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,
It’s hard to believe we’re entering the final month of 2024!
Thank you in advance for joining us for Peter Piper Night on December 3 and our Fine Arts Showcase on December 10. These events are wonderful opportunities for our community to come together, and we’re so grateful for your support in creating amazing memories with our Tiger Family.
As the holiday season approaches, December will fly by! Here are a few key updates to help you stay informed:
Upcoming Assessments
Students in grades 2-6 will complete their second benchmark tests of the year, while grades K-3 will participate in the DIBELS assessment. Specific testing dates can be found in your child’s weekly newsletter. If your child is absent on a scheduled testing day, they’ll take part in a make-up session upon their return.
Special Performances
- Band Winter Performance: December 12 at 1:00 p.m. (Grades 5-6)
- Orchestra Winter Performance: December 13 at 1:00 p.m. (Grades 4-6)
We hope you can join us to celebrate the hard work of our talented students!
Important Dates
- Grading Day: Friday, December 20 (no school for students).
- Winter Break: December 21, 2024 - January 5, 2025.
- School Resumes: Monday, January 6, 2025.
A Look Ahead
As 2024 comes to a close, I want to sincerely thank you for your hard work and support throughout the first semester. Your partnership means the world to us!
Key Updates and Information
Progress Monitoring
Our focus remains on using data to guide instruction. Teachers, service providers, and interventionists are committed to helping students succeed.
- For grades K-2, intervention groups remain flexible and are adjusted as needed.
- Starting in January, Targeted Learning Support (TLS) sessions will be available after school from 2-3 for identified students in 1st and 2nd grade (ELA) and 6th grade (math). If you receive an invitation for your child, please sign and return it promptly. Thank you for partnering with us to support student success!
Safety Drills and Protocols
On November 25, we conducted a lockdown drill with the support of the School Safety Department. We received positive feedback and guidance to refine our protocols.
For both drills and real emergencies, our priority is the safety of our students and staff. Doors will remain closed, and no one will enter or exit unless they are a first responder.
- If you hear my voice or a staff member’s voice over the PA, it signals a secure protocol.
- If you hear an audible lockdown message, it indicates a lockdown.
Please review the information below for more details.
Classroom Communication
Teachers will continue to share weekly newsletters via Smore and provide updates through ClassDojo. This ensures you have timely, up-to-date information about classroom activities and school news.
Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to our school community. Let’s make December another month to remember!
In partnership,
Direct line: 520-731-4504
Friendly reminder: This year, all TUSD students enjoy free breakfast and lunch! They also get to choose from several healthy options each day. However, we need your help reminding them that they’re selecting their lunch for the following day. Many students are still confused by this and your assistance clarifying this for them is greatly appreciated.
Ms. Ashley and Ms. Susan rely on this information to efficiently prepare lunch for our Tigers, and your support is greatly appreciated!
Gale Domino's Pizza Future Days:12/6
Before School Drop-Off Procedures:
If your child is eating breakfast, you may drop them off in the front loop between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. Staff will be available to greet them and guide them to the cafeteria doors.
If your child is not eating breakfast, please use the south valet loop, which is marked with colorful chains and flags. Be sure to pull forward as much as possible, remain in your vehicle, and remind your child to be ready to exit once you come to a complete stop. To keep the traffic moving smoothly, if you need to assist your child, please park in the overflow lot (some of you are still jumping out of your vehicle).
Our counselor, Ms. Lewis, and I will be there to greet students. They are welcome to enjoy time on the playground until the bell rings. However, please note that supervision begins at 7:15 a.m., so students should not arrive earlier.
Important Safety Reminder:
We have noticed that some parents are dropping off their children before 7:15 a.m., when staff supervision is not yet available. This is a serious safety concern. For the well-being of all students, please ensure your child is not dropped off before 7:15 a.m. when staff are present to supervise.
Your cooperation in this matter is crucial to maintaining a safe environment for everyone. Thank you for helping us keep all of our students safe!
After School Pick-Up Procedures:
Our dismissal system remains the same:
- Walking students will exit through the back gate on Blacksburg.
- Bus riders will exit through the back gate and board their buses on Blacksburg.
- Day Care van riders will exit through the back gate and board their vans on Blacksburg.
- All other students must be picked up using our valet system in the south lot.
