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News & Updates from
Gum Springs Elementary
March 4-8, 2024
News and Updates
We are excited to celebrate "Read Across America" Week with special activities this week!
Join us for special themed dress-up days to celebrate a love of reading (See flier for details.) We are especially excited to see your clever and creative costumes for Book Character Day on Friday!
Author and illustrator Nick Mask will be visiting GSES on Friday, March 8th. Be sure to return order forms to your child's teacher, along with $15, if you'd like to purchase an autographed book. Payments should be made with cash or check made out to Nick Mask. For a peek inside Mr. Mask's books, visit www.wafflesadventures.com .
Another great evening of family fun is headed to GSES with this week's "Connect 4" Specials Showcase Night! In previous years, many of you have enjoyed our Family STEM Night, and this year we've expanded it to showcase some of our other awesome specials classes too. We have lots of fun family activities planned to introduce you to the excitement and learning that happens in four of our specials classes--STEM, ASL-Advanced Strategies Lab, In Motion, and Agriculture. Drop in from 6:00-7:30 P.M. on Thursday, March 7th. You don't want to miss this event!
Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-25 school year is NOW OPEN. If you have a student who is not currently enrolled in a Pre-K program inside the Jackson County School System, please visit www.jacksonschoolsga.org/register to enroll your student in Kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year. Families with Pre-K students who currently attend a JCSS elementary school are not required to enroll their student in Kindergarten. (See graphic below for documents you will need for registration.) Please help us spread the word by sending this message to anyone you know who has a rising kindergarten student in the Jackson County School System.
March and April Family Lunch Guest Sign-Ups are now available. 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). This will be our last lunch sign-up for this school year.
If your business would like to advertise on our new full-color LED sign located at the school's front entrance, please complete THIS FORM. All money raised through advertisements will be used to support GSES students and staff.
Want to make your child feel extra-special on his/her birthday?! You can purchase a Birthday Shout-Out on our new LED entrance sign for $5. Simply complete THIS FORM at least one week prior to your child's birthday, make your payment on School Pay, and submit a picture of your child. Details are included on the form link. If you have additional questions, please contact Mrs. Freyre at hannah.freyre@jcss.us.
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.
Jackson County High School invites our students to join them for Elementary Night on Friday, March 8th as the Varsity Soccer squads take on the Lanier Longhorns in a key Region Match. Elementary students should wear their school shirts to get in the game free. Adult admission is still required. There will be a full concession stand and a 50/50 raffle taking place. Raffle tickets may be purchased at concessions. The drawing will take place at halftime of the men's match. Winners do not have to be present to win. Panther fans are needed to show up in full force and be Panther Loud and Proud! Let's help fill the stands!
Gum Springs Elementary School has been awarded the Georgia Schools Care Bronze Star following the school's involvement in the inaugural Georgia Schools Care Initiative, which combined fundraising efforts to significantly impact Georgia children during the holiday season. Thanks to everyone who joined us to support this cause.
This Week's
After-School Clubs
Monday: Science Olympiad Team--Optional Practice (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Tuesday: GS Gizmos (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Thursday: Science Olympiad Team (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
March 4-8: Read Across America Week
March 4: Half of 3rd Grade on Field Trip
March 7: Connect 4 Specials Showcase Night; 6:00-7:30 P.M.
March 8: Author Nick Mask visits GSES
March 8: Elementary Night at JCHS Soccer (See graphic for details.)
March 11 and 12: No School for Students
March 13: Half of 3rd Grade on Field Trip
March 14: Claw Spirit Day and Claw Parade (Wear your Claw shrits or colors!)
March 15: Half of 4th Grade on Field Trip
March 18: Half of 4th Grade on Field Trip
March 18-29: Parent Conferences
March 19: Dental Bus at GSES
March 19-21: 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade MAP Testing
March 21: JCSS District Art Show and Awards; 6:00 P.M.
March 22: Yearbook Pre-Order Deadline
Mar. 25-27: 5th Grade Jekyll Overnight Field Trip
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHTS
Middle School Bound!
Our 5th grade students had a great time visiting their new schools at this week's middle school advisement nights. Parents of 5th graders, please see the messages below from your child's new school:
A Message from Legacy Knoll Middle School:
Thank you so much for joining us for Rising 6th Grade Night on Tuesday evening.
If you were not able to make it, please review the slideshow and feel free to complete the questionnaire if you have any questions you'd like to ask.
A Message from West Jackson Middle School:
We had a great turnout for our Rising 6th Grade Night and enjoyed meeting our future students and their families. Please view the presentation for important information. Be sure to sign up for your Connections classes using the Google form linked on the presentation by FRIDAY, March 1st. (If you haven't done that already, please do so ASAP.) Thank you!
