GATORAID

School Phone: 408-252-5414 ~ Absence Line 408-252-5414-6 ~ FAX 408-996-9725

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SCHOOL CALENDAR MAY 3, 2012

4/30-5/11 5/3 5/13
5/14-5/18

7:15 P.M.

STAR TESTING PTA MEETING HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

BOOK FAIR

5/16 5/17 5/17 5/18 5/21-5/25 5/21 STUDENTS 5/21 5/22 5/25 5/28 5/29 5/29 5/30 5/30 6/1 6/5 6/5 6/5 6/6 6/12

3:45 P.M. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING 5:00-700 P.M. BOOK FAIR 7:00-8:00 P.M. OPEN HOUSE SCHOOL SPIRIT - SUNGLASS DAY STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK 6:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - MRS. MORRIS KINDERGARTEN 7:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - ALL GRADE 2 STUDENTS C.U.S.D BOARD MEETING STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL 6:30 P.M. SCOOL SPIRIT BAND CONCERT - INTERMEDIATE BAND - GLC 7:30 P.M. SCOOL SPIRIT BAND CONCERT - BEGINNING BAND - GLC 6:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - MRS. KETCHAMS GRADE 1 STUDENTS 7:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - MRS. MORRIS GRADE 1 STUDENTS 2:00-3:30 P.M. FUN N SUN - GARDEN GATE FIELD ELECTION DAY 6:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - MRS. KETCHAMS KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 7:00 P.M. MUSIC CONCERT - ALL GRADE 3 STUDENTS 6:00 P.M. H.E.A.S.T. PERFORMANCE - GLC LAST DAY OF SCHOOL EARLY DISMISSAL FOR ALL STUDENTS ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ATTEND 8:00-11:20

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!

STAR TESTING IS UNDERWAY

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Many thanks to the parents who worked to make sure their children do not need to be taken out of school to attend appointments this week. Please continue to make sure that children get plenty of rest, eat a nutritious breakfast, and do not have appointments scheduled during the school day. The STAR Testing window closes on Friday, May 11. The regular curriculum will resume at that time.

PARENT SURVEY RESULTS

I was so pleased to see that 615 out of 760 families completed our Parent Survey this year - that's an 80% response rate! In last week's Gatoraid, I shared some data from the "Academics" section of the survey with you. I'll continue to share data in future Gatoraids. The Garden Gate staff will also examine the data and identify the next steps toward improvement. Thank you for providing valuable feedback about our school! Next week, I'll share the second half of data from the "School Environment" section of the survey. This week's data is from the "School Environment" section of the survey. Due to space constraints, I'll share half of the data this week, and the other half next week. 563 of the 615 families (92%) who took the survey completed the "School Environment" section of the survey. 91% strongly agreed or agreed: "Garden Gate has clear, consistent rules for behavior" (6% had no opinion) 87% strongly agreed or agreed: "Disciplinary actions (consequences) are fair and have been explained to students" (10% had no opinion) 86% strongly agreed or agreed: "My child has received appropriate praise and recognition" (9% had no opinion) 89% strongly agreed or agreed: "My child has developed skills that help him/her work cooperatively with others" (8% had no opinion) 90% strongly agreed or agreed: "Garden Gate promotes awareness and understanding of other cultures and ethnic groups" (8% had no opinion) 87% strongly agreed or agreed: "Garden Gate provides my child with experiences to help him/her develop self confidence" (11% had no opinion) 93% strongly agreed or agreed: "Garden Gate students are encouraged to respect and appreciate themselves and others" (5% had no opinion) 95% strongly agreed or agreed: "My child feels safe at school" (4% had no opinion) 87% strongly agreed or agreed: "I am satisfied with how my chid's teacher manages the classroom" (7% had no opinion)

IS YOUR CHILDS SELF-ESTEEM TOO HIGH, TOO LOW, OR JUST RIGHT?

Self-esteem can be like Goldilocks. Some peoples sense of themselves is too high. They think they are always right. They believe they are entitled to special treatment.Some peoples self-esteem is too low. They dont think their ideas have much value. Then there are the people whose sense of themselves is just right. They have confidence to speak up in a group, but they also recognize that other people also have good ideas. To deal with self-esteem that is: Too high; set limits and enforce them regularly. Children with high self-esteem may behave in selfish ways and believe that the rules dont apply to them. Give your child responsibilities around the house and expect her to pitch in. Too low; help her learn to see herself in new ways. Teach her new skills. As she masters each new talent, her confidence will grow. Just right; watch to see that your child stays in balance. If things tip in either direction, take action. Source: Self-esteem Check: Too High or Too Low? Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com/health/self-esteem/MH00128.

