Local School Hands Out Hope One Bag at a Time

Lawrenceville Elementary's "Bag of Hope" program make sure students in need won't go hungry over the weekend.

Teacher Tips

Knowledge is Power, Kids Gain It Even During the Holidays

Many children expect Christmas break to be exactly what it says-- a “break." However it doesn't have to be a break away from being educated.

During the two weeks with no classroom teacher and the repetitious learning of different concepts, some students tend to get out of the learning mode, and have a difficult time getting themselves back acclimated or fitting right back in where the teacher left off after the New Year. Because of this, it is quite helpful for students to not completely break away from learning during their holiday “break." A little reinforcement on different subjects will help keep their little brains busy, if you know what I mean. Some teachers may have sent home a holiday homework packet. If not, here are a few ideas to help  while not applying too much pressure: * If you are cooking, decorating or assembling toys or items during the holiday break, have …

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Tammy Osier

6:23 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012

This is so informative! I've heard a lot of good things about the Aurora Thrater. Maybe in the summer, I can find some time to go there and look around. I have young grandkids (5 girls, 1 boy) and I think they would be so interested! Something that we did last summer was to create our own book club. Each child "hosted" a meeting and each did an oral report and had to come up with ways to get …   more ›

Teacher Tips

90% of Prisoners Say They Were Abused as a Child

Child Abuse is often justified, overlooked, denied, or swept under the table. According to experts, it is a common denominator in children who grow up having no respect for society.

School systems across the nation every year give classes to teachers to increase awareness of the signs of child abuse due to the fact that educators are the largest group of mandated representatives. Although educators like myself, do our best to report suspicions, experts say most child abuse goes unreported and normally doesn’t come to surface until there has been repeat offenses or until children become adults. We have all heard the saying “hurt people hurt people"-- 90% of adult prisoners report being abused as a child. Eight out of 10 of these abusers are a parent or relative causing each year one million children to be victims of child abuse in the United States. People don’t plan on abusing children, but as evidence shows, it …

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Teacher Tips

Children Without a Future Career Plan Wander in Darkness

I can remember being six years old, like it was just yesterday, when my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, and I can recall it so clearly; my little voice responding, “A teacher.” It was like I had written my career goals in stone.

At six years old, I had engraved a stepping stone into my life, and I am realizing it today, as that school teacher decades later.  I’m not sure what made me stick to the plan, but whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be in life, my quick, impulsive reaction was always “A teacher." I can’t say if being a teacher was actually the career that I wanted at the time, but I had programmed myself to say it was.  Claiming it made me feel confident—and regardless of if it was just encoded in my head or not, I had a plan; therefore, I had a purpose and that is what made all the difference in the direction of my life.  Parents can’t tell a child what to be when they become adults; however, they can spark an interest and open pathways. Here are …

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Teacher Tips

Teacher Tips: “My Child Won’t Do Homework!”

As a parent and a teacher, I understand the frustration parents experience trying to get a child, who seems to refuse to do homework, to actually do it.

After children reach a certain age, many of us expect them to be accustomed to the process of coming home and completing their homework assignments, yet we often end up disappointed-- many children just refuse to do homework. Upon trial and error, I’ve learned there are interventions parents can use at home to get their child engaged and motivated about completing homework:   1. Communicate the Importance of Homework This goes a bit further than the infamous quote “Do it because I said so.” Providing conversation that gives insight as to why homework is important often helps children understand the correlation between completing homework and achieving overall success in school. Letting them know that homework achievement reinforces …

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School Lunch Menu August 10

What are the kids having for lunch today?

Here's what's being served at Gwinnett County School cafeterias today: Pre-Kindergarten: Mini Burgers Pbj’wich Veggie Burger Seasonal Fresh Fruit Souper Soup Veggie Variety Zesty Frijoles   Elementary Schools: Mini Burgers Italian Sub Signature Salads Veggie Burger Seasonal Fresh Fruit Super Soup Veggie Variety Zesty Frijoles   Middle Schools: Sorpresa Mexicana Spicy Chicken Sammie Turkey Club Featured Salads Yogurt Trio Seasonal Fresh Fruit Groovy Garden Salad Veggies Variety Taco Rice Cinnamon Apples   High Schools: Cheesy Grilled Cheese Selection of Pizza Crispy Chicken Sammie Turkey Club Featured Salads Sorpresa Mexicana Vegetarian Choice Seasonal Fresh Fruit Groovy Garden Salad Souper Soup Veggie Variety 100% Juice Bar

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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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Parent Patch

Three Weeks Until the First Day of School

There are three weeks left of summer. Is your child ready to return to school?

Casey Anthony has been let out of jail, there's a heat wave in the midwest and in three weeks your children will be back in school. Yes! It's true! In three weeks, Lawrenceville students will be returning to school and summer will officially be over. So for the next three weeks there are plenty of things to do besides watching Casey Anthony's next move or heading to the movies to see Harry Potter's final movie (if you haven't already).   A few days ago, I was talking to a friend and she told me that throughout the summer she had been giving her children homework. Homework? I said. She said she went to School Box and purchased some grade appropriate activity books that would help her children maintain what they learned the previous year and…

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Countdown to the First Day of School

With one month left of summer vacation, here's a look at key dates during the 2011-12 school year.

The countdown has begun. Exactly one month from today — Monday, Aug. 8 — the 2011-12 school year begins for Gwinnett County Public Schools. Here are some key dates on the school calendar to help you start planning out the year. Aug. 8: First day of school. Sept. 5: Labor Day (school holiday). Oct. 3-4: Early release for middle and elementary schools. Oct. 7: End of first quarter. Oct. 10: Teacher planning day (student holiday). Nov. 21-25: Thanksgiving break (school holidays). Dec. 14-16: Early release for high school exams. Dec. 16: End of first semester. Dec. 19-Jan. 2: Winter Break (teacher planning day Jan. 2). Jan 3: Beginning of second semester. Jan. 16: MLK Day (school holiday). Feb. 17: Student/teacher holiday (or snow make-up day …

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Gwinnett Readers Rally Expects Large Crowd

In all, 97 teams will compete for county championships.

Organizers of the sixth annual Gwinnett Readers Rally expect a sporting event-sized crowd Saturday at Berkmar High School in Lilburn. Around 2,800 spectators are expected to watch the quiz-bowl style competition for students in grades 4 to 12 representing 62 elementary schools, 23 middle schools and 12 high schools. Each Gwinnett County school competing sends a team of up to 10 players. In all, 97 teams will compete for county championships. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Berkmar High, located at 405 Pleasant Hill Road. Students answer questions about books they have read from a predetermined list. High schoolers read books that have been nominated for the Georgia Peach Award for Teen Readers, middle-school students read books …

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