Monday, August 31
PFC Room Parent Liaison Mtg.; MP Room, 8:30 AM
Instrumental Music Demo Assemblies: MP Room
     10:45 AM: 5th Grade
     11:15 AM: 4th Grade
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00-8:30 PM

Wednesday, September 2
New Families' Coffee at Don & Lorraine Miller's home, 1803 Reliez Valley Rd.; 8:45-10:30 AM
CLUB FIT begins
Gr. 1-3 Back-to-School Night; 6:30 PM

Thursday, September 3
Library Volunteer Training; Library, 9:00 AM
Gr. 4-5 Back-to-School Night; 6:30 PM

Friday, September 4
Rotary Club distribution of dictionaries to 3rd grade; 8:30 AM

Monday, September 7
Labor Day; Holiday

Tuesday, September 8
Library opens

Wednesday, September 9
PFC Mtg.
     Executive Board: Lounge, 5:30 PM
     General Session: Library, 7:00 PM

Thursday, September 10
Core 4th/5th Grade Music classes begin
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00-8:30 PM

Friday, September 11
Patriot Day
Springhill PFC Picnic; Lower Field, 5:00-8:00 PM

Tuesday, September 15
AHS Back-to-School Night

Wednesday, September 16
Lafayette School District Board Mtg.; District Office, 7:00 PM

Thursday, September 17
Constitution Day
Stanley Back-to-School Night; 7:00 PM

Friday, September 18
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown

Saturday, September 19
Rosh Hashanah

SPECIAL MESSAGE: H1N1 INFLUENZA/SWINE FLU

Dear Parents:

As we start a new school year, this can be an unsettling time for us all in regard to the potential pandemic of swine flu.
At this time, the county health department advises us that students who are not ill can safely come to school; our schools will remain open. We will keep you updated with any important information as it becomes available.
Following, please allow me to share what is being done at school and what can and should be done in the home.

AT SCHOOL
- Students are encouraged to and directed to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds; this is often a whole class activity.
- Students are encouraged to sneeze into their elbow.
- Students are reminded NOT to share food, including beverage containers.
- Students are reminded to apprise a responsible adult at school if they are not feeling well.

AT HOME
- Keep children who are sick at home. Don't send them to school.
- If someone in your home is sick with flu-like symptoms, including a fever, contact your health care provider.
- Teach your children to wash hands a lot with soap and water for 20 seconds. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to stay at least three feet away from people who are sick.
- People who are sick should stay home from work or school and stay away from other people until they are better, and contact their health care provider.
- Feel free to check the Contra Costa Health Services website at http://cchealth.org for more information.

A. WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER YEAR AT SPRINGHILL SCHOOL!!! IT PROMISES TO BE A FABULOUS ONE!!! I HOPE YOUR SUMMER WAS RELAXING, FUN & PRODUCTIVE!!!

B. PARKING: Thanks to everyone's cooperation the parking lots have been running very smoothly. If you are using the front lot, please pull up to the front curb as close to the Multi-Purpose Room as possible and a volunteer will assist your child from the car, and direct them to the lower playground where they will be supervised until school starts. The Kindergarten child will be directed straight to the classroom. Please, DO NOT get out of your car, or leave your car unattended. If you need to still walk your child to class after the first week of school you must find a parking stall. If you are using the Briones lot there will be a volunteer to assist your child from the car to the lower field. Thank you for your cooperation. Please remember that the parking lot situation is difficult for everyone. Leave yourself a few extra minutes to get your child to and from school safely. Also, please be nice to the parking lot supervisors. They are volunteers giving their time to keep the parking lots running as smoothly as possible!! Please respect the private property (the blocking of driveways & mailboxes in particular) of our neighbors. Also, San Reliez Court is a private road and the residents have asked that those visiting the school do not park there; you are subject to having your car towed if you do. Thank you especially to the parent volunteers in the morning parking lot. You are doing a fabulous job!!!

C. WE MUST INSIST that students (other than AM kindergarten) not arrive before 8:15 AM as we cannot provide any supervision before that time. Thank you for your cooperation.

