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IN THIS ISSUE:
message from the board / business after hours event / inservice reminder / community connections / reading development programs / learning in action / meet the pup / calling all crayons! / snapshots / health screening reminders / events
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Dear Gardner families,
On Tuesday, January, 2023 the Board of Trustees had their first meeting of this new year. Overall, the state of the school is strong, with great steps being made in the last year for increased financial position and program development.
At the meeting, the Board of Trustees:
- Received updates on our strategic planning process
- Reviewed our financial position and quarterly finances
- Discussed updates to our financial aid policy
- Reviewed our budget and tuition for the 2023-24 school year
The Board of Trustees voted on the following:
- Approving the financial aid policy
- Approving the 2023-24 budget
At our next meeting, the Board of Trustees will:
- Continue to be apprised of the strategic planning process and learn more about this spring’s events
As always, we invite your interest in this process, and welcome you to reach out to Head of School Emily Davis or Board Chair Lori Cohen to learn more about how the board operates and how we invite parent volunteers in various ways.
Thank you,
Lori Cohen, Board Chair
Anamaria Bambaren Call, Vice Chair
Peter Bryant, Secretary
Jaimie Eck, Treasurer
Juna Kim McDaid, Trustee
Sarah Grenert-Funk, Trustee
Susan Melton, Trustee
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Join Local Businesses for a Night Out at Gardner!
As part of the Clark County community, we value our connection to the Greater Vancouver Chamber. We are excited to host local business owners and professionals from around the region for the March Business After Hours event, sponsored by K&B Benefits at the Gardner School! You are invited to join us at the Gardner School on Tuesday, March 14th from 5:00- 7:00 pm. This is a great time to grow your network and to highlight what you love about the Gardner School to members of the greater community.
Admissions is complimentary, and food, drinks, and fun "Gardner-style" activities will be shared. If you'd like to learn more about how to support this event, reach out to Emily at edavis@gardnerschool.org.
Registration is open! Click here to reserve your spot.
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Inservice Days 1/27 and 1/30
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There is no school on Friday, January 27th and Monday, January 30th so our teachers can review assessments and complete grades for the first semester. These grade reports are the culminating transcript from the first half of the school year, and reflect learning and growth since beginning of the year. You'll receive an email from Alma, our student information system, with the report by Monday, February 6th. From there, our next round of assessments and parent conversations will be our parent conferences in the beginning of March.
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Opportunities for Connection
We have several special Gardner events in the coming weeks and months, so add them to your calendar!
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Thursday, 1/26
Snow Ball
This student event is led by our staff, and the opportunity for a special evening event has the kids buzzing! This Thursday, 1/26, the fun starts at 5:00 pm and goes until 8:00 pm (or early pickup as needed for families).
Did you miss the first round of RSVPs, but hoping your child can still attend? Reach out ot Office Manager, Lisa Linderman, to confirm your child's spot!
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Monday, 2/6
Hike with the Head
Join Head of School, Emily Davis, and other parents for a hike to the WSU trails that our Wy'East and Klickitat kids know well! On Monday, February 6th, the group will plan to leave after drop off, around 8:30 am. This walk is a great time for conversation and a wonderful to start our week. The hike tends to be a bit muddy with some spots of uneven terrain, so dress accordingly.
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Thursday, 2/23
Donuts and Drinks
Parents (and grandparents!) are welcomed to campus for a tasty beverage and a donut on Thursday, February 23rd from 8:15- 9:45 am. Visit with other families in the Farmhouse and spend time with our admin team to share and connect. Any specific dietary needs? Please reach out to Assistant Head, Courtney Tomlinson, so we can make sure we have you covered.
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Monday, 2/27
Gardner Market
Gardner Market provides opportunties for students to present to others, take pride in craftsmanship, to consider their audience, and to learn and apply financial literacy skills. It's a unique tradition that families look forward to and we're excited for our 2023 market!
Invite your friends and family, and join us on Monday, February 27th at 1:30 pm.
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Gardner's Reading Approach
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If you ask many parents, reading development is one of the most important academic focuses we have for our children. Reading is fundamental, and students between 4 to 8 years old pick up the various reading skills of phonemic awareness, comprehension, and flow along a continuum. In the same way children progress on their own timelines for something like riding a bike (balance, braking, confidence, etc.), students will really take off in their reading when they integrate all of those elements of reading development in their daily practice. We know every student is on their own path, and our teachers are attuned to the needs of students as they guide them towards reading mastery.
