Follow Friday: Tax Free Holiday Edition

Follow these Gwinnett shopping centers to find out about special deals during this tax-free weekend.

The Tax Free Holiday is back in Georgia. On Friday and Saturday, you won't have to pay taxes on most of the things kids need for school. From clothes to computers. While classes in Gwinnett County have already been in session for a week now, it's not too late for parents to take advantage of discounts and deals many retailers are offering this weekend. Here's a list of malls and shopping centers in Gwinnett County to follow on Twitter. Many of them are tweeting out more information about sales and special events this weekend. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @LawvillePatch and like us on Facebook.

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Is This Weekend's Sales Tax Holiday Too Late?

After taking a two-year break because of the economy, the Georgia sales tax holiday is back this weekend, but should it have been earlier?

Any students who have not yet purchased school supplies will have a chance to get them without having to fork out for sales tax this weekend. After taking a two-year break because of the economy, the state of Georgia is offering a sales tax holiday on back-to-school goods Friday and Saturday, Aug. 10-11. But many schools in the local area already have resumed classes for the new school year, and most others are due to go back next week. Do you think the sales tax holiday is going to help many families with their back-to-school expenses, or should the state have offered the sales tax holiday a couple of weeks earlier?

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Time for School!

Students across northeast Georgia head back to the classrooms this week. Share your photos or videos now for a chance to win a Patch prize pack.

It's hard to believe the summer break is over. But that just means it's time to celebrate as the new school year begins! Thanks to Bethany Tarbutton Pittman for sharing this fun photo on Dacula Patch of her kids on the first day of school. She's now entered into this week's drawing for a Patch prize pack. Share your photos and videos and one of them might be the next one featured! Each week we're giving away a Patch gear prize pack to one winner selected at random from the readers whose photos are featured Monday through Saturday. The winner will be announced Sunday. Photos uploaded to the Featured Photos articles or to one of our neighborhood galleries qualify.

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SUNKEN SUB

11:18 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012

New Bed Bug Infestations Spreading Very Fast In Loganville! http://www.beddefense.biz/usa/index.php?sub=ob-sd4-3 Is this why LHS is the home of the RED Devils :-)   more ›

Share Your Back to School Photos on Patch!

Upload your photos from the first day of school and you could win a Patch prize pack!

The bell is about to ring once again at Gwinnett County Public Schools. This is a big moment for parents whether their children are heading off to kindergarten or their senior year of high school. We want to see your photos of your kids in their back to school finest, waiting for the bus or doing whatever it is you do to celebrate the first day of classes. Sharing your photos is easy. Just upload them to our Pics & Clips page. And we're giving you extra credit for posting your pictures. Photos uploaded to our Pics & Clips page will be entered to win a Patch prize pack in our regular weekly photo contest.

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Gwinnett Schools Go Back Aug. 6 - What You Need to Know

Officials give details on preparations for returning and new students to Gwinnett County Public Schools for the upcoming 2012/2013 school year.

As the summer vacation winds down, Gwinnett County Public School officials are already releasing information to get students prepared for a return to classrooms. According to a press release, the 2012/2013 school year is the first time in more than a decade that no new school facilities will open, although there will be one expansion. Gwinnett County Online campus is adding middle school classes. There are about 265 new students expected for the upcoming school year, bringing the total enrollment to 162,635. In the GSPS system there are 132 facilities, including 77 elementary schools 26 middle schools, 19 high schools and 10 special entities. These include: Back to School Activities – These run Jul 30 through Aug. 3 Many schools plan to …

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Parent Patch

College Freshman 101

Here are a few things you should share with your teen before they go to college this fall.

  A number of Lawrenceville teens will be their first year of college this fall. One of the many dreams that teens have is starting college and embarking upon a new chapter in their life. For most parents, this transition bring mixed emotions, but overall going away to college can be a good thing for both parties. In order to help your teen make the right decisions during their first year of college make sure you discuss the following: Academic Probation is Real: One of the many mistakes many freshmen make during that first semester of school is failing their fall semester courses. If you party too much throughout your first few months of school, you will either be placed on academic probation or be sent home. Academic probation usually …

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Back To School? Already? Where Did Summer Go?

Are the summer holidays too short now or do you think the move to year-round school is more beneficial for students and families?

Used to be, kids in most area schools went back into the classrooms after Labor Day. Man, those were the days. For the 2012-13 school year, Gwinnett County Schools open Aug. 6, as do those in Fort Stewart. Clarke and Oconee County students return to the classroom on Aug. 8, and students at Barrow and Walton County students hit the books on Aug. 13.  To some, it seems as if summer vacation gets shorter and shorter each year. To others (harried parents running out of kid-friendly entertainment options, perhaps?), it can't come soon enough. So our question here is, do you feel that summer vacation is too short? Do kids head back to school too early? Or do they need that classroom time in order to prepare themselves for a successful future?

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Viewfinder

First Day of School at Winn Holt Elementary

Monday was the first day of school in Gwinnett County, and photographer Raven Nichols took her camera to Margaret Winn Holt Elementary in Lawrenceville to capture some of the sights on the big day.

By now, students in Gwinnett County have been back at it for almost a week.  Monday marked the first official day of school, and my camera and I visited Margaret Winn Holt Elementary just in time for the kindergarten lunch period and first grade recess.  The first day of school is special. I love seeing kids marching down the hall in their brand new sneakers and backpacks, forming new friendships on the playground and getting to know the teachers who will play a huge role in their lives in the coming year. Lunch time for the kindergarten students is particularly special. Watching those little ones negotiate the cafeteria line, carefully balancing their trays with tiny hands is a bittersweet sight to me. I hope you'll enjoy the pictures of …

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Teacher Tips

Parent’s Way In-- The Parent Portal

Now you can stay well informed about your children's grades and what's going on in school without even having to leave the house.

Over the last couple of years, Gwinnett County Public Schools has implemented an incredible support system for students, parents and teachers. The GCPS go2 Parent Portal is an access route for parents to view their child’s grades via the internet. By using this system, parents can keep abreast of their child’s school achievement including academics and behavior all online. In the past, it may have been difficult for parents to know the progress of their child on a daily to weekly basis. But, now every day access is available through the GCPS Parent Portal system, which can only be viewed by a parent or guardian of a student. This technique can be highly effective in avoiding “last minute” awareness of students’ grades, and therefore, can …

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