W. L. Swain Elementary School

We’re incredibly proud of the ongoing commitment to learning and excellence shown by our amazing Gordon County Schools faculty and staff! Let’s celebrate recent achievements in advanced degrees, certifications, and endorsements across our schools.

From earning master's degrees to gaining specialized endorsements and certifications, our extraordinary educators are continuously growing to better serve our students and community.

Join us in congratulating these individuals for their hard work and dedication! #CelebratingGrowthGCS #ExtraordinaryGCS #GordonCountySchools

This year’s wellness challenge is built around a simple but powerful theme: “Walking and Water.” Our goal is to encourage healthier habits through daily movement and hydration.

Check out all of our Wellness activities and fun by visiting the Wellness Tab on the Human Resources page! Follow this link for more details: https://www.gcbe.org/o/gcs/page/wellness

W.L. Swain Elementary 4th grade teacher Felicia Greeson taught her students a grammar lesson today on subject and predicate. The class did a great job asking thoughtful questions and discussing how to find their answers! #ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

We are having an extraordinary first day of school at W.L. Swain Elementary! #ExtraordinaryWLS #ExtraordinaryGCS

🎉 Welcome to WLS, Mrs. Amanda Lawrence! 🎉
We’re excited to welcome Amanda Lawrence to our Swain family! Mrs. Lawrence is a 2001 graduate of Gordon Central and is currently working toward her degree in Education. Before joining us at Swain, she served as a substitute for Gordon County Schools and is now entering her second full year as a paraprofessional for GNETS.

She lives in Cartersville with her husband, Jerry, and their two children. Her son, Gary, is a junior at Cartersville High School, and her daughter, Elizabeth, will be joining us at WLS as a 1st grader!

When she’s not at school, Mrs. Lawrence enjoys playing the piano, reading, and watching true crime documentaries.

Please help us give Mrs. Lawrence a warm WLS welcome!

Gordon County Schools is excited to welcome students, families, and staff back for the first day of school on Friday, August 8, 2025! As we gear up for another year of learning and growth, we encourage everyone to check out our Back-to-School Guide. This helpful resource includes important information about enrollment, school supply lists, transportation, the academic calendar, and much more. You can view the guide by visiting https://www.gcbe.org/page/school-guide. If your child will need bus transportation this fall and is either new to the district, has recently moved, or is enrolling in Pre-K, please take a moment to complete our transportation survey. This will help our Transportation Department prepare more efficiently for the 2025–2027 school years. Pre-K families can complete their survey at https://forms.office.com/r/DccfhtLVci, and K-12 families can complete theirs at https://forms.office.com/r/EK89UGR4MH. We also value the voices of our families and invite you to share your thoughts on how we can continue to improve and uphold excellence in our schools. Please take a few minutes to complete our family feedback survey at https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/277370/p3228. We look forward to a fantastic school year ahead and can’t wait to see our students back in the classroom on August 8!

NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH/SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS

By participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and eliminating the need for meal applications, Gordon County Schools will reduce administrative and printing costs. Families also benefit from the elimination of completing and submitting meal applications.

Children need healthy meals to learn. Gordon County Schools offers healthy meals every school day at no charge to your child(ren). Our food service receives support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

The following schools will be participating in this alternative provision and provide meals at no charge to children during School Year 2025-2026:

All Gordon County Schools: Ashworth Middle, Belwood Elementary, Fairmount Elementary, Gordon Central High, Red Bud Elementary, Red Bud Middle, Sonoraville Elementary, Sonoraville High, Tolbert Elementary and WL Swain Elementary
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Nondiscrimination Statement: This explains what to do if you believe you have been treated unfairly.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or 3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Join us in welcoming Alayna Bobo, Kami Gwin, and Sheridyn Kretzschmar to W.L. Swain Elementary. We are excited to have them join our school community and look forward to a wonderful year together. Welcome to WLS! #ExtraordinaryGCS #ExtraordinaryWLS

💙 Welcome to W.L. Swain, Keshia Daniel! 💙 We are excited to welcome Keisha to our WLS family as our new custodian! Though new to Swain, Keisha is no stranger to our district—August 1st will mark her 4th year with Gordon County Schools! Keshia enjoys spending time outdoors, especially fishing, as well as talking with her two granddaughters and family, reading her Bible, and spending time in prayer. She also loves attending worship services at House 132, and stays active by going to the gym and running. Help us give Keshia a warm Swain welcome—we’re so glad she’s here!

