Office Hours Monday-Thursday 7:30 am– 3:30 pm

Friday 7:30-2:30

Phone– 727-3090

Fax– 725-7481

Calendar

Friday, August 24th EARLY RELEASE DAY

Friday, August 31st

EARLY RELEASE DAY

Monday, September 3rd LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

Wednesday, September 5th

PTO Meeting 8:30 am

Thursday, September 6th Volunteer Orientation

4:30– 5:00 pm Anti-Bullying Presentation

5:00-6:00 pm Open House 5:00-7:00 pm

Friday, September 7th

EARLY RELEASE DAY

GEMINEWS GEMINI ELEMENTARY

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 3 AUGUST 23, 2018

Jennifer Julian, Principal Carol Burns, Assistant Principal

Gemini Web Site: https://www.edline.net/pages/Ge

Mission statement: Our mission is to serve each student with high levels of support and provide opportunities to develop to their fullest potential.

Vision statement: Our vision is to have a culture of dedication, collaboration, and lifelong learning to serve all Gemini Students by maximizing their potential and empowering them with the essential skills to learn, work and succeed in the 21st century.

Greetings Gemini Friends and Families, I am Mr. Gustafson (Gus-stuff-son), the newest Gemini teacher and a member of the amazing 4th grade team. I attended Gemini (as well as Hoover and Melbourne High School), I also had the good fortune to intern with my current teammate, Mrs. Cox. This is truly home for me and I couldn’t be more excited to be back here at the best school in Brevard. This is my fourth year of teaching. I established my career in St. Johns County where I had the honor of being selected as the 2017-18 Rookie Teacher of the Year. During my tenure there, I started a STEM Club and entered my students in the Science Olympiad. I obviously have a passion for hands-on learning activities. I even spent a summer working for the National Park Service in St. Augustine teaching students about Florida’s history. I can’t wait to share my coquina rock and catapult lesson with my new fourth graders. Aside from teaching, my other interests revolve primarily around sports. I coach soccer for Beachside Impact in Satellite Beach as well as coach competitive surfing. My hobbies include surfing, fishing, boating, and watching sports. (Go Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes, Orlando City, and Miami Heat!). I also love hanging out with my wonderful 9 year old Boxer, Boone. I look forward to a fantastic year and truly could not be more excited to be part of the incredible Jetstar team. Sincerely, Mr. Nathan B. Gustafson

My dog, Boone, helping with my 2017-2018 Summer 2017 Teacher– Ranger STEM Club/Sci Olympiad catapult. St. Johns County Partnership with the NPS at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas.

Hello to the wonderful Gemini Families! My name is Lauren Hardman. I will be teaching short term in Kindergarten for the first semester. Originally from New Jersey, I graduated from Georgian Court University back in 1996 with interests in secondary education and mathematics. I moved down here to Florida where I married my husband. He is a Merchant Marine and travels six months out of the year. We have two children, Eric, now a freshman at UCF and Theresa a junior at Melbourne High School. Both attended Gemini from KG – 6th grade. While keeping my Florida Teaching Certificate current, I have been substituting here at Gemini for about 10 years along with short term teaching positions. My hobbies are surfing, paddle boarding, skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving and my newest sport is Dragon Boat Paddling. Amongst some of my volunteering, my greatest accomplishments is becoming a Certified Florida Firefighter and hold a position of Driver Engineer and rescue swimmer here at Station 58 in Melbourne Beach. It keeps me busy while my Captain is at sea!! Sincerely, Mrs. Lauren Hardman

Gemini Welcomes Mr. Gustafson, Mrs. Hardman and Mrs. Bartlett

Greetings Gemini Families! My name is Shalene Bartlett, and I am honored to serve our students in the clinic. You may remember that I was in the clinic last year as a substitute, and this year I am back as the official Health Support Technician. I have a son in 4th grade at Gemini, and my daughter is a recent Gemini grad, in 7th grade at Hoover this year. I love being part of this amazing school and community! We moved to Melbourne Beach four years ago from Atlanta, where I was an elementary school Media Specialist for 15 years. As a mom, I know how important it is to feel like your child will be taken care of if a situation should arise. Whether it is a scraped knee, stomach ache, or anything else, I always strive to treat each child as if they were my own!

