GATORAID

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

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SCHOOL CALENDAR MAY 24, 2012

5/24 5/25 5/28 5/29 5/29 5/30 5/30 6/1 6/1 6/5 6/5 6/5 6/6 6/8 6/11 6/12 6/12 SOCCER GAME - DE VARGAS @ GARDEN GATE STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL 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 3:00-5:00 P.M. FUN N SUN - GARDEN GATE FIELD 3:30 P.M. SOCCER GAME - GARDEN GATE @ EATON 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 3:30 P.M. SOCCER GAME - REGNART @ GARDEN GATE 3:00 P.M. MRS. CHANGS & MRS. WACHOBS RETIREMENT CELEBRATIONS - GLC 8:30-10:00 A.M. GRADE 5 - MOVING-ON CELEBRATION - GLC 8:00-11:20 A.M. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - EARLY DISMISSAL FOR ALL STUDENTS ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ATTEND 8:00-11:10 a.m. LUNCH WILL BE SERVED 10:00-10:30 3:30 P.M.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL NOT BE ADULT SUPERVISION AFTER 11:30 A.M. 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR
8/17 8/20 4:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. CLASS LISTS ARE POSTED IN THE OFFICE WINDOWS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR

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!

No School Tomorrow or Monday

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There is no school tomorrow, Friday May 25, 2012, due to the Staff Learning Day. Monday is the Memorial Day Holiday. Enjoy this long four day weekend!

Thank you, PTA!

Our Garden Gate Staff was spoiled by our wonderful PTA this week Staff Appreciation Week. We enjoyed Chinese and Mexican lunches, Zumba classes, gifts of coffee and breakfast treats, book baskets, and more! Thanks to all of you who made us feel so special!

Two Gators Are Retiring!

Grace Chang (Second Grade Teacher) and Ruth Wachob (Third Grade Teacher) will retire this year. Please join me in congratulating both of them on careers - full of accomplishments - at our celebration on Monday, June 11th at 3 p.m. in the GLC. These are two very special ladies who have truly touched the lives of children. We will miss them dearly and wish them all the best.

June 12th, Last Day Of School Is A Minimum Day.

All Kindergarten Students will be dismissed at 11:10. Students in grades 1 - 5 will be dismissed from school at 11:20 a.m. Please pick your students up promptly, staff will be off site and there will not be any school supervision after 11:30 a.m.

Class Assignments for 2012-2013

The Garden Gate Staff and I will soon begin the process of developing drafts of class lists. We take this task very seriously and will use a carefully articulated process in placing students. Our goal is to provide each teacher with a well-balanced, heterogeneous group of children and to provide each learner with an optimal learning environment. The following are some considerations, which are made in placing students: Balance of boys and girls; Positive working relationships among students; Heterogeneous (mixed ability) learning groups in all classrooms; Social needs of individuals and groups of students; Class configurations (size, combination classes, etc); Learning needs of students; Leadership needs within all classrooms; Special circumstances. Its important to note that if your child was not placed in a combination class for 2011-2012, they may be placed in one for 2012-2013. For more information about combination classes, including answers to frequently asked questions, please come to the School Office for a handout. Decisions we make with regard to your childs placement reflect our best judgment as to where individual children will be the most successful. Requests for specific teachers will not be accepted. The 2012-2013 class lists will be posted after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 17 in front of the school. The first day of school is Monday, August 20. It will be a regular schedule day for students, and all students must be in attendance in order to retain their place at Garden Gate.

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 the last few Gatoraids, I've shared data 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! This week's data is from the "Curriculum" section of the survey. 557 of the 615 families (91%) who took the survey completed the "Curriculum" section of the survey. "Please rate Garden Gate's effectiveness in teaching your child what he/she needs to know in the areas below" 93% very effective or effective: "Reading" (3% don't know) 86% very effective or effective: "Writing" (7% don't know) 89% very effective or effective: "Spelling" (7% don't know) 89% very effective or effective: "Speaking" (8% don't know) 91% very effective or effective: "Listening" (7% don't know) 79% very effective or effective: "Handwriting" (11% don't know) 91% very effective or effective: "Mathematics" (3% don't know) 90% very effective or effective: "Science (including health & safety)" (7% don't know) 88% very effective or effective: "History/Social Science (including multi-cultural education)" (9% don't know) 78% very effective or effective: "Music Program" (18% don't know) 78% very effective or effective: "Spectra Art Program" (19% don't know) 79% very effective or effective: "Physical Education" (16% don't know) 85% very effective or effective: "Technology/Computers" (12% don't know) 82% very effective or effective: "Work Habits (including organization & study skills)" (12% don't know)

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: Once you start thinking about your strengths, are you surprised by how many you have? Why or why not?

