News You Can Use…
A Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Tip Sheet for the News Media May 8–May 14, 2017
SPOTLIGHT
Students at Berkmar High School spent a recent Friday morning packing 30 boxes for the school’s
Community Assistance and Resource Effort (CARE) CLOSET. The CARE Closet is a “confidential food
pantry” stocked with non-perishable food for high school students who don’t have enough food to eat at home but
are too embarrassed to ask for help. The boxes were then distributed to students in need. A couple of days later, the
students helped Youth Of (YO) Gwinnett prepare for its awards banquet. YO Gwinnett is a non-profit organization
focused inspiring and uplifting homeless teen’s while providing short term emergency shelter in a safe
environment. Support services are for youth who are runaways, homeless, put-outs, and unstably housed or at risk
of becoming homeless and their families.
Gov. Nathan Deal, Sharon Huang
Sharona Huang, a sixth grader at Coleman Middle School, has been awarded a
$300 scholarship after placing second place in the 2017 Manufacturing
Appreciation Week (MAW) student design contest in the sixth through eighth grade
category. Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia
manufacturers and their products. MAW brings attention to this significant
component of Georgia’s economy. According to Governor Nathan Deal’s
proclamation declaring Manufacturing Appreciation Week, nearly 10,059
manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, where they provide 386,599 jobs,
generate nearly $20.3 billion in wages for Georgia’s citizens, and contribute more
than $100 billion to the state’s economy each year.
Rosa Elena Prieto Nieves, a senior at Lanier High School, has been awarded an $80,000 scholarship to Trinity
Washington University and a private scholarship through the GCPS foundation for $750. Prieto Nieves is a first
generation student at Lanier High and a member of the school’s First Generation Club.
Level Creek and Suwanee elementary schools are welcoming graduating seniors to take one final walk through
the halls of their elementary schools. On Monday, May 22, at 2:30 p.m., Suwanee Elementary will welcome
graduating seniors to walk the halls followed by a reception. Level Creek will host its event for the seniors who
were in the charter kindergarten class at the school on Tuesday, May 23, at 2:30 p.m. Students are encouraged to
wear their graduation cap. Students interested in attending either event visit http://tinyurl.com/lq4sbne to sign.
Grace Nguyen of Discovery High School has been named the winner of the Tri-State Regional Winner of The
Bebras® Challenge. The Bebras® Computing Challenge introduces computational and logical thinking to
students. The challenge is organized in more than 30 countries and is designed to get students all over the world
excited about computing. Based on local qualifier scores, 11 students from Discovery High School attended the
regional competition at Clemson University in March. Competitors were grouped in two divisions (junior and
senior) and went up against students from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The competition consisted
of answering 24 questions about computational and logical thinking in 45 minutes.
Deeya Datta, of Crews Middle School, earned 2nd place in the Atlantic Institute Art and Essay Contest. Each
year, the contest helps to promote mutual respect and bring issues and problems of the world to light through
paintings, photographs, and essays. Held at local higher education institutions, the award ceremony brings
diplomats, corporate officials, local leaders, and educators to witness the quality of the student work.
Congratulation to more than three dozen Gwinnett County Public Schools teachers who have been accepted into the
2017-2018 Class of Teachers As Leaders.
