GATORAID

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

School Phone: 408-252-5414

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
OCTOBER 18, 2012
10/15-10/19 10/18 5:30-7:30 p.m. 10/19 10/19 10/22 & 10/23 6:00-7:30 p.m. 10/22-10/25 10/23 10/26 10/29 10/31 6:00 p.m. 3:00-5:00 p.m. 8:15 a.m. SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - GLC BOOK FAIR & ICE CREAM SOCIAL SCHOOL SPIRIT - SPORTS DAY DIRECT DONATIONS DEADLINE HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PREVIEW (FOR GRADE 5 PARENTS) COLLINS SCHOOL - GLC RED RIBBON WEEK C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING FALL CELEBRATION - GARDEN GATE FIELD STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE

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,

Halloween Parade - Wednesday, October 31 at 8:15 a.m.

Halloween is just around the corner and we are planning our Halloween Parade for Wednesday, October 31st at 8:15 a.m. All parents are welcome to come, watch and take pictures! Please bring your child to school dressed in their costumes over their regular clothes, as there is no appropriate place to change here at school. Please send a bag with your childs name on it so your child can put his/her costume away after the parade is over. When helping your child decide on a costume, please encourage him/her to pick one that supports our efforts to promote a positive and fun activity by keeping the following in mind: Costumes should be comfortable, easy to walk in, and should not hamper vision. Regular school rules of dress and safety apply. Costumes should be in good taste and not violent in nature. In accordance with the CUSDs Zero Tolerance Policy, no toy guns, plastic swords, knives, martial arts weapons are allowed on campus. Rollerblades, skates, skateboards, scooters, and bicycles are not permitted. Remind your child that there will be younger children in the parade who might be frightened by some of the scarier costumes and masks. Outfits that are scary or violent are not acceptable at school.

Attending School Should Be Your Childs #1 Responsibility

The research on attendance is clear: Missing too much school hurts learning. Being tardy or absent makes it hard to keep up and when one student falls behind, it can affect the whole class. As your child heads back to school, commit to being prompt and present. It helps to: Talk about attendance. In addition to learning, what are the benefits of being on time? Seeing friends at the bus stop and starting the day relaxed are two examples. Prepare at night. Choose outfits and put school items by the door. Enforce a reasonable, regular bedtime. You can also make lunches and even plan breakfast. Schedule carefully. Check the school calendar when making appointments and planning vacations. Work around school hours to minimize absences. Set expectations. Tell your child that school is a family priority. Explain that being responsible now will lead to big accomplishments later.
Source: E. Hamilton, Good attendance is key to success in school, http://mvguam.com/local-sports/14666-good- attendance-is-key-to-success-inschool.html.

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: Would you rather live in the country, a tiny rural town, a suburb of a city, or an urban city center? Why?

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

PTA CORNER

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES

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HelloGardenGateFamilies,

Red Ribbon Week Garden Gate will celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 22 through 25. This years theme is I Vote YES For A Drug-Free California. Some of our activities are as follows:

Monday: Take the Red Ribbon Week Pledge and receive Red Ribbon Week bracelets. Tuesday: Wear read and receive Red Ribbon Week bookmarks. Wednesday: Sheriffs Deputies visit Garden Gate and students complete a characteristics of a good citizen assignment. Thursday: Students will vote on the ways in which they will be a good citizen. Student comments may be featured in next weeks Gatoraid!

FALLCELEBRATIONISNEXTWEEK MarkyourcalendarstoattendtheFallCelebrationeventonFriday,October 26th,from3:005:00p.m.Itissuretobeanafternoonoffungames, activities,pumpkinpatch,abakesale,hennaandmore! Westillneedmorevolunteerstobake(cookies,browniesorcakesetc.)at homeforourBakeSale.PleaseemailShailaHegdeat tweetysch@yahoo.comifyouplantobakeorcontributeanygoodiesfor theevent.Wealsoneedhelpwithrunningvariousactivitiesandgames.Do considerhelpingoutduringtheFallCelebrationandcontactJyothiBrahme atjyotbn@yahoo.comtosignup.Anyhelponyourpartwillmakeahuge difference.

Haveagreatweekeveryone! AzmehMalik GardenGatePTAPresident azmeh_ahsan@yahoo.com

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

GATORAID!
LOST AND FOUND ITEMS INCREASING

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Cool mornings and warm afternoons set the stage for many jackets left around campus. Please check the Lost and Found regularly for jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes and assorted items. Small items such as glasses, keys and jewelry are in the office. Youd be surprised what is donated each year because found items are never claimed. Please check throughout the year!

DISTRICT HEALTH GUIDELINES

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.

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 seven (7) days is required. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep all children and staff healthy. 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.

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

GATORAID!
ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE
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.

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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.

CITIZENS BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

On June 5, 2012, voters residing within the Cupertino Union School District passed Measure H. Measure H is a $220 million bond measure that authorizes funding for needed repairs, upgrades, and new construction projects to the Districts schools. Proposition 39 required a 55% supermajority for approval; Measure H was passed by 66.16%. After a bond authorized under Proposition 39 is passed, state law requires that the Cupertino Union School District Board of Education appoint a Citizens Oversight Committee to work with the District. In accordance with Education Code Section 15278(b), the Citizens Oversight Committee shall: Inform the public concerning the District's expenditure of Measure H bond proceeds Review expenditure reports produced by the District to ensure that Measure H bond proceeds were expended only for the purposes set forth in Measure H Present to the Board of Education in public session, an annual written report outlining their activities and conclusions regarding the expenditure of Measure H bond proceeds

The Board of Education of the Cupertino Union School District is seeking qualified, interested individuals to serve on a committee of community leaders which will serve as the independent Citizens Oversight Committee for the implementation of the Districts Measure H school facilities bond program. Additional information and the Committee Application are available at www.cusdk8.org, or by calling (408) 252-3000, Extension 323. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS 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. The previews are scheduled for two nights Monday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 23, 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.

FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DR. WENDY GUDALEWICZ

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst a spark that creates extraordinary results.

Make it a GREAT Week And Spot The GREATNESS

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