 | Important Items:
|
"The mission of the Springhill School Community is to learn, work and play in a safe place where respect for each other and responsibility for our own actions creates trust, teamwork and an atmosphere of friendship."
2008-2009 Springhill Spirit Theme:
PAY IT FORWARD
JANUARY SPIRIT REMINDER: RESPONSIBILITY
Show responsibility at your school by conserving energy, recycling and keeping the campus clean!
SPRINGHILL'S SIX PILLARS: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship
| | Calendar of Events | | Friday, January 9
Stanley Jazz Messengers, 4/5 grades; MP Room, 11:45 AM-12:15 PM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room & Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
LASF Science Fair display boards distributed to students' classrooms
Monday, January 12
Student Council Mtg.; Rm. 23, 12:20 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
LSD Board Mtg.; DO, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, January 13
PFC-Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade
Wedneday, January 14
PFC Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Lounge, noon
District Advisory Council Mtg.; DO, 6:30 PM
Thursday, January 15
LASF Science Fair project assistance in library at lunch.
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
Friday, January 16
Student Council Spirit Day: STUFFED ANIMAL DAY
LASF Science Fair project assistance in library at lunch.
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room & Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
Monday, January 19
Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Observed; Holiday
Tuesday, January 20
PFC-Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade
Wedneday, January 21
Parent Ed Night/Thinking Strategies w/Dina MacDonald; Stanley Library, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Thursday, January 22
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
Friday, January 23
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room & Rm. 25 2:45 PM
Monday, January 26
Chinese New Year
Student Council Mtg.; Rm. 23, 12:20 PM
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
SSC Mtg.; Office, 3:00 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200; MP Rm., 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Tuesday, January 27
PFC-Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade
RAPPORT Mtg.; DO, 9:00 AM
MP Room closed; lunch outside
Wellness Committee; DO, 3:15 PM
Wednesday, January 28
MP Room closed; lunch outside
LASF Science Fair; MP Room, 6:30 PM
Thursday, January 29
KidzArt; Rm. 25, 2:45 PM
District Strings Fest; AHS, 7:30 PM
Friday, January 30
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Library & Rm. 25 2:45 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200 Pinewood Derby; MP Room, 3:00 PM-9:00 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
| | Principal's Messages | | A. WELCOME BACK!!! I WISH A HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!
B. ORANGE JUICE NOW ON SALE: Students may now buy orange juice for 75 cents during lunch time.
C. NEW ADDITION TO STAFF: Please welcome Mr. Nik Kosach, our new PE Specialist, who takes Roberta Noel's position upon our return from Winter Break. Although, it is quite difficult to think of anyone replacing Roberta after twenty years, Nik will be a welcome addition to our staff. Roberta and her family have moved to Lone Pine in the Eastern Sierras---thank you, Roberta, for your many years of service to Springhill youth!
D. THANK YOU TO ALL PARENTS who attended our Winter Concert just before Winter Break. The 4th Grade Chorus and the 5th Grade Band & Orchestra gave an extraordinary performance. Many thanks to LASF and especially Liz Brummel, Wendy Clymer, Vicki Ghulam and all of their volunteer accompanists for guiding our student musicians so well. Well done, all!!!
E. ALL PARENTS: HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF LASF: As per an earlier e-blast LASF is inviting you to participate in an online survey regarding the future of LASF. Check out the website at: www.surveymonkey.com/LASF and please complete this survey if you so desire. Many thanks!
F. 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.
G. 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!
H. 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. DECEMBER WAS A BUSY MONTH FOR SPRINGHILL STUDENTS TO PAY IT FORWARD: Thank you to all students who participated in the Lafayette Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony; to all who contributed to Girl Scout Troop 30814's KIDS FOR KIDS Drive; to all who contributed to the Contra Costa County Food Bank; to all participated in the Student Council Quenchers fund raiser for the Acalanes Valley & Ridge Association drive to improve the safety of cart and foot traffic on Stanley Blvd.; and to those who contributed to Girl Scout Troop 31116's Soccer Equipment Drive for the youth of Afghanistan! Thank you all for upholding the Pillars of Caring, Responsibility and Citizenship! Well done!!! Be looking for more opportunities to Pay It Forward in 2009!!!
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!!!
