Notes from the Director

Happy Sunday!

As the school year gets rolling, I just wanted to highlight a few activities, events and opportunities that are going at Gate City this week!

“Donut” miss Donuts with the Director THIS TUESDAY, September 10th at 8:45am in the Great Hall!  Come learn more about our school and bring your questions and ideas. Meet community members and learn about ways to get involved in our Community-Staff Organization.  

We Need You! 

It takes our families to make Gate City the special community that it is! We need your help to make events, fundraisers, and our extra-curricular activities a success.

Electives: Interested in helping with our student electives? Electives are starting soon and we are once again asking for volunteers to teach or assist electives. Electives give students choice in their education and are an integral part of GCCSA culture. Perhaps you have a skill, hobby, foreign language, or other kind of expertise that you can share with students. The more volunteers we have, the more robust our offerings. Bring your passion and knowledge, and we will organize the rest. We need helpers and teachers on Mondays and Fridays!  

CLICK HERE FOR FORM

Volunteers: Volunteers make all of the difference! We are building a team of volunteers that will help Gate City thrive! Our biggest needs are help with events and fundraising. We are seeking volunteers to help with coordinating, planning, seeking donations, fundraising, set up, and clean up for various events throughout the year. Please follow the link for sign ups, and feel free to share with family and friends - thank you! https://forms.gle/bLp1PdxMoYQSgxni6

**Our first big event will be our Family Dance on 9-27. Look for volunteer sign-ups this week!**

See the attachments below for a calendar of other events and information about our upcoming Haywards fundraiser!

Have an amazing week! Hope to see you Tuesday! 

Onward and upward!

Jennifer Blanchette

Director, Gate City Charter School for the Arts

Happy Labor Day Families!

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend and were able to soak up some of the last rays of summer before the crisp fall air settles in. As the school year gets into full swing, I wanted to offer a few reminders and provide you with Information about upcoming events and activities.

A full calendar of events is available on our website under Upcoming Events.

Transportation: As with the beginning of most undertakings,  we recognize that there were a few hiccups last week, especially with afternoon transportation and dismissal.  We are hopeful that this week will go more smoothly. If you need to change the pick-up plan for your student, please use the designated button on the gccsanh.org website before 2pm.

PLEASE remember not to park in spots designated for other businesses.

Lunches: School lunches begin this week and the menus are posted on the website! If you have not already done so and wish to be considered for the program, please fill out a free and reduced meal application. Copies were sent home last week. If you need another one please let us know or stop by the front office. Without a completed application, the school does not receive funding for the program.

Wednesday Aftercare: Aftercare begins this Wednesday the 4th. If you have not registered and want to participate in the program, this year we are implementing a new sign-up form for GCCSA Wednesday Aftercare. Please fill out THIS FORM if you are interested in your child attending.

Donuts with the Director: Come join me at 8:45 am on September 9th in the Great Hall at Gate for a chance to learn more about Gate City, ask questions, share ideas, and find out more about ways to get involved in our community!

Back-to-School Guardian Night: Parents and guardians, join us on September 18th at drawing 5:30pm to explore classrooms, learn more about curriculum, and discover ways to help your student succeed. This is a night for parents and guardians only.

Picture Day: September 20th

Fall Family Dance: September 27th at 5:30pm join us for our K-8 Fall Family Dance. All families and their students are invited for this annual community bash! Meet new friends, have fun, and make connections that will last!

After School Activities: In the next few weeks look for detailed information on drama, Destination Imagination and cross country!

Can’t wait to see the students tomorrow!

Onward and upward,

Jenn Blanchette

Director, GCCSA

Greetings Gate City Charter School Families!

As the new year approaches, we are looking for ways to make our school the best environment possible for creating, learning, and developing for our students. As a result, we have made adjustments to Gate City Charter School for the Arts’ student cell phone/personal device policy for the 2024-25 school year. It is my hope that providing you with this policy before the beginning of school will make it possible for you to understand our reasoning for its adoption and to have fruitful and supportive conversations with your students about the importance and validity of its implementation. 

We live in a time when our students have unprecedented access to phones and other devices. We believe that time spent away from phones can provide mental, social, and educational benefits. Additionally, data is pouring in from worldwide studies confirming that devices not only significantly disrupt education, but also increase and/or exacerbate conditions such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. We consider it our most solemn responsibility and privilege to care for your students and to provide them with the best opportunity to learn and grow in the fullest sense of those terms. As a result, we have a no phone/personal device policy at Gate City. Personal devices include but are not limited to phones, gaming devices, laptops, iPads/tablets, Airpods/wireless headphones, and Smart Watches.

Below is a portion of the updated phone/personal device policy from our Student and Family Handbook:

• Phones/devices must be turned off and stored and are not to be used by any student during the school day (8:20 am-3:00 pm) to include all recess/recreational times.
• Use of personal devices in accordance with a student’s 504 Plan/IEP is permitted. 
• Phones/devices may not be carried on a student’s person. 
• Guardians and students who need to contact each other for matters of urgency may only do so through the GCCSA Main Office after 8:20 am and before 3:00 pm, including dismissal arrangements.
• Devices should not be at all visible (outside of clear, locked storage during the day). Students found using their devices or with their phones not set in storage will be subject to the following actions:
  • Immediate Confiscation  
  • Guardian Contact
  • Required guardian pick up of the device for repeated confiscation
• GCCSA Employees will not view/search material on a student device.

Locked Storage: Each classroom in grades 4-8 will have a Phone Home. These are locked storage boxes for phones and other small devices like Smart Watches. Students may store their phones in a labeled slot for the day. This home base for devices provides security and is portable in case of emergency. 

Please know that we have carefully considered the development of this policy. We have researched and discussed this matter in depth. Below you will find a link to an evidenced-based article to support this policy, as well as a link to a slideshow with evidence and information on the topic, along with additional cited sources to explore, prepared by GCCSA:

Surgeon General Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0k0.uGVL.OfmY1BoNGi5A&smid=url-share

Slideshow: Social Media Data

We understand how challenging adhering to this policy may be.  Students struggle to avoid checking texts and other notifications.They can even be tempted to bring their phones to the restrooms for a quick game or to find a corner to send a Snap. That is why we are asking for your help. Please discuss these changes with your students, as applicable and appropriate.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out at any time.

We appreciate you partnering with us as we work to implement this policy.

Jenn Blanchette

Director, GCCSA