Gearity PDS

Greetings Gearity Families:

I would like to start by thanking everyone who attended Muffins with Moms and participated in the book fair. We were blessed with a beautiful morning and it was great to see families connecting on the playground. We value building a sense of community and appreciate your willingness to connect. Thank you to all the volunteers who assisted as these programs can't happen without your support. Please consider joining the PTA so we can continue to offer these great family events.

Attendance Matters: It is hard to believe that we 24 days of school left. The last day of school is May 29th and we will be teaching right up to the last minute of the last day! Students will have final assessments and projects to present so missing any days will impact grades. Once End of Year assessments are completed, we will be previewing content for next school year. Please note the following:

Summer break is 11 and a half weeks long (81 days) so make sure your students come through May 29th since they do not need any extra time out of school.
Medical appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours when possible as your student's attendance is tracked by the hour.
Students who miss more than 10% of the school year are labeled chronically absent by the state. Students who missed 18 or more school days (2 per month) hit the threshold.
You can check how many days your student missed in Infinite Campus.
All absences, except for field trips, count toward the chronic absenteeism label.

OST Update: The math exams will be taken on April 28th and 30th. Make sure your students are well rested, well fed and focused!

Kindergarten Readiness Camp: Families with incoming Kindergarten students will be offered the opportunity to participate in a 5 week Kindergarten Readiness Camp - see the flyer below for details.

PTA Needs Your Help! As we approach the end of the school year, we hope you have enjoyed attending all of our school community building events including the ice cream social, Father's Walk, Homecoming Parade, Family Glow Dance, and Ice Skating event. These activities, along with the book fairs, only happen because of the support of the PTA. We need volunteers to join our executive board so we can continue to sponsor these amazing events next year. The time commitment is limited as we share the planning responsibility and want to honor your time as working parents. Please see the flyer below and share your interest in helping as we need you! The PTA will be meeting April 28th to discuss Teacher Appreciation and our officer positions for next year - you can join the meeting with this link.

Mr. Mc Nichols

Principal, Gearity Professional Development School

Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District

Peek at the Week

Dear Families,

Here is a snapshot of what students are learning across grade levels, along with simple ways you can support learning at home.

Kindergarten

What We’re Learning:
Students are asking and answering questions about informational texts (RI.K.1) and creating fantasy stories through drawing and writing (W.K.3).

Try This at Home:

Ask questions while reading: “What did you learn?”
Encourage your child to draw and tell imaginative stories
Practice retelling stories with a beginning, middle, and end

Grade 1

What We’re Learning:
Students are identifying story elements and key details in both fiction and nonfiction (RL.1.2–1.6, RI.1.1–1.5). In math, they are building addition/subtraction skills and working with data (OA.1, MD.4).

Try This at Home:

Talk about characters, setting, and events after reading
Practice addition and subtraction using everyday items
Create simple graphs (e.g., favorite foods) and discuss

Grade 2

What We’re Learning:
Students are exploring story structure, point of view, and illustrations (RL.2.5–2.7) while writing opinion pieces (W.2.1). Math focuses on measurement and data (MD.1–MD.3, MD.9).

Try This at Home:

Discuss how pictures add meaning to stories
Ask your child to share opinions and explain why
Measure items around the house (length, height, weight)

Grade 3

What We’re Learning:
Students are identifying themes, analyzing characters, and understanding point of view (RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.6). Writing focuses on opinion writing (W.3.1). Math includes measurement and problem solving (MD, OA).

Try This at Home:

Ask: “What lesson did the story teach?”
Encourage your child to support opinions with reasons
Solve real-life math problems together (time, money, measurement)

Grade 4

What We’re Learning:
Students are analyzing themes and character development (RL.4.2, RL.4.3) and writing detailed narratives (W.4.3). Math focuses on measurement concepts (MD.1, MD.2).

Try This at Home:

Talk about how characters change over time
Encourage detailed storytelling with clear sequencing
Involve your child in cooking or building to practice measurement

Grade 5

What We’re Learning:
Students are analyzing theme, structure, and point of view in texts (RL.5.2–5.6) and writing informational pieces (W.5.2). Math emphasizes measurement and data application (MD.1–MD.5).

Try This at Home:

Ask your child to explain the theme with text evidence
Encourage writing about topics of interest
Practice real-world math (measurement, conversions, problem solving)

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting student learning at home. Small, consistent conversations and activities can make a big difference!

Important Links!

School Supply Lists: Gearity Elementary

Food Service: You can see the monthly menus by clicking on this link.

Registration Information: New student registration can be completed online or in person. Find instructions, required documents, and contact information here. Please share the registration link with new neighbors or friends who may need help getting their children registered for the start of the school year.

Student Code of Conduct: Link to the Student Code of Conduct and Anti-Bully forms.

District Plan for Communications with Persons with Disabilities

The District has adopted a plan for communications with persons with disabilities, which is available at the following link: Communication Plan. The plan establishes procedures to ensure that the District's communications with persons with disabilities, including applicants, participants, members of the public, and companions with disabilities, are as effective as its communications with others.