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

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

Wednesday, January 6
PFC Executive Board Meeting; Lounge, 5:30 PM

Friday, January 8
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 pm

Monday, January 11
Student Council Meeting; Rm. 23, 12:30 PM

Tuesday, January 12
LASF General Board Meeting; Stanley Library, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, January 13
Lafayette School District Board Meeting; District Office, 7:00 PM

Friday, January 15 2010
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 pm

Monday, January 18
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Holiday

Thursday, January 21
Springhill TEAM GREEN Meeting; Office, 1:45 PM

Friday, January 22
STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY: STUFFED ANIMAL DAY
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 pm

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGES

A. I WISH YOU ALL THE MOST WONDERFUL OF HOLIDAY SEASONS AND A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!

B. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED YESTERDAY's WINTER CONCERT: A job fabulously well done by our Upper Grades under the superb direction of Vicki Ghulam (vocals), Liz Brummel (band), Wendy Clymer (strings) and all of the volunteer accompanists. Let's continue to support LASF so that these programs can continue! Thank you!

C. FIRE LANE: PLEASE READ:
As per the the Fire Marshal's directive of today, 12.17.09, cars in the Springhill School parking lot may no longer be parked along the island parallel to the western border of the school parking lot (directly across from the Principal's and Secretary's parking spaces). The curb will be painted red shortly, but in the meantime, orange cones will be placed to prevent cars from being parked there. If you do park there, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO HAVING YOUR CAR TOWED AND A SIGNIFICANT FINE IMPOSED. The Fire Marshal will be checking. This area must remain clear as a FIRE LANE. Thank you for your cooperation.

D. 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!!!

E. 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/

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

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Character is developed one positive action at a time. Therefore, nothing is actually trivial in our lives. Someone who grows from each minor life event will eventually reach high levels of character perfection."
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, author, lecturer

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 Thank you all who contributed dried and canned food to the CC COUNTY FOOD BANK DRIVE in the preceding weeks. Thank you for upholding the Pillars of Responsibility and Caring and for paying it forward!

B. THE STUDENT COUNCIL CONDUCTED ITS FIRST PAY IT FORWARD FUND RAISER this year to benefit the ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION (ARF). Over $325 was raised during the Jamba Juice Sale!!! Thank you, Student Council, for upholding the Pillars of Responsibility, Caring and Citizenship! Well done!!!

C. SOCCER EQUIPMENT DRIVE: Girl Scout Troop #31116 continues to collect all LMYA soccer uniforms and soccer equipment in case you still want to donate! Last year, we collected over 1,500 soccer uniforms (representing 110 complete teams!) as well as hundreds of shin guards, soccer shoes, and balls which were shipped to needy youth/kids in Afghanistan, Africa, and Haiti. Donation boxes will be located in front of the Springhill Office until Friday, December 18th. Thank you for paying it forward and upholding the Pillars of Caring and Citizenship!

D. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DONATIONS FOR OUR SERVICE MEN & WOMEN SERVING IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN: All were 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!!!

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. Vann's 3rd grade, in both reading and math, variety of flexible grouping strategies are implemented such as teacher directed small groups; and independent, individual groups- with each group provided with differentiated learning activities tailored for each grouping structure.

*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. NEXT SPRINGHILL TEAM GREEN MEETING IS THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1:45 PM IN THE SPRINGHILL SCHOOL OFFICE.

B. 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!!!

C. 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

It's hard to believe that 2009 is coming to a close and 2010 is right around the corner. It's been a great year so far and I am looking forward to many great things in the coming new year!

The Enrichment Chairs Sharon Kidd and Julie Tobias-Pancoast have put together 4 new enrichment classes for the Winter session. Please check out what is being offered in the Community Friday Flyer. Thank you Sharon and Julie for all your hard work!

The PFC is looking for people who are interested in organizing our Parent Party in April. The Barn has been booked, the theme has been set, the food has been decided on - now we need a few energetic party planners. We are planning on a small Silent Auction, a few Live items, and the always popular Parent Party sign ups. If you are interested please contact Jennifer Bielawski at tjbielawski@gmail.com. The more the merrier so grab a friend or 5 and make it a fun project!

We are also starting to look for people to fill positions for next year. We have openings for Scorpion Days (which is in the process of going online in order to streamline the process and make it easier), Fall Fun Fest, Book Fair, and Red Ribbon Week. If you are interested please contact Jean Follmer at jeanfollmer@yahoo.com or Julie Donlon at uvdonlon@aol.com. Find a friend and co chair - a great way to help the PFC and have fun with a friend!

