Panther Post: August 2nd

Posted Date: 08/02/26 (03:30 PM)

August 2, 2026

A Note from Administration

Thank you so much for a great first couple of days at GSES! We are so excited to welcome our students back for another great school year!

We greatly appreciate your patience as the road work continues on Gum Springs Rd. Hopefully the work is completed soon and traffic can return to normal. Please continue to be patient during arrival and dismissal.

This school year, we have asked our staff to consider the question: what will still be true after we are gone because we were here? We believe part of the answer is found in the relationships we build with our students, the character we develop, and the instructional opportunities we create for them to grow and thrive. Together with our families, we look forward to making this a year filled with meaningful moments that will leave a lasting legacy for every student.

Thank you again for trusting us with your students. We are looking forward to a great year!

Joshua Todd, Principal

News & Updates

Reminders

Car and Golf Cart Riders: Thanks for helping us have smooth and efficient drop-off and pick-up procedures during arrival and dismissal on our first two days of school! This will continue to get even better as our students and new families get comfortable with routines. As a reminder, our instructional day begins at 7:40 A.M. All students should be in the building by 7:35 A.M. in order to get to class on time for instruction to begin. We will begin issuing tardies on Monday, August 10th.
Dismissal Tags: All GSES students who are afternoon car riders, golf cart riders, or walkers must have a numbered GSES Dismissal Tag. All families should have new Dismissal Tags for the 2026-2027 school year. Tags must be displayed on golf carts and on vehicles. If you are picking up a walker, please bring your dismissal tag with you. If you have not yet registered for a dismissal tag, please do so HERE. Once registered, a set of tags will be sent home via your student's folder or you may come to the front office and pick up a set in person. Please complete one form per family. Golf carts, vehicles, and walkers with no updated dismissal tags will be required to enter the front office for verification of ID before students will be released. Please remember to always bring your valid picture ID when checking out your students. Additional tags can be purchased in the Front Office.
Afternoon Bus Riders: Please remember that all children age 8 and under must have an adult visible at the stop for the driver to let your child off the bus. Thank you for helping keep our students safe!
Copy Crew: Copy Crew is a great volunteer opportunity to support our teachers. Volunteers can sign up to assist on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays in the library to make teacher and/or grade level copies. We hope to begin our Copy Crew sign up through ParentSquare August 10th. A separate post will be sent out to sign up. Be on the lookout!
MAP Testing: All students in 1st-5th grades will be take the Reading and Math MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment this week. The assessment has no time limit, but a typical testing session is 30 minutes for 1st grade students and 45 minutes for 2nd-5th grade students. This norm-referenced assessment is helpful tool to track student progress and measure growth during the school year. Results will be shared with families in 2-3 weeks.

Next Week at GSES

Monday 8/3:

Tuesday 8/4:

MAP Testing 3rd-5th Grades (Reading)

Wednesday 8/5:

MAP Testing 3rd-5th Grades (Math)

Thursday 8/6:

MAP Testing 1st-2nd Grades (Reading)

Friday 8/7:

MAP Testing 1st-2nd Grades (Math)

JCSS Apps

ParentSquare

ParentSquare is the communication tool used by all JCSS schools, staff, and students. Any guardian or parent who wishes to connect to their child's school and teacher in ParentSquare must first have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. If you need assistance in setting up a Parent Portal account, please contact Monica Gassman, our Media Specialist, to set one up. You can email her at monica.gassman@jcss.us.

Looking to learn more about ParentSquare? Watch the video below for an overview of ParentSquare. Additional information and tips will be included in the coming weekly newsletters.

School Spotlights

1st Day Success!

🎉 We Did It, Panthers! 🎉

The first day of school at Gum Springs Elementary is officially in the books, and what a wonderful day it was! 🐾❤️🖤

Our halls and classrooms were filled with smiles, laughter, new friendships, and plenty of learning as we kicked off another exciting year together. A huge thank you to our students, families, and staff for making the first day such a success!

This year, we’re excited to Leave a Legacy—through kindness, learning, relationships, and the impact we make each day. We can’t wait to see the legacy our Panthers create! ❤️🖤

Partners in Ed

Thank you to The Jefferson Church, Friends & Family Dentistry, and Sweet Maple Pediatric Dentistry!

GSES LED Sign Sponsorship

Gum Springs Elementary is looking to partner with businesses to build our Partners in Education program. One way we offer this is through our GSES LED Sign Sponsorship. Attached is the form to complete. If you have any questions, please reach out to Hannah Freyre at Hannah.freyre@jcss.us

LED Sign Sponsorship Form