Middle Gate Elementary School
schoolhouse-pic
7 Cold Spring Road, Newtown, CT 06470
Middle Gate Minute
A Bi-Weekly eNewsletter
Edition: September 19, 2016

Parent Teacher Association 
PTA Comments or Suggestions?  
Important Notes:  Notes 
Please see new information on Volunteer guidelines

Don't forget to update your InfoSnap/Parent Portal Information
(some dates are tentative and subject to change)
 
Sept 27:
Picture Day

Oct 4 
Burrito Shack Fundraiser

Oct 17:
General PTA Meeting (9:15 am)

Oct 22:
Trunk or Treat
(rain date Oct 29) 

Oct 24, 25, 26, 27:
Scholastic Book Fair
 
Nov 15, 16, 17, 18:
Used Book Fair
 
Dec 7, 8, 9:
Holiday Boutique
 
Mar 3 (TBD):
Sock Hop
 
 
Downloads:
 
Quick Links  QuickLinks 

Contact us
:
PTA Phone: (860) 532-0464
 
2016/17 PTA Board of Directors
President:  
Vice President
Secretary:
Corresponding Secretary:
Assistant Treasurer:
Yearbook Photos:
HOT TOPICS
GET READY FOR PICTURE DAYPictureDay
SEPTEMBER 27 - SMILE! image-pictureday
 
Picture Day is coming soon to Middle Gate - so break out those smiles! Forms will be sent home shortly.

Noreen Morgenstern will be helping Lorie Brown this year, and then taking over the event next year. Thank you Noreen for volunteering to do this event. 

Thank you Lorie for your help and support on all the picture days you helped to coordinate in the past. You were a key component in helping the day go by smoothly. 
COMMUNITY FORUMCommForum 
SCHOOL START TIME - Your Opinion Matters!

The first of a series of community forums will be held on:

Wednesday, September 28, starting at
7:00 p.m.
in the Lecture Hall at Newtown High School. 

The school board encourages parents to attend as school start time and sleep will be the agenda for the hour-long conversation.  This year-long study by the Newtown Board of Education will include the community voice and the opinion of all stakeholders.  If there are any questions regarding the September 28th forum please call my office at at
203-426-7621.

Respectfully,
Dr. Joseph V. Erardi, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
BURRITO SHACK FUNDRAISERBurrito 
Feed Your Family - Support Your School!
 
Just bring this flyer to The Burrito Shack on October 4 between 11am and 8pm, and present this flyer when ordering.

Middle Gate School will receive 20% of your purchase as a donation !
 
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE TOO !!
NEW VOLUNTEER PROCEDURESVolProcedure 
A letter from the Director of Security: 

Dear Parents:

To better serve our students and staff, we have finalized the new procedures and required forms (available at schools and on the district website) related to school volunteers for the 2016-2017 school year.
Recognizing our responsibility to safeguard our students and staff, all parents and/or relatives wanting to volunteer in our schools and on school field trips must submit to a criminal background investigation, and complete a Volunteer Information Form and Waiver of Liability Form each school year.  Volunteers who will be working with students without direct sight-line supervision will also be required to submit fingerprints.   
Volunteer Procedures in the Newtown Public Schools

1.  Each school year all volunteers must submit to a criminal background investigation and complete the aforementioned forms well in advance of the activity they wish to attend.

2.  As mentioned above, volunteers without direct sight-line supervision will also be required to submit fingerprints.

3. The Director of Security will conduct the background investigations, with fingerprints (when applicable) to be analyzed by the CT State Police  (SPBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

4.  On the day of the event, prior to engaging in any volunteer activities, each volunteer previously approved to volunteer will present their driver's license to the respective school security officer for scanning in the Raptor System (sex-offender registry).
 
Thank you.
 
Respectfully,
Mark Pompano
Director of Security
PTA MEN'S CLUB HAUNTED HOUSEMen 
Help Wanted to build a  Haunted House for Trunk or Treat! image-hauntedhouse  

The Middle Gate PTA Men's Club is planning to build and run a Haunted House for the Trunk or Treat event on October 22.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Zubin Avari or Bill Donaldson if you are interested.

Every little bit helps!
FAMILY FUN NIGHT AT RISFamFunRIS
Friday Sept 23 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Reed Intermediate School    

Enjoy a fun night with friends and Family Hosted by the Newtown Parent Connection and Newtown Prevention Council

Enjoy Ziti & Meatballs, Salad, and Ice Cream Sundaes!

