Chalmers Chronicle
News From Radio Hill

It's Always a Great Week at Chalmers Elementary!
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 17 is a student intervention Monday for specific students who receive an invitation. 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
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Exciting Announcement
Get Ready…The W E Chalmers Elementary Holiday Shoppe is Coming Soon!
Email Body:
Our Polar Pals Holiday Shoppe is just a few weeks away!
This service gives students the opportunity to buy gifts for family and friends for the holidays. Prices will range from under $1 to $20.
Students will be able to checkout with cash, e-gift card, or both.
Want to make shopping easy and safe for your student and school volunteers? Order an e-gift card now! All gift cards will be loaded into the school’s cash register app making it simple for your student to shop and checkout without the need to bring cash.
Buy your e-gift card at: www.schoolshoppes.com/buy/polar-pals/QXXC1594
Polar Pals is a school-holiday shop where students get to “shop” for gifts for family and friends in a fun, winter “shop” environment.
How it will work at Chalmers Elementary (Dec 15-19):
Dates: Monday, December 15 through Friday, December 19 (each school day during that week).
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Location: The shop will be set up in a classroom where students visit to shop.
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Shopping for Gifts: Students will have the chance to select gifts for family members or friends (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.). They’ll pick from a selection of items at various price points.
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Budgeting & Financial Literacy: As students shop, the experience includes:
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Deciding how much they want to spend.
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Comparing choices (gift A vs gift B) and reflecting on value.
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Learning that money is limited and making trade-offs (for example: do I spend more on this one gift or choose two smaller ones?).
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Making the Purchase: The shop will handle checkout and the student pays. The product lines are pre-priced and organized for ease.
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Wrap-and-Go: Students will likely choose a gift, pay, then the item is wrapped or bagged so it’s ready to go home to be given as a gift.
Benefits for Students & Families
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Gifting made easy: Students get to experience the joy of selecting something meaningful for a loved one.
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Real-life money lessons: Instead of just earning or giving, students actively engage in spending decisions and budgeting.
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Support for the School: The funds raised help Chalmers Elementary support student activities, resources, or school-wide goals.
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Inclusive & safe environment: The shop is designed especially for students (not a commercial store), with age-appropriate pricing and volunteer support.
Tips for Families & Students
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Encourage your student to think ahead about whom they want to buy for and how much they might spend.
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Remind them to check what they already have at home so the gift is unique or needed.
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Talk with your child after shopping about their choice: what they liked, what they spent, how they made decisions.
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Label or stash the gift at home so the surprise stays secret until time to give it.
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Discuss budgeting, spending, needs/wants
We Need Parent Volunteers for Polar Pals Store
If you would like to help at the Polar Pals Store the week of December 15, click our sign up genesis link (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094DAEA72CA3F58-60558454-chalmers), email Mrs. Allen (aallen@gainesvilleisd.org), or call the front office (940-665-4147.)
GEF's Pie Sale Winners!
Congratulations Evert & Hannah for earning a pizza party with their principals for selling pies for the Gainesville ISD's Annual Pie Sale Fundraiser.
Join the Parent Advisory Committee! ¡Únase al Comité Asesor de Padres!
Please join us for the next PAC meeting on December 8 from 5:30 - 6:00pm at the GISD administration building at 900 N. Grand Avenue. All GISD parents and guardians are invited to attend!
Chalmers November Teacher of the Month
Chalmers November Employee of the Month
We Invite You to Lunch
Special Thanks to Our Teachers
Stop by the table on each hallway to write a special note to your child's teacher and/or give them a gift from the Book Fair to show your gratitude.
Book Fair Time
Yearbook Order Time
High Five Awards
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.
GISD Core Beliefs
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
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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.
Chalmers Elementary Important Dates
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
Important Arrival Reminders
*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.
Want to Join the PTO Group Chat?
Want to Volunteer at Chalmers Elementary?
Red Plastic "Take Home Folders"
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.
Enroll in telemedicine for your Chalmers student!
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
Homework
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.