Planning ahead for the school year? Check out the school calendar on our website to plan for upcoming events in the next few months!

Registration for the 2026-27 Pre-Kindergarten Lottery is now OPEN! Families can visit www.jacksonschoolsga.org/prek to learn more about eligibility requirements. Pre-K programs are available at all seven JCSS elementary schools. The lottery drawing will take place in March, and families will be notified of their enrollment status. Please pass along this information to friends and family who have Pre-K age children.

WOW! Our GSES Panthers showed up and showed out for the Athens Rock Lobsters Reading Challenge! We had over 260 students read at least 1,000 minutes from September to December. Each student who read the 1,000 minutes earned a FREE Athens Rock Lobsters ticket for one of their games in March. Way to go, Panthers!

Parents, please check ParentSquare for information from the district for claiming your child's ticket to one of the available games in March. Please reach out to Mrs. Gassman in the library if you have any questions. We can't wait to see your pictures from the game!

25-26 GSES Yearbooks are sale now! Order before October 31st and receive a 10% discount. Any orders placed before April 1st are eligible for 2 FREE custom pages in your child's yearbook.

Got questions? Contact Ms. Simmons (jsimmons@jcss.us).

We are thrilled to announce all JCSS schools are adopting the Raptor Safe mobile application as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety, while streamlining visitor management check-in at our schools. The Raptor Safe app builds upon existing visitor procedures, offering a more convenient and secure check-in process for visitors. Learn more by visiting www.jacksonschoolsga.org/raptorsafe.

We had a wonderful morning on Wednesday celebrating our annual EL New Year’s Around the World event at Gum Springs Elementary! Students, families, and staff came together to share cultural foods and traditions from around the globe. This special event highlights the diversity and connections that strengthen our school community. We are grateful to our families and staff who helped make this celebration such a meaningful and memorable day! 🌎🎉

Students in Mrs. Lankford’s class have been creating beautiful artwork all year long with Mrs. Hannifin, exploring a variety of art techniques and tools each season. From painting and printing to cutting, gluing, and mixed media, each project reflects both creativity and growth. ✂️🖌️

Our 2nd graders had an exciting hands-on learning experience while visiting the STEAM Bus! Students explored motion and discovered how different surfaces affect the way objects move. They designed and built their own ramps, made predictions, and tested what would happen when a marble rolled down different surfaces. Through experimenting and observing, students learned how speed and motion can change based on materials and design. Science, creativity, and curiosity were rolling!

Mrs. Carpenter’s 4th grade class took their learning on the road with a visit to the STEAM Bus! Students explored the phases of the moon using flashlights and hands-on investigations to see how light and position change what we observe from Earth.

By experimenting, observing, and asking great questions, students gained a deeper understanding of why the moon appears to change shape throughout the month. Science came to life in the brightest way!

600 Gum Springs Church Road

Jefferson, GA 30549

706-654-5580

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GumSpringsElementary

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gumspringselementary/