Friday, December 11
Hanukkah begins at sundown
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:40 PM- 5:00

Saturday, December 12
Hanukkah

Monday, December 14
Craig Cheslog, State Legislator's Office. speaker, 5th Grade; Library 2:00 PM
School Site Council Meeting; Office, 3:00 PM

Tuesday, December 15
RAPPORT Meeting; District Office, 9:00 AM

Thursday, December 17
4th/5th Grade Winter Concert; Multipurpose Room, 1:30 PM-2:15 PM

Friday, December 18
Minimum Day
All Kindergarten: 8:15 AM-11:35 AM
Grades 1-3 students dismissed at 11:50 AM
Grades 4-5 students dismissed at 12:00 PM
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 12:15 PM

Monday, December 21 - Friday January 1
Winter Break

Monday, December 21
Winter Solstice

Friday, December 25
Christmas

Saturday, December 26
Kwanzaa Begins

Friday, January 1 2010
New Year's Day

Monday, January 4
School Resumes
Cub Scout Pack 200 Leaders' Meeting.; Library, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Friday, January 8
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 12:15 PM

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGES

A. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHAYA TONG, 1st GRADER IN MRS. FINTA's CLASS:
The City of Lafayette, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation, County Library and the local schools are pleased to announce that Springhill's own Chaya Tong is the primary grade winner of the Power of YOUth "Why? Libraries" Writing Contest. Chaya was formally acknowledged for this honor at last Wednesday's Lafayette School Board Meeting. Well done, Chaya, and welcome to the Principal's Club!!!

B. 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/

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

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
---John Wooden

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. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FOOD BANK COLLECTION began on Monday, November 30. Look for the bins in the front of the school and please donate only canned and dried goods. Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Caring, Responsibility & Citizenship!

B. DONATIONS FOR OUR SERVICE MEN & WOMEN SERVING IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN: DVDs, comic books, toiletries, magazines, etc.---all are welcome donations for Evan Gordon, Campolindo Junior, and his Eagle Scout effort to provide much- needed items for our service members now in the Mideast. Look for the donation bin in front of the Office. Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Caring, Responsibility & Citizenship!!!

C. SOCCER EQUIPMENT DRIVE: Once again, Girl Scout troop #31116 is collecting all LMYA soccer uniforms and soccer equipment! Last year, the troop collected over 1,000 soccer uniforms as well as hundreds of shin guards, soccer shoes, and balls which were shipped to needy youth/kids in Zimbabwe and Uganda. Donation boxes will be located in/near the office up until Friday, December 18th. Thank you for your donations! Questions? Contact: Caroline Sjostedt at 256-3010 or caroline_sjostedt@mechbank.com. Be green, recycle your uniforms! Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Caring & Responsibility!!!

D. THE STUDENT COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED that its first PAY IT FORWARD FUND RAISER this year will be to benefit ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation). Be looking for information to come home on Friday, December 11, for your child to buy a QUENCHERS nutritious smoothie to benefit this worthy cause! QUENCHERS DAY itself will be Thursday, December 17, at first recess. Thank you, Student Council, for upholding the Pillars of Responsibility and Caring! Well done!!!

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 Ms. Spain's 2nd grade, students are divided weekly into groups. Each group reads stories that support their current reading level. Students also spend time reflecting on the stories they read. Students do written responses as well as small group discussion. As students progress with their own reading, they can move up into a group that is reading more challenging books.

*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. WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR SPRINGHILL TEAM GREEN? Help us find ways to:
1. Explore 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. Explore school and community green pursuits that provide a fiscal benefit to the schools and community;
3. Explore 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, supporting the Pillars of Caring, Respect, Responsibility & Citizenship!!!

B. SOLAR ENERGY RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE DISTRICT Monday, December 7, was a special day in the Lafayette School District! Lafayette School hosted the inauguration ceremony of the District's new Solar Energy Project. The speakers included Don Tatzin, Mayor of Lafayette, Stephenie Teichman, Lafayette School District Governing Board Member, Bruce Wodhams, Principal, Springhill Elementary School, Chris Wikler, Stanley Middle School 8th Grade Student, Matthew McCullough, CEO, Solar Monkey, and Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. The ceremony concluded with the "Switching of the Solar Panel Switch" for our District's move to solar power. Springhill School should be "flipping the switch" to solar energy within the next month and will have its own ceremony. At that time, we wish to acknowledge certain people who made solar energy a reality for the entire district: former Springhill parents Leon and Marion Lee; former PFC Presidents Kathy Hemmenway & Corrine Christensen; Science Teacher Kim Brast; and James Hatfield who provided two years of consulting free of charge to Springhill School when he worked for Solar City and Sun, Light & Power. We will let you know when the special day arrives!

