Thursday, February 14
St. Valentine's Day
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Friday, February 15
District Holiday

Monday, February 18
Presidents' Day Holiday

Tuesday, February 19
5th Grade Healthy Kids Survey
Lunch outside
LSD Board Study Session re: Budget Issues; Stanley MultiPurpose Room, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, February 20
Lunch outside
PFC Meeting:
Executive Board Meeting; Lounge, 5:00 PM
General Meeting; Library, 6:30 PM
Anti-Bullying Workshop with Rick Phillips; Stanley Library, 7:30 PM Lafayette School District Public Meeting RE: Fields, #2; Stanley Faculty Room, 6:00 PM-8:30 PM

Friday, February 22
George Washington's Birthday
STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY: SUNGLASSES DAY
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Monday, February 25
Student Council Meeting; Rm. 23, 12:20 PM
SSC Mtg.; Office, 3:30 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM

Wednesday, February 27
PFC Legislative Field Trip to Sacramento; all day
California Symphony; MultiPurpose Room
9:20 AM-9:50 AM: All K
9:55 AM-10:25 AM: Spain & Sturman
10:45 AM-11:15 AM: Thompson & Finta

Thursday, February 28
Student Council Jamba Juice Fund Raiser for Christopher Rodriguez; 10:25 AM
Student Council Officer Forum; Stanley School, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM

Friday, February 29
Stanley Jazz Band, 5th grade Concert; MultiPurpose Room, 11:00 AM-11:30 AM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MultiPurpose Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Monday, March 3
READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK: Dr. Seuss's Birthday
Guest Readers' Day: 9:50 AM
Reception in Lounge; 10:25 AM
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM

Tuesday, March 4
4th Grade STAR Writing Test
Bargain Book Bonanza; noon
LASF Math Night; MultiPurpose Room, 6:30 PM

Wednesday, March 5
4th Grade STAR Writing Test make-up

Thursday, March 6
RAPPORT Mtg.; District Office, 9:00 AM
5th Grade Colonial Days; Samman Barn, all day

Friday, March 7
End 2nd Trimester
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Saturday, March 8
RUN FOR KIERAN; Stanley Middle School, 9:00 AM

Sunday, March 9
Daylight Savings Time begins

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGES

A. KINDERGARTEN & NEW 1st-5th GRADE STUDENT REGISTRATION FOR 2008-2009: We are now accepting kindergarten and new 1st-5th grade registrations for the 2008-2009 school year in the Office. 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.

B. THANK YOU to all 4th grade parents and friends who attended last Thursday's 4th Grade Winter Concert! The talent that was showcased to the community was fabulous! Well done, 4th graders! Many thanks to Liz Brummel, Janet Johnson, Vicki Ghulam and LASF volunteers and accompanists for making it all happen!

C. ATTENTION 3rd GRADE PARENTS: Results of the OLSAT (Otis Lennon School Abilities Test), which was administered to third graders in the fall, are now available for you to pick up at the school office. You are invited to attend a parent information night on Wednesday, February 13 at the District Office at 6:30 pm. A general interpretation of the scores will be provided. Results must be picked up by a parent. If you would like to have the results mailed to you, please send a stamped, self -addressed envelope to the school office. Students who have been invited to participate in the self- contained magnet classes at Burton Valley will be notified by February 9. Questions regarding test results or placement in the self-contained magnet class at Burton Valley may be directed to Rachel Zinn at the district office (284-7011).

D. 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. Jarvis' class students participate in "Readers' Choice" to supplement the Houghton Mifflin reading program. Students can select a book of their choice, at a level that is "just right" for them and fits their "rule of thumb". In small Literature Circles, students use higher level thinking skills while discussing story elements and asking others about the novels they've read.

*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!!!


1. THANK YOU to the 3rd grade for their annual Semi-Freddi's Crouton and Apple Juice SMILE TRAIN FUND RAISER!!! The Smile Train Organization provides cleft palette surgery for $250 per surgery for those in need across the globe. Thank you Springhill students and community for supporting the 3rd grades' special effort for this worthy organization!

2. STUDENT COUNCIL JAMBA JUICE FUND RAISER FOR CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ: A notice will be coming home shortly to order your Jamba Juice for Thursday, February 28, to support Christopher Rodriguez, the 10 year old Oakland boy shot and paralyzed while having a piano lesson. Thank you Student Council for your compassion and concern for this unfortunate boy.

