The Garfield Growl

Garfield Families,

I'm excited to return as principal of Garfield Elementary! As a proud graduate of Toledo Public Schools, I feel blessed to continue serve the community in which I was raised (Raymer Elementary, East Toledo Junior High, and Waite High School). I'm especially excited to welcome back our returning families, and to meet and welcome our families who are new to the Garfield family.

At Garfield, we strive to provide children with a safe and positive learning environment, where life long-long learning is encouraged through competent, cooperative, and enthusiastic instruction. We strive to create a positive and supportive environment through the Wildcat Way. The Wildcat Way, being Respectful, Responsible, Ready and Safe, is simply the way we do everything at Garfield; it's what it means to be a Wildcat. Students will be taught the Wildcat Way on an on-going basis. We encourage families to discuss the Wildcat Way. Thank you for your support!

On a personal note, I've been married to my wife, Kristie, for 26 years. Kristie is also a proud product of Toledo Public Schools (Raymer, East Toledo Junior High, and Waite High School), and is currently a teacher at Waite High School. We have three children, Owen (22), Luke (20), and Audrey (16). We enjoy watching our boys play football, our daughter play basketball, and like to stay active outdoors.

I'm looking forward to working with our great staff, our community partners, our families, and everyone in the Garfield community, to make this the best year ever for our students! If you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Educationally Yours,

Paul M. Gibbs

Principal, Garfield Elementary School

The Wildcat Way is the way we do everything at Garfield; it's what it means to be a Wildcat!

Expectations: The Wildcat Way starts with our expectations. Our matrix of expectations shows what it is to be Respectful, Responsible, Ready and Safe at Garfield.

Teaching: Wildcats are taught the Wildcat Way at the beginning of the year, in each area (Arrival & Dismissal, Bathroom, Cafeteria, Hallway, and Office). On a regular basis, we reinforce the Wildcat Way through re-teaching.

Acknowledgment: We regularly acknowledge Wildcats who show the Wildcat Way through our Cat Cash system. PK-3 hold drawings. 4-8 have a Cat Cash cart. All students who do not receive an Office Disciplinary Referral (ODR) each month will receive special recognition.

K-8 Arrival & Dismissal reminders for 2026-2027! Preschool teachers will communicate details for arrival and dismissal with families.

Key Points:

• Breakfast is served for all students at 8:45 a.m. All students may receive breakfast.
• Please be sure your child(ren) arrives by 9:00 a.m.
• If picking up your child(ren) from school, please wait outside the yellow lines. This avoids crowding outside the main doors.
• If picking up by vehicle, please continue moving around the loop if your child is not ready to be picked up. Please do not move cones.
• Unless you have a scheduled appointment (i.e., doctor), please do not pick your child(ren) up early. Every minute of absence counts toward student absenteeism, and limits disruptions to classrooms.

Thank you for your support!

Attendance is critical! Being in school on time, every day makes learning much more likely. Please call our Attendance Line at 419.671.7551 if your child will be absent.

Ohio's Attendance Law

• Under Ohio's updated attendance laws, the rules focus on preventing chronic absenteeism and helping students
• Every missed minute counts toward your total, whether the absence is excused, unexcused, or due to a medical appointment.

Chronic Absenteeism

• What it means? A student is chronically absent when he/she misses 10% or more (91+ hours) of required school hours during the school year.
• All missed time counts - excused, medically excused, unexcused and time missed because of suspension are included in total missed time.

• Ohio law defines habitual truancy using unexcused absences. A student may meet the definition when he/she misses:
• 30+ consecutive school hours
• 42+ in one school month
• 72+ in one year

Notification

• We will notify you if your child misses 36, 72, and 91+ hours.

Parent Portal is an online information system designed to help parents and guardians monitor information about their student's academic progress, including grades, attendance, report cards, and teacher comments. You can access the system or sign-up as a user by visiting here. Please call the school for further assistance.

Please remember to sign in to update all information and fill out a new emergency contact form for the 26-27 school year. This needs to be done yearly for all field trips, events, and emergencies.

August 20: Open House, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

August 21: First Day of School (1st-8th Grades)

August 24-27: Kindergarten Screening/Assessment Appointments

August 28: Kindergarten Parent/Guardian Information Meeting, 10:00 a.m.

August 31 & September 1: PreK & Kindergarten Phase-In Days

September 2: All PreK & Kindergarteners Attend

September 7: Labor Day (No School)

October 1: Fall Pictures

Location: 1103 North Ravine Parkway, Toledo, Ohio 43605

Office Phone Number: 419.671.7550

Attendance Line: 419.671.7551

Fax Line: 419.671.7595