At Gardner, our goal is to create confident, curious, life-long learners, and we have literacy-rich classrooms from preschool on through 6th grade to help support students in reading. We provide a wide variety of curriculum tools, specific leveled assessments, and activities like reading centers and personal choice reading to support kids as they work through the process of learning to read, and then reading to learn. With our small class sizes and highly skilled staff, teachers keep a careful eye on the developmentally appropriate steps for children in their approach to reading, and communicate directly with parents to suggest opportunities for additional support if needed. The end result? Students who feel proud of their accomplishments and ready for the next academic steps!
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Learning in Action
Tumtum Field Trip
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Preschoolers got to visit a special construction site last week to connect with their building thematic, and they did all the coolest things! They got special hard hats to decorate, were able to hold different tools, sit in machines, and see all the steps of the building process. From blueprints, foundation work, and electrical wires/piping in the framed walls, all the way to a finished apartment, this trip was made possible by Tumtum parent and structural engineerJared Fischer (Waypoint Engineering) who welcomed the class to one of his project sites, and coordinated with the general contractor for the site, Tony Eigsti (from Ginn Group). We loved seeing the excitement on the kids' faces, and thank you to all the parents who drove to make this a possibility!
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Meet the Pup
Maple Pickett
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You may have heard about Maple Mondays, and we wanted to introduce you to our PE Assistant Pup, Maple Pickett. Maple has been known to encourage play during PE games under the supervision of Lead PE teacher, Peter, and she's also game for a little extra snuggle time at recesses when she's on campus. She doesn't make it in every Monday, but staff and students are excited when she can be on campus!
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Calling all Crayons!
Help Support Kalama at the Gardner Market!
Our kindergarten students are busy prepping their Gardner Market project, recycled crayons, and they could use your help! They're peeling and cracking used crayons (great for hand strength and fine motor practice!) and repurposing them as new products for sale.
They are looking for more crayon donations, so please bring any crayons to the drop off bin in the lobby to help support these budding entrepreneurs!
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Campus snapshots
Our classrooms are active learning spaces, with opportunties for all children to learn in hands-on, personalized ways.
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Keeping all of our students in school depends on our families following the requests below for screening for symptoms.
1. In the last 72 hours, has your child had one or more of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4 F, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of smell/taste?
2. Has your child been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 or has a public health or medical professional told your child to self isolate or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?
3. If any of the answers to these questions are yes, have you emailed health@gardnerschool.org and been cleared to be on campus? If not, please remain off campus until cleared.
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Upcoming Events
Thursday, January 26th
The Gardner School Snow Ball, 5:00- 8:00 pm
Our students are buzzing about the upcoming Snow Ball, held Thursday night, January 26th! This event is going to be a blast, and we hope your child can attend! RSVP here for your child(ren) to attend this evening of dancing and playing.
Friday, January 27th and Monday, January 30th
No School, Teacher In-Service Days
Teachers will complete report cards for the end of the first semester grading period.
Wednesday, February 1st
Tuition Assistance Applications for 23-24 School Year Due
All families currently receiving tuition assistance, or those interested in applying, need to complete the application by Tuesday, February 1st. Any applicable awards will be shared with your child's re-enrollment contract mid-February. Any questions about this process can be directed to Director of Business Operations, Sheila FitzPatrick. Sibling applications are also due by today.
Friday, February 3rd
Report Cards Sent Home
K-6 families should receive electronic copies of their child's report card via email by the end of the day.
Saturday, February 11th
Early Childhood Applicant Playdate 8:30 am- 12:30 pm
Are you applying for a sibling to attend our preschool or Pre-K class in the 2023-2024 school year? Look out for the invitation to our visitation playdate for new applicants on Saturday, February 11th. Depending on age, your child's visit time will be between 8:30 and 12:30.
Friday, February 17th
No School, Teacher In-Service Day
Monday, February 20th
No School, President's Day
Thursday, February 23rd
Drinks and Donuts, 8:15- 9:45 am
Come join other parents, grandparents, and staff for a treat in the Farmhouse and a chance for some good conversation!
Tuesday, February 28th
Photo Retake Day
Did you child miss the original photo day at the end of September? Today's the day for makeups! Note- no new class pictures will be taken at this time.
Monday, February 27th
Gardner Market 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Students in our 2nd-6th grade classes create items individually or with a partner to sell, and our Kalama and Pahto classes work collaboratively to create and sell items. We set up booths in our portables and Great Room and students practice customer service, making change, and speaking with guests. Our students choose a charity to donate the proceeds of the event to, and families and guests come and shop the market on the day of the event.
Wednesday, March 1st
Re-Enrollment Contracts Due
Make sure to submit your child's re-enrollment contract and $1000 non-refundable deposit by this date. After this time, spaces will be offered to newly applying families.
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
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