The Gates Mills Gazette
August 23, 2019
Our Family is Complete!
We were so excited to have our kindergarten friends join our Gates Mills Family this week. We are so proud at how quickly they adapted to being at school full time.
The Book Fair is Coming!
Book Fair Dates: Wednesday, August 28th & Thursday, August 29th in the School Idea Lab
Preview Day: Each classroom will attend a preview day on Wednesday, August 28th and bring home a wish list. You are under no obligation to purchase the products from the wish list.
Shopping Hours: Each classroom will go back to the Idea Lab on Thursday, August 29th during their library special to purchase items on their wish list. Teachers and students are invited to wear their snow gear (winter themed shirts, artic animal shirt, hat/headband, scarf and mittens!)
Special Activities: Open for parents on Curriculum Night on Thursday, August 29th until 8:30 pm. Kindergarten parents, please feel free to stop by Thursday evening or Friday morning (August 30th) between 8:00 and 11:00 am.
Cashless Operation Reminder
Mayfield City Schools has elected to move to cashless operations for all school directed fees/food service payments utilizing Infinite Campus for the 2019-2020 school in year.
We are asking for you to pay the following fees online using Infinite Campus. Money will not be accepted at the building level. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this initiative!
- Food Service
- School Fees
- Field Trips
- Fundraisers
STAR Assessments
This week some grade levels began our district STAR testing. STAR assessments are short tests that provide teachers with learning data. STAR tests are computer adaptive, which means they adjust to each answer your child provides. This helps teachers get the best data to help your child in the shortest amount of testing time (about one-third of the time other tests take).
Teachers analyze the data they get from the STAR assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, to monitor student growth, and to determine which students may need additional help. STAR assessments are heavily researched and scientifically proven to help teachers guide each student on his or her unique path to mastery.
By pinpointing exactly what your child knows, teachers can personalize your child’s practice to keep them growing. Plus, short test times ensure your child spends more time learning and less time testing.
Grade Level STAR Tests:
Kindergarten: Early Literacy (completed during K screening)
First Grade: Early Literacy & Math
Second Grade: Reading & Math
Third Grade: Reading & Math
Fourth Grade: Reading & Math
Fifth Grade: Reading & Math
Inside the Idea Lab
Inside the Idea Lab with Mrs. Stephens:
This week students visited The Idea Lab for the first time this school year...and the second time! Now that we are on our new ABCD specials class schedule, we will have Library/Idea Lab on C days. Every once in a while we will have two C days in one week, so we will have Idea Lab on both Monday and Friday. How lucky is that?
This week we focused on getting-to-know-you exercises. Third, fourth, and fifth grades had scavenger hunts in the Idea Lab to help us all remember where important supplies and frequently-used items are located. All grades got to play “Ask Me Anything” with Mrs. Stephens. Our older grades started reading The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, which helped us all remember how hard it is to be the new student in school. It also helped us learn to appreciate cultures different from our own. First graders heard How Do Dinosaurs Go To School? and The Pout-Pout Fish Goes To School, while Kindergarten enjoyed The Night Before Kindergarten and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten. Kindergarteners were also very excited to get to choose at least two of the following activities to try: the Music Wall, Magna-Tiles, the Lego Wall, and Library Coloring Pages. It was a great first week in Idea Lab, and we can’t wait to read new books and discover new learning tools together this year!
If your student still has books out from last year, please send them to school. Upon return, missing book fees will be removed from your child’s Infinite Campus account.
Next week students visit The Idea Lab on Thursday, August 29th, and will shop at the Scholastic Book Fair during their Library time.
Food Service Online Payment
The food service payments have recently changed. Please follow these instructions/screen shots to assist you in putting money on your child's lunch account.
If payments are done on a PC, Internet Explorer cannot be the browser used. The following browsers work best: Google Chrome and Firefox.
Say Cheese!
Curriculum Night: Grades 1-5
Additional Information
Important Dates
August 27th - Picture Day
August 28th, 29th & 30th - Book Fair 8:00-2:00 pm
August 29th - Curriculum Night for Grades 1st-5th 6:30 pm
September 2nd - No School - Labor Day
September 4th – PTC Meeting 6:30 pm
September 13th - Donuts with Dad 7:15 am & Parents Night Out 6:00 pm
September 27th - No School (Staff Development Day)
Important Websites
School Website: Gates Mills Elementary
Gates Mills PTC: Gates Mills PTC
Supply Lists: Gates Mills Supply List
Information for Parents: Summer Central
School Lunch Information: Food Services
Bus Information:Transportation
Detailed School Information: Elementary Student Handbook
Attendance Matters: House Bill 410
Community Flyers: Community Flyers
Friday Folder: Friday Folder Web Page
Alternative Address Form: Alternative Address Form
District Calendars: District Calendars
District Parent Mentor Information: District Parent Mentor Information
Drop Off & Dismissal Procedures: Drop Off/Pick Up
Mayfield City Schools App: Visit the App Store for Android or Apple
Gates Mills Elementary School
Email: lravida@mayfieldschools.org
Website: http://www.mayfieldschools.org/gatesmillselementary_home.aspx
Location: 7639 Colvin Road, Gates Mills, OH, USA
Phone: 440-995-7500
Twitter: @ravida_laurel