The Gator Gab 31st Edition🐊

Happy Thursday Gators,

FCUSD Elementary Track Meet - Our SJGE 4th and 5th did amazing at the track meet Thursday at Vista Del Lago High School. I saw a lot of first place ribbons in their hands. It was a beautiful day. The kids had an absolute blast. Lastly, I received a phone call today from someone in the district office who wanted me to know that my students were hands down the best rooting section. We were the loudest and most enthusiastic.

Dress code - Spring is upon us and that means warmer temperatures. The school dress code is below as a friendly reminder.

Teacher requests - Please be sure to read the message below in regard to requesting specific teachers for the 2026-27 school year.

Doyal Martin, Principal

Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School

As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, I want to share a little more about how classroom placements are created at Gallardo.

Each year, our teachers and staff spend a great deal of time working together to thoughtfully build class lists. This process is very intentional and takes into consideration each student’s academic, social, and emotional needs to ensure balanced, supportive classrooms.

.

Because of the care and collaboration that goes into this work, we do not accept requests for specific teachers. We have a very hard working staff and I have full confidence in every teacher on our campus. All of our teachers are highly qualified and dedicated to supporting the success and well-being of every student.

I understand that families may have preferences, and we appreciate your trust in our process. Our goal is to create the best possible learning environment for all students, and tour process allows us to do that in a thoughtful and equitable way.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for being such an important part of your child's educational journey.

Thank you.

5th grader, Frankie Manuel is on her way to running Wall Street. Students in Mr. Lobitz class participate in the The Stock Market Game. The Stock Market Game is an online educational simulation designed for students in grades 4-12 to learn about economics, investing, and personal finance. Participants work in teams to manage a virtual $100,000 portfolio, investing in real-world stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, competing to achieve the highest portfolio value.

Frankie raised her portfolio in relation to the S&P 500 by 24%, which is absolutely incredible in this market. She placed 1st. in Central and Northern California for elementary and 9th overall against thousands of students in Central and Northern California including all middle and high school students in the program.

See Frankie for your financial needs. Congrats Frankie!

As the season changes and the weather gets warmer, I would like to send a friendly reminder of the Sandra J. Gallardo/FCUSD dress code.

Please label your child’s clothing, including jackets and sweaters.

• Students are expected to dress appropriately for working and learning at school. Long pants, shorts, skirts, shirts, blouses, and dresses are encouraged. Clothing considered unacceptable is as follows: Shirts with words and pictures that contain profanity, suggestive words or pictures, tobacco or alcohol messages.
• Short-shorts, tank tops, half shirts, cropped shirts, clothing with “sagging” waistlines, see-through materials, strapless clothing, spaghetti straps, or revealing clothing are not to be worn at school.
• Shoes that are not attached to the feet or not suitable for running, such as crocs, flip flops or sandals without a heel strap. This is important for safety and appropriateness for recess and PE. Wheely shoes (with wheels) are not allowed for safety reasons.

Students are expected to:

• Wear clean clothes every day.
• Bathe or shower daily. Fourth and fifth graders should consider using a deodorant.
• Wear a school t-shirt/sweatshirt or school color (green) on Friday Spirit Days.
• Come to school dressed appropriately for learning.

(An appropriate length for shorts should be mid-palm length, on a 4” inseam as a minimum. Clothes which are 2 to 4 sizes larger than the student should normally wear are not safe for school activities. Straps on sleeveless tops should be at least the width of a lasagna noodle, at least 1½” in width)

Note: Students who come to school wearing unacceptable clothing will be asked to contact a parent to bring a change of clothing to school or will be provided with suitable clothing. The school principal, classroom teacher, or designee, will determine appropriate school dress

Good news. If your child is absent, you now have the option of reporting the absence online. Visit our homepage at https://sjge.fcusd.org/. Click on "Reporting an Absence" and complete the Google Form.

In our constant push to promote and encourage safety around campus, please do your part by following a couple expectations in the parking lot.

