December Parent Newsletter 2023

I hope each and every one of you were able to enjoy some time with your families during our recent Thanksgiving break, or our upcoming Christmas/Winter Holiday! It is nice to have time to travel to see family members and even nicer to stay home and rest! By the time you receive this newsletter, we will have only two weeks of school left before our winter break.

This month we have a variety of different holiday events that vary from student performances to After-School AYA holiday activities. Please take a minute to review the “Dates to Remember” in the Newsletter, and be on the lookout for invitations to any events that involve parents.

Winter Break will be from Monday, December 18th through Monday, January 8th. We resume classes on Tuesday, January 9th. Please take this time to enjoy your time with your family and loved ones.

Lastly, as we wrap up 2023, I reflect on all of the staff and parent efforts to continue to improve the learning and growth of all of our students. Gascón Elementary education continues to involve more parents and community partners in our efforts to ensure our students have the right tools for their academic success. Thank you for your participation, support, collaboration and see you in 2024!

As always, thank you all for your continued support and GOOOOOO TIGERS!!!!!

Each year, Gascon Elementary offers holiday help to families who may be struggling financially. If your family is facing difficult times ahead this holiday season, please reach out to our school counselor, Mrs. Destiny Conde or the school principal, Mr. David Hernandez. We have a limited number of Thanksgiving Meals and Christmas presents/gift cards that we are able to provide for families in need.

The holiday season is all about fun and enjoying family—but the constant hustle and bustle can be just as nerve-wracking for kids as it is for adults. These expert tips can help decrease your child's stress and make this time merrier for everyone.

For starters, it's important to recognize if your child is stressed. Some signs of holiday stress may include:

• increased irritability or anger
• clinginess
• more crying, whining, or complaining
• sleep troubles (or sleeping too much)
• physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches
• more or less eating
• isolation and/or refusal to participate in activities
• regressive behavior such as
• bedwetting or thumb sucking

1. Stick to routines We know things are crazy. You're going to this and that place to shop for gifts, attending parties, meeting Santa, planning meals and cooking, and possibly traveling to be with loved ones (or doing the hosting in your own home). But do your best to maintain some consistency. Children experience comfort through a routine, so as much as possible, stick to the same naptimes, mealtimes, and bedtimes that are usual for your child,

2. Give a heads up

Once you've figured out the family's plan for the day, provide your child with a schedule. "Older children can read times on a simple list, but young children can benefit from a picture schedule indicating what order they'll be asked to do certain things." If you prefer not to create an actual schedule, it's still a good idea to let your child know in advance when specific things will happen. For instance, explain that the family will watch a favorite holiday movie after dinner. Or let her know the two of you will wrap Dad's gifts in the morning after he goes to work. "Simply being in the loop to prepare for what's coming is a huge stress reliever for children,"

3. Schedule in downtime

When coming up with your day's events, pencil in some downtime. "Even a 15- to 30-minute break can help kids recharge and decrease the likelihood of emotional or behavioral problems later on," So set aside time to read, play games, talk, or even laze around with electronics. If you notice your child's anxiety building during other times of the day, let her take an impromptu break. It's a good idea to explain to your child beforehand that if she becomes overwhelmed, she can find a quiet room, take deep breaths, ask you to talk outside, or listen to music in headphones to help her feel better.

4. Let your child vent

Give your child permission to come to you if he needs to get something off his chest—even if it's only to complain about how Aunt Maddie keeps pinching his cheeks. Paper and pen (or crayon) also come in handy. Give your child paper to draw or write about whatever is making him feel sad, mad, or upset, Allowing your child to express his feelings gives him a chance to release them, and labeling the emotion ("You feel sad because Uncle Johnny is away at the military") can help your child better understand what he's feeling.

5. Work up a sweat

Exercise causes the brain to release endorphins, the body's feel-good chemicals, which can reduce stress. So make sure your kids get lots of physical activity during the day, whether that's going for a walk, playing in the snow, or putting on music and dancing around the house. Don't forget the exercise when you're traveling. If your child is expected to be in the car for more than two hours (or even less for younger kids), Coffman suggests incorporating a hearty dose of physical activity at intervals throughout the day. "For example, jump on a mini-trampoline before leaving, play a game of tag at a rest area, and lead the family in jumping jacks when you stop for gas," she says. Letting your child stretch her legs and burn off some energy can keep crankiness at bay.

6. Just say "no"

A major way to tame some of the craziness associated with the holidays is to skip out on some activities, You don't have to attend every gathering, and you and your kids don't have to see every single member of your family. Another option is to not drag your child along all the time. You and your spouse can take turns running errands while the other watches the kids. Or you could ask a family member or hire a sitter (use one your children already know; introducing a new one during this hectic time can cause even more stress).

