Spring is here! From James Ellis, Principal Gladstone Elementary School

an you believe that Spring is already here!? The last two months of school are a fast paced and wonderful time of year. Your Griffins are busy at Gladstone, learning a little more every day and growing up right before our eyes! Inevitably, state testing is upon us. I can’t wait to see how wonderful we do this year. Included in this newsletter are tips and strategies for helping your Griffin be ready to do their best on testing day. We all love to see that API score rise, and it is a direct result of everyone – teachers, students, and parents – working together to help our students shine like the stars they are! We just finished the second trimester, and once again we have a lot to celebrate. The awards assemblies were held in March when hundreds of Griffins were recognized for their outstanding work. Allow me to thank you, again, for your commitment to your Griffin’s education. Parents play such a vital role in school success, and we would not be the school we are without you. Whether you are volunteering on campus in the classroom, attending an evening activity, or helping your Griffin with homework at home, know that you are appreciated for all you do. We cannot say it enough. Thank you. I would like to cordially invite you to the Gladstone Open House coming up on May 17th. In the coming weeks, classrooms will not only be buzzing with testing preparation but with putting together displays for open house as well. The students love to show their moms, dads, grandparents, neighbors, and friends all they are doing. Please mark May 17th on your calendar and join us that evening for a celebration of the year that was! June will be here before you know it, and with that comes the annual 5th grade vs Gladstone staff softball game. This year’s game will be held on June 6th, with the last day of school on June 7th. This annual event is a student favorite. I wonder who will pull off the victory this year? Also on June 6th, we would like to recognize our volunteers on campus with a parade of classrooms. We did our first parade last year and it was a rousing success! Parents get paraded around campus so every classroom may say thank you for your help throughout the school year. Please join us on Wednesday morning, so we can say thank you in person. I hope you have a wonderful spring! I know we will at Gladstone! And remember, if anyone at Gladstone can ever be of assistance, we are simply a phone call, email, or visit away!.

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June 2012

APRIL 16 Leadership Team 3:00-4:00 17 State Testing Window Begins 17 Coffee with the Principal 18 1st Grade – Haugh Theater

MAY 1 Kinder trip to LB Aquarium 1 SSC 5:15; PTA 6:30 3 Student Council Meeting 4 Kids Can Recycling & Spirit Day 4 PTA-District Spring Luncheon 10 5th Grade Outdoor Obstacle Course 14 Student Council Potential Candidates Meeting (Gr. 3-4) 15 State Testing Window Ends 16 Emergency Drill 17 Open House 5:30 - 7:30 18 Minimum Day 12:25 Dismissal 21 Band Spring Concert-Lone Hill 7:00 22 Elementary Choir Concert 7:00 24 Student Council Elections

25 Calendar Committee Meeting 28 Non-Student Day – Memorial Day 29 Coffee with the Principal 30 GATE Parent Meeting 31 Final Student Council Elections 31 Griffin Incentive Day

JUNE 1 5th Grade Trip – Reilly’s Farm 1 4th Grade Trip – Cal. Science Center 1 Kids Can Recycling & Spirit Day 1 Benchmark Tests – Gr. 4-5 4 Yearbook Distribution 4 Kinder - LA Zoo 5 PTA Installation Dinner 6:30 5 SSC5:15; PTA6:15 5 2nd Grade – Park (11:30-1:00) 5 3rd Grade – Apple Valley Picnic 6 Volunteer Recognition 8:30 6 5th Grade vs. Staff Softball 9:30 7 Minimum Day 12:25 Dismissal 7 Tri 3 Awards Assembly 7 Trimester Ends – Report Cards go home

The last three KidsCan collections of the school year will be on Friday, April 14, May 4, and June 1. Look for flyers distributed before those dates to turn in with your donations. Those contributing will be entered into drawings for prizes and Student Store dollars. The final Spirit Dress Days fall on Friday, April 14, May 4, and June 1. The themes will be Twin Day, Spirit Shirt/Colors Day, and Aloha Day. If you would like to have some fun, join us on the black top following first recess for our monthly spirit rallies on those days! Those students interested in running for office for the 2012-2013 school year will attend an informational meeting in mid-May. For those interested, our speech assembly and primary election will take place on Wednesday, May 23. Our final election will be on Thursday, May 31. Only those promoting to 4th and 5th grade will be eligible to run for office. Thank you to all who supported Student Council and its endeavors this year. A special thank you goes to our representatives and officers! We are proud of what was accomplished and look forward to another busy and exciting year in 2012-2013. For those who recycled, a big thanks to you too! We will continue with our KidsCan Recycling Program, so please save your aluminum cans and plastic bottles over the summer to start the year off right! Our annual Student Council gift to the school will be presented at the 3rd trimester awards assemblies. May your summer be full of adventure!

Announcements Gladstone is now accepting new registrations for the 2012-2013 school year

Gladstone is now accepting new registrations for the 2012-2013 school year. Do you have a child who will be 5 on or before Nov. 1st? Believe it or not, it’s

time to register for Kindergarten! Visit Sandie Gonzalez or Susan Rajotte in the office to pick up a registration packet for your soon-to-be Griffin! Do you know someone new to the area or looking to transfer their student to Gladstone! Send them to the office as well, Mrs.

