This Week @ Gates
April 15, 2018
Upcoming Events

  • Monday-Friday, 04/16/18-04/20/18: April Vacation (no school)
  • Friday, 05/11/18: Ice Cream Social and 6th Grade Social (new date)
  • Monday-Friday, 05/07/18-05/11/18: Staff Appreciation Week
  • Monday, 05/14/18: PTO Meeting in the Gates Library
  • Thursday, 05/17/18: Celebrate the Arts Night
Open Positions on the Gates PTO Board

We need your help! The Paul P. Gates PTO Board is looking to fill several open board positions for the 2018-2019 school year. Without our amazing PTO board many of the events and programs we love at Gates would not be possible. Whether you stay-at-home, work part-time, or work full-time please consider applying for one of the open positions HERE .

Please send an email to Naomi Phaneuf by Monday, April 16th if you are interested in one of the openings. In the event more than one person applies a Selection Committee will be formed. Proposed officers will be voted in at the May meeting by the PTO Board and General membership.
Looking for Someone to Run the Gates Parent Social

We need a parent volunteer to step forward and run/organize this year’s Gates Parent Social. In previous years, we’ve gathered 70+ adults at the Acton Bowl-A-Drome, Tiki Bar, and the Red Raven on a Friday night in the spring. This is a great opportunity to socialize with other Gates parents and celebrate spring.

If you are interested, please contact Naomi Phaneuf .
Mark Your Calendars: The Ice Cream Social is One Month Away!

On Friday, May 11th from 7:00-9:00 pm, bring your whole family and build an ice cream sundae, bring home a cake from the cakewalk, play carnival games, and stock your library for some summer reading. Keep in mind this is not a drop off event, parent supervision is required.

Ice Cream is $3.00 
Wristbands for Unlimited Games are $10.00
Individual Game Tickets are $.50 each

You Can Pre-Buy Wristbands
A form will be sent home on Monday, April 26th to order wristbands. Please complete the form and send cash/check made out to the “Gates PTO” to the office in an envelope marked “ICS” by Monday, May 7th. Wristbands will go home by Wednesday, May 9th. Please contact Molly Wald if you have any questions.

It takes many volunteers to make this Gates tradition a success. To get involved click on one of the links below. If you are interested in volunteering the night of the social, please sign up for a time slot HERE . 5th graders are invited to help with games. To donate a cake (homemade/store bought), please sign-up HERE . To donate toppings, please sign-up HERE . A drop off box is located in the Gates lobby for book donations.

If you have any questions, please contact the Ice Cream Social Committee: Katharine Wellner , Debbie Brissenden , Laryssa Doohovskoy , Sian McGurk , and Molly Wald . Thank you for your support and making this a fantastic school event!
Book Donations Needed for the Ice Cream Social

Parents, please consider donating books for the annual used book sale that will be taking place during this year’s ice cream social on Friday, May 11th. You can send them in with your child. We take both children and adult literature, fiction and non-fiction. There are two square plastic boxes clearly labeled “book donations” placed on the right of the cafeteria doors in the Gates School lobby. We will accept board games & puzzles if all pieces are accounted for. Do you have too many to carry to school? No problem, just contact Sian McGurk to arrange a pick up. Thank you for donating the gift of a good read for a great cause.
6th Grade Social Information

All Gates 6th Grade students are invited to attend the 6th Grade Social on Friday, May 11th from 7:00-9:00 pm. The event takes place during the Ice Cream Social. Please join us for games, prizes, snacks, yearbook photo opportunities, and a cupcake walk. 

Event Admission is $5 payable the night of the event.
Admission fee will cover snacks, games, and prizes

Please note: The $5 fee covers the 6th Grade event only. Sixth graders are permitted to buy individual game tickets at the Ice Cream Social (.50 each). Ice Cream is $3.00
Please email Rebecca Carlson if you have any questions.
Update on Sixth Grade Yearbook

Planning is going smoothly and we are currently building the yearbook online. Once it’s finalized, 6th grade parents will receive a link (through the teachers) with instructions of how to log on and order their book. The books will arrive before school ends and be delivered to the teachers who will hand them out to students. We are working hard to keep the cost of the yearbook at $20.00. If the fee poses a financial hardship, please let Principal Newman know. If you have any questions, please contact Salome Juethner .
Staff Appreciation Week

Staff appreciation week is May 7th – May 11th. It is a great opportunity to thank our teachers and staff for all that they do. Keep an eye on the “This Week @ Gates” newsletter and the Paul P. Gates School Parent Connection Facebook page, and the PTO website in the coming weeks for more information on our plans and signups. Click HERE to see the individual sign up for supplies and help. Make sure to check them all out if you think you can donate more than one item. Let’s work together to make it a fantastic week of celebration. Please contact Jennifer Smith with any questions.
Shop and Support Gates
Donelan's Receipts for Education
Donelan's Supermarkets proudly sponsors the Register Tapes for Education Program to make a difference in local communities. Simply collect Donelan's receipts and deposited them in the collection center outside the Gates school office. These receipts are then converted into points and redeemed for equipment and supplies for Gates School.
AmazonSmile
Shopping on AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Gates school. Just sign up at AmazonSmile and register Paul P. Gates School PTO as your designated charity. Then every time you shop, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of your purchase price to the Gates PTO. Don't forget to bookmark the website.
Box Tops for Education
The Box Tops for Education program is an easy way to earn cash for Gates school. Simply clip Box Tops on hundreds of products at your local grocery store and place them in the collection box outside of the Gates school office. For each one, Gates receives 10 cents and it really adds up.
"This Week at Gates" is distributed at the beginning of each week. If you have a submission you'd like to have included in the weekly email, please be sure to email it to the  Senior Co-chair Naomi Phaneuf  by noon on Wednesday. 
This newsletter was created solely for the purpose of communicating school related events to parents and students.