Gertrude Walker Dolphins SplashCast

1: 80% of K-2nd grade students will meet the phonics and fluency benchmark by the end of 2nd grade through the implementation of high-quality structured literacy instruction.

2: 3rd and 4th grade teachers will focus on strong instruction and high expectations, resulting in a 10% increase in the number of students achieving Level 3 & 4 in ELA and Math on the KAP assessment.

https://www.facebook.com/GWDolphins

Twitter(X): @457DeLoach

Families,

Starting this semester, you will be able to sign up for conferences online. In a couple of weeks you will receive an invitation from the Remind app with times and a link to sign up. The program is called PTCFast.com - Conference Scheduler. Don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.

We will have a yearbook for the 2023_2024 school year. This is something new that we are starting at Gertrude Walker. Yearbooks will go on sale in February and delivered at the end of the school year. A link will be sent for you to preview and purchase online. Yearbooks will sell for 15 dollars per student.

School Lunch:

Kindergarten: 11:05-11:30

3rd and 4th grade: 11:30-11:55

1st and 2nd grade: 12:00-12:25

If you would like to eat the school lunch with your child, $4.50 will be due by 9:30 that day.

Visiting the Building: All parents and visitors will need to check in at the main office.

Picking your child up early: If you know in advance that your child has an appointment or you will need to be picking them up early. Please call the office the day before or earlier. This will help us have your child ready in time for when you need to pick them up. Thank you!

Fee Payment: If you have school fees, it is important that you make arrangements to pay them. We understand that you may not be able to pay fees all at once. We will work with you. Payments are accepted by cash, check, or card. You can also go to the link below to make a payment. If you need help making a payment, please come in and see us.

https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55837

If you have questions and need to speak with someone that speaks Spanish dial 620-805-7602.

Ask your child about the 7 Habits. Have a conversation with them about the first 3 and what it means to them. These are habits that can be used at home, work and school. Your children are learning the 7 Habits. the first 3 habits are; Habit 1: Be Proactive, Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind, Habit 3: Put First Things First. Below are descriptions of the first two habits.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive means that we take responsibility for our words, actions, and choices. We know we have the power to impact our lives for the better. We have the agency to make things happen. We have the agency to make things happen. The principles of effectiveness in Habit 1 are responsibility, choice, accountability, initiative, and resourcefulness.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Beginning with the end in mind means that we take time to define our vision and purpose clearly. We have the opportunity to define outcomes before we act. We can make choices that shape our future, rather than leaving it up to other people or circumstances. Habit 2 aligns with the principles of vision, commitment, and purpose.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Putting first things first means spending time on what's most important. We can focus on our highest priorities and the activities that represent our mission, roles, values, and high-priority goals. Habit 3 aligns with the principles of focus, integrity, discipline, and prioritization.

Staff and students had a lot of fun during our Holiday Spirit Week before winter break. Each and everyday staff and students work very hard, but It is also important for students and staff to have a little fun.

Commerce Bank helped us celebrate our 2nd quarter students' of the 9 weeks. These students show our GW WAVES expectations everyday. Congratulations Dolphins!

4th grade

Ms. Johnson—Amy Herman

Mr. Brager—Jayla Ortega

3rd grade

Ms. Stevenson—Zachary Zavorotny

Ms. Kopper—Miah Benitez

2nd grade

Ms. Moser—Donald Lima

Ms. Ketterling—Kaylee Rodriguez

1st Grade

Ms. Thompson—Achilles Escobar

Ms. Deibert—Ander Velasquez

Kdg

Ms. Shoffner—Fahiima Abdi

Ms. Garcia—Julian Ferrel

This award is for faculty to recognize other faculty for their extraordinary work at Gertrude Walker. Each recipient attaches something to it that says something personal about them before passing it on.

This month's Dolphin Award Recipient is Lauren Bendert, GW's Special Education Teacher. Trophy was passed on from Nurse Anderson, "Lauren is a positive energy, is always willing to support teachers and students, and goes above and beyond what is asked of her."

Garden City YMCA awarded several of our students a free membership before winter break. Thank you Garden City YMCA!

Gertrude Walker has won the kettle challenge for the 2nd year in a row. This is great for our school, families, and Salvation Army. We raised close to 400 dollars. Go Dolphins!

Gertrude Walker had it's second all school music concert at Clifford Hope Auditorium. Thank you to all who participated. Our students really enjoyed performing and cannot wait until the next one.

At Gertrude Walker, we like to make WAVES

W - Wise Decisions

A - Ambitious

V - Value Self and Others

E - Encourage

S - Self-Reliant

Your child can earn a WAVE slip every day if they are seen following our building-wide expectations. On Friday all those WAVES are sent to the office at the end of the day. We pull 2 WAVES from each class for students to come to the office for a prize.

Every day, your child has an opportunity to receive a positive referral. Positive referrals are for students making big WAVES. These referrals are recorded in Skyward. Each morning, during announcements, students who have received a positive referral are called down to the office and given the opportunity to call home to celebrate their positive referral.

The Student Council Student Store is now open each Friday morning between 8 and 8:30. The money raised will go towards much needed items for Gertrude Walker. Most items will be priced at $2 or less.

December

Dec 11-15 - Salvation Army Kettle Challenge

Dec 11-19 Winter Spirit Week

Dec 13 - Gertrude Walker Holiday Concert, Horace Good Clifford hope Auditorium, 6:15

Dec 21 - Jan. 5 - No School