Handbooks

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School 

Parent Handbook 2025 - 2026 

Gwinnett County Public Schools Vision 

Gwinnett County Public Schools will become a system of world-class schools where students acquire the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and careers. 

Gwinnett County Public Schools Mission 

The mission of Gwinnett County Public Schools is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local national and world-class standards. 

• Strategic Direction 
• 2020-2030 Blueprint for the Future 
• Portrait of a Graduate 

Administrators 

• Lisa Glausier, Principal

Assistant Principals:

• Mrs. Kaitlin Adams – Special Education

• Dr. Jarron Hutchins – Grades 3 - 5

• Ms. Jafria Wooden - Grades K - 2

Welcome to Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School and the 2025-2026 school year. We are thrilled to welcome each of you to a wonderful school experience. We believe in making decisions that support student safety and create optimal learning environments. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to read and review the guidelines outlined below and adhering to our established policies and procedures. Together we can make our school community an amazing learning environment!

Mrs. Lisa Glausier, Principal

  Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Instruction for the day begins at 8:15 a.m. Students who are not in their classrooms by the 8:15 bell will be marked tardy and tardy students must be signed in at the front lobby desk by their parents. Students in grades K-2 will proceed immediately to the dining room for breakfast. Students in grades 3-5 will go upstairs to get breakfast from the kiosks located near their classrooms. Students in grades 3-5 will eat in their classrooms as they prepare themselves for the instructional day. Students are not counted tardy if their GCPS bus arrives late. Any student using transportation to or from an address other than the home address will need a Day Care Enrollment Verification form with the day care providers’ identification on file before service begins. Each student must have a transportation tag attached to his/her book bag per Gwinnett County policy, which should not be removed by the parents or the students for the entire school year. This helps us to ensure that each child gets home safely. If your child gets a new book bag or the tag comes off, please remind them to report to the main office at school as soon as they arrive to have their tag replaced. Bus drivers require transportation tags for every student. Per Gwinnett County policy, transportation for students on a permissive transfer is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Permissive Transfers will be revoked for excessive absences, excessive tardies, and/or behavior concerns. Please contact GCPS transportation at 770-338-4800, if you need assistance.

Attendance, Absence/Illness Policy

Attendance at school is an important part of student success and achievement. A pattern of absences may put a student at risk of not achieving the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) for their grade level and courses. Certain absences are excused according to state guidelines. Excused absences include:

1. Personal illness or attendance in school endangering a student's health or the health of others. This includes scheduled doctor appointments.
2. A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family requiring absence from school.
3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
4. Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
5. Conditions making attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
6. Serving as a page in the Georgia General Assembly.

Please provide a written note to your child's teacher on the day your child returns to school. The note should include the date of absence and reason for the absence. Should the reason be one noted above, your child's absence will be marked excused. Should a student accumulate five or more unexcused absences, an Attendance Letter will be mailed notifying the parent/guardian. Continued absences or tardies may result in the need for a SARC (Student Attendance Review Committee) Meeting, in which the counselor, parent, teacher, and social worker will work to ensure your child’s school attendance improves. A SARC Meeting may also be scheduled for other attendance issues (i.e. excessive tardies, excessive checkouts, or after several excused absences).

It is important for parents to be aware of attendance requirements. Please read Gwinnett County Public Schools' Student/Parent Handbook, which outlines attendance expectations. In addition, our teachers and school leadership will communicate with you regularly on school attendance issues.

Birthday Treats

Birthday treats provided by individual students for the entire class may be shared in school at the teacher’s discretion. Please encourage healthy foods. Treats should be pre-wrapped and store bought. Please be mindful of allergies and ask the teacher for guidance in this area. Treats can be handed out at snack time or recess. Individual students' parties are not able to be a part of the school day. Please plan to send treats with students or drop them off at the front desk. We encourage parents to send Money for Birthday Ice Cream a week in advance. Ice Cream is sold on Fridays, and the cost is $1 per student. Please check with your child’s teacher for an accurate number of students in the class. Please note: Teachers will allow invitations to birthday parties to be distributed in the classroom when the entire class is included.

Transportation, Arrival, and Dismissal Procedures

Students may arrive at school starting at 7:45 a.m. Prior to that time, there are no staff available to supervise students. A bell will ring at 7:45 a.m. signaling that students may enter the building from the car rider lane and buses. Staff assistance for car riders ends at 8:10 a.m. Please arrive early enough to allow your child to be on time. 

