Friday, December 12
LASF Science Fair Project Entry and Display Board Order Form comes home in Friday Folder
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
Deadline for LASF Science Fair Project Entry and Display Board Order Forms
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
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Wednesday, January 7
Lunch outside
LASF General Board Mtg.; Stanley Library, 7:00 PM
PFC Executive Board Mtg.; Lounge, 5:30 PM
Thursday, January 8
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
Friday, January 9
Stanley Jazz Messengers, 4/5 grades; MP Room, 11:45 AM-12:15 PM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Garden Work Days:
* Wednesdays (9-11am) 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13
* Sundays (2-5pm) 1/25, 2/22, 3/22, 4/26

A. KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION: Kindergarten Registration for the 2009-2010 school year will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM, and Wednesday, February 4, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM and all days following. Registration packets may be picked up from the Springhill Office after January 12 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.
B. 1st-5th GRADE REGISTRATION FOR 2009- 2010: We will be accepting 1st-5th grade registrations for the 2009-2010 school year starting Monday, February 9. 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.
C. SCIENCE FAIR: Please check the calendar and the LASF Corner of this week's Friday Flyer to find out what is happening with Springhill's Annual LASF Science Fair to be held Wednesday, January 28, 6:30 PM, in the MP Room. There are many deadlines before then, so check it out!!! Thank you, LASF!
D. 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.
E. MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING in the realm of curriculum for your students and our teachers. Once again, Springhill School had 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 observed by at least 15 other teachers. Thank you to the PFC for being a major sponsor of this cutting edge curriculum project.
F. YET 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 GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT CHARACTER EDUCATION & SPRINGHILL's CHARACTER COUNTS! PROGRAM BY OUR OWN JEAN FOLLMER IN THE LAMORINDA WEEKLY AT: http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archiv e/issue0220/Character-Counts-Character-Education- in-our-Schools.html

Thanks, Jean Follmer!!!

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://characterco unts.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. THANK YOU TO ALL SPRINGHILL STUDENTS WHO PAID IT FORWARD LAST SUNDAY by attending the annual Lafayette Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony in downtown Lafayette with Mrs. Ghulam. Students sang Somewhere Out There and Peace Like a River. Well done and thank you for upholding the Pillars of Caring and Citizenship!
B. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO KIDS FOR KIDS and to Girl Scout Troop 30814 for collecting new toys to be distributed to foster children in our county this Holiday season. Way to pay it forward and uphold 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 CONDUCTED ITS FIRST PAY IT FORWARD FUND RAISER this year 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. Thank you to all students who purchased a QUENCHERS nutritious smoothie yesterday to benefit this worthy cause! Thank you, Student Council, for upholding the Pillars of Responsibility and Citizenship! Well done!!!
E. 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 Mr. Anke's 4th grade, students are grouped according to pretests in all new math units allowing them to be taught at exactly their own level.

*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.

Thanks to all those who were able to attend the Parent Ed Character Counts! information night. I'd also like to thank Gina Ceragioli for bring fruit coffee and bagels in the morning to the workshop participants, Corrine Christensen for organizing the lunch for the staff and Rhodora Del Rosario for providing the treats for the evening event! Many thanks to you three!

Thank you all for the donations to the CC COUNTY FOOD BANK DRIVE. Many families will benefit from your generosity this Holiday Season.

Thank you Girl Scout Troop 30814 for collecting and delivering toys to children in our community through the To Kids For Kids program. I am sure that your actions will bring Holiday cheer to many needy children.

Soccer uniforms are still being collected by Girls Scout Troop 31116 through December 19th. These uniforms will be sent to children in other countries. Great job girls!!

The LASF Science Fair is just around the corner. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 28th. Sign-up forms are coming home today in the Friday Folders and are due back next Friday, 12/19! Please encourage your child to participate in the fun and exciting event!

Happy Holidays!

Beth Brown

2008-09 Springhill PFC President

pfcprez@yahoo.com

482-7956



Quote for the Week:
 Dear Santa, I can explain!

JUST IN! LASF "SCIENCE FAIR FEVER" HAS HIT SPRINGHILL ELEMENTARY!

