Gardner Weekly Newsletter December 16th, 2024
Celebration of Learning / FROGS News/ Learning in Action/ Winter Extracurriculars / No After Care This Friday/ Campus Snapshots / Events
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Celebrations of Learning are an important step for our students as they gather materials, finish projects, and think about how to best share their learning with an authentic audience. The students practice their public speaking and performances in homeroom classes and with specialists, and they demonstrate courage and grit!
For our Mazama families, please meet in the Great Room at at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, December 18th for the start of the Pre-K program. From there, the students will host you in the Mazama classroom to share more of their work!
For our K-6 families, please meet in the Great Room for on Thursday, December 19th at 2:00. Our students will share some group performances there, and then friends and family will head to classrooms to check out more samples of their fall learning.
After you've finished in your child's classroom, feel free bring your child to visit our other classrooms to see what learning looks like across the ages; this is a great time to look ahead to the classroom your child will be in next year! We also welcome participation on the K-6 day by all our Early Childhood families. Being part of a greater community that values and demonstrates creative, hands-on learning is a key tenet of Gardner School and a benefit of a Gardner education!
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Read the latest FROGS newsletter
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Everyone is welcome to join FROGS (Friends and Relatives of Gardner School). Hop on into the next meeting! Learn more on the website and read our latest newsletter here.
Next meetings (8:30am in the Farmhouse):
- Thursday, December 19th
- Thursday, January 16th
Volunteer opportunities coming up:
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La migración de la mariposa monarca
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In the month of December, Wy'East students in Spanish were introduced to the concept of migration. They decided to specifically study "la mariposa monarca" - the Monarch butterfly. They discovered the incredible migration Monarchs undertake take each fall, sometimes as far as 3,000 miles, to their overwintering sites in central Mexico. The students and Teacher Maria investigated the long route and dangerous journey the fragile butterflies make in the fall, and again each spring when they return to their breeding grounds to lay eggs and start the cycle over.
Students learned basic Spanish vocabulary about the migration theme, including the elements and parts of the butterflies, and they also completed several activities to reinforce the project and continue their learning about the Latin American culture of Mexico.
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Chess Wizards - Back on January 8th
Our Chess Wizards plans to return on January 8th, 2025, for another great session of strategy and learning!
- Wednesdays, 2-3pm
- Beginning January 8th, 2025
- Ends February 26th, no class on 2/19
- $250 per student
- To enroll please contact Chess Wizards at chesswizards.com or call 888-949-4386
Dungeons and Dragons Club - Starts January 9th
- Thursdays, 4-5pm
- Beginning January 9th, 2025
- Each "campaign" runs 6 weeks
- $75 per campaign, and you get a set of polyhedral dice to keep!
- $40 additional one-time charge if you want your own Players Handbook to keep! (We will have copies for use during club time)
- Run by Jared Renfro (Science teacher), Andrew Buckner (Pahto parent), and Lisa Linderman (Director of Campus Operations)
- To enroll your student, please contact llinderman@gardnerschool.org.
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No After Care Friday, December 20th
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A reminder that there is no After Care available on Friday, December 20th, so our staff can celebrate together at our holiday party.
Children in Tumtum or Mazama with older siblings can be picked up at 3:30 when K-6 students are released.
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Save the Date(s): 2025 Snow Ball!
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Snow Ball - Two Great Dates This Year!
The Snow Ball was started several years ago to create a safe space for students to enjoy and experience a school dance. With the help of all the staff, we’ve been able to put together a wonderful experience for the students, but we are always striving to make it better!
After feedback from families and staff, this year Gardner will be splitting the Snow Ball dates into two fun events. This will create fewer transitions and an earlier experience for our Early Childhood (EC) students, and give our K-6 students a chance to get dressed up (in whatever makes them happiest!) and prepare for a fun evening.
EC Snow Ball
The EC Snow Ball will be held on Friday, January 24th, from 3pm to 5pm.
EC Students who are at school on the 24th and not picked up at 3pm will be transitioned directly to the Snow Ball. EC Students who are not normally at school on Fridays can be dropped off at 3pm at the back door of Mazama to participate! Food will be served, and then EC will get to dance in the Great Room, make crafts and play games.
Pick up will be at 5pm (or earlier if your family wishes). Older siblings may stay in After Care, but due to staffing and logistics, we are not combining older students with EC Students during the Snow Ball itself.
K-6 Snow Ball
The K-6 Snow Ball will be held on Friday, January 17th, from 6pm to 8pm.
K-6 students will arrive for their Snow Ball at 6pm, and must be signed in by parents (unless they stay through After Care hours.) Dinner will be served by our FROGS from 6pm to 7pm in Science, and dancing, crafts, and a movie will be available from 6:30pm. Pick-up is at 8pm in the main lobby!
After Care will still be available to all ages on both of those dates. Each event is open only to students of the appropriate grade levels; K-6 siblings are welcome to stay in After Care during the EC Snowball.
And while these events are primarily restricted to Gardner students for liability and logistical reasons, alumni in 7th and 8th grades are welcome to join us for the K-6 event (with a signed waiver from parents)!
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Wednesday, December 18th, 12:00pm
Mazama Celebration of Learning
Families join us in the Great Room and Mazama to see what Mazama has been learning!
Thursday, December 19th, 8:30am
FROGS December Meeting
Join our Parent Teacher Organization, the FROGS (Friends and Relatives of Gardner School) in the Farmhouse for planning and information!
Thursday, December 19th, 2:00pm
K-6 Celebration of Learning
Families join us in the Great Room for a short program and then visit classrooms for a showcase of thematic learning.
Friday, December 20th
Pancake Breakfast and Pajama Day
Students can wear pajamas to school! Pancakes and other breakfast items will be served in the Great Room by our FROGS in the morning, then pizza at lunch!
Friday, December 20th
NO AFTER CARE
Our staff will be meeting for a holiday party right after school on this last day before Winter Break. No After Care this day!
December 21st - January 5th
Winter Break
No school! See you in 2025!
Friday, January 3rd
PRIDE Family Game Night
LGBTQ+ families, friends, and allies invited to join us for board games, community, and connection.
Monday, January 6th
Teacher In-Service Day
No school! Teachers return this day.
Tuesday, January 7th
First Day of Winter Term
Students return Tuesday, 1/7, for the first school day of 2025!
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