The Panther Post
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News & Updates from
Gum Springs Elementary
May 13-17, 2024
News and Updates
Rain may have altered our Field Day plans for Kdg-1st grade this week, but we’re ready to roll with an alternate plan next week! 4th and 5th grade Field Day will still take place, as previously scheduled, on Monday morning, and Kdg-1st grade Field Day will now take place Monday afternoon. Families are welcome to join us at the WJMS field on Monday to watch the action. Due to the number of classes who will be participating in Field Day at the same time, we ask that all spectators remain on the track or in the bleachers. For the safety of our students, no visitors are allowed on the field. Students may bring hats or sunglasses, and sunscreen is strongly encouraged. We cannot use spray sunscreen on the turf field, so please pre-apply or send non-aerosol options. Fingers crossed for great weather Monday! We're looking forward to lots of fun!
4th and 5th grade families may join us at the field from 8:30 to 10:30. When Field Day is done, all students will walk back to their classrooms with their teachers, and parents who want to check out your child will come to the front entrance for check-outs. We will notify your child's teacher, and your child will meet you at the front entrance. Please allow 30 minutes for the check-out process to go safely and smoothly, and be sure to have your ID with you for check-out.
Kdg-1st grade families may join us at the field from 12:00 to 2:00 on Monday afternoon. Because the afternoon ending time will be so close to dismissal and the after-event checkout process can be lengthy, there will NO CHECK-OUTS on Monday afternoon after K-1 Field Day. All students will go back to their classrooms with their teachers, and we will have dismissal with car riders, golf carts, bus riders, and daycare buses as usual. Please park in the WJMS parking lot, so our car rider line will not be blocked. Only golf carts may park along the cut-through road between GSES and WJMS.
Students may bring money to shop at the Book Fair this week on Monday or Tuesday. Rather than send cash, families may also purchase electronic gift cards. (This is a great option for grandparents or other family members who live out of town to be able to give your child Book Fair money as well.) Click HERE to learn how to purchase gift cards. It is helpful, but not required, if students bring a printed copy of their gift card. The Book Fair will be open after 4th and 5th grade Field Day check-outs on Monday, and Kdg-1st grade families may come shop with your child from 11:00 to 11:30 before their Field Day on Monday if interested. We are still in need of a few volunteers to work Monday and Tuesday shifts at the Book Fair. If you are available to work a shift on one of those days, click HERE to sign up. We appreciate your help!
We're excited to celebrate the CLAW OF THE YEAR this Wednesday with a parade and Glow Party! We'd love for all students to wear the winning Claw Color to help us honor our Claw of the Year. Students will find out the winning Claw on Monday's GSPN news show, then we'll let you know too!
We are excited to recognize our students' many accomplishments at this year's Awards Day celebrations, starting this week! Please be on the lookout for a Remind message with specific information about where to enter for your child's program and what procedures to follow if you are planning to check out your child after the ceremony.
Check your backpacks and bedside tables--ALL LIBRARY BOOKS AND GUIDED READING BOOKS are past due and should be returned ASAP! Thanks!
Upcoming Events
May 9-14: Book Fair Open
May 13: 4th + 5th Field Day (AM)
May 13: Kdg + 1st Field Day (PM)
May 15: Claw of the Year Parade and Glow Celebration (The whole school will wear the winning Claw Color. Stay tuned to find out soon!)
May 16-21: End-of-Year Celebrations and Awards Days (See graphic below)
May 21: Last Day of School
Our awesome yearbooks were delivered last week. Thanks to Ms. Simmons for all her work capturing our year! If you did not purchase one, you still can. Orders may be placed online and will be shipped directly to your house. See details below.
Celebrate your 5th Grader with a Send-Off Shout-Out!
Give your 5th grader a "Send-Off Shout-Out" on our school entrance sign! Click HERE to complete the form and share a photo of your 5th grader, then make your $5 payment on SchoolPay. All Send-Off Shout-Outs will be showcased on the LED entrance sign May 20-21.
Let Us Hear from You!
Please help us reach our school goal of 75% Family Participation in the annual Federal programs school survey. (Please note: this is a different survey than the one shared a few months ago.) Scan the QR code above or click HERE.
