GATORAID

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

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
OCTOBER 6, 2011
10/6-10/14 10/6 10/7 10/7 10/10 10/11 10/12 10/13 & 10/14 10/17-10/21 10/19 10/19 10/20 10/20 10/21 10/24-10/28 10/25 10/26 10/28 10/28 10/31 7:15 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 5:00-8:30 p.m. 8:00-9:30 a.m. 8:00-9:30 a.m. 3:45 p.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m. 6:00-8:00 p.m. 12:45-1:45 6:00 p.m. 8:15 a.m. 3:00-5:00 p.m. PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES PTA MEETING - GLC DIRECT DONATION CONTEST DEADLINE REFLECTION ART CONTEST DEADLINE THE JUNGLE C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING - DISTRICT OFFICE PROJECT CORNERSTONE MEETING - STAFF RM. PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - GLC PROJECT CORNERSTONE MEETING - STAFF RM. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING BOOK FAIR FALL SOCIAL COPIER TRAINING RED RIBBON WEEK C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PICTURES - GLC HALLOWEEN PARADE FALL CELEBRATION - GARDEN GATE FIELD STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL

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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!

Dear Garden Gate Parents, Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we experienced a district-wide lockdown yesterday. Everyone rallied together and did whatever was necessary to provide restroom breaks and food for students and staff. I am grateful to the staff and volunteers who helped to keep everyone safe during this very hectic day. Yesterday's event illustrates the importance of making sure your emergency contacts are current. Make sure we have current phone numbers for adults that you authorize to pick your child in case you are not available. Be sure to include the name and phone number for any after school care organization.

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In the event of a school emergency, please resist the urge to call the school. We need to keep our phone lines open and utilize the staff we have to keep children safe. Taking the time to answer parents' questions about the event takes our focus off the children. If an emergency should occur, we will be in constant contact with our School District and the Sheriff's Department, as we were yesterday. We will update you via email with updates, as we did yesterday. Please be sure we have your current email address.

Parent Conferences Begin Today

Goal Setting Conferences will occur from October 6-14. All Kindergartners attend school from 8:00- 11:25 a.m. (without a lunch period) with the exception of Tuesday, October 11 when they will be dismissed at 11:10. Grades 1-5 will attend school from 8:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. (this includes a lunch period). Please arrange to have your child picked up promptly. Goal Setting 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 state 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.

Promotion/Retention Policy

State law requires all school districts to adopt policies regarding the promotion and retention of students. Students are identified as at risk of retention using multiple measures, including results on the STAR (state standardized test), attainment of standards, and other indicators. Students who score below basic or far below basic on the California Standards Test (CST), perform below benchmark on district assessments, and/or are not approaching grade level standards are identified as at risk of retention if improvement is not shown throughout the year. If a student is in need of additional assistance and resources, the classroom teacher will notify you in writing during the October conferences and work with you to develop a written Student Success Plan (SSP) that will include support at home. Cupertino Union School Districts policy ensures that all students have access to the core curriculum and the opportunity to attain district standards. Students who are not currently approaching the standards will be provided opportunities to accelerate their growth through interventions in the classroom and strategies at home. Your childs teacher is the best source of information regarding the progress your child is making, as well as specific criteria used to identify student needs. You also may request a copy of the districts promotion/retention policy and administrative regulation passed by the Board of Education by calling the Garden Gate Office. We value and appreciate your participation in this strong home/school partnership to support student learning.

Volunteers Needed

We continue to need parents to help manage our parking lot during pick up and dismissal times. Please contact me if you are able to help.

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: Who gives you the most support? How does this person do this? Sincerely, Brandi Hucko, Principal

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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HelloGardenGateFamilies, Hereareafewimportantannouncementsforthisweek. CONTESTSENDINGTOMORROW!!!! Friday,October7thisthedeadlineforourDirectDonationDriveandRe?lectionContest. DIRECTDONATIONDRIVE ThoseclassroomsthathaveaccomplishedfullparticipationintheDirectDonationDrive,willgetto celebratewithapopsicleparty.Pleasenotethatitisnotmandatorytosendadonationwiththereturningorange envelope,butitisimperativethateverystudentbringbacktheorangeenvelope(withorwithoutadonation)inorder toqualifyfortheparty. REFLECTIONS TomorrowisalsothelastdateforsubmittingallstudententriesfortheRe?lectionscontest.Pleaserememberthat entriesbroughtinafter12p.m.willnotbeaccepted.BestofluckGATORS! JUNGLENIGHT! Markyourcalendarsfor a backtoschoolcelebrationatTheJungleonMonday,October10thfrom4:00p.m.8:30 p.m.Students,parentsandsiblingscanenjoyfreeadmissionandplayforfree(youmustpresentthe?lierthatwassent homelastweek).Parentsmustremainatthefacilitywhiletheirchildrenplay. FALLBOOKFAIR GardenGate'sFallBookFairisbeginningonMonday,October17thandwillendonFridaythe 21st.TheFairwillbeopenforaFamilyFallSocialeventonThursday,October20thfrom5:30 7:30p.m.AllGardenGatefamiliesareinvitedtovisittheFairandifyoumakeapurchaseat thefamilyevent,youwillbeeligibletoenteradrawingandyoucouldbeoneofourtenlucky winnerswhowillreceivea$5Scholasticgiftcerti?icate.TherewillalsobedeliciousSchwans icecreamavailabletopurchaseandenjoyduringtheevent.