🌟 Welcome to W.L. Swain, Sheridyn Kretzschmar! 🌟 We are thrilled to welcome Sheridyn Kretzschmar to our WLS family! This year, she will be joining our team as a kindergarten teacher. Sheridyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from Western Governors University and is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the same school. She brings five years of experience teaching Pre-K and is beyond excited to make the move into kindergarten here at Swain! Originally from Texas, Sheridyn moved to the area about four years ago. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors, crafting, reading, and listening to podcasts. Help us give Ms. Kretzschmar a big Swain welcome—we are so excited she’s apart of WLS family! 💙

🌟New Grade, Same Swain Heart! 🌟 We’re excited to share that Mrs. Kim Crider is moving into a new role here at W.L. Swain—she’ll be teaching 2nd grade this year! Mrs. Crider is a familiar face on campus, with 8 years of teaching experience, all right here at Swain! She’s spent 7 of those years in kindergarten and 1 year in 5th grade, and she’s now ready to bring her passion and energy to our 2nd grade team. She graduated from Dawson County High School, earned her bachelor’s degree from Shorter University, and completed her master’s degree at Columbus State University. Mrs. Crider lives in Ranger with her husband, Joseph, and their daughter, Emersyn. She enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and worshipping Jesus with her family. We are so excited for this new chapter and know she will make a big impact on her students in 2nd grade!

🎉 Exciting News at W.L. Swain! 🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that Mrs. Tiffany Mears is making a big move—right into 3rd grade! After 10 years of teaching (mostly in 1st grade), Mrs. Mears is stepping into her new role as our 3rd grade Math teacher, and we couldn’t be more excited for her and her future students! Mrs. Mears holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with Reading and ESOL endorsements from The Baptist University of Florida. Before joining Swain, she also taught 3rd grade in Florida. Mrs. Mears has called Calhoun home since 2016, and she absolutely loves being part of this community! She and her husband have two children—Maizie (7) and Jack (4). Maizie will be starting second grade this year, and Jack is excited to begin Pre-K. As a family, they enjoy spending time together fishing, camping, watching movies, and making memories outdoors. We know Mrs. Mears will bring energy, experience, and a love for learning to her new classroom.💙

🌟 Welcome to W.L. Swain, Ryann Bobo! 🌟 We are so excited to welcome Ryann Bobo to our WLS family! Ryann will be teaching 3rd grade writing this school year. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Dalton State College and her Master’s degree in Reading and Literacy from Walden University. Ryann brings 6 years of experience teaching 2nd grade in Walker County and is thrilled to begin this exciting new chapter in 3rd grade at Swain! Outside the classroom, Ryann enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, crafting, camping, and exploring the outdoors. She recently got engaged, which brought her to our area, and she couldn’t be more excited to start this new adventure both personally and professionally! Help us give Ms. Bobo a big Swain welcome—we’re lucky to have her! 💙

Don't forget that you can check out the Gordon County Schools supply list for all 10 schools in one convenient location! Be sure to visit the GCS website for this and all your back-to-school information.

Supplies List: https://www.gcbe.org/page/supplies
Back-to-School Guide: https://www.gcbe.org/page/school-guide

🌟 Welcome to W.L. Swain, Kami Gwin! 🌟 We are so excited to welcome Kami Gwin to our WLS family! Kami will be teaching 1st grade this school year. Originally from Adairsville, GA, Kami recently graduated from Dalton State College in December with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. This will be her first official year of teaching, and she is beyond excited to meet her sweet 1st graders! When she’s not in the classroom, Kami enjoys playing pickleball, collecting rock n’ roll memorabilia, and drinking lots of coffee Join us in giving Ms. Gwin a warm WLS welcome—we know she’s going to be a wonderful addition to our WLS family! 💙

📣 Back-to-School Reminder!

Everyone at Gordon County Schools is excited to welcome families back to our campuses for Open House and Orientation events as we prepare for a great new school year! Mark your calendars:

✅ Pre-K Orientation
📅 Tuesday, August 5
🕣 8:30 AM
📍 At all six elementary schools

✅ Elementary School Open House
📅 Tuesday, August 5
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

✅ Middle School Open House
📅 Wednesday, August 6
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

✅ High School Freshman & New Student Orientation
📅 Thursday, August 7
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

We look forward to seeing our students and families as we launch another year of learning, growth, and opportunity!

Gordon County Schools utilizes My Ride K-12, a parent communication app, for transportation operations and parent information. My Ride K-12 is integrated with our transportation software for families to access estimated times of arrival or departure for buses. My Ride K-12 is designed so you can access your student’s bus schedules efficiently. GPS technology on the bus works with the district’s software to automatically calculate the timing of a bus route to give you the most accurate ETAs with real-time updates and route changes. My Ride K-12 is available for you to download on your Apple or Android mobile device. Our flyer provides step-by-step registration instructions, and you can access the app to download in a variety of ways. Scan the QR code on the flyer, follow the hyperlinks below, or search your app store for “My Ride K-12” to download and register your family on the app. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-ride-k-12/id6443848115 Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/myridek-12

📣 Back-to-School Reminder!

Gordon County Schools are excited to welcome families back to our campuses for Open House and Orientation events as we prepare for a great new school year! Mark your calendars:

✅ Pre-K Orientation
📅 Tuesday, August 5
🕣 8:30 AM
📍 At all six elementary schools

✅ Elementary School Open House
📅 Tuesday, August 5
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

✅ Middle School Open House
📅 Wednesday, August 6
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

✅ High School Freshman & New Student Orientation
📅 Thursday, August 7
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

We look forward to seeing our students and families as we launch another year of learning, growth, and opportunity!