To help the process run smoothly, please write your child’s name in large letters and place it on your dashboard so that the teachers in the valet loop can easily see it. If you arrive early, please stay to the right to allow parents picking up kindergarten students in the overflow lot to pass safely. Remember to stay in your vehicle. When students are called, they will go directly to their assigned number and wait there until you pull up.
This system works efficiently when everyone follows the routine. Thank you for your cooperation!
⛄December
December 3 Peter Piper Pizza Night
December 10 Fine Arts Night
December 20 Grading Day
December 23-January 3 Winter Break
🎿January (more updates coming soon)
January 6 First day back
January 20 Martin Luther King Holiday
January 29 Staff Professional Learning Day No school
💗February
February 2-7 Scholastic Book Fair
February 4 Library Night: Space and STEAM Night
February 13-14 Parent Conferences Early Dismissal 10:55
February 20-21 Rodeo Break
February 27 Site Council Meeting
Family Engagement
This month, our focus was on our school wide Food Drive which ends this Friday, December 6. We are halfway to our goal of 1000 items. A million thanks to those of you that donated to our Thanksgiving dinner project. Your generosity helped provide Thanksgiving dinner to eight of our Tiger families!
Please feel free to reach out to 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. We are stronger together!
Email Chrissy Van Cleve
Phone: direct line 520-731-4567 or 520-731-4500
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Our first official 2024 Paw Patrols were Dakota and Araceli
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, just like Dakota and Araceli for acts of kindness or community service (pictured here).
Second Quarter Tiger Trait Recipient's Celebration: All second quarter Tiger Trait recipients will be invited to attend a Kindness Express breakfast bash on Wednesday, December 18 from 8-9 a.m. The celebration will be hosted by me and include a hot chocolate bar, fun games, and extra recess time on the playground.
This month’s Character Strong and Tiger Traits are Empathy, patience, respect, and gratitude.
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 are not allowed, and there will be consequences if this policy is not followed.
Thank you for helping us keep our school safe and respectful for everyone.
• In a potential emergency, please stay away from the school unless instructed to come. Having additional people on site makes it more difficult for first responders to assess situations and find potential threats.
• Every campus has an emergency evacuation and parent/guardian and student reunification plan.
• Emergency procedures used by TUSD:
• DROP, COVER AND HOLD: This is used in case of earthquakes.
• SHELTER-IN-PLACE: This term is used when a site has a potential safety concern outside of campus, but inside of the campus remains safe. Examples are off property chemical spills or weather-induced emergencies.
• EVACUATION: This term is used when there is a safety concern inside of the school, but outside of the school remains safe. Examples are gas leaks or fires.
• SECURE: During Secure operations, the campus is closed so that no one new can enter the school without the permission of a school administrator. Student movement throughout the campus is restricted, but classroom instruction continues as normal. Secure operations are put into place when there is a potential safety concern near the school. Examples are police activity in the neighborhood.
• LOCKDOWN: In a lockdown, the campus is closed, and no movement throughout the school is authorized. A lockdown is put into place when there is an active threat on the school campus. SCHOOL SAFETY
• TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT • Protecting Our Future 24/7 What You Need to Know About School Emergencies School Safety staff are in place to contribute to a safe school environment, protect and serve as educators and role models for students to promote schools’ visions.
You are not alone. We are here for you.
School Safety • 1100 West Fresno St, Tucson AZ 85745 • 520-584-7676 • School Safety Website
Counselor's Corner with Ms. Lewis
Hello Tiger Families,
As we near the end of 2024, it's a great time to reflect on the progress students have made and look ahead to the upcoming year. So far this school year, we’ve completed 68 counseling lessons! Recently, students have focused on developing self-control, enhancing friendship skills, and reflecting on the many things they are grateful for. In December, we’ll be working on building self-esteem and self-identity, while also reviewing the counseling topics they’ve explored so far. If you’d like additional counseling activities to do with your child over the holiday break, please feel free to email me, and I’ll send home some extra activities with your student! I’m excited to see your amazing Gale students continue to grow as we move into the new year. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!
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.
We’re finding items all over campus, especially on the playground. On Wednesday, before Thanksgiving break some Kinder students helped be collect more than twenty jackets off of the bench located under the primary ramada. 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.
Thank you for your support!
