Friday, October 23
RED RIBBON WEEK Wear Green Day
Character Pillar Green is Responsibility. Wear as much green as possible!!

Saturday, October 24
United Nations Day

Sunday, October 25
Reservoir Run; Lafayette Reservoir, 8:00 AM

Tuesday, October 27
RAPPORT Mtg.; DO, 9:00 AM

Wednesday, October 28
Dina MacDonald Thinking Strategies Parent Night, Part II; Springhill Library, 6:30 PM

Thursday, October 29
PFC-Sponsored Poets in the School, 4th grade
Reservoir Run Classroom Winners Party; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Friday, October 30
Halloween Parade; 2:00 PM

Saturday, October 31
Halloween

Sunday, November 1
Daylight Savings Time ends; set clocks back an hour

Tuesday, November 3
Election Day
MP Room closed; lunch outside

Wednesday, November 4
County wide Shelter-in-Place Drill; 11:00 AM
Primary Focus/CHARACTER COUNTS! Assembly; MP Room
Gr. K-3: 1:00 PM
Gr. 4-5: 1:50 PM
Lunch outside
PFC Mtg.
Executive Board: Lounge, 5:30 PM
General Session: Library, 7:00 PM

Thursdy, November 5
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-School, 4th Grade (see schedule)
Fall Music Assembly, Gr. 1-3; MP Room, 11:00 AM- 11:50 AM
Primary Focus/CHARACTER COUNTS! Parent Assembly; MP Room, 6:30 PM

Friday, November 6
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:40 PM-5:00 PM

Monday, November 9
Cub Scout Pack 200 Leaders' Mtg.; Library, 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM

Wednesday, November 11
Veterans' Day; Holiday

Thursday, November 12
Poets-in-the-Schools, 4th grade (see schedule)

Friday, November 13
Visit of Betsy the Fire Engine from Lafayette Library/Learning Center
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:40 PM-5:00 PM

A. H1N1 UPDATE: In order to keep you apprised of the latest information we have regarding the H1N1 virus, we have compiled a list of H1N1 FAQs which you can view by going to: http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/springhill/

B. PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are getting ready to introduce our before school reading intervention program. We will be working on reading fluency and comprehension for those students who are in need of support in these areas. We are looking for enthusiastic, conscientious parent volunteers who are willing to put in time before school to work in the computer lab with two teachers, Helen Hirsch (2nd grade teacher) and Jeannine Pitney (retired reading specialist). The program will start on November 2, 2009 and end on January 29th 2010. The program will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:50- 8:30 am. If you are interested in helping us one, two or all three of these days please contact Helen Hirsch or Susan Manzano at (925) 927-3580.

C. SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL: Today your child will bring home a ballot with names of those persons interested in being parent representatives on the School Site Council for the next two years. Please vote for those candidates you wish as per the instructions on the ballot. There is also an option for a write-in candidate. Please send the completed ballot back to school with your child or drop it by the office as soon as possible. Thank you.

D. THINKING STRATEGIES PARENT WORKSHOPS: Do you wonder what strategies are being utilized in the classroom to access those higher thinking skills of your children? For the last three years, the teachers of the Lafayette School District have been working with Thinking Strategies Coach Dina MacDonald and she is, once again, providing two nights of parent education in this vital area of curriculum. THINKING STRATEGIES PARENT WORKSHOP, PART I, was held last Wednesday at Stanley Middle School Library. If you attended this workshop or last year's, please consider attending THINKING STRATEGIES PARENT WORKSHOP, PART II, Springhill Library, 6:30 PM, Wednesday, 10/28. It will be time well spent!

E. GET OUT YOUR RUNNING SHOES: See you at the LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR RUN on Sunday, October 25. Many thanks to Meredith Johnson and Darcy Talbot for coordinating Springhill's efforts to be well represented at this important fund raiser. See you there!!!