D. THANK YOU TO ALL who attended our K BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT! It was a great turnout and your commitment to Springhill School is greatly appreciated! We shall see the rest of you at this week's two Back-to- School Nights for Grades 1-5!

E. THANK YOU AGAIN TO PFC FOR ALL THAT YOU DO! WELCOME TO JULIE DONLON AS OUR NEW PFC PRESIDENT AND TO ALL OF THE NEW COMMITTEE CHAIRS! PFC IS THE BEST!!!

F. A SPECIAL THANKS TO AMY DeLONG- MARTIN , KATIE SOWARBY & ALL OF THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN PROVIDING A VERY SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL SCORPION DAYS AND ALSO THE SAME TO JULIE DONLON FOR THE WELCOME BACK COFFEE FOR PARENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. THE TREATS WERE DELICIOUS!

G. QUIET ZONE: Please remember that learning is still taking place in the upper grade classrooms until 2:40 PM and in kindergarten until 3:00 PM. As you congregate with your children in the main courtyard and the Lower Field asphalt area or on the sidewalk in front of the kindergarten classes at the end of the school day, please respect these QUIET ZONE areas until all students are dismissed. Thank you.

F. Join the PFC! Register for e-SCRIP!!


THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to our lives." ---Albert Einstein

CHARACTER COUNTS! AS YOU GO FORWARD DAILY, STAND TALL UPON THE PILLARS OF TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING & CITIZENSHIP!!!

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.


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!!!


STAR TESTING CORNER

Recently, you received the results of your child's STAR Test taken in May, 2009. Throughout California, the STAR Testing Program has become a major part of the information provided parents as to the progress of their children in school. With this in mind, Springhill will be providing a feature in the Friday Flyer for the next several weeks, providing answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the STAR Program.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the STAR program? The Standardized Testing And Reporting (STAR) program was authorized in 1997 by State Senate bill 376. The purpose of the STAR Program is to annually measure how well students are learning required academic skills.
Who must take the STAR Program tests?
All students in grades 2 through 11 must take the designated STAR tests. Students learning English and students in special education programs are included. Only students with written parent/guardian requests to exempt them do not take STAR tests.
What tests did the students take in spring 2009?
The STAR Program has three components:
1. California Standards Tests (CSTs): Grades 2- 5
2. California Modified Standards Tests (CMTs); Grades 2- 5--an assessment produced for students with identified learning disabilities
3. California alternative Performance Assessment (CAPA); Grades 2-5--an assessment produced for students with significant cognitive disabilities, who are not able to take the CST.

Bruce L. Wodhams
Principal
Springhill Elementary School
3301 Springhill Road
Lafayette, CA 94549

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

Welcome Back to the returning families and a warm "Welcome" to the new families of Springhill Elementary! I am anticipating a great year at Springhill! My name is Julie Donlon and I am Springhill's Parent Faculty Club President for the 2009-10 school year. We moved back to the Bay Area from Kirkland, Washington one year ago and we are delighted to be back! I have a kindergartner named Kellen and he is in the morning class. My husband and I also have a 7th grader at Stanley and a 5th grader at St. Perpetua - we do get around.... This is an exciting year because there are many new faces on the PFC Executive Board (and some familiar ones as well!) and we are ready to go make things happen at Springhill. Please read the Friday Flyer every week because it is your best source of information and always contains the latest news. We are an active and supportive community so this is the way we communicate all that is happening.

I would like to correct an error in my letter that was in the Scorpion Day packet - The Welcome Back Coffee on Wednesday August 26th was hosted by the PFC in the Library and the New Buddies Coffee on September 2nd will be hosted by Lorraine Miller and Holly Nolan on behalf of the PFC at The Miller's home. Make sure you mark your calendars for the Family Fun Fest on September 11 from 5-8 - we have made some changes to the format and it promises to be great fun! I would like to give a shout out to Devra Elze and Sarah Mould for chairing this event - they have worked hard to put together a wonderful evening for us to gather and get reacquainted. Thank you to the Mould Family for generously donating the Family Fun Fest flyers - they looked great!