Gonzalez and Mrs. Rajotte can give them all the information they need about applying for a transfer to Gladstone. Remember, spaces fill up quickly, so you want to get your registration in as soon as possible. The more early registrations we receive, the better we can plan for the fall to make sure there is room for everyone. Visit the office today!! Picking up your Griffin after school Please remember, the parking lot directly in front of Gladstone is reserved for staff only. After school, the parking lot is restricted

to School Busses, Day Care Vans, and families of students with special needs. At the 2:05 and 2:50 dismissals, parents are welcome to park in the Shellman Ave parking lot or on Gladstone Street in front of the Kindergarten playground. Please remember that the Shellman parking lot is closed to incoming and oncoming traffic between 1:55 and 2:15pm. This allows us to have maximum safety for students riding the bus and students with special needs. If you ever have a question regarding where to park, feel free to email or call the school so we can help you choose an appropriate location.

April, May, June 2012

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CORNER Faculty Advisors: Mrs. Kathy McClure, Mrs. Kristina Vitale, Mrs. Cindy Jones

April, May, June

YEARBOOK

Important Dates: 1. Yearbook Committee to return baby pictures to 5th graders and pictures submitted for dedications by late May. 2. Yearbook distributions on Monday, June 4th Yearbook Committee and Dawn Jackson would like to thank everyone who submitted pictures for the yearbook. Without your help it would not have been possible. Yearbook committee is looking for volunteers to help with 2012-2013 yearbook. Dawn Jackson has a 5th grader who will be moving on to 6th grade at Lone Hill and will no longer be at Gladstone. For the past 4 years it has been fun and enjoyable taking pictures as well as putting the yearbook together. It has been such a blast and if anyone enjoys taking pictures and scrapbooking one will really enjoy putting Gladstone’s

yearbook together. If you are interested in helping with yearbook please contact Dawn Jackson at gladstoneyearbook@gmail.com or call (626)786-5045 Once again thank you for allowing me to take pictures of your students. This has been such a memorable 4 years putting together Gladstone’s yearbooks as well as

being a part of the Gladstone Family for the past 9 years.

Gladstone Students, Friends, Families and Staff you will be remembered and truly missed.

-Dawn Jackson

Griffins Celebrated

Reading Week Gladstone Griffins helped celebrate the joy of reading by participating in the many fun activities held during our annual Celebrate Reading Week. Hundreds of families visited the Scholastic Book Fair throughout the week to purchase their favorite selections. On Tuesday, students enjoyed the lively performances of the Imagination Machine actors as they interpreted the creative stories submitted by our student writers. That night over 250 people attended Young Authors’ Night at

Lone Hill to honor authors and illustrators and listen to guest Author Barney Saltzberg. This talented author/illustrator stayed on after the program to sign and chat with Gladstone’s students. What a

wonderful way to inspire reading and writing. On Thursday, Gladstone was visited by more than 30 guest readers from the community. How exciting it was to have a fireman do the daily read aloud. The week ended with our very popular Pop-

Your-Top and Read activity as students relaxed with their beach

towels and soda under the shade of a tree. No wonder we have such excellent readers. Celebrate Reading Committee: Irene Burton, Kristina Cardeno, Elaine Henspeter, and Kathleen Turner

Technology

Extravaganza!

Bonita Unified School District is featuring its second annual community tech showcase in June. Get hands on with iPods, laptops, desktops, and The Nook. Get familiar with software in the classroom and at home. See technology demos and get exclusive educational pricing on hardware and software! There will be food and door prizes and a FREE ELECTRONIC WASTE DISPOSAL. Join the “techies”

at Lone Hill Middle School, Tuesday, June 12 from 4:00-7:00pm. For more information on participation email Nasmyth@bonita.k12.ca.us or call BUSD at (909) 971-8200 x5271.

Every day is Earth day.

April/May/June 2012

State Testing is here! Parents can help their students prepare of the CST Exams in April and May

It’s hard to believe that April 2012 is already here! It’s been a fantastic year at Gladstone and Griffins in every classroom have learned so many things. It’s during April and May that Griffins get to ‘show off’ just how much they have learned. State testing is an important event on campus, and parents can help students excel during their exams. There are a few things that parents can do at home that do not even require opening a textbook. They are:

Make sure your student get a good night’s sleep before a testing day.

On the morning of the exam, make sure your student has a good breakfast. Just like your

car, your student needs fuel to run at his or her best.

Display confidence with your student, but don’t be too anxious. Let them know the test is

important and that you know they will be try their best. Your confidence is contagious!

Once you are sure you got these suggestions squared away, it’s never a bad idea to go over some test-taking strategies with your student. Here are a few tips to review with your Griffin:

Remind your student to read each question completely so they understand the question.

This is especially important for multiple choice questions – read every choice before

selecting an answer.

