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

Sunday, December 7
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Monday, December 8
Student Council Mtg.; Rm. 23, 12:20 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
LSD Board Mtg.; DO, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, December 10
PFC-Sponsored Poets-In-the-Schools; 4th grade (see schedule)
Cub Scout Pack 200 Mtg.; MP Room, 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Thursday, December 11
Student Council QUENCHERS Fund-Raiser for Acalanes Valley Ridge Association Road Safety Improvement Drive
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM

Friday, December 12
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Monday, December 15
Everyday Math Inservice; HVE Library, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
CLUB FIT in MP Room; all day
District Dialogue Committee; DO, 3:30 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM

Tuesday, December 16
RAPPORT Meeting.; DO, 9:00 AM
CLUB FIT in MP Room; all day Lunch outside
"A Christmas Carol" FT, Walnut Creek; 3rd gr./Wong, 10:30 AM-2:30 PM

Wednesday, December 17
CLUB FIT in MP Room; all day Lunch outside
PFC Teacher Appreciation Luncheon; Lounge, noon
Psych. Mtg.; DO, 3:00 PM

Thursday, December 18
4th/5th Grade Core Music Winter Concert; MP Room, 1:30 PM
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM

Friday, December 19
Minimum Day
All K: 8:15 AM-11:35 AM
Gr. 1-3 students dismissed at 11:50 AM
Gr. 4-5 students dismissed at 12:00 PM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 12:15 PM

Saturday, December 21
Winter Solstice
Hanukkah begins at sundown

Monday, December 22
Hanukkah

Thursday, December 25
Christmas

Friday, December 26
Kwanza begins

Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Year's Day

Monday, January 5
School Resumes

A. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL, RESTFUL AND THANKFUL THANKSGIVING!!!

B. PLEASE NOTE ON THE CALENDAR THAT PICTURE MAKE-UP DAY IS TUESDAY, December 9, 8:45 AM-9:45 AM in the MP Room. This is the only day we could get for picture make-ups before Winter Break.

C. THANK YOU TO ALL PARENTS WHO ATTENDED THE PFC CHARACTER COUNTS! PARENT ED NIGHT LAST TUESDAY. FOR THOSE WHO COULD NOT ATTEND, ASK YOUR CHILDREN WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CHARACTER COUNTS! AT SPRINGHILL SCHOOL AND CHECK OUT THE PAY IT FORWARD/CHARACTER COUNTS! CORNER EVERY WEEK IN THE FRIDAY FLYER. ALSO, A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PFC AND ESPECIALLY CORRINE CHRISTENSEN, BETH BROWN & GINA CERAGIOLI for providing the staff with a delicious lunch and breakfast goodies during our all day CHARACTER COUNTS! Staff Inservice last Tuesday.

D. THANK YOU ALL WHO ATTENDED OUR ANNUAL BOOK FAIR: Raising funds for our Library has never been more fun! What a fantastic selection of reading material!!! A huge thank you to Gabrielle Ohleyer, Melissa Johnston, Sharon Swan, Darcy Cole & Sherry Mattern for making this magnificent week come together.

E. MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING in the realm of curriculum for your students and our teachers. Once again, Springhill School has the services of "consultant extraordinaire", Dina MacDonald in Mrs. Finta's 1st grade and Mr. Anke's 4th grade, pursuing higher thinking strategies in language arts from Thursday, December 3, to Tuesday, December 9, culminating in a demonstration lesson in each of the teacher's classrooms to be observed by at least 15 other teachers. Thank you to the PFC for being a major sponsor of this cutting edge curriculum project.

F. 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!!!

G. 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.

A. A PAY IT FORWARD OPPORTUNITY: All 2nd-5th Grade students are invited to join Mrs. Ghulam at the Lafayette Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony this Sunday, December 7, at 5:30 PM in downtown Lafayette. Students will be singing Somewhere Out There and Peace Like a River. Hope to see you there upholding the Pillars of Caring and Citizenship!

B. TO KIDS FOR KIDS: Girl Scout Troop 30814 is collecting new toys to be distributed to foster children in our county this Holiday season. The green collection bin is in front of the office until Wednesday, December 10. Let's pay it forward this holiday season to those less fortunate by upholding the Pillars of Caring and Responsibility!

C. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FOOD BANK: We began our annual CC COUNTY FOOD BANK DRIVE on Monday, 12/1/08, and will conclude it on Friday, 12/12/08. Please consider bringing canned goods and dried goods for those less fortunate than ourselves during the holidays and upholding the Pillars of Responsibility and Caring. No fresh or frozen foods, please. Thank you for paying it forward!

D. THE STUDENT COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED that its first PAY IT FORWARD FUND RAISER this year will be to benefit THE ACALANES VALLEY AND RIDGE ASSOCIATION's DRIVE to improve the safety of the car and foot traffic on Stanley Blvd. All of our students are prospective Acalanes High School students and their safety in the future is as important as it is today. Be looking for information to come home on Friday, December 5, for your child to buy a QUENCHERS nutritious smoothie to benefit this worthy cause! QUENCHERS DAY itself will be Thursday, December 11, at first recess. Thank you, Student Council, for upholding the Pillars of Responsibility and Citizenship! Well done!!!

E. WELL DONE, FOURTH/FIFTH GRADE GIRLS!!! We have a group of eleven 4th/5th grade girls who are selflessly getting together every Monday and Friday at lunch and picking up trash on the Lower Field and playground. Others are welcome to join them! Let Mr. Wodhams know who you are if you do join. Very well done, ladies. Thank you for paying it forward and upholding the Pillars of Respect, Responsibility and Citizenship!!!

F. SOCCER EQUIPMENT DRIVE: Girl Scout Troop #31116 continues to collect all LMYA soccer uniforms and soccer equipment in case you still want to donate! Last year, we collected over 1,500 soccer uniforms (representing 110 complete teams!) as well as hundreds of shin guards, soccer shoes, and balls which were shipped to needy youth/kids in Afghanistan, Africa, and Haiti. Donation boxes will be located in front of the Springhill Office up until Friday, December 19th. Thank you for paying it forward and upholding the Pillars of Caring and Citizenship!

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 3rd grade, there is a "BRAIN ZONE" activity center, where each child keeps a red binder in a "special projects box". When a child has finished an assignment, or shown proficiency in a subject area by "testing out" of a unit test in math, he or she is able to go to the "BRAIN ZONE", and choose a project to work on independently for that week, or sometimes for the month, depending on the chosen project.

*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.

I hope you all had a very restful Thanksgiving break, and I'm sure all your tummies are still quite full. With this in mind, please consider donating to our annual CC COUNTY FOOD BANK DRIVE. The bins will be available to accept donations of canned and dried foods through Friday, December 12th.

Calling all soccer uniforms! The girls scout troop 31116 is collecting soccer uniforms through December 19th to send to children in other countries.

Girl Scout Troop 30814 is hosting a toy drive called To Kids For Kids through December 10th. These toys will be delivered to children in foster care in our county this holiday season.

Beth Brown

 2008-09 Springhill PFC President

 pfcprez@yahoo.com

 482-7956



 Quote for the Week:

 The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.

LASF Science Fair
Parents, it's the time of year to begin encouraging your child to participate in the annual LASF Science Fair! Mark those calendars! This year's Science Fair will be taking place on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Just think of all the positive learning experiences your child will have while participating: they will learn about the scientific method, learn problem solving skills, practice writing and communication skills, develop expertise in an area of science, and most importantly have fun while feeling a sense of accomplishment. The Science Fair is a big event at Springhill. Remember to help guide and assist your child in the process while picking a question and mapping out a plan for their project.

Please note the following important dates regarding the LASF Science Fair:
Friday, December 12th, look for the Project Entry Form and other pertinent display information coming home in your child's Friday folder.

Friday, December 19th is the Deadline for Project Entry forms and display board orders.

It is never too early to start exploring topics! Check out the LASF web site, www.lasf.org and click on "Links" then "Resources for Students" then "Science Fair Help". You'll find project ideas and links to other science fair help web sites. If you Google "science fair projects" a number of other great websites are available.

If you have any questions you can contact the 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)

"Love LASF" Sign-Up Parties: A Great Gift Idea

There are still seats available for LASF Annual Event Sign-Up Parties. What a great gift idea for Lafayette couples or even a group date for you and friends! From a Louisiana Bayou party to a comedy night at Town Hall Theatre, there is a perfect party for everyone. Check out the available parties at www.lasf.org/annualevent/signup.html and call LASF at 299-1644 to reserve and pay for your seats.

