Welcome to

Gideon Welles School

The warm days have certainly signaled the end of what has seemed like a very quick year.  It feels like only yesterday we were welcoming you to Gideon Welles School and feeling the excitement and trepidation of a new school and school year.  We have had tremendous times here over the last year, while we learned from each other and shared plenty of laughter and fun.  The teams have planned many fun events and exciting lessons to capture our students’ interest throughout the next month and a half.  Outside of school, spring sports are in full swing and numerous music and dance recitals involve many of our students after school hours.  It is certainly an exciting time of year! 

Evening of Excellence

On Thursday, June 5^th our annual culminating evening event takes place.  This evening showcases our students art and music talents.  Core teachers will share some exciting student work as a means of capturing the trip they have taken together over the past year.  The building is open at 6:00 and concerts are ongoing throughout the evening.  Please consider joining us to visit and enjoy the work of our students. 

Senior Social Calls All Seniors

Friday, May 23^rd our annual Senior Social will be held during the day.  This is a wonderful day as we honor and enjoy the company of the many grandparents and senior citizens who tour our school, share time with our students, and enjoy a program presented by our music students.  Invitations and further details were provided to students on Friday, April 25^th.

Open Forum

Our final Open Forum and PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, May 8^th.  The topic will be The Glastonbury Education Foundation. This presentation is designed to share the many projects and events that they participate in each year that directly benefit so many of our students.  They are an award winning state wide organization and a great group to conclude this year series of Open Forums.

 Our monthly PTO meeting will follow the Open Forum

Gideon Welles Participates in CanStruction Project

The Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) sponsored the 7^th annual CanStruction Competition at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on Saturday, April 4, 2008.  Fifteen schools from across Connecticut participated in the event, which partners each school with local architects.  Together they create a structure out of cans themed around promoting an awareness for providing for those less fortunate.  All cans are then donated to Hartford FoodShare.  Gideon Welles School participated in this event for the first time.  More than forty students were involved in the planning, creation, collection of materials, and building of their structure.  Students working with their teachers and architects from JCJ Architecture and PinnacleOne Construction Consultants developed the theme of Making Waves for Clean Water.  This idea was transformed into a seven foot tall water bottle with waves cascading around it.  Architects worked from student designs to develop a plan for the types of cans and bottles needed to create and support this structure.  Highland Park Market donated and supplied pineapple juice, bread crumbs, green beans, water, sardines, and tuna fish.  The student body at Gideon Welles School also contributed more than 400 other cans to add dimension and sea creatures to the wave.  This experience provided students with a unique opportunity to partner with professionals in the community to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom, while learning a great deal about the field of architecture and construction.   The team attended a reception on Thursday, April 10^th to celebrate all the structures at the Connecticut Convention Center.  The structures were open for viewing through Monday, April14th. It was an incredible event and we are so proud of what our students designed and built this year.

School Socials Are the Place To Be!

Our final after school social will be held on Friday, May 16^th.  Enjoy ice cream and fun activities with friends and teachers.  Ice cream, outdoor games, trading cards, bingo, and line dancing with our DJ are some of the events that will be offered during the afternoon.   Many teachers are sure to be on hand to share in the fun

and excitement!

It will be another terrific afternoon.  Please remind your son or daughter to return their permission forms by the due date to help us plan for the event and coordinate after school bus transportation. 

Progress Notes

The mid point of Quarter 4 occurs on Wednesday, May 14^th.  Progress Notes will be sent home with your students on this date to chronicle progress thus far in

Quarter 4. 

Students have been reminded about the importance of Quarter 4 grades and to make sure these grades reflect their best efforts this year.  Maintaining effective study habits as the days get warmer and outdoor activities become more prevalent remains important.  If you have questions regarding grades please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or guidance counselor.

Best wishes for a wonderful end of our school year and a safe and happy summer vacation! As always, if you ever have questions or concerns, we invite your phone call.  We look forward to another terrific month ahead as we work together to prepare students to become tomorrow leaders.

 UPDATES...UPDATES...UPDATES...Click on the calendar and links on the right for more details or a complete calendar of events for the year. Progress Notes: Will be distributed to students on Wednesday, May 14th.  These reports provide an update on progress to date in Quarter 4. Evening of Excellence:  Thursday, May 5th - Gideon Welles School beginning at 6:00 p.m..  All are invited to join together to enjoy the sounds of our musicians and examine the fantastic projects and work our stduents have completed this year.Incoming 5th Grade Parent Orientation:  Tuesday, May 27th OR Wednesday, May 28th.  All incoming fifth grade parents are invited to attend either evening to learn more about Gideon Welles and take a tour of the school.  Tours will be available at 6:30.  Presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Parent Open Forum & PTO: Open Forum - The Glastonbury Education Foundation shared the many projects and intiatives they have supported and sponsored over the last four years.  Please see the school newsletter for a summary of our May meeting.  The mintues may be accessed through our school website at www.glastonburyus.org/schools/gideon . 

 

  

School Calendar:   

*  School is not on session on Monday, May 26th (Memorial Day)

*  School dismisses for summer vacation on Monday, June 16th.  It is an early dismissal day.