GATORAID

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

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SCHOOL CALENDAR
OCTOBER 8, 2009
10/5-10/13 PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
12:30 DISMISSAL -GRADES 1-5, KINDERGARTEN - SEE SCHEDULE
10/8 7:15 p.m. PTA MEETING - GLC
10/9 DIRECT DONATION CONTEST DEADLINE
10/9 REFLECTION ART CONTEST DEADLINE
10/13 8:00-9:30 a.m. PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT GROUP - STAFF ROOM
10/13 5:00-8:30 p.m. BACK TO SCHOOL CELEBRATION AT “THE JUNGLE”
10/13 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MTG. - DISTRICT BOARD ROOM
10/16 3:00-5:00 p.m. FALL CELEBRATION - FIELD
10/19-10/23 RED RIBBON WEEK
10/20 8:00-9:30 a.m. PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT GROUP - STAFF ROOM
10/21 3:45 p.m. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING
10/22 7:00-8:00 p.m. BOY SCOUT RECRUITMENT - KINDERGARTEN BENCHES
10/26 STAFF LEARNING DAY - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
10/27 8:00-9:30 a.m. PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT GROUP - STAFF ROOM
10/27 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MTG. - DISTRICT BOARD ROOM
10/30 8:15 a.m. HALLOWEEN PARADE
11/3 8:00-9:30 a.m. PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT GROUP - STAFF ROOM
11/4 STUDENT PICTURES - GLC
11/5 7:15 p.m. PTA MEETING
11/10 8:00-9:30 a.m. PROJECT CORNERSTONE PARENT GROUP - STAFF ROOM
11/10 6:00 p.m. C.U.S.D. BOARD MTG. - DISTRICT BOARD ROOM
11/11 VETERANS DAY - NO SCHOOL

Parent Traffic Duty: October 12th - 16th - Parents from Rms. #23

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

National Walk/Bike/Carpool Day, Oct. 7, 2009: A Great Success @ Garden Gate!

Garden Gate had wonderful community participation in this year’s event. Although all of the classroom figures for Oct. 7th are not
in yet, here’s what we learned so far. The numbers in parentheses are the numbers from the survey we took a week ago. The
other numbers are from today.

October 7th Survey:

Walkers Bikers Carpoolers Scooters/Other
245 (128) 62 (13) 78 (72) 2 (22)

Congratulations to all of our students and parents for using a healthy alternative to get to school. Thank you, also, to Mayor
Mahoney for his presence at Garden Gate to support our efforts. Thank you, too, to Alan Takahashi who, along with staff member
Patti Wolf, spearheaded the effort here at Garden Gate. A big “thumbs up” to all of our students!

Staff Learning Day – Monday, October 26

Please note that next Monday, October 26th, is a staff learning day. It is not a school day for students. Our staff will focus on
21st Century Learning and a variety of academic subjects. Teachers will attend mini training sessions of their choice, as well as
work together as grade level teams.

Building Character - Help Your Child To Work Through Challenges For School Success.
It's hard to get anywhere without perseverance. In fact, many of the world's most admired people (including Albert Einstein and
Abraham Lincoln) could not have succeeded without it. To help your child develop a work ethic that will last through school and
life:

* Talk about perseverance. List examples of not giving up, such as finishing a tough homework assignment, learning to
ride a bike or continuing to play a game when you're losing.
* Find role models. Name people who exemplify perseverance. They might be friends, relatives or famous people, such as
Benjamin Franklin. Discuss their lives. Describe their traits.
* Act it out. What does it look like to persevere? Role play stories, such as The Little Engine That Could.
* Draw a picture. Have your child think of a time when he persevered even though it was tough. Suggest that he draw a
picture of what worked for him.
* List "success stoppers." What keeps people from pushing forward? (Negative attitudes are a good example.) How can
you and your child avoid these pitfalls?
* Admit being human. No one is perfect. Everyone must work through challenges. Help your child see that he has what it
takes, no matter what.
* Make a plan. Choose sensible goals with your child. Believe that he'll succeed. Be supportive, and turn mistakes into
lessons. He may need to start over, and that's okay!

