FRiday Reports
Good Friday Afternoon!
Yesterday, I met with a scholarship committee about a scholarship that will be offered to a graduating senior who will continuing his/her education (this is not limited to college, trade, certificate, or cosmetology but can be used toward any furtherance of education). I am very excited about this great opportunity. The application is due May 1st. Guidelines: Interested students will submit a 3-4 minute video consisting of: a brief history of his/her early life, how long he/she attended Gateway, how Gateway has helped them, what his/her plans are after graduation and how the scholarship would be used (tuition, books, tools...). There is also another scholarship available to Gateway grads. This scholarship is a written essay plus a possible interview. The essay for this scholarship is due April 10th. The essay should address the same topics as the one previously mentioned. Scholarships range from $500-$2000. Graduation is May 31, 7pm at the Gull Lake Middle School. Cost is $55, which covers cap and gown, diploma, and reception. Checks can be made out to: GLCS. Invitations will be sold at 2/$1.00. Rehearsal will be May 30, starting at 2:30. Cap and gowns will be handed out at that time. There is no limit to the number of guests graduates can bring. Today, we're having a birthday party for AnnMarie, who will be turning 1 over the weekend. It has been wonderful to watch her spend portions of her first year here. I am especially proud of Tess (who will be graduating) for being such a fantastic mom. All of us at Gateway have been able to see how challenging it can be to be a single parent and we are in awe of how well Tess has done! When you see Tess graduate, don't be surprised if AnnMarie walks across the stage with her. Progress reports were given to students today. Some were really great while others have room for improvement. Monday is the Administration open house. Any student that would like to stay after school until 6:00 is welcome to. They will be making pizzas for an afternoon snack and be able to watch movies, play games, or work on classes. Of course, parents are welcome to go through the building and we'd love to be able to show visitors how great our building is. Many of you know that we try to use real world situations and learn from them. This past week, the students have really stepped up! They have thought through problems and come up with solutions: they have hung letters (you really need to see the letters...they are huge), they have painted, baked and even cleaned their messes. I was really impressed with the way they worked in small groups and listened to the ideas of others. It was a pretty good week from my perspective. Thank you for your continued support!!
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Happy Friday!!!
We have some upcoming trips that I am really excited to be able to offer for our students: MCTI (Michigan Career & Technical Institute) Plainwell, MI The fields offered are Automotive Technology, Cabinetmaking/millwork, Certified Nurse Assistant, Culinary Arts, Custodial, Customer Service, Electronics, Graphics Communication, Grounds Maintenance and landscaping, Machine Technology, Office Automation, Pharmacy Technician, Retail Marketing, and Weatherization.[4] The Culinary Arts program operates the school's restaurant, Pine Cove, while the Retail Marketing program operates the school store, the Eagle Shack. There is on-campus housing available, first come, first served basis. We will be visiting February 15, leaving around 8:45 and returning in the afternoon. Lunch will be $5.00 per person but if you can't afford the cost, I will cover it. Parents are welcome to attend. Stryker, Kalamazoo We will be touring on March 3. KVCC, Downtown Kalamazoo Culinary Arts We will be touring on March 27. Parents are welcome All students are expected to go on these trips. There will be no teachers in the building on these dates. On February 20 students are encouraged to stay after school until 6:00. The administration is hosting an open house during the evening and I would like for our students to show visitors our building. Dinner will be provided (the students will prepare homemade pizzas). Students can work on classes, play video games, watch movies or just hang out with their friends. If a student would like to stay but doesn't have a ride home, staff will be glad to help out. Graduation is fast approaching. May 31st will be here before we know it! We ordered diplomas this week and will be ordering caps and gowns soon. Cost of graduation is $55. Checks can be made out to Gull Lake Public Schools. Progress reports were sent home. I hope you all have a good weekend. I will be seeing many of you at conferences, so this will be brief.
