GATORAID

~ Absence Line 408-252-5414-6 ~ FAX 408-996-9725

School Phone: 408-252-5414

Boa rd o f Ed tend uca ent: tion Dr. W Boa end r y Gu Anja d Mem dale bers li K Jose wicz ausa : phin r, Be e Lu n Li ce ao, Phy y, Gary llis McC Voge ue, l Sup erin

CUP

GAR DEN ERT GAT INO UNI E ELEM 105 ON ENT 00 A SC ARY NN ARB HOOL CUP OR DIS ERT T AVE Bra INO NUE RICT ndi , CA Hu Azm 950 14 eh M cko Prin alik cipa - PT l A Pr esid ent

SCHOOL CALENDAR
OCTOBER 4, 2012
10/1-10/5 10/4-10/12 10/4 10/5 10/9 10/10 10/12 10/15-10/19 10/17 10/18 10/19 10/22 & 10/23 10/22-10/25 10/23 10/26 10/29 10/31 CEEF - GREAT SCHOOLS WEEK PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES PTA MEETING - GLC REFLECTIONS ENTRY DEADLINE CUSD BOARD MEETING SPIRIT WEAR ORDER DEADLINE DIRECT DONATIONS DEADLINE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - GLC SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING BOOK FAIR & ICE CREAM SOCIAL SCHOOL SPIRIT - SPORTS DAY HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PREVIEW (FOR GRADE 5 PARENTS) COLLINS SCHOOL - GLC RED RIBBON WEEK C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING FALL CELEBRATION - GARDEN GATE FIELD STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE

7:15 p.m. 12:00 noon 6:00 p.m.

3:45 p.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m. 6:00-7:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 3:00-5:00 p.m. 8:15 a.m.

EVERY TUESDAY IS EARLY DISMISSAL Students are dismissed at 1:30. PRE-PAY FOR CUSD LUNCHES at PAMS (Parent Account Management System) Lunchroom! You can make payments and view your students account balance online by going to http://www.pamslunchroom.com or by calling 1-888-994-5100. TO EMAIL STAFF:lastname_firstname@cusdk8.org ATTENDANCE: If your child will be absent, please call 252-5414. Ext. 6, by 8:30 a.m. to report the absence. HOMEWORK: Homework may be requested for illness absences of three days or more. Please call the office before 9:00 a.m. to request the homework for pickup after 3:00 p.m.

FROM OUR PRINCIPAL....MS. HUCKO!

PAGE

Parent-Teacher Conferences Begin Today!

Conferences will take place October 4-12. All Kindergartners attend 8:00-11:25 a.m. Grades 1-5 will be dismissed at 12:40 p.m. Please arrange to have your child picked up promptly. Trimester conferences are an opportunity to: Share information about student strengths, interests, and needs. Establish a caring and collaborative relationship. Develop mutual goals for student learning and behavior. Teachers, parents, and students (when appropriate) set goals directly related to district standards for student learning as well as specific social, emotional, and behavioral goals appropriate to the student and the grade level. They also identify strategies to support student attainment of grade level standards. In addition, the goal setting conference held early in the year allows teachers and parents to identify students at risk of retention and design interventions to help them meet grade level standards. Take advantage of this opportunity with your childs teacher! Thank you for being involved.

Chores Build Responsibility and Confidence

How do your childs chores compare to ones you had at her age? According to a survey, kids arent required to do as much today as kids did in the past. That means todays kids may lack chances to develop traits that could help them in school and throughout life. When adding chores to your fall schedule: Choose carefully. Pick jobs that are challenging, but manage-able. (Your child might water household plants, for example.) Remember that everyday responsibilities, such as putting away toys, studying and clearing dishes after dinner, arent chores. Limit rewards. If you give your child an allowance, separate it from chores. Everyone should be expected to pitch in, and feel great about doing so! Make comments like, It helps so much when you set the table! Thanks! Make work fun. Chores should not be intolerable or feel like punishments. Turn cleaning into a game by setting a timer to beat the clock. Or listen to an audio book or music. Consider advantages. Age appropriate chores have countless benefits for your child. Among them are confidence, responsibility, pride, exercise, consideration for others, and more time for family fun! Source: A. Hill, Lack of household chores making children less responsible, claims survey, www.guardian.co.uk/ lifeandstyle/ 2009/nov/15/child-development-chores- responsibility.

