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Gig Harbor Area Activity Links
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Family Businesses
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Please support the following businesses who support GHA
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Parent Resources
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Sounds fun mom.com 
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At The Board Table
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The Board has been busy working through many topics on the table. We hope "At the Board Table " increases transparency between the Board and the GHA Community. Here is a glance of what was on the table for the October Board meeting.
- A faculty member attended the meeting to communicate their understanding and support of Board decisions and recent Board outreach efforts.
- A parent attended to support an increase in the Annual Fund goal for families and friends and to explore opportunities for grants and outside donations.
- Letters were reviewed consisting of these topics;
- Relationships with surrounding schools,
- Priority support for teacher/staff salaries and benefits,
- Strategic Financial Aid policies,
- Opportunities for fundraising for teacher/staff salaries and benefits.
- Financial perspective improving with recent new enrollments.
- A discussion and calculation of precise revenue target for addressing July 2012 payroll, enrollment targets and preparation for the 2012-2013 school year.
- Tuition Lock idea to be a priority at the next Finance Committee meeting.
- Approval of new operating Bylaws.
- Suggestions for new Board Members.
Past Board meeting minutes will be available in the front office for viewing.
The Board does have an email ghaboard@gigharboracademy.org to allow the community to reach out to the board at anytime with any questions, ideas or concerns. Click Here for the board email.
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Annual Fund
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def. A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.
WHAT IS GHA WORTH TO YOUR FAMILY...AND, WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR GHA?
GHA is important to your family, and you are important to GHA! Everyone is acutely aware that this year, more than ever, the school's survival depends in large part upon the Annual Fund. Funds collected during the current year Annual Fund will be used to get us through THIS YEAR! Please join the 16 families that have already done their part. We are off to a great start!
Already donated? THANK YOU, and don't stop now: please spread the word! Help us build momentum and create a positive buzz: remind your school and classroom friends about the Board's Matching Fund so that we can reach our 100% participation goal. Do you have ideas? Are you willing to help in other ways, big and small? Contact Erik White and Roberta Polk to help grow our Annual Fund.
GIVE GIFT GROW
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Cross Country
| Congrats GHA Eagles Cross Country Team!
What a fantastic season our Cross Country team had this fall! They could be seen practicing on campus every Wednesday and Friday afternoons, rain or shine and with smiles on their faces! The Sunday meets were a place to cheer each other on and be a part of a community wide effort to teach our kids the importance of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Thank you so much to Coaches Abbie Bushley, Andy Schell and Mr. Funk, along with all the parents who supported the team this season. Way to go Eagles, we are proud of you!
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Emergency Preparedness
|  As many of you may already know, GHA is in the process of upgrading our emergency preparedness supplies and procedures. Taking the needs of the student body, faculty and facilities into consideration, we are able to collect and store the necessary basic supplies for survival up to 3 days. Additionally, our procedures are being revised to meet the national standards of preparedness as well as our school community. Please feel free to contact Cristina McDougall in the office with any questions or comments.
A $10 non-refundable Readiness Fee will be assessed each child in the month of October to enable the school to reach it's goal.
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Parking Lot Reminders
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Please note the following parking lot best practices:
- Drive slowly at all times.
- Stay to the right while entering and exiting the carpool area.
- Stay to the left when heading to parking area.
- Remain in your car when in the carpool lane.
- Hold your child's hand in the parking lot.
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Just For Giggles
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Inspired by the pictures in our field trip reminder section of the last three newsletters Mrs. G offered their resident guinea pig for our giggles section of the newsletter! Watch out, everyone, Curly is on the road!
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GHA Greenhouse Project
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Thanks to the Boyd Family and Kindergarten Popcorn money, GHA will soon have a beautiful greenhouse that will be erected behind the pump houses that are located in the turn-around area of the parking lot. All classes will have the opportunity to take advantage of this greenhouse to grow fruits and vegetables that will be shared with the local food bank FISH. Classes will also be using the greenhouse to start native plants that will be transplanted to our wetlands. The fifth grade class will be learning construction skills while building the greenhouse. It will be fun to see the progress week to week!
A huge thank you to the Boyd Family and Kindergarten for funding this project. |
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What's New
|  SFN Sip 'n Social Coffee Wednesday
SFN would like to welcome parents for an informal coffee social in the library, Wednesday, October 19 after drop off. Bring your morning latte (coffee and tea will also be provided) and stop by for a chat, we would love to see you there!
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Full Circle Farms
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SIGN UP TODAY
GHA is proud to announce that we are now the newest pick up site for Full Circle Farms. Full Circle provides you with the highest quality organic fruits and vegetables every week or every other week (whatever your preference). A box of hand-selected produce in season and at the peak of flavor will be delivered to Gig Harbor Academy on Tuesdays for your convenience. Deliveries have already started arriving! You can customize your box as often as you like and their are additional items such as milk, bread, and cheese to chose from.
Use the Promo Code: CHERRIES to receive $10.00 off your first order.
Click on the above logo to sign up now!
