 | Important Items:
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"The mission of the Springhill School Community is to
learn, work and play in a safe place where respect for each other and
responsibility for our own actions creates trust, teamwork and an
atmosphere of friendship."
2007-2008 Springhill Spirit
Theme:
PAY IT FORWARD: Gratitude and Caring
JANUARY SPIRIT
REMINDER: Show gratitude and caring to your school by conserving energy,
recycling and keeping the campus clean!
| Calendar of Events | |
Friday, January 11
Science Fair project
assistance in library at lunch
Science Fair Board Distribution by
Student Council; 1:05 PM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room,
3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Monday, January
14
Student
Council; Room 23, 12:20 PM
Tuesday, January 15
California Symphony,
Grades 2-5, MultiPurpose Room
9:00 AM-9:40 AM: All 2nd Grade
9:45
AM-10:25 AM: All 3rd Grade
10:45 AM-11:25 AM: All 4th/5th
Grade
Lafayette School District Board Meeting.; District Office, 7:00
PM
Wednesday, January 16
PFC Teacher Appreciation
Luncheon; Lounge, 12:00 PM
PFC Executive Board Meeting; Lounge, 5:30
PM
DAC Meeting; District Office, 6:30 PM
Thursday, January
17
LASF General
Board Meeting; Stanley Library, 7:00 PM
Friday, January
18
5th Grade
Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200;
MultiPurpose Room, 5:30 PM-8:30 PM
Monday, January 21
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day; Holiday
Tuesday, January 22
California Symphony,
Grades 2-5, MultiPurpose Room
Lafayette School District Public
Meeting RE: Fields; Stanley Faculty Room, 6:00 PM-8:30
PM
Wednesday, January 23
Lunch outside
Science
Fair set up; MultiPurpose Room, all day
Thursday, January
24
Lunch
outside
Science Fair; MultiPurpose Room, 6:30 PM
Friday,
January 25
Lunch
outside
Science Fair Classroom Walkthrough (schedule to
follow)
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00
PM
Monday,
January 28
Student Council; Room 23,
12:20 PM
School Site Council Meeting.; Office, 3:30 PM
Chess Club;
Library, 2:45 PM
Tuesday, January 29
Kindergarten
Registration; MultiPurpose Room, 9:00 AM-11:30 AM
Wednesday,
January 30
Kindergarten
Registration; MultiPurpose Room, 9:00 AM-11:30 AM
Thursday,
January 31
District Strings Music
Festival; Acalanes High School, 7:30 PM
Friday, February
1
5th Grade Play
Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Saturday, February
2
Groundhog
Day
| Principal's Messages | |
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGES
A. I WISH A HAPPY, HEALTHY
& PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!
B. Help Master Plan the
Lafayette School District's Outdoor Facilities (Fields) at Six
Sites:
Public Meeting
for Community Input
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
6:00 - 8:30
p.m.
Stanley Middle School Faculty Room
3455 School Street,
Lafayette
The Lafayette School District's landscape architect
Carducci and Associates is seeking public understanding and input for
the master planning of the district's outdoor facilities (fields) at its
five school sites and the Montecito site. This is the first of two
public meetings that will present site issues and opportunities,
recommendations from turf and arborist assessments and presentation of
field options for each site for review and comment. Community input is
encouraged and welcome. Please contact the Lafayette School District
offices for further information at 925-299-3502. We look forward to your
participation.
C. ABSENCES: Please be aware that each day of a child's
absence costs the District $43.50 per student per day regardless of reason for
the absence. Certainly, if the child is sick, the child should stay
home. We want to encourage families to schedule vacations on non-student
days (whenever possible) and for absences of 5 days or more, complete an
independent study. We must stress the importance of
learning opportunities lost by missing school needlessly. Thank you for
your cooperation!
D. LOST & FOUND: Please
check out all items in our Lost & Found to find that long lost
jacket, sweater, shoe, etc. . . . In mid-January, we will be donating
all Lost & Found items to a worthy charity. Take a look in the New
Year for those missing items! Thank you!