3. MARCH FUND RAISER: Be looking for Student Council to sponsor a fund raisers to address school supplies for a classroom in the village of Sotuba, outside of Bamako, Mali, in West Africa. More information to follow!

4. PENNIES FOR PATIENTS: We will have our annual Pennies for Patients drive to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from March 10- March 28. More information to follow!

5. RUN FOR KIERAN; Stanley Middle School, 9:00 AM, SATURDAY, MARCH 8!!!

Well I do not know about all of you but I am continuing to soak up this wonderful sunshine!

I have wonderful news to announce. On Tuesday evening our school board approved Phase 1 of our Springhill Garden/Outdoor Interactive Classroom proposal. Melissa Edwards, Kathy Hemmenway and Kim Brast have been working diligently on this project for nearly two years now. We are thrilled that the project is finally going to begin. We hope to start as soon as we feel the rainy season has ended. Please come by in the springtime to check on our progress.

I have a few reminders for all of you this week. The Parent Party RSVP's are due on Monday the 18th. You can mail them in or drop them off in the office. Also, all donations are due by Friday the 15th (wine toss donations will be accepted until the 29th). Please feel free to drop off any donations at the home of Stri Zulch.

Again I would like to invite everyone to attend our General PFC meeting on Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30 in the Library. Afterwards, please attend our Parent Education Night at Stanley Middle School in the MP room.

Lastly, the school board will be conducting a second special session in regards to the budget cuts that are anticipated from the State of California. It will be on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:00 pm also in the MP room at Stanley.

Please remember that there is no school on this Friday the 15th and this Monday the 18th. I hope you all enjoy the long weekend!!

Corrine Christensen
2007/2008 Springhill PFC President
joeandcorrine@msn.com

The impact of Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed $4.8 billion cuts in school funding will be real and painful. What can you do? Here's how you can make a difference:

Attend Advocacy Day, February 27. It is during these extraordinary times that the voice of concerned parents and citizens make the biggest impact. Take some time; sign up for the Advocacy Day Trip http://www. lastrampaspta.org/08AdvocacyDay.pdf. Bus transportation from Lafayette and lunch are included. Sign up deadline to assure a seat is February 15. All requests afterward will be accepted as space allows.

Join the Letter Writing Campaign. The Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs has launched a letter writing campaign to the state legislators. Pre-written letters will be collected and hand delivered to our Sacramento officials on Tuesday, February 19. I need the letters by the 14th. Please go to this link www.lastrampaspta.org/ letters.html for the instructions and letters. If you missed the 14th deadline, you can send signed letters directly to the official or leave them in my mail box in the office and I'll send them to augment the ones delivered on the 19th.
Please pass this on to anyone that may be interested; your voice matters!!!
Please note that the Lafayette letters are to the governor and our two representatives. You needn't limit your letters to our own reps. Letters to the other members will be noted as well, other letters are on the website listed above. Please call (925.283.7956) or e-mail (kfguthrie@earthlink.net) Karen Guthrie if you have questions.

JUST THREE WEEKS TO GO!!

LASF Corner/Math Fair Corner

The Math Fair is only three weeks away! Mark your family calendars for Tuesday, March 4, 2008 from 6:30-8:30 pm in the multipurpose room. This year we have a new festival!

Build It! One of our most popular festivals, Build It! brings out the engineer and architect in everyone. Participants exercise their design, problem-solving, and spatial skills by constructing in two and three dimensions. We bring the building materials; the school community brings the creativity! Station instructions are available in Spanish.
Topics: Two- and Three-Dimensional Geometry, Tessellations, Proportion, Spatial Visualization, Creative Problem Solving

If you think you would like to be a volunteer for this years Math Fair please contact Meagan Hagglund at meghagg@comcast.net or 925-381-6613.
Thank you!

This Week in the Library

Since Valentine's Day is February 14 and the Presidents' Day holiday is coming up at the end of this week we have shifted our focus to some skills lessons for our older students and some holiday reads for the younger ones.

What kind of valentine would you give to your dog? Would it be different than the valentine you'd give your grandmother or your brother? The kindergartners heard the book If You'll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant. A young child is making valentines for all the special "people" in his life. Ask your kindergartner which valentine she liked best.

This week in the library we also continued to read some of the nominees in the Primary category and the Picture Book for Older Readers category for the California Young Reader Medal award. To find out more about CYRM visit their website at http ://californiayoungreadermedal.org.

