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Teachers welcomed students with a song at the all-school
assembly on the first day of school.
Gateway Board of Trustees attended their annual retreat in September.
Kindergarteners worked their 4th grade buddies.
The 6th graders and other new MS students made cookie dough together
during their orientation session to help prepare for the
First Day gathering assembly.
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News From the Head of School
At the Welcome Gathering on our first day of school, I encouraged
our students to approach this year with a renewed sense of optimism, hope,
purpose, and meaning. I shared with the
gathered assembly a poem, entitled "New Beginnings",
and challenged them to imagine how they could contribute to making Gateway School a stronger community. For some children, this may manifest in
making friends with new students in their class, and easing the transition to Gateway School. For others, it may involve reaching out to the larger Santa Cruz community through community
service. Regardless of the form, the aim
is to remain mindful of how fortunate we are to work and grow in this unique
learning environment, and to recognize our responsibility to preserve and strengthen
our sense of community.
This year, Gateway
School will introduce a
few New Beginnings of its own,
including:
First Fridays: On
the first Friday of every month, from 8:45 - 9:00, we will hold an all-school assembly
in which we introduce different themes throughout the year. After a brief welcome by me, a faculty and/or
group of students will address the group and talk about the virtues of family, community, humor, patience, giving
thanks, lifelong learning, etc. The
First Friday tradition is a wonderful opportunity for us to begin each month
with a shared sense of purpose. We are
keeping our fingers crossed for dry Fridays.
Updated Blog Posts: Each month, I will post a series of blogs to the Family News Blog Page under
the category "News from the Head" to highlight relevant educational topics that
our faculty and staff are considering, and to spark conversation around issues
that affect the K - 8 independent school community.
Pastries with Percy: I will host an early morning chat with K-5 (Tuesday April 5, 2011) and
6-8 (Tuesday November 16, 2010) parents to bring them together to discuss our elementary
and middle schools programs, respectively, and to answer any questions families
may have about the school's curriculum, policies, and mission. (We will
continue our grade level coffees as well, which focus on developmental issues).
HOS Book Club: (Not really new, but only three GWS parents
attended last year.) This year the HOS Book Club will meet twice to engage in a
discussion about books that will help inform our children's educational and
emotional development and our parenting. In anticipation of our guest speaker in March, Dr. John Medina, we will be reading his book, "Brain Rules", for our first book club meeting on February 16, 2011.
GWS Dad's Group: The
mission of the Gateway School Dad's Group is to weave a network of fathers and
father figures into the fabric of the school community in ways that strengthen
and enrich the lives of all students in the greater GWS community. We invite all dads, granddads, and father
figures to join us as we plan a series of community-building events in support
of our students and the school. Please
feel free to contact me if you are interested in participating.
I encourage our new families to get involved in these and/or the myriad
other events that take place at school throughout the year. It is an important way to share your talents,
interests, and time with the Gateway
School community. I am confident that as you immerse yourself
in the community, you will build strong and enduring friendships with our
parents and faculty, as they are the people who make our school a special and
unique place.
Gertrude McClain's last stanza of her poem
reminds us that:
The years will never
take away
Our chance to start
anew
It's only the
beginning now
So dreams can still
come true.
Here's to bold dreams and new beginnings!
Warm regards,
Percy Abram
percy.abram@gatewaysc.org
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"40 in the Field" is coming up on Saturday October 2nd. This event for adults (21yrs +) will mark the beginning of our 40th anniversary celebrations. We are inviting alumni parents and adult-aged alumni and grandparents to join all our current parents in celebrating the school which we have all enjoyed over its 40 year history, and to look toward the future together.
Former heads of school Dr. Peter Lewis, (Assistant Head) Kathleen Warren, and David Peerless, will be returning to join us. The event, co-chaired by Angela Chesnut, Virginia Ganley, and Jane Henry, will include food, wine, music, a program, and a truly unique opportunity to meet alumni parents. Please RSVP by Sept. 17th to Kristin Smith kristin.smith@gatewaysc.org.
Another exciting 40th celebration event:
In collaboration with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Cabrillo College, Gateway School is sponsoring nationally renowned brain researcher, Dr. John Medina for both an evening parent and community presentation and a teacher workshop for local public and private school educators. These events will be on March 3 and 4, 2011.
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Gateway School was featured this month in the California Parent Magazine.
Gateway School: Bringing participation, relevance and meaning to the classroom
If you're curious about what makes Santa Cruz's Gateway School
exceptional, just ask a Gateway parent. Case in point, Anne Rowley,
mother of a fourth-grader, says, "The place is on fire with teachers who
are implementing proven tools in brain-based learning. They're
excited!"
"More than half of Gateway's teachers have
attended the Learning & the Brain Symposium on neuroscience and
education, as well as other high-level professional development
opportunities. They come back and teach each other, teach our kids and
teach us what they've learned," Rowley says. "By focusing on how the
mind works, instead of how to get chunks of information installed in
students' heads, the faculty at Gateway really gets these kids turned on
to learning!"
To view the full article, click here.
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