GCPS LINKS

March 5, 2026

Regular attendance plays a big role in your child’s academic success. As part of our Every Day Counts initiative, families may receive friendly attendance reminders — or “nudges” — when absences begin to add up (for example, at 3, 7, and 12 total absences). These messages are simply meant to keep you informed and strengthen communication between home and school.

If attendance becomes a concern for your family, your child’s school is ready to partner with you and provide support. Learn about how attendance notifications work and why every day matters.

Forty-nine Gwinnett County public schools have been recognized by Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods for their excellence in literacy and mathematics. Woods honored the schools during a ceremony at the ISC.

Gwinnett’s best young artists are in the spotlight through March 24 during Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Tapestry event. The district’s annual celebration of the arts takes place at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center (ISC), located at 437 Old Peachtree Rd., NW, in Suwanee. The artwork will rotate by cluster during the exhibit. Tapestry is open to the public from Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m.– 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1–6 p.m.

The remaining exhibit dates for the clusters are:

• March 3–10
  Berkmar, Brookwood, Discovery, Duluth, Norcross, and Shiloh clusters
• March 17–24
  Archer, Dacula, Grayson, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, and North Gwinnett clusters, as well as Grayson Technical Education Program, McClure Health Science High School, and Phoenix High School

South Gwinnett High School students in the school's Health and Human Services Academy put what they learn in class into practice in the school's new Healthcare Science Lab.

Chairwoman Hendrickson inspires Grayson Technical Education Program students

Gwinnett Online Campus goes offline to celebrate students

McClure Health Science High School student named CTAE Student of the Year

GCPS celebrates 2026 Valedictorians and Salutatorians

Georgia Gwinnett College welcomes GCPS students to Preview Day

Jenkins Elementary hosts Civil Rights Pioneer

GCPS' Human Resources team welcomed nearly 800 educators to its Go for the Gold Signature Teacher Job Fair. More than 70 candidates walked away with offers to join Team GCPS!

Gwinnett County Public Schools has been named a recipient of the 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for employee engagement! This award recognizes the most engaged workplace cultures in the world, and places GCPS in an elite group.

GCPS proudly celebrates School Social Work Week 2026, honoring the dedicated social workers who strengthen the well-being, safety, and success of our students every day.

GCPS school social workers serve as vital connectors, linking families to essential resources, supporting mental health and wellness, advocating for student needs, and fostering partnerships that help remove barriers to learning. Their compassion, expertise, and commitment ensure that every student is seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

This week, we recognize and appreciate the profound impact our social workers make across our schools and community.

• March 4–5: K–8 Early Release days for Parent-Teacher Conferences
  
• March 11: Readers Rally Championships
  
• March 16: Kindergarten Registration Opens for the 2026-27 school year
• March 16–20: Georgia School Board Appreciation Week
  
• April 21: Family Advisory Council, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 13, is a Digital Learning Day. All students will learn from home, completing assignments at their own pace. Students should plan ahead to ensure they have their district-issued devices at home for planned DLDs.

As a reminder, the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years will include fewer Digital Learning Days, based on feedback from our students, families, and staff. The approved calendars for both school years are now available on our website to help you plan ahead.

Starting Kindergarten is an exciting milestone, and some families may ask whether Kindergarten or 1st grade is the most appropriate starting point for their child. Gwinnett County Public Schools follows a Kindergarten Entry Consideration Review process to help make this decision thoughtfully and in the best interest of the student.

Families may request a Kindergarten grade level review for a child who will turn six years old before September 1 and is not currently receiving special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Families must first complete the district’s Online Registration for the upcoming school year. After registration, families may contact their child’s school to request a Kindergarten Entry Consideration Review. During the review process, schools may consider several sources of information, including academic readiness activities, social-emotional readiness, classroom readiness indicators, parent or guardian input, teacher or caregiver input (when available), and observations by school staff.

Families can begin this process after Online Registration opens for the upcoming school year on March 16, 2026. Learn more about how to request a Kindergarten Entry Consideration review on our website.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is a half-day program for girls in grades 2–8 who are interested in STEM. The event costs $5 per person, and is sponsored by the engineering community to introduce girls to engineering through fun projects and activities. Join us on Saturday, March 21 at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Team GCPS is proud to support Relay For Life of Gwinnett and the ongoing effort to fight cancer, celebrate survivors, and honor those we have lost. We invite our staff and families to join us for this meaningful community event.

Relay For Life of Gwinnett will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 4–10 p.m. at Suwanee Town Center. This free, family-friendly event includes a Survivor Celebration, activities for students of all ages in the Gold Zone, food trucks, live entertainment, and opportunities to connect with others who are committed to making a difference.

Together, we can honor survivors, support those currently battling cancer, and contribute to life-saving research and services in our community. We hope you will join Team GCPS on April 25 as we stand together for a cause that impacts so many of our families.

GAfutures is thrilled to announce its partnership with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to offer application fee waivers to students throughout the month of March! Please visit GAfutures.org for more information.

Families sometimes ask how schools acknowledge religious and cultural observances and how we ensure that all students are treated fairly when different needs arise. We appreciate families sharing their questions and concerns. Our goal is always to care for students while creating safe, welcoming, and respectful learning environments for everyone.

GCPS sat down with GCPS 2027 Teacher of the Year, Dr. Candice Richardson, for a powerful conversation about the moments, mentors, and milestones in Black History that shaped her journey as an educator.

The Gwinnett County Board of Education is currently reviewing three policies as part of their ongoing commitment to strong governance and student-centered decision-making:

• Policy IDDG – Multilingual Learners

• Policy BBDA – Superintendent Evaluation

• Policy JBCF – Safe Zones, Student Privacy, Educational Access, and Student Protection

Our Board Core Beliefs and Commitments affirm that every student deserves access to a high-quality education in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment. Regular policy review helps ensure our practices reflect those commitments while maintaining accountability and equity across the district.

We invite staff, families, and community members to review the proposed policy and share feedback prior to final consideration by the Board. Your voice plays an important role in shaping policies that support students and strengthen our schools.

To learn more and provide input, visit our website.

Gwinnett County Board of Education Legislative Priorities 2O26

Each year, the Gwinnett County Board of Education adopts Legislative Priorities to support students, staff, and families across our community. We invite our community to learn more, attend Board meetings and school events, and stay engaged in the legislative process that shapes public education.

Upcoming Board Meetings

The next Board Work Session is Tuesday, March 17, beginning at 6 p.m.

The first Board budget work session is Wednesday, March 18, beginning at 5 p.m.

The next regular Board Business meeting is Wednesday, March 18, beginning at 7 p.m. (Online, find links to sign up for the public comment sections of the meeting.)

View the full 2026 meeting calendar on our website.

You can email your School Board members, individually or as a group; or contact the Coordinator of Board Services at 678-301-6040 or by email at MySchoolBoard@gcpsk12.org.

Follow the Board of Education on social media:

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Connected February 26