A huge thank you to Katie Sowarby and Amy DeLong Martin for putting together Scorpion Day! It was a great afternoon/evening - a great way to start the new school year. They do a great job but they are ready to move on to other challenges - we are looking for energetic people to take over for the 2010-11 school year. Let me know if you are interested - Katie and Amy have put together a seamless process and would love to pass on the tradition of excellence!

Last but certainly not least..... Thank you to Beth Brown for her dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of Springhill - she is a tough act to follow! I am indebted to her - she is always there for me as I navigate this job! I am grateful that she has graciously accepted to stay on as Parliamentarian - even though she couldn't convince any one to hold Emily back! When you see her thank her! A huge thank you also goes out to our other "retirees" - Corinne Christensen, Nancy Iishi, Maria Nelson, Kathy Hamilton, Karen Guthrie, Marcia Jarvis, and Victoria Ghulam - you will be missed!

Well that is all for me right now. Any questions, comments, ideas, or invitations for any kind of social event please feel free to contact me at uvdonlon@aol.com . Remember it's your PFC!

A message from Sally Fonstein, LASF Representative for Springhill:

The Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation (LASF) welcomes you and your families back to Springhill, with a special welcome to all of the new families joining us this year!

LASF is a volunteer- and parent-driven education foundation that provides curriculum and financial support in the arts, sciences, social studies/humanities, technology and beyond for Lafayette public school students.

Please consider joining our team by signing up to be an LASF room representative at Back to School night or by contacting your Room Liaison or me at sfonstein@comcast.net.

Welcome New Springhill Families Coffee!

Please join us for our annual "Welcome New Families Coffee" on Wednesday, September 2nd at 8:45 am - 10:30 am at the home of Lorraine Miller ( 1803 Reliez Valley Rd.). This will be an opportunity to meet other new parents as well as many long-time Springhill parents. This is an ideal chance to meet up with your "buddy" family as well.

Directions: Head North on Pleasant Hill Road from Springhill School . At fork, stay to left on Taylor . Take Taylor to Withers and turn left. Take Withers to Reliez and turn left onto Reliez Valley Rd. Continue to 1803 Reliez Valley Rd. The house will be on the right hand side.

All are welcome. Feel free to participate in Spirit Wednesday at Springhill, and come by afterward. Try to share rides from school. Younger siblings are welcome.

We look forward to meeting you!

If you have any questions or are a new family who would like to be assigned a "buddy family," please contact Holly Nolan (925) 988-0865 HollyNolan@comcast.net or Lorraine Milller (925) 938-0162 LorraineMiller2@comcast.net .

There's still time to sign up for the Fun Fest Carnival (September 11 at 5:00 PM). Start the year off right with a fun evening visiting with old friends and making new ones. This year, we've added more carnival games, activities, and the Fun Fest Raffle. You may choose to bring your own picnic dinner, or choose from Whole Foods Catering*, Jamba Juice, the Fun Fest Snack Shack, and the world famous Springhill Bake Sale.

Forms are available in the Fun Fest mailbox in the school office. If you have or know of a company who is interested in sponsoring any of the games and/or activities at the event, please contact Devra Elze at delze@comcast.net.

We look forward to seeing you!

*Orders must be placed by Wed. 9/2

Be sure to stop by the garden & see the many new fruits, vegetables & flowers that have grown throughout the summer! Take a look at our new greenhouse & a tool shed, constructed by Eagle Scout, Brian Raaka.

Classroom Garden Liaisons needed! Coordinate, with your teacher, volunteers to work in the garden, share garden news, work day dates, etc. Be a part of creating a fun, productive outdoor classroom for all of our kids!

If you are handy with tools and would like to help, we need shelves built in the new tool shed, benches assembled in the greenhouse, vents installed into the greenhouse & more!

Do you know of a company who could donate materials to the garden? We could always use soil, lumber, kids garden tools, seeds, etc.

If you would like to participate, contact Kathy Hemmenway, khemmenway@aol.com or 933.5266

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Beth Roosa: 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