7. Keep yourself in check

Children of all ages look to their parents for cues about how they should think, feel, and act. So make sure you manage your own stress. Parents need downtime during the holidays just like children, so carve out some time, even if only a few minutes, to do something calming or enjoyable for yourself. Setting plans and making lists can help break down overwhelming holiday tasks into less stressful, more manageable ones. Also, practice healthy coping skills, such as writing in a journal, meditating, exercising, or talking to a supportive family member or friend. Another tension-reliever is to simply enjoy the holidays. Take in the lights, sing some carols, and smell the wonderful aromas. Soaking in the holiday cheer can make the season more enjoyable for you and your child.

At Joseph Gascon Elementary, we teach the AVID strategies in all of our third, fourth and fifth grade classes. By teaching academic language, responsible behavior and higher-level thinking at a young age, we are helping our students develop and solidify the academic habits they will need to be successful in middle school, high school, college and beyond. On Mondays we hang our college flags outside every classroom and throuhout the year, students create projects around different college campuses. Our goal is to provide an academic foundation the students will need to be on a path for college and career success.

District Wide Strategy for the Month of December is Think-Pair-Share

Think-Pair-Share: A collaborative learning strategy where students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This strategy requires students to (1) think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and (2) share ideas with classmates. Discussing with a partner maximizes participation, focuses attention, and engages students in comprehending the reading material.

Last month, over 50 students from Gascon Elementary entered their artpieces into the 9th Annual Student Art Contest! The contest encouraged students to create artwork that reflected the significance of water in our lives and the importance of conserving this precious resource. We were happy to announce that one of our students, Stephanie Portillo was selected and her art piece will be displayed in the 2024 WATER AWARENESS CALENDAR hosted by the Water Replenishment District.

As a school site, we also hosted our own Student Art Contest and six of our students won. Their pictures are displayed below.

Parks After Dark returns for the winter season with extended hours and free recreational activities at 31 LA County parks. Bring your family and friends to an LA County Parks location for snow days, sports, exercise classes, dancing, healthy cooking classes, movies in the park, concerts, computer courses, health outreach and social service resource fairs.

December 1 – 16, 2023
Fridays, 4:00-8:00 pm
Saturdays, 12:00-4:00 pm or 4:00pm – 8:00pm

Joseph A. Gascón Elementary is honored to celebrate students who were nominated for either the PBIS Award or the Tiger PAW Award.

Students who received the PBIS award were nominated because they displayed excellent citizenship and followed our ROAR initiatives.

Students who were nominated for the Tiger PAW award demonstrated high academic achievements and are our Students of the Month. This does not happen without the support and guidance of excellent parents, teachers, and friends!

Thank you everyone!

Action Youth America (AYA), formerly known as ICES Education has been serving California families for over 30 years, providing top quality service in academics, sports, and other areas of education. Our programs are built upon the foundation of excellence and time-tested methods that have allowed us to be one of the leading providers of before and after-school programs in the United States.

The AYA program is academically driven as we understand the need for providing complementary academic support to the instructional day in order for students to meet their full potential. Our academic coordinator Stefanie is responsible for assuring optimal academic alignment to school and district needs. The AYA staff is formally trained on Common Core learning expectations and write, or can assist in writing a curriculum around the principles of Common Core. Additionally, the AYA staff works with interventions, state testing prep camps, and modeling/training.

ELO Link: https://sites.google.com/montebello.k12.ca.us/eloafterschool/home

ELO Application Link: rb.gy/g4h8n

The Young Champions program combines safety awareness education with martial arts/karate/self-defense instruction. Weekly safety tips address the lures strangers use on children and teens, as well as home-alone safety. They teach self-defense skills effective against “bullies” and “strangers” and a full range of marital arts/karate/self-defense techniques necessary for ranking purposes from White Belt to Black Belt. Youths participating in this program gain new skills, improve coordination and concentration, self-discipline, and self-confidence. Throughout the year they host karate tournaments just for our students. Family and friends are invited to watch their “Young Champion” compete! Boys and girls ages 4 and above are invited to enroll in this comprehensive self-defense and martial arts program.

CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps) is an entitlement program that provides monthly benefits to assist low-income households in purchasing the food they need to maintain adequate nutritional levels. In general, these benefits are for any food or food product intended for human consumption. Benefits may not be used for items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, or paper products.

The Montebello Unified School District is providing advanced technology and increased access to learning opportunities for the District’s learning community. The District has installed an intra-net “MUSD-Net” providing networked computing with an Internet gateway.

MUSD Vision Statement

Empowering Students to Achieve Academic Excellence as Model Citizens.

Joseph A. Gascon Mission Statement

The learning community of Joseph A. Gascon Elementary is committed to cultivate excellence in Language Arts, Mathematics, English Language Development, Science and Physical Education. We emphasize on opportunities for all stakeholders to be critical thinkers, communicators, creators, and technology integrators. We are committed to providing a safe, stimulating and caring learning environment. Our goal is produce self-motivated, ethical, and successful individuals that can compete and succeed in a global setting.

Address: 630 South Leonard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90022

Office: (323 )721-2025 Fax: (323) 887-3034

Office Hours: 7:00am - 3:00pm