Sawnee Elementary

Hello Sawnee Families,

As we get ready to welcome our Chiefs back this week, I have to admit...I'm just as excited as the students! As I begin my first year as principal of Sawnee, I couldn't be more honored to serve this community. One of the things that drew me to Sawnee is its incredible legacy. For generations, this school has been rooted in a tradition of excellence, high achievement, and a community that truly cares for one another. Those strong roots have created a place where students are challenged and inspired to do their very best, and I feel incredibly grateful to now be part of that story.

Our theme this year is Rooted in Connection: The Heart of a Chief. As we build on the traditions that have made Sawnee such a special place, we also know that meaningful relationships are at the heart of every child's success. My promise is to lead with a Heart of a Chief by listening, caring deeply for our students, and partnering with our families to ensure every child feels known, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.

I can't wait to meet you at our Ice Cream Social on August 1st and again at Open House on August 4th. Until then, enjoy these last few days of summer. We'll see you soon, Chiefs!

With a grateful heart,

Marla ♥️

250 years of America's History

(Information from the National Archives)

After the Declaration of Independence was signed these events took place in the newly formed

United States.

• Nov. 15th, 1777 - Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress. This document served as the United States' first constitution.
• Feb. 6th, 1778 - Treaty of Alliance with France. The American Colonies and France signed this military treaty on February 6, 1778. It formalized France's financial and military support of the revolutionary government in America.
• June 20th, 1782 - Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States was adopted by the Continental Congress.
• Sept. 3rd, 1783 - Treaty of Paris - The treaty between the American Colonies and Great Britain ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
• Sept. 17th,1787 - The United States Constitution is drafted
• April 30th, 1789 - President George Washington's First Inaugural Speech
• Dec. 15th, 1791 - Bill of Rights

🍨You're Invited to an Ice Cream Social🍨

Sawnee students and families are invited to join us for an Ice Cream Social!

August 1st

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Near the picnic tables by Gym 1

We hope to see you there for a sweet treat!

Kindergarten Bus Round Up will be on August 3rd. Your child's bus driver will contact you with more information as the date gets closer.

Open House will be August 4th! We can't wait to see both new and familiar faces as we kick off the 2026-2027 school year. Please look for your child's grade level to determine your Open House time.

Kindergarten & 3rd:

A-L 8am-9am

M-Z 9am-10am

2nd & 5th:

A-L 10am-11am

M-Z 11am-12pm

1st & 4th:

A-L 1pm-2pm

M-Z 2pm-3pm

Morning Arrival

• Morning car rider line begins at 7:50am. Please do not allow your child to exit the vehicle until school staff are at their assigned stations.
• Cars must remain in the designated car rider line. After your child has exited the vehicle, please do not pass other cars. Continue through the car rider line until you have safely exited the school campus.
• Car rider line closes at 8:15am. If you arrive after 8:15am, please park and walk your child to the front office.

• Begin the car rider line at the white and red sign "Afternoon car line begins here".
• At 2:40pm, the car rider line may proceed along the usual route through the parking lot and along the curb.
• The first vehicle in line may move the cones at 2:40pm to allow traffic to proceed.
• Cars must remain in the designated car rider line. After your child has entered the vehicle, please do not pass other cars. Continue through the car rider line until you have safely exited the school campus.

If your FCS student is new to school bus transportation, or you wish to submit changes to your student's existing verification, and/or update your contact information please submit the digital verification form using the links below. You will need your students ID number which can be located in Parent Portal, or on your new student enrollment paperwork. Please note, a verification digital form must be submitted for each individual student, you may not submit multiple students on a single digital form, so please repeat the process for each student.

Students KK - 2nd Grade

Students 3rd -5th Grade

Positive choices pay off at Sawnee! Throughout the school year, students can earn PBIS points, "Prime Points", by following The Sawnee Way—being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. As points add up, students can trade them in for fun rewards & exciting experiences. Every kind choice, helping hand, and positive attitude is a chance to earn!