Reprinted with permission from the September 2009 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition)
newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Leah Davies,M.Ed. "Instilling Perseverance in
Children," Meet Kelly Bear, www.kellybear.com/TeacherArticles/TeacherTip58.html.

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

There is a PTA meeting tonight with a special guest, Julie Darwish, President of
the CFSC PTA. Julie will speak about Measure G, so please plan to attend at 7:15 p.m. in the GLC.

THANK YOU!!!
Last week was a very busy week and many Garden Gate parents stepped in to make it happen. Thank you to all Book
Fair volunteers and to Azmeh Ahsan and Ellen Yee who coordinated the event! Thank you to Mahalakshmi
Rameshbabu for leading the charge with the Fall Social and to all the supporting cooks, cleaners, servers, shoppers
and delivery people. It takes a lot of effort to make events such as these happen. I hope you will join me in saying
“Thank You” to everyone who helped!

PTA Training
For anyone interested in the PTA training this Saturday, October 10th , please sign up on line at http://www.capta6.org/
training/ The training will take place at Joaquin Miller Middle School, 6151 Rainbow Dr., San Jose 95129.

Red Ribbon Week - October 19th - 23rd

We have a special event this year as part of “Red Ribbon Week.” Each child, in teams of two, will plant a tulip bulb in
front of the school. Next spring the red tulips will grow and bloom as a sign of renewal, springtime, and as a reminder
for the kids to just say NO To Drugs! We will need help preparing the soil for the planting, so please contact Ramya
Vasudevan at ramyarathinavalli@yahoo.co.in if you can assist with a little digging! Thank you.

Reflections Contest Deadline is tomorrow, Friday October 9th!

Please drop off all Reflections entries in the school office (black container located against the wall). Ramya will try to
review the entries to ensure they have been properly submitted – so the sooner you can send in the entry. . .the better!

Direct Donation Classroom Contest Deadline is tomorrow, Friday, October 9th!

If you have not returned an envelope for the Direct Donation classroom contest, please do so now! Each classroom is
keeping track of the number of envelopes returned. If every student in the class returns an envelope, the whole class
attends the popsicle party on October 29th! Simply write your child’s name and room number on the orange Direct
Donation envelope or you can use any envelope. If you are making a donation, please place it inside the envelope and
return it to your child’s teacher by Friday, October 9th! Direct Donations can be given at any time of the year. If you
cannot donate now, but can give later, return your envelope now and then drop off your check at a later time (made
payable to Garden Gate PTA). Either way, please return an envelope to the classroom as mentioned. Thank you
again to all the parents and friends that give so much time and effort to keep Garden Gate such a strong school!