Each week in Ms. McNaught's Kindergarten class, students are introduced to a new letter of the alphabet. One activity that the students do for each letter is the ABC dictionary. In their personal dictionary, students work at their own pace writing at least three words and color a picture that begins with the letter that they are learning. Due to the wide range of learners in kindergarten, students who have are emerging as writers simply write and draw 3 words and a picture. Some students, however, are challenged to write three words and then use one of their words in a sentence. As the weeks progress, many students begin challenging themselves by using as many words as they can in a sentence.
*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.
| | PFC President's Message | | Welcome to 2009! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family & friends. Did you make your New Year's Resolutions? I resolve to Make A Difference! Oh, yah, and I resolve to work off all those calories that I consumed during the many wonderful celebrations I attended during the break...
The LASF Science Fair is just around the corner. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 28th. You won't want to miss this fun and exciting event!
Thank you goes out to our Legislative Rep, Karen Guthrie, for organizing our last letter writing campaign. The Las Trampas Creek Council delivered 11,000 letters. It's not too late to turn your forms in if you didn't have the chance. Please place them in Karen's mailbox in the school office so they can be delivered on Advocacy Day, February 18th. Thanks for your support!
We are still looking for a Before & After School Enrichment Coordinator so that we can continue offering enrichment programs.. Please contact me if you would like information on this position!
We are also still looking for one or two 5th grade parents to organize our 5th Grade Field Day, which will take place at the end of the school year. This is an incredibly fun day for our outgoing 5th graders!
Our VP of Communications, Julie Donlon, will begin putting together her executive board and committee chairs for the upcoming school year within the next month or two. If you are interested in getting involved in the PFC, please contact her at uvdonlon@aol.com.
The Parent Party is just around the corner! If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact Stri Zulch at stri@zulch.com or Nancy Ishii at nwallce@comcast.net. You won't want to miss this jazzy event at the Blackhawk Museum on Saturday, March 14th!
Beth Brown
2008-09 Springhill PFC President
pfcprez@yahoo.com
482-7956
Quote for the Week:
My job is to be like a duck - calm and unruffled on the surface, and paddling like crazy underneath.
| | LASF Corner | | LASF Science Fair
The LASF Science Fair is coming! Wednesday, January 28th, from 6:30-8:30pm
We DO have extra display boards! Don't let late ordering stop your science fair progress. Contact Rhodora del Rosario for a display board at roepd@hotmail.com or 962-0438
Were your kids able to use the Winter break to get started on their science project? Well, there is still plenty of time to connect with your kids on a "scientific level" and help support them in a meaningful Science fair experience! If you have not turned your child's entry form in yet, please turn it into the Science Fair box in the office ASAP. Although the date has already passed to order a display board, "Staples" is a great option if you still need to purchase a board.
Remind your kids that putting together their display board can sometimes be the most exciting part of their Science Fair experiment! The display board is how they will be able to share their wonderful work with others. Encourage them to write down the necessary details while conducting their experiments. If they take good notes when it comes time to create the display board they will have all the information needed to transfer their information creatively, in a visually appealing way, to their board. Adding pictures (and photos of your child working on their experiment) to the display board is a wonderful way for your child to share their work and reduce the amount of writing, especially for younger students. EMERGENCY! What should your child do if their experiment doesn't work? Reassure your child that failed experiments are VERY common in Science. They should not be discouraged! Encourage your child to write about it, include a discussion about why it didn't work and what they might do differently next time.
IMPORTANT DATES!
TODAY, Friday, January 9th:
Display boards distributed to students' classrooms by the Student Council.
Thursday, January 15th and Friday, January 16th:
Science Fair project assistance is available in library at lunch. All parents and students are welcome. We will help you come up with project ideas or how to test your hypothesis.
NOW until the date of the Fair:
In the Library, view the Golden Microscope trophy which will be given to the class that has the most enrollees. View posters from last year on display to get ideas.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! FUN POSITIONS AVAILABLE!!
We are looking for Guest Scientists....Real "science" degrees not required! Our Guest Scientists will be interviewing students DURING THE SCHOOL DAY on Wednesday Jan. 28th. Watch for an email from your LASF room representative for shift times. We also need help before, during, and after the LASF Science fair. There are shifts during evening hours and before school for working parents. Please contact Sharon Kidd (274-1747; skidd@berkeley.edu) for volunteer info. She'll email you a list of jobs available.
