Gateway Elementary School Newsletter

Make sure they are here at school (Make-up times will be available, but students usually do better when taking the tests with their class)
Make sure your child has plenty of sleep the night before each test
Provide a good breakfast
Make sure your child is on time (Students arriving late will not be allowed in the classroom while test is in progress)
Be positive and encouraging

Feb 18 & 19 3rd Reading CSAP 9-10:30am

Mar 2- 4

Reading/Writing
5th (9:00 - 10:30)
Reading/Writing

4th (10:30 - 12:00)

Science
5th (1:15 - 2:45)

Mar 5
Math
3rd (9:00 - 10:30)
Math
5th (10:30 - 12:00)
Math
5th (1:30 - 3:00)

Mar 6
Math
3rd ( 9:00 - 10:30)
Math
5th (10:30 - 12:00)

Mar 9
Reading/Writing
5th (10:30 - 12:00)

Mar 10

Reading/Writing
5th (10:30 - 12:00)
Reading/Writing
4th (1:30 - 3:00)

Mar 11 Reading/Writing
5th (10:30 - 12:00)
Reading/Writing
4th ( 1:30 - 3:00)

Mar 12
Writing
3rd ( 9:00 - 10:30)
Reading/Writing
4th (1:30 -3:00)

Mar 13

Writing
3rd ( 9:00 - 10:30)

Mar 16
Math

4th (10:30 - 12:00)

Mar 17

Math
4th (10:30 - 12:00)

Mar 18

Math
4th (10:30 - 12:00)

Breakfast Energy. . .

How would you start if you didn't have any gas? If you don't eat breakfast you are not giving your body the energy and gas you need to start your day.

CSAP testing is coming up and making sure that students have a good breakfast is the first step for a successful day. Breakfast fuels your brain and your body.
What you can do at home for breakfast:
Allow extra time in your morning.
Be creative-you can have healthy leftovers for breakfast.
Post a list of healthy and good breakfast ideas on your refrigerator.
Breakfast Menu Ideas
Scrambled eggs, orange juice, whole wheat toast, turkey bacon, low fat milk
tuna fish sandwich, apple juice
Cheese toast, blueberries, low fat milk
Slice of pizza, orange juice
Oatmeal, oranges, low fat milk
Raisin toast with butter or cream cheese or peanut butter and grapes
Taco with lettuce and tomato, milk
Bran muffins, banana, pineapple juice
Macaroni and cheese red and green bell peppers slices

Healthfully Yours,
Misty McMahan RN
School Nurse

Mark Your Calendars

Choir:
Monday, March 31, 2009
"Celebration of Music in Our Schools"
6:30 pm in the Dickson Performing Arts Center at the High School featuring the Middle and High School Bands and Choirs and the Summit, Columbine and Gateway Choirs

Grade 1-2 Program:
Thursday, February 12, 2009
"From the Bottom of My Heart"
7:00 pm, Gateway Gym
Wear Red and/or White

Kindergarten Program:
Thursday, April 9, 9:15 am in Gym

No evening performace

Grade 3 Program:
Thursday, April 30, 6:30 pm in Gym

Gateway Tidbits. . . .

Box Tops for Education
If you have been "hoarding" your Box Tops, please get them sent in. Our next due date is at the end of February. We earn cash for our school, so continue to clip the Box Tops throughout the year.

February 2009

Dear Gateway Families:

Welcome to February! We are looking forward to a month filled with learning, growing, and fun! Please take a look at our calendar in this newsletter for the many events scheduled this month.

I would like to thank all of the many volunteers, including our current and former students for their help with Retro Night! It was a wonderful evening filled with games, music, and laughter. We had a great turn out after such a crazy week with the city water situation. Many, many thanks!

Good news! Our school has been awarded two grants to build a butterfly garden in the front of our school. The first grant will be coming from Project Green Works and the second grant came from Walmart. A special thanks to the grant writers, Nancy Lecky and Kathleen Edie. The Gateway Habitat Team, along with students, will be working the rest of the winter planning and designing the garden. This spring we will start building the garden. It will be an amazing experience for our students to see firsthand natural butterfly habitat and follow the Monarch Butterfly migration pattern.

A few friendly reminders: please turn off cell phones while in the parent pickup flow lane. Also, please do not drop off students in the bus loop in the mornings. There is no direct supervision and the buses need a clear lane to park while the children exit the buses. If you have any questions regarding this, please let me know.

Our CSAP window is quickly approaching. We have a very full testing schedule starting in Feb. with 3rd grade reading. Please check the schedule before scheduling any doctor's appointments or family trips. Thank you, in advance, for supporting your student with a good night's rest, high protein breakfast, and lots of encouragement!

With kids in mind and heart,
Kay Lynn Waddell
Principal

Internet Safety Counselor - Mrs Shindler

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Kids who are old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world. But that access can also pose hazards. For example, an 8-year-old might do an online search for "Lego." But with just one missed keystroke, the word "Legs" is entered instead, and the child may be directed to a slew of websites with a focus on legs - some of which may contain inappropriate material. That's why it's important to be aware of what your kids see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online. Just like any safety issue, it's wise to talk with your kids about your concerns, take advantage of resources to protect them, and keep a close eye on their activities.