Students must always be dropped off in the designated car rider lane, which is accessible via Moon Road. This includes students who missed the bus. If your child arrives late (tardy), please park in the front lot and escort them to the building, where a staff member will check them in. For safety reasons, do not allow students to enter the building unaccompanied.

Our school day ends at 2:45 p.m. In the absence of a written note or phone call from a parent or guardian, students will follow their usual method of dismissal. We cannot accept verbal instructions from students regarding changes to their transportation. Please be sure to notify the Main Office directly of any changes to your child’s dismissal plan.

All early checkouts must be completed at the main lobby desk by 2:15 p.m., where a valid photo ID will be required.

Student safety is our top priority. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Car Rider Dismissal: All families must have an assigned car rider number and tag to pick up students in this line. Please remain in your car with your number displayed in your front window. Car riders must be picked up by 3:10pm. Students not picked up by 3:10 will be brought to the front office. A parent, guardian or adult on the student’s emergency contact list must bring ID or the car rider tag to the office for the child to be released. A school resource officer may be contacted for students with multiple late pick-ups.

 Bus Safety Rules

Posted on all GCPS school buses and printed in all school handbooks. Students will follow directions of the driver.

1. Students should be at the bus stop five minutes before the bus arrives, waiting in a safe place, clear of traffic and ten feet from where the bus stops.
2. Students will wait in an orderly line and avoid playing.
3. Students will cross the roadway in front of the bus after the bus has stopped, they have looked at the driver for a hand signal, and they have looked in both directions for traffic left, right, left.
4. Students will signal the driver with a waving motion if something is dropped and wait for the driver to give a signal before picking up the object.
5. Students will go directly to the assigned seat when entering the bus. Keep the aisles and exits clear.
6. Students will remain properly seated, back against the back of the seat, bottom against the bottom of the seat, and keep hands to themselves.
7. Students will not eat, drink, chew gum, or bring tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or any controlled substances on the bus.
8. Students will not carry animals, glass objects, nuisance items, hazardous materials, or weapons onto the bus. Students may carry only objects that can be held in their laps.
9. Students will refrain from using loud voices, profanity, and/or obscene gestures, and will respect the rights and safety of others.
10. Students will not extend their heads, arms, or objects out of the bus windows.
11. Students will be very silent at railroad crossings.
12. Students will stay seated until time to get off the bus. The open door is the signal to get up from the bus seat.
13. Students must provide a written note, signed by a parent/guardian and a school official who will provide a bus pass giving permission to ride a different bus or to get on or off at a different bus stop location. In the event of an emergency, a bus pass will be issued by a school official only.
14. Students will keep their bus clean and in good, safe condition.
15. Students shall be prohibited from using any electronic devices during the operation of a school bus, including but not limited to cell phones, pagers, radios, tape or compact disc players, or any other electronic device in a manner that might interfere with the school bus communication equipment or the school bus driver's operation of the school bus. The bus driver may allow the wearing of headphones with an audio system on a case-by-case basis as long as it is in accord with the local school rules.
16. Students shall be prohibited from using mirrors, lasers, flash cameras, or any other lights or reflective devices in a manner that might interfere with the school bus driver's operation of the school bus.

Change of Address or Phone Numbers

It is imperative that we have updated information for each student when emergencies or illnesses occur. Parents may change their address by visiting the school and showing proof of residency. Phone numbers and emergency contact information may be changed through Parent Vue or by visiting the school.

Change in Normal Procedures

GCPS buses cannot be used for play dates, birthdays, Girl Scout or Boy Scout meetings, etc. Bus passes to an address other than home will be issued only for emergency situations. If your child is not going home by their normal mode of transportation, a note to the teacher must be sent with your child on that day. If an emergency arises during the day, please contact the office as soon as possible. 

Clinic

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School provides limited health services to our students. First aid will be administered in the clinic, but medication can only be given if the parent brings the medication to the clinic and fills out a medication administration form. Students cannot transport medication. Asthma inhalers and epi-pens are the only exceptions with a physician’s note requesting the student to carry it. When your child is vomiting or running a temperature of 100.3 or higher, please do not send him or her to school until they are symptom free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.

