GATORAID

FAX 408-996-9725

School Phone: 408-252-5414 ~ Absence Line 408-252-5414-6 ~

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
4/11 4/12 4/15-19 4/22-26 4/26 4/26 4/26 4/29-5/10 5/2 5/2 5/3 5/7 5/9 5/10 5/12 5/13 5/15 5/15 5/15 5/17 5/17 5/20-23 5/23 5/23 5/24 5/27 5/28-31 6:00 p.m.

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3:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:15 p.m. 3:45 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 3:45 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 3:45 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

KINDERGARTEN MUSIC PERFORMANCE - GLC GR. 5 RETURNS FROM SCIENCE CAMP NO SCHOOL - SPRING RECESS WOW - WALK ONE WEEK WALK-A-ROUND PLEDGE DEADLINE SCHOOL SPIRIT- COLOR DAY (COLORS DETERMINED BY GRADE LEVEL) SOCCER - EISENHOWER @ GARDEN GATE STAR TESTING COMMON CORE PARENT MEETING - GLC PTA MEETING - GLC SOCCER - GARDEN GATE @ COLLINS PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT MTG. - STAFF ROOM WALK-AROUND RAFFLE DRAWING SOCCER - DE VARGAS AT GARDEN GATE MOTHERS DAY STUDENT SPRING PORTRAITS - GLC SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING MUSIC CONCERT PERFORMED BY RMS. 29, 4, 3, 16A, 11 MUSIC CONCERT PERFORMED BY RMS. 5, 7, 18, 23, 25 SCHOOL SPIRIT - SUNGLASS DAY SOCCER - EATON @ GARDEN GATE SPRING BOOK FAIR SPRING BOOK FAIR - EVENING OPEN HOUSE NO SCHOOL - STAFF LEARNING DAY NO SCHOOL - MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK

APRIL 11, 2013

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!

Spring Recess is April 15-19
We wish all of our Gator families a wonderful Spring Recess. Fill the time with laughter, fun, warm memories, and reading for pleasure! Enjoy!

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Common Core Standards Parent Meeting

You may have attended the CUSD Common Core State Standards Town Hall Meeting held at Lawson Middle School on February 28. Mr. Wright and I invite all Garden Gate parents to join us for a follow-up discussion, where we will share specific information about what Garden Gate is doing to prepare for full implementation of these new standards. Join us in the GLC on Thursday, May 2, from 6:30-7:00 p.m. (and stay for the 7:15 p.m. PTA Meeting!). To assist with our planning, please send an email to me by Tuesday, April 30th, indicating whether you plan to attend our Common Core meeting: hucko_brandi@cusdk8.org. Thank you. WOW Garden Gate will participate in the Cupertino Teen Commissions Walk One Week (WOW) program the week of April 22. Students are encouraged to walk, bike, scooter, skateboard or rollerblade during this week in celebration of Earth Week.Rain or shine, the contest is on! Look for the brochure in todays Green Folder describing the program, and the prizes they can win by Walking-One-Week. Please return the completed log by April 30, 2013 to your childs teacher. Thank you.

Student Restrooms

Parents, please remind your children of the importance of respectful restroom habits. Please remind children that they must flush the toilet, and if they wet the seat, they should wipe it. Remind them to wash their hands thoroughly and throw paper towels in the trash cans. Classroom teachers are also discussing these items with their students. Im hoping that together, we can keep our restrooms cleaner throughout the day. Thank you.

Dismissal Time

Parents, please remember the designated area on campus where you need to wait for your 4th or 5th grade students to be released from class: The "snack tables" in front of the Caf Window. Please do not wait in the hallways, as noise (even low noise, such as a conversation), can be disruptive to our classes still in session. Similarly, for safety reasons, children are not permitted to play on the play structures or blacktop areas after school. Please have your children wait, seated, at the snack tables, with you. Thank you in advance for your support in maintaining our learning environment and keeping children safe.

