Gess Family Newsletter

The Gess Elementary School Mission:

Together, the Gess Community fosters a joyful growth experience for all by modeling high expectations in a purposeful, secure environment.

February - Black History Month

FEBRUARY EVENTS

Week: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Feb 5

Fri Jan 30 - Teacher Grading, 1/2-day, early Release at Noon
Mon Feb 2 - Grades Due
Wed Feb 4 - Gator of the Month Luncheon 11 am (invitation only)

Week Fri Feb 6 - Thu Feb 12

NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK

Wed Feb 11 - Fire Drill (unannounced)
Thu Feb 12 - Parent Advisory Meeting (5-6 pm)

Week: Fri Feb 13 - Thu Feb 19

Fri Feb 13 - VALENTINE'S DAY AT SCHOOL
Mon Feb 16 - President's Day - NO SCHOOL
Wed Feb 18 - School Board Meeting (6:30-8:30 pm)

Week: Fri Feb 20 - Thu Feb 26

March - Women's History Month

MARCH EVENTS

Week: Fri Feb 27 - Thu Mar 5

Mon Mar 2 - Read Across America
Wed Mar 4 - Gator of the Month Luncheon 11 am (invitation only)

Week Fri Mar 6 - Thu Mar 12

Fri Mar 6 - NO SCHOOL/SNOW MAKE UP DAY
Thu Mar 12 - Parent Advisory Meeting (5-6 pm)

Week: Fri Mar 13 - Thu Mar 19

Wed Mar 18 - School Board Meeting (6:30-8:30 pm)
Thu Mar 19 - Secure the Building Drill

Week: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Mar 26

Wed Mar 25 - Family Math Night (more details to come)

Week: Fri Mar 27 - Thu Apr 2

Fri Mar 27 - Spring Concert 9:30 am
Mon Mar 30 - Fri Apr 3 - BOOK FAIR
Mon Mar 30 - End of Term
Tue Mar 31 - Awards Assembly (TBD)
Wed Apr 1 - Early Release - Half Day - Teacher Grading - Release at 11:55 am
Thu Apr 2 - Parent Teacher Conferences (late night) - NO SCHOOL
Fri Apr 3 - Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL

Week: Apr 6 - 10th - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL

🌟 Gess Family Newsletter Update

We are excited to recognize some wonderful accomplishments and share a few important reminders with our Gess families!

🐊 Gator of the Month – Cooperation

A big congratulations to our Gator of the Month Luncheon winners for demonstrating outstanding cooperation. We are so proud of the students who continue to work well with others, show teamwork, and support their peers as positive members of our school community.

🐝 Spelling Bee Celebration

We are proud to recognize our school Spelling Bee participants for their courage, preparation, and perseverance. Congratulations to our winners and runner-ups:

🏆 Grade-Level Winners

4th Grade Winner: Ember Griepp
5th Grade Winner: Chrystian Rumsey
6th Grade Winner: Monica Trudeau

⭐ Grade-Level Runner-Ups

4th Grade Runner-Up: Declan Whitehead
5th Grade Runner-Up: Rosabelle Meddock
6th Grade Runner-Up: Lia Yates

Our grade-level winners will represent Gess at the regional competition on Saturday, February 7th in Coeur d'Alene. Best of luck—we are cheering you on!

📚 Academic Growth – i-Ready Progress

This month, we reviewed our winter i-Ready scores and are very pleased with the academic progress our students are making. Many students are reaching their stretch goals, and some have already made—or are very close to making—a full year’s worth of growth, and it is only the end of January! We are incredibly proud of our Gators and look forward to seeing their continued growth through June.

⏰ Morning Arrival Reminder

A reminder to families that school doors open at 8:00 AM. We have had several students arriving before that time, and there is not adequate supervision available prior to doors opening. With the exception of the secretary, custodian, and kitchen staff, teachers and staff are not on duty until 8:00 AM. Thank you for helping us ensure all students arrive safely.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Gess is a place where we are always glad you came! 💙

“The Heart of Student Support”

🎄✨❄️ A Jolly Holiday Message from the School Counselor! ❄️✨🎄

Hello Wonderful Families of Gess Gators!