Parents will be called if students are too sick to remain in school, if they are seriously injured, if they are running a temperature of 100.3 degrees or higher, vomiting, or if we believe your child needs further medical attention.

   Student Allergies

  If your student has any health threatening allergies that the school needs to be aware of, please contact your child’s teacher to  make him/her aware and contact our school clinic to share this information. The direct number to the clinic is 678-376-8607.

Returning to School after an Illness

Once your child is well enough to return to school, please send in a note to their teacher indicating that they were ill so that we can mark the absence “excused.”

 Closing of School

If inclement weather causes school to be canceled or dismissed early, public announcements will be made on GCPS Television, ParentSquare, MWHES website - https://schools.gcpsk12.org/WinnHoltES, on the school system's website – gcpsk12.org and via metro-Atlanta radio and television stations. Full-day cancellations usually are announced by 6:00 a.m. WSB-TV Channel 2 or WSB 750am, as well.

Communication with Parents

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School will use a variety of media to communicate with our families. These forms of communication may consist of phone calls, email, texts, classroom reports (Friday Folders), website updates, teacher and school newsletters, flyers, the Parent Vue, Disciplinary Referrals, Early Release Conferences, progress reports, and ParentSquare. ParentSquare will call or text the primary phone you have designated with a message of importance, which may merely be a reminder about upcoming events. If a school wide emergency were to arise, families would be notified primarily by this means. Please make certain that the number associated with this system is the most convenient number to receive these types of messages.

  Conferences and School Visits

To ensure the safety and security of our school community, GCPS requires all parents/guests to sign in at the office. Only parents, guardians, and those listed as emergency contacts are able to visit the school for special events. All guests and visitors are required to present identification to be allowed entry into the building. Any parent/guest who is walking in the halls without a visitor badge will be asked to obtain a visitor badge by going to the office and signing in with the school check-in system. Guests will be asked the purpose of their visit, and it is prohibited to conduct business other than what was stated and approved at check-in. Students will ONLY be released to parents or guardians through the check out system in the front office.

Our staff are instructed NOT to release any student from the classroom directly to any adult, including parents/guardians. This is a safeguard for all children and is an integral part of our security plan. We appreciate your cooperation.

  Counseling Department

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary is fortunate to have exceptional counselors in our school. Counselors offer large group classroom guidance sessions, small group special needs sessions (friendship, divorce, etc.), and individual student and parent counseling sessions. Please take advantage of their services. Michael Creekmore (grades K - 2 and self-contained): 678-376-8672 and Leslie Young (Grades 3 - 5) 

Digital Learning Days

GCPS has established 4 DLD for the 24-25 school year. Students will be learning from home on the 4 indicated days to allow time for teachers to collaborate and plan for instruction. Guidance will be provided for each of the upcoming days. Refer to the school calendar for the four dates.

Disciplinary Referrals  

Ongoing communication regarding your child’s behavior choices will occur, as needed, throughout the school year. The communication will most likely be in the form of a phone call and be accompanied by an Administrative Disciplinary Referral Form. When the Disciplinary Referral Form is sent home, please discuss the violation and comments with your child and sign the form indicating that you have seen it. Return it on the next school day. Your cooperation and support are greatly appreciated.

  Dress Code

Students are expected to dress in a manner that is supportive of a positive learning environment. Students shall not dress in a way that distracts their classmates from the school’s purpose: Teaching and Learning as well as cover their body appropriately. Per GCPS Board of Education Student Conduct Behavior Code Rule 1-I (Policy: J-Students), students are not to wear clothing that depicts anything associated with drugs, alcohol, or graffiti. Parents will be called to bring a change of clothing for any student violating the Dress Code unless appropriate attire is secured at school from the clinic’s clothing inventory. 

  Early Release

Students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. on Early Release days (see calendar for dates) for Parent-Teacher Conferences. You will be asked by your child’s teacher to schedule a conference.

  Emergency Drills

Fire drills are held monthly throughout the school year in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia. Severe weather drills are held on the date designated by the State of Georgia during Severe Weather Awareness Week. Lockdown and evacuation drills are reviewed with staff and students. They are practiced and evaluated on an as needed basis.

  Emergency Information for Families

If a situation of a serious nature occurred at school, families would be notified by way of ParentSquare. We may also post basic information on the school’s website giving instructions to the families of our students.

