GATORAID

~ Absence Line 408-252-5414-6 ~ FAX 408-996-9725

School Phone: 408-252-5414

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CUP

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
NOVEMBER 1, 2012
11/1 11/4 11/6 11/9 11/12 11/13 11/13 11/13 11/14 11/16 11/19-23 11/30 8:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m. 3:45 p.m. 4:00 p.m. PTA MEETING DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS - TURN CLOCK BACK 1 HR. ELECTION DAY FIRST TRIMESTER ENDS VETERANS DAY OBSERVED - NO SCHOOL SECOND TRIMESTER BEGINS STUDENT PICTURE MAKE-UP C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING SCHOOL SPIRIT - GATOR DAY THANKSGIVING RECESS - NO SCHOOL REPORT CARDS GO HOME

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!

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Dear Garden Gate Parents,

Fall Celebration
It was wonderful seeing so many families and children having fun at last Fridays Fall Celebration! I know many of our teachers recognized former Gators who came back to visit and participate in the activities with their families. It was truly a community event! Thank you PTA and all our volunteers who worked the games stations, craft tables, and bake sale! Your participation makes it possible to hold these events. Thanks especially to those parents who stayed after the Celebration to assist with cleanup!

A Happy Halloween! Our students, staff and parents enjoyed a high-energy Halloween parade, followed by classroom parties. The kids enjoyed snacks, played games and engaged in Halloween activities. We enjoyed a wide range of creative costumes everything from ghosts and goblins to an Apple executive and a Red Box DVD kiosk! What fun we had!

Garden Gate will participate in a school-wide Code Red Drill on Wednesday, November 7, at 10:30. During this annual drill, students and staff will practice locking down, or securing the campus to protect themselves in the event there is an armed intruder or other threat on campus. The office will also be locked down during the drill if you come to the school during the drill, you must wait outside the office until the drill is over. The drill will be conducted under the direction and supervision of the Santa Clara County Deputies, who will provide us with feedback that we will use to make safety improvements. The drill should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Code Red Drill

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: If you were elected the leader of your country, what issues would you most want to address?

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

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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HelloGardenGateFamilies,

REDRIBBONWEEK! LastweeksRedRibboneventwasagreatsuccess!Duringthisweekallstudentswere taughtaboutstayingsafe,howtodealwithdif<icultsituations,learningtosayNOtodrugsandstaying drugfreeforlife. IwouldliketothankChanchalSahaiforherhardworkatmakingthisweeklongeventahugesuccess!We couldnothavedonethiswithouther!Thankyoualsotoallthevolunteerswhohelpedduringthisweek. FRIDAYSFABULOUSFALLFESTIVAL! FridaysFallCelebrationwasablast!Hopefully,youallhadachancetoattend.The BakeSalehadavarietyofdeliciousgoodies!TheFacePainting,theHennaBooth,the PumpkinPatch,theBikeRodeo,theBikeSafetyCheck,thevariouskindsofraces, gamesandMrs.Dawspalmreadingwereallbighits!Totopitall,theweatherwas perfect! Myveryspecialthanksgoesto:AravindaChigatiandJyotiBrahmeforworking tirelesslytomakethiseventthesuccessthatitwas!ToShailaHegde,fororganizing andrunningtheBakesale.ToCarolynYoung,forarrangingtheBikeRodeoandthe BikeSafetycheck.ToeachamazingparentvolunteerwhohelpedmaketheFall Festivalasuccess. Lastbutnotleast,ahugeThankYoutotheamazingteachersandstaffwhohelpedbybakinggoodiesand runningthegamesandactivities!Gatorslovetoseetheirteachersattheseeventsandyourhelpmakesaworld ofdifference! REFLECTIONCONTEST:REULTSAREIN! TheRe<lectionContestresultswereannouncedyesterday.Congratulationstoallthosewhonotonlywon,but alsoparticipatedinthisamazingcompetition!Wehadonehundredand<iveentriesinsixdifferentcategories thisyear.Thetopfourscorersineachcategoryaretermedaswinners,howevereveryparticipantisrecognized andwillreceiveacerti<icate. IsincerelyappreciateMahalakshmiRameshbabus,(ChairpersonforRe<lectionsCommittee)dedicationto thisprogram!ThankyoutoallofthevolunteerswhohelpedwiththeRe<lectionProgramthisyear.Parents,I cannotsaythisenough,GardenGateeventsandprogramsarepossibleonlybecauseofthededicationand effortsofitswonderfulvolunteers.IfyouwouldliketovolunteerforGardenGateinANYcapacity,pleaseuse thefollowinglinktosignup http://tinyurl.com/8mg2afw Iamheretoansweryourquestionsandwelcomeyourfeedbackonhowwecanmakeourschoolcommunitya happier,strongerandmoresupportiveone.Thankyou! Wishyouallawonderfulweek! AzmehMalik,GardenGatePTAPresident