SPECIALTHANKS LastMonday,thePTAtookontheassignmentofpreparing,updatinganddistributing emergencybagsforallGardenGateclassrooms.Itwasaconsiderabletaskandrequired substantialvolunteerhelp.Iwouldespeciallyliketomentionthefollowingparentswho helpedthePTABoardandCommitteememberstogetthejobdoneatlightningspeed: JunfangGao,HelenLin,PhoebeChan,SuhasiniRam,XiaoyinLiangandJamieWu.Asincere ThankYouforsteppingupanddoingsuchanawesomejob!Wecouldnothavedoneit withoutyourhelp.

Haveagreatweekeveryone! AzmehMalik GardenGatePTAPresident Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

GATORAID!
STUDENT PICTURES
On October 26, students will have their Individual Picture taken. As always, parents may order prints. New in April 2012, parents will have a second opportunity for pictures in the form of Spring Portraits. Parents may choose from a variety of backgrounds for this portrait-style picture. Well have more information in the Gatoraid as the April date draws near.

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HOT LUNCH MENU AVAILABLE ONLINE

The monthly hot lunch menu, along with additional nutrition news, is always available online at http:// www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php? page=menus&sid=1805092039571289

PRE-PAY FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES ONLINE

COPIER TRAINING

There will be a training for the proper use of the copier on Friday, October 21, from 12:45 - 1:45 p.m. in the productivity room. Please RSVP to Terri Sulgit at 252-5414 ext 108 or email at sulgit_terri@cusdk8.org

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.

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 or call 1-888-994-5100. 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 or phone site can also be used by parents to check account balances. If parents choose not to pay on-line or by phone, 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 DISTRICT HEALTH GUIDELINES 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 five (5) days is required. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep all children and staff healthy.

LUNCH FROM HOME

If your child forgot their lunch at home in the morning and you are bringing it to school, please place your childs name and room number directly on the lunch bag and place it in the lunch bin located in front of the office before 11:00 am. Student office helpers will deliver the lunch to your childs classroom. Please note: Parents are not permitted to sit at the lunch tables with their child.

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

GATORAID!
DISTRICT NEWS SECTION

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BE A HERO! PROTECT OUR GREAT SCHOOLS! Get ready to dine, shop and play during Great Schools Week, October 24-28. 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. Over 100 local businesses have participated in the event each year. All funds raised during Great Schools Week are applied towards exceptional classroom programs. Additional information is available at: http://CEEFCares.org/events/great-schools-week-2011-2012/ Great Schools Week is sponsored by the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF), a community partner for excellence in local education.

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 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. A preview is scheduled for Monday, October 10, 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.

DIWALI FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Saturday October 8, 2011 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Memorial Park in Cupertino Free Admission Diwali is a time of joyous celebration. The Cupertino Chamber of Commerce is presenting its 9th Annual Diwali Festival of Lights, a multicultural family fun day, which will include multicultural music, dance performances, Kids Zone, international food court, arts and craft booths, and much more. In addition, there will be Coloring Contest for kids grades K-8 starting at 10:00 a.m. This contest features three different age categories (grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) and great prizes!!!! The artwork and color pencils will be provided to each participant on the day of the contest. Free parking will be available at DeAnza College (lots A & B). Additional information is available at www.cupertino-chamber.org.

DISTRICT CALENDAR 2011-2012

October 31, 2011 Staff Learning Day November 11, 2011 Veterans Day November 21-25, 2011 Thanksgiving Recess December 19-30, 2011 Winter Recess January 3, 2012 Students Return January 16, 2012 Martin Luther King Day February 20-24, 2012 Mid-Year Recess March 19, 2012 Staff Learning Day April 16-20, 2012 Spring Recess May 25, 2012 Staff Learning Day May 28, 2012 Memorial Day June 12, 2012 Last Day of School Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125