Sincerely, Mrs. Shalene Bartlett

Wellness in the Sunshine

Fresh air and outdoor activates are a part of a healthy lifestyle that all kids and families should enjoy. Finding ways to be physically active outside as a family creates lasting memories and helps children develop lifelong healthy habits. Sunburn and dehydration can put children at risk for major health problems. For that reason, it is important to protect your children’s skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and to keep them hydrated by having them drink plenty of water.

Students may bring sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and water for use at outdoor recess if they wish.

Always use sunscreen, even on cloudy days. UV rays from the sun cause damage and clouds to not block UV rays. All skin types need protection– darker skin will also burn. Most people need to use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15 to 30. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating. Wear a hat and other protective clothing when outdoors. Not exposing skin to the sun is the most practical way to avoid sunburn. Hats that shade the face, scalp, ears and neck are easy to use and give great protection. If kids choose to wear a baseball cap, make sure to apply sunscreen to exposed areas. The same goes for the rest of the body. Skin covered up by a long sleeved shirt and long pants will be protected, but if that is not practical, keep sunscreen on all exposed body parts. Use sunglasses.

Help your kids pick out some sunglasses that they will want to wear. UV light can cause cataracts later in life, so look for sunglasses that block UV rays. Spend time in the shade. Staying in the shade protects us from the sun. Make sure kids know to take breaks in the shade of a tree or other covered area. If you are planning a family outing to an area without shade, bring your own, such as a large umbrella or pop-up tent. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The sun’s rays are strongest and most harmful during midday. During that time, be extra mindful about seeking shade and using sunscreen.

For ways to talk to your kids about sun safety, visit: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/summer-safety.html

Drink Plenty of Water!

CHESS CLUB OPENINGS

Chess Club meets on Tuesdays beginning on September 11 afterschool in Mr. Cohen's

classroom. Anyone interested in joining the

Chess Club Team, please contact either Jen Uhlig at juhlig357@gmail.com

or Mr. Cohen at cohen.roger@brevardschools.org

for information.

Children Chorus

Gemini’s Children Chorus will meet on Thursdays from 2:30 - 3:15 beginning

September 13, 2018. This group is open to any student from Kindergarten through 2nd and

students will be selected by availability.

There will be two semesters this year (Fall and Spring). Please go to this link

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S-SStEY7yBii7_II-4TksNQc9Lw7HhYnp-

ahohmzCSU

by Friday August 31st to be put on the list. There will be a limit of 12 students.

You will be notified by Friday, September 7th, if your child is chosen

for their preferred semester.

Thank you, Brian Meisenburg, Music Teacher

Guitar Ensemble

Gemini’s Guitar Ensemble will meet on Tuesdays from 2:30 - 3:15 beginning September 11,

2018. This group is open to students in 3rd through 6th grade. This year, we will also be

exploring the ukulele.

There will be two semesters this year (Fall and Spring). Please go to this link https://drive.google.com/open?

id=1N2dnuvg844fOxiQ1DPNZ2aRLhsSFQKkgnUykUIvchq4

by Friday August 31st to be put on the list.

There will be a limit of 12 students. You will be notified by Friday, September 7th if your student is

chosen for their preferred semester.

Thank you, Brian Meisenburg, Music Teacher

There’s nothing like extra credit. Earn even more cash to help your school get what it needs through the Box Tops for Education® Bonus App. Turn your everyday receipts into cash for your school.

The app is free and earning cash for your school as easy as 1-2-3.

You can also keep clipping the box tops and sending them in with your student every Friday in a Ziploc bag.

