Gwinnett County Readies to Head Back to School

By Patch Editor Faye Edmundson

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students will return to school mid-week on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The mid-week start is a first for the school district. 
Parents, teachers, and administrators decided on the date during the school district’s calendar setting process. 
Teachers will report back to work a week earlier on Wednesday, July 31. 

Back-to-school activities planned for students
Students and teachers will have the opportunity to get acquainted before the start of the year. Students will be able to visit their schools and classrooms to meet their new teachers and participate in back-to-school activities. Parents are encouraged to check school websites for dates and times of planned back-to-school activities. 
These activities could include picking up schedules, acquiring lockers and parking spaces, paying for school lunches, joining the PTA, and checking out school spirit wear. Local schools have shared information about the new year with families and students all throughout the summer. 

Registration for new Gwinnett students 
New students who are registering with GCPSfor the first time should call their local schools for details regarding registration hours, testing for placement, and procedures. Parents unsure which school their child will attend should call the GCPS Department of Planning at 678-301-7085. 
Note: Current GCPS students who are moving from one grade level to another--for instance, a rising 6th grader or a rising 9th grader--do not need to re-register at their new middle or high school.

Documents required for student registration

• Proof of authorized person enrolling student – The following persons are authorized to enroll students: parent (natural or adoptive), legal guardian, foster parent appointed by a state agency, or sponsor for approved international exchange program. This person should present one of the following: driver’s license, state identification card, passport, or other official photo identification.

• An official document showing proof of student’s age – The person authorized to enroll the student has the option of presenting either a certified copy of a birth certificate or a federal, state, county, or school document with date of birth. (Examples of this second option include a certified, hospital-issued birth record or birth certificate; military I.D.; valid driver’s license; passport; adoption record; religious record, signed by an authorized religious official; official school transcript; official immigration documentation; or affidavit of age sworn by parent/guardian or other authorized person accompanied by a certificate of age signed by a licensed, practicing physician which states the physician has examined the child and believes the age, as stated in the affidavit, is substantially correct.)
• A valid Georgia certificate of immunization (Ga. Health Dept. Form #3231, revised March 2007 or later) – The form must be completed by the health department (www.gwinnetthealth.com)or a Georgia physician. A medical exemption should be noted on Form #3231 with a current date of expiration. A form may be requested from the school for religious exemption.
• Evidence of vision, hearing, and dental exams (Ga. Health Dept. Form #3300) – The form is available from the health department or a physician/dentist. Letters from appropriate healthcare professionals and out-of-state certificates are acceptable, if completed within the last 12 months and stapled to the state form.
• Previous school records – Report cards or official school transcript, withdrawal form from previous school, discipline records for students enrolling in grades 7-12.
• Proof that family lives in Gwinnett County attendance zone – The person authorized to enroll the student must show one of the following:non-contingent sales contract, current lease/rental agreement, most recent income tax return, current paycheck stub, current Medicaid card,current residential property tax statement or bill, current warranty or quick claim deed, current home purchase agreement, current homeowner’s insurance policy, or third-person affidavit of residency (notarized residency affidavit*.)In addition, one of the following must accompany the document above: current gas bill, current water bill, current electric bill. *If the student’s family is residing in the home or apartment of another individual, the following is necessary for enrollment: Notarized Residency Affidavit (available at school) including the signature of person with whom the family is living, and the apartment manager’s signature (if applicable). In addition, the person with whom the family is living must show proof of residency using the documents mentioned above. 
• (Documents presented for residency verification must include the same address as the accompanying utility bill, the bill must have the name and address of the enrolling parent/guardian, a telephone bill is not acceptable, a contingency sales contract is not acceptable. Exception: A deed without an address is acceptable if accompanied by two utility bills (excluding telephone bills) with same address in attendance zone.)

For more on documents needed for registration, visit the school system’s web site, www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.

Source: Gwinnett County Public Schools