F. RED RIBBON WEEK/NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK: Today concludes a very busy week of activities for Springhill students during which the character building that took place will set the character expectations for the rest of the year and beyond. Many thanks to Karen Elliott, Corrine Christensen, Doreen deRoque, Betsy Hyatt, Jean Follmer, The Murgia Family, and the many volunteers for all of their efforts in putting this important and beneficial calendar of activities together!

G. HALLOWEEN is approaching. We will have our annual Halloween Parade through the halls at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 30. All kindergartens will have their parade earlier in the day. Please check the calendar for specific times. Please remember the following: NO costumes of violence (e.g., dripping blood, slashers, Freddie Kruegers, Friday the 13th characters, terrorists, etc.), costumes with weapons or lookalike weapons (e.g., swords, guns, knives, etc.), or any negative representations of currently or historically-maligned ethnic groups or nationalities will be allowed. Thank you.

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

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
---John Wooden, former UCLA Basketball Coach

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!!! Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Caring , Responsibility & Citizenship!

B. DONATE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, MASKS, HATS, DRESS-UP CLOTHES, ETC. FOR THE HOMELESS CHILDREN OF SHELTER, INC., to the donation bin in front of the school. Thank you to Girl Scout Troop 32154 for sponsoring this worthwhile drive! Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Caring , Responsibility & Citizenship!

C. COINS FOR A CURE: As one of several initial PAY IT FORWARD Projects this fall, Springhill School is again participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) COINS FOR A CURE Program. The drive began Wednesday, 10/7, and will continue through Friday, 10/30, and will consist of a collection can in each classroom for students and staff to contribute any spare change they wish. The actual WALK TO CURE DIABETES took place at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek on Sunday, 10/4. Thank you to all those families who participated. . . and thank you so much as we begin another successful year of PAYING IT FORWARD!

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. Jarvis' 2nd grade class, students participate in Writing Workshop three days each week. Students apply their knowledge of one or more of the Six Traits of Writing by selecting a topic of their choice about which to write. Students work at their own pace to complete their writings. Some may be drafting, while others may revising or editing with the teacher or parent helpers. All students have the opportunity (but may decline) to share their writing with the class, with a partner, or in a small group.

*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.

TEAM GREEN CORNER
THE NEW FOUR Rs: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle & Rot

A. LAFAYETTE TEAM GREEN: Many thanks for those who participated in the first LAFAYETTE GREEN SUMMIT last Friday hosted by Springhill School. It was a great success. Over thirty five people attended and we were able to cover a great number of topics. We are eager for Springhill's own TEAM GREEN to meet soon. where we shall pursue three primary focuses:
1. Exploring school and community green pursuits that allow us to better address the State Standards/ Benchmarks as well as the Lafayette School District Strategic Plan; 2. Exploring school and community green pursuits that provide a fiscal benefit to the schools and community; 3. Exploring school and community green pursuits that address and enhance character development programs already in place (e.g. CHARACTER COUNTS! in the Lafayette School District). Springhill School pays it forward by keeping it green!!!

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 is once again reinstituting 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. Thank you.

C. HALLOWEEN GREEN: Halloween is around the corner and and with many classes having Halloween parties, we are requesting that students bring in their own reusable cups/plates/bowls for party snacks. Let's be thinking about reusable materials rather than just disposable materials! Many thanks!

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

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

This has been an inspiring week - Red Ribbon Week began on Tuesday and will conclude on November 4th and 5th with two presentations of 'It's Your Choice' in the multi-purpose room at Springhill Elementary. The evening program will begin at 6:30pm on November 5th and is open to all - hope to see you there! Many thanks to Karen Elliott, Doreen DeRoque, Corinne Christensen, Betsy Hyatt, Jean Follmer, The Murgia Family, and all the volunteers who helped with this important week of remembrance and inspiration!

This Sunday is Lafayette Reservoir Run which benefits all our schools in Lafayette. The 2 classes with the highest participation will win an Ice Cream Party - who doesn't want that??? Registration forms are available in the office. A big Thank you to Meredith Johnson and Darcy Talbot who took this important job on and have done a fantastic job!