1. Parking spots marked "STAFF ONLY" are for staff only. Please do not park in these limited number of parking spots. We have a large staff who utilizes each of those spots.

2. There are clearly marked crosswalks. Do not block them when you are picking up or dropping off students. Students and families should be able to safely use the crosswalks without having to walk around cars. Students should not be dropped off in the middle of the crosswalk as you turn into the Hug and Go Lane. Wait for the cars to clear out then pull all the way forward before unloading your kids.

To support a safe and orderly campus, we kindly ask that families follow our sign-in procedures when visiting. If you need to drop off a lunch, instrument, or any other item for your child, please let the office staff know. We will gladly call the classroom or ensure the item is delivered to your student.

Please do not sign in as a volunteer for the purpose of going directly to a classroom to drop something off. Doing so bypasses our safety practices, creates unmonitored movement on campus, and is a disruption to instruction. Thank you for helping us maintain a secure environment for all students and staff.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. If you have any information regarding bullying, crime, or misconduct at your school, report it to WeTip. Call or Text. You can remain ANONYMOUS!

Call or Text 844-916-2062.

For more information visit: https://www.fcusd.org/family-community/bullying-prevention-character-building/report-bullying-crime-or-misconduct

5/22 - Super Minimum Day

5/25 - Memorial Day (NO SCHOOL)

5/28 - Last day of school

Congrats to third graders Ali, Asi, Ari, Tara, Wendy and Olivia aka “Team Fire Hawks” on their advancements in the Engineering Challenge for Destination Imagination (a nonprofit focused on learning through STEAM). They not only took First Place in the Regional competition, Second Place at the California State Finals but are now headed to compete in the Global Competition in Kansas City to compete against the top teams in the US and around the world! The team is now trying to raise $15,000 for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cover the cost of registration and airfare. To make a donation to help them get to Globals, visit this link, select “Donate Now”, enter the amount and be sure and select 105-43210 Firehawks as the designation so your funds get to our students!

Thank you for sharing your amazing kiddos with me throughout this year’s Talent Show. This event is one of my absolute favorites here at Gallardo, and I appreciate the opportunity to showcase our students’ creativity, courage, and unique abilities.

Thank you and go Gators!
Stacy Pillion and Gallardo PTA

Join us, April 27 – May 1, 2026, located in the school library. This year’s fair will be a cashless event, making shopping easy and convenient for students and families. We will also be rounding up payment totals for ‘Share the fair’.

Student Shopping:
Students may create wish lists or shop during their scheduled class library time using an eWallet account. Create eWallets through the book fair website.

Accepted Payment Methods:

• Scholastic eWallet

• Credit Card

• Tap to Pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.)

After-School Shopping Hours:

• Monday: 2:45–3:30 PM

• Tuesday: 2:45–3:30 PM

• Wednesday: 2:45–3:30 PM & 6:00–7:00 PM

• Thursday: 1:15–2:00 PM & 4:30–6:30 PM

• Friday: 2:45–3:30 PM

Families can also shop online through May 10.

Thank you for supporting our school and helping inspire a love of reading in our students!! 📚 Book Fair: Here

Join us on Wednesday, April 29th for “Conversations with Mr. Martin” at 6:30pm followed by our last PTA Meeting of the school year at 7pm, both in the Multi. Agenda items include: next year’s events, 2026-27 board elections, and an open forum to discuss ways to spend $30,000!! Come give us your ideas!

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 4–May 8, and we’re looking for volunteers to help us celebrate our incredible Gallardo teachers and staff! Our theme this year is: BLOOMING With Gratitude for Gallardo Teachers & Staff!

There are several ways to get involved, such as:

🌷 Door and campus decorating SIGN UP HERE!
🍎 Food setup and cleanup (Sign Up coming soon)
🎁 Food and gift donations

If you’re a parent or local business owner who would like to support Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, we’d love your help. Please reach out to Rachelle Schulken at rachelles.pta@gmail.com to get involved!

