Principal's Points

August 5, 2011

Wow!  What a great start to the new school year!  Our first and second days of school have gone very well.  Students and teachers are getting to know each other and learning all the GUES positive behavior (PBIS) expectations and school rules and procedures.  We are happy to see our returning 5^th graders and welcome all the new fourth and fifth graders.   We are also glad to have new faces with us this year in the positions of teacher, counselor, assistant, and AmeriCorps volunteer.

GUES is starting this school year with a new departmentalized design that will best serve the educational needs of our students.  For the last three weeks, teachers and staff have worked very hard to change classrooms, gather materials, and plan activities so we would be ready for the students’ first day.  Every GUES student has a team of three teachers (with the exception of one 5^th grade team).  Students have a language arts teacher, a math teacher, and a science/social studies teacher and who provide them with 90 minutes of instruction in language arts, math, and science/social studies each day.  All GUES classes are single-age classes meaning everyone in the class is in the same grade – fourth or fifth. 

Fifth graders who were in multiage and looping may not be in the same homeroom as last school year.  Some of our multiage teachers are teaching fifth grade only and some are teaching fourth grade only.  We have done our best to place fifth grade students in a team that has at least one of their teachers from last year. 

The changes that we have made are in an effort to serve the learning needs of every GUES student.  We are excited about the possibilities for the new school year and committed to providing a learning environment for students where they can excel in reading, language, math, science, and social studies and leave GUES prepared for the next level of education.

Please read and retain your child’s K-5 GSD Student Handbook.  There is information in the handbook about absences/tardies, grades, and many other topics.   Also, carefully read any letters sent home by your child’s teacher about GUES procedures.  It is essential that everyone is aware of and adheres to our rules and procedures so we can keep our students safe and engaged in learning.  Thank you for your continued support in our efforts to improve teaching and learning at GUES.

Making GUES the Best,

Dr. Teresa Jackson, Principal