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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Hello Garden Gators And Families! GatorsgetreadyforFunintheSunnextFriday,June1stfrom 3:005:00p.m.Therewillbeloadsoffunactivities,gamesandbooths forairbrushtattoos,popsicles,Jambajuicetobuy,amongother amazingthingsthateveryonecanenjoy!ThePTAneedsparentstostep uptohelpourteachersrunvariousboothsandactivities.Theonly waywecanmakethiseventsuccessfulisifwehaveenough volunteerssupportingus.Ifyouareavailableandinterestedtohelp outorifyouhavequestions,pleasecontactAravindaChigatiat kushal_mom@yahoo.comorAzmehMalikatazmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com THANKYOUFORVISITINGTHESPRINGBOOKFAIR LastweeksSpringBookFairwasagreatsuccess!Firstly,Iwouldliketosharethatweraisedwellover $2,000forourschoolthroughsalesduringtheFair,andgotlotsofnewbooksforourSchoolLibrary!Iwant tothankthewonderfulvolunteerswhohelpedusthroughouttheweek.Iwouldespeciallyliketomention CarolynYoung,ChanchalSahai,AngeliaKanandJamieWu,whowerethereforlonghoursthroughouteach day,everyday,sothattheBookFaircouldremainopentoeveryone.Thankyoualsotoalltheparentswho participatedintheTeachersWishListandBookBasketendeavor.Theteacherswereveryappreciativeofthe BookBasketsthatwerepresentedtothemyesterday!Itisthesupportofamazingparentslikeyouthatmake ahugedifferenceatGardenGate! STAFFAPPRECIATIONWEEK ThisweekwasdedicatedtohonoringGardenGatesamazingTeachersandStaff!Wehadabusyweekwitha differenteventtosayThankYoutoourteacherseveryday.Mondaywascoffeeandrefreshmentmorning; TuesdaywasChineseLunchandCardDay;WednesdaywasMexicanLunchandBookBasketDay;andtoday, Thursday,wehadaMediterraneanLunchwithaHighSchoolJazzBandperformanceforthestaff. Thisweekofeventswouldnothavebeenpossibleifitwerenotforthehardworkofouramazing coordinators,SreejayaKandyandMeenaVijaykar!Thankyoualsotoalltheparentswhoparticipatedand helpedwiththiscolossalevent,theRoomRepresentativeswhocollectedfundsandcoordinatedthedishes forthelunches,theparentswhomadecontributionsofvariouskinds,andvolunteerswhohelpeduswiththe decorations,lunchsetup,andcountlessotherlastminutetasks!ThePTAdeeplyappreciatesyourhardwork andsupport. Hopeyouhaveasafeandwonderfulweek! AzmehMalik GARDENGATEPTAPRESIDENT azmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com

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

GATORAID!
THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
Check the Lost and Found for any lost items. Return all library books and school textbooks. Notify the office if you will not be returning next year or will be starting late. Students return on August 20, 2012. Make sure your students Health/Enrollment Card is current with phone numbers. employment information and emergency contacts. If your child has medication in the school office, please pick it up on the last day of school, Tuesday, June 12th. Any medications that remain after the close of school will be discarded. All hot lunches must be pre-paid for the rest of the year. Students who owe for past lunches are expected to pay these charges prior to the last day of school. If your child has a balance at the end of the year, it will be carried forward to the next school year. Please call the kitchen at 252-5414 x132 for your child's lunch account balance.

