Friday, November 14
Fall Music Assembly, Gr. 1-3; Multipurpose Room, 11:05 AM
Book Fair Set Up; Multipurpose Room
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Library, 2:45 PM

Saturday, November 15
LASF Function; Orinda Country Club

Monday, November 17
Book Fair; MP Room
Student Council Meeting; Room. 23, 12:20 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
LSD Board Meeting; District Office, 7:00 PM

Tuesday, November 18
Book Fair; MP Room
Lunch outside
RAPPORT; DO, 9:00 AM

Wednesday, November 19
Book Fair; MP Room
Lunch outside
PFC-Sponsored Poets-In-the-Schools; 4th grade
Cub Scout Troop 200; MP Room, 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Thursday, November 20
Book Fair; MP Room
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM

Friday, November 21
3rd Grade Pilgrim Feast; Upper Yard, 10:45 AM
End of First Trimester
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Monday, November 24
Staff Inservice Day/Student Holiday

Tuesday, November 25
Staff inservice Day/Student Holiday

Wednesday, November 26
Holiday

Thursday, November 27
Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 28
Holiday

Monday, December 1
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
School Site Council Meeting; Office, 3:00 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM

Tuesday, December 2
CHARACTER COUNTS! Staff Inservice; Library
Bargain Book Bonanza; 12:00 noon
CHARACTER COUNTS! Parent Ed; Library, 6:30 PM

Wednesday, December 3
PFC-Sponsored Poets-In-the-Schools; 4th grade
PFC Executive Board Mtg.; Lounge, 5:30 PM
LASF General Board Mtg.; Stanley Library, 7:00 PM

Thursday, December 4
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM

Friday, December 5
Report Cards go home
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Sunday, December 7
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

A. WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARACTER COUNTS!??? Mark your calendars for a PFC- sponsored parent ed night on Tuesday, December 2, delving into Springhill's character development program. Check out the SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER below to see where Springhill School is right now in that pursuit. More information to follow!

B. THANK YOU TO MRS. KRISTI BUCK & MRS. MELISSA LEE for an exceptional job on the PFC STUDENT DIRECTORY. Well done, ladies!

C. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH to Corrine Christensen, Dianne MacArthur and the PFC for the exceptional gourmet Teacher Appreciation Luncheon last Wednesday. As always, it was unbelievably delicious!!!

D. QUIET ZONES: Please remember that learning is still taking place in the upper grade classrooms until 2:40 PM and in kindergarten until 3:00 PM. As you congregate with your children in the main courtyard, the Lower Field asphalt area and in front of the kindergarten classrooms at the end of the school day, please respect these QUIET ZONE areas until all students are dismissed. Thank you.

E. BRIONES PARKING: We are always appreciative of those of you who use the Briones Regional Park parking lot to drop off or pick up your children as it significantly reduces the congestion in the front school parking lot. To ensure safety and a smooth flow of traffic in the Briones lot, I would ask that parents DO NOT park or stop in the area specifically marked NO PARKING (the spot near the boulders and gate to the lower school field). This practice can cause a back up onto the always busy Pleasant Hill Rd and the potential for an accident is great, particularly so on rainy days. Your cooperation is appreciated. Thank you.

F. Join the PFC! Register for e-SCRIP!!

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

CHECK OUT THE SIX PILLARS BANNERS HANGING IN THE CENTRAL COURTYARD!

