Education

Navigating Back to School in Gwinnett County

Published

3 years ago

August 2, 2021

Mark Woolsey

In mid-July, GCPS held New Teacher Orientation to welcome our newest educators to Gwinnett. Photo from GCPS facebook.

Here we go again.

As the school year draws nigh, local administrators are having to grapple — one more time — with a school-related twist in the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the official and public response to it.

Fortunately, more positive changes are waiting in the wings as well.

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has fallen into line with new Centers for Disease Control guidance issued Tuesday, July 27. The federal public health agency is now recommending that students, teachers, staff and visitors in K-12 schools universally mask up indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.

GCPS says as a result, masks are now required for all students, all adult personnel and visitors in all school facilities and on school buses, even those who previously had been fully vaccinated.

School officials said the toughened requirement takes into consideration such factors as the rise in Gwinnett County COVID cases and that children younger than 12 are ineligible for the current menu of inoculations.

“We must do all we can to keep students in school in person,” said Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks. He added that “a layered approach is needed to keep students safe in school.”

Wilbanks said, nonetheless, it was disappointing that the year was starting with masks. In addition to the mask requirement, he’s urging those who are eligible for the vaccines, but who haven’t yet taken that step, to roll up their sleeves.

The district had gone mask-optional in June following Governor Kemp’s signing of an executive order restricting public school face-covering mandates.

Additionally, GCPS spokeswoman Sloan Roach said the district continues to stress deep cleaning and disinfection practices in schools and has installed upgraded air filters in some buildings.

Gwinnett school officials said that in light of the latest curveball, they’ll allow families to decide on whether children should be in school or learn remotely through Monday, August 2. Families wanting to make a change should contact their local school. The first day of school is August 4, with a staggered start for in-person learning.

A spokeswoman for GCPS said — before the latest announcement — that 98% of their students would be physically in school come the beginning of the year.

Private schools

In contrast to the county schools, private and parochial institutions serving Peachtree Corners had not announced any changes in policy resulting from the CDC’s new guidance change at press time, but indicated they were taking a close look.

Director of School Life Jimmy Chupp at Greater Atlanta Christian said that “we are reviewing mitigation strategies in light of the new recommendations and hope to have an answer soon.” Like Gwinnett, the campus had become mask-optional June 1. Chupp had said earlier that they had expected to continue that this year.

With such uncertainty present, the headmaster at Cornerstone Christian Academy said that they are still weighing options. Colin Creel said they had planned on publicizing their COVID protocols August 2. He emphasized that the school is in the process of consulting with health officials and others and hoped to have an announcement shortly.

“We’re going to stick to our plan,” he said in an email. “We’ve made some adjustments and we’ll continue to make appropriate adjustments as necessary.” Creel said that aside from the CDC recommendations, they’re still waiting for guidance from the health department, saying there’s always a chance a local mandate could be laid down.

Could the CDC change impact the number of families choosing digital learning? Chupp said in a previous interview that GAC does have a digital learning option in place, a platform so finely tuned that it virtually brings absent students into the classroom.

Parents and students will be able to choose either in-person or remote learning each day, so giving estimated numbers is difficult, he said. “That option allows for great flexibility,” Chupp added.

That theme of being nimble has been played up by other administrators. Head of School at Wesleyan School Chris Cleveland said he thinks the lessons learned and approaches taken during the 2020-2021 school year will stand them in good stead.

Departing from other campuses he said — before this latest announcement — that a digital option will not be offered at Wesleyan. In an email, he had said, “We believe students need to be in school every day. Teachers are more effective, and students learn best when they are in the classroom with their peers.”

Exceptions could be made in the case of prolonged illness or multiple quarantines, he added. Wesleyan had similarly eased its mask mandate. Cleveland could not be reached before press time to comment on what officials there may do as a result of the CDC guidance alteration.

What else is new at GCPS

An altered COVID landscape isn’t the only change for the new school year. New school facilities and new policies will greet some students and their parents.

In the Gwinnett schools, procedures on visiting will be tightened up. Campus employees will start using a tool called Raptor enabling each school building to screen all adult visitors against the National Sex Offender Registry.

