From the Desk of Mr. Hernandez
As principal of Joseph A. Gascon Elementary, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another great year in Gascon. We are all excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our mission to help every child feel welcomed, connected, and a part of the Gascon family. Additionally, we strive to challenge each student to grow his or her academic abilities and to be college-ready by the time they move to the Intermediate level. At Gascon Elementary, we have great teachers who spend hours planning and creating classroom activities to engage our students in learning. Our teachers utilize research-based best practices and analyze academic data to determine current skill levels and to set goals for growth and improvement.
Our first day of school is Monday, August 14, 2023, from 8:00AM - 2:00PM. The JGE staff is happy to welcome back our Tigers. As we do so, we will continue to regard the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff as our highest priority. Our reopening plan aligns with the standards set by the California Department of Public Health. Our plan is evolving with built-in flexibility should the needs of our community change.
We will continue to utilize our Chromebook devices daily at school and home. Please make sure that your child brings his/her Chromebook on the first day of school. All TK/K students will be receiving a Chromebook at the beginning of the school year. We are bringing back our Accelerated Learning Labs, which is a strategically designed learning environment where students receive targeted, explicit daily instruction from experienced JGE teachers in a small classroom setting that is critical to academic success.
Per Nutritional Services, the entire state of CA is offering Universal Meal Services - breakfast and lunch served to school children at no charge. However, we are strongly encouraging all households to complete the online Alternate Income Application at https://montebellousd.rocketscanapps.com/. This will maximize educational resources for our school. It is critical that all our parents and guardians update their emergency information in PowerSchool for safety reasons and to receive school and district updates. To access and set up a PowerSchool, please go to https://mymusd.powerschool.com/public/.
Lastly, Gascon Elementary strives in promoting a positive school culture, school spirit and a college going culture. For that reason, we encourage all our Gascón Tigers to observe and wear the following T-Shirts during the week:
· Monday’s College day: Wear a College T-Shirt
· Friday’s Spirit Day – Wear Gascón Shirts or Red
In closing, I am so excited to be welcoming all of our families back to school. Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, our staff, and our community before all other considerations. We remain steadfast in our mission to educate our students and guide them as they discover their passions and pursue their dreams.
Sincerely,
David A. Hernandez
Principal
Joseph Gascon Elementary School
August/September
1st Day of School: August 14
TK/Kindergarden Parent Orientation: August 14 @ 10:30a.m
PTO Membership Drive: August 15-August 31
iReady Testing Window #1: August 18 - September 9
Fire Drill: August 25 @ 8:30a.m-9:15a.m
Labor Day No School: September 4
Coffee with the Principal: September 6 @ 8:15a.m
PTO General Meeting: September 7 @ 2:15p.m
Earthquake Drill: September 8 @ 8:30a.m-9:15a.m
School Spirit Week: September 11-15
Scholastic Book Fair: September 11-15
Back to School Night: September 14 @ 5:00p.m-7:00p.m
Fire Drill: September 22 @ 8:30a.m-9:15a.m
Student of the Month Assembly: September 25
Fall Picture Day: September 27
TK/Kindergarten Orientation
TK/Kindergarten Orientation will be held Monday, August 14th from 10:30am-12:00pm in the cafeteria!
We are delighted to invite you and your family to embark on an exciting adventure that will lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and growth! Our TK/Kindergarten orientation is designed to support this exciting transition so that it is a joyful and memorable experience for everyone involved.
As you step through the doors of our school, you’ll be greeted by our staff to check in and receive a name tag with a colored dot (this colored dot will correspond with the teacher that your child is assigned to join!). Once you are checked in, you will go directly into the cafeteria where we will begin with a welcome message with our Principal, David Hernandez and our Teacher on Special Assignment, Elizabeth Contreras.
After the welcome message, students and parents/guardians will be asked to join their child's assigned teacher (based on the colorful dot they’ve been given) back to their classroom to hear an informational presentation about our school schedule, kindergarten curriculum, things to practice at home, class routines, pick up and drop off routines – and much more!
By the end of our orientation, our hope is that you leave with confidence as a parent/guardian of a TK/Kindergartner and a heart full of excitement, knowing that your child is embarking on a remarkable educational journey here at Gascon.
Kindergarten is a magical time filled with new friendships and new discoveries! Our dedicated team of educators are eager to guide your little ones on their first steps towards academic and social success.
Please be reminded that the first two weeks of school, students will arrive to school at 8:00a.m and be dismissed by 12:00p.m. The first full day of classes will be Monday, August 28, 2023.
We can’t wait to welcome you and your family!
New Student Registration For 2023-2024
The Montebello Unified School District is excited to announce the PowerSchool online student enrollment system for the 2023-2024 school year is now open. This will be for NEW students enrolling in the Montebello Unified School District.
This website is the first step in the process to enroll a new TK-12 student for school. Information about the student such as emergency contacts, medical, and language will be collected. Upon completion, the student's information will be sent to the school.
Action Youth America (AYA) After-School Program
Action Youth America (AYA), formerly known as ICES Education has been serving California families for over 30 years, providing top quality service in academics, sports, and other areas of education. Our programs are built upon the foundation of excellence and time-tested methods that have allowed us to be one of the leading providers of before and after-school programs in the United States.
The AYA program is academically driven as we understand the need for providing complementary academic support to the instructional day in order for students to meet their full potential. Our academic coordinator Stefanie is responsible for assuring optimal academic alignment to school and district needs. The AYA staff is formally trained on Common Core learning expectations and write, or can assist in writing a curriculum around the principles of Common Core. Additionally, the AYA staff works with interventions, state testing prep camps, and modeling/training.
ELO Link: https://sites.google.com/montebello.k12.ca.us/eloafterschool/home
ELO Application Link: rb.gy/g4h8n