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Roly Poly Preschoolers
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The Preschoolers learned the below Roly Poly song from Teacher Melanie and then experimented on what would happen when they rolled their own pumpkins down the hills of GHA.
The Roly Poly Pumpkin
The roly poly pumpkin
Rolled down the hill.
It rolled and it rolled
and it wouldn't stand still.
It rolled and it rolled
'Til it ran into a rock!
The roly poly pumpkin
came to a stop!
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First Grade Radishes!
|  The fruits of their labors have arrived: First Graders had the pleasure of harvesting their radish crop this week! |
Fifth Grade Visits FISH Food Bank
|  The fifth grade class visited the FISH food bank on Friday, October 7th to learn how the food bank operates and where help is most needed; they then shared their findings with the school at Colors.
Foods Needed:
Fruit Juice, Canned Applesauce, Corn, Ramen, Jam/Jelly, Baked Beans, Coffee/Tea, Sugar/Flour (5 lb bags), Spaghetti Sauce, and Mac/Cheese Dinners
Toiletries Needed:
Shampoo, Razors, Deodorant, Toothpaste/Brushes, and Feminine Products.
Additional Items Needed:
New or gently used children's winter coats, laundry soap, and dish soap.
Please deliver your donations between the dates of October 17th - October 21st to the fifth grade classroom.
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Kindergarten To QFC
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Last Thursday, as part of their nutrition week, Kindergarten made their annual visit to our Gig Harbor QFC for a behind the scenes tour. The store manager shows the students how items are organized in the store, the large storage freezers and refrigerators, and even a demonstration of the cardboard compactor! What a great way to show off Kindergarten's new field trip t-shirts, fun was had by all!
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First & Second Grade Visit Terry's Berries
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Another annual and very popular field trip is the 1st and 2nd grade visit to Terry's Berries. Located in Puyallup, the local farm offers a variety of produce, from apples and pumpkins to carrots, potatoes and more. The students were also able to observe the goats and over 300 chickens residing on the farm. After picking produce and learning about how bee pollination aides in crop production, they piled on the tractor for a ride around the farm! Thank you Terry's Berries for another great visit!
As a follow up to Terry's Berries Organic Farms the first and second grade class had a Pumpkin Workshop. There was pumpkin measurement with estimation and then weighing and measuring the actual measurements, learning the pumpkin life cycle, drawing pumpkins with coordinate graphing, pumpkin puzzles, and hands on dissection of pumpkin components. Thank you to all the parents that came to help with the different pumpkin stations.
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OPI Hosts Fourth Grade
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Fourth Grade had a wild adventure last week when they visited the Olympic Park Institute for 3 days of wilderness living. Accompanied by a handful of parents, Mrs. G and her class spent their time  learning about environmental science while hiking the Olympic National Park. They became more aware of their surroundings by observing plants and animals native to the region. A canoe ride on Lake Crescent (the whole class fit in one canoe!) was a great team building exercise in a beautiful setting. Thank you to Wendy Kelly, Wendy Welch, Judy Grecco and Zack Rosenbloom for being great parent chaperones, as well! |
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What Happens In Autumn?
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Childcare has been focusing on everything autumn. They have been observing trees and the changing of leaves while taking nature walks. They also have been decorating the childcare with fun fall colors. The following autumn poem was introduced to the children during this unit.
AUTUMN LEAVES ARE FALLING  Autumn leaves Falling, falling, Autumn leaves are Falling down. Red and green, Gold and brown, Autumn leaves On the ground. Autumn leaves Red and green, Gold and brown Falling all around. Autumn leaves Falling, falling, Autumn leaves are Falling down. |
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Art
| It's never a dull moment when Miss Lisa is on campus. Lately she can be found teaching the classes about still life painting techniques, using dark, medium and light shading to create shape and dimension. A harvest theme of pears, apples and squash gives the artwork a seasonal touch. Thank you, Miss Lisa, for always making art so much fun!
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No School - Professional Development Day
| Friday, October 14th
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SFN Community Service - FISH Food Drive
| October 17th - October 21st
SFN's first community service project will be for Gig Harbor's FISH Food Bank. The fifth grade class will be collecting food from October 17th through the 21st. Please look for the donation bag to come home (1 per family) on Thursday, October 13th. For a list of needed items see the above article in the Field Trip section. In addition to food, GHA will be collecting gently worn or new children's winter coats for FISH.
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Popcorn Sales
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Thursday, October 20th
After School
Enjoy an after school treat of popcorn and lemonade provided by the kindergarten class for only $1! Proceeds from their popcorn sales help support GHA.
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No School - Conferences
| Monday, October 24th & Tuesday, October 25th
Parent/Teacher conferences is set for the 24th and the 25th of October. Sign up sheets are posted in each classroom.
