This Week @ Gates
April 8, 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
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.
Join Us for the Gates Ice Cream Social

Its that time of year again! The annual Gates Ice Cream Social is just a few weeks away, bring your whole family to eat ice cream sundaes, play carnival games, try to win a cake at the cakewalk, get your face painted, or stock up on summer reading at the used book sale. Please note, the new date for this event is Friday, May 11th 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Please remember 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

Information on purchasing wristbands will come home with your child after spring break. 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 .

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 .
Donelan’s Receipts

Please note the last pick up for Donelan’s receipts is Monday, April 9th. Since the collection of receipts is from September to March, we can not take any receipts after April. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact coordinator Silvia Bodie or read more about the program here .
Staff Appreciation: May 7th – May 11th

Staff appreciation week is coming up soon and it's a great opportunity to thank our teachers and staff for all that they do. Keep an eye on the Gates Newsletter and the Paul P. Gates School Parent Connection Facebook page in the coming weeks for more information on our plans and signups.

One thing we would like to do is raffle a few prizes for the staff. If you would like to donate something, please contact Jennifer Smith . Ideas include gift baskets, gift cards (for local restaurants, movies, gas, Staples, Target), and sports tickets, etc.

Let’s work together to make it a fantastic week of celebration! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Smith .
Gates Math Olympiad Needs a New Leader!

The Gates Math Olympiad classes are designed to challenge students to solve a bunch of interesting and unusual math problems. The program helps children learn math techniques and how to approach different kinds of math problems.

Former Gates parent Eileen Zhang has been leading the Gates Math Olympiad for the last 4 years, but is now moving on. If you are interested in leading this program, please contact Bernadette Keegan in the Community Education office
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.