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 with Dina MacDonald; Stanley Library, 6:00 PM-8:00 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
Wedneday, January 28
MP Room closed; lunch outside
LASF Science Fair; MP Room, 6:30 PM
Thursday, January 29
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
Monday, February 2
Groundhog Day
Chess Club; Library, 2:45 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3
Kindergarten Registration, 2009-2010 School Year; MP Room, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
PFC-Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade
Bargain Book Bonanza; noon
Wednesday, February 4
Kindergarten Registration, 2009-2010 School Year; MP Room, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
PFC Meeting
Executive Board: Lounge, 5:30 PM
General Session: Library, 7:00 PM
Thursday, February 5
4th Grade Winter Concert; MP Room, 7:00 PM
Friday, February 6
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Library & Rm. 25 2:45 PM
Garden Work Days:
* Wednesdays (9-11am) 2/11, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13
* Sundays (2-5pm) 1/25, 2/22, 3/22, 4/26

A. THANK YOU TO THE STANLEY JAZZ MESSENGERS AND MR. BOB ATHAYDE for the brilliant concert you provided for our 4th and 5th grades last Friday. It was a beautiful way to start the New Year and confirms the fact that all of our elementary school musicians are in wonderful hands when they get to middle school! Thank you also to Mr. Tommy Davidson, LASF, Mrs. Lori Franzke for making it happen!
B. 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 scrumptious, delectable and ambrosial!!!
C. ORANGE JUICE NOW ON SALE: Students may now buy orange juice for 75 cents during lunch time.
D. 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.
E. 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!
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://charactercount s.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. BE PREPARED TO PAY IT FORWARD IN 2009 with a variety of opportunities to uphold the Pillars of Caring, Responsibility 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!!!

Mrs. Finta's 1st grade has the Book Bag Program: First graders have reading homework each night. It's critical to choose "just right" books to build their reading fluency, build on what they know while not reaching a frustration level where the child shuts down. The Book Bag program allows each child to take home 3 books that are matched to their instructional reading level. These books are read repeatedly over the course of the week. The books and bag are returned to begin again on Monday with 3 new books. The child's book level is raised as their ability increases.
*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.

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.

Are you working on those science prjects? The LASF Science Fair is just a week and half away. This event will be held on Wednesday, January 28th.. Don't miss it!

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!

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!

Enjoy your three day weekend!

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

Quote for the Week:
Leadership is the ability to hide your panic from others.

Thanks to Online Survey Participants!
LASF President Darci Chan extends a sincere thanks to all members of the Lafayette community who responded to our survey this past December. The high level of response reflects how much our community cares about education and gave us a lot of useful input to work with. Over the next few months LASF will be digesting research results and utilizing them in the ongoing strategic planning efforts. We will also be working on ways to make the results available to our public.

LASF Science Fair
"Science is simply solving puzzles; it needs imagination and determination."
- Physiologist and geneticist Frances Ashcroft
This quote is from a terrific new website at UC Berkeley called Understanding Science http:// undsci.berkeley.edu/article/intro_01 It is a great educational tool for teaching and learning science and was set up in order to dispel misconceptions about science. Click on the section called "Fair tests - a do-it-yourself guide" which is especially relevant for science projects.

IMPORTANT DATES!

TODAY, Friday, January 16th:
Science Fair project assistance in library at lunch. All parents and students welcome. We will help you come up with project ideas or how to test your hypothesis.

NOW until the date of the Fair, Library:

1. View the Golden Microscope trophy which will be given to the class that has the highest percentage of enrollees.
   
2. See the bar graph with the Trophy to see how YOUR class is doing!
   
3. Observe 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)

LASF Beneficiary of Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
In December, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce presented LASF with a check for $8,500 from proceeds of the 2008 Lafayette Art & Wine Festival. The Chamber distributed a total of $22,350 to 12 organizations, with LASF as the grateful, main beneficiary. Lafayette is very fortunate to have business leadership that recognizes the value of local public education, and LASF thanks the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for its consistent and vital support.

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 an all-star 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!

Legislative Update Taking Action:
The budget crisis continues in Sacramento . Here's a link to a recent Chronicle article that highlights the concerns we have for education funding- click here. This link shows how California fares in per student spending- per student spending

We have two action items:

First- Letter Writing Campaign-
Thanks so much for getting your letters in. The Las Trampas Creek Council delivered over 11,000 letters to officials last 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.

Second- 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- register here.

Lamorinda Weekly-
Thanks fellow Springhill parent Jean Follmer for the article she wrote in last week's copy, here's the link to that article, lamorinda weekly

Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg Rep Karen Guthrie, 925.283.7956 or kfguthrie@earthlink.net.

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

SAVE THE DATE -
2009 Springhill Golf Tournament
Friday, May 8th, 2009 - 1:00 pm
Boundary Oaks Golf Course, Walnut Creek

Details to follow. Come on out and have some fun!!

"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

Roughing It Day Camp is a traditional outdoor day camp located at the Lafayette Reservoir for children 4 1/2-16 years of age. We offer instruction in horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, fishing, sports, crafts, outdoor education and more. Roughing It has been helping children grow in wonderful ways since 1972. Our program builds friendships, teamwork skills, and confidence. Summer 2009 Day Camp Sessions run: June 22 - July 17, 2009 and July 20 - August 14, 2009. See www .roughingit.com for registration and program information.
* This year we are proud to donate a $500 certificate to the Spring Hill Auction as a way of giving back to the community.

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

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