Friday, September 18
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown

Saturday, September 19
Rosh Hashanah

Tuesday, September 22
Autumnal Equinox
RAPPORT Mtg.; District Office, 9:00 AM
Parent/Teacher Conferences/Minimum Day:
All K: Usual schedule
Gr. 1-3 students dismissed at 11:50 AM
Gr. 4-5 students dismissed at 12:00 PM

Wednesday, September 23
Parent/Teacher Conferences/Minimum Day:
All K: Wacky Wednesday schedule
Gr. 1-3 students dismissed at 11:50 AM
Gr. 4-5 students dismissed at 12:00 PM

Thursday, September 24
Parent/Teacher Conferences/Minimum Day:
All K: Usual schedule
Gr. 1-3 students dismissed at 11:50 AM
Gr. 4-5 students dismissed at 12:00 PM

Friday, September 25
PFC Golf Tournament; Boundary Oaks Golf Course, Walnut Creek
Parent/Teacher Conferences/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

Sunday, September 26
Yom Kippur begins at sundown

Monday, September 28
Yom Kippur

Tuesday, September 29
3rd Grade OLSAT Parent Mtg.; District Office, Time TBD

Saturday, October 3
Light the Night Leukemia/Lymphoma Walk; Walnut Creek

Monday, October 5
Cub Scout Pack 200; Library, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Wednesday, October 7
PFC Executive Board Mtg.; Lounge, 5:30 PM

Friday, October 9
5th Grade Play Demo, "Grease"; MultiPurpose Room, 2:00 PM

SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: H1N1 INFLUENZA/SWINE FLU

August 25, 2009

Dear Parents:

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS), the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continue to monitor the H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) situation.

H1N1 flu is present throughout Contra Costa County. As children return to school and spend less time outdoors and more time in confined spaces, such as classrooms, CCHS expects to see more illness caused by H1N1 flu. Contra Costa Health Services has published the following practices to help prevent the spread of this illness:

Check your children for symptoms of influenza (primarily fever with either a cough or a sore throat).
Keep sick people at home. Don't send them to school, childcare or work. No one should return to school until they have had no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever- reducing medicine, even if they feel better.
Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, have them use an alcohol-based hand rub to clean their hands.
Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow.
Teach your children to stay at least six feet away from people who are sick.
Vaccinate your children and yourself with the seasonal flu vaccine.

We have been advised by CCHS that schools in Contra Costa County will not be closed unless there is a large number of students or faculty who are ill which interferes with the school's ability to function. CCHS will consider school closure on an individual basis, taking into consideration health information available at the time. We will keep you updated with any important information.

Currently H1N1 flu vaccine is not available. CCHS will let us know when and where the vaccine will be available. However, regular, seasonal flu vaccine will be available in the fall. Although seasonal flu vaccine doesn't protect against H1N1 flu, it does protect from seasonal influenza viruses. Every year, 36,000 people die from illness related to seasonal flu in the United States.

The seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for all children ages 6 months to 19 years. This is because, as we learned with H1N1 flu, children often get the flu at school, and then can bring it home to the family. We especially want to protect younger siblings and older relatives with weaker immune systems who can have serious complications from the flu. Flu vaccine keeps children healthy and prevents them from spreading the flu to others.

Seasonal flu vaccine is also recommended for pregnant women, those who are 50 years and older, health care workers, those who care for children under 5 years old, and everyone who has a chronic illness, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Anyone who wants to protect themselves and the community from seasonal flu can get vaccinated - there will be plenty of seasonal flu vaccine available.

To find out where to get seasonal flu vaccine for you and your family, contact your health care provider or health plan. You can also call the Public Health Flu Hotline at 925-313- 6469 or visit www.flucliniclocator.org

Information about H1N1 flu for parents, including fun videos and podcasts you can share with your child are available online at www.cchealth.org/topics/swine_flu/parent_information .ph p Prerecorded information is also available by calling Contra Costa Health Services Health Emergency Information Line at 1-888-959-9911.