Feb 7, students will taking the ASFAB test. The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. It is administered annually to more than one million military applicants, high school, and post-secondary students. Students do not need to be interested in the military to participate. Feb. 15th, students and staff will be visiting MCTI in Plainwell. Parents are invited to attend. We are leaving Gateway at 9:00 and returning at the end of the day. This is from their brochure: MCTI is located on Pine Lake in southwestern Barry County. Our campus has 72 acres of land and access to 700 feet of Pine Lake. Our classrooms, dorm rooms, cafeteria, library and other services are located in one building. If you do not want to live on campus, a 2-3 bedroom apartment is available off campus. These apartments are located across from campus. Note: For eligible students, tuition and room and board may be free. MCTI offers Career Assessment Services that help students explore job options. MCTI also offers the following services: • Medical and counseling services • Occupational therapy • Interpreters for deaf students • Classroom and job accommodations • Job placement services MCTI has 13 training programs. Each program has an active advisory committee made up of people who work in the same business. Our committees help make sure our curriculum and equipment meet business standards. March 1st, students will be visiting Stryker and touring the facility in addition to meeting with staff. Parents are welcome to attend. Please RSVP by 2/6 if you would like to go on the visit. We will be leaving Gateway at 8:30 and returning at 11:30. As always, thank you for trusting us with your child. We take our responsibilities seriously and do our best to meet the needs of each student. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance. Good Morning!
Since we will be at Lake Michigan College all day tomorrow, I'm sending the Friday report today. If you are planning on going with us tomorrow, please be here by 7:40 as the bus will be leaving at 7:45 sharp. We will be walking outside, so please dress appropriately. Any student that arrives after the bus leaves will have to go home as all staff will be going on the visit. Lunch is provided. Here is our schedule: 7:45am- Leave Gateway 9:15am – Arrive at Lake Michigan College (Napier Campus) 9:15-9:45 – Admissions Presentation 9:45-10 – Hanson Technology Center Tour 10:05-10:15 – Mendel Center Tour 10:20-10:50 – Academic Building Tour 11-11:20 – Beckwith Hall Tour (dormitory) 11:30 -12 – Academic Building Tour (continued) 12-12:30 – Lunch 12:30 – Depart 1:45-Arrive at Gateway Don't forget that conferences are next week. Please signup: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Sh3EDDgpk-vAIV27KvXdH6ZcXUAzgErFhNTZQtx_bXU/edit#gid=7 Due to conferences next week, there is no school for students BUT students are welcome to come and work from 10-2. Progress reports will be given out at conferences next week. See you next week!! Conferences are Feb 2,3, 6, and 8. Please sign up by clicking on the link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Sh3EDDgpk-vAIV27KvXdH6ZcXUAzgErFhNTZQtx_bXU/edit#gid=7 If you wish a phone conference or to decline a conference, there is a place at the bottom of the form for you to indicate your choice. Remember that we are providing dinner and lunch on Feb. 2 & 3. Please indicate how many people will be attending. We still need students to see Mrs. Stage if they are willing to help prepare the meal. I am hoping for a very large turnout so that we can show off our new building. Next Friday (Jan. 27) all students and staff will be visiting Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. The bus is leaving at 8:00 and returning at the end of the day. Parents are welcome to attend. Progress reports will be sent home today. Graduating seniors know what they need to accomplish before they can graduate. Any student who does not complete graduation requirements by noon on May 31 will not be permitted to graduate until the following year. Summer school is NOT an option. Graduation is on May 31, 7pm at the Gull Lake Middle School. Cost for graduation is $55, which covers: diploma, cap and gown, and food for the reception after the ceremony. Invitations are sold for .50 each. We have three scholarships which are only available to Gateway seniors: 1. The Blair Holden Memorial Scholarship is $1000 per year for two years. The scholarship can be used in a way the benefits the graduate. Students apply by filling out an application. They top two choices are interviewed by Olga Holden, who then determines who will receive it. 2. The Blair Holden Merit Scholarship is a one time stipend of $500. The runner up for the Blair Holden Memorial Scholarship will receive this award. 3. The family of Beth Palmatier is in the process of setting up an scholarship in her honor. Beth has been a very important part of Gateway since its inception. She had to retire last year due to health issues but has stayed in touch with us as much as she in able. I will provide details for this when I receive them. Students apply by submitting a video of themselves (again, as I receive more information, I will pass it along). These scholarships are incredible testimony to the work our students do. Scholarships can be used in anyway that promotes graduates to continue on their educational journey,,,,whether it be college, technical and/or trade certification, or vocational training. I hope you all have a great weekend! We made it through the first week back and survived. Our new building is great although we are still working through some heating issues: some areas are hotter than others but we are doing our best to have the entire floor as comfortable as possible.
