Bethesda Elementary School
Principal: Katrina Larmond
525 Bethesda School Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
School Highlights
The following school highlights showcase how Bethesda Elementary School is fulfilling Gwinnett County Public School's four strategic priorities of Empathy, Equity, Effectiveness, and Excellence. Visit the School Profile Dashboard to find more detailed data on our school.
- In its 10th year for 2023-24, our Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program served students in grades K–5, teaching the curriculum in English and Spanish. We also provided a Spanish Special for all students.
- Bethesda continues to promote cultural awareness and community unity by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) History Month, and hosting International Night.
- To aid school readiness, Bethesda hosted rising kindergartners during the summer and offered Play 2 Learn sessions on Thursdays throughout the school year. During Play 2 Learn, families with children aged 3 to 5 worked with a certified teacher to prepare for school. We also hosted a Little Learners session once a month on Fridays.
- Bethesda's parent center provided instructional resources to support student academic success. Through workshops and evening programs, parents learned strategies to help their children improve in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, writing, and test-taking. The center also offered English classes for non-English-speaking parents and cooking and home-buying courses. It partnered with the University of Georgia (UGA) for parenting and wellness classes.
- Bethesda's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) sponsored events like Harvest Fest, International Night, school dances, and fundraisers to boost family engagement.
- Bethesda offered extracurricular activities such as Chorus, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Safety Patrol, Student Council, Dance, Drama, and Robotics.
- During Bethesda's annual College Week, college students participated in a panel discussion to give students a firsthand view of the college experience. Career Day and Careers on Wheels offered students opportunities to learn about various careers as volunteers shared insights about their workplaces, job roles, and the necessary education and skills.
- The Georgia Department of Education recognized Bethesda ES with Operational status for implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS), a framework for fostering positive behaviors by rewarding students for exhibiting appropriate decision-making and behavior at school.
- Our staff received comprehensive training in Instructional Conversations, a strategy to foster meaningful dialogue and deeper understanding among students. They implemented this approach in classrooms to increase collaboration, promote critical thinking, and enhance student engagement and academic achievement.
- Bethesda collaborated with Strong 4 Life to promote healthy habits among students. Through this partnership, we implemented programs and activities focused on nutrition, physical activity, and mental well-being, aiming to instill lifelong healthy habits in our students.