#GOCOWLS

The weekly newsletter for Gwinnett Online Campus

Thursday, December 15, 2022

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful parents who have volunteered countless hours this semester supporting events and activities on campus. We appreciate your generosity and commitment to our students and Gwinnett Online Campus.

This semester comes to a close for our full-time GOC students tomorrow, Friday, December 16. On behalf of the GOC faculty and staff, we wish you all a joyous Holiday Season and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Due to Gwinnett Online Campus offering grades K-12 and running the supplemental program for students across the district, the first day of class for our second semester will be Monday, January 9.

#CARE

#OnlineWeLearnSuccessfully

Grades K-12: GOC's Inclement Weather Policy

Due to the unique learning environment at Gwinnett Online Campus, students have access to course content 24/7. In the event of a GCPS closure due to inclement weather, the GOC building will be closed. However, Gwinnett Online Campus will continue to deliver instruction and maintain its regular online school schedule. Labs will still continue virtually. If there are widespread power outages in Gwinnett County, a plan for make-up days or extensions for due dates will be communicated via email. Extended deadlines are built into many of the courses which already allows flexibility in the case of brief power outages. In the event that individual students experience outages that last for more than a few hours, work extensions will be handled with students on an individual basis.

Grades K-12: GOC Parents You Matter!

GOC has a new resource for parents because YOU MATTER!! Please click HERE to check this site out often as it will be updated regularly throughout the year. You’ll find community resources, stress management tips and a video series just for parents! Currently there are short videos on parenting 101, information about the transition from middle school to high school, and information about dual enrollment by GOC’s counselors.

Please contact the Counseling Department with questions.

Grade 11: SAT for All School Day - Parent Survey

Students enrolled in U.S. History for the 2022-23 school year will be given the option of taking the SAT for a school day administration on Wednesday, March 22 or the Gateway Writing Assessment in U.S. History on Monday, March 27. Students must successfully sit for one of these assessments to meet graduation requirements.

Parents will receive a survey via email to submit your selection. The survey will be open from Friday, November 18 through Friday, December 16.

For more information, click HERE.

Please contact the Assessment Office with questions.

Grades K-12: Parent Volunteer Meeting

Calling all parents!! We need your help as we plan lots of fun student events here at Gwinnett Online Campus!

Please join us on Friday, January 13 from 11 a.m.-Noon for a parent volunteer meeting to discuss how you can help with upcoming events such as the Gaming Tournament, Spring Dances, Spring Musical and planning some off campus events for our families.

For questions and to RSVP for the in-person parent meeting, please email

GOC's PAC (Parent Advisory Committee).

Grades 6 & 8: Social Studies Friday

If you are a student in grades 6 or 8, we would like to welcome you to Social Studies Friday on Friday, January 13 where we will do lots of fun Junior Achievement activities to get you ready for your trip to either Finance Park or Biz Town in 2023.

Students in grade 8 should report from 9 -11 a.m. for Social Studies Friday and then plan to stay after for Club and Activities Friday which starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

Students in grade 6 may plan to report at 9 a.m. for Club and Activities Friday and then should participate in Social Studies Friday which will start at Noon and end at 2 p.m.

Please bring a lunch if you plan to stay the entire day for both Social Studies Friday and Club and Activities Friday.

Please click HERE to RSVP for this event.

Please contact Ms. Hope Campbell or Ms. Jenny Cooper with questions.

Grades K-8: Save the Date - Spring Dances

Come join us on Friday, February 10 for our Springtime in Paris Dance for students in grades K-5 and 6-8.

Everyone in attendance will be required to register and pay on MyPaymentsPlus including the parent/guardian for students in grades K-5 and the non-GOC guest for students in grades 6-8. GOC students must secure a pre-purchased admission ticket via their MyPaymentsPlus account for their guest prior to the event.

Please note that the Spring Dance for grades 9-12 is scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at Laundry Events in Downtown Lawrenceville. More information to come.

Please contact Ms. Hope Campbell with questions.

