W. L. Swain Elementary School

Some of our amazing Swain staff teamed up today to spread a little extra care and kindness by distributing Winter Break Feeding Program boxes, proudly sponsored by Gordon County Schools. ❤️ It truly is a team effort, and we’re grateful to be part of a community that works together to support our students and families—especially during the holiday season. Swain is better because of teamwork and heart! #SwainNation #ExtraordinaryWLS

5 days ago, India Bennett

🎉⭐️🎸December ROCKSTAR ALERT! 🎸⭐️🎉 Our spotlight continues to shine on some of AMAZING Rockstars at WLS! 🌟 This month, teachers and staff nominated someone who shows true PRIDE—Polite, Responsible, Inclusive, Determined, and Engaged. For the month of December, our focus was on being Engaged, and these Rockstars make sure they show this every day ✨ 👏 A HUGE congratulations to our PRIDE Winners: 🍎 Teacher Rockstar: India Bennett 🦸 Staff Rockstar: Tia Muse These two incredible ladies were chosen for their dedication to students and staff and for always going above and beyond in everything they do.

5 days ago, India Bennett

Important Update: Holiday Chorus Concert Out of an abundance of caution and with respect for the students who have worked so hard but are unable to perform at this time, we are postponing the Holiday Chorus Concert, which was scheduled for this evening. The concert will be rescheduled for a date in January, and we will share the new date as soon as it is confirmed. Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our students. Please stay tuned for updates.

9 days ago, India Bennett

District leaders presented schools today with banners celebrating outstanding performance ratings on the Georgia 2025 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). Congratulations to W. L. Swain Elementary for their district-level achievements in Content Mastery: Science and ELL Proficiency!

#ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

CCRPI scores are calculated using multiple indicators that measure student achievement, progress, readiness, and closing gaps. A key component of the CCRPI is student performance and growth on state assessments, including the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) tests. Additional factors include graduation rates, progress of English Learners, and indicators of college and career readiness.

Content Mastery: Looks at how well students are performing on Georgia Milestones tests in core subject areas, representing their level of academic proficiency.

English Learner (ELL) Proficiency: Evaluates the progress of English learners in developing English language skills, using the ACCESS for ELLs assessment.

13 days ago, Gordon County Schools

Congratulations to Anthony Nguyen! Anthony impressed everyone with his creative and unique digital game design, earning 1st place in the 3rd & 4th grade division for Digital Game Design! He has made Swain proud, and we are excited to cheer him on as he continues to represent the Gordon County District at the regional competition in January. 🎉Way to go, Anthony! 🥳

21 days ago, India Bennett

W. L. Swain Elementary music teacher Andy McLeod had students working hard in music stations today as they explored a variety of percussion and keyboard instruments. Students practiced playing rhythms on drums and read music to perform on instruments such as bells and a miniature piano. It was great to see students engaged, active, and making music while building foundational skills in music literacy.

#ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

22 days ago, Gordon County Schools

Congratulations to our Family Engagement Connection Prize Pack Winner! 🎉 We are excited to announce that Jace Elrod was randomly selected as our school’s winner for the district-wide Family Engagement Month contest! Entries were collected from families who completed activities from the Family Engagement Calendars posted on our district website. Each prize pack included games and snacks for a fun family game night, a family pass to the Savoy Automobile Museum, and a gift card to a local restaurant. A special thank you to our amazing sponsors for supporting family engagement in Gordon County Schools: Food City, Wal-Mart, Savoy Automobile Museum, Cassie’s on Wall Street, Christian & Jake’s, Big John’s, Bowman’s Restaurant, and Yellow Jacket Drive-In. Congratulations again to Jace Elrod, and thank you to all of our families who participated!

