A. I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A WONDERFUL, RELAXING AND SAFE SPRING BREAK!!! ONLY NINE MORE WEEKS OF SCHOOL . . . CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???
B. CONGRATULATIONS TO KIM BRAST, Springhill Science Teacher extraordinaire, selected by the City of Lafayette to receive a 2008 Award for Environmental Excellence ("Green Award"). Kim, with the other seven winners, will be recognized at the upcoming City Council meeting on April 27th, starting at 7:00 PM, at the Community Center (Manzanita Room). Well done, Kim! We are all very proud of you!
C. LOST & FOUND: Come soon to check out those lost treasures and items of clothing that you thought had been swallowed up by the school forever. On Friday, April 24, we will be donating all lost and found items to a charitable cause, so come and claim what is yours. Thank you.
D. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH to Corrine Christensen, Dianne MacArthur and the PFC for another exceptionally delicious gourmet Teacher Appreciation Luncheon this last Wednesday. The staff was treated to a plethora of salads, all of which reached uncharted heights of savoriness!
E. AFTER SCHOOL ISSUES: All students (unless parentally supervised) are to be off campus by 3:00 PM. Because there is no adult supervision before or after these times, there can be no exceptions. Students still on campus after 3:00 PM will be brought to the office and parents called to pick them up. The school cannot take on the liability of having unsupervised students playing on the yard after school. If you have daycare needs, please take advantage of the private daycare facility on site: the Springhill KID's HIDEOUT at 283-7808. If you have business on campus after school, DO NOT send your child to the yard to play unless you are willing to supervise your child and ONLY your child. Thank you for your understanding and support.
F. PLEASE READ: It is imperative that all of you, parents and visitors alike, check in to the Office upon your arrival on the Springhill campus and get a visitor badge whether you are here as a classroom volunteer, a field trip chaperone or just delivering homework to your child. For the safety and security of your children, there can be no exceptions to this rule. Please remember that not every visitor to our school may have benign motives for his/her presence or may have legal restrictions upon his/her being on campus. Help us keep your children safe by following this rule. Thank you.
G. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS whose artwork was chosen to represent Springhill School in the GOOGLE LOGO CONTEST!!! Their entries have been forwarded to the regional level of this competition. Good luck and a job well done by Charlotte Toney (Mrs. Quinn's kindergarten); Erin Hemmenway (Mrs. Thompson's 1st grade); Kate Schirmer (Ms. Spain's 2nd grade); John Gainey (Mrs. Caldwell's 3rd grade); Anastasya Izmailova (Mrs. Newcomb's 4th grade); Julia Lauer (Ms. Hungerford's 5th grade). Runner-ups were Alyssa Burtis (Mr. Anke's 4th grade) & Sabba Jweainat (Ms. Bornfleth's 5th grade).
H. Join the PFC! Register for e-SCRIP!!

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Success can produce pleasure, but only significance can generate fulfillment."
--- Michael Josephson

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.

A. PENNIES FOR PATIENTS, our annual drive for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society began upon our return from Spring Break, Monday, April 6. Collection boxes are in each classroom and the main Office for any change you can spare. Thank you for supporting the Pillar of Caring!!!
B. REDUCE SPRINGHILL's CARBON FOOTPRINT (and get some exercise as well!!!): Supporting our Pillars of Respect (for the environment) and Citizenship (a community effort), Springhill hopes to introduce a tradition of Wednesday Walkers--encouraging students to walk or ride bikes to school daily, but particularly on one day of the week. Of course, we would not encourage such a practice unless conditions were safe for our walkers and bike riders. With this in mind, Springhill School is partnering with the City of Lafayette to pursue a state grant to build a walkway on Springhill Road from the corner of Pleasant Hill Road to the corner of Goyak Road. You will be receiving an online survey regarding this pursuit via e-mail shortly. Let us know your thoughts! Thank you.
C. JUMP ROPE FOR HEART HAS CONCLUDED FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR!!! GET IN YOUR PLEDGES TO THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AS SOON AS YOU CAN. Thank you for supporting the American Heart Association and the lifelong health of those who participate! Thank you, Nick Kosach (Mr. CLUB FIT), the students of Springhill School and the American Heart Association!

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. Graham's kindergarten class, students are provided with Differentiated Instruction during the daily morning message. During this interactive writing and reading lesson, beginning readers become detectives searching for the letter of the day, filling in missing consonants, practicing correct letter formation and spacing between words. Emerging readers identify and spell sight words and simple CVC words, read simple sentences, and help decode the message. Advanced students, provide missing punctuation, spell more challenging words and answer the questions asked in the message. All students are provided access to the same material, but can participate at their own ability level.

