Gables Weekly Family Newsletter

MAY

• 5/22 Gables Field Day & Parent Picnic (weather permitting)
• 5/26 Fifth Grade Graduation 10am
• 5/26 Kindergarten Promotion 2pm
• 5/27 Wellness Walk with Health Fair @ 4:30pm
• 5/28 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Join your student for a class picnic outside in the school yard! Pack your lunch, grab a blanket or chair and enjoy a special meal together to celebrate the end of the year. Students are welcome to bring a packed lunch or enjoy a school lunch. Every student will be part of the fun, whether or not family members can make it to the event. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be cancelled.

Last call: All items in the lost and found will be donated on Friday 5/30. If your child is missing any articles of clothing, lunch boxes, water bottles or other miscellaneous items please make sure to check the green box before the end of the school year. The box is located in the multipurpose room by the back doors.

If you are planning to leave the school district for next school year, please reach out to the main office to process your request. Please call (614) 365-5499 or send an email message to gableses@columbus.k12.oh.us

As the school year winds down, the end-of-year excitement can feel a bit chaotic for everyone, students, teachers, and parents alike! Amid the flurry of field trips, final projects, and summer planning, it’s a great time to start thinking about simple routines to keep kids learning over the break. Kids thrive on structure, even in the summer. That doesn’t mean turning your home into a classroom, but having a consistent routine can make a difference. Set aside a “learning time” each morning when kids are freshest. Include outdoor play, creative time, and quiet reading time most days. Don’t let bedtime drift too far off schedule. A consistent sleep routine supports memory and focus. Routines make it easier to fit in daily reading and learning, and they give kids a sense of stability. Columbus City Schools will be supplying each child with a math kit to bring home to keep. These will include grade level appropriate games and fun learning tools, so everyone has some resources at home.

Most parents don’t want their students to lose ground over the summer, but many don’t realize how fast skills fade. This is often true, especially for young or struggling learners. We wish more families understood that just a little bit of reading, writing, and thinking most days can prevent months of backtracking. We hope families look for books, make conversations, and find opportunities to learn in small ways.

When fall comes around on August 20th, we want to keep moving forward, not spending the first six weeks climbing back up from where we were. Keep summer fun. It should be a break. But it shouldn’t be a break from learning altogether. For struggling students, especially, the summer slide is real, and it’s something teachers see every single year.

We love to learn!

Kate Green

kgreen2@columbus.k12.oh.us

Join us May 27th from 4:30pm-6:30pm for the Gables Wellness Walk with Fleet Feet and our Family Health Fair. There will be many resources available to families.

• Blood Pressure Checks by the Columbus Health Department
• Car seat Checks by the Columbus Health Department
• Summer Safety Information from Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Counseling Services from the National Youth Advocate Program
• Food Resources from Mid-Ohio Food Collective

And more...

Are you ready to help make our school events even more awesome? Join the PTA Board or head up an Event Committee and be a part of the fun!

• PTA President: Stacy Wellman
• PTA Vice-President: Deirdre Wedig
• PTA Treasurer: Jeri Seabaugh
• PTA Secretary: Quasia Poole

Committee Options for Next Year

Back to School Bash

Flower Sales (Fall & Spring)

Winter Fundraising

STEAM Night

Teacher/Staff Conference & Appreciation Dinners

Family Nights (Movie & Bingo)

Restaurant Night Out

Skate Zone Nights

Community Engagement

Let’s work together to create unforgettable experiences for our kids! Interested in getting more involved or learning more? Click below to email for more information!

If you are calling the school office about your student, and your call is not answered, please leave a message on the Gables Office voicemail and your call will be returned promptly. Repeated calls are unnecessary.

Attendance Email:
If your child will be absent, please email below. If you are just running late to school, please bring your child into the school, you do not need to call ahead.

attendance.gables@columbus.k12.oh.us

Attendance Phone: 1-380-997-6025

PTA Email: gablesgators@gmail.com
Family Ambassador: Kgreen2@columbus.k12.oh.us

Email: gableses@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: ccsoh.us/GablesES
Location: 1680 Becket Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: 614-365-5499

Stay up to date with which splash pads are open in Columbus! There are over 20 splash pads and water play areas in and around the city where you can cool off during hot weather!

Splash pads are the perfect place to visit during the hottest part of the day when you don’t want to commit to the hassle (and expense) of going to a public pool! Most splash pads in Columbus are free! Splash pads are an easier way to cool off than going to a swimming pool and are perfect for younger children and kids of various swimming abilities. Don’t forget to pack a bag with sunscreen, towels, and snacks (don’t forget drinks!). The kids will play so hard that they’ll be hungry and thirsty once they finally stop!

CLICK HERE for locations and opening dates. Occasionally, splash parks will be closed for maintenance, weather-events, or events at the parks, so check the links below before you go.

PBJ & Jazz concerts are 1-hour long interactive concerts designed to introduce jazz and American music to young children and their families. Featuring some of Ohio’s finest musicians and ensembles, PBJ & Jazz concerts are a great introduction to live music for the youngest audience member.

PBJ & Jazz concerts are presented outdoors at the Topiary Park (480 E Town St, Columbus, OH 43215) in June through September.

Summer PBJ & Jazz concerts at the Topiary Park are sponsored by Encova Insurance and are presented in partnership with Friends of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and Friends of the Topiary Park.

Columbus Metropolitan Libraries are once again hosting Summer Reading Challenges at every library branch. Students can earn prizes for reading and participate in activities and programs. Find out more by joining a Summer Reading Challenge Kickoff Party!