about 1 month ago, India Bennett

🎉⭐️🎸November ROCKSTAR ALERT! 🎸⭐️🎉 Our spotlight continues to shine on some of AMAZING Rockstars at WLS! 🌟 This month, teachers and staff nominated someone who shows true PRIDE—Polite, Responsible, Inclusive, Determined, and Engaged. For the month of November, our focus was on being Determination, and these Rockstars make sure they show this every day ✨ 👏 A HUGE congratulations to our PRIDE Winners: 🍎 Teacher Rockstar: Carrie Arnold 🦸 Staff Rockstar: Jessica Bates These two incredible ladies were chosen for their dedication to students and staff and for always going above and beyond in everything they do. 💙 Let’s give them a big round of applause in the comments below! 👏 Way to go, Rockstars! 🎤⭐️

about 1 month ago, India Bennett

We are truly thankful for the amazing school nutrition team at W. L. Swain Elementary and for Director Nicole Head, who joined in cooking and serving a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for students and families!

We also appreciate every school nutrition staff member across the district for providing delicious and nutritious meals daily—your dedication makes such a difference. #ExtraordinaryWLS #ExtraordinaryGCS

about 1 month ago, Gordon County Schools

Our "Winter Holiday Meal Box" registration is now open! Registration ends Wednesday, November 19th at 11:59 p.m., so act quickly if you are interested!

Gordon County Schools is excited to support families this holiday season by providing 10 breakfasts and 10 lunches per child to help cover meals during Winter Holidays/Christmas Break. This program is open to all children ages 0–18 (and 0–21 for students with special needs) in Gordon County; no school enrollment required.

Pickup Date & Time:

Friday, December 19th — 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
(PLEASE NOTE: There has been a change to our previous survey. GCS was notified that we are only permitted to do pickup for Friday, December 19th due to regulations pertaining to this amazing program. We will be notifying anyone who originally chose Thursday's date to let each family know of the change and whether they can still pick up or not.)

Pickup locations vary by school; please select your preferred site in the form. Registration is required to accurately supply food. One meal kit per child.

We look forward to serving our Gordon County families this holiday season!

about 1 month ago, Gordon County Schools

Spelling Bee Spotlight! Today, our 4th and 5th grade class spelling bee winners took the stage for our schoolwide Spelling Bee, and wow—what a competition! These incredible students powered through seven intense rounds of spelling fun and showed off some serious word-power. It all came down to two 4th graders, Leland Hamby and Leah Norris. In Round 7, Leland spelled his way to the top and became our Schoolwide Spelling Bee Champion! 🏆✨ He will proudly represent us at the countywide spelling bee! We are SO proud of every single one of our spellers for earning their spot on that stage and giving it their all today. Please join us in cheering on Leland as he moves forward—good luck, Leland! You’ve got this!

about 1 month ago, India Bennett

W.L. Swain Elementary kindergarten teacher Erin Proctor guided her students in a fun and meaningful writing lesson focused on expressing themselves with details in their stories. You would be amazed at what these young writers can create!

#ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

about 1 month ago, Gordon County Schools

We’d like to give a HUGE congratulations to our Classroom Spelling Bee Winners and Runner-Ups! 🐝 These students went letter for letter, tackling some seriously tricky words and keeping us all on the edge of our seats! Our Classroom Winners will move on to the School Spelling Bee on November 18th, and that champion will then represent us at the County Spelling Bee! 🏆 We are so proud of these students for their hard work, focus, and courage to get up there and spell their hearts out! 💛🖤 5th Grade Winners: 🏅 Jace Elrod 🏅 Adelynn Greissinger 🏅 Santiago Torres 5th Grade Runner-Ups: 🌟 Brittylnn Lanham 🌟 Matthew Newport 🌟 Justin Penamon 4th Grade Winners: 🏅Isabella Brown 🏅Leland Hamby 🏅Leah Norris 4th Grade Runner-Ups: 🌟Jaelyn Ingold 🌟Grayson Leatherwood 🌟Anthony Nguyen Way to go, spellers — you’ve got us all buzzing with excitement! 🐝

