GATORAID

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

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
JANUARY 6, 2011

1/6 7:15 p.m. PTA MEETING

1/11 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING - D.O.
1/13 6:00 p.m. ART NIGHT - GLC
1/14 8:30 a.m. 2011-2012 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION PACKET PICK UP BEGINS
1/17 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL
1/19 3:45 p.m. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING
1/19 6:30 p.m. INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS - S’COOL SPIRIT WINTER BAND CONCERT - GLC
STUDENTS TO ARRIVE AT 6:15
1/19 7:30 p.m. BEGINNING STUDENTS - S’COOL SPIRIT WINTER BAND CONCERT - GLC
STUDENTS TO ARRIVE AT 7:15
1/21 SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY - EACH GRADE LEVEL WEARS A SPECIFIC COLOR
1/24-2/3 2011-2012 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION PACKETS DUE
1/25 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING - D.O.
1/27 6:30 p.m. CYBER SAFETY - PARENT ED. NIGHT - GLC
2/3 7:15 p.m. PTA MEETING
2/4 8:00 a.m. HEARING SCREENING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1, 2, & 5
2/7 CLASS GROUP PICTURES
2/8 8:00 a.m. VISION SCREENING GRADES 1 & 3
2/8 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MEETING - D.O.
2/8 6:30 p.m. BOOK EXCHANGE - GRADES K-2
7:20 p.m. BOOK EXCHANGE - GRADES 3 - 5
2/11-17 2011-2012 OPEN ENROLLMENT & ALTERNATIVE ED. PROGRAMS
2/14 VALENTINE’S DAY PARTIES

Parent Traffic Duty: January 10th - January 14th, Parents from Rm. 14

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....MRS. WOOD! PAGE 2
Welcome Back & Happy New Year!
I hope that all of you had a restful and enjoyable holiday. The children seemed happy and eager to be back in school.
That’s always a good sign! My best to all of you in 2011!

Family Arts & Crafts Night: Thursday, January 13, Please Come!
Why not start the year with color, creativity and community? Please join us next Thursday for our first family event of
2011. The evening is sponsored by our wonderful Garden Gate PTA and led by members of our equally wonderful Garden
Gate staff. Please look for the flyer in your green folder with the particulars. Special thanks to PTA President Merav
Talmor, and Chairperson Lavanaya Sivakumar for their hard work to provide this wonderful family opportunity for us!

Family Book of Records

This idea is adapted from 365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do with Your Child by Steve and Ruth Bennett.
Materials
• Page dividers
• Three-ring binder
• Loose-leaf paper
• Markers or crayons
Directions
1. Label the dividers with categories like "Academic Achievements," "Athletics," "Family Games," "Food," "Random
Acts of Kindness," and so on.
2. Place the dividers and a supply of paper into the binder.
3. Now you're ready to record your family's day-to-day records. For example, what's the longest Monopoly game
you've ever played? Who read the most books last month? Who has eaten the most lima beans in one sitting?
Who did something unusually kind for someone else?
4. For younger family members, record how many blocks they can stack, how many times they can jump on one foot,
and so on.
5. For each record, be sure to describe the feat, the record, the record holder, and the date.
6. If you have more than one child and don't want your kids competing against each other, keep a separate book of
records for each child and encourage your kids to beat their own records, not those of others.
7. And to ensure that everyone has her moment of glory, let each record stand for at least twentyfour hours before it
can be challenged.
Rule of the Day
Peaceful homes are usually those in which children obey the rules of the home and respect their parents and each other.
But most children don't do this naturally. Teaching a child obedience and respect is an ongoing process-and one she's
more receptive to when her family knows how to laugh and have fun together. Telling jokes and doing fun family activities
are good ways to share a few laughs and enjoy each other. So is having a "rule of the day."
Directions
1. Establish a silly rule that your family must follow for a day. For example, can your family go a whole day without
saying the word mom? Or how about making a rule that all meals must be eaten standing up? Try singing
everything instead of speaking or addressing family members by their full names or wearing your clothes
backward or singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" before you sit anywhere and watch the giggles flow!
2. You needn't do this every day. Perhaps you'll do it only on weekends, holidays, or when your family is stressed out.
3. Have a special treat or family movie night at the end of every "rule" day.
http://fun.familyeducation.com/discipline/parenting/37209.html?detoured=1#ixzz17ZQsckBm

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014
 PTA CORNER PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) NEWS & RESOURCES ! PAGE 3















Hello
Gator
Families,

PTA
Membership
I’m
happy
and
proud
to
inform
you
that
the
Garden
Gate
PTA
won
the
Early

Bird
&
Chairman’s
Club
membership
awards.
We
received
these
awards

because
we
achieved
important
milestones
in
our
PTA
membership
parEcipaEon.
Thank
you
to

all
our
PTA
members
–
you
made
this
possible
and
this
is
your
achievement!


Tonight
–
PTA
meeEng
at
7:15
p.m.
in
the
GLC.
Please
come
and
join
us
as
we
plan
to
discuss
the
addiEonal
donaEon
survey
results
and
listen

to
a
report
from
our
Principal,
Mrs.
Wood.

We
will
also
have
a
special
guest,
Phyllis
Vogel
who

is
a
member
of
the
CuperEno
Union
School
District
Board
of
EducaEon. In addition, we will be
electing the Nominating Committee as we seek to fill PTA Board seats for next year. See you
there!

CPR
Training
–
Only
6
spots
le;!

On
Saturday,
January
8th
2011,
8:00
a.m.
‐
4:00
p.m.
Garden
Gate
teachers
will
have
CPR

training
in
the
GLC.

