Dear Gullett Families,
The 24-25 school year is ALMOST here! Can you believe it? In two short weeks, we will be welcoming our Geckos back for their first day of school on August 20th. Our staff has been working so hard to get ready for our students! To the custodians who put in so much work to deep clean our school, to the behind the scenes organization from our office staff, to the PTA who has been planning to welcome students and staff back in style and to our teachers who are coming back this week to create amazing classroom spaces and begin the important work of planning for our students, I want to say thank you! These next two weeks we will finish the physical preparation of the building, learn together as a staff, review procedures and make plans to begin an amazing school year here at Gullett! I can’t wait for the first day!
Our goals the first week of school are to get everyone here safely, feed everyone, and send everyone home happy! To that end, I wanted to make sure I highlighted our procedures and school information, so we can have a smooth start. There is A LOT of information to digest so please find some time in the next few weeks to review it. Detailed information can be found here in the student handbook and additional information of arrival and dismissal can be found here. Truly almost everything you need to know is in that handbook! Your teachers will also be reaching out to connect with you about classroom and grade level specific information at Gecko Kick Off and in the first weeks of school.
Safety, Arrival, & Dismissal Procedures
Maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for our students is our top priority. It is important to us that our safety protocols are in place AND that our students, families, and staff continue to experience a positive and welcoming environment each day. Our fence was installed last spring, so we will start the year off with everything in place. In case you forgot, or are new to Gullett, here is a flier that has the exact entry and exit gates for arrival and dismissal and a helpful video made with our student leaders for an even clearer explanation and outline of our procedures. Staff will also be supporting everyone with reminders, so please continue to be kind and respectful should they request you do something different. We appreciate your patience! Feel free to grab some popcorn for our 5 minute video, watch it with your Gecko(s) and make a plan for how you come and leave school. Video linked here Flier linked here
If you need to pick up your child early from school, please make sure you allot plenty of time for us to check your ID, and have your child come to the office. Students will not be allowed to be sent to the office to wait prior to your arrival. Classrooms are busy so it may take a few minutes for your child to be ready for an early pick up. We also kindly ask that parents refrain from checking out their students after 2:40. Teachers are instructing up until the last minute and making sure all students end the day on a positive note. Please help us protect that end of day time from becoming chaotic with having to send students to the office a few minutes early. The last half hour of school is a very busy time in the school as we prepare to end the day and send students home safely!
Basically, there are 4 ways for students to arrive at school and leave school:
- By Car
- Walking/Biking-escorted by parent
- Independent Walking/Biking (grades 3-5 or with a 3-5 sibling)
- School buses and childcare vans
Please reference the directions linked here for more detailed information. Some big things to remember-no car drop off on Treadwell and no parking on Hunt.
If you are arriving/departing by CAR:
Remember this option is for you to wait in the car line. In the morning we help children out of the car and in the afternoon, we put your kiddos in the car and then you drive off. This is not for parking and picking up kids. If you are parking and walking up to get your kiddo then your child is a parent walker, not a car rider.
The car lane for drop off and pick up is through the parking lot on Hunt trail. It opens at 7:15 for drop off. Staff is on site to help your child get out of the car-please have your child be seated on the right side of the car. Also, students need to be able to buckle/unbuckle themselves independently.
If you are picking up in the car line after school, you will be assigned a”family number.” This is a unique, assigned number that car riders will display in the passenger side window for pick up. This number applies to everyone in your family here at Gullett, so if you have three children each child has the same number. A staff member will come to your car door and check your number and tell you what color cone your child(ren) will be waiting at. When pulling forward we ask that you stop at that cone, and wait even if you don’t see your child right away as that is where staff will be directing them to go. Your family number WILL NOT change all year, however each day depending on where your car lines up, the colored cone you pick up your child could be different. If someone else is picking up your child, please communicate the number to them. The biggest thing for you and your kiddos to remember is their family number. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t know it! We have a list with all the numbers, teachers will know the numbers, and we will give each student a piece of paper with it written on there as we get started.
If you are arriving/departing by biking and walking WITH a parent:
This is for parents who are parking, biking or walking to campus to pick up their student. For those of you walking with your child, we will continue to have hug zones for pick up and drop off-maps are linked here. We are not allowed to go to the classroom door per AISD policy. If your student comes to school prior to 7:30 they will be monitored in the cafeteria and starting at 7:30, your child can go to their classroom.
One of the biggest things to remember is that from 7:40 to 3:10 you cannot be on campus without a visitor badge (and you will need your ID to get a badge). So if you are dropping off your child by walking up, please make sure that you are leaving campus by 7:40, and if you are walking to pick up, please stay outside of the fenceline and don’t enter the campus grounds to go to your zones until the dismissal bell rings at 3:10. Any adult on campus prior to 3:10 must have a visitor badge.
We are trying to get our car riders safely across campus from 3:05-3:10, and it is challenging when walking through parents that are along the blacktop, ramps or sidewalks. Once you have scooped up your child, please help us by not walking through the carline area.
If your child is arriving/departing by biking and walking INDEPENDENTLY
If your child is in 3rd-5th grade you may provide written notice (in email) to your child’s teacher if you wish your child to walk, bike, or scoot home from school. Younger siblings in PK-2 may go home with older siblings in 3rd-5th grade as long as written permission is given. Please note if the older sibling is not there to escort the younger sibling, the younger sibling will come to the office for pick up. Your child will be released from the classroom at the end of the day and is expected to leave campus grounds to head home. Students may not linger on the playground. The playground does not become a “park” until 4 pm. Any student on campus prior to 4 pm MUST be with an adult at all times.
Buses & Daycare Vans & Afterschool clubs on campus
Buses and daycare vans park alongside Hunt. Students are escorted to the cafeteria where attendance is taken prior to your child being safely escorted to the vehicles. Students going to on campus after school clubs or child care are also escorted to those locations. Please let your child’s teacher know of those plans.
Volunteers & Visitors
We are launching a new visitor check in system with AISD this year. This means there are no previously stored ID’s in the system. All visitors will need to show an ID. ID will also be required at all school events and if picking your child up during the school day. I know living in walking distance can make it easy to forget, but we cannot release a child without an ID, and we cannot have adults on campus that have not been cleared with an ID.
You are welcome to have lunch with your child, but for the first two weeks of school, we are asking that parents refrain from coming up to school for lunch as we get everything running smoothly. More information about joining your child for lunch is in the student handbook!
Our community involvement is one of the things that make Gullett the special school that it is. Be on the lookout for the many favorite volunteer opportunities such as Guardians of the Geckos, Apple-Core, gardening and animal care as well as helping with big events such as our heritage fair and field day. Volunteering in your child’s classroom or going on field trips are also great ways to be involved. Please remember that to volunteer in any capacity, you must have a free background check done through VOLY. Volunteer registration opens August 15.
And last but not least…. Kick Off! (Meet the Teacher)
Yes, I did save this to the very end to make sure you read all the other stuff! I know that everyone is most anxious about who their teacher is and who will be in their class. On Thursday, August 15th you can expect an email or phone call sometime between 3 and 5pm from your child’s teacher letting you know that your child is in their class. Kick off is Friday the 16th from 4-5:00 p.m. You will be able to get your school supplies, meet your teachers, visit our amazing photo booth, connect with other Gecko families over some Jim Jims (caution-the line can be long!) and check out our volunteer opportunities. We can’t wait to have everyone come and see their classroom!
Thank you again for your support, engagement and dedication to our school and your child’s education. We can’t wait to partner with you in making this one of the best school years ever!
Kindly,
Tammy Thompson
Proud (and super duper excited!) Principal, Gullett Elementary
Save the Dates!
- August 15th - Teacher Notification by 4:00 pm
- August 16th-Gecko Kick Off, 4:00-5:00 pm
- August 20th - First Day of School
- August 26th-PTA Meeting 6pm
- August 27th-CAC @ 3:30
- September 5th Back to School Night (for adults) 5:30-6:30
- September 9th PTA
- September 12th Guardian of Geckos Orientation @ 6pm