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Scholastic Book Fair
|  Friday, October 21st -
Friday, October 28th
Clifford The Big Red Dog arrives with a truckload of books for GHA! Thanks to the efforts of Maureen Brekke, GHA will host our fall Scholastic Book Fair in the library. Books and gifts for children of all ages will be available for purchase beginning Friday, October 21st and ending with Pumpkin Carve on the 28th. The book fair will be open during conferences, a great way to secret shop for the holidays! Please stop by the office or let Maureen know if you would like to volunteer to help with set up, break down or selling during the fair.
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SFN Snack Sale Hosted By Third Grade
| Thursday, October 27th
For $1.00 you can purchase yummy treats provided Snack Sale by  the third grade class. Proceeds go to support GHA! Snack sale is available during lunch for Prekindergarten through 5th grade and after school. You may send a dollar to school with your child or buy a $20.00 snack card that can be used towards purchases.
Click on the above image to fill out a snack card form. Please email form to the office. |
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Math Night
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Wednesday, November 15th
6:30 - 7:30 PM
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SFN Family Fun Night - Bowling At Chalet Bowl
| Friday, November 18th 
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Come join us for a fun evening of cosmic bowling at Chalet Bowl in Tacoma. This SFN sponsored event is open to all GHA Families. Bumpers are up so that even preschoolers can enjoy an evening of knocking pins down. $10.00 a person pays for bowling and shoes. Invite your friends and neighbors. We look forward to seeing you there.
Click on the Chalet Bowl logo to be directed to their website. BACK TO TOP |
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Mark Your Calendars
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GHA Winter Concert
Thursday, December 15th
6:30 PM at Gig Harbor High School
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Pumpkin Carve & Scholastic Book Fair
|  Sign up sheets are now posted in the office to volunteer for the Pumpkin Carve Event and/or the Scholastic Book Fair. Many hands make light work. Get involved. |
Cross Marketing
Please support these businesses that support GHA
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Possum's Boutique
|  Possum's Boutique specializes in beautiful new baby clothes, kids clothes, shoes, organics, dress-up/costumes, wooden toys and unique, affordable gifts. We hand select each item and regularly change our selection to keep it fresh. We carry a line of organic items including clothes, lotions, blankets, crib sheets. We also have specialty items for the new mom and moms-to-be, including comfortable and affordable baby carriers and boutique diaper bags.
Click on above image to be directed to their website.
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Java & Clay Cafe
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Starting your day off on the right foot is always easier at Java & Clay Cafe. For more than a decade, the coffee shop and pottery studio has been providing hot and cold beverages, as well as various food and snacks, to individuals and families looking for a quick bite or drink to start, continue, and/or finish their day.
Click on the above image to be directed to their website.
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Teaching Toys, Too
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Teaching Toys, Too mission is to provide quality toys that support the emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of the neighborhood's children. They search the world for the best of the best; applying strict standards of safety and durability to the toys they buy. Click on the above logo to be directed to their website. |
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SoundsFunMom.com
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Whether you're looking for a movie theater in Federal Way, a bouncy house in Sumner, or a park in Gig Harbor, Sounds Fun Mom aims to be your one stop shop for South Sound family outings. This blogger mom works hard on keeping her listings up to date because she knows there is nothing worse than getting somewhere only to find it closed or out of business.
Check out this fantastic blog by clicking on the above image. |
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Support The GHA Community
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Family Businesses
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The Family Business section is growing!
Kaukiki Farm - World Quality, Raised Locally, Naturally!
Kaukiki Farm is a local, family farm dedicated to the production of healthy, naturally raised livestock that you can place in your pastures or on your dinner table with trust. We raise our animals on plenty of fresh grass, hay, and sunshine with minimal grain. This produces flavorsome cuts of meat that are tender & tasty but not laden with fat. Our animals grow at their own natural pace, on a daily diet free of growth hormones and antibiotics. It does take longer to produce animals this way, but we feel the taste is worth the wait! We are now taking orders for Angus Beef, luscious lamb, and pasture paradise pork for November and December delivery.
Our fully furnished 1,400 sq.ft. home on the water in the heart of
historic downtown Gig Harbor is available for short or long term rentals. Watch all the activity on the harbor from the covered deck and large windows. Enjoy satellite television, wireless Internet and a well stocked spacious and open kitchen. The Gig Harbor Guest House can comfortably sleep up to six guests. Please click on the above image to see the web site , for more information, including rates and photos, or contact Marlene (253-858-5982) for a tour. Discounts for GHA families. 
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School
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6820 32nd St. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
Phone: 253-265-2150
Fax: 253-265-8124
Childcare: 253-265-8773
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Administration
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Each name is a link to that person's email.
Bruce Shoup
Head of School
Paul Hoover
Business Officer
Niki Vanderford
Director of Admissions & Marketing
Kim Dickens & Cristina McDougall
Adminstrative Assistants
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Follow Us On Facebook
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Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Updates on fun activities, reminders on important dates, and more.
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Join us for a fun-filled evening for the entire school, all about math! Hosted by GHA Faculty & Staff, kids will be able to explore the many concepts of math at their own level with hands-on engaging activities. This will be a don't miss evening for all preschoolers through fifth graders and their parents. 
