Gale Elementary School
Home of the Tigers!
An 'A' Rated School
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Location: 678 South Gollob Road, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: 520-731-4500
Greetings Tiger Families,
Welcome to May! Whether you’ve been part of our school community for years or are new to the family, we’re so glad you're here. May brings many wonderful opportunities to come together and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Bahama Buck’s, Eegee’s, or our 2025 Art Walk Night! These events are more than just fun—they help strengthen the meaningful connections that make our school community so special. We love seeing our Tiger families spending time together and creating lasting memories.
Staff Appreciation Week is one of my favorite events of the year. I look forward to honoring our incredible team for their hard work, heart, and dedication to our students. In my thirty-two years as an educator, I have never worked alongside a more passionate and committed staff. Thank you for joining me in recognizing their extraordinary efforts!
Key Updates
Wrapping Up the Year
As we approach the end of the school year, I want to thank you for trusting us with your Tigers. It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to our sixth-grade students—and many of our fifth-graders—as they head off to middle school. Some of these students have been with us for eight years, starting in preschool! We are proud of them and confident that they will continue to thrive.
Once a Tiger, always a Tiger!
Looking Ahead
The 2025–2026 school year begins on Monday, August 4, 2025. Be sure to check our monthly calendars below and save the dates for our Ice Cream Social and Open House—we look forward to welcoming you back!
Wishing you a joyful, restful summer break.
Let’s finish strong, Tigers!
With gratitude,
Direct line: 520-731-4504
All students receive free breakfast and lunch daily, with a variety of healthy options to choose from! Even if your child brings lunch from home, they are welcome to go through the line and select anything that looks delicious.
Ms. Ashley and Ms. Sue efficiently feed all of our Tigers each and every day and are greatly appreciated! We especially celebrate them this week during Staff Appreciation!
Thank you, Ladies!
Talk about going above and beyond, you ROAR!
🐯🐯 Join our Tax Team for Tigers 🐯🐯
Please remember to make a tax credit contribution to Gale Elementary School. Contributions can be made at TUSD Tax Credit website or by clicking the link/button to the right! Donations for 2025 can be made until April 15, 2026.Thank you for your continued support and generosity. You ROAR!
Important Dismissal Reminders for a Safe & Smooth Process
to ensure a safe and efficient dismissal, please follow these important guidelines:
✅ Valet Loop: Only vehicles are permitted in the valet loop. Please remain in your vehicle and have your name card visible to help speed up the process. Remind your child to listen carefully for their name.
⏳ Patience: Thank you for your patience last week as TUSD facilities employees worked to repair our irrigation system which included having to temporarily remove some of our sidewalk in area #4 on the map. The good news is that both the irrigation system and sidewalk repair were completed on Friday.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe!
🎉May
May 5-9 Staff Appreciation Week
May 9 Spring Band Concert 1:00 p.m.
May 13 Peter Piper Night
May 13 and 15 Water Day
May 16 Spring Orchestra Concert 1:00 p.m.
May 16 PTC Meeting
May 19 Kindergarten Performance
May 20 5th Grade Legacy Project Dedication and Celebration
5/22 6th Grade Promotion 9:00 a.m.
5/22 Last Day of School
🍧July
July 31 Ice Cream Social & Open House
🚸August
August 4 First Day of School
August 26 Curriculum Night & Title I Meeting
Family Engagement
Last month, our focus was on our Art Walk Night as it was the culmination of all of the spectacular projects our students completed with our amazing OMA integration specialist, Mrs. Laird.
We only have a a couple of events planned for the remainder of the school year but we need your help. Please reach out if you are able to volunteer. We will especially need volunteers for our our Water Days on May 13 and 15.
Contact our School Community Liaison, Chrissy Van Cleve, for event information, student support, or community resources. You can contact her by email or at 520-731-4567. Family engagement and support are among our primary Title I goals, and Chrissy is here to help.
If you’re interested in getting involved in our Parent and Teacher Club (PTC), Chrissy can provide you with all the details. Our next meeting is on May at 2:15 in our library. We are stronger together!
Email Chrissy Van Cleve
Phone: direct line 520-731-4567 or 520-731-4500
Character Strong and Tiger Traits are basically character traits we teach and encourage children to use in order to help them be more successful students and members of our society.
You can support our efforts by discussing the meaning of each trait and the role it plays in your child’s life. It is important for you to notice and recognize your child as s/he practices using their traits even at home.
Weekly Tiger Traits Recognition
Each week, we focus on a different trait, and our teachers select a student who exemplifies that quality. During our Tiger assembly, we also proudly honor students.
Fourth Quarter Tiger Trait Recipient's Celebration: All fourth quarter Tiger Trait recipients will be invited to attend a Breakfast Bash hosted by Ms. O on Wednesday, May 21 from 8-9 a.m. The celebration will also be facilitated by the following AMAZING team: our office manager, Mrs. Turkin, our monitor Ms. Gigi, and our counselor, Mrs. Lewis.
This month’s Character Strong and Tiger Traits are creativity, curiosity, and sense of humor.
