The Panther Post
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News & Updates from
Gum Springs Elementary
May 6-10, 2024
News and Updates
Field Days begin this week, and parents are welcome to come cheer for your child from 9:00 to 10:30 A.M. GSES Field Days will take place on the WJMS football field. 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 WILL BE 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. We are excited about a fun week ahead!
Pre-K and Multi-Age Field Day: May 8
Kdg. and 1st Grade: May 9
2nd and 3rd Grade: May 10
4th and 5th Grade: May 13
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.
The stage is set, and our performers are ready! The long-awaited production of GSES' spring musical Annie is this week! All students will see the show during the school day on Wednesday, and families and guests are welcome to join our community performances on Thursday evening. We'll be doing two performances, at both 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. The show is free and FABULOUS! We hope you can join us!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! WE'D LOVE YOUR HELP!
We are looking forward to celebrating our GSES CLAW OF THE YEAR on May 15th. Students in the winning Claw color group will be rewarded with a special GLOW PARTY during each grade level's Specials time. If you are able to work a volunteer shift during that day, we would appreciate your help. Click HERE to sign up.
The Book Fair kicks off this week and will be open May 9-14. If you are available to work a shift on one of those days, we'd love your help! Come live out your childhood dream! Click HERE to sign up.
Students may bring money to shop at the Book Fair May 9-14. 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 Field Days Thursday-Monday if you would like to shop with your child then as well.
Registration closes TONIGHT (Sunday, 05/05) for our final All Pro Dad event of the year. We are excited to welcome special guest Victorious Martial Arts to GSES this Tuesday, May 7th at 6:00 P.M. for this fun event. All Pro Dad is open to any dads or male mentors and their students or mentees. Click HERE to RSVP. Chick-Fil-A box meals are available for pre-purchase as well.
Check your backpacks and bedside tables--ALL LIBRARY BOOKS AND GUIDED READING BOOKS should be returned to GSES by this Friday, May 10th.
We are excited to recognize our students' many accomplishments at this year's Awards Day celebrations! Guests are welcome to join us. Please add the dates on the schedule below to your calendars. Notifications will be sent home on Wednesday, May 8th to families of students who will be receiving an award.
GSES PTO invites families to join their celebration as they host a "Totally 90s" Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! See flyer below for how you can help show some love to our staff THIS WEEK!
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.
This Week's
After-School Clubs
Tuesday: Annie Rehearsal--EVERYONE this week! (pick up at 4:00 P.M.)
Upcoming Events
May 6-7: Kdg and 1st grade MAP assessment
May 6-8: 2nd Grade MAP assessment
May 6-10: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
May 7: 90s Dress-Up Day for Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7: All Pro Dad with Victorious Martial Arts; 6:00 P.M.
May 8: Pre-K + Adaptive Field Day
May 9: Kdg + 1st Field Day
May 9: School Musical Annie at 6:00 and 7:30 P.M.
May 9-14: Book Fair Open
May 10: 2nd + 3rd Field Day
May 10: All Library Books Due
May 13: 4th + 5th Field Day
May 13-17: Book Fair
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)
Our awesome yearbooks were delivered on Friday. 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.
Share Some Sign Shout-Outs!
We'd love your help celebrating our AMAZING staff for GSES Staff Appreciation Week THIS WEEK. Click HERE to share a short surprise message for a staff member on our entrance sign!
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.
Want to make your child feel extra-special on his/her birthday? You can purchase a Birthday Shout-Out on our 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.
If your business would like to advertise on our full-color LED sign located at the school's front entrance, please complete THIS FORM.
All money raised through advertisements and sign shout-outs will be used to support GSES students and staff.
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHTS
Science Stars Shine at State!
Saturday, May 4th was a big day for our GSES Science Olympiad team, as they joined 64 teams who qualified at regional events for the nation’s largest elementary STATE Science Olympiad tournament! The team travelled to Kennesaw State University to compete in 18 events, and Top Ten finishers were recognized in each event. We are THRILLED to be bringing 2 TOP TEAM awards back to GSES! 5th grader Will and 4th grader Parker teamed up in the Rock Hound event to try to best their 7th place finish at last year’s state tournament, and that they did, claiming 3RD IN STATE! We are also proud of veteran team members 5th grader Jonah and 4th grader Charleigh who finished 4TH IN STATE in the Crime Busters event! Collectively, the whole team did outstanding, and we are so proud of their hard work all year! We also appreciate the dedication and motivation of their coaches Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Black, as well as the awesome group of parents who help the team so generously. Congratulations on a great season! Goooooo Panthers!!!
Mindset Winners
For the past several weeks, we have explored the "Time is Now" mindset. Students have learned the importance of embracing every moment, getting "in the zone" to manage our emotions, letting ourselves be vulnerable, and acting with purpose. We are honored to spotlight one staff member and one student who represents this important Mindset. Congratulations to GSES staff member Mrs. Jamie Cofer and 1st grader Hudson Moulder. Here's what their nominees had to say about these great Panthers:
Hudson always completes his work with his best effort and then asks for more challenging tasks or looks for ways to help around the classroom. He does not let the "small stuff" cause frustration and is quick to find solutions to any problem, rather than dwelling on it. We love that Hudson does not waste a minute of his day!
Mrs. Cofer is full of energy and inspires those around her to be their best. She never wastes a moment of instruction, and her students can attest that she uses each moment of the day purposefully. Her passion for teaching and fostering a love of learning is truly contagious! She is a leader on her team, and we're so grateful to have her as a staff member at GSES!
Last week was a week to celebrate some key players in our GSES family! We are lucky to have some of the best staff around at GSES!
Monday, May 1st was "officially" National Principal's Day, but we are thankful every day that Mr. Joshua Todd is our GSES Principal! He is supportive, hard-working, and kind. He is always thinking of the needs of our students, staff, and GSES community with every decision he makes. THANK YOU, Mr. Todd for all you do to ensure the success of Gum Springs!
Friday, May 3rd was School Lunch Hero Day! Our School Nutrition Staff are here early preparing nutritious meals for our students every day. They always have smiles on their faces while they serve our community each and every day. What would we do without our Lunch Heroes?! THANK YOU for all you do for our school!
On Friday, May 3rd, National Coach's Day, we celebrated the hard-work of the best coaches we know- Coach Heather Backer and Coach Cody Whitlock! They are supportive, tough, and fun! We don't how we got lucky enough to have the two very best coaches both at our school, but we are VERY thankful and proud to have Coach Backer and Coach Whitlock as such an important part of our GSES family.
Off to Explore
Our Pre-K students have been growing all year long, but some other friends have been growing our Pre-K classrooms recently too! Pre-K classes have enjoyed watching caterpillars grow and change, and they were excited this week to send their new butterfly friends off to explore the world!
Thanking Mr. Todd
Mrs. Chandler’s kindergarten class invited Mr. Todd to their room to spend a few minutes with them and gave him a book with pictures they colored to celebrate Principal’s Day. (They even had a few Iron Man pictures because that’s his nickname from some of the students!)
What a Reaction!
Mrs. Childs' 5th graders refreshed their memories about chemical and physical changes before taking their recent science GMAS by doing some engaging experiments. They especially loved watching Coke and Mentos reactions to determine whether or not chemical or physical change had occurred. Ask a 5th grader to find out the answer!
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 Home Depot, Flowery Branch for donating flowers to add some spring flair to our front entrance and raised beds. Be sure to check them out tomorrow when you are in the car rider line. We appreciate your generosity and kindness! We also loved that some sweet Panther students and their parents volunteered to do the hard work planting them. Thanks Annie, Austin, and Mollie for adding some sunshine to our school!
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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