Middle School Information Night - TOMORROW
Thursday Nov. 18, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
4th-5th grade parents are encouraged to join us for Middle School Information Night. Come and get an overview of our exceptional middle school program at Gateway. This is the only presentation this year where you will get all of this information in one place. Learn about the curriculum and structure of our program, meet and hear from our incredible middle school faculty, listen to a musical performance, talk with our students, and hear from Gateway alumni about their transition to high school. RSVP to the Main Office or kimara.vann@gatewaysc.org
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Annual Giving Update
As we approach Thanksgiving we reflect on so many things we are grateful for right here at Gateway School. Currently as we work to raise the remaining funds needed to support the faculty and children this school year, we are deeply grateful for the 165 parents who have pledged a gift to the Annual Fund. We have received pledges from $10 to $1,500 (the "gap") to $25,000. Every gift matters and contributes to a successful school year.
To-date we are at 84% parent participation. Last year we reached 90% parent participation. We ask all parents who have not yet participated to join in by making a gift or pledge (to be paid by the end of the fiscal year) to the Annual Giving Campaign, "This is Our School" this week. Let's wrap it all up before Thanksgiving.
You can make your tax-deductible donation online at www.gatewaysc.org/giving/donate.html or submit your pledge to the Development Office for tracking.
Double your gift with a Matching Gift: Does your company have a matching gift program? Gateway is a 501(c)(3) and may be eligible to receive a matching donation from your employer.
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Calling all New Leaf Shoppers! Just in time for your Thanksgiving shopping, Scrip cards for New Leaf shopping are available in the Main Office! Cards come in $100 denominations and act like a gift card (you don't have to spend it all at one time). You can pay for the gift card by writing a check to Gateway School or charge to your account. Gateway will receive 5% of all purchases. What a great way to support our school!
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40 Acts of Kindness Korner , by Karen Hovekamp
This is our little Korner to share with you what's happening with the "40 acts of kindness" projects this year, so keep your eyes peeled for even more events to come!
The first opportunity coming up is to help wrap holiday presents purchased at Cinnamon Bay Boutique in Seascape this Saturday, Nov. 20th at 11:00am. Cinnamon Bay is donating a portion of their sales to Children's Hospice & Palliative Coalition and offereing free gift wrap. If your student would like to help, please contact Angela Chesnut. This This is a great way for Middle School students to earn community service credit time.
The next opportunity is Saturday, Dec. 4th, marching with the Foster Care Department of Santa Cruz County in the annual Holiday Parade in downtown Santa Cruz. Our presence will help publicize the need for foster/adopt homes, plus it will be tons of fun to be IN the parade! For more info, please contact Karen Hovekamp.
Other Kindness opportunities coordinated at school:- Second Harvest Canned Food Drive! Help your student bring in canned food for the Second Harvest Food Drive. The 6th grade class leads our entire school in this community service effort; each class collects canned goods, and the 6th graders count and weigh donations by class. Thank you!
- Student Council Coat Drive. Please consider bringing in a gently used or new warm coats for the Annual Coat Drive for needy families. The coat drive is run in conjuction with Classic Cleaners. There will be a collection bag in each classroom (until December 12th).
- Student Council Bake Sale after school on Thursday November 18th. Proceeds support Jacob's Heart's services to families with children with cancer or other life threatening illnesses.
If you work with a local group that needs volunteers or would like to help organize a service opportunity, please contact Gateway parent Karen Hovekamp (Luke '17, Jack '19) @ hovekamp@pacbell.net. |
8th Grade Washington DC Fundraisers:
Tamales On Sale Now - 8th graders are selling tamales (orders must be in by Dec. 9th for pick up on Dec. 16th. Click here for more info and to download an order form.
Family photography session with 8th grade parent Laura Lucas. For a nominal fee of $25, you will receive high resolution digital images of your family portrait. All proceeds will go to the Class of 2011 8th grade Washington DC fundraising. Make an appointment directly with Laura through email: lucasjohnlaura@aol.com.
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EAP Meeting - Tuesday Nov. 30th, 3:30-4:30 pm
in the Library. Have you ever wondered where to go to get your school environmental issues addressed? Come join Gateway School's Environmental Advisory Panel and help us Green Gateway! Seasonal snacks will be served and Aftercare for your child(ren) is free of charge! Come provide input and ideas for an exciting and active new school year. Click here to visit the "Green Gateway" blog to see what the EAP group has been up to!
Agenda Ideas: Green/Fair Trade school fundraising ideas Waste free week Food policy plan-next steps |
Calling all Rising Kindergarteners!
If you have have a 2011-12 kindergarten-age child who you would like to consider enrolling for next year, please contact Colleen at colleen.sullivan@gatewaysc.org as we are planning our upcoming Sibling Tea (in December) and we would like to know how many spaces to reserve for siblings for next year's kindergarten class.
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Flag Football Inaugural Turkey Bowl - Gateway Sharks vs. Dads & Grads! Flag Football Game, Sunday Nov. 28, 10:30-12:00pm at San Lorenzo Park
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Grandparent Newsletter - We now send our monthly version of Gateway Family News to grandparents. If you are interested in having your child's grandparents receive this newsletter which highlights of school programs and events for the month, please send their name and email address to kristin.smith@gatewaysc.org.
Beyond the classrooms, don't miss other school news and photos posted on our Family News Blog page on the Gateway website, as well as on our new Facebook page. Stay informed through these links.
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Semi-Annual Tuition Payments Due This Month: If you chose to pay your child's 2010-2011 tuition on the Semi-Annual payment plan, your second Semi-Annual payment is due by the close of business (5:00 pm) on Tuesday, November 30th. We recommend that families start making arrangements for their Semi-Annual payments now so that the required funds are sure to be available by November 30th. The charge for this tuition payment appears on the 10/31/10 billing statement that was sent to you in early November. Your Semi-Annual tuition payment must be made in cash or by check. No late fees will accrue on this tuition charge as long as your payment arrives in the Main Office by 5:00 p.m. on November 30th. If, however, your payment arrives after this time, a late charge of $20 will immediately accrue to your account and your child's enrollment in the School for the remainder of the 2010-2011 school year may be jeopardized. Please contact Rima in the Business Office at x 308 if you have any questions.
Financial Aid for the 2011-2012 School Year: If you would like to apply for aid for the 2011-2012 school year, please click on this link for the complete packet of forms and instructions. In order to apply for aid, you must file a Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) with School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS). We recommend that parents file this form online, but parents can choose to file the paper PFS form instead if they prefer. To file online, go to sss.nais.org anytime from November 15th onward; to file the paper form, print out pages 16-21 from the attached financial aid packet and follow the directions in the packet. The Main Office also has a limited supply of paper PFS forms. In addition to filing your PFS, you must also upload or mail to SSS a copy of your complete 2010 tax return. We recommend that parents start preparing now to get their 2010 taxes done as early as possible during the month of February 2011, and file the PFS by February 1, 2011. As long as your PFS is filed by February 1, 2011 and the copy of your complete 2010 tax return is received by SSS by February 25, 2011, your application will be considered for the first round of financial aid awards (the round in which the bulk of our financial aid budget is awarded). If you are divorced, separated or never married, please be aware that each parent must file a separate PFS and each parent must submit a copy of his or her complete 2010 tax return to SSS. Please contact Rima in the Business Office at x 308 if you have any questions.
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