If you would like more information or have any questions on Box Tops, please contact Korbel Ballard at geminiptovp2@gmail.com

Box Tops For Education Bonus App

Our first Try It Tuesday will be September 11th during the student’s lunch time.

This month we will be sampling

Carambola (Star Fruit)

We need a few volunteers from 10:30– 12:30 to help pass out the samples.

If you are an approved volunteer and would like to help, please email Mrs. Burns at

burns.carol@brevardschools.org

Car Loop As with the start of any new school year, expect to experience slight delays in the Car Loop Area while both students and parents are learning their new routines. Although the lines seem long at times, once

the students learn the process the car loop is usually completely dismissed within 12 minutes.

Arrival Please ensure students are ready to exit the car quickly in the morning by having already gathered their necessary materials. Make sure students exit the vehicle from the passenger side onto the sidewalk. For the safety of your child and others, do not allow students to exit from the driver’s side. Make sure the car loop name tag is displayed when you are pulling into the car loop area. It is extremely important for all children and parents to pay attention at dismissal. Please adhere to the direction of the Staff, Safety Patrols, Crossing Guard and Resource Officer. Please refrain from using your cell phone while in a moving vehicle.

Dismissal When entering the car loop on the north side of the school, you will see a “Form two lanes here”

sign. We encourage drivers to form two lanes at this point. Then, cars will respectfully merge into

one lane at the “Form one lane here” sign. These yellow signs are located on the west side of the

car loop. We encourage two lanes of traffic to enter our car loop to prevent back up traffic on Oak

Street. We merge into one lane so that cars can pick up their children safety while providing a left passing lane. Students are never to enter or exit their cars on the rear driver side as this is our

passing lane.

Transportation Procedures

CHANGE OF TRANSPORATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED OVER THE PHONE. WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT WRITTEN AUTHORIZATIONS TO CHANGE THE WAY A

STUDENT GOES HOME. PLEASE KNOW THAT EMAILS ARE NOT ALWAYS REVIEWED IN ENOUGH TIME TO ALLOW FOR A CHANGE OF TRANSPORTATION.

TEACHERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CHECK THEIR EMAILS UNTIL AFTER DISMISSAL, SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO NOTIFY YOUR STUDENTS

TEACHER FOR A CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION VIA EMAIL.

Make sure that you have provided your student’s teacher with your “Rainy Day” dismissal plan. During inclement weather, students will be held inside the school building for their safety. If you need to check out your student early, please do so before 2:00 p.m. This allows for our busy front office staff time to assist with the dismissal process on campus.

We appreciate your patience and understanding. Your child’s safety remains our number one concern.

If you are currently an ACTIVE volunteer then you will remain an approved volunteer until your

status expires.

If you would like to become a Registered Volunteer you must complete an application online. You will then be required to be fingerprinted at the BPS/Educational Services Facility you will report to the Office of District and School Security. A VECHS Level II Background check will be performed. Once you have been approved by the Office of District and School Security you will be notified of the approval. Once you have been notified then you can serve as a BPS Volunteer.

Cost- $35.00 then an annual renewal fee of only $8.00. Payment by credit or debit cards ONLY.

To apply: 1. Please go to the Brevard County School web page at https://www.brevardschools.org/ 2. Click the Parents & Students heading 3. Scroll down to Volunteer Information (please use Internet Explorer, Google Chrome is not compatible.) 4. Complete the Pre-Application. BPS Educational Services Facility-Office of District and School Security 2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, FL 32940 Fingerprinting Hours are Monday-Thursday 8:30– 4:30 pm

Gemini is looking for Level A or A+ volunteers on Thursday, September 6th

from 8:00-11:00 and 11:30-1:15 to assist with our vision and hearing screening. No experience is required and we will provide brief training before each session.

If you are available to help with our vision and hearing screening, please contact our Assistant Principal, Carol

Burns at Burns.carol@brevardschools.org or (321) 727-3090 extension 1006.