Be Involved In Your Child’s Education
WOW!
Attendance at Literacy Night was GREAT! We are thrilled that so
many parents are realizing their importance in their children’s
education. We encourage our parents to be actively involved in
their children’s school. Research supports that students have
greater school success when their parents are involved. Your
children need and want your involvement and support. WE DO
TOO! Please put the 2008-09 Family Involvement Activities dates
on your calendar and plan to attend.
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October 14 - Math Night
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November 18 - Grade 3 Program
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December 9 - Kindergarten Program
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January 13 - FCAT Night
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February 10 - Science Night
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March 10 - Grade 1 Program
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April 14 - Grades 4 & 5 Program
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April 23 - Science Fair
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May 12 - Grade 2 Program
Al1 activities/programs begin at 6:30 p.m.
Read letters from First Lady Laura Bush and Governor Charlie
Crist included in this edition of the Beeline.
Ask your child about Sappy Session and why it’s “okay to be
different!”
District
Accreditation
During the 2007-2008 school year, Duval County Public Schools
(DCPS) began seeking District accreditation by conducting
a standards assessment review. Prior to this, individual
schools were reviewed each year for accreditation
eligibility. A Quality Assurance Review Team (QART) will visit
Duval County this month to evaluate and confirm our school
district’s work. Garden City is not one of the schools selected
to be visited by the review team. Our principal, however, will
participate in an interview along with other principals.
District accreditation will corroborate our district’s efforts
to provide quality education for all of our students and
recognized our accomplishments. DCPS is the very best!

OCTOBER CALENDAR CHANGE -
Students WILL attend school on October 20. They will not have
school on October 24 - Teacher Planning Day.

Kindergarten students have a fieldtrip to the fire station and the Lem Turner Road
McDonalds on October 29 & 30 2008. Chaperones must have a
Volunteer card.
First grade teachers
will study life cycles in science this month.
Ms. Alexander’s second grade students are working on money, word problems and adding two digit numbers
in mathematics. They are studying the properties of matter in
science and realism, fantasy, predicting and inferring during
readers workshop.
Ms. Buggs’
second grade students will begin a genre study on poetry
in readers workshop. They will learn about graphs and geometric
shapes in mathematics. As the class prepared to decorate their
class door for the Reading Kickoff, they “accidentally” did an
author study of their favorite author Angela Johnson. After
listening to read-alouds, the students worked in pairs and
groups to illustrate scenes from the books and wrote retellings
of the stories read.
Ms. Cook’s second grade students will do a short study of poetry in reading this month. They will
continue their study of “coins, coupons and combinations” in
math investigations focusing now on solving word problems. In
science they will explore the properties and states of matter.
They are learning about the different systems that keep our
wonderful body working in health.
Ms. Poore’s second grade students will do a short study of poetry in reading this month.
Ms. Small’s second grade students are working on understanding poetry and compare and contrast in
reading. They will continue to work on story problems in math.
Ms. Solomon’s second grade students
will continue to work on story problems in
math. They are studying compare and contrast in readers
workshop.
Ms. Carley’s and Ms. Gordon’s third grade students
will continue to work on
multiplication and begin working on division this month. They
will learn the characteristics of vertebrate and invertebrate
animals in science.
Ms. Sheffield’s third grade students are working on cause and effect, drawing conclusions and sequence
in reading. They will begin to study animals in science.
Ms. Herbert’s and Ms. Lillard’s fourth grade students
are showing “great growth in
writing!” They are continuing their study of narrative
writing. They will begin a new social studies unit this month.
They are happy that their students have finally grasped long
division. Ms. Herbert and Ms. Lillard love their class. They
invite parents to stop by for a visit!
Ms. Joseph’s fourth grade students
didn’t know that Florida was such an
interesting place! They are learning a lot about our state in
social studies.
Ms. Naccarato’s fourth grade students will be working on travel journal to go along with Reading Theme 1
- Journeys.
Ms. Peterson’s fourth grade students will study the geography of Florida in social studies. They will
focus on multiplication and division by hundreds in mathematics.
Mr. Betts’ and Ms. Young’s fifth grade students are working on using literacy
centers during readers workshop. They are learning about energy
in science and will begin a unit on fractions, decimals and
percents in mathematics.
Ms. Bliss’ and Ms. Williams’ fifth grade students are learning about number
sense in math. They are discussing matter in science and are
looking forward to fun projects.
Ms. Britt’s fifth grade students
will focus on text organization and fact and opinion in reading.
They will continue narrative writing in writers workshop.
Ms. Dawson’s fifth grade students
will focus on fractions, decimals and percents in
mathematics.
Ms. Blessing’s third, fourth and fifth grade music students will begin playing the
recorder this month. Please remind your child to bring his/her
recorder on music day.
My/Our Parents Read the Beeline
Prize Certificate
Name[s] of
Student[s]
________________________________________________________
Teacher[s]
_____________________________________________
Question: Who did we receive letters from??
___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Parent’s Signature: ________________________________
Date: _______________________________________
PLEASE RETURN TO MS. SAPP BY OCTOBER 10, 2008 TO RECEIVE A
PRIZE.
The October Character Trait is fairness.
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Volunteers are needed to assist in classrooms and/or the
cafeteria during breakfast and lunch. Contact Ms.
Tarkington if you can help - 924-3130. Volunteers must have
a volunteer card
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Volunteers are needed to assist with the PTA Carnival –
October 23, 2008. Call Ms. Jordan or your child’s teacher
at 924-3130.
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Chaperones are needed for the grade 4 fieldtrip to MOSH on
October 2, 2008. Volunteers must have a volunteer card.