The Legislative Analyst has announced the current budget has an $8 billion shortfall. As state resources continue to dwindle, we need to continue to remind Sacramento not to shortchange California's children and teachers. As part of the State Budget signed in late February, Sacramento legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger agreed to a statewide special election to take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, asking voters to approve six propositions that were originally tied to the budget staying balanced. (although that was 8 billion dollars ago...) However, at least three of the propositions directly change how education is funded: Proposition 1A, Proposition 1B, and Proposition 1C.

Click here to read the State Legislative Analyst's analyses of the Propositions:
http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/ballot_source/P ropositions.aspx

Your Las Trampas Creek Council of PTA's Legislative Team continues to look for ways to protect education funding for our children. Your involvement and interest in this process is critical. The best thing you can do for your child's education is stay abreast of legislative issues affecting education!!

Keep informed, sign up for Get Smart http://www.lastrampaspta.org/getsmart_dec07.html

Please also stay abreast of local policies affecting our elementary schools and Stanley Middle School as budgetary issues develop. Sign up to receive information about School Board meetings on the School District's website: www.lafsd.k12.ca.us. Click on the "parent" tab to enter your email address.

This Week in the Library

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week, reason number 24 is "You can live many lives."

April is National Poetry Month across the country and we celebrated poetry this week with many of the classes. It's also the first full month of spring.

Do you remember watching tadpoles change and grow into frogs when you were a kid? The kindergartners heard Vivian French's book Growing Frogs about a little girl whose mother helps her to experience the wonder of watching frogs grow bigger and bigger.

Have you ever thought of a garden from the perspective of the creatures who call it home? Aphids, crickets, beetles, katydids, many more bugs, and some other garden denizens are all characters in Kurt Cyrus's book Oddhopper Opera: a Bug's Garden of Verses, which the first graders heard this week.

How better to experience the four seasons in the forest than through Deborah Ruddell's book A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: a Forest of Poems, which the second graders heard this week. Their five senses got a "real" workout!

An almanac is filled with hundreds of interesting facts, but how do you find the one piece of information you're looking for quickly? This week the third graders practiced using the table of contents to help them answer questions in The World Almanac for Kids.

Can poems in the voice of garden vegetables have any meaning to kids' lives today? How about a pumpkin who is taunted because of its pale color? Or a zucchini who spreads rumors? Or packets of seeds dreaming about what they want to be? Fourth graders heard and discussed the different levels of meaning in Juanita Havill's book I Heard It from Alice Zucchini: Poems about the Garden.

Do you know what a clerihew is? How about a tanka? Or a sonnet? Fifth graders talked about different forms of poems using Paul Janeczko's book A Kick in the Head, which has examples of these and many other poetic forms, and then heard and discussed several poems featuring landmarks or interesting sights in various states in Tour America: a Journey through Poems and Art by Diane Siebert with illustrations using many mediums by Stephen T. Johnson.

Don't forget to check out our website at http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/ind ex.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.

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

We had a tremendous turnout on March 22 from Acalanes High School at our Garden Work Day. Over 50 students worked the afternoon away accumulating community service hours!!! A lot was accomplished in the garden: our erosion control project is complete, 3 picnic tables were assembled for the kids, a sunflower tee-pee has been planted - stop by to see our progress.

Thank you to Jim McCreary - McCreary Tree Service (Megan's Dad, 1st Grade) & East Bay Tree Service for donating wood chips that will be used for mulch throughout the garden!!

Our next Garden Work Days is Sunday, April 26 from 2- 5pm. See you there!

Splish, Splash, Summer Bash at Hideout!
Kid's Hideout is now accepting registration for summer. Please visit our website at www.kidshideout.net/FORMS, then go to the "Summer - Camp Hideout '09" section at the bottom of the page. Register early for discounts!! We will be open EVERY WEEK this summer (that's 10 weeks of care!). Each week will include activities in baking, cooking, arts, crafts, sports, science and drama/dance. We will also have Wheels Days, Tasty Tuesdays, Field Trips, Pool Days & Bounce House Fridays each week.
Register & pay all fees by Friday, March 20th to receive 10% off "Camp" fees and receive free extended care. Invite and enroll with a NEW family and you both receive 25% off of one weeks' "Camp" fees. See registration form for details! For more information, please call Beth at 283-7808 or beth@kidshideout.net. Come soak up some sun with us this summer!