We look forward to celebrating more outstanding Tigers!
Important Reminder: Zero Tolerance for Play-Fighting
I want to take a moment to address a serious matter regarding student behavior. We have a zero-tolerance policy for play-fighting. Statements like "I was just kidding" or "we were just play-fighting" are not acceptable excuses. Even when it starts as a joke, play-fighting can quickly escalate, and it's too easy for situations to get out of hand—especially when everyone wants to be the one to get the last shove.
Our priority is to maintain a safe environment for all students, and we ask for your support in reinforcing this message with your children. Please remind them that physical interactions of any kind that resemble fighting and or use of inappropriate language are not allowed, and there will be consequences if this policy is not followed. Repeat offenders are receiving consequences using the TUSD Code of Conduct.
Last month staff received a presentation on the Know Slur Campaign sponsored by our African American Student Services Department. Now that both students and teachers have received the information, we are immediately implementing a zero slur tolerance policy and integrating it with our Character Strong curriculum and PBIS program in the coming school year.
Thank you for helping us keep our school safe and respectful for everyone.
Free Camping Weekend with Camp Wildcat!
Camp Wildcat, a student-run nonprofit organization at the University of Arizona, provided fourteen of our lucky 6th grade students with a free weekend camping trip!
During the trip, students participated in engaging activities focused on higher education, sustainability, science, art, team building, diversity, and more. We appreciate of the wonderful opportunity for students to learn, explore, and build lasting friendships in a fun outdoor setting. Students shared that they learned and had a blast!
Hello Tiger Families,
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, our focus in May is on reflection, resilience, and transitioning to what’s next. We’re helping students recognize their growth this year, celebrate their successes, and build confidence as they prepare for summer and the next grade level. Lessons will include activities around goal setting, summer safety, and continuing to use coping strategies like mindfulness and positive self-talk. It’s a great time to reinforce how far they’ve come and encourage a strong finish to the year.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support throughout the year. If your family is in need of any social-emotional learning resources or support for your student over the summer, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m happy to help. Wishing everyone a safe, restful, and joyful summer break!
Katherine Lewis
Professional School Counselor
Gale Elementary School
questions, concerns, or comments by sending me an email.
COPE: We have a FREE Mental Health partnership with COPE. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Terrific Tiger
Fifth Grade at McKale Center
Judges Choice Award
Insect Exploration
Mrs. Kelly Turkin
Our amazing office manager, Mrs. Turkin, is retiring after 25 years of dedicated service to the Gale community.
As many of you know, Kelly has truly done it all—welcoming visitors with a warm smile, comforting students with care, supporting staff in countless ways, and even wrangling the occasional snake (yes, really!).
Her unwavering commitment to Gale has made a lasting impact, and she will be deeply missed by students, families, and staff alike. While it's hard to say goodbye, we are excited for her as she begins this next chapter.
Please join us in wishing Mrs. Turkin a retirement full of joy, relaxation, and all the things she loves most!
Terrific Tiger Out!
Mrs. Dara Laird
Celebrating Mrs. Laird’s Retirement
Our incredible OMA Integration Specialist, Mrs. Laird, will be retiring at the close of this school year.
Mrs. Laird began her journey at Gale as an enrichment instructor, returning to her passion for teaching music and art after leaving a traditional classroom role. Since then, she earned her art endorsement and officially became our OMA Arts Integration Specialist.
Through strategic collaboration with administration, staff, and families, Mrs. Laird has built a one-of-a-kind arts program that has become a true hallmark of our school. In honor of her lasting impact, we are proud to dedicate her classroom—Studio 14—in her name!
Mrs. Laird leaves behind big shoes to fill, and we wish her nothing but joy and adventure as she begins this exciting new chapter with her husband, who is also retiring this summer.
Please join us in celebrating her incredible contributions to Gale!
Thank you, Mrs. Laird for your inspirational and transformational vision!
Miss. Hannah Thandi
Our beloved Health Assistant, Miss Hannah Thandi, is retiring after 25 years of dedicated service.
As many of you know, Miss Hannah does far more than treat skinned knees and countless other daily bumps and bruises—she is also a master at healing hurt feelings with her calm, caring presence. Her warm and welcoming demeanor has made her a trusted go-to for our Tigers and staff alike.
Miss Thandi is also known for her enthusiastic participation in school spirit days—like during our secret staff spirit week, when everyone dressed as gifts just to see how long it would take students to notice! But the real gift has been Miss Thandi herself. Her compassion, sense of humor, and unwavering dedication have left a lasting mark on Gale.
She will be deeply missed, and we wish her a retirement filled with rest, laughter, and everything she loves most.
Thank you Hannah, for always making it a beautiful day in our neighborhood!
We’re finding items all over campus, especially on the playground. We continue to find piles of unlabeled items on the playground. Please use permanent markers to clearly label all of your child's belongings. When items are labeled, it not only helps us return them to the right owner but also teaches children to be responsible for their things. This way, teachers can focus more on teaching. Any unclaimed items will be donated on May 23.
Thank you for your support!