Traffic and Parking Lot

Please follow these simple rules to ensure student safety: Always drop off along the curb. Do not allow your child to exit the car in the parking lot alone and attempt to walk across the lot. The curb is a "no parking anytime" zone. Drivers must remain in their vehicles. Drivers who leave their vehicles unattended could be ticketed by the Sheriff's Department. Always cross at a cross walk. Hold your child's hand and teach your child to always look both ways. Avoid getting stuck in traffic. Leave home earlier to make sure your child arrives to school on time. Students may be on campus beginning at 7:45am.

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: How do you react when two of your friends are not getting along with each other? Brandi Hucko Principal, Garden Gate Elementary 408-252-5414 Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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Dear Gator Families,

AMAZING WALK-AROUND! Last Fridays Walk-Around was an awesome success! The students had a wonderful time walking to lively music while enjoying the beautiful weather and raising money for their school. They were also treated to yummy Popsicles afterwards! Id like to thank the amazing volunteers who helped coordinate and manage this monumental event. A very special THANK YOU to Sheetal Devidasani, Mahalakshmi Rameshbabu, Shaila Hegde and Aravinda Chigati who worked tirelessly to prepare for the Walk-Around Day. Id also like to thank all those parents who helped out throughout the day of the event with preparing and passing out the snacks, recording tally marks, spraying the students with refreshing water and counting the pledge money! We could not have managed this event without your support and were sincerely grateful to each one of you! HONORARY SERVICE AWARDS Last week the Garden Gate PTA presented the Honorary Service Award to four recipients who have served our school and community in exceptional ways. They are: ARAVINDA CHIGATI MEENA VIJAYKAR CAROLYN YOUNG STACY SMITH The Garden Gate community is fortunate to have such amazing volunteers, who go above and beyond their basic responsibilities to help our students and the school. We sincerely appreciate the dedication and hard work of these wonderful ladies!

GARDEN GATE PTA NEEDS A TREASURER AND FAMILY EVENT ORGANIZERS!

Thank you to the parents who have signed up to serve on the PTA Board and Committees for next year. We have candidates for most positions, however we still need a Treasurer and volunteers to serve on a few of our Committees. We are looking for parents who would be interested in organizing the following family events: Fall Celebration, Fun in the Sun and Art Night.

You do not need to have any prior experience, just the spirit and motivation to help make a difference to our school and community. We will help and guide you do the rest! You do not have to sign up alone. You can also ask a friend to work on the same committee with you, or we can find other parents to assist you. We welcome all the help we can get. Our PTA is suffering from a severe lack of volunteers. I dont like admitting it, but if we do not find anyone to help out, we will have no choice but to cancel these celebrations for next year! Please consider helping out, and if you need more information, I am here to answer your questions. Have a wonderful Spring Break! Azmeh Malik GARDEN GATE PTA PRESIDENT Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125 azmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com

GATORAID!
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ALLERGY SEASON HAS BEGUN Spring is here and students are reacting with swollen eyes and other allergy symptoms. Red irritated eyes are often the sign of pink eye which is a contagious disease. When students come to the office complaining of sore eyes, we cannot diagnose the problem as either an allergy or pink eye a doctor must do this. If a prescribed or over-the-counter medicine is needed and is to be administered at school, the office must have a parent and doctor complete our blue medical form on file before any medication can be given. These forms are available in the school office. Students may not bring any medicine to school in their backpacks. All medications need to be in the original packaging with the pharmaceutical label. All medicine is kept in the school office. TRUANCY AND WHAT IT MEANS Compulsory attendance is the law in California from age six until the age of eighteen (Education Code: 482600). A student who has three unexcused absences or three tardies of more than 30 minutes or any combination thereof, without a valid excuse is considered legally truant. A student who has six unexcused absences or six tardies or absences of more than 30 minutes, or any combination thereof, is considered habitually truant and will be referred for further action. How Does Truancy Impact Students? Students suffer academic setbacks when frequent absences occur. If tardy by even a few minutes, students start their day behind other students who have had a chance to organize and are focused on instruction. Students in school on a regular basis and on time do significantly better in school. Studies have shown that students struggling in high school developed patterns of absenteeism in elementary school. These are just four items out of a long list of issues that negatively impact children when they are absent or tardy. Simply getting to school on time is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. It teaches responsibility and punctuality; qualities every profession values. Lets make every effort to have our children in their seats when the school day begins at 8:00 a.m.