Stick School Lacrosse at Springhill

Hi Stick Schoolers,
Spring and Summer Events are now ready for registration @ www.StickSchool.or g .
Please come have some fun in the Sun!
Are you feeling ready for contact lacrosse? Check out: www.Laxing.org to further your game!

The City of Lafayette Sponsors a Free Bike Safety Rodeo for Kindergarten through 6th Grade Students.

The City of Lafayette will host a free Bike Safety Rodeo on Sunday, April 19, at Stanley Intermediate School, located at 3477 School St. The Rodeo is designed to train children, from Kindergarten through 6th Grades, safe practices when riding a bike. Parents and children are encouraged to drop by between 12PM to 4 PM to benefit from the instruction offered by this event. Students will learn about bike safety practices, the "Rules of the Road", and practice riding through a mini-version of a city sidewalk and street. The event will also include a bike safety check performed by mechanics from the Sharp Bicycle, helmet checks and fitting, refreshments, and giveaways! Limited parking is available so consider biking to the Rodeo via the Lafayette-Moraga Trail. All children who participate should bring their own bike and bike helmet. The rodeo is sponsored by the City of Lafayette and the City's Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). For further information, contact Dan Harkins at 925-323-6682 or dharkins1000@aol.com

Moraga's Annual Spring Egg Hunt Sat. April 11, 2009, 9:00am-12:00pm

Egg Hunts at 10:00 am and 11:00am
Moraga Commons Park, Corner of St. Mary's Road and Moraga Road

Games, toy walk, arts and crafts, jumpy houses and more! $5 per egg hunt for kids ages 1-6, Adults free, Unlimited games wristband $5. Tickets available only in advance www.moragajuniors.org or (925)888-7045.

Proceeds to benefit Moraga Parks and Recreation Foundation and Meals on Wheels for Local Seniors.

Stanley Open House May 14th at 7 pm

The Stanley School Open House date has been changed to May 14th at 7:00 p.m.

Learn Chinese

Contra Costa Chinese School is offering Mandarin classes for Pre-K to 12th grade and beginning conversation class for adults on Saturdays at Diablo Valley College campus in Pleasant Hill. CCCS is a nonprofit school offering exceptional and affordable Chinese language classes since 1976. Students can learn simplified or traditional Chinese characters as well as participate in many cultural classes like calligraphy, painting, martial arts, folk dancing, Chinese yo-yo, chess and more. Registration starts on May 2nd. For more information, visit our website www.cococs.org or phone John Chen (925)837-5888; email cccsregistrar@gmail.com.

Girl Scout Summer Camp Open To All Girls Membership Not Required

Did you miss the annual registration flurry last September and wish you had joined Girl Scouts this year? Are you longing for a mission of Courage, Confidence and Character? Girl Scouts registers adults and girls year round with programs for all school-aged girls, kindergarten through high school. Juliette Girl Scouts are individually registered Girl Scouts not connected to a troop, it's especially popular among Girl Scouts 11-17 who love the program but are very busy with other activities.

Another enormous bonus is Girl Scouts of Northern California has resident and day camp programs for girls ages 5-17, from the High Sierras to the Pacific Coast. There is something available for every girl and interest. Any girl can go to Girl Scout camp, membership is not required. For more information about joining Lafayette Girl Scouts, go to the local website, www.lafayette girlscouts.org, or contact Linda Bailey Wurgley, Membership, (925) 330-8222.

Cal Shakes Summer Theater Programs Now Enrolling!

Cal Shakes is happy to once again offer Summer Theater Camps & Conservatories serving students ages 8 to 18, with locations in both Lafayetteand Oakland Hills. Students engage in daily morning classes, ranging in subjects such as acting, stage combat, improvisation, text and more, while spending afternoons rehearsing a Shakespeare play. The final day of each program is dedicated to student performances. To enroll or learn more, visit www.calshak es.org/camps or call 510.809.3293.

Warriors Basketball Camp

The Golden State Warriors will be conducting a summer camp for boys & girls, ages 8-16, at Bentley School in Lafayette during the week of July 13-17 from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM each day. In addition to the camp, each participant receives 2 tickets to a Warriors home game. For more information, log on to www.warriors.com or call (510) 986-5310.

Acalanes Football Camp

Do you have a son that is interested in learning about football? Acalanes Head Coach Mike Ivankovich and his staff will be running a camp for those entering 3rd-8th grades. This is a non-contact camp where your son will learn the skills, techniques, rules and fun of football. WHEN? June 22-24 (Mon.-Wed.)..3rd-5th graders will go from 10:00-12:00. 6th-8th graders will go 9:00- 12:00. The camp will be held at Acalanes High School and will cost $100. Answers to questions and forms for the camp may be obtained from Mike Ivankovich by contacting him at: mivankovich@acalanes.k12.ca.us.

