Gateway Family Newsletter

Tueday, Nov. 4th, NO SCHOOL For All Students, Teacher Work Day

Friday, Nov. 14th, No School for Pre-K Students, Teacher Planning Day

Monday, Nov. 24th and Tues., Nov. 25th, NO SCHOOL For All Students, PD/Teacher Planning

Wednesday, Nov. 26th thru Fri., Nov. 28th, NO SCHOOL For All Students, Thanksgiving Recess

December

Monday, Dec. 1st, School Resumes

Friday, Dec. 19th, No School for PK Students, PK Plan Day

Friday, Dec. 19th, Second Quarter Ends

Monday, Dec. 22nd, NO SCHOOL For All Students, PD and Teacher Planning Day

Tuesday, Dec. 23rd thru Friday., January 2nd---NO SCHOOL For All Students, Winter Recess

January

Monday, January 5th, Third Quarter Begins

Friday, Jan.16th, No School for PK Students, PK Plan Day

Friday, Jan. 16th, OPS Kindergarten Registration Day

Monday, January 19th, NO SCHOOL For All Students, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday. January 27th, 2 Hour Late Start Day For All Students

For the next several weeks, Gateway students will be practicing Step 2 from 7 Steps to a Language-Rich Interactive Classroom. Step 2 helps students learn and practice speaking in complete sentences.

This simple skill has a big impact — it builds stronger vocabulary, improves writing, and helps students express their thinking more clearly.

How you can help at home:

• Encourage your child to answer questions using complete sentences.

  • Instead of “pizza,” try “My favorite food is pizza.”

• Ask follow-up questions like “Why?” or “Can you tell me more?”

• Model complete sentences in your own responses.

Together, we can help students become confident speakers and writers!

For more information, reach out to your child’s teacher.

Do you know a Gateway elementary school staff member who has gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on your child's education? Whether it's a teacher, a counselor, a custodian, a nurse, or any other staff member who has made a difference, we want to hear about them.

Please take a moment to nominate a staff member by using the QR code on the form linked below.

Your nomination will help us acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional efforts of our staff members, and the selected honoree will receive special recognition from our school community.

Thank you for being a valued part of the Gateway family, and for helping us show our staff members how much they are appreciated.

Warm regards!

Each month at Gateway, we take time to celebrate students who show what it means to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible — our Soaring Eagles!

Soaring Eagles from every classroom are recognized in a schoolwide video announcement, and their pictures are displayed outside their classrooms for everyone to see and celebrate. These students also get to choose a small prize, pick out a new book, and participate in our monthly Soaring Eagle Challenge with their classroom teacher — a fun activity designed to build teamwork and celebrate their great choices!

We’re so proud of our students for working hard and showing great character every day. 💙 Keep soaring high, Gateway Eagles!

At Gateway, we follow OPS guidelines for inside and outside recess (see attached for details). In short, if the “feels like” temperature is below 20°F, students will stay inside for recess.

With colder weather approaching, please make sure your child comes to school dressed for the outdoors — coats, hats, gloves, and warm footwear are important so students can enjoy outside recess safely when the temperature allows. We want all our students to stay safe, warm, and active!

Thank you for helping us keep recess fun and safe this winter!

Blue Stem Middle School dismisses each day at 3:05 pm, and Gateway Elementary dismisses at 4:05 pm. If you have a Blue Stem student who picks up a younger sibling at Gateway, please encourage them to go home first and then return to Gateway at 4:05 pm for pickup.

With colder weather approaching, we want to avoid students waiting outside for extended periods. Also, no supervision is available for middle school students during this time.

Thank you for helping us keep all students safe and warm this winter!

Raising kids is hard. It’s okay to ask for advice. The Nebraska Family Helpline is a free, confidential resource for parents who have questions regarding their child’s behavior. Trained counselors are standing by. Have a question? Give them a call at 1-888-866-8660.

Email: terry.burton@ops.org
Website: gateway.ops.org
Location: 5610 South 42nd Street, Omaha, NE, United States
Phone: 531-299-1480