Garden Road Family Newsletter #17

November 22, 2024

📆 Important Upcoming Dates

November 25 - 29 Thanksgiving Break, No School

December 3 PTA Association Meeting

December 6 Friday Flag

December 9-13 Holiday Shop

December 12 Family Fun Night & Holiday Shop

December 23 January 5 Winter Break

Sign up to Volunteer at the Holiday Shop

Please sign up to volunteer at the Holiday Shop through Sign Up Genius.

5th Grade Fundraiser - See's Candy Sale Starts Now!

The 5th grade is holding a fundraiser! Please support the fifth grade and order your holiday candy and goodies now! Please click on the photo to order or click HERE.

Principal's Message

Dear Garden Road Families,

As we get ready to leave school for a holiday week, I wanted to extend my gratitude and thanks for welcoming me into such a warm community! Garden Road Elementary School families, staff and students make this place wonderful! I hope you and your families have a fantastic Thanksgiving.

THANK YOU GARDEN ROAD PTA for the fabulous shoebox lunches and staff lunches this week! We were treated to sandwiches from Board and Brew as well as Chick-fil-A! We are feeling loved and appreciate our families so much!

Our book donation was a huge success!

Online Access to Progress Reports

Synergy ParentVUE online access to progress reports will be available Wednesday, December 4th at 5:00 pm. Click on these links - English Spanish - to access progress reports in Synergy ParentVUE.

Elementary school parents can access the Trimester 1 Parent-Friendly page 3 through the PUSD website (Parent Resources) by clicking HERE.

Morning Traffic at the Drop Off Line

More families were driving and dropping off students through the drop off line by the MPR this week. This led to concerns from several parents about the wait to turn in, especially before 7:20 am. Please remember that students can't be dropped off before 7:20 am when the gate opens. If you arrive earlier than 7:20, please consider parking in the parking lot across the street and walking your child across the street. It prevents a back up of traffic and you will still be there right when the gate opens!

Also, parents please have your child's backpack and instrument in the car with your child so adults do not need to exit the car and get an item out of the trunk. This slows down the line.

If you see the line is long for drop off, consider parking in the parking lot and having your child walk across the street at the crosswalk with the safety patrol and crossing guard. Thank you!

Spelling Bee

The Spelling Bee lists are being handed out in class on Monday, December 2. Students will bring home their lists so they can begin studying for the Spelling Bee. An email will come home on December 2 with a link to the study list for grades 1-8 so students can study above their grade level. Classrooms will have competitions to determine the top two spellers per class. The winners will compete in the all school Spelling Bee on the evening of January 9. More details will be coming out. Look for those lists and start studying!

Sue Melnick

Principal

Garden Road Elementary School was named as a 2024 Honor Roll School by the Educational Results Partnership by the Educational Results Partnership, as part of the national Campaign for Business and Education Excellence. The list names the top performing schools in each community throughout California.

The Honor Roll shines a positive light on schools that are driving a culture where students learn the fundamental skills that employers value and look for. This effort is part of a national campaign to engage business leaders in recognizing successful schools and educational systems that are preparing students with the fundamental skills needed to be successful in the workforce and in life. Poway Unified is proud to have 14 schools recognized in this ranking. The full Honor Roll List for California can be viewed here. The Poway Unified School District Announcement can be found here.

Keeping Smiles Healthy

Kindergarten Families

If you have a child entering or already in kindergarten, visit your dentist and have them fill out the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) form to ensure your child has a healthy mouth.

New 2024-2025 KOHA Assessment (ENGLISH)

New 2024-2025 KOHA Assessment (SPANISH)

If your child is enrolled in Medi-Cal and you need help finding a dentist: Medi-Cal Telephone Service Center, (800) 322-6384 (toll free) or visit Smile CA at https://smilecalifornia.org

Variety Show Try Outs

Attention Students and Families!

The annual GRES Variety Show is coming soon! This year, we will have two separate performances on Thursday, February 6th and Friday, February 7th. Each act will perform in one of the two shows. Registration Form, linked here, is now open—please submit your forms and music (edited to 90 seconds) by Wednesday, January 8th. Auditions will be held on January 10th and 13th. For more details on how to register and audition, visit the school website or contact Vani at vanipemble@gmail.com. We can’t wait to see your talents shine!

The Book Drive Donations for Youth in Transition

Garden Road Elementary School students have been gathering new books all month to give to our Youth in Transition students. A competition was held to see which class donated the most new books. class won and they will be having a plushie and movie day!

The Student Leadership Team Philanthropy Captains presented the donated books to Youth in Transition. So many students will receive a new book this holiday season thanks to the generosity of Garden Road families.