One of the exciting things coming up is our Open House on February 2, which just happens to be on the same day as conferences. This is the plan: right after school, conferences start and go until 8:00. Students can stay after school and help make dinner using our new kitchen (we have a GREAT kitchen area) or play the Wii or watch movies. We would like to invite your entire family for dinner during the evening. I will send a link next week with the available time slots. Come for conferences and stay for dinner....or come for dinner and stay for conferences. We are very proud of our new building and can't wait to show it off. If you can't make it on Thursday, then come on Friday. I will have availability from 8:00-3:00(we can serve leftovers....if there are any :). Another exciting program that we will be offering starting next week is a laundry service. All students have signed up for a day to bring in something to wash (clothes, towels, blankets) and it doesn't have to be a lot of items but it can be as much as they want to bring in. All students are expected to participate. If riding a bus and bringing in laundry isn't going to work for your child, we will pick him/her up and take home at the end of the day. This needs to be organized at least a day before. There are a few reasons we are expecting everyone to participate: 1. We want everyone (even those who already know how to do their own laundry and do it on a regular basis) to be taught at school, how to do laundry so that we can mark it off their life skill list (this is something new that we have started this year). We will provide all detergent, fabric softener, and bleach. Students have signed up for a day in January or February to bring in something to wash. We will remind them and you the day before. 2. We want all students to have access to clean clothes and to feel comfortable bringing in their clothes. If everyone brings in clothes (or other items) one time, then all students are treated the same and no one should feel weird or bad for using the washer and dryer at school. I would love for our appliances to be busy all day!! After students bring in something to wash and are taught how to use the washer and dryer, then he/she can then bring in items as often as they like. Students do not need permission to use the appliances once they know how to correctly use them. 3. Did you know that students who have to go to school with unclean clothes are more likely to experience bullying? That’s what 90 percent of teachers say. They were part of a Whirlpool brand-commissioned national survey of 600 public school teachers. This survey was created to uncover issues connected with a real problem in schools–students’ struggle to access clean clothes. According to teachers, nearly one in five students in their schools deal with this lack of access to clean clothes on a regular basis. It isn’t just bullying problems that affect these children, teachers revealed. More than half of the teachers think these students are more likely to struggle with absenteeism. (http://parade.com/497331/leahingram/free-clean-clothes-happy-students/) 4. Although we are requesting that all students bring in something to wash (for the good of group), we know that I can't "make" your child bring something to wash. My goal is for all students to be on the same level and treated equally. I want them to understand that not everyone has access to clean clothes and to appreciate what people go through to have them. Find something....car towels, an old blanket....please keep in mind that I need to look out for every student here and they don't all same the same backgrounds and advantages. I don't want anyone to feel that they are better than anyone else....or for anyone to feel that they are not as good as anyone else. If you believe that your child should not participate, please contact me. (Next week we have Monday-Winter;Tuesday-Sandra; Wednesday-Emma; and Thursday-Tonya.) The mobile dentist will be seeing interested Gateway students February 20-22. If your child does not have dental insurance, this program is for you! I have the forms on my desk. If you would like one let me know and I will send home with your child. There is no cost for this service. Progress reports will be sent home today. Graduation is May 31th, 7:00 at the middle school. Next week is another busy week. Not only will we keep packing for our big move on December 21 (remember that there's no school on the 22 or 23) but have our last art class for this session, visit Sherman Lake, attend a performance at Chenery Auditorium, visit our book and science buddies and teach at the RACC. Of course, working on classes should be added to the list.