That will dictate a change in the sign-in process, said school officials. After visitors show up and are “buzzed in” using a bell on the visitor management panel, they’ll head to the front desk. Staffers will ask first-time adult visitors for a drivers’ license or other state-issued ID. After cross-checking visitors against the database, those who are cleared get a detailed badge with the name of the visitor, the date and the reason why the visitor’s on-campus.

A district news release indicates subsequent visitors will be screened as well.

Also new this year, more surveillance cameras are being installed in district high school stadiums. “As a district, we have a responsibility to ensure the schools are safe and secure for our students, staff and visitors,” said Al Taylor, GCPS Associate Superintendent for School Improvement and Operations in a news release.

Also new in Gwinnett this year is the opening of a School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High School. Administrators call it a state-of-the-art facility with more than 50,000 square feet of new space, where students can delve into performing and visual arts as well as arts technology classes.

In addition, Benefield Elementary and Grayson High School added classrooms, and Berkmar High School added theater performance facilities.

Growth and changes at local private schools

At Greater Atlanta Christian, Chupp said the new school year won’t bring any noticeable changes other than a shift in the structure of class schedules.

Some changes and upgrades are in the works at Wesleyan School. Cleveland said this fall will mark the debut of the school’s newly redesigned cross-country course, the last piece of the recently developed Hoyt Family Athletic Complex.

It includes a 13,000 square-foot fieldhouse plus other amenities. Also, growth in the school’s STEM program dictated construction of a STEM wing in their library as a temporary home for the program.

Incidentally, this year is the 25th anniversary of the first day of the school on the Peachtree Corners campus, following a 1996 move from Sandy Springs.

Students and parents at Cornerstone Christian Academy will see substantial physical changes, including demolition of the middle building and creation of a campus mall with a stage on one end. A plaza will be added on the other. A middle school plaza is also being added.

■ Watch for further changes in COVID guidance and mandates on the Peachtree Corners Magazine website.

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Mark Woolsey

Education

ICAGeorgia Adds Cross Country and Track Programs

Published

1 month ago

November 25, 2024

Shawne Taylor

A group of young cross country track students in blue shirts standing with their coach in front of a school building.

The 2024-2025 school year has brought exciting extracurricular additions to the International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAGeorgia), with the launch of new cross country and track programs.

Intended for upper-elementary and middle school students in grades 4-6, the new programs were started by Coach Shawn Nix, who joined the ICAGeorgia staff this fall. She comes to the school with 17 years of teaching experience in the Gwinnett County School System and 13 years of coaching experience. She was named Gwinnett County Coach of the Year twice during her tenure there.

Nix said that her goal in creating the cross country and track programs at ICAGeorgia was to “give students an introduction to cross country, teach them the value of teamwork and cultivate the future generation of runners.”

“The parents are thrilled about the addition of the cross country program,” she added. “They’ve expressed their excitement to me, and they are at practice and meets supporting the athletes.”

Cross country

Twenty-three academy students signed up for cross country this year, excited to be part of the inaugural team.

The season began on September 3 with the school’s first meet at Legacy Park in Decatur, where students competed in the one-mile dash against 210 other athletes from Atlanta area-schools.

Three of the school’s young athlete’s placed, with one sixth grader taking third in the girls division; another sixth grade student placing 24th in the boys division and one fourth grader placing 16th in the boys division.

Group of young track cross country students in blue shirts outside at an event. — photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

They recently wrapped up the season on November 13 with a meet held at Midtown High School.

Though the season was short — most meets had already closed their entries by late August, and one meet was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene — the ICAGeorgia team was able to get in two good competitions and a lot of practice sessions.

Track season

According to Coach Nix, some students that were interested in cross country weren’t able to sign up for the team in time, but they’ve said they will be coming out for track in the spring. She’s expecting at least 20 students to join the team.

Group of young track students in red shirts, indoors in their gym space with their coach. — photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

Track season begins in February, and the opening meet is scheduled for March 8at Lanier High School in Sugar Hill.

