September 22

The Weekly Water Buffalo

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Volume 28, Issue 4

GASSO (Georgia Student Scholarship Association)

What is on line 16 of form 500 your Georgia Income Taxes? If it is more than zero, you could be helping Sola Fide at NO COST TO YOU!! If you are part of a business that pays Georgia State Taxes, your business can contribute too. The only adjustment for you is that you’d pay your taxes months earlier than you usually pay them. An important deadline for this program is coming up in December. Check out https://www.georgiasso.com/ for more information. Mr. Schmiege would also be happy to schedule a one-on-one appointment with you to help you understand how the program works and how it benefits our school. 

Parent Teacher Consultations

There is an early dismissal at 12:30pm on Friday, October 7th. We will use the extra time that afternoon to hold parent-teacher consultations. Normal after care will not happen on October 7th, but we will provide child care DURING your consultation so that both parents are able to attend. If you have not yet indicated your time-slot preferences for your consultation, please use the form linked here: https://forms.gle/9HSBVZxRvjyiz6T37 

School Picture Ordering

Your child either received or will soon receive school picture proofs. You can order with a check and the paper form, but online ordering will be live soon. You can use the child-specific link and password in the bottom left and top left corner of the page. 

Traffic and Parking Lot

At the moment, construction at the Webb Gin House/Grayson HWY intersection seems intermittent, however it looks like it will be ramping up soon. Please make sure your morning commute has enough time to detour on Sugarloaf/HWY 124 or Hillside/Bennett if necessary. 

We’ve edited and adjusted parking lot things bit by bit, and we think we have a pattern that works well for 3:30 pm pickup. 

  • We have a 20 minute window to pick up students - 3:30 to 3:50. Usually, if you arrive at 3:40, there isn’t much of a line. 

  • We need the first six cars in line to pull around into parking spaces. That will help keep cars from backing up onto Webb Gin House Road.

  • We also need to carefully consider the spacing between cars. Of course, you should leave a safe space in front of your vehicle at all times, but in the pickup line, please consider reducing that space to the minimum safe distance so that we can fit everyone in the parking lot. 

  • Even when traffic is light, it helps when everyone going through the pickup line follows the areas delineated by the cones. It specifically helps there to be space for church-building pickups to happen safely.

  • Finally, when two cars are simultaneously turning right and left out onto Webb Gin House Road, it is very easy for one car to block the sight lines for the other, resulting in a longer wait for both cars. As you get ready to turn out of our parking lot, please be considerate of the car next to you. 

Homemade Cookie Contest

This Sunday at about 11:30, we’ll enjoy some cookies after worship. We’re asking students to cook up their favorite homemade cookie recipe. We’ll vote on a winner, and we’ll award a $25 gift card to a store/restaurant of that student’s choice. 

Singing Invitation

On Sunday, September 25th, we’re going to sing a song called “My Lighthouse” during worship at Sola Fide. A lot of kids in the Academy really like this song, so we’re inviting them to join the musicians in the front of the church to sing along during worship. Kids are invited to sing during the 8:00 or the 10:30am worship service (or both). 

The cookie fellowship that follows has been upgraded to a student cookie-baking contest. Students are encouraged to make their best batch of homemade cookies to share with their friends and congregation after worship on September 25th. 

PTA Meeting 

The next PTA meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 26th at 7pm. We’ll cover fall events like the Pumpkin Patch and Trunk or Treat. Please add it to your calendar.

Mr. Hudi will also be at this meeting and hopes to connect with the parents of guitar and violin students. If your child takes lessons from Mr. Hudi, please make an extra effort to attend. 

Fall Break 

There is no school during the week of October 17-21. Your teachers will be engaging in professional development. This is the one major time when our schedule differs from the Gwinnett County Schools Calendar. 

Important Dates

  • September 25 - Sing in Church!!

  • September 26 - PTA Meeting, 7pm

  • September 29 - Cross Country Meet - John’s Creek

  • October 7 - Early Dismissal - Parent-Teacher Consultations

  • October 13 - Cross Country Meet - Athens

  • October 17-21 - No School - Fall Break

Jeremiah Schmiege