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Monday, May 6, 2013

Meadowcreek Student Named Gates Millennium Scholar

Yonnatan Manmektew, along with 11 other seniors in Gwinnett County Public Schools, will receive a scholarship to cover his entire college tuition.

Gwinnett County school officials announced Monday that 12 students will have their college tuition paid in full through the Gates Millennium Scholars program. To date, it is the district's largest class of Gates Millennium Scholars. The 12 students are among just 1,000 chosen across the country. Representatives from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program will visit Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) this week to congratulate students and school counselors. The schools represented and seniors receiving scholarships are: Don’t miss any Norcross news. Subscribe to Norcross Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Norcross, Meadowcreek Students Picked for Governor's Honors Program

Eleven students from the schools will spend four weeks on the campus of Valdosta State University, where they will be able to study subjects of their choosing.

Eleven students from Meadowcreek High and Norcross High have been picked as finalists in the Governor's Honors Program (GHP). They are among nearly 100 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) gifted and talented juniors and seniors who will spend part of their summer taking a rigorous, in-depth look at an area of their interest. Representing 14 of the district’s high schools, the Gwinnett students will learn from the most qualified Georgia high school teachers in this challenging and enriching program. Nearly 3,000 students from across the state were interviewed and auditioned over three weekends in January and February. From those nominees, 690 finalists were chosen to participate in the 2013 program. The finalists at the Norcross-area …

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

GCPS Holds Fourth Annual 'I See a Cure" Event for Relay for Life

About 150 participated in the event on April 27.

In its annual "I See a Cure" event, Gwinnett County Public Schools participants raised about $4,000 for cancer awareness and research, according to organizers. The event was held April 27 at the Gwinnett County Public Schools district offices in Suwanee. Some 150 people attended. Funds from the event are forwarded to Gwinnett Relay for Life, and go to support the American Cancer Society. "Despite a few sprinkles in the beginning, the race went very well and we all had a great time running/walking to support Relay for Life," said Patrice Pendergast, GCPS recruitment coordinator and an event committee member.  "We honored cancer survivors, those who are currently battling and those who have lost the battle," Pendergast added. Besides GCPS …

Friday, April 26, 2013

Gwinnett Schools Win National Green Ribbon Award

The Gwinnett County Public Schools district will split a $10,000 prize with Cobb County's Ford Elementary.

Gwinnett County Public Schools is among the nation's first school districts to be awarded a sustainability award from the U.S. Department of Education. The announcement came this week to coincide with Earth Day. In addition to Gwinnett County's honor, Ford Elementary in Cobb County was named a 2013 national Green Ribbon School. For their outstanding green principles, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) and Ford Elementary will split $10,000 in award money from the Turner Foundation. "We are so proud that once again a Georgia school has been named a National Green Ribbon School,” said State School Superintendent John Barge. "We are equally proud of Gwinnett County Public Schools for being named as one of the first National Green Ribbon …

Monday, April 22, 2013

GCPS Approves State Contract Change

Gwinnett County's school board has approved amendments to a state contract. Now, the district must submit this request to the state Board of Education.

The Gwinnett County school board voted unanimously Thursday to amend a state education contract that gives the district more flexibility to increase student performance. Known as IE2, the "Investing in Educational Excellence" partnership requires schools to meet annual performance targets throughout a five-year period, but gives flexibility in accomplishing those goals.  In 2009, the state approved Gwinnett County's IE2 plan, which uses integrated courses, among other things to reach targets. Since then a few things have changed, including the addition of more than a dozen new schools and the use of end-of-course tests for high schools. Now, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) wants to add those 16 new schools and the use of end-of-…

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Norcross Students to Showcase Art at Atlanta Dogwood Festival

The student art exhibition runs April 19-21 and will include eight pieces from Norcross High.

From Gwinnett County Public Schools: Among more than 100 art pieces on display during this year’s Atlanta Dogwood Festival this coming weekend, visitors will find many produced by Gwinnett County students. The Atlanta High School Art Exhibition features 107 pieces, of which 41 are the creations of Gwinnett County students. Several Norcross High School student creations earned high accolades from festival judges. Gwinnett students will be on exhibit at Piedmont Park during the Annual Dogwood Festival, April 19-21, 2013. Other Gwinnett County students with exhibits include: In all, art enthusiasts can view the creations by students from 11 Gwinnett schools, including: Keep up with what's happening in your community - sign up for the free …

GCPS Adopts New School Budget

Leaders met at Meadowcreek High School, where they tentatively approved the $1.8 billion budget for next school year.

The Gwinnett County Board of Education "tentatively" adopted a $1.8 billion budget for the 2013-2014 school year during a special called meeting Tuesday. Board member Louise Radloff made the motion to adopt the superintendant's recommended budget, which totals $1.76 billion. Board members then voted unanimously to approve it. The budget is a decrease of $12.8 million, or .7 percent, over the current year. Among the budget highlights are: There will now be two public hearings before the final adoption. The first public hearing is 7 p.m., May 9; the second public hearing is 6 p.m., May 16. Both meetings take place at the district headquarters in Suwanee. Final adoption of the budget is planned May 16, as well. The new millage rate will also …

Gwinnett Online Campus Extends Registration Period for Fall 2013

Gwinnett County parents interested in the online learning option for their students have until May 3 to register for the upcoming school year.

Gwinnett County parents interested in the online learning option for their students have additional time this spring to register for the 2013-2014 school year. A spring registration period for Gwinnett County Online Campus (GOC), located in Norcross, began Monday, April 15, and closes on May 3. Gwinnett’s full-time, online learning option will expand next school year and serve students in grades 4-12. Because Gwinnett Online Campus is a system charter school, enrollment is open to all current school-aged children who reside in Gwinnett County. The school opened in 2011 as a full-time high school (Grades 9-12) and extended its reach in 2012 to offer middle school students (Grades 6-8) the opportunity to attend the online school full time. …

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Gwinnett Schools Seek Public Input on Priority Initiatives

An online survey on the three initiatives is available throughout the month of April.

In recent area school board meetings, district officials are highlighting three school initiatives that they want the public's input on. Click this link to be taken to the survey. It is estimated to take about 10 minutes. The initiatives, presented by Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, include: Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) Curriculum: These are standards for academic excellence. This year, the AKS is aligned with the state-adopted Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in mathematics (K-9), language arts (K-12), and literacy standards in science, social studies, and technical education for middle and high school students. Officials say benefits of aligning the two methods include: helping provide consistent expectations across …

Are Gwinnett Students Ready for the CRCT?

Gwinnett County public school students officially have spring break April 8 - 12, but the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests are just around the corner.

Gwinnett County Public Schools will be on spring break beginning April 8, with students and teachers returning on April 15. But, don't let all that fun go to your children's heads. One week after returning from vacation, the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) are administered to Gwinnett County students. Those tests run April 22-26. Advanced Placement tests, as well as course final exams are not too far behind in May. And, you know what that means: Graduation is just around the corner. If you want to help your children sprint toward the finish line, yes, by all means, have fun on spring break. (You can let us know what fun things you have planned in the comment section.) However, be ready to get them immediately back into the …

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