Chalmers Chronicle

Hello Leopard Family!

It was a fantastic week of school at Chalmers Elementary! Parents, please read through our newsletter and follow us on Facebook to keep up with important information! Monday, November 3 is a REGULAR SCHOOL DAY! If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the front office or via email.

Reminders:

School Times: 7:35 A.M. - 3:40 P.M.

Doors Open for Drop Off: 7:15 A.M.

Tardy Time: 7:45 A.M.

ID required to visit the school

Para ver en Espanol. Abra la nueva página. Desplazarse hacia abajo y presiona la palabra "translate". Escoja Espanol.

Congratulations Emori Aviles & David Luke Alonso, 3rd grade

Congratulations to our Chalmers staff who received Leopard High Five Awards!

Ricky Mathews

Darian Fuller

Debbie Parrish

Amy Allen

Keli Royal

Angelika Fleitman

Fall Food Drive for VISTO

We’re excited to partner once again with VISTO to support local families in need! Our Fall Food Drive runs from November 4–14, and every item counts toward helping our community.

Students can bring non-perishable food items such as canned vegetables, soups, pasta, rice, peanut butter, or backpack snacks like granola bars and crackers. The top three classes that collect the most items will win a PIZZA PARTY!

Let’s show our gratitude this season by giving back to those who need it most. Together, we can make a difference!

Dear Chalmers Parents/Stakeholders,

We recognize that the involvement of our staff and families is crucial for the success of our students and the improvement of our school. As we work on developing our targeted improvement plan, we would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions!

Your unique perspectives can help us identify areas for growth and ensure that our plan aligns with the needs and aspirations of our community. We believe that when parents and educators collaborate, we can create a more effective and supportive environment for our children.

The original email regarding the TIP was sent on October 24. If you have not already done so, please consider sharing your feedback by completing a brief survey Your input is vital in shaping the future of our school, and we value every voice.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our students’ success!

Do you know a student who demonstrates exceptional intellectual or creative problem-solving abilities? Perhaps they might benefit from services through the Gainesville ISD’s Gifted and Talented (GT) program. The GT program provides advanced, differentiated learning experiences designed to meet the unique needs of students with exceptional potential.

Gainesville ISD’s Gifted and Talented (GT) referral window for the 2025–2026 school year is now open through November 1, 2025.

Referrals may be submitted by parents, teachers, community members, or—at the secondary level—by the students themselves. The identification process includes referral, screening, assessment, and placement, with final decisions made by the Campus GT Selection Committee.

To submit a referral or learn more, visit the GT program website link or access the GT Referral Form directly.

Additional questions? Feel free to reach out to Dr. Christina Dearman, Advanced Academics Coordinator at cdearman@gainesvilleisd.org

The Gainesville ISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) is a group of dedicated individuals representing segments of the community, to provide advice to the district on coordinated school health programming and its impact on student health and learning. The SHAC assists the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district's health education instruction.

The SHAC will meet four times throughout the year: September 10, November 19, February 18, April 27. All meetings will be held at the administration building at 900 N. Grand from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

To join the SHAC, please complete this google form>>> https://forms.gle/PVaos9iVhm5x41N97

Visit the SHAC website for more information.

The dates have been set for the 2025-2026 Parent Advisory Committee meetings. If you would like to join, please complete the google form below. Meetings will be held from 5 - 6:30pm at the GISD administration building at 900 N. Grand Avenue.

Parent Advisory Meetings: October 6, December 8, February 2, and April 21

>>click to join >>>

Se han fijado las fechas para las reuniones del Comité Asesor de Padres del ciclo escolar 2025-2026. Si desea participar, complete el formulario de Google a continuación. Las reuniones se llevarán a cabo de 5:00 p. m. a 6:30 p. m. en el edificio administrativo de GISD, ubicado en 900 N. Grand Avenue.

Reuniones de asesoramiento para padres en español: 7 de octubre, 16 de diciembre, 3 de febrero, 22 de abril

>>>haga clic para unirse<<<

The Leopard High Five program is a way to salute any Gainesville ISD employee who goes above and beyond for our students, staff, and community. Whether you are a parent impressed with a specific interaction with your child, or you are a coworker who thinks the campus secretary doesn't hear often enough about the great job she is doing - you can send a Leopard High Five! Nominations can be made by any staff member, parent, or community member, and any GISD employee is eligible to be nominated for a High Five.