This year's nominees for the Primary category are:
Dex: The Heart of a Hero or previously titled Superdog: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner. Illustrated by Mark Buehner
The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning.by Sandra Horning. Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
Henry and the Buccaneer Bunniesby Carolyn Crimi
I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. Illustrated by David Catrow
Traction Man is Here! by Mini Grey

This year's nominees for the Picture Books for Older Readers category are:
Basho and the River Stones by Tim Myers. Illustrated by Oki S. Han
Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Uhlberg. Illustrated by Colin Bootman
Mr. Maxwell's Mouse by Frank Asch. Illustrated by Devin Asch

We can mail letters and packages, but have you ever tried to mail a hug? The first and second graders heard the book, The Giant Hug. Owen wants to mail a hug to his grandmother but his mother is not sure that's possible. Ask your student if he's able to mail his hug. This sensitive look at how others respond to simple friendly gestures was a perfect fit for Valentine's Day, as well as being another nominee for the CYRM.

Our third through fifth grades did some information literacy work this week. They reviewed the use of a print encyclopedia, focusing on scanning keywords and headings to help them zero in on the information they needed to read in order to answer their questions. Third graders learned about different presidents of the U. S. Fourth graders learned about different countries around the world. And fifth graders focused on a variety of scientific and historic topics. We discussed the reliability of the encyclopedias they were using and how getting a quick overview could help them in working on a large project. We also made sure to note the name and date of the encyclopedia and the volume number, a first step in learning to cite their work.

New Books in the Library
Have you ever wondered what it really would have been like to be a knight? In her book A Day in the Life of a Knight Andrea Hopkins explores everything from a knight's courtly duties to the food he ate to the games he played, complete with a glossary and index. This is a fun title sprinkled with little quizzes for all those who can't read enough about medieval life and times.

Happy Birthday to our Author/Illustrator of the Week!
David Small was born on February 12. He has written and illustrated several children's books of his own, among which are Imogene's Antlers, and Ruby Mae Has Something To Say and illustrated even more books for many other authors, including The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and Company's Coming by Arthur Yorinks. He won the Caldecott Medal in 2001 for his illustrations in So You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George. You can check out all of these and many others either here or at the public 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

Calling All Parents! We have many volunteer opportunities for the 2008/2009 school year and beyond. Take a look at the list below to see if there is something that might interest you! All jobs can be shared. In fact we encourage it. Many of the jobs can be done at home, too! To get detailed descriptions of these positions, please visit the PFC website at springhillpfc.org/pfcleadership under Job Descriptions. For more information, please contact Beth Brown @ 482-7956 or pfcprez@yahoo.com.

EXECUTIVE BOARD
Vice President, Communications
Vice President, Fundraising
Treasurer, Receipts & Disbursements

COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Assemblies/ Red Ribbon Week, (Co-Chair)
Auditor
Book Faire, (Co-Chair)
Bulletin Board
Club Fit Field Day (5th Grade Parents)
Directory/Membership (Co-Chair)
Direct Solicitation, (Co-Chair)
Drama Coordinators, (Co-Chair)
Fall Fundraiser
Friday Flyer Editors, (Co-Chair)
Golf Tournament
Health & Wellness, (Co-Chair)
Lafayette Reservoir Run, (Co-Chair)
Notice Board
Old Board/New Board Dinner
Parent Party (Co-Chairs)
Scorpion Days
Year Book (Co-Chairs)
Young Authors

Thanks for your continued support of our school!
Beth Brown
VP of Communications, 2007/2008

You want your child to eat healthy foods, but what makes up a healthy diet? Which nutrients are necessary and in what amounts?

Nutrition for kids is in some ways similar to nutrition for adults. Everyone, regardless of age, needs the same types of nutrients - such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals - just in different amounts. Children differ from adults in that they have periods of rapid growth and development. And children generally have fewer nutrient stores to draw from, making proper nutritional intake essential for healthy growth and development.

So what's the best formula to fuel your child's growth and development? Go to this link to find out more: http://www. mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-for- kids/NU00606

For additional wellness information, log onto lafsd.k12.ca.us/wellness.html. Also feel free to contact the Springhill Wellness Committee if you have any questions....Erin Benisek, Anne Bone, and Meagan Hagglund.