E. KINDERGARTEN
REGISTRATION:
Kindergarten Registration
for the 2008-2009 school year will take place on Tuesday, January 29,
9:00 AM-11:30 AM, and Wednesday, January 30, 9:00 AM-11:30 AM and all
days following. Registration packets may be picked up from the
Springhill Office earlier and returned on the actual days of
registration. Please encourage all those you know in the Springhill
community with kindergarten-aged children for next year to register on
these dates, even if they are not sure their children are ready for
kindergarten yet.
F. 1st-5th GRADE REGISTRATION
FOR 2005-2006:
We will be accepting
1st-5th grade registrations for the 2008-2009 school year starting
Tuesday, February 5. Please inform any new neighbors or those whose
children are currently in private schools who plan to have their
children attend Springhill School next year. Remind them to bring the
child's birth certificate, immunization record and two proofs of
address. Thank you.
G. Join the PFC! Register for
e-SCRIP!!
DIFFERENTIATION
CORNER
*Differentiated
Instruction takes place in all of our classes. Each week, we will be
profiling a particular teacher's implementation of Differentiated
Instruction every week in the Friday Flyer. Don't miss it!!!
In
Mrs. Vann's third grade classroom, there is a "Brain Zone" activity
center, where each child keeps a special red binder filled with
differentiated curriculum based activities in all subject areas. When a
child has finished a unit or shown proficiency in a subject area, he or
she is able to go to the "Brain Zone", and choose a project from their
activity binder. These projects may last a week, or sometimes a month,
depending on the interest level and project chosen by the student.
*Differentiated
Instruction is not individualized instruction, but rather the delivery
of curriculum to students in a manner that complements their learning
style while always challenging them at their ability level.
PAY IT FORWARD
CORNER
Every week we will be including different aspects of
our Pay It Forward theme for this year in the Friday Flyer. Character
development should be a major component in any well-rounded educational
program and it has been for many years at Springhill. Ask your children
what their classes are doing for Pay It Forward. Come to Spirit
Wednesday, 8:30 AM every Wednesday morning in the main courtyard and
find out how we promote character development at Springhill School. We
do have a significant change in the Pay It Forward program this year. If
you are familiar with how this program was originally designed, you know
that all of the "pay it forward" efforts remained anonymous in order to
promote the altruistic and selfless nature of the act. Although we will
acknowledge all of the acts themselves in the weekly Student Bulletin,
at Spirit Wednesday and in the Friday Flyer, we will no longer identify
the specific students who performed the acts. We are hopeful the
enthusiasm for the program will continue to be as strong as it has been
the last several years with this change. Thank you.
Keep up that PIF
Spirit!!!
A. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDENT COUNCIL JAMBA JUICE SALE TO BENEFIT "SAVE
THE BAY" in its efforts to clean up the oil spill in San Francisco Bay
last Tuesday. WE RAISED $364!!! THANK YOU TO HOLLY NOLAN & KERRY
BOLEN FOR THEIR ORGANIZING EFFORTS FOR THIS DRIVE. THANK YOU FOR PAYING
IT FORWARD!!!
| PFC President's Message | |
Happy
New Year! I hope that all of you had a wonderful winter break and that
2008 will be full of happiness and good times for all here at
Springhill.
In
the months ahead, the PFC is proud to sponsor many events & programs
for your families such as the 5th Grade play, the Parent Party, a
Rummage Sale, Teacher Appreciation luncheon and the Open House/Music
& Art Fair. We will also be assisting in the upcoming LASF Science
and Math Fairs. Be sure to check on the PFC website for current calendar
information ( http://www.springhillpfc.org/).
Parent Party
planning - Our
biggest fundraiser of the year is the Parent Party. The proceeds from
this annual event allows the PFC to financially assist our teacher's
aides, computer program, field trips, teacher & student enrichment
programs, just to name a few. This year's event will be held on Saturday
March 15th. All Springhill families are encouraged to participate in the
planning, no role is too small! Please contact Stri Zulch, stri@zulch.com, to see how you can
help. We need your help now as well as the night of the event. It makes
such a difference to have everyone involved in the fun!
Martin Luther King,
Jr. Holiday - Although we just returned from vacation (!) Please note
that Monday, January 21st is a school holiday.