All nominations should include a specific example of how this staff member has gone above and beyond for a student, a peer, or the community and must align with one or more of our GISD core beliefs: Equity, Excellence, Diversity, Innovation, Partnership, Safe and Comfortable Environment.

EQUITY
We believe access to a world class education in Gainesville is a right for all not a privilege for a few. We will never allow race, economic status or our own systems to be barriers to the education all students deserve.

EXCELLENCE
We believe in challenging ourselves and the bar we have created for academic, social, and emotional success in
Gainesville. We will always raise the bar by believing that excellence is in our reach but not quite in our hands
.
DIVERSITY
We believe that a diverse student and staff population enriches the learning environment. We value the unique identity of every adult and student in GISD and will actively seek diversity in all that we do.

INNOVATION
We believe we are preparing students for a future we cannot predict. We must empower students with the
tools, leadership, and facilities to drive innovation in thought and action.

PARTNERSHIP
We believe strong partnerships are critical to achieving our vision. Partnerships provide innovative ideas and
expertise that benefit our staff, students, families, and community.

SAFE AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT
We are committed to creating a learning environment that is safe, secure and comfortable, both physically
and emotionally for all students.

Nov. 3- Regular School Day

Nov. 3-14-VISTO Food Drive

Nov. 6-PTO Meeting-5:30

Nov. 10- No School

Nov. 12- Book Fair Opens

Nov. 17- Intervention Day for invited students

Nov. 19- Parent, family, & friends invited for lunch (Schedule will be sent)

Nov. 20- Picture Retakes

Parent, family, & friends invited for lunch (Schedule will be sent)

Book Fair Closes

Nov. 22-Dec. 1- No School-Thanksgiving Break

Dec 2-Return to school

Dec. 8- Regular school day

Dec. 11-PTO Meeting- 5:30

Dec. 15- Regular School Day

Dec. 15-19 Polar Pals Christmas Shop for students

Dec. 19- Holiday Class Parties (Schedule will be sent)

Dec. 20-Jan. 5- No School-Holiday Break

Jan 6- Students Return to school

*Student must remain in vehicles every morning until 7:15 AM. Students are getting hurt from running and playing without supervision.

*Do not drop students off in the morning from the main highway and walk over. This is very dangerous. You must pull through the drop off lines.

* When dropping students off each morning, students need to exit vehicles BEFORE reaching the crosswalk. Especially, the lane next to the sidewalks.

*DO NOT ENTER THE WRONG WAY FROM RADIO HILL ROAD. THIS IS CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES.

All students have a red plastic "Take Home Folder" that comes home every day. This provides a communication method between home and school. Please check your child's folder each night for important notes and homework. You can also send any important notes to teachers, office, or other school personnel in these folders. This is also where students keep their homework.

For the 2025-26 school year, NTMC is offering School-Based Telemedicine at Chalmers. When your child is sick at school, you can schedule a telemedicine visit with an NTMC provider from the school nurse's office. This allows the child to get the care they need as soon as possible. A parent can also be on the call. To participate, you must be enrolled in our program. It's free to enroll.

Please visit our website for additional information and to enroll your Chalmers student for the 25-26 school year. https://www.gainesvilleisd.org/departments/gisd-health-services/ntmc-telemedicine

For the 2025-26 school year, NTMC is offering School-Based Telemedicine at Chalmers. When your child is sick at school, you can schedule a telemedicine visit with an NTMC provider from the school nurse's office. This allows the child to get the care they need as soon as possible. A parent can also be on the call. To participate, you must be enrolled in our program. It's free to enroll.

One of our goals at Chalmers Elementary is for students to read and comprehend text on their grade level. In order to meet this goal, we need some help from our families. Students at Chalmers Elementary bring home leveled reading materials everyday. The reading stays the same for 2 weeks. In addition to the reading material, there will be a page of discussion questions for families, and a reading log. We ask that you read and engage in conversations about the reading with your student for at least 20 minutes a day. Please keep the questions and reading items in students' red plastic take home folders in the section labeled "Return to School."

Students will have a few math and reading questions for homework each day/week. This will help reinforce and develop skills that have already been taught to the students in class. This is designed to take 10 minutes or less for each subject per day.