Springhill School has recently sent a team of eight (four parents and four staff members, including myself) to San Francisco for three days this summer where we were introduced to an impressive, character development framework used nationwide known as CHARACTER COUNTS! It has an excellent track record primarily with schools, but also with sports organizations, businesses, nonprofit institutions, etc. We are eager to share what we learned at this workshop with the Springhill community. As parents, you will have opportunities to learn much more about how we might use CHARACTER COUNTS! as a framework for all that we do at Springhill. Through school communications, parent ed presentations from our PFC and your own children, you will be kept apprised of this endeavor as the school year progresses. CHARACTER COUNTS! is based on the Six Pillars: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. We are enthusiastic about every aspect of CHARACTER COUNTS! and are looking forward to introducing its components to the student body. Because of the way in which the framework is designed and the flexibility with which it can be implemented, it can serve as an umbrella under which we will continue our PAY IT FORWARD program and our regular SPIRIT WEDNESDAY activities, and, perhaps, can create the opportunity for a number of additional activities. You will be receiving much more news about CHARACTER COUNTS! as the year unfolds, but you may also access the following website for more information: http://charactercounts.org/

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 made a significant change in the Pay It Forward program last 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 no longer identify the specific students who performed the acts (e.g., "Two 2nd graders had a lemonade sale over the weekend and raised $30 for the school's Coins For a Cure Diabetes Drive.") 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.

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. Thompson's first grade class students are becoming writers using the methods of the NY Writers' Project. Every lesson includes a mini-lesson in which the teacher demonstrates the teaching point of the day. Each child is able to work at his/her own pace and within his/her own learning style to create a finished product of writing. If a child needs more time, he/she can carry on with an unfinished piece of writing. Or if the student is able to move on, he/she may start a new writing piece.

*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.

Don't forget, the LASF Annual Event is being held at the Orinda Country Club, tomorrow, Saturday, November 15th.

The annual Book Fair will be held next week. Besides the day hours, we will be offering evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Join us on Tuesday as we will have a magician to entertain our kids; and on Wednesday, Mr. Wodhams will bring his guitar so the kids can "sing along" with him. Also, on Wednesday night, we will be offering pizza and a drink for $3. Don't miss this fun Springhill event!

Mark your calendars now for Tuesday, December 2nd. PFC will be hosting a Character Counts! Parent Ed night. Come learn all out the Six Pillars and how to incorporate them into your home life as the kids are living it in their school life!

To find out how to get involved in the PFC, please visit the PFC website at www.springhillpfc.org, under PFC Leadership.

Beth Brown
2008-09 Springhill PFC President
pfcprez@yahoo.com
482-7956

Quote for the Week:
If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.

LASF Focus Groups

Dear Lafayette Parent,

The Lafayette Arts & Science Foundation (LASF) has embarked on a strategic planning process to ensure that, after a quarter of a century, it continues to support Lafayette public schools in the ways most valued by the community. We are currently planning market research to better understand the viewpoints of the people and organizations that we serve. In November, we will conduct focus groups for parents of children in Lafayette public schools, as follows:

Monday, November 17th, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Monday, November 17th, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 18th, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 19th, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

We invite you to consider participating in one of these discussion groups. Your perspective and ideas are very important to us, and we urge you to participate, regardless of your donor status.

Please note that the focus groups will last one and a half hours and refreshments will be provided. Evening focus groups will be held at the Stanley Middle School Library; the one day-time focus group will be held at a private residence in Lafayette.

If you would like to join a focus group, please click on the referenced link and complete the brief online registration form. If you have questions please contact Anne Granlund at LASFSTRATPLAN@gmail.com
Best regards,
Darci Chan LASF President

"Love Lafayette - Love Our Schools" This Saturday at the LASF Fall Party!

Don't miss LASF's Annual Event this Saturday night, November 15th. And don't miss the chance to win fine wine, rubies and local Lafayette goodies or to win a spot at parties with themes ranging from Mexico to the Louisiana Bayou! Go to http://lasf.org/annualevent/ for more information on raffles and sign-up parties, the event itself, and to purchase tickets. Or call the LASF office at 299-1644.

The LASF Science Fair Is Coming!

It's that time of year again to start thinking about your Science Fair project! The LASF Springhill Annual Science Fair is scheduled for the evening of WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28th, 2009. All students, K-4, are highly encouraged to participate and 5th graders are required. This is an exciting event for anyone interested in anything science-related. Physics, engineering, biology, botany, food sciences, exercise science, social science - these are some of the many subject areas that can produce science ideas for the Science Fair.