SIGN UP FORMS FOR SCIENCE FAIR ARE DUE NEXT FRIDAY!
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.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
TODAY, December 12th, the Project Entry Form and other pertinent display information are coming home in your child's Friday Folder. Forms can also be downloaded from the LASF web site, http://w ww.lasf.org/links/li_sci_fair.html .
FRIDAY, December 19th (day before break begins) is the Deadline for Project Entry forms and display board orders.

Please turn display board orders into the Science Fair Box located in the front office. Be sure to enclose payment of $5 (CASH PREFERRED or check) in an envelope. If your child does not know what their topic is just yet, no worries, just leave that section blank. Please be sure to get your forms in on time!

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 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)

Don't Miss the LASF Online Survey
Next Monday, December 15th, LASF will launch an online survey as part of a major strategic planning effort. The results of the survey will directly impact strategic planning outcomes, so don't miss your chance to weigh in. A link to the survey will be sent to parents via an eBlast from Fred Brill, LAFSD Superintendent. The link will also appear in this eNewsletter and at www.lasf.org. You can also learn about LASF's strategic planning initiative at www.lasf.org.

Root for the Warriors With LASF
LASF heads to Oracle Arena on Saturday, February 21st for "Lamorinda Community Night" with the Golden State Warriors! The price of admission includes a major league package: A hefty snack, an autographed photo, a half-time free throw shoot, a post-game "meet and greet" and more. Proceeds from the event will benefit LASF, so it's a slam dunk. For more info and tickets, call Ashley Hurdle at 510- 986-5704 or email her at alhurdle@gs-warriors.com. And a three-point thanks to Lafayette parent Cassandra Montgomery for bringing us this winning event!

This Week in the Library

During this three week period between the Thanksgiving break and the Winter break we touch upon several of the many holidays celebrated around the world at this time of year. We also take a closer look at the three major holidays of this season- Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas.

So last week, in addition to focusing on Jan Brett's books, we also took a look at the relatively new holiday of Kwanzaa. Created by a professor in the 1960's to celebrate African Americans' heritage and to encourage African Americans to plan and work towards a better future, it has slowly become more widely known and celebrated. We looked at a typical Kwanzaa display and learned how many African Americans celebrate this holiday with family and friends.

This week our focus is on the celebration of Hanukkuh by many Jewish people around the world. We explored the history of the holiday and looked at symbols that help those who observe this eight- day celebration, sometimes referred to as "The Festival of Lights", to remember the great miracles that happened at that time.

It's a drought year and a small far-off village has no oil with which to light the Hanukkah lights. So Hayim writes a letter to the Almighty and sends it off on the wind, asking for enough oil for everyone in the village to celebrate. Fifth-graders talked about the themes of betrayal and faith, noted the miracle of that time and place, and found many details in the intricate art of Letter On the Wind, by Sarah Marwil Lamstein, art by Neil Waldman.

In an Old Country village a poor but loving family faces a Hannukah without enough cooking oil to make the usual fried treats and too much snow to be able to go to the store for more. The family decides to make the oil in the jar last, but by the seventh of the eight nights the oil is gone. Fourth graders saw how creative a family could be in the story The Miracle Jar by Audrey Penn.

Mendel the peddler has no money so while the rest of the town celebrates Hanukkah his children can only enjoy the scent of the wealthy merchant Feivel's latkes. When Feivel discovers what the children have been doing on the eighth night of Hanukkah, he insists that the family must pay him. But Rabbi Yonah demonstrates the true meaning of Hanukkah to the whole village. Third graders enjoyed the now classic story by Nina Jaffe, In the Month of Kislev.

Second graders enjoyed the wild chaos of a modern family's Hannukah celebration in Brian Cleary's hilarious (and all too true to life) story, Eight Wild Nights.

Another, more traditional take on modern-day celebrations is Our Eight Nights of Hanukkah by Michael J. Rosen, which I shared with the first graders.

What do you do with a shiny new dreidel that won't stop spinning, but heads out the door and down the street? You chase it of course and soon the whole city is chasing it too. Does that ring a bell with anyone? It did with our kindergartners who made the connection with a certain runaway gingerbread man when they heard the story Runaway Dreidel! by Lesléa Newman.