Two Panthers Tackle State Technology Competition
Join us in congratulating 4th grader Addison Tope and 5th grader Valentine Skrobot. After winning at three levels of earlier competition rounds starting in November, on Saturday, March 2nd, they competed at the STATE Technology Competition! Addison competed in the 3rd-4th Grade Project Programming competition, where she shared a project she coded using Scratch to teach students about Paul Revere. We loved seeing Addison use her creativity to help others. Valentine competed in the 5th-6th grade Productivity Design category, where he shared a spreadsheet he created that automatically calculates the number value of words for a class activity. Valentine has become a spreadsheet master and even learned how to use formulas to make his online calculator more efficient. It's a big deal to make it to the state level of this competition, and we are PANTHER PROUD of these awesome Gum Springs students for their hard work and the way they represented our school. Congratulations, Addison and Valentine!
Elison wins District YGA Contest
Mr. Todd made a special visit to Mrs. Mitas' 3rd grade class this week to share some VERY EXCITING NEWS! Congratulations to Violet Elison whose entry in this year's Young Georgia Authors Writing Contest won FIRST PLACE IN THE ENTIRE JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM for 3rd Grade! We are so proud to celebrate with Violet and cheer her on as her work now advances to the Northeast Georgia RESA Regional competition. Way to go, Violet!
Sheridan Recognized for TOTY Honors
Thanks to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Northeast Georgia Health System for honoring our local Teachers of the Year at a special event last week. We loved being able to celebrate with our Teacher of the Year Mrs. Kasey Sheridan again!
An Extra-Special Birthday!
When your birthday only comes around once every four years, it's a pretty big deal! This week, we were excited to wish Mario and Tanis an extra-special Happy Leap Year Birthday!
Giving their Best Shot!
We love seeing our Panthers excel both inside school and outside of school. This past weekend several of our students who had been selected for the West Jackson All-Stars 8U Basketball Team participated in the State Parks and Recreation Basketball Tournament. Congratulations to this awesome team who made it to the SEMI-FINAL round! They lost an intense game 19-16 to close out their season. We are PANTHER PROUD of how these students represented our school and community. Congratulations and Gooooo Panthers!
Rainy Day Fun
Mrs. Rock's 1st grade class took advantage of a rainy day and reviewed the important math skills they have been learning this year. Students enjoyed indoor recess centers to practice telling time, working with numbers 1-120, making shapes using Geoboards, using pattern blocks to manipulate shapes, using 3D magnet cubes to build structures, and using rekenreks to practice addition.
Fun with the FFA
Zoo Crew
Last week, our adaptive classes had the opportunity to attend a petting zoo hosted by students from the Jackson-Empower FFA. Students got to experience and pet an assortment of animals, including dogs, snakes, birds, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, rabbits, mice, a goose, chickens and more!
Oregon Trail Adventure
Mrs. Ellis' 4th graders recently took off on an Oregon Trail Adventure in social studies! Students had to work as a team to decide what supplies they needed for their journey. Along the trail, they encountered situations that might have helped or hurt them as they made their way west. Students especially enjoyed making their own butter and sampling it with some cornbread to sustain them on their journey.
The Game of Life
5th graders in Mrs. Lowery's class put their knowledge of adding and subtracting decimal numbers to the test by playing "The Game of Life" this week. Each student drew an occupation that determined their salary in the game. Using their money, students had to purchase houses, cars, electronics, entertainment options, vacations, and pay for college. Throughout the game, pay days allowed students to make deposits into their accounts, but they also had to avoid tickets, fines, and unexpected bills that showed up along the way! This activity was a fun way for students to learn about depositing and withdrawing money and practicing budgeting skills.
PANTHER SUPPORTERS
Thanks to Bio-Source Inc. for sponsoring this month's Surprise Staff Snack Cart. Your generous donation was a great mid-week treat for our staff!
The second Thursday of every month from 4:00 P.M. until supplies last, Free Chapel Braselton is hosting a Mobile Food Pantry. This will be an opportunity for families in need to receive FREE groceries. There is no sign up; all you must do is show up and receive your groceries. We appreciate their community support.
Register Now for Jackson County 4-H Summer Camp
Jackson County 4-H Summer Camp Registration is now open! Camp options are available for students from 4th-12th grades. This summer, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will be camping July 1-5 at Fortson 4-H Center. The $425 fee includes transportation, lodging, meals, T-shirt, camp activities, and lots of great memories! Click HERE to see the how much fun Camp Fortson is, then click HERE to register!
Summer Opportunities for Creative Students
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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