December 1 is Jan Brett's birthday so we've been enjoying her books throughout the week. She is known for her detailed, carefully researched illustrations, her borders, and her endearing animal characters. She also has one of the most amazing children's authors' websites. With activities, games, downloads, etc. Check it out at http://www.janbrett.com/.

Tomten keeps stealing Henny's eggs so she and Hedgie plan to trick him into leaving her eggs alone. Kindergartners enjoyed seeing how Hedgie surprised Tomten in Hedgie's Surprise.

Daisy is the smallest of Mei Mei's six hens; she is constantly being picked on by the others. One night she falls asleep in a basket by the river and floats off on a series of adventures where she learns to fend for herself until Mei Mei rescues her. First graders enjoyed looking for the hidden creatures in Ms. Brett's landscapes in her book Daisy Comes Home.

Comet is a cat who's always getting into trouble. They say that cats have nine lives but, one by one, Comet loses his lives. He is down to his last life when a big hurricane hits his island. Second graders wondered if Comet would find a way to stay alive in Comet's Nine Lives.

Third graders spotted the circular nature of Ms. Brett's version of Town Mouse, Country Mouse. Two mouse couples switch places and learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side. As the story ends, an owl and a cat contemplate changing places.

Two of Ms. Brett's well-loved books are The Mitten, where eight animals manage to squeeze into a fallen mitten for shelter, and The Hat, where a woolen stocking stuck on Hedgie's head leads the other animals to find articles of woolen clothing they can use as head coverings. Fourth graders had fun listening to the two stories and then comparing and contrasting them. Since traditional literature often had a lesson or moral we finished up by discussing what the storytellers might have wanted their listeners to learn.

Our fifth graders are now well-versed in the Native American tribes they've been researching, but seldom have the chance to see what's happening with members of those tribes today. This week we read about six tribes and their current lives in Yvonne Wakim Dennis & Arlene Hirschfelder's book Children of Native America Today.

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 11 is "You can do it anytime."

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

When I introduced my future husband to my mother, she was very disappointed. She was upset because he was not Catholic. Little did she know that it was, in fact, my sister and not me who was in for a lifetime of conflict and compromise. My sister is in a "mixed" marriage. Not a racially mixed or a religiously mixed marriage. She is in a nutritionally mixed marriage, and oh the trials and tribulations.

You see my sisters and I were raised on whole grains and vitamin B complex. My mother made her own granola. Her own granola bars,. Her own homemade yogurt,! Our breakfast was a blender of OJ and protein powder. My sister's husband? His idea of breakfast is a snickers bar and a coke.

I know she is not alone. I know, in fact, that in many households across this land there is often not a united front in the nutrition wars. The nutritional conflict does not just exist between Evil Food Companies and the Perfect American Family. Sometimes it is fought between the resident Nutrition General and the other not so passionate parent. One trip to the grocery store yields broccoli and organic chicken and the next yields frozen chicken nuggets and Jell-O pudding pops. Arrrgggg! Why can't you just stick to the list????? (They both want to know).

Well, I am admittedly the nutrition general in our household. While I do not have the burden of total disagreement, I will call my husband a nutritional agnostic who does not see anything wrong with Jell-O pudding pops every once in a while. Still, nothing is more frustrating than when a month's worth of preaching and good habit forming discipline is undermined by one bad trip to Costco. What is a General to do?

Here is my best advice:

1) Remember that building good nutritional habits is a long term goal. This is a marathon not a sprint. Consistency will win because habits are formed over a lifetime. Keep offering those cheese sticks and apples when your kid is hungry for a snack and over time, they will reach for the cheese stick and apple out of habit.

2) If you don't want them to eat it - don't buy it. Don't buy stuff and have it in the cupboard for special occasions. That just leads to fighting and crying. If it is in the house they will find it and eat it. So make sure what they find is ok with you. Special occasion bad stuff should be bought only just before the special occasion. This of course only works if the nutrition general does the grocery shopping. If the other parent does the shopping sometimes, see number (1) above.