Thank you for helping us make this a special week for our teachers and staff! 🌸

We need parent volunteer readers for our annual Gallardo tradition of Character Day on Friday, May 22nd. For this event, you DO NOT have to be CATEGORY 2 CLEARED. A flyer went home last week in the Friday folders to Kindergarten through 3rd grade families. If you are interested in reading a story to kindergarten-3rd grade classes, please fill out the flyer with your information and which story you would like to read. We need our readers from about 8:25-10:10 a.m. and then we will have some refreshments for you. What makes this day so fun is that we ask our readers to dress up as a character from the book they are reading or bring in some props from the story for the rotating classes to enjoy. You will read the story a total of 7 times. We hope many of you will join in the fun!

Please take a few minutes to fill out a quick survey and let us know what worked this school year and what we can improve. There’s also a spot to give suggestions on how you think PTA should spend the funding surplus from past years! Take the Survey

Everything we accomplish in PTA depends on the support and involvement of our members to make it happen! Join us in our mission to "positively impact the lives of all Gallardo children and families" by serving as a PTA Chair for next 2026-27 school year! We have many roles and opportunities that fit a wide range of time commitments.

Positions we currently need: Spirit Night Chair, Boxtops Chair, Red Ribbon Week Chair, Trunk or Treat Chair, Talent Show Chair, Teacher Appreciation Week Chair and more! You can read more about each role on our PTA Website and then please complete THIS SURVEY!

Your receipt scanning is helping us grow! We’re at $562.30! 👀

🌈☔️Make the most of a rainy day with comfort food that earns for schools! From Annie’s™ Mac & Cheese to Pillsbury™ Cinnamon Rolls, there are so many Box Tops products perfect for a cozy day at home.

THANK YOU for helping our Gators surpass our goal! 🎉🐊Join Box Tops by downloading the app and use Referral Code: F7XJOLEJ

🍕 Skipolini’s in Folsom Fundraiser
Date: May 14
Time: All day
Details: Dine in or take out and 20% of proceeds will be donated.

Bring your friends, family, and appetite—every meal makes a difference. We appreciate your support and hope to see you there!

Help us make a fast break toward success by making a quick donation—no fundraising hassle, just team spirit and heart! 🌟🏀

Every dollar helps our students grow, learn, and slam dunk their goals all season long.

Take your shot today: 501(c)(3) Organization Tax ID: 81-0614228 Donate Here
Thank you for cheering us on!

As we tip off this spring, it’s the perfect time to cheer on the local businesses that support the Gallardo PTA! 🌷

Check them out HERE and keep them in your starting lineup over spring break and summer! 🌞🛍️ These amazing community partners help create so many opportunities for our students—we couldn’t do it without them.

🐊 Thank you for supporting the team behind our Gators!

We’re excited to share an update on our school garden! Thanks to the support of the Folsom Garden Club Grant and our amazing PTA, we’ve been able to purchase the materials needed to rebuild the garden beds . This is a big step toward restoring this special space for our students!

The next phase of the garden restoration will begin shortly, as we’ll be working to fill the beds with soil . Please be on the lookout for upcoming opportunities to get involved and lend a helping hand . We’re so grateful for the continued support of our wonderful school community !

-The Gallardo Garden Club

APR

17 Yearbook Orders Due

20 Kids & Phones: Being Intentional Parent Mtg at 6pm- STEM Lab (In Person Only)

22 CANCELLED: Earth Day Clothing & Toy Swap (sorry!)

24 Talent Show

27 - May 1 Scholastic Book Fair

29 Last PTA Meeting - Board Elections 7pm, Multi

30 Gallardo Open House 5-6pm

MAY

4-8 Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week

14 Skipolini’s Spirit Night - All Day

20 Internet Safety Parent Mtg 6-7:30pm, Multi

22 Character Day/ Super Mini Day

26-28 Minimum Days

26 Teacher/5th Grade Kickball & Kona Ice for All Students

27 Play Day & School Dance Party w/ DJ DeGaugh

28 Grade 5 Promotion & Last Day of School

Lots of opportunities to be involved in the education of your child and their friends.