  Emergency Situations

If there were an emergency where students had to be evacuated from Winn Holt Elementary, parents may be reunited with their child at a designated area. Winn Holt has two evacuation sites and the determination to use one over the other will be made based on the nature of the evacuation. The release of children to parents and guardians needs to be an orderly process so please stay in your cars and follow all instructions when you arrive at the designated location.

 Field Trips 

Each grade level will participate in trips, which are linked to classroom learning and the curriculum. Expenses (if applicable) are requested to cover class sponsored field study trips. No child will be denied the opportunity to participate for not being able to contribute toward the trip cost. However, if sufficient funds are not collected, it may be necessary to cancel a planned event. Field trips for the 25-26  school year will include an out of school experience as well as an in-house experience.

  Ice Cream

Ice cream will only be sold on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students may purchase ice cream during their lunchtime. The price is $1.00. Students will be asked to finish their main meal prior to being allowed to purchase ice cream. Students serving a disciplinary time-out will not be allowed to purchase ice cream that day.

Student Internet Use

At Winn Holt, students use the Internet for academic purposes only. Students must have a signed permission slip from a parent (Acceptable Use Policy-AUP) to use the Internet. Students may go to sites designated by the teacher and are responsible for following the teacher's instructions. Failure to use the Internet properly or have signed permission slips may result in the loss of Internet privileges.

  Late Pick-up/Returned Students

Gwinnett County has the following policy for students returned on the bus because no one is at home to meet them or because they are not picked up on time as a car rider:

1. First Incident: School manages the situation by contacting parent(s), guardian, or emergency contact for pick up.
2. Second Incident: School manages the situation by contacting the parent(s), guardian or emergency contacts for pickup and let the parent know that they have had two late pick-ups.
3. Third Incident: Principal or designee may elect to report the incidents to Gwinnett County’s Safety and Security office. An SRO (School Resource Officer) will follow up, make contact, and explain that DFACS (Department Family and Children Services) will be contacted the next (4^th) time the student is left or returned to the school.

Breakfast/Lunch Charges

We use a prepayment system for school meals. Our online prepayment system allows parents to go online and manage their child's meal account, www.mypaymentsplus.com allows you to make deposits at no cost and create settings to auto-replenish your account or receive free reminders when the balance is low.

Please call the Lunchroom Manager, Zehra Hozic, if you have a question about your child's cafeteria charges. The phone number is 678-376-8627.

Winn Holt is a universal breakfast school and breakfast is provided to ALL students at no charge. The full priced lunch is $2.75  

and the reduced-price lunch is $.40. Parents who need free or reduced meal options MUST apply. This can be done online starting July 21, 2025 by clicking on this link. Please do this as soon as it is available to ensure your application is processed prior to the beginning of school.

Lunch Guests

Starting on Monday, September 8, parents and allowable guests may visit students at lunch. Due to space limits in the cafeteria, visitors will adhere to the following assigned days based on the student’s last name. 

• Monday - A & B and U-Z
• Tuesday - C-G
• Wednesday - H-M
• Thursday - N-T

Any deviation from the above assigned schedule must be approved by the grade level Assistant Principal at least 24 hours in advance when possible. Parents can call (678-376-8600) or email your grade level Assistant Principal with special circumstances. Additionally, food from outside vendors such as McDonalds is not allowed in the lunchroom. At the end of lunch, parents should say goodbye to their children and proceed to the front desk for check-out. It is a violation of our school policy to accompany your child to the playground, classroom, or move around the building visiting other children in their classrooms.

Make up Work Following an Absence

Students have one school day per day absent to make up missed work. Please give teachers 24-hour notice to get work ready for parents to pick up in the office during an extended absence, due to illness. Teachers are not permitted to prepare assignments to send home before a planned student absence.

Media Center

The media center has books, magazines, software, and pamphlets for assigned study and recreational reading. It is open for use during the entire school day, and a short time before school. Parents are strongly encouraged to closely monitor what their children are reading and viewing on T.V., and regular trips to the public library can be a fun family activity. Because of the limited amount of material, which must be shared among all students and our computerized checkout system, it is not possible for parents to check materials out for their child. Please see “Parent Center” below. Textbooks, library books, and other school materials must be paid for if lost, stolen, or damaged. Contact the Media Clerk at 678-376-8622. 