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

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

Well time is flying by..... The next weeks are filled with shopping, eating, and wrapping - don't forget the Contra Costa Food Bank barrels out front when you are at Safeway stocking up for the holidays. These are tough times and the food banks need our help at this time of the year. Thank you for your generosity!

When out shopping for your holiday tree remember Honey Bear Trees will be donating back to Springhill for each tree we purchase. The form is located on our website and was also emailed to you - so filled it out and support Springhill. I do know if you don't have the form tell them you are from Springhill and make sure to get a receipt.

Monday was the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Solar Panels at Springhill Elementary. We should be proud of our community and our commitment to the environment. We have the distinction of being a "Waste Buster" School!

Please mark your calendars for February 3, 2010 - this is our first General Meeting of the new year. Fred Brill, the Superintendent of Lafayette, will be coming to speak to us about the Budget Cuts that we will experience for 2010-11. This is a very important meeting to attend - I cannot stress this enough. As a community we need to be well informed - this is our children's education that is at stake. Please attend this meeting - again I cannot stress the importance of this meeting enough.

We are starting to look for Chairs for different committees and events for the 2010-11 school year - if you have an interest please contact me at uvdonlon@aol.com or Jean Follmer at jeanfollmer@yahoo.com. Some of the events that need Chairs are Scorpion Days, Fall Funfest, Red Ribbon Week, and the Parent Party. Find a friend or 2 and put together one of these events. The former Chairs have all done a great job of creating notebooks about each event and how to plan them. All are willing to guide you so you be left out in the cold without a clue - I promise! Please consider one of these important jobs - your community needs you now more than ever!

Thank you to the Elze Family for the gift of the new/used shed to house our PE equipment!

Thank you for making carpool a more pleasant experience. I have not heard any feedback re. the Briones lot - let me know how that is going! I appreciate being a part of such a great community - it is truly a wonderful place to be a part of!

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

Budget Deficit Looms, Advocacy Day - Save the Date February 17, 2010

California's Legislative Analyst's Office announced its forecast of a $20.7 billion state budget deficit through July 2011, followed by additional deficits in 2012- 2015. Separately, the Lafayette School District recently unveiled an overview of the district's budget, including projections showing that the district will need to reduce spending by approximately $2 million over two school years, 2010-11 and 2011-12. Join the Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs, which includes Lafayette schools, for its annual Advocacy Day, which will be held on February 17, 2010 in Sacramento. Advocacy Day is designed to bring parents, teachers and school administrators together with our legislators for a day of discussion about the current state of public education in California. Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg. Rep. Karen Yuen at kyuen@fbm.com or go to the Leg Team website at http://www.lastrampaspta.org/Legislation.html

Reserve Saturday January 30 on Your New 2010 Calendars
On Saturday January 30th, LASF is hosting our major fundraising party for the year with the theme a "Starry, Starry Night". Tickets are $75 per person and include a hosted bar, souvenir drink glass and appetizers. We are planning a relaxed, casual and fun event at the Veterans Memorial Building where you can join your friends to celebrate our schools, community and children.

Live and Silent Auctions and Giving Tree
As is tradition, the annual event will feature live and silent auctions. We are still soliciting items for auction. To donate, please contact our Auction Coordinators, Mary Bakos at (925) 284-4795 or mlbakos@yahoo.com or Carrie Barlow at (415) 606- 4949 or purecurls@mtbarlow.com. This year, the event will feature something new - a giving tree for those who would like to make a 100% deductible contribution.

Winter Concert for 4th and 5th graders

Friends and family are invited to attend the Springhill Winter Music Assembly for 4th and 5th grader at 1:30 to 2:30 Thursday 12/17 in the multipurpose room.
All 4th and 5th graders will attend. Performing will be the 5th grade band and strings classes and the 4th and 5th grade choruses. Performers should wear standard concert attire: white on top and black or dark pants or skirt on the bottom.

This Week in the Library

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week reason number 12 is "Once you start you won't want to stop."

Kwanzaa is a holiday created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 to honor African Americans' cultural heritage and remind them of their ongoing fight for dignity, justice, and peace. It begins on December 26 and lasts one week. There are seven symbols and many practices including lighting a black candle the first night and then adding a red one the next night, a green one the following night, and so on. Families focus on a different principle each night such as unity, creativity, etc. and enjoy special time with one another and with their friends.