Corrine
Christensen
2007/2008 Springhill PFC President
joeandcorrine@msn.com
| Education Advocacy Day Trip - February 27,
2008: | |
Education Advocacy Day Trip - February 27, 2008:
Legislative
Rep News Education Advocacy Day Trip - February 27, 2008: Sign Up to
Protect School Funding and Curriculum
California's looming
budget deficit threatens to erode public school funding -- potentially
during the current school year as well as in the 2008-9 fiscal year. If
mid-year cuts hit our schools (which already receive among the lowest
funding levels in the State), the district could be forced to cut
programs and staffing this school year! At the same time, the Governor
and State Legislature recently received commissioned studies from
education experts that lay out the issues and areas on which California
schools need to focus to RAISE the quality and performance of public
schools. That is not consistent with funding cuts. Click onhttp://www.lastrampaspta.org/getsmart_dec07.html for a reader-friendly
overview and more detail.
What can you do? Sign
up to go on the Education Advocacy Day Trip to Sacramento, on February
27, 2008. Join fellow parents and concerned citizens from Lamorinda and
Walnut Creek who will visit with our elected representatives, Senator
Tom Torlakson, Assembly Members Loni Hancock and Guy Houston, and
education officials. Hear what their take is. Advocate funding and
support of public schools. Sign up by February 15th: http://www.lastrampaspta.org/08AdvocacyDay.pdf Contact Karen Guthrie
(925.283.7956 or kfguthrie@earthlink.net),
Springhill's Education Legislation Advocacy Representative, for more
information.
| LASF Corner / LASF Science Fair | |
LASF Science
Fair Thursday,
Jan. 24th 6:30-8:30pmWere your kids able
to use the Winter break to get started on their science project? Well,
there is still plenty of time to connect with your kids on a "scientific
level" and help support them in a meaningful Science fair experience! If
you have not turned your child's entry form in yet, please turn it into
the Science Fair box in the office ASAP. The date has already passed to
order a display board, however, "Staples" is a great option if you still
need to purchase a board. (they usually stock really neat colors
too!!) Remind
your students that putting together their display board can sometimes be
the most exciting part of their Science Fair experiment! The display
board is how they will be able to share their wonderful work with
others. Encourage them to write down the necessary details while
conducting their experiments. If they take good notes when it comes time
to create the display board they will have all the information needed to
transfer their information creatively, in a visually appealing way, to
their board. Make sure they include the Question, Hypothesis, Materials,
Procedure, Data, Results, and Conclusion. Adding pictures (and photos of
your child working on their experiment) to the display board is a
wonderful way for your child to share their work and reduce the amount
of writing, especially for younger students. EMERGENCY! What should your
child do if their experiment doesn't work? Reassure your child that
failed experiments are VERY common in Science. They should not be
discouraged! Encourage your child to write about it, include a
discussion about why it didn't work and what they might do differently
next time. IMPORTANT
DATES! TODAY, Friday,
January 11th: Science Fair project
assistance in library at lunch. All parents and students welcome. We
will help you come up with project ideas or how to test your
hypothesis. Display boards distributed to students' classrooms by the
Student Council. Thursday, January 24th, from 6:30-8:30pm: The
LASF Science Fair is here! VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED!! FUN POSITIONS AVAILABLE!! We are looking for Guest
Scientists....Real "Science" degrees not required! Our guest Scientists
will be interviewing students DURING THE SCHOOL DAY on Thursday Jan.
24th. Watch for an email from your LASF room representative for shift
times. We also need help before, during, and after the LASF Science
fair. There are shifts during evening hours and before school for
working parents. Any questions? Feel
free to contact the Science Fair coordinators for help coming up with
project ideas, turning your question into an experiment, planning your
test procedures, or with any other Science Fair questions. Contact:
Carol Davis (283-0838, carol_davis@comcast.net<
span class="Apple-converted-space"> , Rhodora Del Rosario
(962-0438, roepd@hotmail.com). We could use
help before, during, and after the fair. Please contact our Volunteer
Coordinator, Sharon Kidd (274-1747, skidd@calmail.berkeley.edu<
span class="Apple-converted-space"> ). She'll email you
a list of jobs available.
| This Week at the Library | |
This Week in the Library
Welcome back from the winter
break! It looks like science is in the air. With the Science Fair coming
up on January 24th many classes are diving into science. There are many
scientific topics to choose ranging from studying animals, creating
chemical reactions, examining polarized light, and even exploring
technology. Experts say you should start the project with some kind of
scientific question. Then you can gather information and research your
topic. The library is a really great place to get started on your
science project. You can look at an encyclopedia and browse the
collection of science books. Good luck to all of you!
