19. Tell someone why you appreciate them.
20. Give up your spot in line for someone else.

Let’s work together to make February a month full of compassion and caring!

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 are incredibly excited to resume our second semester of rehearsals for our spring production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella – Youth Edition! Our cast has returned full of energy, creativity, and enthusiasm, and we are already seeing wonderful character development from our young actors and actresses.

To kick off this semester, we began by reviewing scenes that were previously staged and jumped right into learning some fun and lively choreography for the Royal Ball. The students are bringing so much joy and personality to their work—it’s already shaping up to be a magical show!

📅 Rehearsal Calendar

Parents can stay up to date with rehearsal times, expectations, and upcoming schedules by visiting the rehearsal calendar:
👉 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VbkOku8K6s_gwvtHkwzKSxmfBpnLPESjEWjHSk-M8FA/edit?usp=sharing

🎟️ Show Tickets

Tickets are now on sale for our performances on April 1st and April 2nd!
🎫 $10 per ticket
Purchase here: https://gofan.co/app/school/GAEL18063

All proceeds help support future productions, costumes, sets, and materials that bring our shows to life.

Thank you for supporting our young performers—we can’t wait to share this magical story with you this spring!

February At a Glance

February is Black History Month

February is Career & Technical Education Month

Week of 02/02 - School Counselor Appreciation Week

02/02 - Digital Learning Day - Due to Inclement Weather

02/03 - Family English Literacy Class 10AM

02/03 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/04 -AM Clubs (Chorus, Garden, Storybook Steam Club, Friendship Bracelet and P.E.) 7:30AM

02/04 - Spring Extended Learning Time 3:30PM

02/04 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/05 - Local School Council Meeting 12PM

02/05 - PM Clubs (Dance and 3D Printing/Sculpture Club) 4:00PM

02/06 - Digital Learning Day #3

02/07 - PTA Sweetheart Dance 4PM - 7PM

02/10 - Family English Literacy Class 10AM

02/10 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/11 - Water on Wheels - In House Field Trip 4th Grade

02/11 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/12 - 02/13 - Student/Teacher Holiday - No School

02/15 - School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

02/16 - Student/Teacher Holiday - No School

02/16 - Presidents' Day

02/17 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/18 -AM Clubs (Chorus, Garden, Storybook Steam Club, Friendship Bracelet and P.E.) 7:30AM

02/18 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Select Cast Members 3:45PM

02/19 - 02/26 - Tapestry - LES Artwork Featured at ISC

02/19 - Title 1 ML Access Parent Meeting 1:30-2:30 PM

02/19 - PM Clubs (Dance and 3D Printing/Sculpture Club) 4:00PM

02/20 - AM Girls Wearing Pearls 7:30AM

02/20 - AM L.E.S. Conquerors 7:30AM

02/20 - PM GCPS 5th Grade Honor Chorus Area Rehearsal 4:00-6:45PM

02/24 - Family English Literacy Class 10AM

02/24 - Cinederella Rehearsals - Full Cast 3:45PM

02/25 - AM Clubs (Chorus, Garden, Friendship Bracelet and P.E.) 7:30AM

02/25 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Full Cast 3:45PM

02/26 - Picture Day (Spring/Make-Up Pictures)

02/26 - PM Clubs (Dance and 3D Printing/Sculpture Club) 4:00PM

02/27 - AM L.E.S. Conquerors 7:30AM

March At a Glance

March is Women's History Month

Week of 03/02 - Read Across America Week

Week of 03/02 - Social Worker Appreciation Week

03/03 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Vocal Run Through 3:45PM

03/04 -AM Clubs (Chorus, Garden, Storybook Steam Club, Friendship Bracelet and P.E.) 7:30AM

03/04-03/05 - Early Release (All students will be released at 12:50 PM on both days.)

03/04 - Cinderella Rehearsals - Early Release - 1PM - 5PM Full Cast in the Gym

03/06 - 03/12 - LES Book Fair

03/06 - Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

03/06 - All Pro Dad Meeting - LES Cafeteria 7:30AM

03/06 - AM Girls Wearing Pearls 7:30AM

03/06 - AM L.E.S. Conquerors 7:30AM

03/11 - 1st Grade Field Trip - Zoo Atlanta

03/11 -AM Clubs (Chorus, Garden, Friendship Bracelet and P.E.) 7:30AM

03/12 - PM Clubs (Dance and 3D Printing/Sculpture Club) 4:00PM

03/12 - International Night 5:30PM

03/13 - Digital Learning Day # 4

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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