✨ Click here to learn more about PBIS at Sawnee and how it helps us build a safe, positive, and encouraging school community.

Harvest of the Month

The Harvest of the Month for August is.... MELONS!!!

• Watermelons are actually berries and not melons.

• Watermelon is a good fruit to eat after exercising.

• There are over 30 different types of melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

• Melons were first cultivated in Egypt around 2000 B.C.

• Cantaloupes are named after the Italian village of Cantalupo, where they were first cultivated in Europe.

Watermelon Popsicles

Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours freeze time

Yield: 40 popsicles

Ingredients:

1 Watermelon, fresh

Craft sticks and/or kitchen items that can be used as a popsicle stick.

Instructions:

1. Wash the watermelon.

2. Slice the washed watermelon into wedge-shaped pieces.

3. Cut a small opening in the middle of each of the rinds and insert your popsicle stick

4. Arrange the watermelon wedges on a pan or plate lined with parchment paper.

5. Freeze the watermelon wedges for at least 2 hours.

6. Enjoy

Audra Deese, Cafe 1 Manager (3rd-5th)

770-887-6161 ext. 771191

Phyllis Silvers, Cafe 2 Manager (KK-2nd)

770-887-6161 ext. 772149

2026-27 Meal Prices

Breakfast

Lunch

The first day of school is fast approaching and we are so excited to get started! You can visit our Sawnee Clinic link below to learn more about the school clinic and the services we offer. Please stop by the clinic during Open House and visit with Nurse Robyn (K-2) and Nurse Kate (3-5) to discuss any concerns or questions you may have. You may also drop off medication to keep in the clinic at that time.

Please note that all Allergy and Asthma Care Plans need to be completed and signed by a physician June 1, 2026 or later to be accepted for the 26-27 school year. All forms and Care Plans can be found link below.

Per Forsyth County Schools policy, all over the counter and prescription medications need to be brought to the clinic by a parent or guardian and a Request for Administration of Medication form must be completed. Students are NOT permitted to carry any medication on school grounds in any Forsyth County school without written consent from a physician.

Clinic Wishlist: sandwich ziplock bags, bandaids , puff peppermints and 8 oz water bottles.

We always welcome your calls and emails. Nurse Robyn (K-2) RFreeze@forsyth.k12.ga.us and Nurse Kate (3-5) F36415@forsyth.k12.ga.us

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

We are excited to see everyone and welcome you back! This is going to be an awesome year!

The Sawnee Counseling team is dedicated to the success of each and every student. We look forward to working alongside you to provide the best opportunities for your child.

To maximize educational potential, your child must be in school every day when possible. However, if your child is sick (running a fever, vomiting, or has diarrhea), please do not send them to school and submit the Sawnee Absence Form electronically (which can be found in Quick Links under the “Our School” tab on the school webpage).

We wish everyone a happy and healthy school year! If you have medical-related concerns or questions, our school nurses are a fabulous resource and are happy to help.

If your child is in need of a backpack or other school supplies, please contact the Counseling Department. We are happy to help!

FAMILY CONNECT NIGHT IDEA

Read a story together about going back to school! We like The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg.

RESOURCES

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life: Link

FoodFinder Website: Link

New 2026/2027 PTO Board- We are excited to announce a new PTO board for this school year! We look forward to supporting the Sawnee community this year!

President-Aledra Slocumb

VP of Events-Danielle Frady

VP of Family Engagement-Meghan Brown

Treasurer-Connor Miller

Member at Large-Ellen Quesinberry

Member at Large-Samantha McClarity

Secretary-Jessie Phillips

We are still looking to fill the position of VP of Fundraising. If you think you would be interested, please let us know here!

Spirit Wear- Our spirit wear shop is open & ready for you! American Logo Gear has created several designs for us to choose from. Click here to shop spirit wear here. The shop will be open until August 19th. Production will take a few weeks and then your purchases will be delivered directly to your child's classroom. We will also share the details on placing orders on our social media pages. Be sure you're following us to stay up-to-date!

