The Panther Post
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News & Updates from
Gum Springs Elementary
February 19-23, 2024
News and Updates
Join us for GSES PTO Spirit Night at WNB Factory this Thursday, February 22nd. GSES PTO receives a percentage of sales made between 4:00 and 7:00 P.M.
Information about 2024-25 Kindergarten Registration will be released this week. If your family has a rising kindergartner, or you know a friend or family member with a rising kindergartener, be on the lookout for that informaiton this week. We will also include it in next week's edition of The Panther Post.
Mark your calendars! One of our favorite events, Book Character Dress-Up Day, will be on Friday, March 8th. Start getting those creative costumes ready to help us spread the love of reading.
Families are requested to give feedback about our school on the annual Georgia Health Survey. Survey results help us find out how families feel about our school climate and community. We'd love to hear from you! This short survey can be completed in 10-15 minutes. Click HERE to get started.
The Family Lunch Guest Sign-Up is live for Feburary dates. Click the button below if you'd like to reserve a time to join us. Please read the specific guidelines at the top of the form carefully before signing up (and be sure to click SUBMIT).
Current 5th grade families, be sure to mark your calendars to attend 6th Grade Orientation Night at West Jackson Middle School or Legacy Knoll Middle School. These nights will include important information to help you and your child prepare for their middle school transition. See graphic below for details.
Don't forget to order your child's yearbook by March 22nd. Click HERE to order online and enter school passcode 101485563232668. (If you can't remember if you already ordered this year, check your email for a receipt from publisher Treering.) With your purchase, you get to create two free custom pages, printed only in your child's yearbook, including pictures of your child this year and answers to personal memory questions. As a reminder, yearbook sales are PRE-SALE ONLY. Extra copies will NOT be available when books are delivered. See flyer below for more details.
This Week's
After-School Clubs
Thursday: Science Olympiad Team (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Thursday: Secret STEM Club (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Thursday: Annie Rehearsal--only speaking parts and all orphans--No Ensemble of any kind (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Thursday: Annie Crew (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Upcoming Events
February 20: All Pro Dad; 6:00-7:00 P.M. (for registered families)
February 22: GSES PTO Spirit Night at WNB Factory; 4:00-7:00 P.M.
February 27: Rising 6th Grade Advisement Night at WJMS and LKMS; 6:00 P.M.
February 29: 5th Grade Jekyll Trip Parent Meeting; 6:00 P.M.
March 7: Connect 4 Specials Showcase Night; 6:00-7:30 P.M. (Mark your calendars to join us; details coming next week)
March 8: Book Character Dress-Up Day
March 18-29: Parent Conferences
March 22: Yearbook Pre-Order Deadline
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHTS
Mindset Winners
For the past four weeks, we have explored the "Attitude of Gratitude" mindset. Students have explored the meaning of gratitude, how to show people they are thankful, how to elevate their perspective, and how to "thank it forward." We are honored to spotlight one staff member and one student who represent this important Mindset. Congratulations to GSES Kindergarten team member Mrs. Kayla Long and 2nd grader Omarion Williams. Here's what their nominees had to say about these great Panthers:
Omarion has an infectious smile and makes others around him smile, too. By making others smile, he causes so many around him to thank it forward and continue the attitude of gratitude. Even in challenging situations, Omarion shows his gratitude.
Mrs. Long always has a positive outlook on every situation. She helps those around her stay positive and is a joy to work with. She is one of the first staff members outside at car riders every morning and endures the dark, cold, and rainy weather with a smile on her face.
A New Tradition: Our First CLAW PARADE!
We started a new tradition at GSES this week, and it was a big hit! Each month, to celebrate the winning Claw Color, we will have a CLAW PARADE. Led by Grand Marshal Gus, students in the Claw of the Month will parade around the school and be celebrated by their peers and classmates. We LOVED celebrating the BLUE CLAW during our first parade, held this week. There were lots of big smiles, squeals of laughter, high fives, and even some teacher dance moves! Of course, the parade also featured BLUE songs played over the intercom to celebrate the BLUE Claw! Congratulations to our Blue Claw students and staff members! (Check out the video of the parade on our GSES Facebook page.)
SRO Appreciation Day
Last week included a special day to celebrate a special group--School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. We want to send out a special "Thank You!" to Officer Worthy, Officer Archer, and their fellow SROs who keep our Gum Springs community safe. We appreciate the care and concern you have for our students and their families. Thanks for supporting and protecting us!
Investigations "Matter"
Several 2nd grade classes recently participated in an investigation to explore the properties of matter. In this investigation, students learned that scientists describe matter by its features or properties. Students looked closely at seven different types of crackers to observe their properties. They learned that observable properties could include size, shape, color, texture, and hardness. They even noticed that some crackers had similar features, while others were very different. We were excited to see students' great observation and recording skills during the investigation. These 2nd grade scientists in Mrs. Laird's class are excited to enjoy even more exciting experiments as they explore matter over the next several weeks.
Gizmos Recgonized at JCSS Board of Education Meeting
Our Gum Springs Gizmos were one of the teams invited to this week's Jackson County School System Board of Education to be recognized for their success. They were spotlighted for winning the FLL Super-Regionals tournament and placing 3rd in the Innovation Project Area during the recent FLL state competition in Athens.
All Smiles in Kindergarten
Kindergarten students have been treated to several special surprises during their National Children's Dental Health Month celebrations. A team from Sweet Maple Pediatric Dentistry visited GSES and helped students learn about how to properly brush and floss. They also provided students with special dental care kits including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss.
Our friends at Howell Orthodontics also donated toothbrushes for all students and arranged a popular virtual visit from the Tooth Fairy, who taught students why it's important to have good dental hygiene.
Thanks to these supportive community partners for helping our students learn and grow!
Love was in the air at GSES this week! Our sweet Panthers had an amazing Valentine's Day!
A Night to Remember
Many of our sweet Panthers had a great time at last weekend's Daddy-Daughter Dance! Thanks to our friends at West Jackson Middle School for hosting such a fun and special community event. We loved seeing the pictures of our Panthers all dressed up!
View more Valentine's Day photos on our GSES Facebook page.
PANTHER SUPPORTERS
Join Heroes Elementary School for the first-ever Dress Like A Hero Fun Run & 5K on Saturday, March 16. The run will begin at 8 A.M. and will be held at Legacy Knoll Middle School and Jackson County High School. Pre-register before the end of February to ensure you get a commemorative shirt! Click HERE to register.
Want to know more about how you can support our school? Click below for details. Feel free to contact Mrs. Hannah Freyre at hannah.freyre@jcss.us with questions.
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