Upcoming track meets will feature the following events: long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, disc throw, 3200m, 1600m, 800m, 400m and 4×100, 400 and 800m relays.

Future plans

Following the success of the new cross country and track programs, Coach Nix shared that ICAGeorgia plans to offer more after-school sports in the near future.

Young students in a parking lot practicing for track events and doing PE. — photo courtesy of ICAGeorgia

“The sports we add will be gauged by an interest survey, keeping in mind the facilities we have,” she said. “But we would love to add basketball and soccer.”

For more about ICAGeorgia, visit them at internationalcharteracademy.org.

Doing Good

Good Samaritan Gwinnett Receives State Authorization to Launch Access Academy

Published

2 months ago

November 4, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Professional woman standing in front of Good Samaritan Health Center signage

Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Samaritan Gwinnett) has received state authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) to officially launch Access Academy, a private, certificate-granting, low-cost postsecondary education program targeting students of low-income and/or minority households who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare but may lack the financial means to attend traditional college programs.

Access Academy is designed to meet the needs of students from underserved communities, providing healthcare-specific training at a fraction of the cost, thanks to charitable donations and volunteer-based faculty support.

Healthcare worker sterilizing dentistry instruments — photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett

Access Academy will initially offer a five-month medical assistant certification program. Graduates of the program will be able to enter the workforce without the burden of student loans, directly benefiting their household income and financial well-being.

“We are thrilled to launch Access Academy and open the doors of opportunity for those who need it most,” said Shameka Allen, CEO of Good Samaritan Gwinnett. “Our mission has always been to support underserved communities, and now, with Access Academy, we can extend that impact by helping students earn their medical assistant certificates and get their start in healthcare.”

A history of mentoring and education

Good Samaritan Gwinnett has a rich history of educating undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences. Since 2012, the organization has mentored nearly 450 graduate students pursuing medical and dental professional degrees. The cost of precepting just one midlevel student for an average of 168 hours amounts to $10,038, reflecting the organization’s dedication to training and education.

Two female healthcare workers standing at their computers — photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett

Greg Lang, chief financial officer of Good Samaritan Gwinnett, spearheaded the efforts to secure state authorization and launch Access Academy.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see Access Academy come to life after months of planning and preparation,” Lang said. “Access Academy is not just providing training — it’s offering hope, opportunity and the support needed to turn dreams into reality.”

An ongoing mission

The launch of Access Academy is part of Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s ongoing mission to expand its reach and make healthcare more accessible, both by providing direct patient care and by equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills they need to succeed. Since Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s inception in 2005, more than 52,300 patients have entered the clinic more than 300,000 times.

For more information about Access Academy, visit them at goodsamgwinnett.org/access-academy or email Greg Lang at Greg.Lang@goodsamgwinnett.org.

Education

Pinecrest Academy Named to 2024 AP School Honor Roll

Published

3 months ago

October 8, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Pinecrest Academy, a private preK3–12 Catholic school serving north metro Atlanta, has once again been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement^® Program (AP^®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.

The AP^® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while also broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.

“We are so honored to have received this AP Honor Roll Award, as we strive each year to provide every student with a college preparatory experience, which includes the successful completion of challenging AP courses,” commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy high school principal. “The Platinum designation from AP speaks to the excellence that our faculty strives for in delivering challenging content that prepares our students for college.”

The numbers

During the 2023-2024 school year, Pinecrest had 89% of seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school, 82% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 58% who took five or more AP exams. Twenty-one AP courses were offered, representing 30 sections taught by 12 high school teachers at the school.

“Our Class of 2024 earned a 100% acceptance into the college/university of their choice,” Bowman said. “Since the school’s first graduating class of 2007, Pinecrest’s high school has maintained a 100% graduation rate every year.”

AP Access Award

Pinecrest Academy was also awarded the AP Access Award this year. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may earn the AP Access Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework.

“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance — they represent the best of our AP program.”

For more information, visit pinecrestacademy.org.

For more about the Advanced Placement^® Program, visit ap.collegeboard.org.