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHTS
School Clinic Appreciation Week was this week, and we were excited to celebrate our wonderful clinic assistant, Mrs. Melissa Gierum. She is kind, caring, helpful, and generous to all of our Panthers when they just aren't feeling like themselves. THANK YOU, Mrs. Gierum for all you do each day to keep us healthy! We love you!
Stars of the Stage!
We were dazzled and amazed by the GSES talent in this year's spring musical production of Annie. The cast performed the show four times last week and did an incredible job each time. We were blown away! May 9th was a special night of celebration as it was the final performance for Director Jackie Cooper, who is retiring after a 33-year career teaching music in Jackson County! We are so appreciative of all she has done to inspire our students and nurture their talents. Annie was truly a GRAND FINALE for Mrs. Cooper! We'd also like to thank staff members Mrs. Jessica Anderson and Mrs. Kelly Hannifin, along with the talented students on the crew for the amazing set design. Mrs. Wendye Hendley, Drama Coach, did a great job bringing out the best in our students! Thanks, also, to the staff members backstage who kept the production rolling right along--Mrs. Karin Pittman, Mrs. Jennifer Simmons, and Mrs. Heather Roberts. The show would not have been the incredible success it was without the tireless efforts of these devoted staff members. This year's cast did an AMAZING job, and the show will be one to always remember! (Look for more photos and videos coming on social media soon.)
Fun in First
Many of our classes are enjoying fun themed learning days as they countdown to summer break! Mrs. Beecher and Mrs. Spruill's 1st grade classes have enjoyed Bubble Day, Lemonade Day, and Camping Day this week, each filled with fun learning experiences. They have enjoyed activities like writing how-to pieces for blowing bubbles and making lemonade, trying lemonade taste tests and graphing the results, participating in bubble-themed math and literacy activities, and much more!
The Write Stuff
Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. McCarty's 1st grade classes worked together on a collaborative creative writing project inspired by the fluffy friends they brought from home. Each student worked in a small group to co-author several adventure stories based on stuffed animals and their human friends. Then they shared the stories with their group and reflected on ways to improve their writing in the future. All involved, students and stuffies, loved working together as a team!
Field Day Fun
Pre-K, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and Adaptive classes had a great time at Field Day this week, and we are looking forward to continuing the fun with Kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade, and 5th grades this week. Thanks to Coach Backer and Coach Whitlock for planning such fun Field Days and to our friends and alumni from Jackson County High School who volunteered to help.
Sign Up for Summer Camp!
The Jackson County School System will be hosting summer camps throughout the district. Regardless of location, camps are open to students at any school in the district. Click HERE to learn more about the camps being offered. We are especially excited to be offering a fun STEM Camp right here at GSES! Scan the QR code below or go to SchoolPay to register and invite your child's friends to join us for a fun week too!
The GSES STEM Camp age group has been extended to include current 5th grade students! Click HERE to register!
PANTHER SUPPORTERS & COMMUNITY NEWS
Thanks to our many GSES families and community supporters who came together this week to make Staff Appreciation Week extra special for our team. We really felt the love this week and are so grateful for your support and encouragement!
Moss and Mane donated Dunkin' doughnuts and coffee.
Andy Crawford sponsored a Surprise Snack Cart for staff, filled with yummy treats.
Sugar Mommas and Company donated delicious breakfast treats on Friday.
GSES PTO sponsored a cool treat from King of Pops and a delicious Mexican Fiesta from Catered Kitchen.
And we loved seeing our students in their Totally Awesome 90s Day outfits to make our staff smile too!
Jackson County 4-H is offering LOTS of fun and exciting summer opportunities for 4th and 5th grade students. Whether you are looking for day camps, a weekend camp, or even a full week spend-the-night camp, you'll find lots of great opportunities for a variety of interests in the Jackson County 4-H offerings. Click HERE for details.
Tackle football and sideline cheer registration are open through Jackson County Parks and Rec April 1-June 2. Sign up at www.jacksonrec.com. Information is also available about summer camp opportunities.
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.
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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