VisionTech Camps 2009

Summer computer camps will be held June 15- August 7th at our technology center in Danville and a few selected camps will be held at the Lafayette Community Center . VisionTech's program is for all students entering 2nd through 11th Grades. Choose from Robotics, Video Game Making, PC Building and JAVA Programming. All of our camps are hands-on allowing kids to learn by doing. VisionTech is an year round technology education provider. We provide technology based GATE, enrichment classes year round. Read the 2008 Women to Watch article in the May 2008 issue of Diablo Magazine featuring Anita Khurana, the founder of VisionTech. http://www.diablomag.com/Diablo- Magazine/May-2008/Women-to-Watch/

For more information, please visit our web site at www.visionte ch camps.com or call (925) 699-9602.

Announcing the Lamorinda Earth Day Festival!

On Sunday, April 19th the City of Lafayette, Sustainable Lafayette, and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce are hosting the fourth annual Lamorinda Earth Day Festival at Stanley Middle School from 11-4pm. This will be the first festival of its kind, focused on the idea of "Going Local" and will feature 5 zones representing 5 ways to go local: eat local, shop local, power local, move local, and act local. There will be over 50 organizations with educational displays, handouts, information, and activities as well as live music, inspiring speakers, free videos, local food to taste, recycling, and many kids activities. Just for students: a Bicycle Rodeo where kids can navigate a course to learn bike safety skills, a presentation for students by the Alliance for Climate Education, tables and displays by many local school and scout troops, face painting, solar toys, story reading, tasty local foods, animals, re-usable lunch bags for sale, and more! For more information please visit: http://www.sustainablelafayette.net/events/earthday/

Girls Scout Volunteers Needed

Does your daughter love Girl Scouts? Have you ever thought of volunteering on the Board for Lafayette Girl Scouts? We have several open positions this year - some big and some small - but surely one that is right for you! Interested in a job where you can work with your daughter? We have those too! Each of these jobs is essential to shaping the future of Girl Scouts in Lafayette. Please consider joining us! For more information, visit our website at www.lafayettegirlscouts.org or call Colleen McCarty at 944-7162.

Host Families Needed

Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI) is a non-profit international education exchange organization dedicated to the promotion of academic development, cultural understanding, environmental consciousness, and world peace. CCI has placed over 1,000 students annually for the last 24 years. If you have thought about hosting an exchange student or know of someone who might be interested, please contact Candace Morton at Candace94549@yahoo.com.

JF Kapnek Annual 5K/1K Family Fun Run April 26, 2009 at 9:00 am

Bring your friends and family to celebrate our accomplishments in Zimbabwe with the J.F. Kapnek Charitable Trust's 6th Annual 5K/1K Family Fun Run on April 26 at Miramonte High School in Orinda. There will be races for children as well as adults along with music of Zimbabwe, children's crafts and activities and a delicious brunch. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trust's efforts to diminish the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the children and families of Zimbabwe. Registration fee includes brunch and a T- shirt. Register online at www.active.com (keyword: Kapnek) or go to the Trust's website at www.jfkapnektrust. org.

Join us for our 4th Brown Bag - Proudly Sponsored by WCI PTA
Transition from Middle-School to High-School - Panel discussion

Thursday, April 16, 2009, Noon - 1:30pm, library
Walnut Creek Intermediate School, 2425 Walnut Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Las Lomas High School Counselors Hanalee Washburn and Ellen Smith -
Select High School Student Panel

The thought of leaving middle school and venturing into the unknown world of high school can bring up many issues for parents and children. Come listen to and ask questions of two fantastic Las Lomas counselors. They will share their information on what you and your children can expect as this change happens. The knowledge that they offer will help you to make the transition more comfortable and positive for everyone in your household. The insight you will gain from the panel of students who have already lived through the transition will be invaluable.

Please contact WCI Parent Education Co-Chairs Julie Monasch juliecvm2@aol.com or Liz Bettis rebettis@sbcglobal.net with any questions.

no fee, register at the event or on-line at (course no 05- 6111) http://adulted.acalanes.k12.ca.us/onlinereg/Clas ses.asp? txtAction=LoadSections&txtCourseGroupID=1&txtCourse Code=0561

Questions & Comments? Vera Babor at vbabor@acalanes.k12.ca.us

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Maria Pratt: 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