Any questions? Feel free to contact the Science Fair coordinators for help coming up with project ideas, turning your question into an experiment, planning your test procedures, or with any other Science Fair questions. Contact: Rhodora Del Rosario (roepd@hotmail.com), Sharon Kidd (skidd@berkeley.edu), (shadow) Kari Dahlen (kari@dahlen.com), (shadow) Heidi Rahlmann Plumb (plumbnest@mac.com)
| | Legislative Update | | Legislative Update Taking Action:
Letter Writing Campaign-
Thanks so much for getting your letters in. The Las Trampas Creek Council delivered over 11,000 letters to officials this week!! If you have letters that you failed to turn in, please leave them in the office in my mail box. We'll deliver those on Advocacy Day.
A special thanks to Patricia Kuan, Kerry Bolen, Holly Nolen, and Corrine Christensen for handing out and picking up letters at drop off and pick up. You're the best!
Advocacy Day-
February 18th we hope to have 200 attendees descend on the capital to let the legislature know we're involved, educated advocates for educating California's students. Go to this link for more information and the registration form- http://www.lastrampaspta.org/2009_advocacy.pdf.
Lamorinda Weekly-
Thanks fellow Springhill parent Jean Follmer for the article she wrote in this week's copy, here's the link to that article, http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0222/P TA -Starts-New-Year-with-Two-Bangs.html
Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg Rep Karen Guthrie, 925.283.7956 or kfguthrie@earthlink.net.
| | This Week in the Library | | This Week in the Library Happy New Year!
Our Winter Break is over and we're looking ahead to January 28, the date of this year's Science Fair. Not only do we have several previous Science Fair entries on display, we still have several books filled with ideas for the perfect science fair project. And our theme this week is science.
We don't know much about snow days or ice here in Lafayette but they sure do in other places in our state and country. Kindergartners learned about winter in several different parts of the U. S. in the book Winter Signs of the Season Around North America by Mary Pat Finnegan.
Did you know that mother emperor penguins lay an egg which the father transfers to his feet and tucks into his brood pouch? While the mother is off looking for food, the father, along with thousands of other penguin fathers, takes care of the egg, without eating, for two whole months. First graders learned how baby emperor penguins hatch and grow in The Emperor Lays an Egg by Brenda Guiberson.
Many people like to collect things but how many have taken their passion and made it into a career? Carol Otis Hurst writes about her father's passion for collecting, labeling, and displaying his rocks in her book Rocks in His Head. Eventually, his knowledge of rocks convinced the local science museum board of directors that he would be the perfect curator for their rock collection, even though he had never gone to college!
Sometimes science fair projects have unexpected outcomes. One third grader orders some super-slime on the internet and the "fun" begins. Third graders enjoyed Judy Sierra's book, The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School.
The Magic School bus books still delight and intrigue children of all ages as they join Ms. Frizzle's class to learn, in a very hands-on way, about many aspects of science. So you can just imagine what happens when Ms. Frizzle's students need science fair projects. As they tour science through the ages (in a cardboard replica of their bus!) they get ideas from Galileo, Newton, and other famous scientists in The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition by Joanna Cole.
Jon Scieszka had his young student character exploring math in everything he saw in his book Math Curse. The fifth graders heard about a student in Mr. Newton's science class who found himself seeing everything around him through a scientist's eyes-and then putting what he saw into verse-in Scieszka's book Science Verse. The poems were intentional take-offs on a number of well-known poems, some of which the students recognized; the artwork by Lane Smith often paid homage to the original poems.
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 14 is "You'll make your teachers proud"
Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist
smattern@LAFSD.K12.CA.US
| | Community Items | | Attention all 5th Grade Boys!
BOY SCOUT Troop 224 OPEN HOUSE Monday JANUARY 12th!
Come check out Troop 224 during our Open House 7:30 to 9:00PM on MONDAY, 1/12
We have many Springhill alumni in our Troop!
Our Scouts will demonstrate orienteering, fire extinguishers and other scout skills while you enjoy famous (and fun) Troop 224 s'mores. Troop 224 meets at Happy Valley Elementary School in the brown Scout Hut behind the Multi Purpose Room. Our Scoutmaster is Robert Lyman: Recruiting Coordinators are Cheryl Tyler (283-2506 or ctcalbear@comcast.net) and Janet Shestakov (283-9525 or jshestakov@btmg.com). Please RSVP to either Coordinator or call to arrange a visit on a different date.