Sincerely,

Fred Brill, Ed.D., Superintendent
Lafayette School District

A. STUDENT SAFETY: It is always a good idea at the beginning of the school year to speak with your children about the importance of maintaining safe practices when walking to and from school. Recent news stories remind us that it is always best to walk with a friend, and never should a child agree to get in a car with an unknown adult. Children and adults should report any suspicious activity to school or police officials.
B. PFC FUND RAISER: SALLY FOSTER GIFTWRAP!!! Many thanks to Melissa Johnston and Gabrielle Ohleyer for coordinating this fund- raising effort. It's an easy way to contribute---buy giftwrap!!! Thank you!
C. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL: The School Site Council is a team which includes the principal, teachers, other school personnel and parents, all of whom are elected by their peer groups to represent them on the Council. The Council meets monthly to address the changing needs of our students by developing a School Site Plan and implementing the goals of that plan. The School Site Plan attempts to address the special and unique needs of our community and includes such items as review and allocation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) budget for teacher aides and possible other programs. Equally as important, it is the job of the Council to address areas of concern and to carry out effective solutions. For more information about the School Site Council, including agendas and minutes of recent meetings, please check out the Springhill School Website at: http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/springhill/. There are four parent positions currently vacant on the Council. If you would be interested in running for these positions or have questions about the School Site Council, please call Bruce Wodhams at 927-3580 or e-mail at: bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us. Thank you to our three departing parent members for the outstanding job they did: Kim Stewart, Doreen deRoque and Cathy Holt!
D. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED LAST WEEK's PFC SPRINGHILL PICNIC. A special thank you to Mrs. Devra Elze and Mrs. Sarah Mould and to all parent volunteers for putting together such a fun evening! Well done, PFC!!!
E. A HUGE THANK YOU to the Lamorinda/Sunrise Rotary Club and their annual donation of dictionaries to every student in the 3rd grade at Springhill School and every other Lafayette School. This is a huge benefit to our students and is much appreciated. THANK YOU, ROTARIANS!!!
F. THANK YOU TO ALL who attended our first PFC General Meeting a week ago Wednesday. It was a great turnout and your commitment to your children and to Springhill School is greatly appreciated! Welcome to the new PFC Executive Board and its new President, Julie Donlon!
G. SEE YOU AT THE LAFAYETTE ART & WINE FESTIVAL THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY!!!
H. Join the PFC! Register for e-SCRIP!!


THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"I don't see the point of being a human being if you're not going to be responsible to your fellow human beings. Selfishness thefts away the human and reduces you to just a being."
- Candea Core-Starke

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.

A. CONTRIBUTE TOYS TO CHILDREN's HOSPITAL: Thank you once again to the Kvitko family for starting their annual CHILDREN's HOSPITAL TOY DRIVE. Starting on Monday, 9/21, you will find collection bins for toys in front of the school. New toys or those still in good shape may be dropped off to be enjoyed by the patients at Children's Hospital in Oakland. Many thanks, Kvitkos!!!


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. Churchill's third grade classroom, students participate in math differentiation by testing out. Students are given the end of unit test prior to starting the unit. Any student who scores 90% or above, will then have tested out of the unit. Those students will then be given materials on the same topic, but at a higher level. For example, students testing out of the place value to 10,000 unit, would then focus on place value to 1,000,000. Each student is given the opportunity to test out at the beginning of every math unit.

*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.


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

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

This week flew by!!!!! Friday night's Family Fun Fest was a huge success! We raised over $7500 for Springhill Elementary! A giant THANK YOU to Sarah Mould and Devra Elze! They had a fantastic group of volunteers that worked hard to make the evening fun and run smoothly. It was a great night to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and let the kids play! A special thank you to Quan - he is truly the go to man around Springhill and we are grateful for all that he does for us! Many. many thanks to everyone - together we made this a success for our kids! We are looking for enthusiastic people to fill Sarah and Devra's shoes for next year. They have a complete binder, templates, and signs to make the job that much easier! Contact me at uvdonlon@aol.com if you are interested!

