The Gator Gab 14th Edition🐊

Happy Friday Gators,

You made it! Fall Break is here. I am very proud of all our students for staying focused. This first stretch to this point can be difficult but our students showed grit and determination. Therefore I would like to announce that all students have a week off from school. Please be sure to return to on Monday, December 1st.

On behalf of all of us here in The Swamp, please enjoy your families and friends. Take this time to connect with your children. Come back renewed and ready for the final stretch of 2025!

Have a wonderful week!

Doyal Martin, Principal

Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School

There is an opportunity for SJGE to possibly host an English Language Development class for adults. I am looking to gauge interest from you. It is free. It is generally 4 days a week at drop off (8 or 8:30 to 10:00 or 10:30). If you are interested in learning English please complete the interest survey below.

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

Strengthening Families 2025-26

CORDOVA MEADOWS ELEMENTARY SESSION

***ALL FCUSD FAMILIES WELCOME!***

In this 10 week program, the whole family has an opportunity to learn how to:

• Bond with family members; listen, understand and validate each other’s feelings, and banish communication boulders
• Set boundaries that keep kids away from alcohol and drugs, and monitor their activities
• Pre-problem solve, set up win-win negotiations and say no to potentially dangerous anti-social situations
• Create positive routines that teach kids responsibility
• Make contracts for change: teach kids to set goals for success

• Reduce stress, through mindfulness exercises and re-program the brain to step away from anger

  
  

DINNER IS PROVIDED! Children, age 7 and up, are invited to join this program with their families. For younger children, there is a childcare center on-site for parents enrolled in the SFP program.

Registration: www.fcusd.org/departments/health/sfp

• Wednesdays, 5:45 to 8:00 pm

• 2550 La Loma Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

• 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11 and graduation 3/18

• Gallardo’s Neighbors: Please be mindful of our neighbor’s property. We are not allowed to block driveways or wait on their property during morning drop-off or afterschool pick-up.

• Stewart Street: Gallardo’s parents are asked to park in a designated space when dropping off or picking up a student. Stewart Street is an active lane of traffic and not an area to double park.

• Early Release on Thursdays: Students in grades K-5 are dismissed at 1:15 pm.

• Please check and update your access to ParentSquare. Make sure you are getting all the latest information. If you want to receive texts, mark that. We rarely use the “urgent” messages, so if that is all you receive you will not get weekly updates.

11/24-28 - Fall Break NO SCHOOL

We wanted to recognize the following students for their participation in this year's Reflections Art Contest: Divi Pujari, Emily Lundquist, Arya Khan, Asiya Khan, Aliya Khan, Adeline Lash, Jaishnavi Subash, Kavita Reddy, Sahana Reddy, Elora Sarkar Sen, Elina Qi, Aadvik Patil, and Akshadha Manikandan. 👏 Their entries for this year's theme “I Belong" were very well done and the judges had a difficult time deciding. A HUGE THANK YOU to Andrea Peterson for all of her efforts coordinating this year's contest as our Reflections Chair for this year.

The four finalists advancing to the district-level competition are:

💃 Divi Pujari (Primary/TK-2 Dance Choreography)

📷 Jaishnavi Subash (Primary/TK-2 Photography)

🖼️ Akshadha Anitha (Primary/TK-2 Visual Arts)

✍️ Kavita Reddy (Intermediate/3-5 Literature)

Congrats to them and to everyone who participated! If you didn’t make it to Pizza, Art, & Poetry Night to see all of their artwork, it will be posted on the "Reflections" page on our PTA website https://gallardopta.membershiptoolkit.com/reflections sometime next week.

📅 SAVE-THE-DATE for Cookies & Cocoa with Gabby Claus! 🍪🍪 Join us for a cozy evening of holiday fun on Wednesday, December 10th from 4:00-5:30pm! Kids are invited to wear their favorite holiday pajamas and enjoy cookies, cocoa, festive activities, and photos with Gabby Claus 📸. It’s the perfect way to kick off the season with warmth, laughter, and holiday cheer! ❄️🎄🎁

👉🏽 SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE GOODS HERE!

Our largest donor for our Rock & Run is BACK! Show them and Gallardo some love!

Plan to dine out at Shake Shack to support Gallardo on

• Wednesday, December 3rd!

• Valid ALL DAY 10:00 am-10:30 pm!

• When you order mention “Donation Day”

• Valid in store, kiosk, or on their app with promo code: DONATE

• Download and order on the app- right now they have $1 drinks, $3 fries, and $5 shakes! (App orders only)

💰 They are giving us 25% of all you spend there! 👀 All event details here.

🙏 Thank you to everyone who dined & shopped at Sutter Street Spirit Days! It’s a great way to support local businesses that also supports our students at Gallardo!

📣Follow BTFE on Instagram or Facebook for monthly bonuses!

We’re excited to share that we’re already 77% of the way to our $500 Box Tops goal!
Here’s how you can help us reach 100%:

Ways to Earn:
• Scan receipts with 350+ participating products
• Check the app for monthly bonus offers
• Refer friends—earn $5 per referral when they start scanning!

👨‍🍳🥣Looking for a simple but impressive breakfast idea? Pick up a BTFE eligible-product, Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls and try this easy 4-ingredient Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Casserole—a quick recipe everyone will love.

Support our school through Box Tops for Education by downloading the Box Tops app and joining with Referral Code: F7XJ0LEJ. Each time you shop, scan your receipt to help our Gator community grow, one Box Top at a time.

• Paint Event Banners

• Mileage Club (Must be Category 2 Cleared Volunteer)

If you’re planning year-end charitable giving, this is a wonderful way to make a meaningful impact right here in our community. Our Giving Gators fundraiser, where you donate in your own way:
501(c)(3) Organization Tax ID: 81-0614228 Donate Here
Thank you for your generosity! 🎁✨

Join Gallardo’s Student Council and Powerhouse Ministries in collecting New and

unwrapped TOYS for all ages. The donations benefit a non-profit in Folsom who help to

provide a Christmas experience for families. Place your donation in the wrapped bins

outside the office and Kinder area before Dec. 5. Click here to view the flyer with more information.

Believe us when we say your future self who might forget to do this in April will thank you! We use the company Treering to publish our school yearbook. Yearbook sales are completely online and if you order now, there is a 10% discount! Current cost is $24.61 each. After you order, you can even start working on your custom pages added to your book(s) only. This year’s deadline for custom pages is April 6, 2026. For more information on the yearbook, visit the Yearbook page on our PTA Website. Gallardo’s passcode is 1015682215844355.

• Upload your photos to Treering for Rock & Run, Trunk or Treat, Red Ribbon Week, and Yoga Night

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