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Families gathered around to enjoy the sight as Ms. Nunez, Mr. Pietzman, and staff taught students a line dance at GBE Night.

Dear GBE,

As we approach the Thanksgiving break, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your continued support and partnership. It is the enthusiasm and commitment of our students, families, and staff that truly makes GBE a special place.

We are thrilled to share the tremendous success of our family engagement events. Our annual Thanksgiving Lunch was an amazing success! The turnout was higher than ever! Seeing so many of our families gather together to share fellowship and food was a heartwarming reminder of the strength of our GBE community. We also want to give a special shout-out for the incredible success of GBE Night, a beautiful celebration of the diverse cultures that make up our school. The energy of the evening was truly inspiring and connected us closer as a school community through learning from each other and enjoying our time together building wonderful memories!  We want to recognize Ms. Katie Cho for her leadership and efforts in organizing this spectacular event! Her dedication ensured it was a night to remember for everyone. Thank you for joining us for such a fun event! 

We also held a Family Workshop focused on avoidance behaviors that affect attendance. We have made significant progress with improving regular attendance at GBE! Currently, 6.2% of our students are chronically absent. This is the lowest our rate has been in quite some time! Prior to 2020, GBE's chronic absentee rate was around 7%. We reached 22% at one point three years ago. The incredible progress over the last three years is a testament to each family and staff member working collaboratively to support regular school attendance for our students. Research is clear that missing 18 or more days of school in a school year has lasting impacts on a student's future success. Our team is readily available to support any family facing challenges with regular school attendance. Please don't hesitate to reach out! 

Thank you again for all you do to support our students and our school. We love our GBE community, and we are grateful to serve your students. The feeling of community was palpable during our recent events. As we close out Family Engagement Month, we will continue to strengthen relationships to create the exceptional learning environment each GBE student, family member, and staff member deserves! GBE is an example of what is possible through public education! Thank you for being a part of our school community. 

We wish everyone a safe, restful, and truly wonderful Thanksgiving Break!

Sincerely, 

Dave Pietzman, NBCT

Principal

Thanksgiving Luncheon 

We loved seeing so many GBE families gather for fellowship and food at our Thanksgiving Luncheon. Thank you to all the families who joined us!

GBE Night 

GBE Night was a wonderful celebration of our school community! To see highlights and more photos from the evening, please follow our social media accounts.

Watch our teachers, administration, and staff showcase their best dance moves as they line-dance together at GBE Night!

Calendar Reminders

• Wednesday, November 26 - Student Holiday - NO SCHOOL
• Thursday, November 27 - Student Holiday - NO SCHOOL 
• Friday, November 28 - Student Holiday - NO SCHOOL 
• Wednesday, December 17, 1:00 - Early Release Wednesday 

Schools and offices will be closed November 26 to 28. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Classes will resume on Monday, December 1. See the complete school year calendar.

Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15

Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Stephanie Gardner, sngardner1@fcps.edu,  no later than December 15, 2025.

Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.

Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services. 

Next Steps for Parents

Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Stephanie Gardner, sngardner1@fcps.edu. 

At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year. 

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.