DISMISSAL TIME

Parents, please remember that there are two designated waiting areas on campus where we'd like you to wait for your 4th or 5th grade student to be released from class: Under the shade structure (lunch tables) or at the tables in front of the Cafe Window (snack tables). Please do not wait in the hallways, as low noise, such as conversation, can be disruptive for classes still in session. Similarly, for safety and security reasons, students are not permitted to play on the play structures or the blacktop areas after school. Instead, please have your children wait, seated, with you. The Garden Gate Staff appreciates your support with maintaining our learning environment and keeping students safe.

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: Do you encourage friends to participate in creative or artistic activities? If so, why and how?

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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Hello Garden Gators And Families! PTAMEETINGTONIGHT! OurPTAmeetingforMayistonight,May3rd,at7:15p.m.intheGLC. OntheagendafortonightsmeetingistheelectionofnewOfficersfor thePTABoardalongwithotherimportanttopicsofdiscussion.Please attendifpossible,sothatyoucanbecomeinformedwiththelatest informationregardingourschoolandupdatesaboutfutureevents. WHATAFABULOUSWALKAROUND! OurWalkAroundeventlastweekwasawesome!Gatorshadawonderfultimewalkinglapsin thebeautifulsunshineastheylistenedtogreatmusicandenjoyedaspraymistwithrefreshmentsatthe endofeverylap!Thewholedaywaswellplannedandperfectlyexecuted,mainlyduetotheeffortsofour awesomeCoordinator,UmaKishore!Otheramazingparentswhosharedinthenecessarypreparationsfor thiseventwere:AnaghaKomawar,SheetalDevidasani,andChanchalSahai. ThereweresomanywonderfulvolunteerslastFridaythatIcouldnotbegintonameandthankeachone individually,runningtheriskthatIwouldinadvertentlyoverlooksomeone.So,toeachoneofourfabulous WalkAroundhelpers,IdliketoexpressahugeThankYouforvolunteeringyourhelpandsupportand makingthiseventahugesuccessbenefittingourstudentsandschool! Justareminder:Pleasemakesureyourchildbringsinthepledgemoneythattheycollectedforthe WalkAroundbytomorrow,FridayMay4th.OnMonday,May7th,theywillbegivenraffleticketsthatthey candropintotheboxesfortheprizesoftheirchoice.TheraffledrawingwillbeheldonThursday,May10th. BOOKFAIRSTARTINGMAY14th!WENEEDVOLUNTEERS! TheFairwillbeopenbeginningMonday,May14ththroughFriday,May18th. TheFairisopenfrom8:00a.m.until3:30p.m.daily.WewillalsohaveaFamily BookFairNightduringOpenHouseonThursday,May17thfrom5:307:30p.m. Lastweekwesenthomeavolunteerrequestform.Ifyouareinterestedandcan helpduringtheFair,wearelookingforvolunteersforflierstapling,setup,Book Fairsupervisioneachday,andwrapupattheend.Yourhelpwillbeveryuseful andgreatlyappreciated.Pleasecompletetheformthatwassenthomeandturnit inbyMonday,May7th.

Haveagreatweek! AzmehMalik Garden GardenGatePTAPresident Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125 azmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com

GATORAID!
BEFORE YOU MAKE TRAVEL PLANS
At the end of the school year students must be in attendance on the last day of school, June 12, 2012 to retain their place on the roster for the 2012-2013 school year. At the beginning of the school year, students must be in attendance on the first day of school, August 20, 2012 or they will not retain their place on the roster. When you are making travel plans, please consider the possible ramifications. If you have any questions, please contact Student Assignment at (408) 252-3000 ext. 110. UPDATING RESIDENCY INFORMATION Please be aware that district guidelines require that any change of residence must be reported to the school office within ten (10) days. This guideline is in place to ensure that the address and contact information that the school has on file is accurate. This information is crucial and is used to send official school/district correspondence and it is used in the case of an emergency. Failure to provide current residency information could result in the immediate withdrawal of your child. If you have any questions regarding this guideline, please contact the school office.

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To encourage responsibility, children should bring their lunch with them to school in the morning. We recommend that each child have money in his/her lunch account so that in the event of a forgotten lunch, the child can purchase a hot lunch. Please remember to mark all lunches brought to school with the childs name and room number and place it on the cart outside the school office by 11:00 a.m. They will be delivered to the classroom lunch cart by student helpers. Lunches cannot be delivered to the classroom or lunch tables by parents. Students are not permitted to wait by the office for parents to bring a lunch to them. This is against our school safety policy. So be sure to place the lunch on the cart before 11:00 a.m. Thank you for your cooperation.

LUNCHES

ABSENCES AND TARDIES

LOST AND FOUND

Be sure to have your children check for lost items in our Lost and Found area located behind the administrative building. Remind your child that it often takes a few days for an item to find its way to the Lost and Found, so checking more than once is recommended. Lost non-clothing items, such as glasses, keys, and jewelry, can be found in the office. Please remember to label your childrens clothing and lunch boxes. This will help us return lost items. Any clothing items remaining after June 12th will be donated to a local charity.