The first LAFAYETTE GREEN SUMMIT took place in the Springhill Library last Friday and was a great success. Springhill's own Team Green Meeting will be held on November 5th and please forward any green concerns you may have to me or to Mr. Wodhams. Let's continue Springhill's tradition of Reuse, Recycle, and Rot! Did you know we have the distinction of being a Waste Buster School since 2002? Team Green will be discussing ways to reduce Springhill's trash and doing our part to save Mother Earth.

The next PFC General Meeting is November 4 at 7pm in the Library. Please come and have your voice heard - remember it's your PFC! It's not too late to contribute to the Direct Solicitation - any amount counts toward our goal of 100% participation. As I look back over the past 2 months I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all that you do for our children and community. Every week I try to remember everyone who has contributed to Springhill - it's a daunting task because there are so many of you - the unsung heroes who contribute in so many ways. I am thankful for each and everyone of you - it's you that makes this community so great.

The Springhill PFC Executive Board voted to endorse Measure G which continues the $189 parcel tax that is due to expire. The passing of this measure will help the Acalanes School District maintain the current level of teachers and programs. For more information please check out the Legislative section of the Friday Flyer or contact Karen Yuen at kyuen@fbm.com. Please remember to vote!

Enjoy your weekend!

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

Simplify Your Life Is spring cleaning still on your "to do" list? LASF has a suggestion: let us take your gently used extras - cameras, laptops, handbags, video game consoles, etc. - and convert them to cash for our schools. LASF is partnering with the "I Sold It on eBay" store to sell donated items. LASF gets proceeds from the sale and you - our donors - get a timely tax deduction. It's simple.

We are collecting items on Sunday November 15 from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Acalanes High School parking lot. A more detailed list of items we would like to sell along with a list of things we cannot take, can be found at our website,www.lasf.org. Please tell your friends and neighbors, too. Simplify your life by clearing out those extra possessions and letting LASF convert them into $$$ for our schools.

Measure G is on the November 3rd Ballot

Please remember to vote! Measure G renews and continues the existing parcel tax in the Acalanes Union High School District, with no increase to the current tax. Cuts in state education funding have amounted to a reduction of over $1000 per student to the Acalanes District. This local tax provides stable, reliable funds for all of the district's comprehensive high schools - Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas and Miramonte - to fund core and elective academic programming and to maintain library hours. The PFC Executive Board has voted to endorse Measure G. More info on Measure G is at: www.aboutme asureG.com Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg. Rep. Karen Yuen at kyuen@fbm.com or go to the Leg Team website at www.lastrampaspta.org

Friday, October 23 - RED RIBBON WEEK
Wear Green Day. Character Pillar Green is Responsibility. Wear as much green as possible!!

Tuesday October 27 - RED RIBBON WEEK
5th Grade Tulip Planting Ceremony. The 5th grade classes will plant tulips in front of the school.

We had some special helpers on Monday in the garden! Five Springhill alumni spent a few hours on their day off from Acalanes to earn volunteer hours! Alums Luke Van Oss, Connor Goodheart, Robert Stanton, Ricky Brundage, Matthew Doughty & friend, Will Roth, assisted with moving many wheelbarrows of mulch, soil & compost. The students also dug a few holes for new citrus trees and installed pavers behind the tool shed for storage units. Many thanks to Luke's mom, Khan, for organizing the boys - we appreciate their time!

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week reason number 6 is "It helps you find solutions to any problem."

We've all heard the story of the three bears and Goldilocks, but have you heard what happened to all of them one Halloween night? Kindergartners heard Kathy Duval's Halloween twist to the classic story, The Three Bears' Halloween.

Our theme throughout this season is "Leaf through a good book." But if you are a little bat who would like to get a close-up view of the pictures in the stories the librarian is reading to the children you might "fall into a book." First graders heard the story of a bat that did just that in Littlebat's Halloween Story by Diane Mayr.

What do you do when you're the new student in class, you're a ghost, and your best talent is a scary "Boo!"? Second graders heard Robin Pulver's new book Never Say Boo and learned how Gordon used his unusual talent to help everyone during an unexpected crisis.