FIRST AND LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - DISTRICT POLICY Students who have an unexcused absence on the first day of school in August will be dropped from the school roster (vacations are unexcused). If space is available at the school when the student returns, the student will be reinstated. If no space is available, the student will be assigned to another school in the district where space is available. Students must be in attendance on the last day of school to guarantee their place in the district for the following year. If leaving early, the student will be dropped from the roster and upon the students return, the parents must contact the school to re-register and the student will be placed where space is available. If you are making travel plans and have questions, please contact the Student Assignment Office at 408-252-3000, ext. 110.

REMINDERS:
For the protection of students, please remember that students are not to be on the 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 both the teacher and the students and could be a distraction from valuable learning time. Every Tuesday is 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.

PARKING LOT

Please remember to slow down and use extra caution when driving your students to and from school in the morning and allow plenty of time. When you are dropping off your children, please have their backpacks, lunch, and other belongings in the car, not in the trunk. This will help expedite traffic flow during the morning. Remember to pull your car up to the furthest available position. Thank you!

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

GATORAID!

PAGE CUSD DISTRICT OFFICE RELOCATION The Cupertino Union School Administrative Office will be moving to a new location at 1309 S. Mary Avenue in Sunnyvale during the week of Spring Break. As a result, the District Office will be closed for business starting Friday, April 12, 2013 and will reopen in the new location on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. The Districts mailing address will remain the same at 10301 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014. The Districts Operations Center will also remain at the 10301 Vista Drive address.

This move is the first phase of the plan to accommodate the growing enrollment of middle school students in the District by growing the Lawson Middle School campus starting the summer of 2013. Here is a list of departments by location: Administrative Offices - (1309 S. Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94087): Superintendents Office, Business Services, Duplicating Services, Human Resources and Payroll, Instruction Department, Special Education, Pupil Services, and Student Assignment. Operations Center - (10301 Vista Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014): Maintenance/Grounds, Operations, Security, Transportation, Bus Yard, Garage, Warehouse, Mail Room, Purchasing, Receiving, Student Nutrition, Facility Modernization, IT Department, Property Office, and Energy Management. DO YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD HAS A SPEECH OR LANGUAGE DELAY? The Cupertino Early Intervention Preschool offers a special education program for preschool children between the ages of three (3) and five (5) who demonstrate a significant delay in speech and/or language development. Parents interested in having a child tested may call Pupil Services at the District Office, 408-252-3000, Extension 120, to request an evaluation and receive an information packet.

2013 BOOKS FOR A BETTER FUTURE CAMPAIGN

For the past 18 months the Cupertino Union School District has been working hard to plan for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS is a nation-wide effort to ensure that all of our students have the skills necessary to succeed in a global economy. In order to implement these new standards effectively, beginning in Fall 2014, the District is in immediate need of additional non-fiction materials in all of our schools. To support this implementation, the District has asked the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) to raise funds for these important informational texts.

In partnership with CUSD, CEEF launched the 2013 Books for a Better Future Campaign at its annual Gala on March 9th. The
goal of this campaign is to provide all schools with full classroom sets for every grade level, small group reading sets for every grade level, and read-aloud texts for the primary grade levels. This 10-week campaign will run through CEEFs annual Golf Tournament, to be held this year at the Golf Club of Boulder Ridge on June 3rd. For further information about how to donate or how to get involved with the 2013 Books for a Better Future Campaign, please visit www.ceefcares.org/greatschools.

CUPERTINO CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Saturday and Sunday, April 27, and April 28, 2013 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Memorial Park in Cupertino Free Admission The 30th Annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates community, culture and supports Cupertinos Sister City relationship with Toyokawa, Japan. This years festival features delicious Japanese and American food, outdoor entertainment by taiko drums groups, classical Japanese dancers, martial art schools and musical groups, and more. There are indoor Japanese cultural displays, workshops, and musical performances at the Quinlan Center, adjacent to Memorial Park. This year also features a special childrens play area with hands-on activities. Parking is available at DeAnza College for free. For information visit www.cupertinotoyokawa.org. This event helps to support the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister City Exchange Program. Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125