Have you "Herd"? Protecting, Teaching and Expanding the Red Elephant Family

Schools and District Office Closed July 2-3

All schools and the district office will be closed on July 2 and 3 in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. We will reopen on Monday, July 6, at 8:00 a.m.

Our Newest Red Elephant

Please join us in welcoming our newest member of the Red Elephant family, Dr. Rose Prejean-Harris. Dr. Harris will lead as the new principal of Gainesville Middle School. Her goals are in alignment with our vision of unifying all stakeholders as "ONE GAINESVILLE" to maximize our students' academic achievement and prepare them as leaders of our future.

Click the link to view Dr. Rose Prejean-Harris' Resume

A Time for Family Learning

This summer a lot of wonderful things happened within our Preschool Special Education program which focused primarily on families with special needs children. Four families participated in a series of Family Learning Sessions designed to assist families in implementing specific learning techniques within the home setting to maximize the learning potential of their special needs children.

The sessions consisted of interactive learning activities that included free play, snack, music/movement, read-alouds, and self help skills. Parents and siblings learned to use everyday activities to enrich language and early literacy skills as well as focus on small/gross motor skills and social skills. Parents took the concept of "I am my child's first and most important teacher" to a whole new level as they came back week after week sharing the results of carryover activities implemented at home.

Overall, parents experienced positive results from the daily interactions with their children. One parent stated, " "Following my child's lead in play makes her much more cooperative in completing chores that need to be done later." Another parent stated, "My child now communicates using the word "hungry" instead of screaming. His response time has improved and he and I are able to focus on the same activity. He wants me to play with him." Through this initiative, parents and siblings gained a better understanding on how to foster a conducive learning environment beyond the classroom setting.

A special thanks to staff members Jane Davenport, Sara Nelson, Julia King, Erika Henderson, Isabel Salazar, Maritza Rivera and volunteers Karina Collins and Paige Martin for volunteering their time and services to assist with the program. Thanks to Jimmie Minor for supporting the program with funding for supplies and staff and for sending each family home with a book titled Goodnight Moon. Lastly, thanks to Jerry Castleberry for providing transportation for the families whenever needed.

On a Mission to Protect and Serve

Congratulations to our 2015 Gainesville Citizen Public Safety Academy Graduates. The eleven GCSS employees who graduated from the academy are Tandy Ray, Sharon Woodall, Dallas Thompson, Nancy Ellison, Ira Ferguson, Janice Williams, Maria Olalde, Lucia Martin, Veronica Portillo, Kim Davis and Shelby Hobbs.

Beginning in April, every Tuesday for the past ten weeks participants received training from the Gainesville Fire Department and Gainesville Police Department on topics such as crime prevention, gun safety, target practice and child sexual abuse. In addition to the ten weeks of training, one of the highlights of the class included a scheduled "ride along" with officers during the night shift.

The objective of the public safety class is to increase citizens' awareness of potential criminal activity, crime prevention techniques and fire safety. The mission is to ensure a productive exchange of crime and fire prevention information between citizens, the police department and the fire department.

As outlined within the school district's strategic plan, one of our primary goals is "to work with community agencies, law enforcement and juvenile justice to provide intervention and support" to further strengthen the relationship between the school district and those who keep our city safe and secure.

Building the Skills for Success

Students have been quite busy in our Summer Success Program working on various hands-on projects and learning activities. Mrs. Denise McConnell's class honed their skills in logical thinking and visual/spatial thinking. Her class built structures of varying shapes and sizes envisioned from the students' vivid imaginations. Students in Ms. Samantha Evan's class created erupting volcanoes while learning about the essential elements utilized during volcanic eruptions. The program concluded last Thursday with a parent showcase held at Fair Street to give parents the opportunity to see all of the outstanding work that our students have been done over the past few weeks.

Check out our Alumni News

Stay informed about our alumni by clicking on the Alumni News icon located in the sidebar. Don't miss out on the latest news and updates regarding our alumni achievements, their current endeavors and their involvement within the community!

Board of Education Called Meeting

June 29, 2015

The Gainesville City Board of Education held a called meeting on Monday, June 29, at the School Board Office. The Board adopted the FY16 budget which included all funds and general funds and approved several agenda action items submitted by district personnel. To access the board agenda and reports, click on the links below.