Imagine you're a vegetarian vampire with a secret stash of candy which is almost gone. You've heard that people give away free candy to those in scary costumes but you don't know what would be really scary. Third graders were amused by what Dagmar did to get his candy and, as a bonus, found several examples of the six pillars of Character Counts in the story Vunce Upon a Time by J. Otto Seibold.

I did not see all the fourth graders as the library was closed for hearing tests on the day they usually come.

Magazines can entertain us and teach us new things. Fifth graders learned that magazines are also referred to as periodicals (you might ask them why) and that they usually include columns or departments that are a regular feature as well as articles specific to each issue. They had the opportunity to read one article and share what they learned with the others in their table group. The magazines we used were Appleseeds, Ask, Muse, and Odyssey, all of which focus on arts, history, and sciences.

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

Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist

Fall Music Assembly
The friends and families of participants are invited to attend and enjoy the Fall Music Assembly. Participants will be all first, second, third graders and the 5th grade chorus. All the students will perform singing songs from around the world. Adult guest artists will include a violinist, a violist, and a flautist. In addition, selected 3rd graders will play the song flute and the fifth grade chorus will perform. No special attire is required except for the chorus. Questions: Mrs. Ghulam lafsd.k12.ca.us

Thanksgiving Camp at Kid's Hideout
Are you looking for something for your kids to do during Thanksgiving Break? Kids Hideout is accepting registration for the Thanksgiving week. Springhill will be closed the whole week. Hideout will be open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Please join us for Holiday crafts, games and activities. Each child will bring home their own mini- pie on Wednesday. You can download the form at www.kidshideout.net, then click on the "Forms" tab. If you sign up and pay for all three camps (Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Break) by Friday, October 30th, you can take 20% off the "Camp rate" for all three weeks. (Please note: The deadline has been extended!!) For questions, please contact Beth at 925- 283-7808 or beth@kidshideout.net.

RUN or WALK TO SUPPORT OUR LAFAYETTE SCHOOLS! - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
We need YOU!!Sign up to run or walk the 17th Annual Lafayette Reservoir Run!

TWO CLASSES AT SPRINGHILL WILL WIN AN ICE CREAM PARTY!
Each person that registers will get an official bib. Students should bring their bib and their family/extended family member bibs as well. All bibs turned in to their teacher by end of day Tuesday, October 27th will be counted. The two classes with the most registration bibs will get the ice cream extravaganza party. Date of party TBD.

Come join in the 10k (8:45 a.m.), 5k (8:30 a.m.), or 2 mile "fun run" (9:00 a.m.) through the heart of downtown Lafayette, down to the reservoir and back. It is the city's most popular "family affair" and everyone is welcome, even our loving four-legged pets! Moms, dads, kids, aunts, uncles, and anyone else can participate! Afterwards, you can purchase a yummy pancake breakfast!

REGISTER IN ADVANCE AND GET A FREE TEE SHIRT! Registration forms will come home in the Friday folders.

Adult (ages 12 and older) registration Fee - $28 (race day $33)
Kids (ages 11 and under) Fee - $20 (race day $25)

Complete the form, sign the waiver, and enclose a self addressed stamped envelope (to receive bib) and check made payable to: Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. Mail to: Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, 100 Lafayette Circle, #103, Lafayette, CA. 94549.

ONE NAME PER ENTRY FORM! No bibs will be mailed without a self addressed stamped envelope. Extra registration forms are located in the Springhill office.

You may also register online by going to www.lafayettechamber.org. Please make sure you mark the line next to Springhill Elem. on the registration form. 10% of your registration fee goes DIRECTLY to Springhill school!

If you have any questions, please contact Meredith Johnson at meredith_carlisle@hotmail.com or Darcy Talbot at darcytalbot@comcast.net.

Session II: For those who have attended Session I or previous Thinking Strategies Workshop.
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Where: Springhill Elementary~ Library
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This is not a repeat of the first thinkinstrategy parent workshop. This session is a deeper, more extended presentation of the thinking strategies. This is for parents who have attended any prior thinking strategies workshop.

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Traci Lawrence: 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