Gullett Gazette - February 5, 2024

Dear Gullett Caregivers,

I am not sure how I am writing a February newsletter and yet here we are! I hope that everyone is surviving the “January Germ Fest of 2024.” If you have gotten to this point without flu, strep, Covid, rhinovirus, the stomach virus and/or any combo of those, count yourself lucky! We are encouraging frequent hand washing around here these days for sure.

January kept us busy despite a couple of late starts! Our science fair was a big success and we loved seeing our kinder kiddos on the 100th day parade! We were also able to celebrate two amazing educators here at Gullett-Nicki Leatherwood as our Teacher of the Year and Aly Blumhagen as our Teacher of Promise. For 2024, our district is expanding our Salute Awards and recognizing campus staff in ten other categories. District employees, students, families, and the community are invited to submit a nomination. We have some amazing teaching assistants and support staff who are very deserving! The winners will be celebrated at our Salute Awards ceremony on May 8th, where we will also honor Teachers of Promise and Teachers of the Year. Nominations will close Friday, February 9 at 5pm.

February is always a short but busy month in school. This week is designated for spring conferences so that teachers can hold conferences for students on an as needed basis, and there is no school for students on February 9th as an additional time to meet. Teachers will reach out to you should they need to have a conference with you, however please let them know if you have any concerns and would like to meet as well. We will be having an author visit on February 13th (click here for more info) and we will also get to celebrate “Leap Year “ this year together. Don’t forget that Monday, February 19th is a student and staff holiday.

The best part of February is the opportunity to express kindness to each other. Teachers will be reaching out to you soon about how various grade levels will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 12th - 18th and our NP4H coalition has plans to give every Gecko the opportunity to participate in this movement to make kindness the norm! “Fuzzyland” will be our second “No Place for Hate” activity of the school year. After sharing the story together, students will write a compliment (a warm fuzzy) on the sheet, color it, and cut it out to share schoolwide. For more information about RAK (and some cool ideas about how you can celebrate it at home), please visit: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

Camp Gecko will be back again this summer! We are more prepared and organized in year 2 and so all the camp information will be available for you by February 9th! We will post it on Konstella as well as on our website. There will be two sessions-May 28th-31st and June 4th-8th. Stay tuned for more details!

February is Black History month and teachers will have students participate in various activities within the classroom. In addition, as a school we will be talking about black inventors and other historical and contemporary Black American figures on announcements. We will be celebrating our Black educators and also creating a school wide “Black History Wall of Fame” that every grade level will contribute to.

While we will take the time to acknowledge Black history in February along with the rest of the nation, it is just as important to have representation across the curriculum throughout the year. This is something our teachers keep in mind as they plan their lessons together weekly. All of our Geckos should see themselves in our curriculum in addition to being exposed to the many contributions of others.

Finally, I want to thank you all for your continued support of our teachers and our fabulous school. I love walking our campus and observing the amazing things happening at Gullett. Your children are engaging daily in learning activities that allow them to grow and extend their thinking. Students are learning critical social skills and building their confidence every day. Please be sure to thank your teachers for all they are doing-February is a perfect time for that! Those sweet words of encouragement mean so much to them!

Sincerely,

Tammy Thompson

Proud Principal, Gullett Elementary

How heartwarming it is to greet kindergarten students and observe as our young children say their goodbyes and make the transition into the school day! While this is more complicated for some than others, everyone experiences a degree of success, --likely because families have taken the time to communicate messages that build confidence and positivity.

Practicing effective communication is a cornerstone of healthy relationships, and what a great way to kick off the new year! During classroom counseling lessons, our primary grades engaged in lessons centered around building friendships, cooperating with others, and conflict resolution using “I-statements” (I feel___when___.). 3rd grade students learned how our responses to stressful situations can impact our ability to communicate our needs. Students used a hand model of the brain and the term “flipping a lid” to understand three types of responses to stressful situations (fight, flight, or freeze). They not only identified ways of calming their own emotions, they learned the importance of getting help from adults when they are concerned about friends. 4th and 5th grade students were able to identify the various forms of communication--passive, aggressive, and assertive while they demonstrated impressive improv skills!

Here are a few tips on how we can collectively support our students in developing strong communication and cooperation skills:

• Active listening: This shows a child that their thoughts and feelings are valued and sets an example of respectful communication.

• Encourage expression: Use art, writing, or verbal communication to foster self-expression; this helps them understand and manage their emotions.

• Problem-solving together: Involve your children in decision-making processes; it instills a sense of teamwork and collaboration.

• Model healthy communication: Children often learn by observing; use positive language, resolve conflicts peacefully, and express emotions constructively.

Together we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that empowers our children to become confident communicators and cooperative individuals.

This month we are practicing volley skills! Kindergarten through 2nd grade students will begin by volleying with balloons, and 3rd through 5th grade students will start with beach balls and progress to volleyball trainers. In addition to bumping and setting, students will learn how to communicate positively with one another and be part of a team!

Wellness lessons this month are all about the muscular system. Not only will students learn the names of many muscles, but they will also learn about how to take care of their muscular system by warming up properly and engaging in exercises to improve muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

~ Coach Rose, Ms. Garcia, and Mr. Victor