Main Library Kickoff Party:

96 S. Grant Ave

Saturday, June 6

11 am to 1 pm

Branch Kickoff Party dates and times can be found using the link below. Choose "Summer Reading Challenge" as the Event Type and pick your favorite location to find out more.

Check out these opportunities to keep your student reading over the summer! There are summer reading challenges all over town. Make sure to check your local libraries and stores near you and earn prizes or pizza! Click on links below to learn more about each program.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Bexley Summer Community Read

Columbus Metropolitan Library Summer Reading Challenge – registration opens June 1

Delaware Summer Reading Club

Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp

Plain City Public Library Summer Reading Program

OSU Brutus’ Summer Reading Challenge – registration open now

Pickerington Library Summer Reading Program

Rust Bucket’s Bucketeer Bookworms

Upper Arlington Public Library Summer Library Club

Westerville Summer Reading Challenge – registration opens May 22

Worthington Library Summer Reading Club – registration opens May 22

What is Summer EBT?

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), also known as SUN Bucks, began in summer 2025 and provides grocery benefits to low-income families with school-aged children when schools are closed for the summer. Summer EBT benefits will either be loaded to a household’s Ohio Direction Card or a benefit card will be sent in the mail in a plain white envelope addressed to each eligible child.

Families will receive a one-time benefit of $120 for each eligible child and can use the money to buy food during the summer at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other authorized retailers.

Who will receive Summer EBT automatically?

All children between the ages of 6 to 18 participating in one or more of the following assistance programs (on or after July 1, 2025) will receive Summer EBT automatically with no need to apply:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Ohio Works First (OWF)
• Medicaid (if income meets USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines for current program year)

Children of any age enrolled in a school participating in the National School Lunch Program that are approved for free or reduced-price meals for school year 2026-2026 will also receive Summer EBT automatically with no need to apply.

For more information and Frequently asked questions please visit FAQs – Summer EBT

Visit the Columbus Commons May 23 @ 12:00 - 4:00 pm for an afternoon of free family fun including unique activities facilitated by community partners including:

• Face painting and balloon twisting with Pretty as a Princess
• Inflatables from SuperGames including All American Challenge, Boot Camp Obstacle Course, Fire Truck Slide, Lava Leaps and Bounds, Party Barn, and Robot Slide
• Crafts with Urban Arts Space, and Ohio Craft Museum
• Activations from Lowes
• Stilt walker performances from The Amazing Giants
• Free lawn games and carousel rides, weather permitting

For more information, visit the link below.

Go back in time to the1880s at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Experience first-hand what life was like on an Ohio farm as you tour the farmhouse, visit the multi-bay barn, help with daily chores in the garden or with the livestock, and assist in preparing a meal for the staff who run the farm just as it would have been run 150 years ago.

Most programs are free, but do require pre-registration. See the link below for more details.

The Charity Newsies Clothe-A-Child program is designed for families in need of back-to-school clothing assistance. Qualifying families may submit one application per school year that must include ALL eligible children receiving clothing. Children are provided with socks, underwear, pants, shirts, coat, hat and gloves. Children attending schools with dress code requirements receive compliant clothing.

Applications for the 2026-20274 school year are open June 1, 2026. All applications should be submitted online by going to Charity Newsies information link below. This program fills up very quickly!

For more information, visit the Charity Newsies website (link below.)

Join Bethel International United Methodist Church for a Community Picnic at 1220 Bethel Road, Columbus Ohio 43220. There will be a single service at 10:30am followed by an outdoor community picnic. All are welcome.

Here is a list of Columbus Community Partners providing assistance.
Asian American Community Center - is a non-profit community-based organization serving needs of all Asian Pacific Islanders in Central Ohio. AACS has led efforts to empower and develop the local Asian community through its expansive and proactive programs and services.

LSS 211 offers services from homeless shelters to senior living. Call 211.

City of Columbus CARES Act offers assistance with utilities.

Cap4Kids provides resources for families in the areas of meals, housing, utilities, mental health and lots more.

Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio offers pharmacy services and medicines, counseling on proper medication usage, health screenings, wellness education, and social program assistance for those who cannot afford them. (614) 227-0301
Community Refugee and Immigration Service (CRIS) is an independent non-profit agency serving refugees, asylees, and immigrants in central Ohio. They help refugees and immigrants achieve successful integration into the central Ohio community.

Clintonville Resource Center serving all of Central Ohio by providing assistance through the food pantry, child and youth programs, senior services and kinship care programs.

Ethiopian Tewahado Social Services (ETSS) assists immigrant and refugee families and low-income individuals in Central Ohio through education, training, supportive services, and self-development opportunities.

Franklin County Childrens Services Guide provides information on local emergency or non-emergency assistance to families.

MY Project USA is a non-profit organization. It is the first and the only national initiative that is addressing the challenges facing the American Youth, especially in the immigrant and refugee communities from various Muslim countries.
OhioKAN ensures every kinship and adoptive family who wants support navigating the resources available to them can get it.

Project Connect provides help to families living in shelters, car, motel, campground and doubled-up families.

Teaching Tolerance provides guidance for educators on how to handle undocumented students that are going through the stress/fear of deportation.

Riverview International Center

Food Resources

Worthington Resource Pantry

Mid Ohio Food Bank provides food locations by zip code.

Fresh Trax- To find resources near you

Columbus Blessing Boxes - a map of blessing boxes around the city

Is Your Parent Portal Account Activated? Stay engaged in your child's education by setting up and signing into the Columbus City Schools Parent Portal. Through the Parent Portal, you'll be able to securely access valuable information on your student(s):

• Teacher Contact
• Grades and Course Schedules
• Daily Attendance
• Missed Assignments
• Complete your Annual Update
• Transportation
• Weekly Communication