It is my pleasure to welcome back new and returning families to a great year at Winter Gardens Elementary! I am excited that you are a part of our amazing learning community where parents, teachers, and students work together to build our school community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children. Our skilled and devoted staff are already planning and preparing for your child(ren). Our hard working custodians have spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning the facility, and our much appreciated office staff is registering new families. We are looking forward to this school year with anticipation and excitement.

Some visible changes this year will be our playground that has new playground designs on the asphalt. For example, there is our Conflict Resolution Circle near the swings, that is colorful and helps students resolve issues on the playground. We also have a Shoots and Ladders playground design that engages students while keeping them active. In the first semester of school we will be inviting parents to have picnic lunches with their child(ren) during lunch times. You can bring a picnic blanket and a special lunch for your child(ren) to enjoy in the grass area. Finally, we will be celebrating our school's 100 year anniversary! If you're interested in being in our 100 Year Celebration Committee being held on August 22, please let Ms. Ali in the office know. We're excited about the physical changes that promote positivity in our school as well as the events and activities we will be providing our school community.

Please remember to visit our school website and social media platforms regularly for current news and upcoming events (@WGEPenguins). Because a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child(ren)’s education, we want you to be involved in school, volunteer when available, and communicate with your child’s teacher as needed with any questions, concerns, or celebrations! You can participate in our Volunteer Meeting on August 29th or pick up volunteer forms in our front office. Our teachers are easily accessible via email or through ClassDojo, and will communicate with you in a timely manner. Home/School partnership is the reason Winter Gardens continues to excel.

I’m honored to serve as the principal of Winter Gardens Elementary. It is great to be a part of a community where students, teachers and staff, and parents care for each other and strive to build meaningful positive relationships that support academic and social-emotional growth. As your principal, it is important to me that everyone stepping through our doors is excited to be here! This attitude enables us to meet the challenges of academic excellence in a positive, fun, and nurturing environment. My door is always open and I welcome your input. Please feel free to call or email me to discuss any concerns you might have throughout the school year. I am looking forward to working with you and your family. Go Penguins!!

In Partnership,

Melvin Cortez, Ed.D.

Winter Gardens Elementary Principal

323- 268-0477

cortez_melvin@montebello.k12.ca.us

1. Missed Lessons = Falling Behind: Even one day can mean missing critical instructions and activities, making it harder for your child to catch up.

2. Impact on Future Success: Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic achievement and future opportunities.

3. Building Resilience: Regular attendance teaches your child the value of perseverance and responsibility—essential skills for success in life.

4. Stronger Friendships: Daily presence helps your child develop and sustain friendships, which are crucial for emotional and social development.

5. Healthy Routine: Attending school every day establishes a stable routine, promoting better mental and physical health.

Who to contact if your child doesn't want to come to school: Mrs. Bernal @ 323-268-0477 or by email @ bernal_tania@montebello.k12.ca.us

You can receive assistance for PowerSchool Parent Portal registration at Winter Gardens Elementary on our registration days (8/02, 8/05, 8/06)

You can receive assistance for PowerSchool Parent Portal registration at Winter Gardens Elementary on our registration days (8/02, 8/05, 8/06)

Winter Gardens Elementary focuses on positive behavioral and intervention support for our students. We teacher our 3 behavior expectations daily: Being RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, AND SAFE. Below is the matrix that you will see in every classroom and throughout the school. Please help us review these behavioral expectations at home with our students so that it can become a common language in our school community.

The Winter Gardens Elementary School PTA welcomes you. We encourage you to become a PTA member and to volunteer in our school. We have many amazing events and fundraisers planned for our students this year that you can be a part of. We will be providing movie nights, popcorn sales, pizza parties, the Harvest Festival, a Multicultural Event, and supporting in the 100 year celebration of our school. Our fundraising efforts are all geared to providing our students with incentives, field trips, and fun and engaging opportunities at our school. You can buy a PTA membership during the first week of school or when we have sales. We encourage you to become a volunteer. You can get volunteer information from any PTA Board member, during the volunteer meeting being held on August 29th, or from Ms. Pacheco in the office. We look forward to working closely with all of our WGE parents and hope to see you at our first PTA meeting on Tuesday, August 27th, 2024.

We receive many request to bring cupcakes, juice boxes, wrapped gifts, etc. to celebrate student birthdays. Winter Gardens does not accept food/pastries/candies of any type to celebrate birthdays. Although celebrations are wonderful activities, we want to have minimal distractions & disruptions to the instructional day. Therefore, we have 5 designated occasions where food/pastries/snacks will be allowed throughout the year:

• Halloween (10/31/2024)
• Last Day prior to December Break (12/20/2024)
• Valentine's Day (2/14/2025)
• The day before Spring Break (4/17/2025)
• The day before the last day of school (6/05/2025)

Thank you for understanding. 😊

cortez_melvin@montebello.k12.ca.us