Propellers
Do you wonder how to connect better with your children? Do you wonder what matters to them, and how you can assist them to grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible citizens? I encourage you to try a "propeller" - a question intended to spark conversations with your children. Try it around the dinner table tonight! This week's Propeller: Have you ever been really disappointed by someone you trusted? How did you react?

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

PAGE

HelloGardenGateFamilies,
PTAMEETINGISTONIGHT TonightisthePTAmeetingforthemonthofOctober.ThemeetingwillbeheldintheGLCand willbeginat7:15p.m.Iencourageallparentsandinterestedpersonstoattend.Youcangetimportant updatesandnews,voiceyouropinion,ordiscussmattersyouwouldliketobringtothePTAsattention.Itisthe perfectplaceforyoutohaveanopendialogueaboutPTArelatedissues.Idohopeyouwilljoinus. IMPORTANTUPDATE!SPIRITWEARORDERDEADLINEISEXTENDED! ThelastdaytoorderGardenGateSpiritwearforyourchildrenoryourself,hasbeenextendedtoWednesday, October10th.Thiswillbetheonlyopportunitythisschoolyeartoplaceyourorder.Thisyear,theTshirtsare blackandcardinalredandthehoodedsweatshirtsareblackandnavyblue.Theyaretheperfectitemstowear onGatorDays,atSchooleventsandespeciallyonFIELDTRIPS.YourchildwilllovewearingSpiritwear!Youstill havetimetoshowyourschoolspiritbyorderingoneTODAY! REFLECTIONSCONTESTENDINGTOMORROW!!!! Friday,October5thisthedeadlinefortheReKlectionsContest.Tomorrowatnoon isthelastdayforsubmittingallstudententriesfortheRePlectionscontest.Please rememberthatentriesbroughtinafter12p.m.willnotbeaccepted.Bestofluck GATORS! DIRECTDONATION PleaserememberthattheDirectDonationdeadlineisFriday,October12th.Sofar,nineclassroomshave accomplishedfullparticipationinDirectDonationDrive.Theywillcelebratewithaclassroompopsicleparty. Pleasenotethatitisnotmandatorytosendadonationwiththereturningorangeenvelope,butitisimperative thateverystudentbringbacktheORANGEENVELOPE(withorwithoutadonation)inordertoqualifyforthe party.

FALLBOOKFAIR GardenGate'sFallBookFairisbeginningonMonday,October15thandendingon Friday,October,19th.TheFairwillbeopenforaFamilyFallSocialeventonThursday, October18thfrom5:307:30p.m.AllGardenGatefamiliesareinvitedandencouraged tovisittheFair.Ifyoumakeapurchaseatthefamilyevent,youwillbeeligibletoenter adrawingtobeoneofourtenluckywinnersfora$5ScholasticgiftcertiPicate.There willalsobedeliciousSchwansicecreamavailableforyoutopurchaseandenjoyduring theevent. Hopeyouallhaveawonderfulweek! AzmehMalik GardenGatePTAPresident azmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com
Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

GATORAID!
DISTRICT HEALTH GUIDELINES

PAGE

! Speak Up & Parents 14th, 2012 rs er ,Educato Students ber 3rd Decemb cto Staff, Open O dents, and
en Dear Gard e use of on about th conversati ugh Speak Up, a the Please join for learning thro survey is he online ology techn Project. T d parents alike esearch National R ents, educators an olved. We value v tud open to s k and easy to get in regards to how quic as in and ide and its on and opinions, t's educati your input, impacts our studen ill participate w y technolog We hope that you y will be re. The surve urvey eir futu dback. th e your fee take the s and provid ecember 14th. To ls.org/ D o open until ww.speakup4scho it: http://w vis 01 2 speakup2 w Your pass rdengate ord is: ga Gate Pare nts, Stu

It is important that our children follow good health practices at all times and be kept at home when they are ill. A child should not be in school when he or she is ill and is experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: Nausea or vomiting (must remain at home until free of symptoms for 24 hours). Diarrhea (must remain at home until free of symptoms for 24 hours). Severe headache. Continuous coughing or runny nose. Evidence of a communicable disease such as a rash, swelling or unusual sore throat. A temperature of 100 degrees or higher (must remain at home until he/she has a normal 98.6 degree temperature for 24 hours without the use of a fever reducer such as Tylenol). Conjunctivitis-pink eye. Undiagnosed rash (rashes need to be verified by your doctor that they are non-contagious; a note is needed). If a student is sent home from school for feeling ill, the child may not return that day. A doctors note for absences over seven (7) days is required. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep all children and staff healthy.