If your student comes to a problem that he or she doesn’t know, skip it and come back

later. All state tests through 5th grade are untimed, so they should get the ‘easy ones’ done

first and come back to try later. There is plenty of time.

Students worry that they will miss recess or lunch if they take too long. Not true! We will

make arrangements to make sure they still get a break and time to eat. It is most important

for students to take their time on the tests.

You have probably read in the paper about state testing and the API score that all public schools receive. And while it is true that these scores are important, it’s also important not to place too much anxiety on your student’s shoulders. The most important message you can give your student is: “You are ready!” Gladstone teachers have prepared them, the students have done the work, and they will be successful! If you have any questions about the state tests, there are many resources available. Contact your Griffin’s teacher or Mr. Ellis for any information you may need.

April/May/June 2012

Los Angeles County Science Fair The Los Angeles County Science Olympiad Team from Gladstone came home with a Silver Medal from the annual county competition featuring dozens of elementary schools from all over LA County. The event took place at Occidental College on Feb 25, 2012. The competition events called Crime Busters, Rock Hound,the Tennis Ball Catapult, Zowie Metrics, and a straw bridge building completion. Aidan Phipps and Kevin Rivera represented Gladstone in the bridge building contest and placed 2nd. Aidan said, “The competition was great because you get to do so many fun events with kids from all over!”

Bonita Unified Math Olympiad The 4th and 5th grade Griffin Math Olympians represented Gladstone on Saturday, March 3rd at Lone Hill Middle School. The 5th grade team from Gladstone placed 1st among the 8 district elementary schools, qualifying to the LA County Math Olympiad in June. One of our 5th grade Math Olympians, Daniel Farag, explained that the Math Olympics is fun! He said, “Working with a team on the math Olympiad is fun because you got to work with other kids, and that makes the math more fun.”

Donating Old Books and a Special Thank you Special thanks to Paul Boutros, a 4th grader, and his family for a donation of reading books and materials to Gladstone. The materials are being used in the kindergarten and first grade classroom to help our youngest Griffins develop their reading skills. If you have books that are well loved and still in good shape, but no longer being read at home, consider making a donation to Gladstone. Our teachers have their own classroom libraries that are always looking for new books. In addition, our library is always on the hunt for new reading material. With our school wide focus on reading, we can never have too many books around! If you have books that you think could help a Griffin learn to love reading, visit your Griffin’s teacher or the front office today and we can find them a new home!

Pictured: Gladstone coaches Mr. Adrian Wong and Mrs. Maureen Blaes, and some members of the 4

th and 5

th grade

Math Olympic Teams: Aidan Phipps, Austin Lee, Kaitlyn Jones, Joanna Huang, Julia Berard, Daniel Farag, Amita Stowitts, and Jack Vo.

April/May/June 2012

5 Ways to Help Kids Find Balance In Family media management, Physical health by Caroline Knorr, on 03.05.12

Sometimes it seems like the more tech savvy kids become, the fewer real-world skills they're capable of. Many can easily manipulate a smart phone, but basic stuff like chores, sports -- even making eye contact -- has become a challenge.

Ironically, technology makes life so easy that finding the time and motivation to practice life skills can be hard. It's all about balance. Here are some strategies that I use to try to get the right mix.

Plan off-line time. The lure of digital pursuits is strong, so help your kid plan his or her day to fit in all of the "have-tos" -- homework, chores -- with the "want-tos" like games and Facebook.

Play active games. While they're not a substitute for experience, active games are a great antidote to sedentary, solitary games -- and a good choice for when you simply can't get outdoors.

Consider the example you're setting. I know I'm my son's digital role model. I make an effort to turn off my email or stop checking my phone once dinnertime rolls around. My actions show him that screen limits don't only apply to him.

Use media as a jumping-off point. Whether it's a jewelry-making game that encourages entrepreneurship, a strategy game that relates to world history, or a guitar how-to video on YouTube, think of ways to extend your kids' favorite electronic pursuits into the real world.

It's OK to be bored. In fact, experts recommend that kids let their minds wander. Impose some downtime on your kid (and yourself!).

Don’t forget... When your student is absent,

please call the ATTENDANCE HOTLINE

909-971-8204 ext. 1

Check out our Websites for info & updates: School: www.bonita.k12.ca.us/gladstone PTA: www.gladstonepta.org

April/May/June 2012

Earth Day is April 22. Take the quiz!

1. Don't leave the ___________running when you are brushing your teeth.

2. Take a ______________ instead of a bath.

3. If you litter ___________will eat the garbage and get sick.

4. We can ____________by using both sides of the paper.

5. Use a reusable juice container instead of a _______________.

6. Planting just one ____________ can save the sky from smoke from factories.

7. Turn off the __________ and ______ when you are not in the room.

8. Keep the oceans clean so the fish will stay ___________ and safe.

9. Make a _____________________. The birds in the city have a hard time finding enough food to eat.

10. Recycle your plastic and __________ .

11. Use a ______________ instead of a paper bag.

animals healthy bird feeder tree

juice box lights shower cans

recycle TV water lunch box

Complete this quiz and turn in to the office for a special prize! Name:________________________ Room #____________________