| Campus Happenings |
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Gateway teachers at the Learning & the Brain Conference in San Francisco last month.
1st graders deliver their "cookies for community" and Valentine letters for various helping members of our community.
Kindergarteners parade their dragon to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Student Council members presented a check of funds raised by the Gateway Community to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.
1st graders enjoy music class with Teacher Kristin.
3rd graders conduct crayfish observations.
Middle school students meet the Science Fair judges.
Science Fair judges become part of one of the experiments.
6th graders explain their Science Fair project.
7th graders help out during the Lego Workshop at Family Science Night.
Gateway parents lead student workshops at Family Science Night.
Gateway Alumni help out with the Air Powered Rocket Workshop at Family Science Night.
Kindergarteners enjoy chalk at recess.
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FROM THE HEAD'S DESK 
by Percy L. Abram, PhD, Head of School
Dear Parents,
One element of Gateway School's
program, mission and culture that stands out is its commitment to environmental
stewardship. The adults and children
that make up the community go out of their way to model environmental responsibility
in the classroom and in their lives. Whether
it is biking to work, carpooling with neighbors, participating in Zero Waste
Lunch days, and encouraging those around them to do the same, our students, teachers,
and parents strive to make a meaningful difference in our local community and
the world.
This was evident recently in the
projects that our Middle School students chose to research and present for the
school's science fair. Our sixth graders
explored such areas as: "How
does the topography of a landmass affect how much rising sea levels will
submerge it?", and "Can you charge an iPod with
fruits and vegetables?". While our 7th
and 8th graders investigated the optimum number of blades for
wind-generated power; the temperature at which a solar panel puts out the most
voltage; the Pacific Trash Gyre and possible methods for removing trash; the
effect of various pollutants on sea water pH; the effect of sunscreen on algae;
and the type of surface upon which algae grows best. These committed students understand the role
science plays in understanding the fragility of our planet and protecting her.
On March 10th, Mick
Dawson will speak to our Middle School students at our Town Hall Meeting. Mr. Dawson was part of a record-breaking two person British team
that recently rowed the North Pacific for the first time traveling 6,000 miles
from Japan to San Francisco. Mick had
previously tried to do the row solo twice and nearly died. They are making a
film of the endeavor called 189 Days in May. As part of his
presentation, Mr. Dawson will talk about the encounters they had with ocean
life and passing through the Pacific Gyre.
Then on March 25th, at
11:00 am, Gateway
School will host its Promise
and Renewal celebration. During the
ceremony, we have the benefit of hearing how each of our students will work
over the next year to be more environmentally conscious and encourage others to
do the same through their "class promises".
This ceremony is inspirational and focuses the community on our
responsibility as environmental stewards.
These larger endeavors, coupled
with the smaller ones that go on daily in our students' lives (both at school and
at home), have a significant impact on how our students interpret, relate to,
and experience the world. It is
impressive that our community not only values this component of our mission,
but works assiduously to live it as well.
This is how we make learning meaningful.
Warm Regards,
Percy
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SCHOOL LIFE 
Head of School Book Club March 8th,
7:00-8:30pm. All parents are invited to read and come
discuss the book Blessings of a Skinned Knee, by Wendy Mogul, PhD.
Time to make plans for the summer! The Gateway Summer
Program registration will open Monday, March 8th at 6pm. Paper copies of the brochure
and registration form will go home with students on
Friday. An email will also be sent to everyone in our school and summer
databases that details where Summer Program information can be found online and
when online registration opens.
Our annual Gateway Poetry Contest is underway! Poems are judged K-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th-8th grade. Each child's poem submission should be neat
and clearly written or typed with their name and grade on the back of the poem.
Poems can be put in the envelope on the Lobby board (by the lap top computer) on or before March 10th! Winners are
announced at our Promise and Renewal Gathering March 25th and the winning poems
will be displayed in the lobby!
County Science Fair begins this Saturday March 13th. Congratulations to the following students who
were selected to show their projects at the County Science Fair: TKai Dunsmore (6), Asha Failor-Wass, Amber
Carlton/Daisy Hemmen (6), Danny Halperin (7), Kate Mendenhall (7), Mary Snook
(7), Wilson Fletcher (8), and Sean Miller (8).
Reminder: The
school will be CLOSED for an In-Service
Day on Monday, March 15th. Childcare is available. Please sign up in
advance in the Main Office.
Please note
that childcare will not be provided during Spring Break (April 5th-9th).
Patricia's 2nd grade and Tess' 5th grade classes
performed Civil Rights songs at Bookshop Santa
Cruz last Thursday evening. Patricia had been asked by the store's children's
book seller, Gaye, to bring students to the book preview of National Book Award
Nominee Elizabeth Partridge's March For
Freedom. The book tells the story of the 1963 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery,
in which many children took part! Click here for a link to the author's blog,
which has a video of the Gateway children singing.
