Gullett Gazette - April 2, 2024

Dear Gullett Caregivers,

Happy April! The last two months of school are here, and I absolutely cannot believe it. As we look to the last part of the year, it is filled with learning, celebrations of growth, and community building events. I hope all of you enjoyed the 3 day weekend and were able to spend some quality time as a family. I loved being able to go to the Gullett Business Fair this weekend and am so thankful to our parent volunteers who worked very hard for this incredible learning opportunity to come to life! If you didn’t make it out this year, I highly recommend you save the date for the next one once it is announced.

Speaking of fantastic parent volunteers, on Thursday, April 25th our staff will host our volunteer luncheon. Please join us if you have volunteered your time or expertise this year. Lunch will be served in the library from 10:30-12:30 and teachers will be joining our volunteers during their regularly scheduled lunchtime. Our volunteers and their work enhance our school and are one of the things that make Gullett such a special place. We would love to show our gratitude!

Please RSVP here so we can make sure that we have enough for everyone.

Last week you should have received an email from the district regarding a Panorama survey to provide feedback on our school and district. Your input is invaluable in guiding our campus forward, and the district is aiming for an 80% participation rate. I know our community can help us achieve this goal, so please take a moment to fill out the survey. To complete the survey you can navigate to the anonymous survey link (surveys.panoramaed.com/austinisd/family). From there you can select our school name from a drop down menu. Rumor has it I get a prize if we hit the goal so just another compelling reason to fill it out! Students in grades 3-5 will take the survey in their classrooms. Please remember that this is only one opportunity for feedback. I will always make time to talk with parents as you are valued partners in education. I am happy to address any concerns you may have and share in your celebrations!

In case you have missed it, we will be viewing the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th. As many of you may already know, Gullett Elementary will be a prime location to view the path of totality, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our entire school community. All students and staff will be provided viewing glasses and we have created an alternative schedule for the day to ensure participation. Here are some basics you need to know:

• Official times are 13:35:01 to 13:38:17 that is 1:35-1:40 for non military folks!

• Students will get situated outside on the track with their classes at about 1:20 pm

• Parents must bring their own eclipse glasses for viewing-we do not have extra.

• Parents must check in to the office by 12:45 and will go to the classroom

• Front office will be closed from 1:15-1:45! Plan accordingly!

• If you have more than one child, please pick up the older student and go to the younger student’s classroom. When the event is over please walk your oldest child back to the teacher.

• If you arrive after 1:15 you will not be allowed to enter the campus-please do not come to a gate and expect to be let in. Staff will be monitoring students.

• We are asking ALL caregivers to review safety with their children and reinforce leaving their glasses on during the eclipse.

• If it rains, we will have an eclipse watch part in the classroom with the NASA live stream

• Any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher or an administrator.

I would like to close by saying how grateful I am to be a part of our wonderful school community here at Gullett. It is exciting to see the growth in our students and work with everyone here to ensure that Gullett is a school like no other place!

Kindly,

Tammy Thompson

Proud Principal, Gullett Elementary

“Flipping your lid” is a concept often used to explain the neuroscience behind emotional regulation, popularized by Dr. Dan Siegel. It refers to the idea that when we become overwhelmed by emotions, our rational thinking brain--prefrontal cortex (PFC)--becomes disconnected or “flips its lid.”

Your students got a taste of brain science this month as they learned about what happens when we get so mad or so worried that we stop being able to think or remember anything. This is called flipping your lid! Flipping your lid is when your brain is so stressed out that it makes you freeze up or act without thinking first. We talked about the parts of our brain, including the PFC/wise eagle of our brain. It helps us with smart decision making and helps us think before we act. When our wise eagle/PFC is in control, we are calm and ready to learn--our brain and body feel relaxed and safe. The amygdala is the GUARD DOG of our brain. This is the part of the brain where we feel emotions, and the guard dog’s primary focus is safety! When we’re upset or stressed or worried or mad, sometimes our guard dog/amygdala starts barking and we are not in real danger. If we flip a lid when we are actually safe, it’s important to get our PFC/wise eagles back in control—take slow, deep breaths, tell someone how you feel, or pay attention to what you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch.

Since our 3rd grade classes learned about flipping a lid during their January lessons, we used our time together to review, as well as to identify stressors, typical stress responses, and healthy ways to handle our stress. Students used their knowledge to create individual stress management plans.

Family Resources: Have open and honest discussions as a family about emotions, stress, and how to cope with difficult situations. Encourage children to share their feelings and experiences, and validate their emotions without judgment.

Daniel Siegel Hand Model

The Way I Feel - by Janan Cain || Kids Book Read Aloud

Listening to My Body: A guide to helping understand the connection between sensations and feelings.

Hello, Gullett Musicians!

March was another great month in our rooms. 4th grade had a rootin’ tootin’ good time at their Texas! program, we were visited by the Lamar band directors to talk to 5th graders about fine arts participation in middle school, and we continue to chip away at our TEKS-based curriculum. At this point, 3rd-5th graders are using their recorders in every music class. Please check with them to make sure they have a plan. We have a LOT to do between here and the end of the year, so stay tuned!

• 4/16: 2nd Grade Program

• 4/27: Music Memory Celebration (interested 3rd-5th graders)

• 4/29: AISD Recorder and Ukulele Festival (3rd-5th, more info as we receive)

• 5/14: Kindergarten Program

• 5/20: Geckos Got Talent! (3rd-5th by audition only, more info coming)

• 5/21-5/22: Share Day (in class)

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Will Jurgens and Marc Sustaita (Mr. S)

Gullett Music Staff

Field Day was a success!! Thank you to everyone who donated healthy snacks and volunteered their time to help our students have an incredible Field Day. We are looking forward to a fun last nine weeks, including beginning gymnastics! For wellness lessons, we are finishing up sleep and stress management and starting safety. Thank you again for your support!

~ PE Team

April-Arab American Heritage Month, Autism Awareness Month, National Poetry Month