Kathleen McCulloch, Garden Gate PTA President

Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014
 GATORAID
Calling In Student Absences
When calling in your child’s absence, please be specific
as to the reason for the absence, i.e.: “My child (name),
has a fever due to cold, sore throat, cough or flu with
100.0 or more temperature.”
Your child may return to school when he/she is fever
free, without medication or the aid of a fever reducer for
at least 24 hours. When returning to school, the
student must check in with the office to be assessed
and cleared of a fever before returning to class. Please
do not give your child a fever reducer and send them to
school. It is necessary to keep them home in order not
to expose their illness to other students in the class.
Help Our Computer Lab To Be Germ Free
Our computer lab is in need of
disinfectant wipes to help keep
our computers as sanitary as
possible. Germs can be easily
spread on keyboards, so if you
can send in a container of
disinfectant wipes, we would
appreciate it. Please drop
these items off in the computer
lab. Thank you in advance for
your contribution.
Volunteers & Visitors
We welcome parents to volunteer at our school.
However, for the safety of our children, please sign in at
the school office and take a Volunteer/Visitor’s Badge to
wear when you are on our campus and remember to
return it when you leave.
Our students know to look for these badges. Your
assistance in identifying yourself when you are on our
campus, will help to maintain a safe environment for all
of our students. Thank you!
Garden Gate Elementary School 10500 Ann Arbor Ave., Cupertino CA 95014
PAGE 4
Hot Lunch
Student Nutrition Services use a computerized system
to serve hot lunch to the students. In order for the
system to run smoothly and effectively, it is
recommended that parents/guardians send pre-
payment envelopes to the school office no later than
9:00 a.m. on the day the child wants to
receive a school lunch. Paying cash at the lunch line is
discouraged because it creates a delay and causes
students to wait longer for their hot lunch. We are
trying to make our lunch lines cashless, and so we
recommend that parents pay via check instead of
cash. . Parents can also pay online at
www.paypams.com <http://www.paypams.com/>
by using their debit or credit cards. Please pre-pay for
as many lunches in advance as possible. Parents/
guardians may pre-pay for lunches for one or more
days on a weekly basis or, if desired, for a month or
more.
Students - Remember
to Take Your
Homework Materials
With You At Dismissal
Time!
We have had many
students come back to
campus requesting to get
into their classrooms to retrieve forgotten materials. If
their teacher has left for the day, they need to wait until
the following day. Organizing oneself is an important
skill students need to learn. At the end of the day, they
should always check to make sure they have the books
and papers they’ll need to complete their homework.
Teachers usually spend a few minutes at the end of the
day reminding students of what they need to complete
at home. Students who
take an extra minute or two to check their homework
assignments and gather the appropriate materials can
be confident they have what they need. Students who
do not check to see if they have what they need, can
end up frustrated and worried if they find they don’t
have a book or a homework sheet. Please encourage
your children to spend an extra minute or two at the end
of the school dayv making sure they have everything
they need. It makes life easier for everyone in the family
when the student is prepared.
 GATORAID! PAGE 5
DISTRICT NEWS SECTION
CUSD BUDGET UPDATE MEETINGS
Given the unprecedented magnitude of the state budget crisis and the uncertainty surrounding Cupertino Union School
District’s funding, Superintendent Phil Quon will be holding a number of budget update meetings throughout the District during
October 2009. The Superintendent would like to invite all interested parents and community members to attend and hear what
steps the district is taking to try and weather the state budget crisis. Please attend any meeting that is convenient for you.
Here is a list of meeting schedules and their locations:

• Tuesday, October 6, 2009 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Hyde Middle School, Multi-Purpose Room (19325 Bollinger Road in Cupertino)
• Monday, October 12, 2009 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Kennedy Middle School, Multi-Use Room (821 Bubb Road in Cupertino)
• Wednesday, October 14, 2009 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Miller Middle School, Gymnasium (6151 Rainbow Drive in San Jose)
• Thursday, October 29, 2009 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Lawson Middle School, Event Center (10401 Vista Drive in Cupertino)
• Monday, November 2, 2009 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Cupertino Middle School, Gymnasium (1650 S. Bernardo Avenue in Sunnyvale)

If you have any questions, please contact Jeremy Nishihara at (408) 252-3000, Extension 323.

PARENT SPEAKER SERIES

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - “Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration” - Speaker: Natasha Coetzee Kukuk,
Associated Learning and Language Specialists

SELPA II (Special Education Local Plan Area II) is proud to host the following guest speaker presentation to parents of
students with special needs. Does your child struggle with sensory issues, balance, motor planning, or other gross or fine
motor skills? Natasha tells us about occupation therapy and sensory strategies that we can use at home. The event takes
place at Bishop Elementary School (450 N. Sunnyvale Avenue in Sunnyvale) in the auditorium from 6:30-8:30 PM. There is
no registration required to attend the event. Onsite childcare is available, but registration is required for childcare and closes
one week prior to the event, with no exceptions. For childcare contact Linda Toda at (408) 522-2474.

H1N1 GUIDELINES
The Santa Clara County Public Health Department guidance recommends that, based on current flu conditions, students and
staff with flu-like illness stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of
fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

You can help keep our schools healthy by adhering to the following guidelines:

• Continue to enforce proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. The recommendations continue to emphasize the
importance of the basic foundations of disease prevention: Stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap
and water when possible or alcohol based hand sanitizer, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing
or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

• Leave accurate information as requested on the school’s absence line if you child is sick. This will help the school
identify any potential issues as soon as possible.

• Promptly pick up your child from school if they are sent home for being ill. The school will keep ill students separated
from others until they can be sent home. Please make sure that the school office has your updated contact
information.

• Any returning students after an illness with a fever will need to have their temperature taken in the school office before
returning to class. Teachers will be sending returning students back to the office to have their temperatures taken if
they arrive directly to the classroom without being cleared.

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