"East Meets West" in Lafayette
East meets West in Lafayette, January 27 - February 5, when the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation (LLLCF) sponsors a two-week Asian Arts and Culture celebration in concert with Chinese New Year. Lafayette's residents will have the opportunity to take on Survivor finalist Yau-Man at the ping pong table, learn about Chinese cooking and culture with author and TV chef Shirley Fong-Torres, and try their hand at brush painting, calligraphy, origami and a Tea Ceremony. All of these events and more are free of charge and open to the public. The two-week celebration ends with a benefit fashion show for LLLCF, featuring three San Francisco boutiques which fuse their clothing lines with unique Asian- influenced accents. Tickets are $85. Purchase at the LLLCF website, www.lafayettelib.com or by calling (925) 935-2374. A complete schedule of events can also be found on the website.
Sweet Thursday on January 22
Join the Friends of the Lafayette Library in a discussion with Laura Shumaker, Lafayette resident and author of A Regular Guy: Growing Up with Autism. Shumaker tells the story of her autistic son, Matthew, and his family's inspiring story of love and acceptance. Her beautifully written book is a must- read for families affected by autism, as well as a great source of inspiration for anyone. January 22 at 7:30 pm.
Register Now for Town Hall Kids Winter Theatre Classes.
Join Town Hall Theatre this winter for the Bravo program's production of "Once Upon a Dream, " a classic story of Cinderella. Enjoy the excitement, drama, majesty and thrills of this ageless story where pumpkins become elegant coaches, mice become men, and rags turn to riches with the wave of a wand! This class is for kids ages 7 to 11 years old. Classes start in January. Town Hall's classes expose children of all ages to theatre arts while developing self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills. Each class culminates in a performance. Hurry, space is limited. We have many more classes for preschoolers, middle-school kids, and teens. Located at 3535 School Street, Lafayette. For more information and to register on-line visit www.townhallkids.com, call 262-1159 or email classes@townhallkids.com.
CAMP GALILEO RETURNS TO LAFAYETTE! Camp Galileo is a summer day camp serving kids in Pre- K through 5th grades. Founded in 2002, Camp Galileo inspires kids to imagine new ideas, collaborate with peers and express themselves creatively. Kids enjoy art, science and outdoor programming every day, wrapped in fun camp traditions and delivered by highly enthusiastic staff. Our hands-on curriculum is developed in partnership with The Tech Museum of Innovation, de Young Museum and Klutz. To enroll or learn more, visit www.galileo-learning.com or call 800-854- 3684.
Contra Costa Children's Chorus
Contra Costa Children's Chorus will be holding auditions for the semester starting in January. Call (925) 945- 7101 x200 or email frontdesk@childrenschorus.org today for an audition appointment. CCCC is also pleased to announce it's Summer Theatre Programs. "Into the Woods" and "Broadway Goes West." Call (925) 945-7101 x203 or email programs@childrenschorus.org for more information. Contra Costa Children's Chorus has provided quality musical education for 25 years. Come join us! Website: www.childrens chorus.org
| | Classes and Seminars for Parents | | Special Evening
Please join us for an evening with Thinking Strategies Coach and Expert Dina Macdonald.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009, Stanley Middle School ~ Library, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
**Please note: This is Session II - "Inferring". R.S.V.P. to Sandy Campbell at 927-3511 or scampbel@lafsd.k12.ca.us no later than January 16th as seating is limited. Thank you to District Parent Education for sponsoring this event. This is not a repeat of the first parent training workshop. This second session is a deeper, more extended presentation of the thinking strategies. Dina will discus all of the thinking strategies, but will focus primarily on inferring. You will learn how to use inferring with your child as you work with him/her to navigate difficult texts.
Keeping Up with Our Kids - Parenting the NET Generation
Jason Brand, licensed clinical social worker, who specializes in helping families build positive relationships with technology.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 7:00-8:30pm, library Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, 1010 Camino Pablo, Moraga
no fee, register at event or on-line (course #05-6105) Here
Questions & Comments? Vera Babor at vbabor@a calanes.k12.ca.us
| Quick Links... | |
|
