District leaders and the School Board recently reviewed calendar updates. The approved 2021-22 calendar features an Aug. 4 start date, the staggered return of students, six digital learning days, a fall break in October, a two-week winter break, the addition of a break in February, a week scheduled for spring break, and an end date of May 25. The district also adjusted the spring 2021 calendar to allow more time for teacher planning. Students will return to learning (in the classroom or online) on Thursday, Jan. 7, a day later than originally planned. Four days in the spring—Jan. 26, March 2, March 16, and April 20—have been designated as Digital Learning Days (DLD), when all students will learn at home, completing assigned work at their own pace. Students who are unable to complete assignments on DLDs will be given the opportunity to complete assignments when they return to school.

Gwinnett County Public Schools encourages you to learn more about our work in the area of Educational Equity with the GCPS Talks series. You are invited to take part in an online survey that will gather feedback on proposed changes to district procedures. The survey will close Dec. 11.

The safest way to celebrate the holidays is with the folks who live in your household. However, if you plan to celebrate with extended family and friends, follow these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for safe holiday gatherings.

At meetings in October and November, the Gwinnett County Board of Education appointed the following new leaders:

Each year, GCPS conducts a meeting for the families of children with disabilities (birth to age 21) currently not served by GCPS who may benefit from support services available through the school system's Department of Special Education and Psychological Services. This year, the Child Find meeting is scheduled for Thurs., Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Collins Hill Room (2.143) in Building 200 of the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center, located at 437 Old Peachtree Road NW in Suwanee. Families unable to attend are encouraged to contact GCPS with their questions about services for students with disabilities. Call or email Becca McCleskey with GCPS' Office of Compliance at 678-301-7104 or contact Parent Mentors Jackie McNair (678-301-7149) or Dawn Albanese (678-301-7212).

Thanks to USDA waiver extensions that were issued in October, the Gwinnett County School Nutrition Program is providing breakfast and lunch on school days to all Gwinnett children, ages 18 and younger, at no charge through the end of the school year, including children who are not school-aged and children who are not GCPS students. (Note that GCPS does not provide meals on weekends or on scheduled student holidays.) GCPS encourages families who are eligible for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program to complete the annual application to ensure meal benefits continue when this waiver expires. Note that those eligible for free- and reduced-priced meals may be able to access other types of public assistance or services that may be available during this pandemic.

The Class of 2021 is invited to apply for scholarships administered by the GCPS Foundation Fund. Annually, the Foundation awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to GCPS seniors. On the Foundation website, find the 2021 GCPS Foundation Scholarship Catalog and other scholarship opportunities. Scholarships range in value from $500 to $2,000 and most are one-time awards. The deadline for scholarships managed by the Foundation is Dec. 7. The Foundation will announce scholarship recipients in the spring.

The voter registration deadline is Dec. 7, and early voting in the Senate races begins on Dec. 14. To register to vote, you must:

Anyone who is registered to vote in Georgia can vote in federal, state, and local runoff elections. Check your voter status online. For more information about runoff elections, contact the Elections Office.

GCPS families have a new tool that makes it even easier to access their student's information on the Parent Portal. GCPS parents can use their smartphones to access ParentVUE to find their student's schedule, grades, assignments, and more! The ParentVUE mobile app is available in Google Play for Android devices and the App Store for Apple (iOS) devices. If you don't have a Parent Portal account yet, now's the time to get one. Learn more and register for an account online.

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