The Principal’s Message
Please Read, Important Information
Hello Garland Families, April 22, 2013
Wow, this year has really flown by. It has been a very successful year for Garland students. All students made growth in reading this year, and many students made larger than average reading growth. We attribute this to the significant efforts of our grade level PLC’s (professional learning community of teachers). Thank you for your efforts parents to read with your students every night! It has made a difference.
Garland Elementary has an amazing addition coming this fall to what we can offer students. We have been approved to begin Spanish Dual Immersion starting in August, 2013. This program lets students spend half of their day in English and the other half in Spanish. Students who participate in the Immersion program will become fluent in English and Spanish. We will be holding a parent and community meeting on Monday April 29th at 6:30 p.m. Gregg Roberts from the State Office of Education will be here to educate parents on the benefits of enrolling your students in Spanish Immersion, and will answer questions about the program. Additionally, information will be shared about how students will be accepted into the program. We are currently accepting applications (at Garland Elementary) for enrollment in the program. I encourage all families to look at the program and decide whether it is a choice for you and your student. Parents, who would like information, may pick up a packet from the office. The deadline for applications to be turned in, by the 25th of May. Please see Mr. Lee in the office if you have questions.
We will be participating in an exciting opportunity for our students. Adam Frus an artist who works with glass blowing will be working with our students from May 6th – March 9th). He has a mobile glass blowing furnace and is coming from Arizona to give us this rare treat. If you have never had the opportunity to watch glass blowing, please make it a point to come. He will be raffling items that he makes and proceeds will go to our school. Most of all we just want this to be a fun experience for families. He is being sponsored by the grant that we received from the Utah Arts Council. We encourage all parents to come and participate. We will be having a family demonstration night to view the process of how to make blown glass on Wednesday May 8th at 6:00 p.m. (more details to follow). Additionally, if you have the opportunity to thank our legislators (Rhonda Menlove, and Peter Knudson) please do so. It is our legislature that helps fund the Arts Council Grants.
There will be a 3rd grade music program on May 13th and 2:10; and a 4th grade program on May 17th at 2:00. Additionally, our 1st and 2nd graders will be singing one song each during our School-wide behavioral assembly on May 1st at 1:15.
There will be no Kindergarten on May 21st, 22, 23,24th because we will be assessing students one on one. An appointment time will be sent home to you in the weeks to come. We will have kindergarten the last three days of school.
We will be holding our last “Road to Success” drawing on May 28th at 2:00. We will be giving away 2 more bike, 2, $50.00 education scholarships, an MP3 player and many more prizes. We encourage you to have your students keep reading.
We made a change to the date that we will hold our school talent show. It will be on May 28th at 9:30. The practice will be held after school at 2:50 on May 24th in the gym. We will take the 1st 25 students to sign up in the office.
We have started our state testing for students. If you will be missing any time from school, please communicate with your student’s teacher so arrangements can be made for a makeup session.
We will be holding our annual 5th grade graduation dinner and awards ceremony on May 17th at 5:30-6:00 (dinner), 6:00-7:00 (awards). We ask that the dinner portion be held to the student and two guests. Other family members are welcome to attend the awards portion of the program starting at 6:00 p.m.
A reminder that the last day of school is May 30th; students will be excused at 12:30 on that day.
Attached to this newsletter you will find a flyer discussing any information that you can give us that will help us in the placement of your students next year. We will post the class lists on August 1st, on the front doors of the school. It is very important that you provide any valuable feedback for us in the creation of class lists. Please return the form to Mr. Lee by the 10th of May.
Our heartfelt thanks goes to the many classroom volunteers, and PTA members that help here at our school. You make a difference, and improve the lives of many students in so many ways. Thank you! We appreciate your help and continued support throughout this school year. We especially want to thank all of the volunteers who have helped with our Read Today program, STAR tutoring students every Tuesday and Thursday. These volunteers have made an enormous difference.
All grade levels will be going or have gone on a field trip this year. Notes with information on the field trips will go home with you students from their teachers. We appreciate the support of community donations and funds raised by the PTA to help make our students field trips possible.
As the principal at Garland, I have one final request of all parents. Please read with your students all summer long, everyday. I have been studying student reading growth over the last eight years, and the students who gain the most, and lose the least are those students who read every day over the summer. I have come to love the students I work with, and I will always been interested in their progress. Read every day, and your students will have the best chance to be successful in whatever they choose to do. I look forward to the last month of school with your amazing students!
Thank you for all you do! Mr. Lee