Aug. 1 - Ice Cream Social

Aug. 3 - Kindergarten Bus Round Up

Aug. 4 - Open House

Aug. 6 - First Day of School

Hello Sawnee Parents,

We are excited to begin serving Birthday Ice Cream starting Monday, August 17! Birthday ice cream orders will open on Wednesday, August 12, giving us enough time to prepare orders for the first serving day. Please remember that all birthday ice cream orders must be submitted at least 3 school days in advance to ensure we can fulfill your request.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to celebrating your child's special day!

Birthday Ice Cream packs are back and available on SCHOOLPAY.COM. Ice cream packs from our Hershey ice cream are available to purchase for your child’s birthday. The cost is $30. The only requirement is that we receive the order 3 school days in advance in order for us to get it set up. The packs give students a choice from 4 different ice cream bars. The teachers will have each student make a choice. All you need to do is log in to your SCHOOLPAY.COM and choose the Birthday Ice Cream option. Follow the steps for your order and you will be all set. We will do the rest! If you have questions please email Ruth at rallison@forsyth.k12.ga.us for K - 2nd grade and Gunjan at f44034@forsyth.k12.ga.us for 3rd – 5th grade.

If you prefer you may bring a treat for your child’s birthday. If you choose to bring a treat please remember that we only allow store bought items.

Welcome to a New School Year!

We're so excited to welcome both new and returning families to Sawnee Zone! Our team is looking forward to another year of learning, laughter, creativity, and fun after school.

At Sawnee Zone, we strive to provide a safe, caring environment where children can unwind after the school day, make new friends, and participate in exciting activities. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your child's day—we can't wait for a fantastic year together!

Sneak Peek into the Month of August at Sawnee Zone:

Students can look forward to:
• Outdoor Games & Playground Fun
• STEM Challenges
• Arts & Crafts
• Team Building Activities
• Indoor Games & Free Choice Centers
• Getting to Know New Friends!

📢 Parent Reminders

✔ Children should be signed out by an approved adult with a photo ID available if requested.

✔ Be sure your emergency contacts are current.

✔ Label jackets, water bottles, and personal belongings.

Looking forward to seeing you at The Zone!!

Sawnee Zone Handbook

Sawnee Zone Registration Form

For more information on policies and registration, please visit the Sawnee Elementary website or contact leestrickland@forsyth.k12.ga.us with any questions.

If you are new to Sawnee for the upcoming school year, please submit your registration payment (cash or check) to reserve your child’s spot.

Payments may be mailed to:

Sawnee Elementary

Attn: Lee Strickland
1616 Canton Highway
Cumming, GA 30040

Please use this form to submit ANY daily transportation changes for your student. All transportation changes must be entered by 1:00 PM on the day the change takes place.

Sawnee Transprotation Change Form

Absence notices must be received within five school days of the absence. Please allow 48 hours for absence excuse to be recorded on your child's records.

Sawnee Student Absence Form

Visit myschoolbucks.com to set up your child’s cafeteria account.

Select Sawnee Primary for grades K-2 and Sawnee Elementary for 3-5.

Visit www.schoolpay.com to set up an account for school-related fees (field trips, yearbook).

NOT LUNCH ACCOUNTS

Food Pantry

Open every Wednesday

9:00a - 11:00a

Everyone Welcome!

770 Canton Hwy.

Cumming, Ga. 30040

770-887-2900

Cumming Recreation and Parks Department Summer 2026 Program Guide

Catalog - Forsyth County Parks & Recreation

Do you have a local business that would like to become a partner with Sawnee Elementary School? Please contact Sawnee PTO if interested.

Partner Connect Website

We are also working on setting up our Instagram account and will be coming very soon!

Website: https://sawneeelementary.forsyth.k12.ga.us/

Location: 1616 Canton Highway, Cumming, GA, USA
Phone: 770-887-6161
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SawneeES/