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SCRIP

Please take a moment and stop by the Scrip table on Tuesday afternoons between 1:15 and 1:45 and Friday mornings between 7:45 and 8:15 to purchase gift cards from the PTA. Keep in mind, they can be used for Staff Appreciation, End of the Year Gifts, Memorial Day Weekend activities and your summer shopping! ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARD THE NEW PLAYGROUND PROJECT. Alternatively, you can also drop off your scrip order in the school office. We have many different gift cards available in each of the following categories: Dining/Restaurants, Entertainment, Grocery Stores, Gas, Department Stores, Specialty Stores and American Express gift cards (no fee). You can also purchase Garden Gate gift certificates which give teachers the ability to select their own gift cards, NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE JODI QUINTON, RN, MS, CNS If you have stored your childs medication in the school health office, please make arrangements to pick them up on the last day of school. Please note: All medications will be released only to a parent or guardian. Any medications that remain after the close of school will be discarded. If your student will need medication during the school day for the next school year, a Medication Administration form must be completed. The form is available in the school office. Please note that in order for medications to be given, both the doctor and the parent must sign the form. When completed, bring the Medication Administration form and the medication (in the original container) to the secretaries in the school office. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at Quinton_jodi@cusdk8.org

GATE BAND CONCERTS THIS MONTH

The Garden Gate Band Concert will be held on Tuesday, May 29th in Garden Gates GLC. We have separate times for the Beginning and Intermediate Band performances. There is no strict dress code for these concerts, but students are expected to dress "nicely" (no T-shirts or jeans). Following is the schedule: Intermediate Band 6:30 p.m.-GLC (Arrive at 6:15 p.m.) Beginning Band 7:30 p.m.-GLC (Arrive at 7:15 p.m.)

BEFORE YOU MAKE TRAVEL PLANS MISSING TEXTBOOKS AND LIBRARY BOOKS
Please take a moment and search under beds and on student bookshelves for any overdue books from our library or lost classroom textbooks. You will receive a bill for any books that have not been returned. Yearbooks and report cards will be held until all balances have been cleared. If the book is found after you have paid, your money will be refunded. Thank you for your support in teaching responsibility to our students. The library will be closing May 29 in order to take inventory. Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125 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.

GATORAID
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT

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The Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Wendy Gudalewicz as the next Superintendent of the Cupertino Union School District at its regularly scheduled meeting on May 22, 2012. Dr. Gudalewicz succeeds Phil Quon who will retire on June 30, 2012, after six years as Superintendent. Dr. Gudalewicz brings a wealth of experience to the District, as she possesses 23 years of experience in the education field. Most recently, Dr. Gudalewicz has served as the Chief Academic Officer for the New Haven Unified School District since 2009. In this role, she supervises all aspects of instruction, curriculum, and assessment for 13,000 students. Dr. Gudalewicz has also served as an Area Superintendent for the Oakland Unified School District, and a number of years as a school site administrator in several school districts in Santa Clara County. She was honored in 2011 as the Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 6. Dr. Gudalewicz has also recently earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Saint Marys College. There will be a reception to welcome Dr. Gudalewicz to the District on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The reception will be held in the Guided Learning Center at Collins Elementary School, located at 10300 N. Blaney Avenue in Cupertino. Additional information regarding the search process is available on the Districts website at www.cusdk8.org.

The Sedgwick Child Development Center (CDC), in partnership with the Cupertino Union School District, is currently taking applications for its free State Preschool Program for the fall of 2012. The program, which serves low-income three and four year old children, is located at Sedgwick Elementary School, 19200 Phil Lane in Cupertino. Children who will be three or four years old by November 1st may qualify. Priority is given to children who will be four by November 1, 2012. This 3 hour preschool program offers children many exciting learning experiences including math, pre-reading, cooking, science and creative arts, as well as the opportunity to work and play in both small and large group situations. Preschool activities are designed to help children make a successful transition to Kindergarten. Children attend three hours per day, five days a week. If your family does not qualify for the state funding, monthly tuition rates are available as well. Parents interested in enrolling their children should contact Denise Reid at (408) 725-0909.

STATE PRESCHOOL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

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 April 15-19, 2013 Spring Recess May 24, 2013 Staff Learning Day May 27, 2013 Memorial Day June 12, 2013 Last Day of School

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