Attendance and punctuality are important in establishing good behaviors and building responsibility in young children. Please ensure that your child is at school everyday and that they arrive on time. If your child will be absent or late, please call the attendance hotline (252-5414, ext. 6) by 9:00 a.m. the day of the absence. The attendance hotline is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. It is extremely important for you to call the attendance hotline to report your childs absences. The office is responsible for ensuring accurate reporting of attendance to the District Office and the State. If you are aware of upcoming medical appointments, you may call several days in advance and leave a message on the recorder. If your child will be late due to a medical/dental appointment, please remember to request a note from the doctor indicating the date of the appointment and return it with your child. If your child arrives at school after 8:00 a.m., they must report to the school office for a late slip before entering the classroom. Under state law, three unexcused absences or tardies may be considered truancy.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

SUMMER FLYERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOL OFFICE

The school office has many pamphlets and fliers from several organizations offering activities and programs for students over the summer. They include: Athletic opportunities, summer enrichment programs, camps, etc. If you are interested in receiving any of these, please stop by the school office.

For the protection of the students, please remember that students are not to be on the Garden Gate campus before 7:45 a.m. There is no adult supervision until 7:45 a.m. Please do not congregate outside of the classrooms while school is still in session. This is very disruptive to the teacher and the students is a distraction from valuable learning time. Every Tuesday is an early dismissal day. Please remember that all a.m. Kindergarten students are dismissed at 11:10 a.m. and all p.m. Kindergarten students along with students in grades 1-5 are dismissed at 1:30. Please remember to pick up your children promptly.

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

GATORAID
TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM INFORMATION

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It now appears that the State Legislature will include the funding for the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program in the upcoming state budget. As a result, the Cupertino Union School District will be moving forward to implement our TK program for next year. TK registration for all Cupertino Union School District attendance area schools will be held from May 14 18, 2012. A child is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten if a child will have his/her 5th birthday between November 2 and December 2, 2012. Parents/guardians may register their child(ren) for Transitional Kindergarten at the Cupertino Union School District Office, Student Assignment Department, from May 14 18, 2012. 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The District Office is located at 10301 Vista Drive in Cupertino. The TK program will be housed at Regnart Elementary School and John Muir Elementary School. Please visit www.cusdk8.org for more information.

Illness and accidents are a part of everyday life. California has a free or low-cost health insurance program available for children. Whether your child gets sick or hurt, needs regular check-ups, immunizations, dental care or a physical to participate in school or community sports, call toll free 1-888-747-1222 or visit www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov

DOES YOUR CHILD NEED INSURANCE COVERAGE?

STAR Multiple Choice Test begins the week of April 30, 2012 and will continue for two weeks. The STAR Program is a State of California accountability measure that helps us assess how we are meeting the needs of our students. You can help prepare your child for the test by ensuring your child goes to bed on time, eats a good breakfast, and leaves for school with a positive attitude. Please do not schedule any family trips or doctor appointments during this time.

2012 STAR TESTING DATES

De Anza College, in partnership with the Cupertino Union School District, will offer the Extended Year Program this summer, mornings only, from June 18 to July 13, 2012. Program brochures are available in the school office. More information is available at www.extendedyear.deanza.edu. Early registration is by mail only, and ends on May 18, 2012. There will also be walk-in registration available from May 29 to June 5, 2012. Students entering grades 6 through 10: Classes will be held at Cupertino and Miller Middle Schools, and will include: Java Programming, Geometry & Spatial Sense, Intro to Algebra 1 & 2, LEGO Robotics, Debate and Critical Thinking, Forensic Science, and many others. Students entering grades 1 through 5: Classes will be held at Collins Elementary School, and will include: Writing: Paragraphs to Essays, Reading Intensive, Public Speaking, Spelling Bee, Journalism/Writing, and more! DISTRICT CALENDAR 2011-2012 (ALL SCHOOLS EXCEPT MURDOCK-PORTAL) May 25, 2012 Staff Learning Day May 28, 2012 Memorial Day June 12, 2012 Last Day of School DISTRICT CALENDAR 2011-2012 (ALL SCHOOLS EXCEPT MURDOCK-PORTAL) August 20, 2012 Students Return September 3, 2012 Labor Day September 21, 2012 Staff Learning Day October 29, 2012 Staff Learning Day November 12, 2012 Veterans Day November 19-23, 2012 Thanksgiving Recess December 24-January 4, 2013 Winter Recess January 21, 2013 MLK, Jr. Day February 18-22, 2013 Mid-Year Recess March 18, 2013 Staff Learning Day Garden Gate 2013 April 15-19, Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125 Spring Recess May 24, 2013 Staff Learning Day May 27, 2013 Memorial Day June 12, 2013 Last Day of School

DE ANZA COLLEGE SUMMER EXTENDED YEAR PROGRAM 2012