GATORAID

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

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
8/24 8/30 8:15 a.m. 6:45 p.m.
7:30-7:45 p.m. 9/3 9/4 9/6 9/10 9/11 9/11 9/13 9/18 9/20 9/21 9/25 10/1 10/1 10/4-10/12 10/4 10/5 10/9 10/12 10/15-10/19 10/18 10/22-10/25

AUGUST 23, 2012 COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL - GLC BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - PARENTS ONLY GR. K-2 PARENTS IN CLASSROOMS
ALL PARENTS IN THE GLC LABOR DAY - NO SCHOOL PROJECT CORNERSTONE ORIENTATION - STAFF ROOM PTA MEETING - GLC REFLECTIONS ORIENTATION FOR PARENTS CUSD BOARD MEETING AT NIMITZ SCHOOL SCOOL SPIRIT BAND NIGHT SPECTRA ART ORIENTATION GRADE 5 PARENTS - SCIENCE CAMP INFORMATION MEETING - GLC SAFETY NIGHT NO SCHOOL - STAFF LEARNING DAY CUSD BOARD MEETING INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PICTURES - GLC SPIRITWEAR ORDERING DEADLINE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES PTA MEETING - GLC REFLECTIONS ENTRY DEADLINE CUSD BOARD MEETING DIRECT DONATIONS DEADLINE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - GLC BOOK FAIR & ICE CREAM SOCIAL RED RIBBON WEEK

7:45 p.m.

Gr. 3-5 PARENTS IN CLASSROOMS

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

7:15 p.m. 12:00 noon 6:00 p.m. 5:30-7:30 p.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!

Welcome New and Returning Gators!

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The beginning of a new school year is such an exciting time! Its full of anticipation as we look forward to the new learning and experiences well all enjoy. Its a time to reconnect with friends and make new ones. Its a time to set goals for ourselves and make a plan to achieve them. You can almost feel the excitement in the air. I want to thank the Garden Gate Staff and our wonderful PTA for all of the careful planning and hard work they did in preparation for the start of school. Our first day was one of the smoothest Ive experienced. At drop-off time, we enjoyed coffee and breakfast treats in the front of the school as part of our Welcome Back Breakfast, a PTA sponsored event. What a great way to start the day! As the day progressed, I visited each classroom. I didnt realize how much I missed the children until I saw their bright, hopeful faces, and observed them as they engaged in fun get-to-know-you activities. Its going to be a terrific school year! Go Gators!

A Message from Grady Wright, Assistant Principal

Hello Everyone, My name is Grady Wright and I look forward to working with you as the Assistant Principal at Garden Gate Elementary. This summer I graduated from the Educational Administration MA program at Santa Clara University while working as a summer school principal and site coordinator for the De Anza Extended Year Summer Program. My teaching career spans 13 years with service in both the Redwood City School District and the Cupertino Union School District. Prior to becoming an educator, I served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Redwood City, CA and later worked for the San Mateo County Sheriff's Activities League as a coach and youth advocate. Presently, I am coaching a CYSA U-6 soccer team in Santa Clara. In the meantime, I am enjoying the wonderful opportunity to get to know our Garden Gate Staff, Students, and Families. Thank you for welcoming me to the Garden Gate Community and I am very excited to meet all of you. Sincerely, Grady Wright

Coffee with Principal

Please join us on Friday, August 24, at 8:15 a.m. in the GLC for our Coffee with the Principal. The PTA will provide coffee and delicious breakfast treats. Parents will meet Mr. Wright, hear about school events, and reconnect with other Garden Gate parents.

Open House

Join us for our Open House on Thursday, August 30. This is your opportunity to meet your childs teacher and hear about the curriculum and activities planned for this school year. Since the evening follows a presentation-style format with the teacher talking to a group of parents, this is not the time to ask the teacher about your childs performance. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be scheduled for October 4 through 12, and your childs teacher will contact you for an appointment time. Please note that Open House is a parents-only event. The schedule for the evening is as follows: 6:45 Grades K-2 in Classrooms 7:30-7:45 All Parents in GLC for Principals message and introduction of staff 7:45-8:30 Grades 3-5 in Classrooms

Concerned Neighbors

The Garden Gate Office recently took a phone call from an upset neighbor. The neighbor stated that she, and other parents in the neighborhood, were frustrated that Garden Gate parents had parked their vehicles on the street in a manner that blocked their home driveways. The Sheriffs Department has been alerted to this problem, and action may be taken against those who park on the street, blocking a driveway. Similarly, neighbors have reported destruction to their fences and plants on their property, along the Green Leaf sidewalk. Please encourage Garden Gate parents and students to respect the homes of residents in our neighborhood.

