Families of GES 5th Graders -Summer Reading

Summer reading gives your child a chance to improve reading skills while reading for pleasure. Because our children get to choose what book they read, hopefully they will find books they won’t be able to put down and fall in love with reading. Reading for enjoyment prepares our children for academic reading.

Your 5th grader should choose and read at least one book this summer. As a starting point, your child might think about picking one of the most recent South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominees. (Attention! Young Adult books often contain mature subject matter and may include strong language. Please read a book review or read the book your child chooses to decide if it is appropriate for your child.)

2020-21 SC Junior Book Award (JBA) Nominees:

• Deep Water by Watt Key
• Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate
• Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison
• Everything Else in the Universe by Tracy Holczer
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang
• Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
• A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
• Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
• I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall
• The Jigsaw Jungle by Kristin Levine
• Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood
• Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya
• The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
• The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
• Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
• Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
• Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
• The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

The links below give more information on specific books:
Amazon Book Reviews
Common Sense Media

When your child begins 6th grade in August, he or she will be sharing and talking about books in class. Your child may even get to participate in a schoolwide reading celebration!

GES Weekly News – May 24, 2020

Good evening, Gilbert Elementary families. This is Mr. Branham with your weekly announcements. First, I hope you all take some time this Memorial Day weekend to remember all of the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and safety in our community, our state and our nation. May we never forget them.

This Wednesday, May 27 from 10:00-1:00 and 4:00-6:00 we will be holding our final day to return Learning Packets, library books, textbooks, etc. We also have remaining student belonging bags for families who were not able to retrieve them several weeks ago. Additionally, persons who ordered and paid for yearbooks and/or Spring pictures may also use this Wednesday to receive these items. We will use the bus loop accessible via Main Street.

If you did not order a yearbook and would like one, we have a limited supply to sell. And, let me tell you, they are awesome – full color, hard-covered, and filled with memories from our last year on this historic campus. These yearbooks will be sold on a first come, first served basis this Wednesday during our Learning Packet return (10:00-1:00 and 4:00-6:00). Yearbooks may be purchased for $25 and may be purchased with cash or check. We will not be able to reserve or hold any books.

On Monday, June 1, we will host our 5^th grade promotion ceremonies. 5^th grade families should have received an invitation in the mail with specific directions and a map. Please remember there will be two drive-thru ceremonies for our two 5^th grade teams. Your child’s ceremony time is listed below by his/her homeroom teacher:

• Team 1 (4:30-5:30)– Carpenter, Racey, Leo, Margraf, Steele and George homerooms
• Team 2 (6:00-7:00) – Jones, Johansson, Miller, Hall and Conde homerooms

On Tuesday, June 2, we will host an end of the year and welcome summer drive-thru parade for our 3^rd and 4^th grade students. Your teachers and GES staff will be found along the parade route to say goodbye and help you celebrate the official beginning of summer! The 3^rd grade parade will begin at 9:30 and end at 10:30. You may come and enjoy the parade at anytime during this hour. The 4^th grade parade will begin at 11:00 and end at 12:00. You may come and enjoy the parade at anytime during this hour. All cars should enter the service entrance road found on the right side of the school (leads to the baseball field and track). Upon entering the service road a staff member will direct you to continue to the playground entrance. Grade level teachers and GES staff will be cheering you on as you move through the route. After leaving the playground, please continue forward and exit the playground and campus using Apache Trail, the road used for our normal daily car line. Again, at no time should any student or family member exit their vehicle. GES staff will be present throughout the route to assist you.

Remember, our staff is here to serve you and your child throughout the days and weeks ahead. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, a school counselor, or one of our administrators.

Stay well and stay safe. Have a great week!

Mr. Branham

Gilbert Elementary School students
strive to lead by example
by working hard in school,
being the best they can be, and
making a difference in the world.

GES has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence and strong community involvement. Family, tradition, excellence, hard work, and community are just a few words that describe our school. As we travel throughout the year together, please know that we are here to make you and your child's learning experiences meaningful, positive, and productive. If at any time you have an idea, a question, or concern, please feel free to contact me by phone, e-mail, or in person.