VOLUNTEER TB POLICY

INDEPENDENT STUDY CONTRACTS

If you plan to be away from school for a minimum of five school days and a maximum of ten school days, please contact the school office and your childs teacher at least three weeks ahead of your departure date to arrange for a special Independent Study Contract. The following guidelines must be followed: A student must be enrolled for three consecutive weeks before an Independent Contract can be initiated. The contract and homework must be returned the first day back to school with all the work completed, so days missed do not count as unexcused absences. Students who are absent for more than ten consecutive days will be dropped from the school roster. When the student returns, if space is available at his or her school, the student will be reinstated with the presentation of a current PG&E bill. If no space is available, the student will be assigned to another school in the district where space is available.

We are always grateful to those of you who want to volunteer and share your time and talents with our students. It is important for all of us to continue to keep our school a safe and healthy place. In order to accomplish this, classroom volunteers, and others who regularly interact with students, must supply the school office with a record of a negative PPD Skin Test (dated within the last four years), or a negative X-Ray result.

PRE-PAY FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES ONLINE

For your convenience, you are encouraged to pay for your childrens school lunches online. If you do not have an account set up, go to http://www.paypams.com. You will need to provide your childs PIN and billing information. Payments may be made by credit/debit cards or by electronic check withdrawal from your bank account. You can make payments, view your childs payment history and change payment preferences 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This web site can also be used by parents to check account balances. If parents choose not to pay on-line, the inquiry service is still free to use. Parents can simply use their childs PIN to set up an account with no payment required. The lunch price is $2.75 for students. The milk and juice price is 75 cents. Lunch menus are posted on the district web-site. www.cupertino.ca.campusgrid.net/home

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

GATORAID!

PAGE

BE A HERO! PROTECT OUR GREAT SCHOOLS!

Get ready to dine, shop and play during Great Schools Week, October 1-5. Grab your family, friends and colleagues and show your support for educational excellence. Great Schools Week is an annual community-wide event to support high quality education in the Cupertino Union School District. Local business partners pledge to donate a percentage of sales from the event, and 18,000 district students, their families, as well as thousands of local residents are encouraged to DINE, SHOP, and PLAY throughout the week. More than 150 local businesses have participated in the event since 2010. All funds raised during Great Schools Week are applied towards exceptional classroom programs. Additional information is available at: http://CEEFCares.org/gsw Great Schools Week is sponsored by the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF), a community partner for excellence in local education.

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS PREVIEW

Children need to acquire accurate information about the growth and development of boys and girls so that they can make responsible decisions. In keeping with this concept, the Cupertino Union School District promotes informed, responsible action through instruction, which supports the home in this important area of human behavior. Parents will be provided an opportunity to preview a sampling of the Grade 5 Human Growth and Development videos that will be shown to your children. The previews are scheduled for two nights Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23, 6:00 7:30 p.m. at Collins Elementary School Guided Learning Center, 10300 N. Blaney Avenue, Cupertino. Children are not recommended to attend no childcare provisions are available.

DISTRICT CALENDAR 2012-2013 (ALL SCHOOLS EXCEPT MURDOCK-PORTAL)

October 29, 2012 November 12, 2012 November 19-23, 2012 December 24, 2012-January 4, 2013 January 7, 2013 January 21, 2013 February 4, 2013 February 18-22, 2013 April 15-19, 2013 May 24, 2013 May 27, 2013 June 12, 2013 Staff Learning Day - No School Veterans Day Observed Thanksgiving Recess Winter Recess Students Return Martin Luther King Day Staff Learning Day - No School Mid-Year Recess Spring Recess Staff Learning Day - No School Memorial Day Last Day of School

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125