Grades 4-12: Save the Date - Clubs & Activities Friday

Please mark your calendar to save the date for GOC's first Clubs and Activities Friday of 2023 scheduled for Friday, January 13. We want to see you all there - you do not want to miss out!

Click HERE to RSVP for this event.

Grades 4-7

 Leadership Lessons from 9-10 a.m.

Instrument Show and Tell from 10-11 a.m. 

Grades 4-12

Clubs/Activities Hour from 11 a.m.-Noon

Grades 8-12

Instrument Show and Tell from Noon-1 p.m. 

 Leadership Lessons from 1-2 p.m.

Please contact Ms. Hope Campbell with questions.

Grades 4-12: Fine Arts Instrument Show-and-Tell

Please join us for our Fine Arts Instrument Show-and-Tell during the first Club & Activities Friday of the new year scheduled for Friday, January 13. Bring any instrument you have to demonstrate. This event will be led by the following staff members: Dr. Pritchard, Mr. Gomez, Mr. Baker, and Mr. Lollis.

Please click HERE to RSVP for this event.

Please contact Dr. Gregory Pritchard with questions.

Grades 4-12: Save the Date - Student Leadership Team Meetings

Please save the date for our January 2023 Student Leadership Team meetings. All are welcome! January is a month for ALL members to attend and even students interested in becoming new members.

Please visit the students MyPaymentsPlus account to pay dues if you have not already done so.

Please contact Ms. Hope Campbell with questions.

Grades K-12: Save the Date - Gaming Tournament

Mark your calendar to save the date for GOC's Gaming Tournament scheduled for Friday, January 27. We will have various video game options such as Mario Kart and Super Smash Brothers along with a selection of table top board games. Snacks and refreshments will also be available.

Students in grades K-3 must have one parent/guardian attend this event with them. Space is limited; one adult may accompany each student in grades K-3.

Please visit the students MyPaymentsPlus account to register and pay for this event. The $3 registration fee includes event admission and refreshments.

Please contact Ms. Hope Campbell with questions.

Grades 4-12: Life Skills

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. It is how people develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

Gwinnett County Public School's Department of Social Emotional Learning provides professional development to staff and leads advisement and peer leadership for students. Click HERE for more information.

The GOC Social Emotional Learning team partners with the Language Arts Department to provide SEL Advisement to students at GOC! This effort is best when an adult takes 10-15 minutes weekly to go through the mini-lesson. The lesson is a fun and interactive Nearpod which the student can access in their Language Arts course! It will foster great conversation and an opportunity for rich discussion. Parents, please complete this weekly Nearpod with your student in grades 4-12.

For questions please contact Ms. Teshia Dula, Ms. Barbara Santiago-Fecht, or Ms. Jessica Pompilus with questions.

Extracurricular Podcast

Make sure to check out the latest episodes of Extracurricular, GOC's podcast about the amazing hobbies and interests GOC students, staff, and faculty members have outside of school. There are two episodes this week!! You can listen by clicking on the links below or searching for Extracurricular on your podcast app.

GOC 3rd grade student Zion sits down with Mr. Lollis to talk about swimming, gymnastics, dance, karate, and her exciting and interesting role as an actor. Click HERE to listen.

GOC 12th grade student Remi sits down with Mr. Lollis to talk about his love of soccer, the joy he finds in celebrating with friends, and his journey from youth soccer, to the Atlanta United Academy program, to the Clemson University soccer team after graduation. Click HERE to listen.

If you are interested in sitting down to chat about a hobby or interest you have outside of school, please contact Mr. Dan Lollis. He would love to have you on the podcast!

Grades 6-8: VIRTUAL Breakfast with Buddies

GOC's “Breakfast with Buddies” Program has been cancelled next week due to testing and will resume after the break on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Our vision for this program is to encourage students to enjoy breakfast with their school counselor every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. to develop meaningful relationships with peers and caring adults! This connection may positively impact the student and their learning!

For questions please contact your middle school counselor, Ms. Teshia Dula or Ms. Nikita Johnson.