Gertrude Walker Communication WAVES

2025-2026

Week of 9/2/2025

Core Values are new for Gertrude Walker. They are an important part of a school having a shared mission/vision and goals. Our values are what we should exemplify daily to meet these goals. We will discuss these during PLCs or a faculty meeting. We will make revisions and additions based on your input.

Mutual Respect – We honor the dignity of every student and adult, building trust through kindness, empathy, and fairness.

Positive Recognition – We celebrate effort, growth, and success to encourage confidence and motivation in every learner with academics and behavior.

Leading by Example – We model integrity, responsibility, and high expectations through our daily words and actions.

Restorative Practices – We view mistakes as opportunities to learn and work to repair relationships with accountability and care.

Strong Work Ethic – We show persistence, consistency, and commitment to excellence in all that we do for students.

Student-Centered Focus – We put students’ academic, social, and emotional needs first in every decision.

Each week I will give a few shouts out to staff members I feel should be recognized for the work they are doing, work accomplished, and those exemplifying our core values, even though each one of you could be recognized every week. If you have something you'd like shared, just let me know.

Katelyn Shoffner, Lavina Cudog and Lauren Bendert - Meeting all Indicators for Phase 1 and 2 Management Trajectory

Sydney Hess - Showing great initiative in stepping into her new role as counselor and helping students and well as stepping up supporting students academically during interventions.

Maria Lopez - Working tirelessly to get our building ready, helping with whatever is needed including moving all the unneeded furniture.

Katelyn, Rosemarie, Dema, Lauren and Mandy - For kicking off our kindness campaign with a skit.

Manuela Vigil, Nutritional Secretary, is this years first Dolphin Trophy recipient. Mrs. Vigil does a lot for GW including STUCCO, PTO, Fundraising, Decorating, just to name a few. Thank you for being a part of our GW family!

Kindness Pledge - This is for staff and students. As staff we need to make sure we are setting the example. There is a copy of the pledge in your box. You can return them to the front office. Teachers please also collect student pledges and return them to the front office.

We will be using our SEL time to focus on kindness. In the link below to our shared drive you will find the focus for the week and lesson ideas. We all need to have the same focus for the week, but you have the autonomy to teach it how you would like. There are also phrases and sentence stems included for students to practice during role playing lessons. We will provide copies for you.

Let's have fun helping students create a habit of Kindness!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nwEE6lFzHwA5HmTA-PdSofHiu7ZTSwOZ?usp=drive_link

You can find below lesson ideas on how to help students make connections with our student council and government. They are for a 2 week period during your social studies time. You can use these ideas or create your own, but we should all focus on the same topics and standards.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aVlTyojmjcbj4hraXrFf-f6eDFnnWuZTqRUV5HhUglY/edit?usp=sharing

We hope that all staff can join us in walking in this years homecoming parade. The parade starts at 6. If you are walking with us, be there at 5:30. 4th graders and 3rd grade STUCO members will be joining us. We will meet on Cherokee St. and Labrador Blvd. behind the Icehouse.

Where your Dolphin Shirt and Dolphin Pride.

These will be held Mondays and Thursdays in every classroom based on the poll that was given last week. (Please remember that while these will be our regular time for circles, a circle can be called anyday at anytime if you or students feel it is needed)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrHwBgje55NRwgY90ITmgBYv1jmZFx6KUG0gVhsh_aQ-tg7Q/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=105571270373717705439

Please make sure that you are making it a habit to go over these daily for each are of the building. For example, each time you have a restroom break go over the WAVES expectations, and then recognize students for following them. For the month of September we will focus on Wise Decisions as a building. For the month of September please focus on recognizing students who are making Wise Decisions with Positive Referrals. This will also be a focus during morning assemblies, and student council announcments when those begin.

Students need to be recognized much more frequently for following expectations that not following them. The more we do this, the more it becomes a habit and will increase positive behavior and decrease the negative. Publicly Recognize and Privately Redirect.

Please make sure to be using your plan time wisely. If you need to leave for a bit during your plan time, it is allowed, but should be infrequent and not a daily occurance. We also love visitors to the front office, but these visits should be short, so that our office staff can get their work done and you can get your planning done.

Aug. 26 - PLC Day - Bring Devices and `Make Sure You Familiarize Yourself With How to Analyze Data In Illuminate and Educlimber

Aug. 26 - Fastbridge Testing Window Opens - Mrs. Madera has sent a schedule. (Teachers SAEBRs will be done during this time, SAEBRs for students will be done after conferences)

Sept. 3 - Faculty Meeting 7:30

Many Hauck - 9/7

Jerica Lamm - 9/11

Claire Cartujano 9/18

Mary Morton 9/22

Lavina Cudog 9/24

James McNutt 9/25