Garden Road Family Newsletter #1

August 10th, 2024

Dear Garden Road Families,

I enjoyed meeting so many of you at the meet and greet last week! This week, teachers are busy preparing their classrooms to be ready for students on Wednesday, August 21, for the first day of school! The staff is preparing the campus and ensuring that we will have a smooth opening to the school year!

Classroom Assignments

Parents/Guardians will receive an email after 5 pm on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 with their child's new teacher.

New Student Orientation - Grades 1 to 5

For families who are new to Garden Road this year, a new student orientation will be held for students on Monday, August 19 at 3 pm. Please join us to learn a little bit about Garden Road Elementary School and our Eagle Pride!

TK and Kindergarten Back to School Meetings and Meet and Greet

Kindergarten's Back to School Night is Monday, August 19 at 5 pm. This night is for parents only. The meet and greet for kindergarten students will be Tuesday, August 20 from 8 am to 9 am.

TK will have a combined Back to School Meeting and meet and greet on Tuesday August 20 from 8 am to 9:30 am. This event is for parents and students. Parents will meet with teachers from 8 am to 8:30 am while the students are supervised by staff. Following this meeting, students will meet their teachers in small groups and play outside.

Back to School Night Grades 1-5

Back to School Night for grades 1 to 5 will be held on Thursday, August 22. This night is for parents only. Students should remain at home. The schedule for Back to School Night is below:

5:30 - 6:00 Grades 1-2
6:05 - 6:35 PTA Meeting
6:40 - 7:10 Grades 3-5

Cell Phones/Smartwatches

We realize some parents may choose to have their child carry a cell phone or wear a smartwatch to school for before/after school communication. To ensure these devices are not disruptive to teaching and learning, mobile communication devices shall be turned off during instructional time. Smartwatches may be worn and shall be turned off or placed in “school mode” during the instructional day. In addition, cell phones, smartwatches, and other mobile communication devices shall not be used in any manner which infringes on the privacy rights of any other person. When a student uses a mobile communication device or smartwatch in an unauthorized manner, the student may be disciplined, and a district employee may confiscate the device. The employee shall store the device securely until it is returned to the student or turned over to the principal or designee, as appropriate.

The district will not be responsible for a student’s mobile communication device or smartwatch which is brought on campus or to a school activity and is lost, stolen, or damaged. If your child needs to communicate with you during the school day, they will be given access to a school phone at an appropriate time.

Bringing Items to Your Child During the School Day - Pick Up Table in Office

We want our students to develop responsibility by coming prepared to school each day. If a lunch or item is brought in after school starts, please check in with our front office and let them know you are leaving an item for your child on our Pick Up Table. Item needs to have the child's name and teacher’s name on it. Students are responsible to check the Pick Up Table at their recess time if they are expecting an item for pick up. The office will not interrupt classroom instruction time with phone calls.

VAPA Vision

VAPA Vision is a program for students grades K - 5. The lessons will be engaging students (K-5) across all 5 VAPA strands - Music, Dance, Visual Arts, Theater and Media Arts. A live Global Language and Culture lesson will be thematically integrated into each VAPA VISION lesson, in languages such as Korean, Spanish, Filipino, Japanese, and Hindi, and Mandarin. This program will provide time for grade level teams to collaborate 14 times during the school year. Our VAPA Vision days are listed on our bell schedule.

Bell Schedule

The bell schedule is on our school website and is linked here. Please remember Thursday is an early release day. School will end at 12:25 for grades 1 - 5 until KID days for kindergarten ends on October 1. After October 1, grades K - 5 will be dismissed at 12:25 on Thursdays.

The bell schedule lists our VAPA Vision days, minimum days, and our conference week schedule in November.

Warm Weather and Heat Alert Days

We will be experiencing very warm weather over the coming weeks. For days when it is hot but not a heat alert day, students have shaded areas available outside and access to water.

Heat alert days - Students will eat at the lunch area and “play” in the MPR with videos following the Regular Schedule.

Please reach out to me at smelnick@powayusd.com with comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to working with you this year!

Sue Melnick

Principal

Arrival And Dismissal Procedures

First Day Arrival Procedures

PUSD campuses will remain ‘closed campuses’ to ensure safety of our students and staff. On the first day of school only, parents/guardians will be able to walk their child(ren) to class or the field. Beginning Thursday, August 22, all children will be dropped off and picked up at the gate at all campuses.

Please see the map below for our arrival and dismissal procedures. The parking lot for parents is across the school. The staff parking lot is not used for parent parking or for student drop off. Please check the map and use the parking lot by the MPR for dropping off students in the morning.

📆 Important Upcoming Dates

August 19 3 pm New Student Orientation in the MPR for students and families new to Garden Road Elementary (In Grades 1 to 5, not TK or K)August 19 5 pm Back to School Night for Kindergarten (Parents Only)

August 20 8 to 9:30 am TK Meet and Greet (Parents and Students)

August 20 8 to 9 am Kindergarten Meet and Greet

August 20 5 pm Parents will receive an email with their child's teacher

August 21 First Day of School

August 22 Back to School Night Grades 1 to 5