Spring Chess Session
Chess Challenge! If you are new to chess or polishing your skills, come develop your understanding and enjoyment of the king of games! Lessons and play combine the skills of thinking and creativity with the thrill of sport.
Classes include 20 minutes of instruction and 40 minutes of play. Boards and sets are provided. All levels are welcome.
The spring session of chess class will begin February 25 and end April 21, with no class March 31, 2008.
The fee is $120 for the eight week class. Classes are from 2:45-3:45, Mondays.
You can join for a pro-rated fee at any time. Class minimum is ten and maximum is twenty.
Please go to Berkeleychessschool.org in order to register online, or call 510-843-0150 and speak to Judy or David to pay by credit card.
Sonia Shiri is the parent liaison (510) 520-6026, shiri@berkeley.edu


STICK SCHOOL LACROSSE AT SPRINGHILL
Stick School is a Recreational, Coed, Non-Contact Lacrosse program for 2nd-5th grade students. Unlike traditional sport leagues focusing on winning or losing, our program focuses on learning and improving. Each Stick School camp/course is comprised of recreation style games and a Reward Program designed to instill knowledge and confidence. Our expert instructors promote the physical, emotional and mental growth of each participant in a safe enjoyable environment. Stick School LLC provides all equipment & instruction necessary for a child to develop his/her stick skills. Our goal is to provide a stepping stone to Club and High School Lacrosse which in turn will assist in the growth of this great sport. The spring program will be on Mondays, beginning March 10 and ending on May 5, after school from 2:45 - 3:45. Applications can be downloaded from the PFC website, Springhillpfc.org (look under "Resources") or from the vendor website, www.stickschool.org.


Run For Kieran Quinn-memorial run/walk 2008
Our 2nd annual Run For Kieran memorial walk/run will be held on Saturday March 8 at 9:00 AM. It will begin at Stanley Middle School. There will be a 2 mile FUN Run and a 7 mile RUN Run. Again, we will have new great tie-dye(peace) t-shirts for this year's run.
If you are interested in participating in the run/ walk and/or receiving a t-shirt complete the following information: Name, Address, Phone, email, and T- Shirt size from Children's X-Small to Adult XX-Large and reply back via EMAIL as soon as possible. We will need your shirt orders back NO LATER THAN: FEBRUARY 12th in order to have the shirts completed in time for the run. Email orders to: quinnsix@sbcglobal.net. Entry forms are also available on the classroom door to room K-2. T-shirt/entry fee is $15.00 per shirt/entry. Please make checks to: Bridget Quinn 1905 Hannibal Dr. Lafayette CA.
Proceeds from this event goes to Springhill Elementary School - Instructional Support Program and the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford - Department of Medical Genetics.
Thank you for your interest,
The Quinn Family


JUMP ROPE FOR HEART IS BACK!!
As you probably know, Springhill has been participating in the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart for the past 13 years!! This year's event was kicked off Monday, February 11 with an assembly by the American Heart Association that not only educates the children about their hearts and how to keep them healthy, about how the event works BUT Also was exciting because the team of junior high rope skippers were there to show them all kinds of neat tricks with the ropes and double dutch play!!
The information/sponsor forms will be in your child's Friday Folder this week. If you and your child decide to participate, their permission slip will be due back the day of your child's Club Fit the week of the 18th (that's a holiday) . . .because that's when we JUMP!! The sponsors do not have to be returned until the following week- the 28th-that way they have TWO weeks to collect money for those fabulous prizes- including a possible trip to Disney World!! Besides the AHA gifts for participation, Club Fit runs their own- including FREE Club Fit for the class that jumps the most amount of times!! AND! Pledges can be collected online! It's easy, it's educational, it's fun and !! we donate to a GREAT cause!
Questions? Ask your classroom teacher or leave a message for me with Ms Sturman! Thank you from us all!
Roberta Noel (Ms.Club Fit)


Photos for Yearbook
Parents we need cute shots of your kids! And don't be shy, the more photos you turn in, the better the yearbook. Please submit for any events that have occurred this year. In order for us to track correctly, we have the following requirements: For digital photos, please turn in a cd only (no prints of digitals) of jpegs labeled with your name, phone number, and the event(s) included. Important: If you have multiple events on one cd, separate shots into different event folders. Better: Put only one event on each cd. If you still have 35mm photos, we much prefer to receive cds, (Costco cost for a cd = $2.89), but we will take hardcopies too. Write your name, phone, and event on the back of each 35mm print. Turn in to the Yearbook slot in the office. Lastly, if you have 6 or less photos to submit, then you can email them to our photo editor. Please contact Lucie Paladino, 979-1252 for the correct email address. Any questions? Contact Danna Wright dannawrighton@aol.com, 945-1212.