Remember to put February 3rd on your calendar for the PFC General Meeting. The Superintendent of our district Dr. Fred Brill will be coming to the meeting to discuss the cuts to the Budget that we can expect for the next year. This is a very important meeting and I am encouraging everyone to attend. We all need to be in the know.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday! All the best to each and every one of you for 2010!

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

LASF and the Library

Back in the planning stages of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, we had reserved space to move our LASF offices into the new building. At the time this decision was made, our requirements for office space were small. In the intervening years since that decision, our LASF operations have grown and the space we had reserved at the Library turned out to be too small for our needs. In late October as we began preparations to make the move, we realized that no amount of "closet cleaning and de-cluttering" would get our office size reduced enough to fit into the Library space. With real disappointment, the LASF board voted NOT to move as the change might impede day to day operations and limit our growth. So we will stay in our office just a few short blocks away from the Library. Our two organizations will continue to be good neighbors and good partners in community service.

This Week in the Library

I wish you all a happy holiday break and look forward to working with your students in 2010!
Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week reason number 12 is "It can change your life."

Christmas is the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, a story told in the Bible. While it began as a religious holiday, over the centuries many customs have grown up around the celebration. Christmas trees, the tradition of gift-giving, lights and candles, entertainments ranging from concerts of Christmas music to ballets, plays, movies, and TV shows, Christmas cards, carols, and, of course, Santa Claus, have all become part of the celebration for many people. It's also a time to reach out to others who are less fortunate and to enjoy gatherings with families and friends. And, as with all holidays, there are special foods to prepare and enjoy.

Piglet Olivia has the best of intentions, but all her efforts to help get ready for Christmas go awry. Kindergartners enjoyed hearing about Olivia's mistakes and seeing them amusingly illustrated in Ian Falconer's book Olivia Helps with Christmas.

A boy and his ice bear are on their way to Oslo when they stop at Kyri's hut on Christmas Eve. She tells him that each year trolls come and devour all the feast, so this year her father has gone up the mountain to stop them. The trolls come anyway but Kyri and her new friend have a surprise for them this year. First graders enjoyed Jan Brett's sumptuous illustrations in her classic holiday story set in the European Arctic Circle, Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

Mr. And Mrs. Rabbit want to take gifts to put under the Christmas tree in the clearing where children will find them. On their way they meet several other animals, but when they get to the tree they find a lion. Will he hurt them or help them? Second graders enjoyed performing and hearing the Reader's Theater play The Christmas Tree by Charles Pfeffinger.

We've all heard Clement Moore's famous poem "The Night Before Christmas" and some of the many variations people have come up with over the years. Now imagine a dog and a cat who fight all the time and a mouse who suggests they all cooperate to keep their people from going away for the holidays. Third graders enjoyed performing and hearing the Readers' Theater play Holiday High Jinks by Cara Bafile.

Pablo's father is leaving their small farm in Mexico to go to America to earn more money to support his growing family. H's left Pablo in charge and now, several months later, Pablo wants to make Christmas special for his family even though his dad is still gone. Carlos's parents can't wait to get to their small village in Mexico to celebrate the holiday with family and old friends. Carlos can't understand why his parents left the village because though his father talks about new opportunities, Carlos can't see that their lives are any better. After hearing Pablo's Christmas by Hugo Martin and Going Home by Eve Bunting and thinking about them, fourth graders decided that these two families had special celebrations because, even though they didn't have a lot of material possessions, they valued being with people they loved and were willing to make sacrifices for them.

Are arctic foxes endangered? What does the Kwanzaa kinara symbolize? What is the tree pollen count for today? Fifth graders researched these and many other questions using newspapers, atlases, encyclopedias, almanacs, magazines, books, and the internet. Each table group worked on one of six different topics-conifers, winter, snow and snowflakes, reindeer, December, and arctic foxes. Not only was it a fun project, but they were honing their research skills by using a variety of resources.

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

Jamba Juice Fundraiser was a Big Success!
Thanks so much to all who participated in the Student Council's Jamba Juice fundraiser to benefit Tony Larussa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)!! With your help, we were able to raise $325 to go toward helping the animals at ARF!! Thanks also to Jamba Juice of Lafayette for their help!!

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