Getting Involved in Kids' Online Activities

It's wise to take an active role in protecting your kids from Internet predators and sexually explicit materials online. To do that:

Become computer literate and learn how to block objectionable material.
Keep the computer in a common area, not in individual bedrooms, where you can watch and monitor its use.
Share an email account with your child so you can monitor messages.
Bookmark kids' favorite sites for easy access.
Spend time online together to teach your kids appropriate online behavior.
Forbid your child from entering private chat rooms; block them with safety features provided by your Internet service provider or with special filtering software. Be aware that posting messages to chat rooms reveals a user's email address to others.
Monitor your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child's school, after-school center, friends' homes, or anyplace where kids could use a computer without your supervision.
Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.
Forward copies of obscene or threatening messages you or your kids get to your Internet service provider.
Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 if you're aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography online. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet.

Set up some simple rules for your kids to follow while they're using the Internet, such as:

Follow the rules you set, as well as those set by your Internet service provider.
Never trade personal photographs in the mail or scanned photographs over the Internet.
Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location. Use only a screen name. Never agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person.
Never respond to a threatening email or message.
Always tell a parent about any communication or conversation that was scary.
If your child has a new "friend," insist on being "introduced" online to that friend.

Taking an active role in your kids' Internet activities will help ensure that they benefit from the wealth of valuable information it offers without being exposed to any potential dangers.

Volunteer Corner - Nancy Lecky

February Volunteer Needs

Staff Valentine Lunch
We will be providing the Gateway Staff with a Valentine Lunch to show our Love and Appreciation for all that they do.
Date/Time: February 12th 11am - 2pm
Volunteer Needs: We could use help with set-up around 10:30 and/or clean-up around 2pm.
Contact: Carrie Jansma 748-2237   jansmac@skybeam.com

Jump Rope for Heart
This is a wonderful event that engages our children in jumping rope while raising funds to support lifesaving heart and stroke research.   This educational program teaches physical fitness and promotes the value of community service.
Date/Time: February 20th
Volunteer Needs: We would like to have two volunteers at a time to help with paperwork through-out the day on "Jump Rope for Heart" day. The volunteers can work in morning or afternoon shifts so there is not a need to be available the entire day.
Contact: Jason Holmes 686-2183 jholmes@wpsdk12.org

Day of the Arts
This is a special chance to see the amazing art work of Gateway students displayed throughout the building. This event will include the 3rd grade program and ice-cream.
Date/Time: April 30th
Volunteer Needs: We need Volunteers now to help with mounting and framing of artwork. We also need Volunteers to check classroom portfolios for artwork and work one-to-one with student to create and type Dream Statements. These activities can be done anytime between 9:00 and 4:00.
Beginning in April, we need Volunteers to assist with hanging about 350 works of art in the hallway. This can be done anytime between 9:00 and 4:00
Contact: Paula Levy 686-0339   npmslevy@msn.com

Retro Night

Retro Night Was a Huge Success

Thank you to everyone who supported Retro Night! It took a whole group of volunteers to pull off this event. The evening began with a lasagna dinner from Olive Garden. As always, the food was delicious. The evening continued with music, dancing, hula hoop contests, games and the sponge toss. The highlight of the evening seemed to be the raffle prizes. Congratulations to all students who won! Thanks again to all of our volunteers!

Music Notes - Mrs Levin

February MUSIC HAPPENINGS

The Kindergarten classes will be continuing their study of melodies and practicing moving their voices upward and downward. The first and second grades will continue working on the songs for their February program, which will be about people and things they love. The third, fourth and fifth grades continue their unit on recorders, and all grades will be singing Valentine songs and patriotic songs in honor of our Presidents. In addition to the recorders, the third graders will study a unit on African music and African-American spirituals. The fourth will continue their unit on the different types of harmony, including rounds, partner songs, descants, and harmony in thirds. The fifth will begin a unit on Civil War music including Abolitionist songs, folk music, and spirituals, Our composer of the month will be Sergei Prokofiev, and we will study "Peter and the Wolf" and "Romeo and Juliet".

Good luck, All Boychoir Participants!
Ten Gateway boys have signed up for the Colorado Springs All Boychoir Workshop from January 28-31. Over 200 boys from grades 3-12 will be participating. The final concert will be held at Mitchell High School at 7:00 pm on January 31.   Congratulations to the following boys and their parents for making the commitment to participate in this exciting event: Luke Ebhert, Darwin Edie, Kristian Hooker, Donnie Lasiter, Dillon Noble, Evan Owen, Dalton Reif, Joseph Riley, Dominic Roskam, Hunter Stone.

Student Council (STUCO) Mrs Conrad

Student Council has had a busy first semester! To start off the year, we sold tattoos, beads, and pom-poms for Homecoming. We gave the proceeds to an elementary school in Galveston, Texas that was devastated by Hurricane Ike.

In November, along with K-Kids, we sponsored a food drive that brought in over 1000 pounds of food for families in the Woodland Park area. For Christmas, we held a door-decorating contest. The entire school looked festive and in the holiday spirit! We are gearing up for Retro Night (this Friday!), where we will sell pop and candy.

Every Thursday, the fourth grade Stuco members collect all the recycling throughout the building to take to the recycling center. We also run the Student Store every Friday morning from 8:20-8:30. If you need any fun school supplies, please stop by on Friday morning!