Now is the time to brainstorm ideas with your children. If you pace yourselves your project will be more successful and a lot more fun! Entry forms will be sent home soon along with practical how-to Science Fair information. All you need is a burning question and a guess as to what the answer might be (hypothesis). Then you test it and find out the truth. How much more water will evaporate from a cup put in the sun vs. the shade? Can I make more free-throw baskets shooting overhand or underhand? Do plants grow at different rates when given different plant foods? How many hours per day do school-age children use a computer - how does it differ by grade? Will a quarter and a feather fall to the ground at the same rate? What questions do you have? Jot a few down and see which ones look most interesting.

If you have any questions regarding the Science Fair you may contact:

*Your LASF Science Fair Chairs*
Rhodora Del Rosario (roepd@hotmail.com) Sharon Kidd (skidd@berkeley.edu)
(shadow) Kari Dahlen (kari@dahlen.com) (shadow) Heidi Rahlmann Plumb (plumbnest@mac.com)

The annual Springhill Book Fair begins this coming Monday, November 17, and continues through Thursday morning, November 20. You'll find a wide range of books for every reading level and interest, as well as some wonderful gift ideas. So come on over to the Multi room that week, do a little holiday shopping, and support our library! I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Has your child ever heard the phrase, "You have too many toys"? Kindergartners and first graders heard David Shannon's latest book, Too Many Toys. Spencer attempts to convince his mother that he needs each and every one of his toys. Finally, the two negotiate and agree upon a boxful of toys that can be given away. But when Spencer's mom goes upstairs to get the box, she finds something she hadn't expected.

Have you ever watched squirrels try to get the seeds from a bird feeder? In Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin second graders heard about Old Man Fookwire who wants to paint and enjoy the company of the many birds that come to his feeder. But the squirrels keep stealing the seeds. The battle is on as Old Man Fookwire comes up with all kinds of ways to foil these crafty critters, who just keep plotting new ways to get those seeds. But once the birds have left for the winter, things take a surprising turn.

Third graders are working on a Pilgrim project where they learn about the Pilgrims and journal thoughts and feelings as if they were actually experiencing the day- to-day life of a Pilgrim. So we shared Ann McGovern's book If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 to gain greater insight into what the Pilgrims' voyage was probably like, and then looked at pictures from the National Geographic book 1621: a New Look at Thanksgiving. The pictures, taken at Plimoth Plantation, showed reenactments of those early days in the settlement. Especially interesting were the pictures of the Native Americans, the Wampanoags.

Fourth and fifth graders were out of luck this week. Their scheduled library time is on Mondays and Tuesdays and we had no school either of those days. Ms. Bornfleth's class did come in on Friday morning to do some research on owls as part of their preparation for a buddy project.

Don't forget to check out our website at http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/index.htm. You will find monthly updates on what's happening at the Springhill Library, an updated library wish list, reviews of new books, and links to many helpful resources too.

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week, reason number 9 is "It makes time fly by."

Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist
smattern@LAFSD.K12.CA.US

TAKE ACTION UPDATE

Measure E
Congratulations on a job well done in getting the vote out for Measure E with a 63.8% victory. The support was overwhelming, once again showing what our community can do. But, our work is not over:

Education Funding at Risk, Possible Mid-Year Cuts of $2 to $4 Billion
"California could face a $10 billion budget shortfall this year, far worse than the deficit projected only weeks ago, officials from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office warned education leaders on 10/28, according to several schools representatives. In a special closed-door meeting between the governor and educators, Schwarzenegger warned that education funding could be cut by $2 billion to $4 billion to help bridge the looming budget deficit, Scott Plotkin, executive director of the California School Boards Association, said after a meeting with the governor. The governor also suggested that he might revive his proposal for a temporary sales-tax increase, which stalled when Republican lawmakers refused to support it. 'I think he was giving us a heads-up on his perspective of things, with the expectation that we would be sufficiently alarmed so that we would work with him and the Legislature and that the solutions won't be just cuts only,' Plotkin said. Any cuts to education funding in the middle of an academic year would be devastating for schools, Plotkin said. "Teachers are teaching, and bus drivers are driving, and there's no way schools can cut like that in the middle of the school year". With the state's financial woes not letting up, Schwarzenegger called a special legislative session Wednesday, a day after Tuesday's general election to deal with the budget gap.

Advocacy Day
This trip will be even more important this year. We need your input to make this an even more successful endeavor. Surveys were passed out at the PFC meeting Wednesday. If you didn't get one, extra copies are in the leg rep mailbox in the office. The surveys need to be returned to that mailbox or directly to Karen Guthrie by November 21st.

As these stories develop, parental support will be crucial to protect education funding. Questions? Comments? Contact Karen Guthrie, PFC Leg Rep, 925.283.7956 or kfguthrie@earthlink.net

Thanksgiving Break at Hideout
We are still taking sign-ups for Thanksgiving Week. You can go to our website at www.kidshideout.net and go to the FORMS page, under CAMP REGISTRATION WEEKS. The Winter Camp registration form is also on the website on under DECEMBER MINIMUM DAYS or CAMP REGISTRATION WEEKS. Sign up early for discount!! If you have any questions, please contact Beth at 283-7808 or beth@kidshideout.net.

Thank you from Children's Hospital of Oakland
Our 4th graders Daniel and Stanley Kvitko dropped off the donations this week. The volunteers at Children's Hospital were very grateful for toys and books as the hospital is running very low at this time of year and the holidays just around the corner. THANK YOU for your donations!

Donate Magic Tree House Books for a Good Cause
My name is Mika, mom of Kai in the 4th grade and Tomo in Kindergarten.

I am gathering for a 6-year-old boy in Australia, who relapsed leukemia for the second time. To make his days in the hospital easier, I am putting together a package of used books and also books on CD of the Magic Tree House series.

I am searching for book numbers 29, 32, 34, and 37 to complete the series, and any more recent ones. If your children are finished with these wonderful books, and you are willing to donate them please let me know.

I am also looking for the Magic Tree House books on CD to borrow. I am thinking of making copies of the CD before sending them, so that he can listen to the stories during those times when his parents do not have the energy to read them aloud.

I am hoping to send the package to Australia before the Thanksgiving. Please let me know in the next few days or in a week if you have some to donate.

Thank you.
Mika
cell: 510-334-5730
e-mail:mikaboow@comcast.net

Book Fair
Our book fair is hosted by "The Storyteller", a local children's bookstore in Hacienda Square. During the week of the book fair, if you decide to do more shopping or want to purchase books which you don't see at the fair, just inform them that your purchase should be credited to Springhill and a percentage of your purchase will be credited.

"Fish For A Great Book" at the Springhill Book Fair
Monday, November 17
7:45 am - 3:30 pm

Tuesday, November 18
7:45 am - 3:30 pm
Gerald's Magic! (6:30 pm-7:30 pm)
Shop while the kids watch the great magic show
Bring the blue booklist! (Evening hours 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm)

Wednesday, November 19
7:45 am - 3:30 pm
Family Night (Evening hours 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm)
Join Mr. Wodhams' Guitar Sing-A-Long (6:00 pm-6:30 pm)
Dine and Shop! Pizza slices $2, pizza & drink $3 (cash only, until 7 pm)

Thursday, November 20
7:45 am - 9 am - Last chance!

Please bring your checkbook if possible as credit cards such as VISA take 3% as a handling fee.

Bargain hunters get ready
The Lafayette Juniors' Rummage Sale will take place on Sunday, November 16th from 7am to 3pm at the Lafayette Community Center's Live Oak Room.