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

GATORAID!
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DO YOUR CHILDREN KNOW THEIR HOME PHONE NUMBER? Almost every afternoon students come into the school office to call home, but do not know their phone numbers. We suggest that you encourage your child to memorize their phone numbers or write them down and keep them in his/her backpack. Knowing a phone number to contact a family member is very important and reassures children when they know that they can reach you in an emergency.

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

The information meeting for "Odyssey of the Mind" was last Sunday and was an orientation for all newbies. If you (parent coach) have selected your team members (students of Garden Gate) and you know that you are heading for the tournament (Odyssey of the Mind) but you have not yet attended the Coach training, please register for this training (Nov. 3rd, 8:30 a.m - 3:30 p.m.) ASAP. For all new coaches, please register on the following site: http://svomer.org/index.php? option=com_eventlist=details=24:2013Coach2=96 <http://svomer.org/index.php? option=com_eventlist&view=details&id=24:2013Coach2& Itemid=96> You can receive more information on Odyssey of the Mind, by getting the following brochure: http://svodysseyofthemind.org/documents/brochure.pdf If you need help in forming teams, setting up a team schedule, or prepping for the tournament, please contact Ipsita Chowdhury via email @gg.odysseyofthemind@gmail.com. Note that while this opportunity is offered to all Garden Gate students and parents, it is a completely parent-run, voluntary program, and Ipsita Chowdhury is the contact person. VISITING CAMPUS All visitors 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 exception is 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.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS. REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2012.

REMINDERS:

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 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.

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

GATORAID!
99 RANCH MARKET GROCERY DAYS

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Turn your grocery purchases into dollars for Great Schools! Shop at 99 Ranch Market 10983 North Wolfe Road, Cupertino on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 9 a.m. 9 p.m. Stock your pantry and freezer, enjoy the hot deli, or grab lunch or dinner to go! 3% of Net Sales all day will benefit all CUSD students. Look for upcoming Great Schools Grocery Days at www.ceefcares.org! Organized by the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) A Community Partner for Excellence in Local Education

GATORAID! PAGE5
The Board of Education just approved the 2013-2014 school year calendar during the board meeting held on October 23, 2012. The full calendar is available on the Districts website at www.cusdk8.org. Here are the important dates for the District and Murdock-Portal Elementary School for next year:

2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

2013-2014 District Calendar (All schools

except Murdock-Portal)

2013-2014 Murdock-Portal Calendar

Students Return Labor Day October Break Veterans Day Observed Thanksgiving Recess Winter Recess Martin Luther King Day Mid-Year Recess Spring Recess Memorial Day Last Day of School

August 19, 2013 September 2, 2013 (Murdock-Portal only) November 11, 2013 November 25-29, 2013 Dec. 23, 2013Jan. 3, 2014 January 20, 2014 February 17-21, 2014 April 14-18, 2014 May 26, 2014 June 11, 2014

August 12, 2013 September 2, 2013 October 7-18, 2013 November 11, 2013 November 25-29, 2013 Dec. 23, 2013Jan. 3, 2014 January 20, 2014 February 17-21, 2014 April 7-18, 2014 May 26, 2014 June 25, 2014

The Cupertino Union School District is constantly striving to streamline and improve our communication with our parent community. As such, starting in November 2012, all elementary schools will be transitioning to an every other week newsletter schedule. Please be aware that the District will also be implementing several new communication tools to keep you better informed and engaged at your school site. You will start receiving periodic emails regarding specific news items and phone messages from the school site regarding timely items or emergency information. These communication tools will not only save staff time, but will prevent you from receiving the same information over and over again. Many of our Middle Schools migrated to a monthly newsletter format several years ago and this schedule has worked well. Given the fact that the amount of parent involvement at the elementary school site is higher than middle school, the every other week newsletter schedule seems to fit better. Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95125

ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE