Greetings Gust Community!  I want to begin by congratulating the 2013 Mile High Scholars:

Jaelyn Mendez Lopez – 1st Grade

Oscar Rodriguez, 2nd Grade

Adair Perez Bardales, 3rd Grade

Ana Salazar Chavez, 4th Grade

Kai Padilla-Smith, 5th Grade

The award is given to students who exemplify leadership, respect and peer support.  “This program instills a sense of pride in the students’ achievements and their contributions to their school community,” Mayor Hancock said. “The students who are recognized as Mile High Scholars demonstrate the leadership skills and compassion required to compete and succeed.  This generation will ensure the long-term vitality of our great city. We are honored to recognize them for their accomplishments.”

These students have received certificate packages that include a congratulatory letter from the Mayor, a Mile High Scholar Certificate, a bumper sticker, and several tickets to various cultural organizations and sporting teams!

Spring weather is finally arriving with the month of May!  May kicks off with a school-wide celebration of teachers with the Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6 – May 10.  The Gust Family and Teacher Association (GFTA) will be honoring teachers with a staff luncheon on Wednesday, May 8, 2013.  Be sure to share your appreciation for your child’s teachers during this nationally designated week!

On May 9, the GFTA will be sponsoring a Craft Sale in the main halls of Gust beginning at 5:30 p.m.  This Craft Sale will coincide with the Gust Family Science Night with pizza served in the cafeteria beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the science event following from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

May 10 will be the last Early Release Day for ECE.  Please make arrangements to pick-up your three or four-year-old ECE students at 11:30 a.m. on May 10, 2013.

The Gust Field Days are in May!  On May 14, Kindergarten, 1^st, and 2^nd grades will participate in Field Day from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.  On May 15 the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th Grade students will enjoy Field Day from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Join us to cheer on each of our baseball themed classroom teams!

May 17, 2013 is an Assessment Day so there will be no school for students.  Teachers will spend the day scoring student Interim Assessments administered on April 30 and May 1, 2013.

May 24 will bring Gust’s Science Fair from 9:30 – 11:00.  Students will present their inquiry-based projects to peers, staff, and community.

The last day for students is June 4, 2013.  This day will also be the day that we celebrate our departing 5^th Grade.  The 5^th Grade Ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. on June 4.  Join us for this special celebratory event and the choreographed 5^th Grade musical presentation!

For continuing families, the Gust Registration will be held as an Open House on August 7 and 8, 2013.  On August 7 from 8:00 – 3:00 p.m. and August 8 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Please plan on attending one of the registration sessions in order to receive important information and to secure your student’s assignment at Gust.  The first day for students will be on August 26, 2013.  All students previously registered will be assigned a homeroom and have a teacher looking for their smiling face on the first day, so make sure to come in and get all of the paperwork completed prior to the official first day of school!  With that, I leave you all with best wishes for a safe and fun-filled summer, and look forward to greeting all of you again in August!

Sincerely,

Jamie Roybal, Principal

Dear Gust Families-

On behalf of the Gust Faculty and Staff, THANK YOU very much for supporting our Spring fundraiser. The money raised will be used to offset costs for the many field trips and ongoing programs that we have at Gust.

Classes have been able to take trips to the Denver Zoo, Denver Aquarium, Museum of Nature and Science, Steele Planetarium, Botanic Gardens, and many more.

What wonderful extensions to their classroom learning!

One of the programs we have at Gust is the Tiger Traits prize drawing each Friday. The program recognizes students who have shown positive behaviors and efforts in the classroom and around the building. There are 25 or more names chosen each Friday from the 100s turned in during the week. The students come to the office when they hear their name over the loudspeaker and then choose a prize from the prize box.

We look forward to seeing you at the many upcoming end-of-the year events as the school year is coming to a close.

Have a safe summer,

Joanne Lander- Assistant Principal

Happy April, Gust Community!

I want to begin by acknowledging our active and growing GFTA (Gust Family and Teacher Association).  There were about thirty parents and teachers who came together in the library on March 14 to talk about ways to support the Gust learning community.  It has been so exciting for me to be a part of this growing group for the past several years and share in this passion and commitment to the school.  Thank you to all of the parents and teachers in attendance!  Please plan on joining us at our next meeting on April 11, 2013 at 3:30 in the Gust library.  Childcare is provided!

With the conclusion of March, the Gust staff is feeling like … “Whew!  We did it!”  Thank you Gust Community for your support of our critical state March testing weeks.  The administration of TCAP was successful.  The students were focused and worked hard to demonstrate their proficiency.  The attendance was excellent, and we hope that the attendance we experienced in March (95% +) will continue throughout the remainder of the year.  It is so important that students arrive on-time and are in attendance every single day!

April 2nd kicks off the Gust Annual Talent Show with auditions beginning after school.  The Talent Show is scheduled for April 23 with two shows during the day for students at 9:45 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m., as well as a show after school at 6:00 p.m.

On April 3rd many of the 5^th Grade students will have the opportunity to spend the day skiing!  Students will receive ski lessons in the morning and then ski independently in the afternoon.  Additional April events include the first grade performance on April 11 at 2:30 p.m.  On April 18 the Kindergarten will perform their music program at 2:00 in the auditorium.

Finally, for parents dropping-off and picking-up students before and after school, please be sensitive to Gust neighbors.  There have been concerns shared from the community that parked cars are blocking driveways and prohibiting access and traffic flow to surrounding streets.  As we finish out the last two months of the school year, let us be aware that the school’s drop-off zones are also the front yards of our neighbors.

With that, I want to thank you for all you do to support your student’s academic focus and growth at Gust!  As always, I invite you in and encourage you to take part in the many happenings at Gust.

Sincerely,

Jamie Roybal, Principal

Come and join us for our CSC meeting in the library at 3:45 on April 8th.

Just a reminder that ECE students need to be picked up at 11:30am on Friday March 15th.