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GPA NEWS
by Sheri Corona, GPA President sheric2000@yahoo.com
Family Science Night a success! Thank you to George Delli-Santi for chairing Family
Science Night! And thank you to Anne
Rowley who volunteered the evening of the event to help direct students to the
sessions they had signed up for. Thank
you to Nina Oakley, who ran the Science Fair contest, and to David Keister for
arranging student volunteers.
Thank you to the following
parent volunteers for helping run Science Night activities: Rusty Berg, Josh
Mader, Mat Rowley, Tony Sloss, Patty Wilson,
DVM, Chris Woldemar, and Computers Teacher Cindy
Zimmerman. Thank you to student volunteers: Andrew Adelman, Madison Berg, Carly
Dolgenos, Wilson Fletcher, Shannon Ganley, Ryan Kahn, Michael Lucas, Ellis
Miranda, Chris Okabe, and Naji Samaha. Thank
you to Rosemary, whose help has made this event successful every year, and
especially to Jeremy who went above and beyond the call of duty by calling in
emergency tree service to remove the hanging branch by the Middle School deck to
make the Middle School Science Fair posters safely accessible to all!
GPA Staff Treats Day March 11th, hosted by grades K, 3rd,
and 6th.
GPA Development News
Our Online Auction is up and running! - We have over 200 donated items and new items are
being added daily. See instruction sheet
in the Wednesday folder. Visit www.gatewaysc.cmarket.com to
register and bid! Proceeds support the
faculty and children immediately this school year and a portion of proceeds
will go to the Life Lab Science Program housed at UCSC. www.lifelab.org.
Tiki Drawing! Have you seen the fabulous Tiki in the Main
Lobby?? As part of our annual
fundraiser, we are holding a drawing for this unique Tiki statue!
Hand carved and donated by Gateway parent Will Zilliacus of Santa Cruz Tiki Shack.
Tiki tickets are $10 each or
3 for $25. You can pay cash or check or have the tickets added to your Gateway
account. Just fill in the form in the lobby on the board by the Tiki and drop
it in the box. If paying cash, please go to the Business office to pay there.
The drawing for the winner
will be held Wednesday March 10th at 12 Noon! Get your tiki tickets today!
GPA will sponsor a Spring Wine and Cheese Event on
April 28th at Bonny Doon
Winery. It is an adult evening, which includes 3 glasses (generous pours)
of wine and artisan cheese trays. The event will be on
April 28, from 6-8 pm. Tickets are $15 per person and are available in
the office. Space is limited. |
 ADMISSIONS NEWS by Colleen Sullivan, Admissions Director
colleen.sullivan@gatewaysc.org
Open
House - Thursday
March 11th, 9 - 11am. Encourage your friends,
acquaintances or neighbors who are investigating school options for their
children to drop into our Open House to learn more about our school. RSVP
to Colleen at 423-0341 ext. 302 or colleen.sullivan@gatewaysc.org.
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Parent Resources
PEN Speaker Series
Sensory Integration: Do We Really Need It?
Friday, March 19, 9 am - 12
pm, Patricia Oetter MA, OTR/L, FAOTA. This short workshop is designed to be an
interactive and experiential introduction to the process of sensory
integration. Participants will explore the way the nervous system goes about
gathering, processing, defining and acting on sensory motor events. For more
information visit
http://parentseducationnetwork.org/SpeakerSeries?eventId=78932
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Classifieds
Send your free classified ads (maximum 50 words) to kristin.smith@gatewaysc.org or put them in the Development mailbox in the Main Office. Submissions should be received by the first Monday of the month to be included in that month's issue. This information is provided as a service to parents and faculty.
Gateway is not endorsing or making representations about the quality of
these classified services.
Arts Faculty Member LOOKING TO RENT - I am looking for a studio or 1 bedroom to
call home within an easy commute distance. My dream is to have a bit of
extra space to do art. Contact me at susan.paull@gatewaysc.org.
Lego Mindstorms RCS Robotics Workshop at Gateway School
Computer Lab Saturday March 20th, 12-3:30. Ages 7+ (limited to 10
students). Cost is $40, payable to Cindy Zimmerman.
Aux Trois Pommes - Upcoming Events:
Origami
Workshop: Learn how
to do origami by our Japanese teacher, and learn some Japanese at the same time.
Wednesday, February 24th, 3-5pm - Scotts
Valley Public Library, and Wednesday,
March 3rd, 3-5pm - Santa Cruz
Public Library (Central)
Around
the World in 9 Languages: Come join us for an afternoon of fun and educational activities in
nine languages. See how our method works
and how easily you, your family and friends can learn a second language.
Saturday, March 13th, 2-5pm.
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