  Messages to Teachers and Students

Phone calls will be received by the school between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Teachers will be notified about your phone call via an email. Instructional time will not be interrupted for incoming calls. Emails are not instant messages, so please do not expect an immediate response. Teachers have 24 hours to respond to parent notes. Only messages of an emergency nature will be delivered to students during the school day.

 Parent Center

  Our Parent Center is open during school hours and at special times during the school year. The Parent Center is for every family in  our school. The Parent Center stands ready to serve your needs, especially supporting you in your efforts to help your children with their schoolwork. Please take advantage of the center. There are books, games, and other materials available for families to check out and use at home. These games are Literacy and Math oriented, so please take advantage of our exemplary Parent Center. English instruction for parents is also available as are evening programs focused on the needs of our families. Yudelkis Nivar-Brito is our Parent Instructional Coordinator. She can be reached through the Parent Center at 678-376-8629.

  Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent Conferences are held in October and March, and all students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. on these days. Teachers will contact parents to schedule these conferences. Other conferences are held throughout the school year at the parent, teacher, or administrator’s request.

  Parent Vue

Gwinnett County Public Schools has developed Parent Vue for parents to review their child’s school records and grades from the comfort of their own homes. Each parent will receive a password and will be able to access their children’s records. Please contact the front office to request information on how to set up your account.

  Telephone/Cell Phone Policy

The Gwinnett County Board of Education (BOE) permits students to have in their possession an electronic pager or communication device on a limited basis. However, the BOE prohibits the use by a student of any personal electronic communications device during school hours or on a school bus. The local school principal may set forth rules pertaining to student possession and use (O.C.G.A. 20-2-1183). Students may use school phones to call home, when necessary, with the permission of their teacher. We do not permit students to receive phone calls during the day, as this distracts them from the learning environment. All students’ personal phones should be turned off and kept in their book bag. Violation of this policy may result in a phone restriction at school. Additionally, the school is not responsible for lost or stolen cell phones or other devices.

  Report Cards

Students will be graded on a semester system. Report Cards will be issued and mailed from the district after the first semester (Winter Break) and second semester in June. Progress reports will be provided throughout the year, and grades may be checked via the Parent Vue. These dates are listed on the calendar.

Student Registration Information

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary welcomes all new students in Kindergarten through 5th grade! To register, please visit our website at gcpsk12.org/WinnHoltES and click on the “Registration” link under the Parent tab. There, you’ll find a detailed list of the required documents and instructions for completing the online registration process—whether your child is new to Gwinnett County Public Schools or transferring from another GCPS school.

All required documents must be submitted online.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call our front office at 678-376-8600.

Students Selling Items 

It is a violation of GCPS and Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School for students to sell anything to any other student for any payment. Consequences for violations could include an administrative warning or an in-school or out of –school suspension. We operate a School Store for classroom materials and students can access the store (stationed near the 1^st floor elevator) from 7:45A.M. until 8:10A.M.

  Textbooks

Textbooks and other instructional materials, including Chromebooks, are assigned to your student. It is the student’s responsibility to manage these materials. Textbooks, library books, digital devices, and other school materials must be paid for if lost, stolen, or damaged.

  Visiting the School

Parents and families are always welcome at Margaret Winn Holt Elementary. For you and your child’s protection, all visitors must check in at the main lobby desk, show identification, and be scanned in through the school’s security system. Visitors will be provided with a badge that must be worn while in the building. Adults without proper identification will be addressed by school staff and be required to check in at the front office for the required identification. Parents should never go to the classroom unannounced. This is a safety concern and understandably, an interruption to teaching and learning. Parents who are interested in visiting classrooms must plan the visit with the teacher or Assistant Principal. This request must be made at least 24 hours in advance. The teacher will notify parents once arrangements have been confirmed. In certain cases, an administrator may accompany the parent to the classroom for the visit, which is limited to 30 minutes.

  Volunteers

As stated above, parents and grandparents are always welcome at Margaret Winn Holt Elementary. We have numerous opportunities for interested parents to get involved in school. Our media center often needs volunteers to re-shelve books and to work during Book Fair weeks. Additionally, parent volunteers are welcome in our Parent Center. Your commitment to Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School is greatly appreciated.