Progress reports were not sent home this week but plan on getting back to normal next week. As we clean out our building we are saving items we no longer need and will be giving them away to students. There will be couches, kitchen items, and basic stuff. This is your warning...if you don't want your child to bring home our discarded items, please have a conversation with him/her. Once the items leave our building, I am no longer responsible for them :) Have a great weekend! On Monday, at 11:00, we are having a car clinic in our parking lot. Topics are (but not limited to): checking oil, air pressure, and general car maintenance. All students are invited to participate but are not required to. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing to wear outside if participating.
Tuesday will be our holiday luncheon. See the following signup: Dennis: pumpkin pie Emma: sour cream, cheese, cranberry something Tonya: broccoli Jon Y: chives Paige: crescent rolls Tay: sour cream, dessert Dwight: pop Brandon: bacon, pop Sandy: pop Michael: pop, chips Rhett: pop Frank: pop Ridge: stuffing Winter: dessert Staff will be providing baked potatoes, gravy, and turkey. In addition, on Tuesday, our "What I Like About You" project will be completed. During the previous month, each student had their name placed on the board and everyone in the school wrote a note card saying something positive about the person listed. All the note cards will be attached with a ring and given to the students before they leave. This is one of my favorite activities and many students keep their cards for a long time. November 28, from 12:30-2:00, we will have a distracted driving simulation that all students can try out. Parents are welcome to attend. This is provided at no cost to us due to the great programs Borgess Hospital makes available to schools. November 29, all students and staff will be attending a dance performance at Miller Auditorium. After the event, we will be stopping at TenTen for lunch (this restaurant was chosen by popular vote). Cost will be approximately $12, which covers food, beverage, and tip. If a student cannot afford the cost, I will be glad to cover it. December 1 & 2 are half days with students leaving at 10:40. Staff will not be available to have students stay for the rest of the day. The kids have been so helpful in getting us ready to move into our new building. There is no way the teachers and I could have done it alone. The movers will be taking our items to the new building on December 16 & 21...which means that Winter Break starts on December 22 (Thursday) for students. Because of the moving schedule, there will NOT be school December 22 & 23 for Gateway students only. All other buildings in the district will have classes. Our Christmas party will be held on December 21 while the movers are taking the last items out of the building. This will be our final time as a group at the Wildermuth building. Talk about memories! After our break, school resumes on January 9 at the new location (address is: 10100 East D Ave). Please have extra shoes for your child as we will go outside as the weather permits. Due to the shortened week next week, I will not be sending a Friday report (I will be Black Friday shopping). Progress reports will be sent home today. A few things to keep in mind:
1. On November 22 we are having a Thanksgiving luncheon and all students are encouraged to sign up to bring something. Staff is providing turkey and baked potatoes. Students will be baking pies at school but we need toppings for our baked potato bar. Please encourage your child sign up to bring something, such as: cheese, sour cream, broccoli, salsa, bacon, or other toppings. 2. On November 28, we are having a virtual driver simulation from 12:30-2:00. During this time, students will be able to practice driving and see how distractions can lead to deadly consequences. Parents are welcome to try the simulation too. 3. On November 29, the entire school will be traveling to Miller Auditorium to watch a professional Spanish dance group from Chicago. The bus is leaving at 9:00 and will be returning around 1:00. We will be stopping at Ten Ten after the performance. The total cost for lunch will be around $12.00 (this includes a beverage and tip). Students voted on which restaurant they wanted, and Ten Ten won by a large amount. All students will be expected to go into the restaurant (they cannot stay on the bus). If this is an issue, please contact me so we can come up with an alternative plan. In addition, if your child cannot afford the price, have him/her see me and I will be glad to cover the cost. When it comes to our phone/music policy, I have decided that each student will be told if he/she will be permitted to continue to listen. Many of our students showed a marked improvement and will be able to continue. Those who have not shown an increase of work will be given one more week to increase their productivity or will lose the privilege. We will continue to monitor progress and make sure that listening to music is beneficial. No school November 23-25 and there are half days December 1 & 2 (due to finals at the high school). |
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November 2017
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