Auction Wine Toss Reminder
Please drop off your wine toss donations by the PFC area in the school office by Friday, February 29th. There is a wine box designated for the auction. Please include your name on the bottles or send us an email to confirm that you have contributed.
Thank you!
Maria Nelson (mariasnelson@comcast.net)
Wendy Gilberd (wgilberd49@yahoo.com)


To all incoming 6th-8th Grade Stanley Middle School Families. Can you put your financial acumen to help with the Stanley PTA? We are in search of someone to become our PTA Treasurer for the 2008-2009 school year. Why is our search so early? Ideally, we would like this person to spend some time with our current Treasurer, getting up to speed with Stanley's finances. If you have any interest, please contact Michelle Chan at 283-9519 or mmchan6@yahoo.com. Thank you !

The Lafayette School District Parent Ed Committee presents:
Anti-Bullying and Communication Skills Workshop
Has your child ever been bullied? Has your child come home in tears because they were excluded from an activity? And you didn't know what to say? Or do?
By Rick Phillips MS.Ed
Director/Founder of Community Matters
*Nationally renown speaker who has been featured on Good Morning America *
Equipping Parents to Address Bullying, Other Forms of Mistreatment and Communicate with their Children More Effectively
This is a two hour workshop that will help parents, of all ages, interact and communicate with their children on some tough topics. The workshop will address the impact bullying- cyber-bullying, physical and relational - has on learning/academic achievement, child development and school climate & security.
When: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Where: Stanley Middle School Library
Time: 7:30 PM


Turning the "Sex Talk" into On-going Opportunities for Open Communication in elementary & middle school years
Heidi Winig, MEd., MPH and Ahna Suleiman, MPH, sex & health educators
Moraga - Joaquin Middle School, February 21, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
No fee, register in class
To reserve a seat, please RSVP to Nancy Chilimidos at lpparented@yahoo.com
Not sure when it's time to begin talking with your child about sex? Not sure how to start? Not sure once you've started, what to actually say? Sex educators, Heidi & Ahna, health educators with extensive experience in pediatric & adolescent health will provide you with the tools and capability to appropriately & effectively begin the dialogue and then maintain a high-level of open communication. These highly-acclaimed speakers have teamed together and presented numerous seminars in Contra Costa County, most recently in conjunction with the Acalanes Unified School District and Miramonte High School, on the topic of talking to children about "the taboo issues" of sex education.


Living in the World of i-Phone,Wii & MySpace.com: Modern Means of Connection or Tools of Addiction?
Thursday, February 21, 2008, 7:00-8:30pm, library
No fee, register in class
Rsvp to Vera Babor at vbabor@acalanes.k12.ca.us
Speakers: Steven Freemire, MFT and Dominic D'Ambrosio, MFT
Steven and Dominic will discuss the many issues parents and teens face navigating the ever changing, potentially harmful world of communication technologies. Assessing and recognizing the differences between use, abuse and dependence of cell phones, internet, video games, T.V., etc. will be discussed in the context of adolescent development and family life. This presentation aims to support parents by increasing understanding of these issues while also offering practical ideas and tools to help manage their children's use and potential overuse of these "means of connection or tools of addiction."
Reinforcing the positives that technologies offer while preventing and breaking unhealthy patterns of use will be emphasized.

Kids Hideout Spring Break
Hideout Goes Hawaiian - March 31st through April 4
Aloha! Sign-ups are available for Spring Break. Please register by February 29th to receive 10% off Camp fees. We will be taking a field trip to the Bowling Alley on Tuesday and having a Bounce House here on Thursday. Register early! Space is limited!
Please contact Beth at 283-7808 or beth@kidshideout.net for information or to receive a packet!


Interested in Girl Scouting around the world? The Lafayette Girl Scout Association invites you to attend Girls Around the Globe: A World Thinking Day event on February 22 at the United Methodist church in Lafayette . Come visit booths from around the world and learn about the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Please contact Hanna Woodman at hwoodman454@yahoo.com for details and registration information.

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Beth Roosa: fridayflyereditor@yahoo.com

All entries due Wednesday before 3:00pm. Entries must be kept brief, please.
Subscriber info: annmariemwarren@yahoo.com

Web: http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/springhill