A Message from Admin

I hope everyone is enjoying a nice Labor Day weekend. The first month of school is packed with establishing routines, teaching expectations, and getting our kiddos used to the daily aspects of elementary school life. Milestones results from Spring 2023 have been sent home and soon we will send home Acadience and MAP data from the most recent testing window. 

Our kids have been busy and engaged in many stimulating activities. If you do not already follow us on social media, please do! We post pictures of our kids in various settings almost every day. Many of these activities are featured in this newsletter, but if you would like to see them in real time, follow us on Facebook. 

If you are the parent of a Pre-K student at GSES, please plan to attend the Parent Pre-K Orientation on Thursday at 5:30. Here you will learn about Pre-K curriculum, class routines, and ways you can be invovled with us. Also taking place on Thursday is our GSES PTO Meeting at 6:30. At the meeting, you will have a chance to meet the PTO Board, sign up for volunteer opportunities, purchase fall spirit wear, and learn about events for the year. 

I would also like to give shout outs to all of our community sponsors who have contributed to our school recently. This week, Miranda Gill Realty sponsored a staff snack cart for our teachers to enjoy a few goodies after a hard week’s work. The Keith Harbin Agency Farmers Insurance also sponsored a Chic-Fil-A breakfast for our staff on their professional learning day on Friday. Lastly, thank you to The Sign Brothers, specifically Jason Franks, for providing the PBIS Teacher of the Month signs. Each month we draw names and award three teachers who have had perfect attendance for the month with front row parking in what used to be reserved for administration. We love our GSES community and we could not be successful without you! Thank you for investing in our students and our staff!

Despite changes to morning drop offs, the new routines have become more effective as we have moved through the first month of school. To give you some idea of volume, almost half of our nearly 1200 students arrive by golf cart or as car riders each morning.

As a reminder, teachers begin instruction at 7:40. That is the same as it was last year. Please be mindful that we close the car rider drop off lanes at 7:35. Anyone pulling into the car rider lane after 7:35 will be re-routed to drop off at the front of the building. Vehicles that are in line by 7:35 will be allowed to drop off in the back of the building. 

It is important that you understand why we require this of car riders. We typically have between 12-15 staff opening doors in the morning, and those staff members have classes to teach after their morning duties. They need time to finish opening doors, pick up all the safety cones to make room for afternoon buses, and get to their classrooms by 7:40, which is why we have to have a cut off time in the morning. There will be no staff to receive students in the back after this time, which again, is why we need you to pull to the front of the building after 7:35. We also ask that you please be mindful of your speed and the school staff attempting to direct traffic. 

This year we have started allowing drop-offs in the car rider line beginning at 6:50. I know this is early, but we have had around 40-50 vehicles come through at that time, which has helped to ease some of the later traffic. You certainly do not have to come that early, but know that it is an option. 

Thank you for your continued support of our school. Education is a difficult but rewarding profession and we love our kids and our community!

Joshua Todd

Principal