I had the privilege of attending The Beer Pong Party which was a Parent Party Sign Up at the Auction last year and let me tell you that our parents Rock!! These parties are the single greatest money maker at our Auction and it takes a lot of work on the part of the hosts! A big thank you to the McCarthy, Murgia, Hemmenway, Combi, and Evans Families for giving in this way to our community. Every bit counts whether you are volunteering in the classroom, or the Library, driving on a field trip, writing a check, serving on the Board, or hosting a party! These events not only raise money for our school but build community - many thanks to everyone who has contributed in this way!

This weekend is the Lafayette Art and Wine Festival which benefits the LASF. It is a wonderful community event that brings everyone in Lafayette together for a great cause. There are many great bands playing so I encourage you to check it out!

Remember to sell that Sally Foster Giftwrap! Melissa Johnston and Gabrielle Ohleyer have put together a great program to help raise money for Springhill. It's super easy and with the addition of online ordering your friends and relatives from around the country can help support us too! Thank you to Melissa and Gabrielle for chairing this program!

We have a date for the Parent Party! It will be April 17th at Dr. Sanmann's Barn which is in Happy Valley. It will have a casual theme and we are planning a fun time for all. If you have an interest in helping to plan this event please contact Jennifer Bielawski at tjbielawski@gmail.com. Come join the excitement and plan a party!

On a final note - we are getting close to our goal of 100% participation in the direct solicitation campaign. I want everyone to know that it doesn't matter what you give - what matters is that you feel a part of this great community! Have a great weekend!

Julie Donlon
2009-2010 Springhill PFC President
uvdonlon@aol.com

LASF Fall Phonathon Volunteers Needed

LASF needs energetic volunteers to help with our Fall Phonathon. No experience necessary - we will provide training and snacks to sustain your energy and enthusiasm. If you prefer not to make phone calls but would still like to help, we need assistance with our paperwork too. Volunteers are needed for the evenings of Sun Oct. 18th , Mon Oct. 19th and Tues. Oct. 20th. Please contact Eric Fromer at ericlasf@yahoo.com or Sally Fonstein at sfonstein@comcast.net for more information on volunteer opportunities.

Save the Date for LASF Annual Event

Please mark your 2010 calendars for an evening with LASF. Our annual event is scheduled for Saturday, January 30th at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building.

We are very fortunate to live in a community with top quality schools, but once again, our schools are challenged by still more budget cuts, and the future looks like it will bring further reductions to our educational program. Concerned parents and community members have an opportunity to hear experts explain why our schools do not have enough money and, more importantly, what we can do about it.

On Tuesday, September 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., the League of Women Voters and the Contra Costa County Office of Education are sponsoring a presentation on "Improving Funding for Public Schools." Speakers include Dr. Joe Ovick, County Superintendent of Schools, Nancy Vandell, Education Commissioner, California State PTA, Craig Cheslog, Director for Assembly Member Tom Torlakson, and Eric Heins, Region One Director, California Teachers Association, in a panel discussion of how the state determines the amount of money allocated to each school, the effects of recent budget cuts on children, and, most importantly, grassroots movements to solve the budget crisis. The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer period for you to ask your questions. The event will be held at the County Office of Education, 77 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill.

If you would like to find out more about the big picture of school funding and related issues that impact our school district, please sign up for the e-news Newsletter: GET SMART On Education. The quarterly newsletter provided by the Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs Legislation Committee provides parents and the community with information about what is happening in Sacramento regarding school funding and related issues that impact our school district. Here is a link to sign up for the newsletter: www.lastrampaspta.org/legislation.html

Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg. Rep. Karen Yuen at kyuen@fbm.com.

Sally Foster Gift Wrap Sale is coming!

Make sure to check your child's Friday Folder for the Sally Foster Catalog! Your children can sell in person or, your friends and family can use the easy on-line ordering feature. Checks should be made payable to Springhill PFC. Our acct number is 0221266. You will need that for on-line sales as well as for the order form in the catalog. All orders are due back by Wednesday, Sept. 30th. You can return the forms to the Sally Foster box in the front office. Orders will be delivered to the school the week of Oct. 20th. On-line orders will be shipped directly to the buyer.