Hanukkah is an eight day celebration by Jewish people which commemorates the victory by the Maccabees over the Greco-Syrian armies occupying modern day Israel. They were fighting for the freedom to worship as they chose instead of acknowledging King Antiochus as a god. The story goes that when the Maccabees went to the Temple in Jerusalem to give thanks to God they found the Temple desecrated and only enough sacred oil to light the menorah for one night. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight nights so that new oil could be consecrated and the restored Temple rededicated. And so people light candles in menorahs for eight nights, beginning with one candle the first night and adding a candle each night. Children play games with dreidels, enjoy Hanukkah gelt, and receive gifts from parents and relatives. Everyone enjoys latkes or other foods fried in oil and spending time together. Our stories this week celebrated this holiday.

What do you do when you're preparing for a Hanukkah party and three latkes jump out of the frying pan? Kindergartners enjoyed The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman, a holiday take on the classic story of the gingerbread man who ran away.

Hanukkah is often referred to as the Festival of Lights. A young boy and his sister light another candle each night while also discovering all kinds of other lights in their house and neighborhood. First graders enjoyed spotting and counting the other lights (and the several cats the family had) in Michael J. Rosen's book Chanukah Lights Everywhere.

Rachel borrows one thing after another from Mrs. Greenberg to feed extra guests on the last night of Hanukkah and invites her to join them, but each time Mrs. Greenberg refuses until Rachel's final request to borrow something. Second graders enjoyed hearing how Rachel finally got Mrs. Greenberg to join her family's celebration in The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Linda Glaser.

Isabel is invited to celebrate Hanukkah with her Aunt Luisa, who has just moved from Mexico. Her parents tell her that she will also get to celebrate the Hanukkah Moon. Isabel is puzzled by this but she, and the third graders, discover how this, along with other Mexican customs, enhances Isabel's more familiar celebration of Hanukkah in Deborah da Costa's luminous book Hanukkah Moon.

It's the family's first Hanukkah since Mama has died and Selma, Dora, and Papa do their best to recreate the holiday the way Mama would have done it. Fourth graders heard Michelle Edwards' sensitive story Papa's Latkes and discussed how each family member might have felt during that difficult celebration.

A Michigan farming community is hit by scarlet fever and only Trisha's family escapes it. They are celebrating the first night of Hanukkah when Grampa wonders aloud what they can do to help their neighbors. Fifth graders heard how they decided to cut down trees, trimmed them with the carved animals Grampa had made as Hanukkah gifts for Trisha and her brother, and took one to each family in Patricia Polacco's book The Trees of the Dancing Goats.

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 revised library wish list, reviews of new books, and links to many helpful resources.

Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist

Student Council Jamba Juice Sale to Benefit ARF!!
Be sure to look in those Friday Folders for your Jamba Juice order forms!! The Student Council is selling these delicious smoothies, with all proceeds to benefit Tony Larussa's Animal Rescue Foundation. The flavors are all fruit and state approved for nutrition. If you have any questions, contact Holly Nolan at 988- 0865 or HollyNolan@comcast.net.

Winter Wonderland at Kid's Hideout
Do you need to do some last minute shopping? Do you still have to work even though your kids are off? Or do you simply need a break to finish up on your holiday festivities? You're in luck! Kid's Hideout is open during Winter Break. Please join us for lots of fun and exciting activities. We will be making Christmas & Hanukkah crafts on Monday, 12/21, holding a Holiday Candy Making class on Tuesday, 12/22 and Holiday Party with crafts and games on Wednesday, 12/23. On Tuesday, 12/29, we will hold our Winter Olympics, Kwanzaa games and fun on Wednesday, 12/30 and have a New Year's Eve party on 12/31 with crafts, games, movie and munchies. Registration is due by Friday, December 11th. We will be accepting late registration beginning Monday, December 14th. Don't miss out on our Winter Wonderland at Hideout! Please contact Beth at 283- 7808 or beth@kidshideout.net. All forms can be downloaded from our website at www.kidshideout.net. Happy Holidays!

All forms can be found on our website at www.kidshideout.net on the "forms" page. You can also contact Beth at beth@kidshideout.net or 925-283- 7808 for information.

Honey Bear Christmas Tree Fundraiser - 20% goes to Springhill
The PFC is pleased to partner with Honey Bear Trees to raise money for Springhill Elementary! When you go there to buy your tree, take your flyer (will be sent home with the Friday Folder) and they will contribute 20% of your purchase directly to the PFC! The only way this will happen is to take your flyer! This tree lot is located across from Acalanes High School and the trees are from the Elze's tree farm.

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Sharon Doi Swan: 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