If
you
are
interested
in
aUending
this
training,
there
are
6
spots
sEll

available
for
parents
to
aUend.
Please
let
me
know
asap
at:
merav.talmor@gmail.com


Art
Night
On
Thursday,
January
13th
we
will
be
holding
an
Art
Night,
in
the
GLC.

This
event
is
free,
it
is

organized
and
sponsored
by
the
PTA,

and
will
be
lead
by
our
Garden
Gate
teachers.

The

schedule
is
as
follows:

 
 
6:00
‐
6:55
p.m.
‐
If
your
last
name
starts
with
A‐M

 
 
7:00
‐
7:55
p.m.
‐
If
your
last
name
starts
with
N‐Z

Sincerely,
Merav Talmor
Garden Gate PTA President

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014
 GATORAID!
LUNCH ACCOUNTS
It is very important that students who eat hot lunch have
a positive balance in their lunch account. Parents can
prepay for as many lunches as possible so that students
do not run out of money. Students are only given one
lunch on credit. If a student has used the credit, CUSD
policy is that the cafeteria will provide a drink and the
cold items, but not an entrée. All lunch money must be
placed in a blue envelope and checks should be made
out to CUSD Nutritional Services. Envelopes are
available in the school office, and can be returned to your
child’s teacher or to the office. To check your student’s
lunch account balance, log on to: www.paypams.com or
call 1-888-994-5100. You can also contact Mrs. Chen at
408-252-5414 ext. 132 for account balance information.
SAVE THE DATE -
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
8TH!
This year’s Book Exchange will
be on Tuesday, February 8th
from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the
GLC (6:30-7:15 for Kindergarten
- 2nd grade, and 7:20-8:00 for 3rd - 5th grade students).
Remember to bring in gently used books, DVD’s and/or
videos to our school librarian, Mrs. Gokhale, between
now and the event. Your child will earn tickets for books
given in exchange for the amount of books at the Book
Exchange. We will be needing a few volunteers the
evening of the Book Exchange. If you are interested in
helping, please email Debbie Hsieh.
REPORTING ABSENCES
When a student is staying home from school with
an illness, please remember that a parent must call
into the school office every day that the student is
absent from school. The 24-hour absence
reporting line is (408) 252-5414 ext. 6. Please
remember to spell both first and last name and give
the room number. When calling in your child’s absence
please include their 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
Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014
PAGE 4
• A temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) degrees or
higher (must remain at home until he/she has
a normal 98.6 F (37 C) degree temperature for
24 hours without the use of a fever reducer
such as Tylenol)
• Conjunctivitis - pink eye
• Undiagnosed rash (rashes must be verified by
your doctor that they are non-contagious
before the child may return to school; a note
is needed)
DON’T FORGET TO
RECYCLE
Thank you to everyone who
continues to participate each
week in Garden Gate’s recycling
program by bringing in your
recyclable items. All of the
proceeds that we receive for the
recycling items go directly
toward Science Camp. Please
remember that we can no longer
take the plastic milk jugs so please discontinue bringing
these items to school. Your continued help and effort is
appreciated!
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
child’s 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
roster of their school. 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.
 GATORAID! PAGE 5
IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Students must be residing in the district at the time of registration and be available for any necessary
testing. Registration and Open Enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year is as follows:

• Kindergarten registration for all Attendance Area Schools: January 24 – February 3 at the respective
attendance area school. Only parents/guardians may pick up a registration packet at their area attendance
school beginning January 14, 2011. Registration packets are numbered sequentially. The registration number
on the packet is valid for packets returned between January 24 through February 3, 2011. Sibling priority will be
given to siblings of in-district students currently attending their area attendance school who register during the
registration window.

• Kindergarten registration for Stocklmeir and Eisenhower Schools: January 24 – February 3. Only
parents/guardians may pick up a registration packet at their area attendance school beginning January 14,
2011. As the potential for new kindergarten enrollment at Stocklmeir and Eisenhower may exceed the schools
capacity, parents are encouraged to ensure that the prospective kindergarten student (residing in the
Stocklmeir/Eisenhower attendance area during the Kindergarten Registration Window) is registered during the
registration window from January 24 – February 3, 2011. A Kindergarten Lottery for Stocklmeir Elementary and
Eisenhower Elementary will be held on February 7, 2011 for Kindergarteners who registered during the
Kindergarten Registration window only. Sibling priority will be given to siblings of in-district students currently
attending Stocklmeir/Eisenhower who register during the registration window and live in the Stocklmeir/
Eisenhower attendance area.

• Open Enrollment requests: February 11-17, 2011 at the school of desired attendance. Parents/guardians
may only apply to one school or program other than their area attendance school.

• Alternative Education Program requests (Faria and Murdock-Portal grades K-5, McAuliffe, Mandarin
Immersion grades K-8): February 11 - 17, 2011 at the alternative program of your choice.

• Sibling priority will be given to siblings of in-district students currently attending the respective school who
register during the registration window.

• Registration for new students in grades 1 – 8 begins March 1, 2011

Detailed registration and open enrollment information is available on the district website www.cupertino.k12.ca.us, by
contacting the staff in your neighborhood school office or by contacting the Student Assignment Office, (408) 252-3000,
extension 110.

DISTRICT CALENDAR 2010-2011

January 17, 2011 Martin Luther King Day
February 21 - 25, 2011 Mid-Year Recess
March 14, 2011 Staff Learning Day
April 18 - 22, 2011 Spring Recess
May 27, 2011 Staff Learning Day
May 30, 2011 Memorial Day
June 7, 2011 Last Day of School

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014