There will be a DJ and and Family Entertainment.
image-pasta
$3 per Person /Children under 2 free

Tickets will not be sold at the door
Get tickets at:
NewtownParentConnection.org
or
Dr. Baum's office, 23 Church Hill Road, Newtown

Here is the Flyer
CONTINUED NEWS
PTA MEMBERSHIPPTAmembership
Reminder to send in your forms 

We sent home PTA membership forms for you to complete and send back to the school. Your PTA Membership fee helps to support PTA programs and events for the school that otherwise could not happen.

If you want to give your support, but feel you are unable to volunteer, this is one of the easiest ways for you to support Middle Gate.

Plus you get bonuses for being a member like the School Directory, and Free entry to the Ice Cream Social!

Don't forget to send in your membership!

Here is a link to the form PTA form
VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORMVolIntForm
Sign-up For Events - Every Minute Counts!
 
We have lots of events this year that wouldn't be as wonderful without the support of all the parent volunteers that help make them happen. If you can only pick a few hours, one event or three events, every minute of time you give us helps provide fun and engaging activities for the students of Middle Gate.

If you want to see the list of planned events and tasks, and sign up for something that interests you, please print, complete and send in the form to the school in an envelope marked "PTA Volunteer Interest Form"

Here is a link to the form Volunteer Interest Form
UPDATE INFOSNAP/PARENT PORTAL INFORMATIONinfosnap
Reminder to update your information for returning students 

INFOSNAP: If you have not already done so, please update your INFOSNAP online information for returning students as soon as possible. It is critical that we have accurate and current information for all students and their families. If you have any questions, please contact the office. 

 

How do I get started?
Visit https://newtownps.powerschool.com/public/ and log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. From the Parent Portal:

  1. Select the student you wish to register along the top (if applicable)
  2. Select the InfoSnap Student Registration Icon on the left side for 2016-2017.
  3. Agree to the terms and conditions
  4. Click Begin Forms
HOW TO LINK TO THE MGSPTA GOOGLE CALENDARgooglecalendar 
Links and information to Synch up to the MGSPTA Google Calendar  image-calendar

New this year is a Google Calendar that you can link and synch up to with your own calendar. Never forget or miss another Middle Gate PTA event - or double book your calendar!

If you don't want to synch up the Google Calendar - there are also printable Calendar and List of Events documents in the Mark Your Calendars section at the top of the newsletter.

The Calendar view will give you dates and time throughout the year, the List of events will show more detailed information about the event, as it comes available. These will be updated every newletter as events update and change.

Here are some instructions on how to link to the MGSPTA Google Calendar
Link to Document 
NEW DROP OFF DRIVEWAYDropoff 
IMPORTANT FOR MORNING DROP OFF - NEW DRIVEWAY 

As you may have noticed on campus, a "road" has been paved to provide access to our lower parking lot.  The purpose of this new access way is to support the student drop off process.  This process will not be in place for day one; however, we want to make you aware of this change.

Here is a document from Mr. Geissler about the new drop-off route including the image below.
Link to document

You will continue to receive notices about the new route and when it will begin operation.

To view the new route in OpenStreetMap: Link to online map
map-image

SEND PICTURES TO THE YEARBOOKsendpics
Remember all the fun times throughout the year 

All through the year, there will be different events and activities at Middle Gate school. The best way to preserve those memories is to submit them to the yearbook.

All during the year you can send pictures from the first day of school, the ice cream social, book fairs, movie nights, restaurant nights and more! You and your kids will love looking through the yearbook at the end of the year and remembering all these fun times together with friends!

We are using a different yearbook company this school year!! We are very excited to be working with https://www.coffeepond.com! The best part is they have an APP to upload pictures right from you phone or devise!!!!! Pictavo Comminity APP!

Download Pictavo Community
School ID: 63963
pictavo-image

Any questions, contact: kelleymmichael@charter.net
Yearbook-Card
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESVolunteer

Volunteers and Committee Chair-people needed for lower grades:

We will be needing volunteers and chair-people to start learning some of the events and activities that the PTA hosts. While we are excited that our children grow, and sad to see them move on to the upper schools, those families who have been our great support system move along as well.

This is the perfect time if your child is just entering Middle Gate in Kindergarten - or if you are new to the school - to get involved and learn from the veterans who have been doing it in the past.

If you are interested in volunteering or being a chair-person please reach out to Debbie DeBlasi at deborahadeblasi@gmail.com