New Books in the
Library
Did you know that millions years ago dinosaurs may
have lived in your neighborhood? Bob Barner has created a rhyming text
with vibrant paper-collage illustrations in Dinosaur Bones that gives
the reader a good sense of fossils and bones. Author/Artist Bob Barner
reminds us that dinosaurs were once living breathing animals. He also
explains how careful scientists have to be when they are digging up and
putting together dinosaur bones. This book is filled with great dinosaur
facts and provides height charts and a "Dinometer" for all to enjoy.
This wonderful book is sure to make you a dinosaur
enthusiast.
Happy Birthday to our Author of the Week
Happy January
birthday to illustrator Ashley Wolff! Ashley Wolff is the illustrator
forMiss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, Miss Bindergarten
Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten, and Miss Bindergarten Has a
Wild Day in KindergartenCheck out these and many more at the
Springhill Library.
Springhill Library
Website
Explore our website at http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/index.htm . You can find a full
update on what's happening at the Springhill Library, find more reviews
of new books and links to many helpful resources.
Sherry Mattern,
Library Specialist
Kimberli Sparks-Buckley, Library
Aide
| Wellness Corner | |
Welcome back to school and Happy New Year! With the New Year
comes New Years Resolutions, new schedules and new insight. We are here
to help. Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see
or hear about in the Wellness Corner of the Friday Flyer. We would love
to hear from you. Please contact your Wellness team: Anne Bone, Erin
Benisek and Meagan Hagglund at campbone@comcast.net.
In the meantime, how
about checking out this website:http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/4459 Enjoy!
| SPORTS | |
After School Hoops presented by ONE ON ONE BASKETBALL
One on One
Basketball is proud to present AFTER SCHOOL HOOPS. AFTER SCHOOL HOOPS is
conducted by skilled instructors who have been trained extensively to
teach young players the game of basketball. Developing players benefit
by improving their individual skills such as passing, dribbling,
shooting, rebounding, and defending while, at the same time, learning
how to work within the framework of a team. Boys and girls of all skill
levels are encouraged to join. For more information please emailbrent@1on1basketball.com<
span class="Apple-converted-space"> or check out our website
at www.1on1basketball.com
Dates: January 30th
thru March 19th
Day: Wednesday
Time:
2:40-3:50
| Parent Education / Community
Events | |
Springhill Mileage Club Announcement
Springhill
Mileage Club is ready to go! Now we just need the weather to
cooperate!
We will be doing the Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays,
weather permitting, through the end of the school year. A sign will be
held up where the running is to begin on the lower blacktop starting at
8:15 am.
If you missed the first permission slip that went home
in the Friday Folder in December, there are extras in the office.
Students will not be allowed to participate without a signed permission
slip. If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Marrone baymarrones@comcast.net
HIDEOUT - Upcoming Events and
Announcements...
Sign-ups are now
available for Friday, February 15th - as Springhill will be closed in
observance of President's Day. Sign-up and pay by January 25th to
receive 10% off. See form for details.
Spring Break sign-ups will
be out in mid-Februaray. Join us as "Hideout Goes
Hawaiian"!
Camp Hideout, Summer '08 - Passport to
Adventure
Join Kid's
Hideout this summer! We will be holding camps from June 16th through
August 15th. Summer packets will be available on Wednesday, January 9th.
Enjoy Big Discounts if registration and fees are received February 1st.
Please stop by Hideout, or the Springhill office, when school resumes in
January to pick up your summer packet! More information to follow...
"Oh! The Places You will Go" ... when you join us this summer at "Camp
Hideout!"