Kelsey Anderson
Micheal Barron
LaTasha Boynton
Tamara Brooks
Adam Brown
Jennifer Callaway
Candace Chenoweth
Heather Coffey
April Connor
Deborah Creekmore
Hailey Dellinger
Shawna Desrosiers
LaVica Edwards
Portia Felder
Dr. Lisa-Renée Gilford
Aniagor
Lisa Hamilton
Natalie Hammond
Ashley Healey
Allison Hines
Mareka Humphrey-
Nesbit Elementary
Chesney Elementary
Kanoheda Elementary
Discovery High
GSMST
Archer High
Lanier Middle
Jones Middle
Stripling Elementary
Ferguson Elementary
Suwanee Elementary
Berkmar Middle
Coleman Middle
Bay Creek Middle
Summerour Middle
Pinckneyville Middle
Jenkins Elementary
Walnut Grove Elementary
Creekland Middle
Sweetwater Middle
Wilcox
Kerry Jolley
Frank Jones
Ryan Keefer
Chrissy Krejci
Charleaze Langley
Jennifer Lee
Jennifer Manders
Katie Massey
Rhonda Perry
Amanda Powell
Athena Roberts
Michelle Ruhl
Kari Salomon
Shabina Serajee
Andrea Sims
Rebecca Smith
Deirdre Thurman
Sheryl Tolar
Stacey Willis
Janet Zawacki
Head Elementary
McConnell Middle
Collins Hill High
Norcross High
Dacula Elementary
Parsons Elementary
Starling Elementary
North Gwinnett High
Shiloh Middle
Harris Elementary
Mulberry Elementary
Sugar Hill Elementary
Hull Middle
Holt Elementary
Graves Elementary
Ivy Creek Elementary
McKendree Elementary
Level Creek Elementary
Alcova Elementary
Rock Springs Elementary
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Wednesday, May 10, is National School Nurse Day
Saturday, May 13, National Children’s Book Week
Sunday, May 14, is National Police Week
Friday, May 5, Graves Elementary School will host its annual International Festival from 6-8 p.m. The festival
will feature Cultural Art Displays, Chorus and Dance Performances and food.
Monday, May 8, Norton Elementary School’s Math Club will host its First Annual Albert’s Insomnia
Tournament. Albert’s Insomnia is an award winning math game, for 1 or more players, ages 6-99. Students
compete against each other while developing critical and creative thinking skills, improving their mental math
abilities, reinforcing math facts, and intuitively improving their “number sense” with deductive reasoning.
On Tuesday, May 9, Dacula Masonic Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons #433 will visit Dacula Elementary
School at 8:00 a.m. to present a $200 Teacher Classroom Scholarship to an unsuspecting teacher. The
scholarship will be awarded as a token of thanks for the teacher’s hard work and can be used for classroom
materials.
Minor Elementary School will host a “Career Wax Museum” on Friday, May 12, featuring 5th graders who
will dress as professionals from careers they researched. When younger students approach the “frozen” 5th graders,
the older students will “come to life” and explain their career.
Berkmar High School will host an information session about “Construction Ready”, a four week boot-camp
style National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) hands on construction training and
certification program. The Construction Ready program connects students to some of Atlanta’s top construction
companies, which often leads to employment. Training is free to qualified applicants that reside in Gwinnett
County. The first class starts June 15, 2017. For more information visit constructionready.us
Information Sessions at Berkmar High School are scheduled for:
5/9 - 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
5/18 - 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
5/11 - 3:00 p.m. – 5: 00 p.m.
5/25 - 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
5/16 - 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
5/30 - 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Walk in/No Registration Required)
Below is a schedule of School Council meetings to be held at local schools in the coming weeks. Contact your local
school for additional information about a specific meeting.
SCHOOL
Anderson-Livsey
Camp Creek Elementary
Discovery High
J.G. Dyer Elementary
Fort Daniel Elementary
Freeman's Mill Elementary
Grayson High
Gwinnett Online Campus
R.D. Head Elementary
Richard Hull Middle
Jenkins Elementary
Glenn C. Jones Middle
Lanier Middle
May
5/9/17
5/12/17
5/2/17
5/15/17
5/5/17
5/5/17
5/12/17
5/2/17
5/10/17
5/5/17
5/5/17
5/11/17
5/2/17
Mill Creek High
Mountain View High School
Norcross High
North Gwinnett Middle
Peachtree Elementary
J.E. Richards Middle
Riverside Elementary
Roberts Elementary
Shiloh Middle
Summerour Middle
Suwanee Elementary
Sweetwater Middle
K.E. Taylor Elementary
Twin Rivers Middle
5/9/17
5/5/17
5/4/17
5/5/17
5/9/17
5/13/17
5/26/17
5/4/17
5/11/17
5/12/17
5/12/17