Gates Notes & News

I hope that you all enjoyed the holiday season and it gave you time to spend with family and friends. It was wonderful to welcome students back to the building for the New Year!

The first semester will come to a close later this month and I always love this time of year as student growth just really seems to take off. This is also the time of year that I am often asked by parents what they can do to help their child at home. My answer is usually pretty simple, JUST READ! There is a tremendous body of research that has proven that reading at least 20 minutes before bed has a positive impact on overall academic success. Additionally, I always encourage parents to have their child PUT DOWN THE ELECTRONICS. While technology and electronics definately have their place in our day to day lives, I think we can all agree that they often monopolize more of our time that we even realize. Research is also proving the alarming negative effects that too much screen time is having on our young people. Families are encouraged to TALK, PLAY GAMES, BE CREATIVE, and GET OUTSIDE.

If there are areas your child's teacher believes they need to practice at home, you will be notified and/or materials will be sent home. As always, please stay in touch with your child's teacher and contact them if you have any specific concerns; two way communication is a key to student academic success!

Here's to a great second half of the school year!

Most Sincerely,

Natalie Miller

Proud Gates Principal

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year!" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are now accepting registrations for Intersession II, which will take place Monday, February 17, through Thursday, February 20, 2025. Deadline to register your child is this Friday, January 10th, 2025. Intersession enrollment can be completed online or by turning in a registration form to the Gates office. Registration forms were sent home prior to break.

At the elementary level, students will explore, create and discover "The Magic of Michigan." Activities will include observing winter wildlife at Howell Nature Center, learning about Michigan's industries and economy during a museum trip, exploring careers within the state as well as participating in a Michigan/Michigan State day and STEM projects. Open to students in grades DK through four, the February intersession will be held at Hill Elementary.

The staff at Davison Community Schools want to recognize the children in our district who have the potential to develop outstanding abilities. Every effort is made to identify and accommodate these needs early in a child’s career. It is known that the earlier this is done, the more likely these children will develop their unique abilities to their fullest potential.

Some forms of giftedness can be fostered by enriching the regular curriculum or extracurricular activities, while others are addressed through placement into the Challenging Academic Potential classes. Parents are encouraged to share their special knowledge of their child’s interests and talents with their child’s teacher, who may be able to draw upon it during daily instruction.

Parents or teachers may nominate students in grades K-5 for achievement and ability evaluations at this time. Parent Nomination forms are available by clicking the link and in the Curriculum & Grants office at 1490 N. Oak Rd. These forms must be completed and returned to the office before February 14, 2025. Testing and evaluation of each nominated student will be completed during the second semester of the 2024-25 school year. These recommendations will be communicated to parents, and test results will be sent to teachers to enhance each student's achievement. If you have any questions, call Dr. Angela Hards, Director of Curriculum, at (810) 591-0808.

An informational CAP presentation will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from 6-7pm in the Hahn Media Center. Interested parents are invited to attend to hear from CAP Principals and CAP Teachers.

Winter is here and the days are getting chillier so please make sure your child wears a warm coat daily and has a hat and gloves/mittens! It's a great idea to mark all clothing with your child’s name. Students should also be reminded that they should keep track of any items taken off outside during recess. Remember, students will go outside everyday for recess unless it is raining or the temperature is below zero. If your child is in need of a coat, please contact our office. We are here to help!

If you have any extra mittens or gloves laying around, we would appreciate any donations. Our 'stock' of mittens and gloves for students to borrow when they forget them is nearly gone.

For consistency, www.weather.gov is the website used by DCS to determine the temperature daily.

Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, January 29th. Students will be dismissed at 1:43pm. End of the day procedures will remain the same as on other days but will take place 2 hours early. On these dates, teachers will be participating in professional development meetings in the afternoon.

It is important that your child know how they are going to get home each day. While we understand that occasionally situations arise that may cause you to request a change in your student’s usual means of transportation, you must call the office no later than 3:15 pm and talk directly to one of the office staff to ensure that the change is made. An online chart is shared with teachers who project the changes on their white boards prior to dismissal.

However, if a change is known prior to the start of school, please make sure to change your child's backpack tag. Thank you for your support.

One student from each class is chosen every month by their teacher for following the Cardinal Code, making attendance a priority and being a generous, helpful and kind friend to others! Their pictures are displayed on a hallway bulletin board and they are awarded a special lunch courtesy of Jimmy Johns.

The December 2024 Fan Favorites are: Vian Lin, Ethan Dulaney, Kashten Miller, Harper Cheeney, Colton Dorr, Alena Lott, Leah Fuentes-Rodriguez, Makenzy Kruger, Sofia Hartley, Alaina Garland-Simmons, Caspian Jessee, Tayler Mitchell, Alivia Beebe, Jeffery Lobstein, Sebastian Wilcutt, Gordon Williams, Noah Slezak, Niko Southworth, Charlotte Malmstrom, Skylynn Hyatt

Congratulations to these amazing students!

Be sure to join us for our next PTO meeting, February 11th at 6:00 pm in the Gates Library.

Get Involved! Many studies indicate increased student success when families join educational staff in creating exciting and memorable experiences together. Remember, all volunteers must have an approved volunteer application on file.

Feel free to contact the Gates PTO at gatespto@gmail.com

It’s that time of year when Mother Nature can lead to school cancellations. Be sure to turn on your television before your children leave for school when storms roll through our area. Better yet! Sign up for email and text alerts from Davison Community Schools and get the news before it hits the news! If you haven’t done so yet, you can sign up to receive text alerts and emails by visiting the district website at www.davisonschools.org and clicking on the "Quick Links" at the top of the page then choose "Ed Alerts".

• Friday, January 10th & 24th - Popcorn Friday
• Monday, January 13th - Board of Education Meeting, 6pm
• Wednesday, January 15th - Pick the One Book Day
• Friday, January 17th - 3rd Grade French Voyager Assembly
• Friday, January 17th - End of 2nd Marking Period
• Monday, January 20th - No School/MLK day & Inauguration Day
• Wednesday, January 22nd - Reports Cards Emailed to Parents & Guardians
• Wednesday, January 22nd - Fan Favorites' Jimmy Johns Lunch
• Wednesday, January 29th - Early Release - Dismissal is at 1:43 pm
• Mon/Tues, February 3rd & 4th - GCHD 1st & 3rd Grade Vision Screenings
• Wed/Thurs, February 5th & 6th - GCHD 2nd & 4th Grade Hearing Screenings
• Thursday, February 6th - 3rd Grade Musical at the Performing Arts Center/DHS
• Tuesday, February 11th- Gates PTO Meeting, 6pm

Please be sure you are signed up for a Remind account. If you already have a Remind App, this will work with your existing account. If you do not have a Remind account, you will want/need to create one. Remind will work through the app or via email for those who do not want to download the app.

Through remind, you can set notifications to alert you to messages being sent from school to keep you up-to-date with all the latest information. Please make sure to check in with your child's teacher of you have questions or issues with the Remind setup .

All volunteers at Gates must have a confirmed Volunteer Form on file prior to coming into the school to help at an event, this includes upcoming class holiday parties.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin and Futures are Bright!

Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 2359 S. Irish, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-5001