3) Knowledge is power - talk to your kids ALL THE TIME about what food does for (and to) their bodies. Protein builds muscles, calcium builds strong bones, and vegetables keep your bodies healthy with vitamins and antioxidants. I am amazed at my young children's ability to understand basic biology and absorb this kind of information. Even when they eat bad stuff I find a teachable moment - "Yes Katie, the reason you feel tired and yucky is because you were hungry and ate a Jell-O pudding pop and now your blood sugar is in the tank. Would you like a cheese stick? It will make you feel better."

4) Don't ever give up Nutrition General! You are on the "right side of history". Tons of processed food really is bad for your kids. Too much sugar and lots of soda pop and pesticides and high fructose corn syrup really is bad. The damage is done slowly, and over many, many years, but these are your kids and you want them to be healthy and strong so don't loose heart even if you lose a battle here and there.

5) To the Not so Passionate Parent - Dino nuggets are Ok sometimes but not all the time. Nutrition Generals are not crazy; they are usually just well informed. But sometimes they are both. Getting children to do all the things children have to do (homework, exercise, eat right) is soooooooo hard sometime - please help!!!

6) To the Nutrition General - see number (1) above.

OK. Is everybody on board? Great. Next week, I will be addressing the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict. Just Kidding.

Fabulous Jewelry to Benefit Springhill
Tres Jolie, an exclusive Beverly Hills jewelry boutique that caters to the Hollywood elite, will be donating several beautiful and unique pieces of jewelry to our upcoming Parent Party & Auction on March 14th " An Evening of Jazz at the Cotton Club." Just in Time for the Holidays: Purchase unique and beautiful items at www.tresjolie.us

Tres Jolie will donate 15% of every online purchase made by our parents from now until December 31st to the Springhill PFC. Simply enter code SPHILL at check out.

Winter Concert
Attention 4th and 5th grade parents: Springhill School presents its Winter Concert on Thursday, December 18 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room. 5th grade Music Core classes, Band/Chorus/Strings, will perform along with 4th grade Chorus and grade level singing by all 4th and 5th graders. Families and friends are invited to attend!

Girl Scout Toy Drive
To Kids For Kids - Please support this Toy drive for kids needing some holiday cheer this season. Girl Scout Troop 30814 is collecting new toys to be distributed to foster children in our county this Holiday season. Our green collection bin is in front of the office until Wednesday, December 10. We know you have many opportunities this season to share and we appreciate your consideration. For more information on this program, you can visit their website at http://www.galarc.com/gs/tkfk/contracosta.html" If you have any questions regarding collection, please contact Jodi Repstad at 933-6025.

Tree Lighting with Song
Hospice Tree of Lights Lafayette tree lighting Dec 10th is a Springhill pay-it-forward event. for grades 2-5. Families attend and students sing under the big oak tree between Starbucks and the Roundup on Mt.Diablo Blvd. across from Safeway. Time: 5:15 arrival, Event 5:30-6:00 . This is a short memorial event honoring those who have passed away . Candles and hot chocolate will be provided.
Children in grades 2 through 5 are invited to sing Somewhere Out There and Peace Like a River, both to be learned in class. Questions? contact vghulam@lafsd.k12.ca.us.

Downtown Walnut Creek On Ice
Back for its fourth season, Downtown Walnut Creek on Ice is now open everyday through January 25, 2009 in Civic Park! The rink is open Monday through Thursdays from 10am-10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-11pm , & Sundays 11am-8pm. Midweek pricing is $11 (includes skate rental) and $15 Friday nights at 5pm - through the weekend. Discount pricing available for school field trips & scout outings. Private ice rental available too! For more information, please call 925.935.SNOW or visit www.IceSkateWalnutCreek.com.

LAFAYETTE BOY SCOUT TROOP 224 CHRISTMAS TREE LOT OPENS NOV. 28TH
For over 25 years, Lamorinda has supported Lafayette's Boy Scout Troop 224 by purchasing their Christmas Trees from the Troop. This year the Troop will open their Christmas Tree Lot on November 28th. The Tree Lot is located at Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Risa Road (Next to the Veterans Building). Troop 224 receives several shipments of trees throughout the Christmas season directly from the tree farm in Oregon. This allows Troop 224 to offer you some of the freshest trees available. Plus, all the profits from the Tree Lot go directly to the operations of Troop 224. Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you at the Tree Lot.

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!

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. 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