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 can we be there for our siblings, cousins and other relatives who might be experiencing a hard time?

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

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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HelloGardenGateFamilies, AwarmWelcome toallofyouwhoarenewto GardenGate, andajust aswarmWelcomeBack to everyonewho isreturning! I hopethatyou hadawonderfulsummerbreak.Itwasapleasuretomeetsomanyparentsatthe BacktoSchoolBreakfastonMonday. COFFEEWITHTHEPRINCIPAL Idlike to invite all Garden Gate parents to join us for a Coffee With The Principalwith Brandi Huckoandtomeet ournew Assistant Principal, GradyWrighttomorrow(Friday)at 8:15a.m.intheGLC.YouwilllearnmoreaboutGardenGateSchool,thePTA andotherschool activitiesandevents. IMPORTANT:SPIRITWEARORDERCORRECTION! Please look for the Jlier in your childs greenfolder that is coming home today withrevised Spiritwear ordering information. We have been forcedto revise our sweatshirt order dueto some unforeseen and unexpected changes in the quoted price. We apologize for any inconveniencethis mayhavecausedandhopethatwecanhelpyouchangeyourorderifyou havealreadyplacedone.Formoreinfo,pleasecontactourcoordinators: Rekha:rputhalath@hotmail.comReshma:reshmaiyer@hotmail.com Iwouldliketothankthefollowingpeoplewhohelpedwiththebeginningoftheyearactivities. Theseeventswouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutourpreciousvolunteers.AsincereThank youto: Fifth grade student volunteers; Sophia Chan; AngeliaKan;Aravinda Chigati; YunHao;Jamie Wu;andRekhaPuthalath,whohelpeduspreparethegreenfolderslastThursday.Youwereall awesome! Meena Vijaykar and Sreejaya Thandayankandy who organized a wonderful Welcome Back Lunchforourstaffmembers. ChanchalSahaiandChitraDhingra, whopreparedtheBack to schoolbreakfastforeveryone. AllthosePTAboardandcommitteememberswhohelpedsetupinthemorning,greetedand talkedtoGardenGatesnewandreturningparents. Ilookforwardtoworkingwithourparentcommunityandtheopportunitytogettoknowallof youbetter.Wishingeveryoneasuccessfulschoolyear! AzmehMalik. GardenGatePTAPresident

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

GATORAID!
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VISITING CAMPUS All visitors on campus, whether entering classrooms as volunteers or meeting with teachers, Must Sign In at the office and obtain a visitors name tag when school is in session. For the safety of all, we need to know who is on the campus. The only exceptions are at student arrival and dismissal times. If you are taking your child out of school for any reason, ALWAYS sign your child out from school through the office and then back in when he/she returns. ABSENCES AND TARDIES 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, please call the attendance line promptly (252-5414, ext. 6). If your child arrives 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.

SCRIP AND eScrip

Scrip Gift Cards and eScrip are two fundraising programs that parents (also family and friends) can participate in to raise money for the PTA at NO COST to the participant. Scrip gift cards can be purchased on Tuesday afternoons between 1:15 - 1:45 p.m. and also on Friday mornings between 7:45-8:15 a.m. Scrip is spent just like cash on everyday expenses. eScrip also provides an easy way to earn money for the PTA. Participating merchants donate a percentage of purchases to the school. Parents (also family and friends) should visit www.escrip.com to register their credit/debit cards, Safeway Card, and PW Supermarket Card. Be sure to specify Garden Gate Elementary School (eScrip number is 139188329.) For those who dont have internet access, please fill out and turn in an eScrip registration form (available during scrip sales times or in the school office.) Already Registered eScrip Participants: Please visit www.escrip.com and click on YES RENEW or turn in an eScrip registration form to renew your Safeway Club card. Questions? Email us at ggscrip.com or see us during scrip sales times. Carolyn Young

EARN FREE CASH FOR OUR SCHOOL WITH BOX TOPS

Earning cash for our school with Box Tops for Education is simple and easy! You don't have to spend any cash to be involved in this profitable project. Most food items that you purchase for home comes with a Box Tops for Education coupon that is located directly on the box top and is worth 10c. Please look for these coupons especially on products by General Mills. Some of the product brands to look for are; Cheerios, Fruit Rollups, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cottonelle, Ziploc etc.

LOST AND FOUND

Please stop by the Lost and Found cabinet that is located at the rear of the administrative building and take a few moments to check for your lost personal items. It is full with lunch containers, hats and many other items. For smaller personal items such as keys, watches jewelry, etc., please check in the front office.

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

GATORAID!
DISTRICT NEWS SECTION

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District Calendar 2012-2013 (all schools except Murdock-Portal)

September 3, 2012 September 21, 2012 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 Labor Day Staff Learning Day - No School 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