As we sleigh-ride our way into the end of the year, I just wanted to send some warm holiday hugs and sparkly cheer your way! This season is full of twinkly lights, cozy moments, and lots of excitement—and I’m so grateful we get to team up to support your amazing kids.

Our students have been absolute superstars this fall! ⭐
They’ve been learning new things, making friends, showing kindness, and growing in big, brave ways. Every day they bring smiles, questions, creativity, and a whole lot of silly energy that makes our school such a fun place to be!

We also know the holidays can get a tiny bit busy (okay… sometimes a lot busy!). If your child needs a listening ear, a calm space, or a little extra support, I’m here and happy to help.

As we wrap up this year (like a present! 🎁), I’m excited to jump into the new year together and keep cheering on every student as they shine, learn, and thrive.

Wishing you laughter, rest, warm cocoa, twinkle lights, and all the magical moments this season brings.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🎉✨❄️

Important Reminders for Parents/Guardians

Winter Weather: Please remember to send a change of clothes appropriate for the upcoming winter weather.
Morning Drop-Off: Doors will not open before 8:00 AM. We do not have adequate staffing to supervise students before this time, so students may not be dropped off early. The doors will remain locked until 8:00 AM.
Morning Check-Ins: If you are walking your student to class in the morning, you must stop at the blue desk to get a visitor name tag with your name and the current date.

If you do not have a name tag, you will be stopped and asked to return to the blue desk.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school safe and running smoothly!

Athena Bornstein

Gess Elementary Secretary

Here’s a peek at the exciting things happening in Music this month—feel free to ask your students what they’re learning and watch their eyes light up!

🎶 Music Happenings with Ms. Smith! 🎶

K–2: We’re moving and grooving as we discover the steady beat! Students are exploring instruments, clapping along, and singing their hearts out.
3rd Grade: The big adventure begins—learning to read music and getting ready for the recorder!
4th Grade: Strumming into action! Students are learning to read music as they prepare to play the ukulele.
5th & 6th Grade: Time to level up! We’re diving into syncopation (those tricky, fun rhythms) and mastering the art of tuning a ukulele.

P.E. Update – January

We just finished up our basketball unit, and students had a great time practicing dribbling, passing, shooting, and teamwork. In February, we’ll begin working on the Washington State Physical Fitness activities, including running, sit-ups, push-ups, and flexibility. These activities help students build strength, endurance, and healthy habits while focusing on personal growth and effort.

Have a wonderful February,

Coach McD

Gess Elementary's transitional kindergarteners were hard at work during the month of January! They were introduced to 10-frames and 5-frames, which are useful math tools for organizing and quantifying. They practiced counting and subitizing (looking at a group of items and knowing immediately how many there are) and matching those groups to the corresponding numeral. Students are also learning to determine whether pairs of words rhyme and are beginning to generate their own rhyming words. During our reading time, students are learning to differentiate fiction from non-fiction books and are learning some of the features of these types of texts. While this may all sound like a lot of serious learning (and it is!) for 4- and 5-year-olds, students are learning and practicing these skills through play, games, and hands-on activities that are engaging, fun, and developmentally appropriate.

Kindergarten students dove into informational writing through an exciting study of polar animals! Mrs. Carlson’s class studied polar bears, while Ms. Gregerson’s class studied penguins. Students learned how authors share facts by reading nonfiction books, watching short videos, and asking curious questions about these amazing animals. Along the way, students practiced organizing information using pictures, labels, and simple sentences. To wrap up the unit, each child created a final informational writing project to share what they learned and became an expert on their animal!

December was a whirlwind of fun and excitement in first grade! Along with learning about syllables, cvc-e words, and how to use number lines for adding and subtracting, we enjoyed many creative art projects and ornament making activities. One morning was dedicated to creating special ornaments for families, and students went home with plenty of new decorations to hang on their Christmas trees.

We are excited to be back in the classroom and look forward to mastering our cvc-e words and using a number line to add and subtract bigger numbers.

