Gullett Gazette - March 20, 2022

On the Move in the 2021-2022 school year!

A Letter from the Principal

Dear Gullett Families,

I hope all of you enjoyed Spring Break and were able to use this time to reconnect and catch your breath. Just like this school year, these early years with your children fly by. I cannot believe that we are already welcoming our Geckos back this week for our last quarter of the year!

This week we are celebrating PRIDE across our district, and we are ending the week with Field Day! (finally!!!) We are looking forward to a week focused on creating a safe, supportive and inclusive campus where every student and family is welcome and celebrated. PRIDE Week reminds us that everyone can be proud of who they are and all the things that make us unique. Friday is also a spirit day, and we are asking students to wear their favorite color of the rainbow - or all of them. You also can’t go wrong with a Gecko t-shirt on Field Day.

The district survey for the year will open this week after a slight delay. This will be an opportunity for you to give feedback about Gullett and our district. This survey will be an important data source that will help shape our campus improvement plan and set goals for next year. Students in grades 3-5 will also be able to take the survey here at school. Families are able to opt their students out of the survey process if they would like. Please know that this is only one opportunity for you to let us know your thoughts. My door (and phone line) are always open. I would love to hear about what you feel is going well and address any concerns you may have.

While we remain focused on the last part of our school year having great instruction for students, building their confidence as learners and leaders, and creating special events that make lasting memories, we are also planning for next year to set up our Gecko’s for success. Thank you again for your partnership and support as we educate our Geckos together. Have a great week everyone-I look forward to seeing many of you on Friday!

Sincerely,

Tammy Thompson

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Field Day - Friday, March 25th

For large events like Field Day, it can be hard enough to rally the troops the first time around, much less a second time after vacation, so please make sure you check out the sign up sheet Ms. Garcia added this weekend to see if you are able to help in some way. We are looking forward to a day filled with great sportsmanship, community building, and students showcasing their physical education skills. While we are starting out the week with rain, the rest of the forecast looks great!

Parents will be allowed to come for the event and cheer their Geckos on. All parents will be required to sign in and wear a visitor sticker while on campus. As you can imagine, with this many adults on campus, we want to be able to be sure that everyone has checked in. If you are spotted without a visitor sticker, you will be asked to go sign, so please help us by making sure to allow yourself time to check in so that you will not miss a minute.

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Lunch Updates

Rain on Monday will mean eating in the cafeteria as we had to do most of the week prior to Spring Break due to weather as well. On March 28th, we will be returning to eating in the cafeteria daily as opposed to being outside for lunch. With this change, you will also be able to visit your child at lunchtime. You will need to sign your child out in the office and find a spot outside to eat as we cannot accommodate visitors eating in the cafeteria. You may have lunch with your child only-they will not be able to bring another classmate to join them. Please communicate with your child’s teacher if you intend to visit for lunch. We appreciate parents sticking to your class schedule so instructional time is not lost. Your child can meet you in the office where you sign out, and you can return them to the office at the end of their lunch time so that they can line up with their class and resume their day.

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Naming Of the Gullett Library

In other district level news, Gullett has been added to our school board agenda on March 24, for "Naming of Gullett Library!" Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware in case anyone would like to tune in or leave public testimony in support. There wouldn't be a discussion, but it's possible our Trustee, Kristin Ashy, could make some remarks about it. You can find more details on the process here: www.austinisd.org/board/meetings, but basically you can call 512-414-0131 between 7:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. the day of the board voting meeting, Thursday, March 24. The comments would then be aired that evening during the meeting.

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Creating Classes for the 22-23 School Year

As we begin to prepare for next school year, we will soon start the process of placing students in classes.There are many pieces to the process of creating classes. Our goals are to use a variety of data points to create classes that are balanced (a range of academic achievement, behaviors, peer compatibility, special population needs, etc.). Teachers will work in grade level teams to create those classes alongside essential areas, special education staff, the counselor and administrators. Administrators will review the added parent input provided in this form to finalize classes. This form is completely optional, confidential and is not shared with teachers or other staff. If you have information about your student’s learning style you would like for administration to consider, you may choose to complete this form. This form does not guarantee a specific teacher or peer placement for your child. Thank you for your cooperation, understanding and trust that we will find the best match. Please note that requests for a particular teacher will not be honored, so please refrain from using specific names. The form will not accept responses after 3:00 P.M on Friday, April 1, 2022.

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Register for the 2022-2023 School Year!

And last but not least, please make sure you are registered for next year! This ensures proper staffing and class placement. Currently we are at 78% of our students registered for next year. So close! Fifth grade parents, don’t forget that even though you are moving on to middle school, you still have to register this year. Student choice sheets for middle school are not the same thing as registering. Please reach out to us if you have any questions-we are here to help with that transition. We will soon start making phone call reminders to all of our Geckos that aren’t registered and to find out your intentions for next year. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the process as well.