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

Winter Break at Kid's Hideout
Hideout is still accepting registration for the Winter Holiday Break. If you need care, or just want a fun place for your kids to hang out while you finish shopping, please pick up a registration form today! This form can be picked up from the office, or downloaded from the internet: www.kidshideout.net under Forms, Inservice Days, December Minimum Days. Happy Holidays!

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!

PAY IT FORWARD
- Send a holiday greeting card to a recovering american soldier! Greeting cards have already been provided! Stop by the Springhill Office and pick up a pre-addressed greeting card from the display box on the desk. All you need to do is add a message inside the card, put a stamp on it, and drop it in the mail. A former Springhill student is providing the cards as a service project. Help to comfort an injured american soldier this holiday season.

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.

A Thank You from Acalanes Valley and Ridge
Slurp by slurp and slice by slice the Student Council and Springhill Elementary as a whole has helped us build a better community. Thank you! Your support will provide a safer path for pedestrians in this Lafayette community. To learn more, read the article in the December 10th issue of Lamorinda Weekly or visit us at www.acalanesv alley.com. As one final push to meet our goal, we will be at Mountain Mike's in Lafayette on December 18. When you place your order, say it's for Acalanes Valley and Ridge neighborhood and they will donate 25% of your bill (excluding alcohol). Dine in, carry out or have delivered some great pizza by a locally owned business. Thank you again from Acalanes Valley and Ridge neighborhood!

Legislative Team Update: Gov calls Fiscal State of Emergency, Schools in the Crosshairs

Urgent letter-writing campaign for education!

The Governor has declared a "fiscal state of emergency." The budget deficit is projected to reach $28 billion by 2010, threatening cuts to education funding well beyond the $2.5 billion cuts to education in the November budget.

What can we do?

A. Send more letters to Sacramento to let them know that they can't mortgage our children's future to balance the budget. Our 7000 letters delivered last April got their attention. We need to do it again, before the Governor's new proposed budget is presented (expected to be January 12th) and before the budget deadline runs on January 15th. Download and sign letters for our Legislators. Here's the link for the Lafayette letters- www.lastrampaspta.org/dec08_letters.html.

Leave your signed letters in the office, a box will be on the PFC table. Get a set from every eligible voter you know. Sets for signing will be on the PFC table. Additionally, volunteers will hand out and collect sets next week at drop off and pick up. Signed letters need to turned in by the 19th. We'll collect the letters and hand deliver them to the officials in early January.

B. Mark Your Calendars and Make a Difference: The 2009 Education Advocacy bus trip to Sacramento is Wednesday, February 18. More information will follow.

For more information contact: Karen Guthrie, Legislative Representative, 925.283.7956, kfguthrie@earthlink.net

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!


CALL OUT TO ALL JAZZ MUSICIANS AND JAZZ FANS
Generations in Jazz Foundation is presenting a Jazz night at Joe's of Lafayette featuring our own Bob and Kyle Athayde on December 20th from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.. We want all returning high school graduates (and current students) of our area to come and join the Athaydes for some holiday jazz...BYOH (bring your own horn). Drums and amps will be provided. There will be a $10 cover charge which will go towards providing hors d'oeurves. So come to our first annual "Home for the Holidays Jazz Night" at Joe's. A full bar will be available for the evening for those of legal age!

Details:
Where- Joe's of Lafayette, 3707 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
When- Saturday, December 20th
Time- 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Cover Charge- $10 includes hors d'oeurves
BYOH- Bring your own Horn
For more information, contact Jay Lifson, CEO, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce at 925.284.7404, jay@lafayettechamber.org

Moraga Parks and Recreation
Check out the new Activity Guide for Moraga Parks & Recreation! New users receive a 20% discount on enrollment. For more information visit www.moraga.ca.us or call (925) 888-7045.

Twas the Opening Night Before Christmas!
A Brand New, Original Holiday Musical, starring many Springhill graduates!!

December 20, 1:30 and 7:30pm
DVC Theater, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill
For more details, visit www.peterp anfoundation.org

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:
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 Susan Candell: 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