about 2 months ago, India Bennett

October ROCKSTAR ALERT! Our spotlight is shining bright on some of the AMAZING Rockstars at WLS! 🌟 Each month, teachers and staff nominate someone who truly shows PRIDE — Polite, Responsible, Inclusive, Determined, and Engaged. For October, our focus was on being INCLUSIVE, and these Rockstars show it every single day! ✨ 👏 A HUGE congratulations to our PRIDE Winners! 🍎 Teacher Rockstar: Carrie Barnett 🦸 Staff Rockstar: Taylor Martin These two incredible ladies were chosen for their dedication to our students and staff — always going above and beyond in everything they do. 💙 Let’s give them a BIG round of applause in the comments below! 👏 Way to go, Rockstars! 🎤⭐️

about 2 months ago, India Bennett

Gordon Central’s Teaching as a Profession class hosted Swain Elementary kindergarten students today for fun, hands-on learning activities and projects led by Mrs. Albright’s TAP students! #ExtraordinaryGCS

2 months ago, Gordon County Schools

Congratulations to two elementary schools for being recognized at the recent Gordon County Schools Board of Education meeting for their outstanding achievements.

W.L. Swain Elementary was honored by the Georgia Department of Education as a 2025 Title I Reward School, placing them among the top 5% of Title I schools in the state for making the most progress in student achievement. This recognition is based on the most recent two years of state testing data in English Language Arts and mathematics. The award reflects the hard work and commitment of Swain’s students, staff, parents, and administration. Accepting the recognition on behalf of W.L. Swain Elementary were Principal Tara Green, Assistant Principal Stacy Calvert, and teachers India Bennett and Monica Nacey

Sonoraville Elementary was also recognized for being named an Apple Distinguished School, an achievement that highlights the school’s innovative use of instructional technology to promote student collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Sonoraville Elementary joins Ashworth, Tolbert, Swain, and Fairmount Elementary in earning this distinction, with fewer than 15 schools in Georgia holding this honor. Recognized on behalf of Sonoraville Elementary were Principal Kelly Rampy, Assistant Principal Nicole Burgess, and Instructional Technology Coordinator Whitney Prather, who supported the application and video submission process.

#ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS #ExtraordinarySES

2 months ago, Gordon County Schools

🎉⭐️🎸 September ROCKSTAR ALERT! 🎸⭐️🎉 Our spotlight continues to shine on some of our AMAZING Rockstars at WLS!🌟 This month, teachers and staff nominated someone who shows true PRIDE—Polite, Responsible, Inclusive, Determined, and Engaged. For the month of September, our focus was on RESPONSIBLE, and our Rockstars shined bright! ✨ 👏 A HUGE congratulations to our PRIDE Winners: 🍎 Teacher Rockstar: Elizabeth Jarrett 🦸 Staff Rockstar: Savannah Silvers These two incredible ladies were chosen for their dedication to students and staff and for always going above and beyond in everything they do. 💙 Let’s give them a big round of applause in the comments below! 👏 Way to go, Rockstars! 🎤⭐️

3 months ago, India Bennett

W.L. Swain Elementary 4th grade teacher Laura Hall was working with her students on long division today. Her class practiced problem-solving strategies and showed great effort as they built confidence in their math skills. #ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

3 months ago, Gordon County Schools

Wow! This school year is flying by—we’re almost to Fall Break!

Fall Break is next week, October 6–10. We hope you enjoy a restful and fun break.

We will see everyone back on Monday, October 13!

3 months ago, India Bennett

As a school, we have raised $800! 🎉 We think we can make it even further toward reaching our goal of $10,000 for Connections Funding and School Incentives! If you’re CURIOUS about the W. L. Swain Elementary School Glow Run program, check out today’s classroom video and make sure you’re signed up at MyBooster.com. Tonight our challenge is Student Star Video Challenge - Get registered on mybooster.com and make a Student Star Video. If you are donating funds, sharing your page, volunteering your time—it makes a difference for W. L. Swain Elementary School. Thank you!

3 months ago, India Bennett