If you have any questions contact:
Gabrielle Ohleyer, mohleyer@comcast.net, 284-5968 or
Melissa Johnston, johnstonfam@comcast.net, 280- 1039

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Sign-up for:
SPRINGHILL ELEMENTARY PFC'S
"FORE THE KIDS"
GOLF TOURNAMENT

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2009
Lunch & Putting Contest starts at Noon!

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BOUNDARY OAKS, WALNUT CREEK

Cost: $160/per person
includes lunch, dinner, prizes, raffle, golf & lots of fun!!!!
Or
Skip the golf and join us for dinner, prizes & awards - $35/per person

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Go to Springhill School website for Sign-up form or email Stephanie Marrone at baymarrones@comcast.net for more information.

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. For this first week reason number 1 is "It can take you places you never dreamed of."

Welcome to my first update this school year. I enjoy sharing good literature with your children, sharing materials that complement what they are learning in their classrooms, and working with them to develop lifelong research skills. Information literacy becomes ever more important as we are bombarded with more and more information in many formats. While we are all grateful for the resources now available to us, they do require some training to enable us to use them efficiently and to distinguish what we can trust and what we should question. So each year I will be helping their teachers guide your children through the first steps of good research. As they move on to middle school and high school this will be the foundation upon which they will build and enhance their skills.

Beginning last Friday I saw each class and gave the students their orientation to the library. We reviewed the expectations (you can do that by checking the Our Library page on our website http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/springhill2. htm), talked about choosing "just right" books and taking care of them, and reviewed where to find different books in our library. With most of the classes we also had time for a short story highlighting books and libraries.

Kindergartners had their orientation last week and checked books out for the first time this week. They heard George Shannon's clever book about colors White Is for Blueberry, which reminds all of us to look beyond the obvious.

Don't forget to check out our website at http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/index.htm .You will find updates on what's happening at the Springhill Library, a library wish list, reviews of new books, and links to many helpful resources too.

Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist

TOY DRIVE for Children's Hospital Oakland - Monday, September 21st
We will be collecting donations of NEW toys, art and craft supplies, baby items, games and gently used books. The collection bins will be placed in front of the office. For details on which items are needed, please refer to the website: http://www.childrenshospitaloakland.org/join/join_othe r - donations.asp Your donations will help supplement the activities and entertainment provided for the patients and will brighten the kids' holidays.
Please call Galina Kvitko (925.299.9200) if you have any questions.

Box Tops for Education collection
Box Tops for Education is a program that General Mills started in order to help schools raise money for themselves. They support schools by offering 10 cent coupons on their product lablels. Please collect your box tops from General Mills products and place in the Box Tops for Education box located in the Springhill office. These coupons really add up when we all pitch in and as we all know we need every little bit these days. Any questions email wendykmurphy@yahoo.com.

Attention Third Grade Parents:
In this week's Friday Folders you will receive information about the OLSAT (Otis Lennon School Abilities Test), which will be given to all third graders in the Lafayette School District during the week of October 12th. The OLSAT is a standardized cognitive abilities test that is taken by children across the nation. It will be used in planning the best possible educational program for your child.
Please return the permission slip for testing to your child's teacher by October 9th. If you would like more information, you are invited to attend a parent information meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lafayette School District Office Boardroom, 3477 School Street. Questions may be directed to Rachel Zinn at the district office at 927- 3511.

The garden has been a busy place the last few weeks! Many of the children have already visited the garden with Mrs. Brast during their science class. More classes are scheduled to visit where they will learn to compost, harvest Fall fruits & vegetables, taste a few new things like eggplant ratatouille, and there's always weeding & mulching!
Special thanks to the following people for their time in the garden: RJ, Fox(1st grade) & Gary (2nd grade) Fleischman built the greenhouse shelves; Springhill alum Peter Mitchell has painted the tool shed; and Behzad Abkenari (Roya & Leda's Dad) dug an electrical trench & built 2 planter boxes for us! We really appreciate your help!!
Our Wednesday Work Days schedule is on the PFC website calendar - our next one is October 7 at 9am! We'd love your help on a Wednesday or if you'd like to assist with a evening/weekend project, please contact Kathy Hemmenway at khemmenway@aol.com.

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