The annual event offers savvy shoppers a chance to find great discounts on a wide range of items including: furniture, kids clothes, baby gear, home accessories and designer fashions. There's truly something for everyone.

The rummage sale is a fundraiser for the Lafayette Juniors, a group dedicated to serving the community, especially women and children. All proceeds from the rummage sale will benefit programs helping local children and families in need.

For more information, contact: Juniors_Rummage@yahoo.com

Fundraising for Safer Streets
The residents of Acalanes Valley and Ridge, the neighborhood east of Acalanes HS along Stanley Blvd., are working with the City of Lafayette to make the streets safer for pedestrians. Help support our cause by participating in the following fundraisers:

-- Family portraits just in time for the holidays - Saturday, Nov. 15 11am - 1pm. $20 donation, digital files provided.
-- Eat at Mangia in Lafayette on Tuesday, Nov. 18 4:00pm - 10:00pm. Say your order is a fundraiser for the Acalanes Valley and Ridge Project!
-- Papyrus in Lafayette will donate 10% of your order to this cause.

For more info, visit www.acalanesvalley.com or email holly.sonne@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!!

Searching for the perfect gift for your favorite Teachers and Aides this holiday season?
Did you know the Friends of the Lafayette Library (FLL) receives thousands of books each month to sell in their Book Room? Did you know gently used children and adult titles at the FLL Book Room sell for a fraction of Book Store prices? A gift certificate purchased for your favorite teacher or aide will allow them to stock their classroom bookshelves or pick up great reads to enjoy over the holiday break. Gift Certificates are available at the Lafayette Library in any denomination - so consider giving a Friends of the Lafayette Library Gift Certificate this year!

International Travel Opportunities
Do you have a student who will be 11-17 years old during the summer of 2009? Would your student benefit from being exposed to children his or her own age from around the world? Would you like to find an organization that provides affordable international travel or exchange programs to broaden your child's view of the world? Join other Lafayette and Bay Area families at an informational meeting for CISV (Children's International Summer Villages) on Sunday, November 16 from 3:00-4:00 at the Lafayette United Methodist Church, 955 Moraga Road. For questions, call Stephenie Teichman at 939- 6603.

A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children
(James T. Webb, Ph.D. and others)

Join other parents for a discussion of this book and share your own parenting experiences and tips.
Monday, November 17, 2008, 7:00-8:30pm, library
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, 1010 Camino Pablo, Moraga no fee, register at event or on-line (course #05-6102) at http://adulted.acalanes.k12.ca.us/onlinereg/Classes.a sp? txtAction=LoadSections&txtCourseGroupID=1&txtCour seCode=0561 Questions & Comments? Vera Babor at vbabor@acalanes.k12.ca.us

Single Parents Series begins this month!
The Lafayette School District Parent Education committee introduces a series for single parent families with monthly meetings on a variety of topics. Our first gathering will be Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 7:00-8:30pm in the Faculty Lounge at Stanley Middle School. Local therapists Dianne Donnelly, Maureen Wallace and Cindy Perryman will be facilitating the discussion, From the Kids Perspective: Caught in the Middle, talking about how our kids see parents through divorce and how they struggle with loyalties to both Mom and Dad. Childcare will be provided for preschool age children through grade school children. Please contact k.felton@yahoo.com to make reservations for childcare.

Upcoming Meetings:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Holidays: Recreating Traditions
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Two House Tango:Schedules, Transitions, Household Guidelines
Tuesday, February, 10, 2009
You're Not My Mother: Introducing New Relationships to your Kids
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Whose Business is it?: What to say when, to whom, and how to say it.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Creating a Legacy: Remembering What's Important

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Traci Lawrence: fridayflyereditor@yahoo.com

All entries due Wednesday before 3:00pm. Entries must be kept brief, please.
Subscriber info: bethhutson@comcast.net

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