Springhill
Drama 2008
Music Man Spring 2008 Schedule
| Description | Date | Time | Place | |
Auditions | January 11 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Auditions | January
18 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | January
25 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | February
1 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | February
8 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | February
14 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | February
22 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | February
29 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | March 7 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | March
13 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | March
21 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | March
28 | 12:00-
3:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | April
11 | 2:40-
5:00 | Library | | Rehearsal | April
18 | 2:40-
5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | April
25 | 2:40- 5:00 | MU | | Rehearsal | May
2 | 2:40- 5:00 | MU | | Dress Rehearsal (Harold
Cast) | May 10 | 9:30-12:30 | Town
Hall | | Dress Rehearsal (Marian Cast) | May
10 | 1:00-4:00 | Town Hall | | Performance
(Harold Cast) | May 12 | 6:00 & 7:30 | Town
Hall | | Performance (Marian Cast) | May
13 | 6:00 & 7:30 | Town Hall | | Cast
Party | May
14 | 2:40-3:45 | Amphitheatre |
<
br>For questions please contact Co-Producers Kathy Biro thebirofamily@gmail.com<
span class="Apple-converted-space"> or Kristi Buck 4bucks@buckfamily.com Springhill
Spring Rummage Sale Fundraiser Announcement WANTED - GENTLY USED
ITEMS FOR OUR ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE FUNDRAISER! Once again, it's time to
begin our donation collection in preparation for the Rummage Sale in
April 2008. Last year we encouraged you to clean out your closets, kids'
rooms, garages, etc. to make room for the new holiday gift goodies.
Parents responded with donations of tons of great stuff. January donation week
- Tuesday-Thursday 1/15-17. Please call either Shelli Shepherd @
925-788-8274 or Karen (Williams) Macdonald @ 925-588-8300 to arrange
drop-off by appointment. We have 2 drop-off locations availabe to you
this year: Lafayette & Concord. ACCEPTABLE ITEMS FOR
DONATION: Books, Games, DVDs/Videos, Toys, Sports & Camping
Equipment, Small household items & applicances & small furniture
items. If you're unsure, just ask Karen or Shelli. Is Your
Child a Lego Lover? If your child
is interested in learning about engineering and architecture through the
Lego building system, then this is the class for you! The curriculum
(designed by engineers) builds off the math and science skills students
learn during the school year, and applies them in real-world engineering
scenarios/challenges utilizing Lego bricks and pieces as a manipulative.
Students will have access to over 100,000 Lego pieces including motors,
gears, leads, battery packs, etc., as they are given challenges
appropriate to their skill level. During class students will build
projects presented by an instructor who teaches them part names and how
to build the different models. The program is open
to girls and boys grades K-5, and will begin January 15, 2008 and run
through March 18, 2008. Class is on Tuesdays from 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm in
Room 25, and the fee for the ten week session is $165. Class minimum is
eleven students with a maximum of twenty. To register pick up a form in
the main office and mail it in or go to the Springhill PFC web site http://www.springhillpfc.org/ , click on "Resources",
then scroll down to "Programs" for a link to Play-Well Teknologies where
you can print out a registration form yourself. Sweet Thursdays
at the Lafayette Library
Join the Friends of the
Lafayette on Thursday January 24 at 7:30 pm and meet GAIL TSUKIYAMA,
renowned Bay Area writer who shot to literary stardom with The Samurai's Garden,
and then delighted her fans with Dreaming Water, The
Language of Threads. Her latest novel, The Street of a Thousand
Blossoms tells the
remarkable story of two orphaned brothers and the women who love them in
war-torn Tokyo, 1939. Michael Chabon calls Tsukiyama "A writer of
astonishing grace, delicacy, and feeling." Tsukiyama is the recipient of
the Academy of American Poets Award and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles
Literary Award. Body Image Speaker: Katie Censky, MA,
MFT
Thursday, January 17, 2008, noon - 1:30pm Walnut
Creek Intermediate School, library 2425 Walnut Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA
94598 no fee, register in class Katie Censky will describe the
term 'Body Image' and the common causes of eating disorders. Information
about the signs of eating desorders, as well as preventative actions for
families is presented. There are things that parents do unconsciously
that impact their children's body image; role modeling or simply raising
awareness. It's an unfortunate misconception that eating disorders only
affect girls. Boys are starting to face the same media pressures that
girls have faced for decades. The presentation focuses on both genders.
Please rsvp to Vera Babor at vbabor@acalanes.k12.ca.us
.
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