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Ms. Alexander would appreciate donations of Fun Friday
snacks.
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Ms. Poore would appreciate donations of Fun Friday snacks.
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Ms. Small would appreciate donations of tissue.
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Ms. Solomon would appreciate donations of nutritional
snacks.
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Ms. Herbert and Ms. Lillard would appreciate donations of
pocket dictionaries.
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Ms. Naccaratto would appreciate donations of empty cereal
boxes.
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Mr. Betts and Ms. Young would appreciate donations of
tissue, copy paper and items for the carnival.
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Ms. Bliss and Ms. Williams would appreciate donations of
copy paper.
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Ms. Britt would appreciate donations of copy paper
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Ms. Gibson would appreciate donations of styrofoam egg
cartons, styrofoam meat trays, and butter tubs and lids.
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ALL classes would appreciate
receiving items for the carnival.
!

Wachovia Bank
(Ms. Terry)
United Way of
Northeast Florida
Ms. Quarles
Ms. June Fedder
Ms. Kishia
Allen
Mr. Robin
Roberts
Ms. Benita
Williams
Ms. Tinsley
Ms. Shontel
Grays
Mr. Harris
Mr. Daniels
Ms. Annie
Griffin
Parents who
donated Fun Friday treat, daily snacks and wish list items
Parents who
have chaperoned fieldtrips

Clip & Save your Box Tops!
Did you know that each Box Top you clip is worth 10¢ to our
school?
Yes, that’s right! So please start
clipping & send them in.
Where do you find Box Tops?
On many products you may use now, such as: Kleenex brand
tissues, Cottonelle toilet paper, Scott paper towels, Ziploc
brand bags, General Mills Cereal, Juicy Juice, Old El Paso
products, Hamburger Helper, Huggies brand wipes & diapers, &
Fruit Roll Ups to name a few. A complete listing can be found at
www.boxtops4education.com. Box Tops can be turned into our
school at any time.
October
Book of the Month
Brothers of the KNIGHT
By
Debbie Allen

The Twelve Dancing Princesses have nothin' on the 12 sons of
Reverend Knight, a Harlem preacher. Narrating the tale in a
chatty if somewhat rambling voice, the family dog, Happy,
explains that this man "raised his sons with a firm, loving
hand... but a lot was goin' on that couldn't be explained."
Actress, choreographer and producer Allen gives a familiar tale
a hip spin as the brothers dance each night from one roof to the
next to reach the Big Band Ballroom. There they swing till dawn,
returning home with shoes "worn to threads, messed up, torn up,
stinky, dirty, tacky, jacked up." Sunday, a sharp, attractive
housekeeper with magical powers, discovers the siblings' secret,
but she keeps mum, waiting instead until the kids themselves are
ready to 'fess up to their dad. They don't and she quits, but
all ends happily.
You may check out the book of the month from our Media Center.
Garden City students are required to read or be read to at
least 20 minutes each night.


The
carnival is coming!
The carnival is coming!
When: October 23, 2008
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Where: GC Playground
Why:
Family Fun
Please plan to attend!
Please help your child’s class to have the highest PTA
membership! The class with the highest membership will be
treated to a party. The cost of membership is only $5.00
per family. Joining the PTA does not obligate you to do
anything special. All money collected is used to support
our
school and students.
THANK YOU!

October 13…PTA Board Meeting…6:00 p.m.
October 14…Math Night…6:30 p.m.
October 21…SAC Meeting…6:30 p.m.
October 23…Students
of the Month Reception…1:45 p.m.
October 23…PTA Carnival…5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Please plan to attend.
SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING
There are many ways you can support your child’s learning and
school. Here are a few suggestions:
§
Spend a few minutes every evening looking over graded work,
handouts, agendas, daily calendars, forms and other items your
child brings home from school. Return information to the
teacher as requested.
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Make sure teachers know you appreciate their efforts.
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Contact your child’s teacher immediately if you see a
problem. Working together will help your child succeed.
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Attend conferences, parent meetings, and school events
regularly.
Picture This
Good
readers form mental pictures as they read. To improve your
child’s comprehension, read a book without letting him or her
see it. Ask him or her to guess what the pictures look like.
Examples: How are the characters dressed? Is the setting
bright or gloomy?
Practice memorizing grade level math facts EVERYDAY!