Second graders are learning how to measure objects using tools like rulers and unifix cubes, and they are discovering how numbers help describe the world around them. They practice measuring length in inches then add and subtract measurements to solve simple, real-life problems. Through hands-on activities, students learn to compare sizes, find total lengths, and understand how measurement and math work together in everyday situations.

January 4th Grade Newsletter

Happy New Year! We are excited to welcome everyone back and are especially happy to have Mrs. Sweat back with us. We are thankful she is recovering well.

We have seen an increase in absences this month due to the flu and other viruses. Please remind students to wash their hands often and give friends their space to help keep everyone healthy.

We are so proud of the growth students showed on their i-Ready diagnostics. i-Ready gives us a helpful picture of student progress and allows us to provide instruction that is uniquely differentiated for each learner.

In reading and writing, students are working on biographies and expository essays, focusing on research skills and citing sources. In math, we are learning about fractions and decimals, which can be challenging. We continue daily SEL conversations to support a growth mindset and a positive learning environment.

Thank you for your continued support!

Fifth grade has been buzzing with learning and creativity! In reading, students are growing their vocabulary skills to boost comprehension, while in math we are diving into our decimals unit and building strong number sense. Science has been especially engaging as students dissect owl pellets, and social studies takes us back in time to explore the 13 Colonies. On top of it all, we are excitedly preparing artwork for the Chewelah Art Show at the end of February.

6th grade is working hard and staying engaged as we move through the winter months! Students have been busy learning across all subject areas and continuing to build strong academic skills.

In math, students are practicing how to convert measurements, strengthening their understanding of units and real-world problem solving. In science, they are exploring concepts related to electricity and voltage, learning how energy moves through circuits and how it impacts our everyday lives.

In language arts, students are reading powerful texts focused on surviving the unthinkable, which has led to thoughtful discussions, deeper comprehension, and strong connections to themes of perseverance and resilience. In social studies, students are diving into the fascinating world of ancient China, exploring its culture, innovations, and contributions to history.

Mr. Yuk - The Warning Face That Sticks

If you grew up in the 70's or 80's, you might remember the bright green round stickers with the face that warned, “Don’t eat this!” Meet Mr. Yuk, created in the 1970's after researchers discovered kids didn’t find the standard poison skull and crossbones symbol scary enough to warn them off dangerous substances. Mr. Yuk is still around! You can find his stickers and magnets across Washington and beyond, each featuring the Poison Center helpline: 1-800-222-1222. Order free Mr. Yuk stickers and magnets here.

Connection, Coverage, and Community!

Washington health insurance Open Enrollment is here — the time of year when you can sign up for, renew, or change your health and dental insurance coverage. Open Enrollment runs November 1st-January 15th. This is your opportunity to make sure you and your family are covered for the year ahead. Better Health Together (BHT) offers free assistance for Washington residents enrolling in health insurance. Our trained Navigators will guide you through the process step-by-step — answering your questions, explaining your options, and helping you find a plan that fits your needs and your wallet. Whether you’re applying for coverage, renewing your plan, or just need help understanding your options, we’re here to help.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

December and January are busy times for our Title intervention program. In addition to our regular instructional groups, our team is screening all students from grades Kindergarten and First Grade to determine if they are at risk for Dyslexia. Dyslexia is an invisible learning difference that can make learning to read and write a challenge.

During January we jumped right back into instruction on the first day back from break and are working hard preparing students for our next diagnostic test taking place this month. All students, Kindergarten through 6th grade will be taking the i-ready assessment to measure their present levels in both reading and math, as well as their growth from the beginning of the school year. Busy and productive times!

Hello Gess Families,

Please contact me at sgregory@chewelahk12.us or 509-685-6800 x4121 with any developmental concerns about your child who is from 3 to 22 years of age. As a district, we are able to meet with you and your child and conduct screenings in order to determine if further evaluations are necessary for your child. Services may include academic support, communication, fine and gross motor, adaptive (self help), and social emotional supports for children with disabilities. Please do not hesitate to reach out!

Gess Elementary Literacy Club ~ Spelling Bee Focus!

Tuesdays after school.....

2:50-3:30PM Mrs. Tilla’s Room 22

Gess Literacy Club will continue in February once a week. Additional information will be distributed!