Gullett Gazette - March 4, 2024

Dear Gullett Caregivers,

I feel like I blinked and am now writing a March newsletter! There is A LOT of information in this issue of the Gazette regarding both this year and next year, so find a comfy spot to get through it!

We are so excited for field day this Friday! Our PE team has worked very hard to ensure that we have a fun day ahead with many opportunities for our Geckos to display great sportsmanship, build community, and show their physical education skills. Parents will be allowed to come for the event and cheer their Geckos on. All parents will be required to sign in and wear a visitor sticker while on campus. As you can imagine, with this many adults on campus, we want to be able to be sure that everyone has checked in. If you are spotted without a visitor sticker, you will be asked to go sign, so please help us by making sure to allow yourself time to check in so that you will not miss a minute.

March has an opportunity for us to join communities all over the nation celebrating Women’s History and at the local level we also celebrate Music in Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month. As a campus focused on creative learning, we are excited to share these opportunities with our students. Our curriculum is packed in this short month! After we return from Spring Break, we will celebrate PRIDE week. Every year, to honor the experiences and contributions of LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families, Austin ISD hosts its own Pride Week. This is a time to highlight the district's commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment. This year’s Austin ISD Pride Week will take place March 18-23, 2024 to align with National LGBT Health Awareness Week. Our Instructional Leadership team has selected activities from the district’s curated resources (located in this public BLEND course) and aligned them to district-wide themed days. Here is the Gecko Version: “Guide to Pride at Gullett!”

As part of planning for next school year, we will soon start the process of placing students in classes. If you have information about your student’s learning style you would like for administration to consider, you may choose to complete this optional form. This does not guarantee a specific teacher or peer placement for your child. This form is confidential and is not shared with teachers or other staff. There are many pieces to the process of creating classes. Our goals are to use a variety of pieces of information to create classes that are balanced (a range of academic achievement, behaviors, peer compatibility, special population needs, etc.) Teachers will work in grade level teams to create those classes alongside essential areas, special education staff, the counselor and administrators. At a later date administration will assign those classes to specific teachers. Thank you for your cooperation, understanding and trust that we will find the best match. Please note that requests for a particular teacher will not be honored, so please refrain from using specific names. The “Parent Consideration” form will not accept any responses after 3:00 P.M on Friday, March 31, 2023. Please do not send a separate email as that can get lost in the shuffle-only use the parent consideration form.

Thank you to those that registered for the upcoming school year. Families who completed the Enroll Austin Priority Registration for the 2024-25 school year will receive their results on Tuesday, March 5, via email and the portal. The exception to this are Pre-K applications. For Pre-K, those applications will not be processed until the General Round, starting in April. The deadline for families to accept their assigned priority placement and complete their Annual Forms in Enroll Austin is March 26. If families do not complete these tasks within the allotted days, their enrollment offer will automatically expire. If you didn’t register, don’t panic! The window will open again in April for you to complete the process.

I hope all of you enjoy Spring Break with your families whether you are heading off for an adventure or enjoying the simple pleasures of home and a more relaxed schedule. When our Geckos come back, we will be entering our last quarter of the year and plan to make every minute count and end our year with wonderful memories for every student and for our community. One of those lasting memories will be to view the Total Solar Eclipse together. Mark your calendar for April 8th to join us! AISD has generously provided eclipse glasses for every student and staff member. Visitors must bring their own eclipse glasses for viewing. There is more information on the Konstella post and more will be sent out as we get closer.

I am looking forward to all that this last part of the spring semester will have to offer our students and continuing to support our incredible community! It’s great to be a Gecko!

Sincerely,

Tammy Thompson

Proud Principal, Gullett Elementary

At Gullett Elementary School, we are constantly striving to provide our students with the best opportunities for growth and development. As part of our commitment to preparing our students for their future, we launched our career exploration program this month!

Understanding the importance of early exposure to various career paths, counseling activities were aimed at introducing our young learners to different professions and industries. It was exciting to watch, as this initiative fosters curiosity and imagination, but it also helps make connections between their interests, skills, and future possibilities.

Our culminating activity was Gecko Career Day 2024! Our community volunteers showed up in a big way, sharing their experiences and insights with our students. These interactive sessions provided valuable exposure to a wide range of careers and allowed students to ask questions directly to our Gullett family experts.

Family activities that support career exploration might include field trips to local businesses, universities, and other institutions to give students a firsthand look at workplaces and educational environments. These trips will allow students to see real-world applications of what they are learning in school and to envision themselves in different roles. We encourage you to have conversations with your children about their interests and aspirations. Together, we can help our students build a foundation for success and fulfillment in the years to come!

~Ms. Mahan

Hello, Gullett Musicians!

February was small but mighty in the music rooms. We celebrated Austin-based musicians and musical groups like Mel Davis, Gloria Jean Brown-Manor, and the Black Pumas. All 150+ of our 4th and 5th graders got to attend a live performance by the Austin Symphony at the annual Young People’s Concert. 3rd-5th graders have started learning recorder, and some great sounds are happening! (ask your student about Recorder Jedi) Things are quiet until after Spring Break, but then they won’t let up until the very end!

Here is what we’ll be up to:

• 3/26: 4th Grade Program

• 4/16: 2nd Grade Program

• 4/27: Music Memory Celebration (interested 2nd-5th graders)

• 4/29: AISD Recorder and Ukulele Festival (more info as we receive)

• 5/14: Kindergarten Program

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

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Will Jurgens and Marc Sustaita (Mr. S)

Gullett Music Staff

Currently we are preparing for our annual Field Day on Friday, March 8! Classes are learning and reviewing all field day games while demonstrating good sportsmanship and cooperation! Please click here for more detailed information. We are looking forward to a great day!

Healthy Snacks: This year we will serve all of our students a healthy snack to help them refuel during activities. We are kindly asking for donations. If you would like to donate, click here. Donations can be dropped off on Thursday, March 7th.

Wellness lessons this month are focused on sleep and stress management.

Thank you for your support! -PE Team